Several questions bounced in her head, including how Femror's sister had gotten there, but those would have to be answered later, for Samiah understood the urgency of the situation.
“What can we do?” she asked.
"I-I don't know. I only had the basic healer's training." Lochiana caressed his face with the gentlest touch, and Samiah noticed for the first time that there was something going on between Lochiana and the warrior. She called upon her gift and saw, as bright as day, the shimmery line that connected Lochiana's core to Femror's.
For all the Sacred Powers. They’re soul mates. Has Lochiana already realized that?
“Sinclair root paste has chemicals that counteract the effects of skin inflammation. It could help. It’s fairly common on riverbanks such as this.” Gary approached the duo and knelt next to Femror.
His gaze traveled down the warrior's shaking form, taking note of the swollen and purplish patches all over his skin. Samiah couldn't even imagine the amount of pain the Draki must be in. She had been stung by a zarpon when she was younger and had cried for hours.
Gary pulled one of Femror's eyelids back before speaking. "We need to act fast."
"Tell us what to look for." Malachiax shifted forward while Ianox hung back.
Chrysa took a sharp intake of breath, the sound drawing Samiah's attention to her.
“Cinthi. We must find some Cinthi flowers,” she said.
“What?” Lochiana questioned. "That's crazy."
“No, Chrysa is right." Gary stood suddenly. "Cinthi has extraordinary healing powers. The healer from my village used it for everything.”
Chrysa spun around and raised her nose in the air, as if trying to catch the scent of the flower. What a peculiar female.
She looked over her shoulder. “Quickly, there are a few over that hill.” She pointed at the distance.
Lochiana sprang into action, hooking her arms under Femror's body and pulling him up. She was stronger than she looked, but not strong enough to carry a male the size of Femror by herself. Gary and Malachiax went to assist her, and when Mal tried to gently push her out of the way, she resisted.
"I got it," he said with kindness in his eyes. Had he also sensed the connection Lochiana had to the Draki warrior?
Samiah looped her arm around her friend’s and dragged her away. "Come, we'll move much quicker if we let Mal and Gary carry Femror."
Lochiana peeled her gaze off the warrior to look at Samiah. Her eyes conveyed anguish only those with a deep link to another being could understand. Samiah knew more than anyone how strong the need was to protect one's soul mate.
Ianox had already taken off with Chrysa when the rest followed them up the hill. Samiah and Lochiana brought up the rear since Malachiax and Gary couldn’t defend themselves while they carried Femror. Any precaution was necessary; for out in the distance, Samiah could still hear the guttural noises the deranged Arcadians were making. She hoped they'd find the flower to help Femror soon. The longer they lingered, the greater the odds they would be found. She couldn’t help thinking about the hurdles they still had ahead of them. They hadn’t traveled far enough down the river, so they would have to make the rest of the trek on foot after all.
When they finally reached the top of the hill, Gary was already running back toward them with a bouquet of white flowers in his hand. Chrysa followed in his footsteps and asked Malachiax and Gary to lay Femror down once more. She knelt next to him after taking the flowers from Gary, squeezing them between her hands, crushing all the petals together, and making a ball out of them. She produced some kind of yellowish milk, which she quickly applied to each sting on Femror's body. The warrior's face, which had been until that point scrunched in pain, relaxed. The tremors in his body also stopped.
"Is it working?" Lochiana asked.
"It seems so. Still he probably will develop a fever. We need to find shelter," Chrysa replied.
"Where exactly are we?" Ianox asked.
"Samion's Park. I used to camp here when I was younger. We're maybe a day from Argamania if we travel on foot."
"A day? We don't have a day. Femror needs a proper bed to recover." Lochiana glowered at Malachiax as if she blamed him personally for the bad news.
Malachiax narrowed his eyes at Lochiana but didn't make a comment. For once, Samiah also didn't jump to defend her mate. She knew where Lochiana was coming from.
"We'll find what we need if we head southeast," Chrysa said without looking up.
