Shva’sika clapped her hands together. “There, done.”
I looked over at her tent she had been setting up and laughed at the dilapidated sight. “You still suck at that.”
She scratched her face. “Yeah, I do. You mind giving me a hand?”
I nodded as I stood up and helped her fix her tent. By the time we finished, Ryoko was finishing hers, thanks to the help the boys ended up giving. Ryoko grabbed her bag and dashed inside the tent. She was back in a matter of seconds. Shva’sika and I looked at each other in stunned silence. Apparently Ryoko’s years of shopping and trying on clothes did some permanent damage.
“So who’s ready for some hiking?” Ryoko asked.
“Not, Laz,” Shva’sika teased.
My clothes changed within a matter of seconds. “What are you talking about?”
Shva’sika blinked and Ryoko laughed. “Laz, I thought you were going to wear a regular top?”
“I was,” I admitted. “But when I went to put it on, it ended up being damaged from that damned raid and there wasn’t enough time to have Shva’sika fix it.”
“Fair enough,” Ryoko replied. “Let’s go that way.”
I didn’t hesitate to head off in the direction she pointed in. A hike sounded nice.
“Laz, don’t you want some shoes on?” Shva’sika asked.
I stopped walking and looked at her. “Why would I do that?”
“Because you’ll callous your feet if you don’t,” she explained.
I lifted my foot to show the calluses that had already built up. “Too late.”
She snorted. “Were going to have to fix that. Soft, pampered feet are what you need.
“Soft feet make for weak feet,” I replied as I turned on my heels.
Ryoko discarded her boots before she caught up with me. Shva’sika sighed and muttered to herself. “Looks like I’m the only one here who cares about their feet.”
I resisted the urge to laugh. She had no idea how good it was for you to walk barefoot.
“I hear running water!” Ryoko exclaimed.
Before I could say anything she was grabbing hold of my arm and dragging me in the direction of the water.
The soft grass cushioned my feet as we traveled alongside the river Ryoko had found. The wind, a mere light breeze, moved the warm air and the sun sat low in the sky, casting long shadows over the forest. Ryoko spotted a protruding grass covered ledge and ran over to it.
“Ryoko, be careful,” I advised. “It might me unstable.”
She snorted and looked around. “It’s fine. I mean there’s grass growing on it.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s safe,” I muttered.
Ryoko happily looked around at the scenery. This vacation idea was a good one. She and Rylan deserved to be able to get out of that hellish place for once. Even Raikidan was enjoying himself in his own way. I hadn’t seen him this relaxed since we entered the city. Not even the park did this to him.
My ears pricked at the sound of crunching rock. “Ryoko, move.”
She looked at me. “What?”
I sprinted over to her. “I said move!”
Suddenly the earth beneath her crumbled away. Ryoko, surprised by the sudden break, froze up. I grabbed her by the arm and tossed her back where Rylan caught her.
“Eira!” Raikidan cried.
The wind rushed around me as I fell. There hadn’t been enough time for me to get back to the others before the ground fell away completely. Raikidan reached out to try to grab me but I was too far away. Pain shot through me when I crashed into the water.
Everything looked green and bubbles floated up all around me. The voice that spoke to me was now gone and in its place was a loud buzzing noise.
The strong current pulled me away from the others and I crashed into a large boulder.
My eyes darted back and forth frantically as I struggled, and my long hair moved in slow motion around me.
I tried to struggle to the surface to get some air, but before I could move much a large boulder from the falling ledge crashed into me. The pressure released all the air I had in my lungs and I struggled violently. I was pinned with no hope of escape.
I couldn’t breathe. Whatever was giving me the ability to breath in this liquid substance I was floating in, fell off and now I couldn’t breathe or get out. I didn’t know what was going on.
I pushed against the boulder with what little strength I had, using up the last ounce of oxygen reserve I had left in my lungs, but the current was too strong. It pushed the boulder harder than I was able to push back.
I flailed my arms and they hit something solid. I pressed my hands against the solid object and realized it was some sort of barrier. I pressed on the barrier in several areas. I was trapped. I struggled more and banged on the barrier. The green liquid substance I was floating in flashed a pale red color repetitively and the buzzing sound got louder.
I coughed and water rushed into my lungs, choking me up. I struggled more even though I knew it wouldn’t do any good. There was no one around to open a glass tank. There was no one to wake me from this nightmare. It was happening all over again but this time, there was no one to save me.
My struggling became more violent. Why couldn’t I get out of this barrier?
My vision started to go dark. I fought to stay alert but my body was shutting down. I never thought I’d end like this. I never thought my fate would change. My eyes started to close and numbness fell over my body. The sound of a loud splash hit my muted ears and I could see a dark figure swimming around in the water.
As a last ditch effort I forced the last of my energy into my arms. I reached out to whatever was brave enough to enter this water. The creature moved closer, but before it was close enough to see well, my eyes shut almost into slits. The creature came even closer and changed shape. Raikidan’s blurred face briefly graced my sight before my vision failed and the numbness overtook me.
