Followed

Merethyl is nervous throughout the day and later that night someone breaks into her home.

“A-Andrdei! I’m sorry! I wasn’t-”

He shoved me to the side causing me to stumble over my feet. I finally caught my balance, moving my long blonde hair from my face as I looked up at the old man. “Just get out of my way, Juvenin.” Juvenin…It meant child. It wasn’t anything unusual for him to call me that, but it was insulting. I watched him as he continued to shuffle down the street passing the pathway towards the temple.

I straightened my clothes, glaring at the old man angry at the remark and the shove. I glared as he disappeared down the street and out of my view. I took a deep breath, continuing to stare down the street as I grabbed a hold of the basket that hung from my arm with the opposite hand. I turned down a street and before I could take a step forward something dawned on me.

He passed the temple road. He was supposed to be meeting with my mother at the temple. Too curious for my own good, I dashed down the road towards him. I found him at the far edge of the city next to the back edge of the arcane ward that surrounded and protect the city. The ward didn’t allow anyone in or out unless the mages that were usually out by the front entrance let them in. The grass was overgrown, the pathways almost non-existent, the buildings unmanaged and broken down. The wildlife had almost taken over. It would have been beautiful if it hadn’t been for the eerie shadow that was cast over the entire area.

I hid behind a large tree, poking my head around the edge just enough for me to see his figure. He stood with his nose high in the air, as always, waiting for someone. It was almost suspicious. No one came back here. In fact, it was rumored to be forbidden. There was absolutely no reason for him to come back here.

Suddenly the ward began to part, a hole only big enough for one person to enter. In fact, one person did enter. The person was muscled, a cloak covering them. I couldn’t see their face, or even their body. I only could see that this person was mostly muscle and seemed to be familiar with Andrdei.

They exchanged a few unheard words and Andrdei reached into a hidden pocket and pulled out some paper-like objects. The person pulled out his gloved hand and took them, held them up to his nose and made a loud snort. “Is this real?” The gruff voice echoed off of the buildings.

“Of course it is,” Andrdei snapped, “I’m not as uncivilized as these barbarians.”

The figure shoved the paper into a pocket underneath their cloak. “What needs to be done?” His voice echoed loudly off of the buildings where I was able to hear him.

“Here’s an address.” He passed a small slip of paper before continuing. “Get rid of the young girl, but leave the elder one alone.” Girl? What girl? My heart quickened its pace as I leaned out further with each word that was spoken. “Kill her,” his voice was low and menacing.

“It’ll be done by tomorrow morning.” The voice sounded happy, excited even, to be given this job. My heart skipped a beat with fear that jolted through my body. My hands began to shake as my mind raced with the information and possibilities. Andrdei nodded, turning on his heel away from him and disappeared between two houses. The other figure opened the paper, a white grin showing from the darkness under his cloak.

My pulse quickened as he looked up and we locked eyes. Fear caused my knees to lock up, rooting me in place for a moment. My arms and hands went numb from the terror that now coursed through me. I couldn’t even think even though everything in me was screaming to run as he clomped closer and closer to where I stood.

I wasn’t moving even as I saw him pull out a dagger from beneath his cloak. I couldn’t move even as he would be here in just a few short moments. No one was here to save me. No one would suspect me of being missing except maybe Luthais or Essatri - my mother, Kazumi. She would have no idea that Andrdei had any sort of hand in this.

 Then, as if thinking about them, my legs began twitching. I couldn’t let them sit and wander who and why I was suddenly disappeared or was murdered. I couldn’t let them sit and cry for months as they dealt with the fact I was gone. I had to tell someone. I had to let someone know that a girl would die tonight. There was no way I was going to let them get away with it.

Just as the figure began to step in front of me, I turned around and bolted down the road I came from. I heard an aggravated snarl come from the person behind me as he took off after me, throwing the dagger in my direction. It flew passed me, only skimming my arm and tearing my clothing.

The man only followed me to the edge of the shadows. The second I stepped foot into the sunlight he stopped, but I didn’t. I continued running until I reached the center of town and into a crowded area. I was safe here. At least until tonight.