Samiah frowned. "That will lead straight to Bangor. We should stay away from cities."
"We'll find what we need if we head southeast," Chrysa repeated as if Samiah hadn't even spoken.
"What's the matter with that female?" Ianox asked. "Is she unhinged?"
"Listen to what Chrysa says," Femror said with a rough voice.
Lochiana turned to him immediately, peering at his face with intent.
"You’re awake. Thank the Sacred Powers," she said, and her outburst managed to get a small twist from Femror’s lips.
"It sounds like you were worried about me."
"Of course I was worried about you. You almost died."
"Nah. Draki can't be killed that easily."
"Do you think you can stand? No matter what we decide, we can't stay here," Malachiax said.
Femror grimaced as he tried to sit up on his own. Lochiana, surprisingly, didn't try to assist him, and Samiah wondered why. Once the warrior was in the upright position, he replied, "Yes, I think I can walk, but not as fast as you wish I could."
Lochiana stood up suddenly and declared, "We'll head to Bangor and see what we can find there."
Her tone left no room for argument.
Chapter 23
Curse the three moons, my body hurts everywhere. As Femror tried his best not to grunt with every painful step he took, he vowed to never put himself in the direct path of zarpons again. Who am I fooling? I would do it again if it meant protecting Lochiana. He would rather die than see her suffer. She walked a little ahead of him, but from time to time, she would peer over her shoulder to check on him. His male pride hated that she had to witness him in such a weakened state. He would be forever grateful that she didn't attempt to help him get up earlier. She seemed to know it was the last thing he wanted. For that same reason, he had refused assistance from Malachiax and Gary. I can walk on my own, thank you very much.
Chrysa, who had been walking ahead of him as well, slowed her pace so she stood by his side. Without glancing his way, she asked, “How are you faring, brother?”
Femror hadn’t been surprised to see his sister earlier. She had the sight, after all; she must have sensed they were in peril.
“I’ve been better, thank you for asking.”
He wondered if she knew what their father had asked him to do. As if she had plucked the thought from his head, she said, “Yes, I know.”
His response was to grunt. Could she also see the turmoil in his heart?
“The world turns as it will, brother. Don’t worry about things you cannot change.”
The problem was he could change it. Ultimately, it was his decision to make. Femror shook his head to dispel his thoughts. Even with all the conflicting feelings bouncing inside his head, Femror knew that, in the end, he would do what must be done for the greater good. Even if it meant alienating his soul mate forever. He was a warrior, a prince of the Draki. His duty would always come first. Had to always come first.
The group made slow progress out of the park thanks to him. At least they weren't being pursued; he would take solace in that. When they reached the wide road that lead to Bangor, they found it deserted. Femror had already noticed this phenomenon in Morang. It seemed the Myserians had a solid plan this time. Instead of destroying the bodies of their hosts as they'd done the first time they came through the portal, they were using the Arcadians for another, probably sinister, reason. What were they after?
The dark gray road was flanked on both sides by a range of mountains, leaving th
eir party too exposed for Femror's liking. During the entire journey through the valley, Femror felt like livestock being corralled to the slaughterhouse. Despite his foreboding feeling, they made it to the city of Bangor without being ambushed. Any sane person would consider that a positive outcome, but instead of making Femror relax, the lack of any problems during their journey made him more uneasy. The calm before the storm.
Bangor was a small mining city and as such, it had been designed to fulfill its purpose without thought for aesthetics. To put it nicely, it was a fucking eyesore. Buildings were nothing more than sad gray boxes, some in much need of a new paint job. The only splash of color was the murals they found painted on some of the walls. The houses in the city’s outskirts seemed to have been vacated in a hurry, but they didn't come across destruction until they reached a commercial avenue. Stores had been ransacked and destroyed; merchandise lay torn and abandoned on the street.
"Okay, now what?" Ianox put his hands on his hips and openly glared in Chrysa’s direction. She didn't catch the gesture, but Femror did. He curled his lip and let out a growl.
