Holy moly this Chapter was a B*tch to write. I honestly have four different versions of this Chapter sitting in my Documents, that's how conflicted I was over how to play it out. I had hoped to upload it last weekend but realized it wasn't going to happen when I read over the draft and promptly proceeded to rewrite half the chapter again. 

Still here it is at last and, (I think,) I am satisfied with it. You will soon find out that this is not a Chapter about Circe, although some of it is from her POV and I can't wait to hear what you guys think of it. 

I think that part of the reason it was so difficult to write is because I knew that a lot of people wanted a lot of different things from this Chapter and although I'm sure it won't please everyone, I wanted to write something that was semi realistic in it's outcome. 

I hope you love it, I'm sorry for the wait.
Love Always,
Daisy xox

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CIRCE

Waiting for them to start was like waiting for a nightmare to begin. It was as though I had fallen asleep and was powerless to the happenings below, my unconscious mind embracing the horror and welcoming it with open arms, while the small part of me that knew what was transpiring cried out for it to end.
But this wasn't a nightmare, it was reality and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't turn away. It was my body had become disconnected from my brain, acting on its own accord as I dismounted Anthemin my hand sliding down his neck as we both turned to observe the two warriors as they faced off in battle.

Like yin and yang, they stood opposite each other, one as dark as the night, the other bleached white by the unforgiving light of the sun. One on one combat that was what this was. Looking at them now and the hatred that sparked between them, I knew that I was foolish to have thought that they could have chosen to simply walk away. There was no walking away from this, no talking it out, no ignoring it. The bad blood between the two of them had grown to immeasurable levels and there was nothing that I could do or say that would prevent this collision of wills.

'I fight to the death!'

His snarled words echoed through my mind and I closed my eyes briefly. When they opened once again my face was hard. It would not come to that though. I would not let it come to that, no matter what. I had strength enough to stop it, this I knew with absolute certainty.

The two fighters below began to circle each other slowly, their pace and each step they took a calculated decision influenced by the movement of the other. Watching them was almost trancelike, their movements so elegant and poised that it almost seemed as though were dancing steps that had only been shared between the two of them.
However, behind each deliberate stride they took I could feel their overwhelming power radiating outwards through the ground and in my mind's eye they became, no longer dancers, but coiled snakes, holding back with their fangs bared, waiting for the exact moment to strike.
I could hear a faint rumble in the background that I had taken for the might of the ocean, but now I felt as though the noise was emitting from the two of them as they faced off, their eyes locked in a fatal embrace.

High above them dark clouds gathered and although it seemed inevitable that rain would fall, the soil beneath us stayed dry and as though the sky couldn't help but let something leak through, a clap of thunder sounded, the booming crash resonating out around the cliffs, a short burst of lightening flashing afterwards.

It was in that split second, when the world had been blinded by the white light, that their fists first connected. The follow up sound was louder than the thunder itself and the very earth beneath my feet began to shudder and quake.

I squinted, throwing up a hand to cover my eyes as they readjusted. As my vision returned I felt an inexplicable rush at the show of power below. Their fists were still connected, but the force expended from that one collision had been enough to create a crater in the ground around them. I watched as they exchanged a series of earth shattering blows that forced them deeper into the ground as they continued, each attack radiating outwards like a shock wave, the sheer force pushing me down to my knees and making me struggle to catch my breath.

"They've changed," I gasped aloud. "Their bodies, they're both changing."

Anthemin's voice was sombre as it entered my mind. Now you will see the Prince's true form Vanima. Now you will understand his absolute power.

I felt my heart twist in my chest as I began to realise just what Obsidian had challenged. That Zalas that I had fought on the mountain, that was nothing compared to this. I felt a lump form in my throat and my stomach dropped, my mind going numb with fear as the most horrifying of all thoughts occurred to me.

If this was his true form, did I really possess enough power to stop him before he killed the man I loved?