My upper body collapsed forward with my hands grabbing my knees. My chest heaved as my hot breath escaped my lips trying to calm my body. Sweat dripped slowly from my forehead and chin onto the dirt beneath my feet. My erratic heart pounded in my chest feeling as if it were moving from the pressure. I took slow deep breaths to calm myself, but nothing could shake the nervous feeling. I would be carrying that around all day.

I stood up straight and looked around. I was between two houses, to my right was a living quarter and to my right was the busy street of the marketplace. The hustle and bustle was normal at this time of day. I had hoped to avoid it. I began walking out towards the marketplace as I tried my hardest to ignore the feeling of someone watching me, the constant shaking of my hands, my legs that got weak any time I got nervous or scared, and the jumpiness that happened every time I heard a scream or feet pounding towards me. ‘It’s going to be a long day,’ I thought as I stepped out onto the busy road. I quickly scanned the area to find where I was.

Fasem (merchants) were holding out their wares to the people passing by, calling out things they had to offer. The crowded street had Juvenin running down the streets and through buildings as they chased each other around. The parents stood out on the street, smiling and laughing as they gossiped about the latest news. The workers shoved their way through the crowded street as they hauled goods and wares to the stores. I nervously kept glancing over my shoulder, unable to shake the feeling of someone watching me.

Keeping my head down, I stopped at one of the booths with herbs and plants scattered around on the top and behind. “Fasem,” I moved around nervously, looking over my shoulder again, “d-do you have… uh…Spring Bog Tree bark, Savory Emperors Leaf…. Sage Pathosberry,” another glance before I finished my question, “and Sand Quarrellilly?” Fasem smiled at me before bending down, disappearing behind his booth for a short minute then popping up with a bundle wrapped in a white cloth. I glanced around, rubbing my hands together before grabbing a portion of my clothes to begin to twist in my hands.

“I always save the rare for our Levinim.” He smiled sincerely as I shakily retrieved the herbs and placed them gently in my basket.

“Um…” I reached into a small pouch located on the belt that I wore around my waist. “I have this thing - uh I mean it’s a feather. A Palauci feather.” I brought the darkly colored feather out of the pouch, almost dropping it in the process, and placed it in his hand as my own hand shook worse than before.

Fasem brought out a small round magnifying glass and studied the feather closely. Slowly his eyes widened, and so did his smile. “Thank you, Levinim. This is a rare find. I will treasure it always.” I turned away from Fasem planning to move away as fast as I possibly could down the busy street, but before I could move away someone grabbed at my arm. My arm tensed as I felt the hand wrapped around the back of it. I held back the scream that sat just behind my lips. My hand tightened around the basket, preparing for anything. I turned my head slightly to see Fasem holding my arm. There was a worried look on his face, his eyebrows turned upwards and his eyes gentle. “Forgive me, Levinim, but are you feeling okay?”

I stretched the most convincing smile I could muster across my face and replied, “Yes, I’m feeling wonderful.” Fasem hesitantly let go of my arm as my smile faded from my face. Fasem finally nodded, a smile as fake as my own stretching across his own face as he accepted my response.

We exchanged goodbyes and I quickly shuffled my way down the street, bumping into people as I made my way down the road. I could still feel Fasem’s worried stare boring a hole into my back. “Sorry,” I mumbled as I bumped into someones shoulder. I kept my head down to avoid stares, “Excuse me,” I bumped into a Sen - an Elder. I continued forward still avoiding stares as I shuffled quicker down the road, almost breaking into a full out run. I began jogging as the last market stall I needed to go to came into sight. I could see the end of the market, where I could get away from the crowd, where I could--

Suddenly, I was tumbling through the air, falling clean over a wagon. My hands grabbed at the air in front of me, hoping for something steady to grab onto. I squeezed my eyes shut, afraid of what would soon happen.

Everything next happened fast.

I stopped for a brief moment, opening my eyes only to see a man that I had grabbed a hold of glaring down his nose at me. He shoved me away as if I were nothing more than a rag doll and dusted the front of his shirt off. I tripped over the wagon that was now behind me and flailed my arms around hoping to grab something else that was steady enough. My hand caught a piece of wood that didn’t catch me but came down with me. The wood was on a nearby stall and held pies that a sweet Sen made fresh every morning. One of those pies was on that wood. It was now flying through the air.