I wanted to be free. I wanted to breathe. I wanted the buzzing to stop. I wanted to stop feeling like I was drowning. I wanted to stop feeling like I was dying.
Chapter 30
My mind was foggy; spinning even. I didn’t know if I was up or down, alive or dead. A man leaned over me and smiled. He was tall with olive skin, brown eyes, trimmed facial hair, and appeared transparent as if he weren’t really there. He looked a lot like Azriel, dual set of ears and all, but I knew he wasn’t.
“Wake up, Eira. Wake up.”
“Tannek?”
“He saved you, you’re safe now. He’ll protect you.” He began to fade.
“Tannek… don’t leave… Don’t leave me… again…”
It was dark around me and he was nowhere to be found but I could still hear him. “He’ll keep you safe, like I once did. Wake up.”
The numbness was ebbing. A fire crackled and popped close by and its warmth teased my skin. Two people whispered a little ways off and I was sure I could hear someone breathing close to me. Am I dead? My whole body hurt, especially my lungs, making breathing painful. My head spun and pulsed, and I feared the numbness would come back. That was, until the back of a masculine hand caressed my cheek. His fingers ran across my skin and brushed away a stray hair. This sparked a small ounce of energy to flow through my body and I opened my eyes into small slits.
A small campfire crackled and popped in front of me as I lay on my side. On the other side of the fire Ryoko and Rylan chatted while they ate something off small plates. No, I’m alive. Shva’sika came out of her tent and kneeled down next to them to speak with them briefly before heading around the fire and out of my sight. Those three were accounted for, so Raikidan had to be the one sitting next to me. He was the only one missing and the only one to be stupid enough to touch my face like that.
“How’s Laz doing?�
� Shva’sika asked, kneeling down next to me.
“I think she’s awake,” Raikidan replied. “Her breathing has improved tremendously, and I noticed a shift a few moments ago. Though I don’t know if she’s strong enough to wake up to acknowledge us.”
“Well it’s better than her condition before,” Shva’sika said. “I was afraid she wasn’t going to respond to my healing treatments.”
“I think we all thought that for a while,” Raikidan admitted.
“I brought you over some food,” Shva’sika said. “It’s fish and wild nuts. I wasn’t sure if you were hungry yet.”
“No, I’m fine.”
She placed a ceramic plate and metal utensils on the ground. “All right. I’ll leave it here for you. Let me know when Laz fully wakes up.”
“Sure.”
Shva’sika walked off, leaving the two of us alone. Raikidan placed his hand on my shoulder and began murmuring rhythmically in his tongue, washing a sense of peace over me. Is he praying? As he did, he slid his thumb over my skin that felt a lot like a light caress. The caress didn’t last long though, as his grip tightened and his murmuring became more urgent. His grip hurt actually.
I tried to muster up the ability to speak but the only sound that came from my throat was a pathetic gurgled moan.
Raikidan’s grip lessened. “Eira?”
Another gurgled moan came from my mouth. I needed more energy to communicate. The fired danced in front of me and I smiled. I reached for the flames but Raikidan grabbed my hand.
“Eira, what are you doing? Don’t touch that.”
“Raikidan, let her go,” Shva’sika called over.
“Are you crazy?” he asked. “It’ll burn her.”
“No it won’t,” Ryoko said. “Trust us.”
He hesitated but eventually let go of my hand. I reached for the fire again and begged for it to come to me. A small flame licked my hands and I grabbed hold in fear I’d lose it in my weakened state. Pulling my arm back to my body I brought my hand up to my mouth and forced the fire down my throat.
“Eira!” Raikidan yelled in horror.
“Raikidan, it’s all right,” Rylan insisted.
“She shoved a flame into her mouth!” Raikidan shouted. “How is that okay? She isn’t a dragon. That’ll torch her insides.”
“Just watch,” Rylan replied.
I finished swallowing the hot flame and embraced the warmth that rushed through my body as the fire healed me. I coughed violently when the flame entered my lungs, startling Raikidan. As my coughing continued, water trickled out of my mouth with each expulsion of air.
When my coughing fit subsided I sighed, feeling much better than before. My senses weren’t as dull and my strength was returning.
Raikidan touched my face. “Eira?”
I rolled onto my back and smiled at him. “Morning.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “What did you do?”
“I can use… fire for energy,” I said. “I just… have to eat it to do so.”
He shook his head. “You’re just full of surprises.”
I closed my eyes as energy pulsed through my body.
“Eira, you okay?” Raikidan asked.
“Yeah, just recovering,” I said. “It’s a slow process.”
Raikidan moved a stray hair out of my face. “All right. You hungry?”
I shook my head. “Not yet. You?”
“No.”
“Were you praying for me?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yes.”
I smiled. “Thank you. And thank you for saving me from drowning.”
He shrugged awkwardly and avoided eye contact. “It was nothing, really.”
A giggle escaped my lips. “Go find something to eat.”
