Chapter 14: My Beliefs

The man roared out at anger at the words Sairek gave him. The child smirked at his taunts angering the man. Sairek closed his eyes as the man soon began rushing at him, listening to the foot falls of him coming closer. When he was almost near, Sairek finally got out of his formal stance. He held his staff in front of him, upright with both hands, as a side sweep from the man's sword came. The staff and blade connected; the staff blocking the blade dead in the weapons tracks. The man didn't try and push, rather, he pulled his blade away, opting for another vicious swing. Sairek too the advantage, flipping the bottom end of his staff up and around, connecting the man's jaw, jerking his head up from the contact. Sairek then quickly brought it down, whacking the man on the top of the head; spun the staff, so then the head of the staff connected to the top of the man's skull, jerk it down wards. Sairek then spun, as he quickly let out a new spell out of instinct.


"Vulkenhei!" The head of the staff glowed a deep orange-red from fire, much like Balinzer, but the color was different, the flames seemed to be far more concentrated and less controlled as the whisked around wildly on the staff. When the head of Sairek's staff connected to the right side of the man's face, the fire erupted into an explosion of flame and sparks with a loud bang. Whatever happened, it knocked the man off of his feet, and sent him skidding into the ground. He dropped his sword after he slowed to a stop, gripping his face and yelling out groans of pain and agony. Sairek stepped back a little bit; somewhat surprised at what he just did, but for now, he did not question it. He seemed to have been suddenly able to use a spell he hadn't even tried casting before. He knew of the spell; he read it in a spell book once, he knew what it did, he knew how the spell worked. He had tried casting it a few times before. But now he just did it as if he knew his other spells.

Sairek stood, positioning himself back into his formal stance as he watched the man struggle to rise up, he grabbed his sword, and still clutched the right side of his face.

"You... b*****d..." the man growled through clenched teeth. Sairek only stared at the man calmly, although a tense look remained in his eyes showing that he was indeed ready for combat.

"How were you able to get so much better in just five mere days... You couldn't even defeat a disarmed blacksmith!"

"Oh? You saw that, huh?" Sairek commented before grinning. "My objective there, was to knock the man off of his two feet. That was a battle to test my wits. Also, in a friendly duel, I am not going to use any lethal spells..." Sairek's left hand lifted, and pointed at the man. "And you are a battle to test my strength. I would be a fool to not give it my all when my life is on the line. You are however right about one thing... I did get quite a bit better in the last five days since you saw me." Sairek's pointed finger dropped, and the boy chuckled. "But how dishonorable of you... You wanted to duel me because you spied on my skill, and thought you would have the upper advantage? You only announce to everyone the coward that you are."

"Screw you! You piece of s**t, I'll make you eat your own words!"

Sairek's left hand rose up to arm's length again, as this time the boy pointed down at the ground in between them. "The only one who is going to be eating anything, is you eating the dirt." Sairek grinned a bit as the man shook in anger. Sairek's left hand fell slightly, and he flipped his hand over.

"Sit." Sairek ordered the man.

It only took that one word to break the man's patience as he roared out, pulling his other sword out, he roared as he began rushing straight at Sairek. The boy positioned himself into a stance this time, as he concentrated energy for three spells. He brought his staff around his left shoulder, crouched down, and swept is his staff across the ground while chanting out "Yggial!"

Sairek couldn't see, but Nayleen, the Abbot and Cyial blinked in the crowd as they watched, as Sairek's spell did nothing more, then grow a stream of grass almost instantly where the staff had touched the ground. Sairek then began bringing the staff back, as he chanted out "Balinzer!" The head of the staff catching fire, as he lit the entire patch of grass up.  Sairek then spun around and got up to his feet, as his third spell was chanted.

"Wuaie!" He let out. As he held both his arms out with his staff, a powerful wind ripped up as the man was close to the wall of flame, he cursed out loud, as the wind threw the fire in a comb like shape to him, engulfing the man entirely. Sairek heard the man yell out from the heat as he maintained Wuaie for at least 6 seconds until the flames of Balinzer died out, leaving a black smother where the grass had been, and the man enshrouded in a thick black smoke that he couldn't see what happened. The prince breathed in exhaustion from throwing a large number of spells at once in rapid succession. His legs felt weak, but he was still strong enough to stand on his own two feet.