I landed hard on my butt at the same time I heard the splat of the pie nearby. I rubbed my lower back and looked up at the man that had shoved me down. He had a pie on top of his head, the purple filling dripping down his hair onto his face and shoulders. Behind the purple filling his face was beat red with anger, his rage-filled eyes directed towards me. His hands were in tight fists, his knuckles turning white, the veins in his arms and forehead popping out prominently.

The Sen that owned the stall was immediately at my side, pulling on my arm to help me up. “I’m so sorry, Sen. I don’t know what happened.” The sweet lady shook her head gently as she began to pat the dirt off of my clothes.

“It is all right. Mistakes happen.” She smiled at me, her eyes making a crescent moon shape, her wrinkles bunching up around the corner of her eyes. Her sweet personality radiated through her smile and was almost comforting. As if this day could actually be good.

“It is not all right.” The man shattered the serene feeling crumbling any hope that this day could be any type of good. “You should watch where you’re going, and you should pay for your clumsiness!” He turned around, quickly looking around for anyone that could possibly take me away.

“Now, you stop this.” The lady stood in front of me, her hands on her hips.

“Andrdei was always right about her. She needs to go. She’s only a nuisance to everyone in this city.” He took a few steps forward, his footsteps loud and the look in his eyes getting to be almost murderous.

“You get out of here.” Sen grabbed a broom she had behind the stall and began to smack the man with it. He raised his arms over his head to protect himself as she smacked him over and over again. “You’re no longer welcome at my stall. Making a scene like this, upsetting someone over a complete accident, and even causing further harm to the individual. I should have you punished.” She stopped hitting him for a moment so that he could relax and she could stare him in the eyes. “And I’m older than you, boy. I have more connections than you’ll ever know. Now. Shoo!”

As I watched the scene in front of me, fear pulsed through my body causing the memory of this morning to become even more prominent. Thoughts course through my mind as I began to wonder if I was the one Andrdei wanted killed. The adrenaline and fear faded away quickly to be replaced by sadness that poured over onto my cheeks. The people around me watched me, stared as they slowly passed by. They gawked and pointed, the looks of sorrow on their faces as some said ‘poor girl’ while others just glared down their noses. Absolutely nothing could be worse than this day. I just wanted it to be over.

I covered my face with my hands, wiping away any tears that formed as I stood there and cried silently. “Get out of here!” I heard a familiar voice shoo the people around me away. I looked up long enough to see Kazumi standing there.

“Essatri,” I mumbled through my tears. She lead me out of the marketplace and towards the infirmary. She comforted me on the way there, saying she’ll get the supplies for the week and I only needed to stay and take care of the children flooding the infirmary. She gently rubbed my back as I walked, her other hand on my arm leading me.

“I’ll take care of the situation. You need to straighten up, clear your face, put on a smile, and go take care of the Juvenin.” I took a deep breath and smiled at Essatri. I wasn’t completely alone today.

I looked up at the infirmary, studying the old building. A tall, old tree stood strong beside the building, branches growing and stretching from the tree creating the small infirmary. The branches twisted and turned creating the walls and the roof. Leaves and some flowers poked out and random points on the building. The door was made of the same, an indention was formed where the door was, a split down the middle creating where it would open.

A feeling of comfort washed over me as I thought of the building. It made me feel safe even through the feeling of someone watching me. I briefly touched the door before the branches moved, splitting down the middle to make an opening. I entered the building, looking up at the rotting ceiling. The land…It was dying…

“Levinim!!” I heard a small voice interrupt my thoughts. The small pitter-patter of feet quickly approaching me.

“Oof!” I cried out, startled by the sudden grasp at my legs. I stumbled slightly, quickly gathering my footing before looking down at the small teary-eyed child hugging my legs.

“Levinim, I have a boo-boo.” I took a deep breath before smiling down at Juvenin, placing a soft hand on the child’s head. I straightened their hair slightly and pealed the child from my legs.