Lochiana didn't glance Femror’s way. He wasn't even sure if she had heard him, but the fact that she was staring daggers at the good-for-nothing Arcadian sat very well with him. Pride filled his chest.
"We’ll search the stores. Grab anything that might be useful such as food, clothes, water, etcetera," Lochiana said before she spun around and came closer to Femror. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I've been run over by one of your floating cars," Femror said with a smirk.
"Hover transports float, like you said. It wouldn't be possible to be run over by one." Her beautiful eyes sparkled with glee, and Femror caught the phantom of a smirk on her plump lips.
"Fine. I feel like one of your hover transports fell on top of me." He grinned openly at her now, even if it hurt his face to do so.
She raised both eyebrows and her jaw dropped before she turned to stare at one such vehicle. "For all the Sacred Powers. That's it! We'll use one of the transports to reach Argor."
"Aren’t you forgetting something? They don't work outside of cities, and they're powered by the relays," Ianox was quick to point out.
She shook her head and smiled at Femror, ignoring the dumb shit. "The new models, yes, but these"—she touched the transport next to her—"these are still powered by solar energy. Bragadá was one of the last countries in Arcadia to adopt the new relay technology."
A palpable energy of renewed purpose could be felt in the group. Even the useless Ianox seemed more motivated to get his ass moving. Femror wished he could help, but the little bit of strength he had was only enough to keep him standing, if that.
Lochiana got busy with the hover transport she had deemed more salvageable. It was bent in the front, and the glass windows had been shattered, but it looked more or less intact on the inside. Femror shuffled his way toward her. Upon feeling his presence nearby, she turned to him. She was so excited about her project that she rewarded him with the brightest smile he had seen from her. His dual hearts stopped beating for a moment only to kick-start a second later in a furious rhythm. He had heard a saying many millennia ago from a fisherman in his former land that applied perfectly—Femror had fallen for Lochiana hook, line, and sinker. As he stared at her mesmerizing prism-colored eyes, he silently begged her to reel him in.
He was so caught up in her stare that when he started seeing double, he didn't think much of it, not until his legs gave out under his weight.
"Femror!" Lochiana yelled and caught him right before he could face-plant on the stone pavement. His arms went around her tiny waist, and he buried his face on the flat of her stomach. The scent of her skin invaded his nose and he shuddered.
"Are you sniffing me?" she asked.
"No," he replied with a grunt. "It's called breathing."
Despite that obvious lie, he didn’t move from his semi-crouched position.
"You need to sit down." She pulled him up, but somehow, Femror managed to maintain the close proximity.
He didn't know what possessed him when he brought his nose right below her ear and took a good whiff. He heard Lochiana's sharp intake of breath, and he would have pulled her closer if she hadn't taken a couple of steps back.
"You shouldn't have done that," she whispered.
He swayed on the spot and took a couple of wobbly steps toward the hover transport. She didn't attempt to help him that time.
"Would you have said the same thing if I looked like this?" Femror used the little shapeshifting gift he still possessed and transformed his appearance. Gone were the green hue of his skin and the scales.
Lochiana's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "You can shapeshift."
"Yes. So, do I look less revolting to you now?" It cost him to speak. He shouldn’t have shapeshifted in his weakened state. His vision was beginning to darken at the edges. He didn't know why he showed his ability to her or why her answer mattered to him. He’d never once wished to look like the Arcadians; he was proud of his heritage.
"I don't find you revolting. Not by a long shot. I just—" She shook her head.
"My apologies. I don't know why I did this." Lies. "It must have been the Cinthi flower." More lies.
Lochiana took a couple of deep breaths. "That's okay. Just don't do it again.”
Femror opened his mouth to reply, but the world around him began to shift and he could no longer feel his legs. He raised his arm to find something to hold on to, a tether before the dark vortex took him under, only to find empty space. He thought he heard Lochiana shout his name, and then nothing.