The smoke began to clear, and Sairek watched. His eyes widened suddenly as seven blades of green began flying towards him. Sairek recognized the spell as Wilraie that the 'Rafilos' had been able to do. Except the numbers were of course, much more numerous. Sairek had no doubt that the sharpness would be much more dangerous. There was little he could do though, as each separate blade swerved around him, he tried to dodge one to the left, but let out a cry of pain as one sliced into his left leg. He stumbled, and after that, the rest fell in. Sairek let out more grunts and cries as the rest of the six swarmed into him. Two more hitting his right leg. One his left shoulder, two slamming into his gut and chest, and then the last one hitting him in the back. Sairek stumbled a bit, before falling weak on one knee. The spell had split through his clothes as he clutched his chest with his left hand, blood beginning to slowly leak out. It was thankful to him that his clothes had managed to soften the blow; the wounds were bleeding, but not very deep. Even the chest wound had been lethal. Had he not been wearing the armor, that strike right there may have killed him.

Sairek pulled his hand away slightly to see the blood on the palm of his glove. He clenched his teeth, slowly rising his head as he returned his hand to his chest.

"...'Guess I lied... I was caught by surprise..." Sairek muttered to himself through gritted teeth. He struggled to stand to his feet as the smoke cleared now. He saw the soldier standing there, panting with burns here and there on his face. Steam rose from his body. He took slow steps towards Sairek, as each step he took made him wince in pain.

Sairek, despite how weak he felt, took a couple steps back; trying to get a little bit closer to the source of Ethereal behind him since the area he was in now was becoming empty. He held his staff out with both hands, ready as he drew in some energy slowly. The man knew how to use magic; if he was experienced enough, that would mean he could feel Sairek drawing in energy unless Sairek did it subtly, which Sairek believed he was indeed experienced. He had just casted a spell under intense pressure without a staff. Sairek was too inexperienced to even sense energy being drawn, so he hadn't been able to tell that Wilraie had been incoming.

With sudden movement, the man reached sheathed his left sword, and reached down to his belt. Sairek saw him pull out three short knives, and tossed them in Sairek's direction. The prince lowered his staff and quickly gathered the rest of the energy.

"Ethirul!" The prince shouted out. With a swing of his staff from the ground up to the air, the ground in front of him rose about 3 feet forming a wall. Sairek then dashed and ducked behind it. He heard two of the three knives hit the dirt. The other one happened to throw over his head. Sairek heard footsteps approaching him hard and fast. That man still had a lot of stamina in him it would seem. Sairek braced himself, as he looked up, seeing the man leap over Sairek's wall of dirt. He spun himself around to face the boy as he landed on the ground. He still only held out one sword, thankfully for Sairek, as he swung it down with both hands. Sairek reached up with both hands holding his staff, blocking the blade and locking positions with it. Sairek clenched his teeth as the man's strength seemed stronger then before. The prince had to struggle with all of his might to hold the blade back.


"What kind of prince sides with the monsters that attack us?!"

"You ostentatious garbage... How long do you plan on insulting my friend before you take a goddamn hint?!"


 Sairek yelled out in fury, from his crouched position he pushed the staff up with all of his might, pushing the blocked away. His left hand swung down. He closed it, and chanted "Balinzer!" Rather then the fire appearing on his staff, a ball of flame formed in his hand. Sairek threw it at the man, who quickly retaliated by blocking the small ball of flame with his sword, and it dissipated apart upon contact. Sairek moved his hand back down again, and grabbed a clump of dirt.

"Balinzer!" He shouted again; however this time with no intention of casting the spell. The man positioned himself with his sword to block the ball of fire, but when Sairek threw his hand, bits of dirt flew out, hitting directly into the man's eyes. He shouted out, stumbling back as his hand reached for his eyes.

"You piece of--!"

Sairek had already stood up, and rushed at the man, using all of his strength he could muster to shove the man back. He stumbled back, unable to see and hadn't expected the child's assault. With distance gained, Sairek brought his staff down to his left side. He gripped the end of it with both hands as he rushed forwards.

"Vulkenhei!" He shouted, as the staff glowed that deep red-orange. Sairek ran and swung the staff with all of his might, aiming for the man's gut. A loud boom rang forth filled with sparks and fire at the contact. The man roared out in pain as he went flying into the air. Ribs shattered from the attack. Sairek was not done yet though. To add insult to injury, he cast another spell.

"Ethirul!" He yelled out again, as he mimicked the action by swinging the staff ground up yet again. A thick mass of dirt rose behind the man in the direction he was flying. He collided into it, the dirt structure collapsing from the collision, and collapsed, half burying the man in it.