*

ZALAS

I glared at him through the eyes of a dragon, my tail crushing the ground behind me as it whipped back and forth. I felt the weight on my head increase as my horns grew out and I tilted my head to the side, welcoming the extra mass for the advantage it would bring. My claws had extended with the intention of ripping his hand from his arm, but the fist that met mine was hardened with Dragon scales, a reaction I had not anticipated.
I brought my other fist forward with un-paralleled speed, only to have him block it with disconcerting accuracy.

"You didn't think I came unprepared did you now?" He snarled, his yellow eyes a coloured reflection of my own white ones.

His transformation was less fluid than mine, but I sensed that unlike my own, his was not complete. He was holding back certain parts of his form and even now I could see his face rearranging, drawing his snout back until a more human face appeared. My eyes widened, was the bastard copying me?!

He smirked as though he had read my mind, "Well at least you are good for one thing."

I growled at him, snapping my teeth. "You may be able to mimic my form, but you have not grown up with it like I have and it is there that I will find my advantage." I grabbed his fist and threw him off balance, my tail whipping out from behind me and catching him in the side. The blow cracked through the air with unimaginable force and sent him flying into the bottom of the cliff.

He appeared out from beneath the rubble not a moment later, fire curling in his throat. The golden column of flame blasted towards me with such violence that I acted automatically and dodged to the side. For a short moment the world seemed to move in slow motion as I expertly manipulated the air to push my body up and over the flames, watching as the golden fire seared a path in the ground beneath me. Although it had been a close call, I couldn't help the exhilarating rush that I felt, knowing that the lethal heat was scorching through the space that my body had occupied, not moments before.

I landed gracefully in a crouch and looked back him with narrow eyes, my tail thrashing in annoyance and anticipation. He really was out for my head. His smirk widened as he saw the realization on my face. He rolled his shoulders, a familiar rattling sound reaching my ears as he covered the rest of his body in shiny black scales.
I accepted his challenge, my white amour growing to cover me from head to toe and then we were rushing towards each other with speed worthy of Gods and hatred admirable of the Devil himself burning in both our eyes.

He matched my every blow with accuracy and I snarled as I felt the force behind his attacks. As we gained momentum the thunder cracked above us, the clouds reacting to the energy that was being released. A clawed foot swung around to ambush me and I smacked it away with my tail, twisting the end around his ankle and catching him by surprise as I tugged him towards me. My horns caught him in the side, digging into his flesh and making him roar in pain. I twisted my head as I pulled away, fire hissing at the back of my throat. I had him now.

His golden eyes flashed and in a split second he had doubled in size. The sudden change was unexpected and before I had realised it, he had grown until he was crushing me under one massive foot and my flame coughed out into nothing as he pressed down on me, driving me into the sand. His talons were at least the length of my body and they trapped me like a cage, the deadly tips buried deep in the ground. One movement and those claws could skewer me as easily as a hawk would to its prey. I cursed him vehemently and struggled to free one of my hands so that I could point it at his face. I had to act fast, this lapse in judgement could be my undoing.
I had forgotten how huge he could become, his size second only to Unabonan and even then there was barely any difference. The fact that such power was available to him at the drop of a hat only served as fuel for my rage and I felt the heat burn in the middle of my palm as I channelled the anger into raw energy.

It was nothing to me if he chose to fight in this form! He was larger and therefore an easier target for damage. It might be to his advantage to fight as a Dragon against my brother, but it was a mistake to take it up against me.

Fire burst from my hand, blasting up into his face. He roared, turning his head away from the flame, the attack clearly unexpected, and while he was momentarily distracted I twisted the hand that was trapped against my chest until my palm was pressed into the bottom of his foot.

"You should learn to protect your weaknesses," I growled, focusing my power on that one hand. I felt it grow substantially, my claws elongating until they pierced into the soft pads at the bottom of his feet. He recoiled instantly, dragging me up out of the sand and splattering me with his blood. With a flick he shook me off, the motion sending me flying into the ocean, colossal amounts of water spraying up around me.

For a moment I was disorientated as I tried to stand and it was then that I felt Unabonan's voice rip through my mind.

Brother!