Chapter 24
They reached Argamania by nightfall and found the streets in their neighborhood deserted. The shops were all shut and dark. At least they weren’t destroyed, Samiah thought. It gave her hope that Argamania hadn’t fallen prey to the Myserians. Despite the lack of disturbance, they exited the hover transport quickly, for they didn’t want to linger too long out in the dark.
Malachiax and Gary carried Femror, who had passed out when they were in Bangor and had not regained consciousness since then. He shivered and moaned nonsensical words during the trip, a consequence of the fever that had taken hold of the warrior. Samiah didn’t need to use her gift to sense the anxiety emanating from Lochiana. If it weren’t for Chrysa’s lack of worry, her friend would probably be acting much more frantic.
The group went up the stairs of Samiah and Mal’s apartment as quietly as they could, but their footsteps still echoed around them. None of their neighbors appeared to say hello, and Samiah couldn’t hear any sound coming from the closed doors along the hallway. At that hour, their building complex should have been livelier. Where has everyone gone?
Samiah let out a sigh of relief when they found their apartment undisturbed. Nothing was out of place. The automated light orbs illuminated the room as they crossed the threshold, and their main crystal table flickered to life. They hadn’t lost the relays here.
Malachiax and Gary brought Femror to the guest room, and only when he lay down on the double-sized bed did he stir and open his eyes. It was no surprise to Samiah that the first word out of his mouth was Lochiana’s name.
Lochiana hurried to the bed and sat on the edge next to him, placing her palm over his forehead. “I’m here. How are you feeling?”
“Hot.”
“You should. You have a fever.” She glanced at Samiah. “Do you have any anti-thermal medication?”
Samiah went in search of the pills, not knowing if Arcadian medicine would work on the Draki. She returned to the room quickly with the bottle of blue tablets and a glass of water.
“Will this work?” she asked Chrysa.
Femror’s sister nodded. “Besides their dual hearts, the Draki’s genetic makeup is similar to yours.”
Samiah knew nothing of the Draki’s physiology. Blast, she hadn’t known they existed until a few days ago. But she caught on that Chrysa hadn’t included herself in her statement. “You
don’t have a dual heart?”
Chrysa merely shook her head in response before she seemed to lose focus again. “There’s a message waiting for you.”
Samiah frowned and glanced at Malachiax. He left the room and a moment later returned with a printout in his hand. “The palace issued a level 5 lockdown. All citizens are to report to the closest shelters and wait for instructions.”
“No wonder there isn’t anyone around,” Samiah mused. “What should we do?”
“We can’t wait for Femror to recover. We need to seek an audience with Lord Droom immediately,” Malachiax said.
Lochiana’s spine became taut before she stood up.
“Lord Droom can’t know we’re here,” Chrysa said.
Samiah frowned at the young Draki. “Why not?”
She shook her head and looked out the window. “He can’t know.”
Samiah traded a worried glance with Malachiax, but before she could say anything else, Lochiana replied, “I agree. As a matter of fact, I think only Malachiax, Samiah, and I should go.”
Ianox, who had been hovering just outside the room, stated, “I won’t stay behind with them. I’m coming too.”
As they neared the center of the city, Samiah realized Argamania was prepared for war. Royal Guards and Nox Elite soldiers patrolled the streets with laser-sharp focus. As depressing as the sight was, she was relieved that their city had the necessary time to take precautions.
When their hover transport approached the perimeters of the Argamanx Royal Estates, they were promptly stopped by a heavily armed soldier. Samiah had never seen so many weapons strapped to one person.
The soldier flashed an orb light on Malachiax's face, then hers, before he aimed the glow at the back of the transport where Ianox and Lochiana sat. Ianox covered his face and squinted at the bright light’s assault, while Lochiana stared ahead impassively.
"State your business," the soldier commanded.
"I'm Malachiax Praterni, Lord Droom's nephew. We've just come from the site in Mora."
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