Sairek panted, before collapsed on his knees and hands. Barely able to grip the staff. Sweat dripped off of his face, as he slowly rose it to look at the crowd gathering around the defeated soldier. He heard footsteps rushing behind him. It was Cyial and Nayleen, as they both moved in front of Sairek, bending down to see if he was alright. Cyial offered Sairek a hand, and the prince gripped his staff tighter with his right hand, and rose his left to take Cyial's offer. The demon child helped the prince slowly rise to his feet.

"...Come..." Sairek breathed out. Using his staff to help steady himself, he walked forwards. Cyial and Nayleen followed him by his sides, as Sairek walked over to the man who was covered in the dirt. He opened his eyes, seeing Sairek, his teeth clenched. He struggled to get up, but just cried out in pain.


"...I told you that you would be the one to eat the dirt, scumbag..." Sairek said through gritted teeth. "How dare you threaten one of my friends while I am present and think you can get away with it!"

Sairek raised his staff, and slammed the tip of it on the man's chest, making him bark out in pain, despite the armor he wore; albeit quite ruined. Sairek's eyes glared at the man as he spoke again. "The actions you have done today have warrant penalties that are worse then death; they have invited total annihilation and surrender to the underworld; via ritual!" Sairek shouted out. Making his voice heard to the entire crowd to boast his authority. Sairek saw the fear that overcame the man's eyes when Sairek said that. Who wouldn't be afraid of an endless upon endless suffering and torment? Their soul wouldn't go back to the Yggdrasil tree; it would go, and remain, in the underworld.

Sairek closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. After a few silent seconds, he slowly lifted his staff off of the man's chest, and placed it on the ground next to him.

"...but... I've decided to let you live..." Sairek muttered out. Opening his eyes. "I would gain nothing from killing you... but my father may think differently..." The prince spoke. Some hushed whispers came from the crowd. Sairek ignored them and continued. "When you able to walk again, you will head to my father's castle. You will tell them who you are and you will say that I sent you. You will tell my father, in person, the crimes you have committed today. Whether he grants you mercy or not... that is not my choice."

Sairek didn't say anything more, and had almost instantly turned around without giving much of any chance of anyone to react. He began to slowly walk, going towards the gates of town. Nayleen and Cyial followed him close behind. After Sairek walked a distance away, he stumbled a bit before beginning to collapse. Cyial and Nayleen both moved and caught him before he did though.

"We need to get him to the Monastary... He's exhausted and rather injured..." Sairek heard the Abbot's voice behind him. The prince inhaled and exhaled deeply for a few seconds, before moving his legs so they would stand on his own.

"I don't have time to rest... I need to find out what to do about the tree..." He tried to reason.

"And what are you going to do? Sit in the library while you're bleeding?!" Nayleen soon snapped at him. She let go of him; which was his right side, which he managed to catch himself thanks to his staff. She moved up in front of him. Sairek looked at her as she gave him an angry glare. "Can you at least listen to what we have to say for once? You didn't have enough time to go off and go on some stupid duel, but now that you're bleeding you don't care if you're hurt? I don't get why people call you a super smart kid -- you are absolutely stupid sometimes!"

"Stubborn... not stupid..." Sairek corrected her.

"Like I care which one it is." She retorted, with crossing her arms over her torso. "Get to a bloody bed, and stay put!"

"... ...Fine, I will."

"Thank you!"

Without saying another word, she went back to Sairek's side, and picked the boy up again. Sairek looked at Cyial, who only gave a small shrug with his shoulders, as they both helped walk Sairek back to the monastery with the abbot behind them.







"How are you feeling?" Nayleen asked, as Sairek had been tucked in the bed by now for at least an hour by now. Cyial offered that the prince be in his room; since there were no other free rooms. It also let Sairek be alone from the rest of the people since it was the most isolated room from the rest of the monastery. It was a small bed, but there was plenty of room for Sairek. The prince looked up at Nayleen when she spoke, his face was a bit red from embarrassment.

"...A... little awkward... They did take nearly all my clothes since they got damaged, so..."


At least Sairek was covered by a thick blanket.


"Well, they will probably have your clothes patched back to normal, and maybe properly cleaned too. Actually, the rest of mine are getting cleaned too."


Sairek didn't get a chance to respond, as he heard a slight banging at the door that was at the end of the room. Nayleen turned around, walking towards it, and opening the door as she reached it. Cyial stood at the door, carrying a small tray that had three bowls of stew, fresh with light steam rising from each bowl. The acolyte had to use his foot to knock on the door.