I knelt down to Juvenin’s level and wiped their tears away. “Go sit on the edge of the bed. I’ll be there in a moment.” The Juvenin sniffed and nodded their head before running their arm under their nose to wipe away any fluids. I was going to do anything today to avoid this feeling. I couldn’t look afraid in front of the Juvenin.

 

 

It was only thirty minutes later that Kazumi walked into the infirmary. I looked back at her as I took care of Juvenin’s knee. The Juvenin had fallen and scraped it slightly. It only needed some cleaning and a small bandage.

Kazumi stood at the doorway. The basket I had carried earlier in the day hung at her arm. I hadn’t even noticed that I had dropped it. She placed it on the counter gently. With a tan hand on her hip and the look only a scolding mother could give she said, “How many times have I told you to be careful in the marketplace?”

“A million, Essatri. Can we not do this now? I’ve got at least a dozen patients waiting on me.” I quickly covered the scrape and patted the Juvenin’s knee gently. With the brightest smile, the Juvenin leaped off of the bed and bolted out of the infirmary.

“Yes, we’re doing this now. You’ve only got four patients waiting.”

I sighed, rolling my eyes. I struggled to get out of the squat I found myself in and panted a few times from the fatigue it caused. “Essatri-”

“You could have been in danger, Merethyl!” I leaned on the bed as I listened to her scold me. Most of it I had heard a million times before. Not everyone here likes me. There can’t be someone around to protect me all the time. I need to learn how to protect myself. Blah, blah, blah.

“Yes, Essatri, I’ll try to do better next time,” I responded when she finished. The response was more automatic now, but never failed to make her feel at least a little better. I spun towards the basket as she began to relax. Inside was some cloth with sewing thread and needles placed neatly on top. Below them were my herbs and plants that I had needed to finish the medicines and poisons. “I’ll have your poisons done by this evening.” I heard her sigh and leave quietly. “Whoever is next can come in!”

 

I huffed as I stood at a counter inside the infirmary. Above the counter was two cabinets with one filled with bottles of various poisons and medicines while the other was filled with ingredients. On the counter was a bowl used for mixing the ingredients and bottles of various sizes. The left over ingredients littered the work space, unused and ready for the next time Essatri needed something.

I wiped sweat from my chin as it dripped swiftly down my face. My arms ached and screamed at me to stop - even though I had only been working on this for maybe ten minutes. It almost seemed as if I just continued to get weaker. I had never gained much strength during my life not even as I worked.

I collapsed back on the chair behind me, rested my head on the back of the chair and closed my eyes. It had been hours since the events of the morning. The infirmary had been closed for maybe an hour. Through all this time I had been working non-stop, not even stopping for a bite of food. I had been distracting myself…keeping myself from all the nervous, fearful, and embarrassed thoughts that ran through my mind. I had sent in patient after patient, taking time on each one to extend the amount of time I worked. After work I begun to work on the medicines that people had to pick up.

However, eventually I would have to go home. Eventually I would lay in my bed and have the thoughts come flooding back in. Hopefully by then Luthais would have returned. He had been gone all day and I hoped would return soon. Then I could release all my thoughts and fears. Luthais had always been there for me even when both my mother and Andrdei were not.

Andrdei had never liked me from the day I arrived. Kazumi had a history of being completely faithful to him even though she loved me as though I were her own. Luthais, however, had always been there and protected me. He listened to me when I spoke of my dreams. Understood when I had my episodes as a child and slowly recovered from…the incident.

As soon as I sat up and opened my eyes I saw a man’s bare muscular chest in front of me. He pointed at a spot on his upper chest as he spoke “Touch this. It feels like a lump.” He grabbed my hand and began to bring it upwards near his chest. I squealed a bit, yanking my hand away only to have a pair of hands in front of my face. “Let me feel yours…For medical purposes.” Startled and afraid, I screamed, slapped his hands away, and kicked his leg. The man grabbed at his leg, wincing in pain. As he sat there in pain I began flailing my arms at him.

“Ah!!” He yelled as a slap landed clearly on his back, leaving a pink hand print. “Merethyl! Stop!” I heard the man laughing as he tried to yell above my screaming. “Please! Listen! AAH!” The man began to laugh harder. He must like pain. I screamed louder, creeped out by the dirty man in front of me. I flailed my arms around faster and as hard as I possibly could only to be halted by the man grabbing my wrists. I turned my head, squeezed my eyes shut, and waited for whatever horror was awaiting me. “Merethyl look. It’s me.”

