I happened to immediately step out and then grasp my injury at the side, where I was stabbed. Has it long since I stopped taking pain killers?
"Damn! I really did work myself out too much!"
I found myself staring at the nearest tree, looking at it with a rare moment of laziliness before immediately slumping down against it. I felt a strange presence that felt a bit nostalgic and calming, although was a rather odd thing. Now I may not make any sense, but this familiar presense shouldn't be in in this forest. It reminded me of the time I was at the palace and wandering around, doing the most insane things known to man-kind. Like jumping into dungeons where there was no rescuing me unless I defeated the boss.
I smiled to myself while my head tilted all the way back and stared at the leaves and branches above. It was almost pre-dawn. I had been away for quite some time now, presuming I left a little after midnight. But I didn't give it a mind anymore. I had survived a horde of demons and was still alive, I should be happy about that.
More importantly, I saved myself an immediate confrontation. This is something I should be proud of. But still, I wasn't satisfied that I was alive for some reasons. I kept staring into the sky and thinking about what I had miss, although I missed nothing.
I think it was just the stab wound at my side that I was trying to stop the bleeding from, or that my forehead was burning with the salt, although it didn't last long and I had wiped it off. Then there was extreme fatigue that made me want to lay down for a while, even if the dried leaves and twigs stung. I couldn't do much about avoiding the already caused injuries.
"Haha! I thought I was going insane for a bit... Alright... I will rest. Then hunt for food I guess." I spoke to myself while shutting my eyes, completely forgetting my injuries and the last thing I had seen was the first ray of the sun. Typically, this was when I would go wondering out at the market to see how the world was... To not forget how it looked if I were still at the palace, and I didn't have school.
"After about one hour of sleep... I need to head over to where the statue is. This dungeon isn't supposed to exist by then... Right? I should be able to step outside without getting instantly killed." I spoke to myself while shutting my eyes for the final time.
Just when I was about to doze off... A loud metallic slice echoed into my ears, causing me to jolt awake and sit up straight on the ground. Before I could properly stand up on my knees, (because I had difficulty making the move less painful) the metal seemed to be pointed directly at my throat.
My eyes widened since I thought I was caught, my left hand immediately finding the grip of Spectrum at my side. I didn't look up, I stared down with a tremble of my fingers.
"Are you a monster? Where are the dungoen treasures?"
A familiar voice... I knew who it was, but I don't remember who it might be. Maybe because it has been quite some time now... So I had forgotten the person a little bit. Or maybe I was just exhausted.
Still, despite being asked a question like that, I didn't dare lift my gaze or stand up. The sword it seemed, had started to graze the side of my neck. I realized then, that my real form has fallen back into cover and there was no metallic-tipped wings to save me now.
"It is always right after meeting a demon or a demon horde..." I whispered to myself as I felt my right hand coming up to cover half my face. "Look... I don't have anything to give..." I started to surrender with both my hand held up slightly afterwards.
I stood, then lifted my crimson gaze to meet the person who was confronting me.
To think, I met that person right at a time like this...
My eyes widened with surprise. I may be hallucinating... But it was someone useful at the end of the day.
Soon, the same reaction rose to his face too. I couldn't tell if he still recognized me, despite the red eyes and the longer hair length. But I could definitely recognize him at any extend even as he wore a hood over his face. It wasn't fully pulled down, so I caught the glimpse of the features better.
"What are you doing here with those injuries?! Couldn't you get yourself treated?!"
He shockingly asked with concern radiating at his face as he put his weapon away. I still didn't lower my hand, and I was definitely too stunned to speak for a long moment. Then, I lowered my hand with a smile on my face.
"Not if a certain someone would just happen to appear at the right time..." I answered back with a smile that felt real, after having to fake it for so long back at the Guardian Realm.
"Still! You are covered in blood!"
I didn't really answer his next sentence, and walked towards him. But maybe more particularly, I ran. It was either that I was excited or that I was just happy I had a chance of life again. However, what was more important, was that I didn't intend for being this impulsive just by seeing him.
"Lio!"
My mouth and voice worked without my command. Did I even intend to say that in the first place? Because I don't remember getting used to calling him by that name even when he told me to use it as a way to shorten the amount of energy I used in emergency cases. Well... I was in an emergency case here. I was injured, and I am pretty much like a thief to him for his element, which I honestly wished I had.
"Aefia!"
I don't know exactly when, but I had hugged him in need of support and he didn't quite push me away. However, the next second, I realized that my nerves responded so that I could just cling onto life for a bit longer. And not to mention, my knees buckled the next second and my hands slipped.
Due to the fact that I was directly in front of him, he as able to catch me as I fell unconcious. I still don't have a clearer version of the memory, but I remember shutting my eyes just before a lime green light was at the tip of my fingertips. Right, so that was why I had unresponsively clung into him for support.
I was always a thief, and my muscle memory helped me work on healing myself. However, I remember not being able to gather much energy before I collapsed permanently. I might be sorry that he had to suffer because of me. Since he is the only one with the healing element, that was where my trust laid the most. I may be too greedy too. I was his most frequent patient as he had said it the last time I had met him about a month ago.