"Alright, food! Never too tired for free meals!" Nayleen grinned, as Cyial motioned for a specific bowl for her to take, which did, and then sat down at a corner of the room near Sairek. The acolyte walked over, placing the tray down next to Sairek on the bed. The prince scooted himself over to make sure there was room for him to do so.

"This one is yours Sairek." The incubus stated as he pointed at the bowl nearest to the prince. "The abbot had me sprinkle a little bit of medicine inside of the food. The stuff is very bitter alone, but the soup should help die out most of the taste."

"Why not just use more ethereal to cure me? Or is that stuff very expensive and hard to get?"

"Well, it's not expensive or hard to get, but your body still needs to sort out from the last time at the caves. If you get exposed to it too much too quickly, you will get seriously ill from it. Remember, that is why we need to water it down in the first place. I'm afraid if we gave you a ethereal potion, that you would become worse. So we have to resort to different medicines."

"What did you give me then?"

"A tiny bit of sleeping powder and a muscle relaxant; both to slow the blood flow and minimize the bleeding, and should help you go into a deeper sleep so you will recover quicker. I've also added a belated energy tonic into the soup as well. It won't start working for maybe eight to twelve hours, and it will only last a few hours, but it will help you get up easier so you don't sleep for too long, and you won't feel too exhausted for at least a little while. It's only a small boost; I didn't add very much."

"So I guess it's obvious by now that the monastery doubles as a hospital in Lamen, right?"

The acolyte nodded in confirmation. "The problem with that is that we have no rooms to store patience; we can only offer the medicine required. Had we had the room, we wouldn't have had to use my room. This place is quite filled up with recruits that we actually can't hold any more people."


"Ah, that was delicious!" Nayleen soon let out. Both of the boys turned their heads as the girl stood up, stretching; bowl completely drained.

"...That was fast. We haven't even touched ours..." Sairek commented to her.

"Well, I'm sleepy now. The abbot told me he had a room for me, so I guess I'll see you two tomorrow morning... Where should I put the bowl by the way, Cyial?"

"Just set it on the tray. I'll take them all out later." The boy told her. She did just that, before walking towards the door. She looked like she was about to open it, when she suddenly spun around.

"...Night!"

She then opened the door, and closed it once she walked through the doorway.


"...I... don't get her..." Sairek sighed, as he turned his head to look at the stew. He pushed himself up a bit more on the bed slowly from laying down, so he was more properly seated to eat, which revealed his upper torso; having white patches on his chest where one of the wounds were, and the patches on his shoulder where he had been hit. There were some elsewhere too, but still hidden beneath the blanket. Sairek took his bowl, and dipped the spoon that was in it. He blew on the stew in the spoon a little bit to cool it, before dipping it into his mouth. Cyial did much the same. Both children took a few more bites before Cyial spoke again.

"...When do you plan to leave Lamen?"

Sairek set his spoon down in his bowl, and sat the bowl on his lap. He knew that question was going to come sooner or later. He thought a little bit, and then spoke.

"I know we are staying another night, but after that, we may be heading off again. Really, we should be leaving by tomorrow... but it has just been too long since I have visited my mother..." The prince let himself smile slightly. "Besides, it seems like it's doctor's orders to stay in bed for at least the afternoon tomorrow."

"I see..." Cyial said in an almost disappointing tone. Sairek frowned slightly at that response. "You want me to stay, don't you?" Sairek asked. Cyial slowly nodded. "I would be lying if I said I didn't feel that way... Sairek, nobody has ever stuck up for me before like you have... The abbot tries of course, but there is not much he can do otherwise then say I am allowed in the Monastery... The abbot has treated me like a father, but you and Nayleen are the only friends I've ever had..."

Sairek took another bite of his stew as he thought of his next response. "I'll be honest Cyial; I don't want to leave you either... I discussed this with Nayleen last night at the inn... She doesn't want to leave you either. We both like you Cyial for who you are. So... like you had put it; it would be a lie saying that we wouldn't want you to come with us on our trip to Yggdrasil." Sairek took another bite of his stew as Cyial's eyes widened slightly at Sairek's words before he frowned. "But I don't see how I could possibly... I may be more of a liability then help..."

"Now I know that's nonsense." Sairek said. "Your information on medicine would be extremely useful Cyial. Besides, from what I read from the books so far from scrying the pages, we're going to need someone like you... someone from the monastery... I don't know if that's actually true, but the books do mention it."

