Chapter 17: Chapter Seventeen

I feel hot, too hot. I sit up and start dry heaving, horrified to find my stomach is empty; making this ten times more painful. There are arms around me, that I’m aware of. There isn’t much else that I am conscious about, other than this blistering heat. Why is it so hot? Am I in Hell?

“Let it out Nat,” a deep soothing voice says gently. I cannot open my eyes to find out who that belongs to, because I cannot stop dry heaving.

“Natasha, you’re in Ridgewilf. Gedric and I are here. Halthin is going to make it. I need you to relax.” That voice definitely belongs to Stanya.

“Can I die now?” I demand, in between violent episodes of sick.

“No you cannot,” she growls. “You nearly did this time. If you try that one more time, I’ll kill you myself.”

“Do it now please,” I beg, letting out another round of non-existent vomit.

“Natasha do not test my patience right now,” Stanya warns me. “I nearly lost you today. I’m not going through that again. If it weren’t for Gedric finding your fatal wound, you would be dead.”

“Wound? This isn’t from Ari?”

“I think you did more harm to him, than he did to you.”

“I doubt that” I whine, finally laying down. I open my eyes and wince. I’m close to a fire, and find I’m wearing a white silk robe, that is tightly cinched around my waist. This is too pretty for what my body is going through.

Stanya leans over me. Her face is angry, but mostly concerned. Relief sweeps through her when she sees my eyes. “Don’t scare me like that again. Why did you do that?”

I touch my throat, feeling how sore it truly is. “Because Ari was right behind us, and I wanted to make sure you were safe. I couldn’t fight him off, and I found out he’s still being funneled by others magic. You weren’t going to get away with my dead weight slowing you down.”

“So you wrestled him?” She demands, touching my cheek to see if I’m delusional.

I shake my head. “I infected myself with blood magic, and I infected Ari. I was trying to kill him since I knew I was going to die. I nearly succeeded, but his self-preservation instincts took over. To save himself, he had to remove the blood magic from the source. Since I was that source, he had no choice but to cure me too. My attack gave you enough time to get to safety at the bare minimum.”

“But you almost died!” She yells, making me jump and an unknown protective hand to land on my chest. Stanya takes a deep breath to steady herself. “Don’t you care about that? You full out planned for your death. You tried to give me your marks Nat. There was no thought in your mind you’d survive.”

I give her a small smile. “I’d die a thousand times over before letting Ari hurt my friends, or the Sheika clans. You know this.”

“I know this Elder Natasha, but what about my sister Natasha? Did you think I was wanting to say goodbye to you?”

“Well it was either that, or have Ari defeat all of us. Then we would have destroyed all of what we have built Stanya. I didn’t want to say goodbye either, but it wasn’t an option at that time.”

“Enough,” A woman with dark tight curls orders, kneeling next to me. “She’s weak, and still has yet to be drained Elder Stanya. The last thing this girl needs is a lecture. Now let me put this in perspective for you, since you’re too close to your hurt to see this. What Elder Natasha did, was save all your hides, and ours. If your magic had failed, the shield would have failed, and left Ridgewilf exposed. That would have meant hundreds of deaths, and potentially more. Now is she an idiot? Why yes, yes she is. Did she do the best she could with what she had. Yes, yes she did. Now I suggest you go find a place to recenter yourself.

“Now you,” she says, removing the hand from my chest. “As much as we are all grateful for you for saving Elder Natasha, we need you to move. We need to drain her magic.”

The woman looks at me, her pale blue eyes burning holes into mine. “If I have to do this to you one more time this year, I’m going to personally chain you to this city. Do you understand?”

I give her a small smile. “Yes Healer Malay.”

She scoffs, “Useless words coming from you. Now, you know the drill.”

I hold my hand out to her. She turns my wrist upwards and cuts into my veins, getting started before help is here. She’s the strongest healer out of our clans. She is who you go to for blood magic poisoning. Also, she’s had enough practice handling magic overload from me, she can do it in her sleep. Malay may be a healer, but she’s an Elder here as well, which means her magic can mop the floor with the Sheiks here. Malay is the fifth most powerful Sheik. You do not argue with her. This woman runs this city, and she will be sure to let you know that the moment you meet her.

Carefully, I watch while she drains my magic, separating it from my blood, while delicately spinning it. She’s letting my blood spin into a floating ball after it separates from my golden magic.