“But—”
“Dummy, don’t even start with me. You need to replenish your energy.” I looked over at the plate of food. “And just one fish and some nuts isn’t going to cut it for you.” I looked at him again. “Please. I’ll be all right now, thanks to you.”
He hesitated but then nodded and stood up. In the blink of an eye, he shifted into his dragon shape and took to the skies. I sighed and closed my eyes but opened them again when someone approached.
Shva’sika smiled as she crouched down next to me. “Now that you’ve gotten him to go eat, are you up for something?”
I shook my head. “Maybe in a bit. I still need some more time to recover.”
She nodded. “All right, I’ll leave you to rest. You’ll need it if Raikidan comes back and starts bothering you again.”
I chuckled and nodded before closing my eyes to rest some more.
I sighed and continued to draw in the dirt out of boredom with a small stick I had found. I had already sharpened my daggers—twice—and was out of ideas on what to do with myself. I had recovered the last bit of my strength completely last night, thanks to Raikidan, who had brought me some red meat to eat, but Shva’sika didn’t want me doing anything today, just in case.
“Cheer up, Laz,” Shva’sika insisted as she mixed some sort of herbal medicine in a small bowl. “It’s only today. Tomorrow you can go and do what you want.”
I snorted. “I’m not a child, Shva’sika. I don’t need you to baby me.”
“I just want to make sure you’re fully healed,” she insisted.
I threw my stick on the ground in anger. “I am fully healed! I should being doing what I want when I want, but because of you I can’t. Ryoko is allowed to go exploring by herself, when she’s the reason I almost drowned, and even the boys are allowed to go off and do whatever they please, but here I am being babysat. If it weren’t for the fact you’re capable of paralyzing me thanks to your lightning abilities, I’d be off doing what I want!”
Shva’sika sighed. “Laz, I just want—”
I snorted. “Save it. I don’t want to hear your dumb excuses.”
I stormed into my tent and curled up on the floor. I wanted some way to get out of here. I hated being told what to do and when. I hated not having the choice in saying what I wanted or what was best for me. It was like being under Zarda’s control again. Shva’sika may only be doing it because she was concerned for my safety but it didn’t make it any easier on me.
Brush on the far end of the campsite rustled but I ignored it. It was either Ryoko coming back from her fun excursion or the boys returning from whatever they were doing.
“Danika, where’s Laz?” Ryoko asked.
Shva’sika sighed. “In her tent.”
The door flap of the tent flew open and Ryoko poked her head inside. “Let’s go, Mopey!”
It took only seconds for me to jump to my feet. I didn’t care what Ryoko had planned as long as I could get out of here. She grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me to the tree line. When the camp was out of sight she let me go and stopped walking.
“Stay here,” she ordered. “I’m going to go make sure Danika is okay before we go any further.”
I sighed and shoved my hands in my pockets. “You heard me yell at her.”
She nodded. “I don’t blame you and I don’t blame her for what she’s trying to do. There’s just a conflict of interest that has to be fixed.”
I nodded and waited as she dashed off. I kept my mind busy by looking around and identifying plant and animal life by name. Xye was the source of this knowledge. I thought I had known a lot back then, but he had proven me wrong.
A cluster of yellow and orange-pedaled daisy-like flowers caught my eye as well as some white daisy-like flowers.
“These are calendula and chamomile.”
“They’re flowers.”
“Not just any flowers. Calendula is great to use as an antifungal and antiseptic. Their petals also can be used to sooth the skin. An
d Chamomile is great for treating colic in infants as well as a great relaxer for those who are nervous or tense.”
I didn’t care to know about remedies at the time, but he didn’t care and told me anyway. He would even get Shva’sika or Del’karo to make me go searching for herbs and other wild plants with him so he could try to teach me.
I spotted a patch of wild peppermint and smiled.
“Xye, where are you dragging me off to now?”
“I told you. I need help picking some herbs. It’s prime season for this herb and I need to get as much as possible.”
“Then why not ask your sister instead of wasting my time?”
“Because she told me to bring you.”
“Fine. What are we picking?”
“Peppermint.”
“You’re dragging me out here to pick peppermint? Why the hell would you waste my time with that? You can grow that yourself!”
“But wild peppermint is better.”
“Right… What’s it even used for? Besides freshening your breath.”
“It helps with indigestion and vomiting.”
“That’s weird.”
But in the end his tactics wore off on me and I started asking about what he was doing or if a plant was good for medicine.
I touched the flaking bark of a birch tree.
“What are you doing, Xye?”
“Taking bark from this fallen birch tree.”
“Why?”
“Because of the healing properties. Birch bark is great for dealing with indigestion, fevers, urinary system problems, and so much more.”
“Okay. Why from a dead tree?”
“Because taking bark from a living tree will kill it.”
I even asked about animals and how good they were to eat. I was actually quite interested in that—maybe a little too much.
“Are squirrels good to eat?”
“They’re pretty good, but you need a lot of them to get a good amount of meat and catching them is a bit of a pain so it’s not really worth the effort.”
“We would shoot them.”
Pieces Page 37