"But an incubus acolyte...?"

"Who you are; not what you are." Sairek reminded him.

Cyial nodded slowly, but his head fell down to stare at the bowl of stew.

"You have all of tomorrow to think about it Cyial. I don't want to force you to do anything. I want it to be your choice and your choice alone. I'm sure the abbot would feel this way as well if he hasn't already. Let the decision come naturally."

"Alright, I will." Cyial promised. As he finally began taking bites of his stew again after not having done so in a short while now. He consumed a bit hurriedly, as if trying to catch up to Sairek, who by now was sipping the soup out of the bowl. He let out a soft sigh as he took a break from doing so. It felt good to have to warm liquid run down the insides of his stomach, especially when he admittedly felt tired. He didn't know if it was because of the food alone, how exhausted he really was, or the effects of the medicine Cyial had put in the food, but he was indeed beginning to feel drowsier by the minute. He decided it was best to drain the rest of the soup before he felt too tired too. And did so, putting the empty bowl on the tray on top of the one Nayleen had left. Cyial finished only a minute later, copying what Sairek did, making a 3 bowl tower. The acolyte stood up, picking the tray up with him as he did.

"I guess I'll be going now, you need to sleep."

"No, do come back. Besides, there's plenty of room in the bed. We can share the same room again, right?"

Sairek felt a little odd asking the boy to sleep with him again; that wasn't something he usually asked. Actually, it was something he never asked. But he wasn't unsure of the boy's answer about coming with him or not. His reasoning was that he wanted to spend as much time with Cyial as he could. The acolyte looked at Sairek for a bit, then smiled a little. "Okay," he simply responded with, before turning around, and moved his way to the door. Now with the bowls empty, he didn't have to steady the trays as much, and such, let go of one handle to open the door, walk through, and close it.

Sairek sat in silence for a few moments. He tried to think of what their next course of action would be; with, or without Cyial, but he couldn't really get anywhere with it because he couldn't think straight. Fatigue had half possessed him, and completely clouded his thinking process. He became slightly more alert around seven minutes later, when the door handle turned, and opened with a small squeak, as Cyial returned back into the room, and walked back over to the bed. The acolyte slipped out of his shoes, and sat on the bed next to Sairek. The prince looked at Cyial seeing the thing black tail with the metal tip swaying around idly.

"Why do you want me to stay with you?" The acolyte soon asked.

"Which one are you talking about? Right now, or the entire trip to Yggdrasil?"

"I mean only about right here." The acolyte clarified.

"There's two reasons why," Sairek began. "The first... is because I don't want you to feel alone anymore. You always make these offers to leave us be; you shouldn't be like that. Friends should always stick close together." Sairek looked up upon Cyial's face, which had a bit of look of surprise. He didn't say anything, which Sairek took the opportunity to continue. "...Which leads to the second reason..." He started, then paused for a few moments.

"...Is, what?" Cyial asked, after Sairek was taking too long to respond.

"I don't want to be alone anymore either..." Sairek finished after prompting from Cyial. "Nayleen is my first friend, and you are only my second... Like you both, you treat me for who I am, not what I am. I've never even slept with another individual before; not even my own parents... Call me strange, but I felt extremely happy last night sleeping in the same bed as someone else... I don't know why... I suppose you could call it a sense of longing. I don't care if you are a demon Cyial. I see you as a friend; there are new two ways about that."

Cyial let out a light smile at the reason. "I'm happy you think that way, Sairek... but I am an incubus remember..."

"So?"

"Sairek, that is not what I mean it is... as an incubus, even with me still being a child, I get urges towards almost everyone I meet that are my age..."

"Wait, you mean..." Sairek started, and Cyial closed his eyes and nodded.

"I'm afraid these urges already began with you at the Inn, Sairek... I've been able to control myself and haven't slipped once... but I have to admit; I would be sleeping next to you Sairek while you are in your undergarments. I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself like that... And you're the prince, Sairek. If I did anything..."

Sairek was silent for a good few moments; he had never thought of Cyial that way before. He thought himself foolish that Cyial being an incubus would only mean he would have a tail and different ears. He had different instincts as well, despite who he was.

"Well... I still don't want to be alone..." Sairek eventually muttered out. "I don't mind you slipping a little Cyial... as long as you don't try anything directly forbidden or are necessarily off limits." The prince smiled a little bit. "And, if you do come with us, you will need to control that anyways. You try that with Nayleen in her sleep you will get a knife straight through your head."