Although he had said he didn't mind helping me out in situations like this... I had always felt at debt at times like this. I asked him back then too, what I could do to repay him, but he always said it is alright as long as I was willing to pay him a visit more often. I guess it was to make sure I wasn't injured.
***
The next time that I opened my eyes, I was in a completely different place with my muscles aching and my forehead burning. The room I was in looked like a modern household honestly, or maybe the medieval style had been locked into my brain as a modern day. Because I have lived like this long enough, it is just normal for me to see it as this way right now.
I decided to sit up, and then inspect the place I was in. I could confirm that I was not in the forest. The place didn't even look like it was a low rented place, so I assumed I may have been caught by the Imperial guards while I was at the forest.
A sigh escaped my mouth as I looked down to check my wounds. Which were healed. At least if I ever had to escape, I could have left in a state that allowed me a safe one. I tried to swing my legs across the edge of the bed.
However, my muscles didn't want to move or do anything, my eyes almost shutting themselves as instantly as I had opened them back up.
Then a hand covered over my eyes as if to fully shut them.
"Go back to resting. You can hardly stay awake or move around."
The familiar voice hit my ears again as I pulled the hand off. "When did I fall asleep?" I asked with confusion while diverting my gaze at his direction.
"I don't think you will remember much. It has been some time since you had woken up. If you know by now, the sun was starting to rise when you had fallen unconscious." He honestly replied while grabbing a stool to sit next to my bed. "However, what I wanted to ask was whether you remember anything from when you had woken up quite some time after I had brought you in."
"I was awake? Besides now?" I asked with the wires in brain starting to malfunction.
I don't know why, but he seemed to had grown disappointed by hearing my remark. "Nevermind... You really don't remember." He looked away towards the door for a while with an upset face.
"Why? What did I do?"
"Nothing... You just stood up to go fetch yourself a glass of water that was over there." He answered while pointing to the table opposite to the bed that I was in currently. But then, something popped into my mind and I instinctly felt a sharp pain run across my head as I grasped his wrist tightly.
"Where is Nada?!" I asked while squinting my left eye, which was due to the headache itself.
I could tell that he had been scared out of his mind when I shouted at him. But he still smiled while diverting his gaze towards my face. Not even worrying about the way I was bruising his wrist with the amount of pressure I applied.
"Someone named Elanor took her in. She is safe there, and that lady also said she knew who you were. Isn't she the one with blonde hair and amber eyes?"
"Well yes... But how do you know she isn't a shapeshifter?!"
"The lady told me about your location. So I guess she is a genuine person."
"Still! You can't trust everyone in this world!"
He didn't interrupt me or step back. He continued smiling in a way that explained he knew what he was doing, was the right thing.
"Do you somehow know how to detect a second soul?" I asked while lowering my voice. He nodded at that, while completely unaware of the way I had let go of his wrist. Maybe he was busy observing to see if I still have some suspicions or still didn't trust him well enough.
"Then that is a relief." I changed the direction of my gaze to look towards the window, where it seemed that we were in the second storey of the house. "Did you rent this house?" I asked finally after a long time.
"Well I did save enough back at the competition. But no... This is simply a hotel that I am staying at. I will check out tonight anyways. However... I think you need to recover first."
My gaze immediately travelled back to his face. "Wait... I don't think it is wise to extend your stay. I have to leave for the capital by today. I need to hurry back towards the forest too. That is how I will have to take my leave."
"You want to return to the capital in this state?" His smile dropped, leaving behind only concern. "You have a high fever."
"I can manage. It's not like the two days trip back would be of any difficultly. If luck favors... I might as well get some rest before immediately boarding the ferry today."
"..."
"And you did say just now that Nada is with Countess Elanor, I can't rest there after the two days journey back too. She is pretty close."
"I don't think you really are looking forward to staying at the Countess' manor... Are you?" He looked at me with suspicion.
"I can still get back at the palace–"
"One thing about you, Aefia, is that you don't really like being a burden for people. And don't expect me to believe that the place you wanted to run away from is where you want to return. I know you better then most people in this world that knows you, do."
I was astonished at how he had deciphered all that about me within seconds. "You really do have a habit of ruining my reasoning... Are you some sort of secret detective?" I asked with annoyance.
"Don't give me that look. You think I would just let you back out in this state? You fought a battle while tiring yourself out... Do you expect me to believe you won't do that again with your fever?"
"Whatever... I accept defeat." I let out a sigh.
"Then go back to resting. Have the entire afternoon as a break. You will be able to catch a ferry with me if you want later on. I am checking out tomorrow at noon." He stood up while placing a hand at my forehead to check my temperature.
Suddenly, I grabbed his hand just as he was about to leave, and pressed it against my cheek. "How is your hand so cold? I kind of like it." I added while shutting my eyes briefly. I could doze off easily if only this same cool temperature was pressed against my entire face.