I peaked at him slowly. The first thing I noticed was the long red hair that stuck to his face due to the sweat. The next thing was his stained clothes and his bare feet. A smile was stuck to his face and his body vibrated with the laughter he was attempting to hold back. “Luthais…”

“See? No need to panic.”

“Perverted old man…” I yanked my arms away from him and covered my chest.

Luthais burst out in laughter, “It was all in good fun.” I looked away from him, my face beginning to burn with embarrassment. “Your innocence is adorable.” He ruffled my hair before standing up straight. I watched Luthais lift his arms above his head as he stretched. His shirt raised an inch, showing the skin right above his pants line and the muscles in his arms flexed slightly. I turned my head away, my face burning even more, but not before noticing the smirk on Luthais’s face. “I look good, don’t I?” His voice was next to my ear so close that I could feel his breath as he spoke.

“Shut up and go wash up. You stink.” I shoved him away and retreated back to my counter to begin working on a random medicine. It was only an excuse to get away from him. “Your clothes are in the usual area.” I heard Luthais’s laughter up until I heard the vines covering the doorway stretch closed.

 

A few moments later, I heard Luthais exit the bathroom as I was reaching up attempting to place the finished medicine on the top shelf of the cabinet. “Here, let me.” I heard footsteps cross the room, stop behind me, and then there was a pair of arms reaching around me. I hunched down letting go of the medicine as soon as he grabbed it. He placed it on the top shelf and stepped back.

“Thanks…” I turned around to look at Luthais only to see that he was still drying his hair and that he was shirtless. “How many times do I have to say--”

“Put on a shirt before I come out of the bathroom?” Luthais grinned, “That’s no fun. Then I wouldn’t be able to watch your face turn red.”

“Dirty old man…” I crossed my arms, glaring at him.

“I’m only 24,” Luthais laughed.

I turned, plopped down in the chair, gripped the edges of the seat while turning my face away from him. “I hate you.”

Luthais smiled for a short while before his face finally turned serious. “Did you have a bad day?”

I looked at him out of the corner of my eyes and nodded my head slowly. “Dreadful…”

Luthais slid onto the bed beside my chair and leaned back onto his hands. “Surely it wasn’t that bad.” I glared at him as harshly as I could. “Okay, okay, so it was that bad.”

“And you left me here alone!”

Luthais grinned, “How dare I leave you for work?!” He laughed silently while I glared and pouted. “I’m sorry… It was important. Tell me what happened. Maybe I can make it all better.”

I told him all of the events of the day only leaving out the conversation I overheard. He listened silently, his eyebrows furrowed slightly and only nodding where appropriate. When I stopped he sat in silence watching me as if he were waiting for something. “What?”

“You’re leaving something out.” I looked away from him. He knew me too well. “I know you wouldn’t have been freaking out that bad because of the day it is. There’s something else.” I continued to look away from him, “Tell me what it is, Merethyl.”

“I followed Andrdei… He let someone in the city and talked about getting rid of someone… Do you think he would mean me? He’s hated me since I got here…” I looked up at Luthais who was now leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands relaxed between them. His eyebrows were furrowed, looking passed me as if he were deep in thought.

“It’s a stretch, Merethyl…” Luthais’s eyes finally focused on my face as he tried to ease my mind.

“But the man… he saw me after they finished talking.” I leaned forward, covering my face. I hated myself for how clumsy I was.

I heard Luthais let out a deep sigh. “It’s never boring with you, Mere.” I heard him slide off the bed and walk in my direction. His hand touched my back gently and began rubbing there slowly. “I’ll stay with you tonight just to ease your - and my - mind.”

 

 

I walked alongside Luthais as we wandered slowly back to my house. The sun was low, the sky turning a deep shade of orange. I held my face slightly downwards, looking at the ground. My heart pounded slightly in my chest as the nerves slowly took hold of me. The light that illuminated the city was slowly dissipating while the darkness began consuming everything it touched. I could almost picture the man inching his way forward as the darkness spread throughout the city. There would be nothing to stop him from killing me. I glanced up at Luthais in that moment. My heart race speeding up, my clasped hands turning white around the knuckles, and a nervous shake beginning to form at my knees. Essatri and Luthais were the only things that were standing in the mans way.