"I don't have the urges on Nayleen Sairek, at least not yet. But I know for a fact I do with you."

"Is it only with males...?" Sairek questioned. The acolyte shook his head. "I don't really know, it seems to be completely random to me. But once an urge is made on a person, it doesn't seem to end up ever going away... I guess that's what makes the hate on me even harder to deal with... It hurts so much when someone you 'want to be with' says things like that to you..."

Sairek looked at Cyial, and nodded slowly, but then closed his eyes as he soon let out a yawn. He covered his mouth with both hands in manners, before blinking a bit of water that had accumulated in his eyes. "Mm... I think the medicine is taking effect now..." Sairek half mumbled in a tired tone. "It's getting tougher to stay awake, but I still want to talk some more..."

Cyial listened to Sairek, and was quiet for a moment as he shifted slightly in the bed. "We still have plenty of time to talk tomorrow Sairek. You will be in here all morning and noon too, after all."

"I suppose you're right, but I don't really want to pass any time with you..." Sairek said, as he glanced over at the boy with nearly half closed eyes. "If you don't come with us, then I want to spend as much time as possible... It will be a very long time before we meet again... if we can meet again and father doesn't lock me in a prison cell to keep me from going anywhere after I'm done this." He admitted while letting out a slow chuckle.

"How long do you plan to stay awake for?"

"Until the medicine consumed me..." Sairek said, and paused for a moment before adding. "...which won't be much longer... My eyes are rather heavy right now... Kind of finding it hard to listen to you and comprehend what you're saying sometimes..."

Cyial watched as the prince closed his eyes for a few seconds, before shaking his head a little to try and wake himself just a little bit.. He slowly blinked his eyes then before glancing back towards Cyial. "By the way, this may sound strange, but don't sleep with your acolyte robe on."

Cyial blinked at the request, before blushing a little. "Sairek, when I said we wore not much under these robes, I meant that we wear nothing but undergarments. The robe would be far too hot to wear with clothes underneath in the summer time."

If it's too hot for clothes, then it would be far too hot with a blanket. And I would feel weird if you slept on top of the blanket while--" he was interrupted by another long yawn. He didn't even bother to cover his mouth this time. "...I sleep underneath it..." Sairek finished slowly.

"...You are a strange prince..." Cyial managed to tease. Sairek grinned drowsily at the incubus's response. "Isn't the first time I've heard that today..." He lightly joked, but took in a breath as his head slowly fell onto the pillow. His endurance against the medicine falling apart rapidly.

"Ah... I can't kid myself..." The prince muttered out quietly; slight slurs in his sentence by now. "I'll be lucky to last around three minutes..."

Cyial pushed himself off of the bed, as he pulled off his gloves, and tossed them to a corner of the room. He then had his hands disappear inside of his robes as he wiggled a bit, his head soon disappearing inside as well. Sairek's eyes peeled slightly open as he watched the boy, the robe soon slowly lifting off of Cyial's body. Sairek looked in interest at the back of the boy's underpants, where there was a small hole made to fit the child's tail, which wagged around a little bit as if stretching; free to move around easier now that the robe wasn't weighing it down. Cyial turned around to face Sairek after he folded his robes and placed them in a corner next to his gloves.

"Well, you don't look pretty bad yourself." Sairek managed to tease under his fatigue. Cyial blushed a little at the comment. "Sometimes the manual labor here can be a little bit difficult..." The acolyte answered, and then added: "And, the trips to the cave I've been doing for a little bit over a year now too, I suppose.."

Sairek nodded, his eyes closed now as his head once again rested on the pillow. "Alright, tuck yourself in..." The prince offered, trying to keep himself moving as much as possible to salvage every last second he could have to stay awake, he moved his hand, pulling back the blanket, which Cyial moved himself to lay down next to the prince, who then pulled the blanket over Cyial's body. The bed barely fit the two, so they were forced to stay in close contact.

Sairek was fast drifting away, but he managed to open his eyes one more time as he felt Cyial move slightly; the acolyte's head moving to rest on his chest and his arms somewhat wrapped around him. Sairek was afraid the boy's urges were already kicking in, but he soon dismissed it when the boy soon said: "Thank you for protecting me, Sairek..." The prince softly smiled. It was Cyial hugging him as best as he could on the bed. With that, the medicine was able to succumb Sairek's resistance, and he soon blacked out.