The black dragon was facing me on all fours back on the beach with his jaws wide and a deadly inferno burning its way through the air towards me. He might have been larger and therefore an easier target, but it wasn't only his body that had become engorged, this aspect had as well. I couldn't dodge this one.

My eyes were grim as I reacted to the challenge. We had gone past the point of holding back, he had proved himself that much. Everything around me seemed to lean in as I drew in a massive amount of air instantaneously and just as I felt the heat from the flames, I drove the air through the centre of the column, imploding it outwards. I was momentarily engulfed in gold and as the flame dissipated I was able to see the beach was empty.

My instincts told me to look up, my arms rising to brace myself as a clawed foot powered down on top of me. I bent my legs to soften the blow and then pushed him back through the air, sweeping a hand out to shoot a jet of fire at him, the heat making the tips of my fingers tingle.

He had mostly returned to human form, but his wings and scaled body remained. With revenge for the last attack set in the forefront of my mind I aimed my next breath of fire at his wings, smiling in satisfaction at his roar of pain, the hot embers burning their way through the thin membrane. .

He winced as he landed in the water, some distance away, the wings folding back into his body with an ease that I envied. The scowl that glanced across his face promised death and I braced myself as we lunged towards each other once again.

*

CIRCE

The Obsidian that I had known before would have never been able to handle this but even as my hope for his strength rose, it fell at the same time. As I had suspected before, the Zalas fighting now was on a different level to the one that I had faced and all of my previous judgements about where I stood in comparison were quickly falling away. Looking at him fighting now, there was no doubting it. He had been gentle with me. I gritted my teeth with fury as my pride took a vicious beating. How dare he let me think that I was even equal with him.

They traded blows with such ferocity and speed that my eyes could barely keep up. I had held my breath for a moment when Zalas had brought Obsidian back down to earth, but he seemed to have put the injury behind him for now at least.

"You there,"

My head whipped to the side and I found myself looking straight into the unfamiliar face of the Air Sprite that had been accompanying Zalas. She had cleared the distance between us, coming to stand directly beside me, her arms folded across her chest. Her hands were clenched and from in-between her fingers, something silver glinted.

I tensed instantly. Her expression was not friendly. "What do you want," I uttered abruptly.

Her head tilted to the side and she looked me up and down. "You are Circe, are you not?"

"Yes. And?"

"Hmph," She turned to the side, looking back out towards the fight. "I expected more."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I snapped at her, ignoring Anthemin's reprimand in the background.

She threw a hand forwards, gesturing to the battle in front of her. "From what I had heard, I did expect you to be one to simply sit back and watch them fight."

The hairs on the back of my neck bristled. "I don't see you doing anything about it either."

Her look was loaded with contempt. "Am I just supposed to go against the word of my King, to interfere with his personal matters, a lowly knight such as myself? Please, don't be naïve."

"He's not the King." I retorted, looking back out to the fight. It was heating up even more now and not for the first time I saw a body fly out away from the other, barrelling towards the cliffs where we stood and colliding into them with an impact that shook the ground beneath my feet. The remaining figure was cloaked in black and I watched as he threw back his head, an unearthly roar escaping his mouth.

In a movement so fast I almost missed it, he charged towards the spot where the other had been thrown, but halfway into his advance the other met him, their bodies clashing with fury, the resounding sound akin to a massive clap of thunder.

"He is the future King." She snapped back. "And he will not back down from this fight, not when his pride as Ruler is on the line. It is you he is fighting for you know." She said suddenly. "You are the only reason this is happening now." Her voice was accusing and I glared at her.

"Bullshit. This is happening because he wanted it to. It has nothing to do with me. He could have walked away if he wanted to, he made his choice."

"You speak as if you believe the Black Dragon will win."

My eyes narrowed. "Is there any reason he shouldn't?"

"The Dragon King is still the Dragon King." She said shortly, as though that explained everything.

*

ZALAS

The fight was getting bloody now. I knew that I was bleeding, although I didn't quite know from where, but the majority of the red liquid covering my hands belonged to him. We stood, panting for a moment as we faced off, my eyes raking over him, assessing his weak points.