I took deep breaths as I repeated one thought in my head. Nothing should happen…I’ll be safe tonight… The thought was a continuous train in my mind as if it would make the nerves release me from their torment. It never did. My hands still shook slightly, and grew worse as we got closer to the house. I squeezed my hands together tighter hoping Luthais didn’t see how nervous I was.

 I watched him for a moment. Luthais focused his eyes in front of him almost as if he was looking past his surroundings. His mouth was set in a frown with his eyebrows furrowed. I wondered for a moment what it could be that he was thinking about. Could he be worried about who was hired? It’s always possible that he was worried about me. We are best friends…

Sighing, I checked my basket for a third time for Essatri’s bottles. One, two, three, fo-- “It doesn’t matter how many time you check them. You know they’re all there.” I jumped slightly, startled. He was right, but I was anxious and needed something to think about. I glanced up at Luthais. He was still focused on the same spot in front of them.

I saw him stop abruptly, “Do you not trust me?”

I turned towards him, slightly ashamed, “I do…I trust you fully.”

“Then relax…” He planted himself in front of me and grabbed my clasped hands. He smiled gently as he rubbed my tightly clasped hands. I could tell he was trying to ease the panicked state I had put myself in. Slowly, I put my hands down by my side. He was right. If I trusted him I shouldn’t panic. He smiled brightly in response, happy with the result. Returning to my side, he swung his large arm around my shoulders and pulled me up to his side in what seemed like a hug. “I’ll protect you with my life. Nothing will get through me.” He didn’t move his arm as we continued our walk. His arm stayed around my shoulders, and I stayed attached to his side.

I avoided his gaze as we walked so that he could not see how my face was turning a bright pink. I was unnaturally conscious of him beside me and the warmth - and strength - of his arm around my shoulders. My heart skipped out of a different type of nervousness that I hadn’t remembered feeling around him before. I was no longer thinking about my impending doom but instead about the friend that was walking beside me.

Under his arm…By his side…I felt protected and safe. There were many feelings floating around inside me causing me to feel conflicted about the situation. Unable to sort through them, I tried to soak up the moment so that I would remember it through my lifetime. Somehow, however, it was over before it began. After what seemed like only a few minutes, he dropped his arm from my shoulders and stuck his hands in his pockets. We were home. “Doesn’t seem like Ma’s home.”

“What?” I looked up and began to scan the building. How could he tell? Where else would she be? As panic began to set in, I ran up to the door and slung it open. It slammed against the wall behind it, causing a few things on the wall to slide to the floor. I ran around the house, first to the kitchen then across to the living room and then to her bedroom. It was true. She wasn’t home. “Wh-Where is she?”

Luthais was laying down on the furniture and with his arm covering his face. “The old man probably sent her off,” he shrugged slightly.

“But…But…” My hands began to shake as thoughts raced through my mind. It was me…It had to be me…Sending off one of the only people to protect me? It had to be planned. There’s no other explanation. “I should have told her. I should have--”

“Merethyl!” I felt two large hands grab my shoulders. I squealed slightly, startled out of my train of thought. His eyes were locked in mine, his face stern and serious. “Don’t worry, I will protect you. I promise. Now go get some rest.” I nodded slowly and headed back to my room as if in a trance.

Luthais will protect me. Luthais will protect me. Luthais will…Luthais…

 

BAM! I bolted upright in my bed and stared at the door from which I had just heard the noise. My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at the door waiting for what was on the other side. My entire body shivered from fear, adrenaline coursed through my body keeping me wide awake, and my hearing was hyper-alert to any noises in the house. The house was as silent as a grave. There was no one moving around, no footsteps, no creaking of the wood, no snoring from the living room.

Nervously, I moved my legs over the side of the bed and placed my feet on the cold floor. "L-Luthais?" My small voice barely seemed to make its way through the room as I rose out of the bed. I took quiet steps towards the door, afraid of what could be on the other side. I took a calming breath as I grabbed the knob gathering any courage I had left. I cracked open the door just enough to see out into the room in front of me.