“You’ve always had such a unique power color,” Malay muses, slowly twisting the gold into a shape while she flows my blood back into me.

“Thanks,” I yawn, feeling much better.

“Honestly, I don’t know how to make this safe for you to wear.” Malay muses.

“A statue maybe?” I ask, yawning again.

She grins, “I have just the right thing in mind.” She stops fiddling with my wild magic for a moment to stitch me up. She kisses my forehead. “Go to sleep Natasha. I’ll keep your protectors at bay.”

“How is Halthin?” I ask, locking eyes with her.

She gives me a measured look, my golden ball of magic following her. “I was able to save his magic, but barely. If you hadn’t drained him earlier, and gotten him here as quickly as you did, he wouldn’t have been able to keep it. It’ll take a month to get it back into full strength though. By the way, what is wrong with you? You know you’re not supposed to touch blood magic.”

I groan. “Not you too. It was an emergency. I stopped when I sensed it was getting close.”

“Yeah, and that’s likely what triggered your episode.”

“It was the next day; I almost climbed an entire mountain in one day.” I argue, my voice slightly higher. I’m too tired to keep arguing my mistakes.

“You’re not wrong, but if Ari wasn’t so scared to die, you would have died today.”

I take a deep breath and nod. “Yes, I know. I was prepared for that.”

“You were, we weren’t.” Malay says, giving me a disapproving look.

“No one is ever ready for a permanent goodbye. Trust me, I’m aware.” I wring my hands together. “I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to Master Brin, and I hate it more than anything. He died to protect me, so forgive me for trying to return his kindness.”

“Natasha, you can’t live your life the same as another. You are not Brin.” Malay responds, her voice softening. “You also cannot repay that kind of a deed. Do what you can with what he gave you.”

I snort, “I got two marks, so Ari’s plans to kill me are going to become insane.”

“I noticed your new tattoos,” she comments, folding her arms. “Brin really did think highly of you. It’s an honor he chose you to wear them.”

“I know that, but I’m also sure he did this to prevent me from going after Ari myself.”

She shrugs, “Sounds like something he would do. You and Stanya were his only children. He always said he’d never have kids, but the moment you entered into his life, he changed. Brin loved you two with more than his worth. He gave everything to you two. Honor him with that knowledge, and finish what he started. By protecting these marks.”

She strokes my arm, “It’s okay to be sad, and hate the man that took so much from you already. It’s not okay to throw away all sense in one thought of anger.”

“I wasn’t angry, I was trying to protect them.” I argue.

“Maybe, but you could have done something else to get away from him. For example, that little star on your neck would have provided more than enough magic to send him away.”

“True, but in that moment, I didn’t think about it. I only recognized I was getting too weak to keep fighting him, and he would soon catch up to us.”

“Then your act was noble, even if it was the most idiotic thing you could have done.” She then fixes me with a hard look. “Stop acting before thinking.” She taps me upside the head, before heading away. “Now go to sleep. You’re lucky your overloads terrify me, or else I’d spell you asleep.”

She waves her hand, darkening the room and leaving me alone to reflect.

As I sleep, my dreams keep repeating my fight with Ari. I keep seeing his memories flashing through my mind. It’s insane to learn about him as something other than a monster. His childhood was far from easy, but it wasn’t enough to make him into what he is today. If anything, I can’t see how he’d want to be this way.

When I wake, it’s completely silent. I hear the crackle of the fire next to my bed. It’s night, and I should go back to bed, but I can’t sleep. If anything, my body is restless. A little experimentally, I slowly sit up. Pain shoots from my waist, making me hiss in pain. I look down and see gauze packed around my waist, spreading to my back. There are stitches there. There is a deep pain coming from my right kidney. That must be the wound Stanya was talking about. I touch the pad gently, and blood attaches to my fingers. I think it’s time to change my bandages.

I definitely hit that rock harder than I meant to. Then again, I wasn’t planning on hitting anything. Just attack Ari and die. That was my plan. It nearly worked, I guess, but it was against the Fates design. If they’re planning everything, why aren’t they down here fighting?

Slowly, I stand and have to sit back down. Pain is running down my left leg. Examining it closely, it’s bruised and swollen from my ankle to my hip. Probably from when I skidded to a stop and hit that rock. I really did a number on myself. When moving my left arm, my shoulder screams in protest. The left side got the worst of it I’m afraid.

Swallowing hard, I force myself to stand and get dressed. I dress in tight black cotton pants, with wool stitched into the inside. The cotton helps protect the wool from getting wet, which is good. I put on a fur lined top before putting on a silk sling; giving into the ache brought on by gravity. I toss on a fur lined cloak. Putting on the woolen stockings were awkward to say the least, but at least the fur lined boots were easier. Since I can’t really pull my hair up, I brush it one handed and then tie it back, letting my hair hang over my shoulder when I put my hood up.

When I step out into the city, floating torches are lit, dancing around as if they’re fireflies. It’s memorizing in the fresh snowfall. The magic heated ground keeps the white fluff from sticking to the ground. After the week or so I just had, I’m okay with that. Several wooden huts are spread throughout the city, keeping those who dwell inside warm. I’ve always loved Ridgewilf. It looks like something out of a fairytale. It makes a smile spread to my lips and a little giggle stick in my chest.

Content, I step into the street, searching for something to eat. I haven’t eaten in…when was the last time I ate? Oh lord, if I’m asking that, I truly must be famished. That, or I hit my head on that rock harder than I thought.

When I find a sign that has “Ridgewilf Dining Hall” I walk up the wooden steps to go inside. Immediately, my nostrils are filled with a mouth watering aroma. It’s fried chicken, which is my all time favorite thing to eat. My footsteps quicken as I race to the counter to order something to eat.

A woman with red curly hair is waiting at the counter, amused by my eagerness. “I take it you’re hungry.”

I nod, “Is it that noticeable,” I ask sheepishly, my cheeks reddening when my stomach rumbles.

She laughs. “Only slightly. I’ll bring you some of the chicken. It’s popular tonight. Are you the girl that some travelers found?”

“They’re my friends, but yes.” I almost laugh. It’s rare when I’m anonymous, and I’m enjoying it. I forgot I left my hood up, so she cannot see my face. Then again, I don’t think I’ve seen her here before.

“You better be more careful next time. There is a Magicnite camp not too far from us. I was told you got into a bit of a scuff with them.” She looks me over and motions to my sling, “You can use magic to heal yourself, you know?”

I nod as I agree. “I’m just went through a magic overload, so it’s not an option right now.”

She cocks her head, “If you’re still young enough for an overload, the healers can deal with it.”

I flash her a smile; trying my best not to laugh. “I’ll have to consider that. For now, I’m just wishing to fill my own stomach.”

“Oh,” she says quickly, her hand flying to her cheek. “My Fates, I nearly forgot. You’re too charismatic for your own good my dear. Please go sit down, and I’ll bring you your food.”

I nod and go sit at a wooden table near the fire. After she brings me my food, she goes back to the counter after I thank her. I dig in immediately. It’s so good that I moan out loud. The meat is so tender and juicy that my body warms, joy spreading through me. That’s how you know that the chef that prepared this loves their job.

“Elder Berrick, will you please tell this young woman that it is perfectly safe for her to heal after an overload?” The counter woman’s voice breaks my little happy bubble. She’s closer than I anticipated. I look over to see her less than five feet from me, standing next to a woman with dark skin and grey eyes. Her silver pixie cut is close to her face, bringing more warmth than what should be allowed to her face.

Elder Berrick grins at me. “Now Karen, there are exemptions, and this young Elder is one of them.”

Karen’s face pales. “Elder?”

I flash her a grin as bright as life. “How are you Merry?”

Karen’s eyes widen, looking at me. “Merry?”

Merry smirks, motioning towards me. “Karen, this is Elder Natasha, the strongest Sheik out of all of us. One drop of magic to her, will generate an overload so strong, it will cause severe repercussions if left unkempt. What’s the record this time?”

I shrug. “Malay took my magic to make a statue or something out of it. It’s too big for a necklace this time.”

“What caused the overload this time?” Merry asks, sitting next to me.

“A combination of scaling more than half the mountain while magically carrying three people and, what really drove it home, was fighting Ari.”

“Ari?” Karen balks. “And you survived?”

Merry looks annoyed. “When I said strongest Sheik, I meant it. Now Karen, will you please bring me some tea?”

When Karen is out of earshot Elder Berrick turns back to me. “Sorry about that. Karen came to us from Swylia. She’s married to Gyn, and still trying to fit in. Once she relaxes, she’ll be an excellent addition to our clan.”

Merry leans forward earnestly. and presses her silver painted fingertips together. “Now, tell me what happened.”