The room was dark, the only light coming inside was from the glow of the moon. It was empty except for the furniture and a single sword laying a few feet away from the door. In front of the door was the large heap of a person. Their clothes were bloodied and damp with sweat. The blood seeping out from a wound and puddling onto the floor around them. Their red hair sprawled out covering their face. "Luthais!" I shouted as I yanked open the door and fell onto my knees beside him.

I pulled him into my lap and moved the hair from his face. His drooping eyes darted around the room until they finally landed on my face. A hazy smile spread across his face as his eyes struggled to focus. Panicking, I searched for the wound that was still dripping blood onto the floor. I moved his shirt away to reveal a deep stab wound. I panicked as I sat there watching him bleed out.

I didn't have the materials for this. He would die here tonight if I didn't do anything and it would be my fault. If only I hadn't been so careless...If only I had just let Andrdei go and not followed him...My best friend wouldn't be so close to death. He would be home, fast asleep, and safe. I would see him again in the morning. We would go on with our daily lives. We would...

My mind traveled to the many possibilities that our lives could have. Friendship, happiness, romance... No, I couldn't let this happen. I can't just let my best friend die when I have the ability to-

"Never use this no matter what circumstance. Do you hear me?" The order echoed through my mind, halting all my thoughts. It had been an order Essatri had given me several times throughout the years. I had ignorantly agreed to it every time so I could avoid conflict. I looked at Luthais's face. The hazy smile he wore was now fading, his eyes blinking slowly dropping further and further shut. I was watching him die.

I bit my lip, forcing the tears that stuck in my eyes back. I couldn't do this. Watch someone die, my best friend of all people, all for a stupid order. She could ground me, lock me in my room forever, kick me out. I didn't care anymore. I wasn't sitting around here doing nothing.

Without wasting anymore time I placed my hand over his wound. What rushed out of my hand in that moment was like water that had burst through a dam. I felt such relief in that moment releasing a power that I had hidden and buried for ten long years. The feelings I had buried deep came forth. The adoration I had felt for this man. The happiness I had felt through the years along with the genuine fear and sadness from my past. Nothing was hidden with this ability. It had opened my heart to the man laying in front of me, and I wasn't frightened.

As amazing as it felt to finally release what I had been holding back for these ten years, it came with a price. The golden glow of light stretched out slowly engulfing everything it touched. It healed everything it touched - although some things slower than others. As I watched the glow spread from my hand to his abdomen and from his abdomen to the floor below him, I felt the effects almost immediately. After only a few seconds I could feel myself becoming weaker, tired, and the sweat forming on my brow. I huffed as I watched the wound on his abdomen stop bleeding and slowly shut. By the time the wound was shutting, my vision was beginning to develop black spots.

"Merethyl!" I heard a familiar panicked voice in the background of my focus. It sounded worried and almost frightened. "Merethyl, stop! You're killing yourself!" No, I had to save him. I had to- It's what I wanted to say, but the words never left my mind.

"Well, well, well... What do we have here?" The frighteningly familiar gruff voice entered the room along with the heavy thud of footsteps. I looked up, the light dissipating in reaction to the fear that had struck through me. I felt Luthais struggle beside me. He held his abdomen as he hobbled off of the floor. "You're interesting...well trained but..." He approached Luthais, who was still struggling to stand up straight, took a lamp off of a table near by and hit him over the head. Luthais fell to the floor, knocked out. "Hm.." The man dropped the lamp next to Luthais and looked at me. "I feel as if I've been duped..."

He knelt down next to me and looked at my frail figure. I was naturally frail, but I was even weaker now since my ability drains all my strength and I often pass out after. The panicking only made it worse. My breathing quickened, my arms moved to slide my body backward but the strength was lacking. My arms only slid against the wooden floor causing me to stumble around and fall flat on my back. The man put a hand on the side of my head. I could see his hungry brown eyes piercing through me. "Don't worry," I could hear a smile in his voice as he spoke. Out of the corner of my eye his other hand, holding a dagger, rise into the air. "I will protect you. I promise."

Author's Note

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