His largest wound was located on his shoulder where my claws had sliced into him, cutting through his hard armour. The second largest were two puncture wounds located under his ribcage, the blood on the tips of my horns giving placement to their origin. Both wounds would have to be causing him considerable amounts of pain with each movement, yet he stood in front of me as strong as ever, his golden eyes retaining the promise of death.

Snarling I leapt forward, once again meeting him in mid-air. Again our attacks found momentum and for a moment I was swept up in the world where just the two of us existed, where the balance of life and death hung in the power of the next attack, in predicting the next movement of my enemy. My eyes saw nothing else but the ferocity of his desire to beat me into the ground and I knew that he looked at me and saw his own intentions reflected equally.

As had become the pattern however, our momentum could only last for so long before one of us found an hole in the others defence. My claws sliced across his face, opening a large wound across his forehead that began to bleed profusely. At the same time however, he had driven his hand into my exposed side, his claws alone elongating and piercing through my flesh as easily as a hot knife through butter. I coughed and spat out blood, my tail coming around automatically to catch him in the side as my eyes shone with rage. The hit knocked him backwards through the air until gravity dragged him down, his body smacking into the sand with collosal force and flipping over once, twice, then three times, before he finally came to a stop.

Breathing heavily I dragged myself into standing position, my legs buckling slightly. I watched as he shifted in the sand, struggling to push himself up onto his knees, his right arm hanging behind at an awkward angle, his shoulder clearly dislocated from the impact. His head flung back as he gasped for air, his wounds bleeding freely and staining the golden sand around him a dirty brown.

For some reason all I could hear was the gushing of the ocean in my ears, but for a split second I thought that I heard someone cry out. My head swung around to where the spectators sat, safely viewing the battle from their positions on top of the dunes and I squinted as my vision blurred. My head felt heavy and I looked down at my hands again. My own blood stood out starkly against the white of my scales and at the sight of it I felt as though something clicked in my mind. My hands curled slowly into fists and I raised my head to see my competitor still in the same position as before, his head lifted back to the sky, his mouth ajar, chest heaving with each struggling breath.

As though he could feel my eyes on him his head suddenly came up until we were staring directly at each other once again. His face was stained with the blood that ran from the gash on his head, but the golden eyes of a Dragon still shone out from under the gory shade. My voice was quiet, but I knew that he could hear me.

"You wanted a fight to the death, I'll give you one last chance to retract that statement. Give up and come with me now and I will spare your life." Victory was mine, both of us knew it. The next attack would decide that and he knew as well as I, that he had reached his limits.

His eyes did not break from mine as he answered.

"You killed me and I know that you were dead for a moment back when I knocked your pretentious ass out of the sky, I felt your heart stop." He paused for a moment to catch his breath before continuing. "Funny isn't it though, how we are both still here, must be meant to be a best of three."

He grabbed his bad shoulder with his left hand and with a roar of pure determination popped the dislocated limb back into place. I watched with grudging admiration as he got to his feet, his teeth grinding as he stood fully to face me, his lips curling into a grin.

"This time when I send you to Hell, I'll be sure to send you all the way."

If I didn't hate him so much, I might've grinned back. As it was though, "I'll take that as you declining," I retorted, my tone scathing. I couldn't deny the reluctant respect that I felt for him at his refusal of my proposition. He had been the one to stake his life on this fight and even now, in the face of defeat, he was willing to follow it through.

He extended his good arm outwards me, his fingers curling in, beckoning, his face growing serious as the grin morphed into a snarl of defiance.

"Come at me."

I felt everything slow down as I launched myself at him, just as a bolt of electricity cracked down out of the sky. The white hot energy seared the ground beneath our feet and for a moment I felt truly alive as knocked him to the ground, pushing his face into the sand with the force of my blow. I watched him cough blood, his golden eyes finding mine again as he dug his claws into my shoulder, deeper and deeper until they found bone.
I roared in agony, my free hand coming around to punch him square in the face. If I didn't knock him out, he was going to tear off my arm. I could see his vision blurring, his eyes losing focus as his grip on me loosened. My fist came down once more, blood spurting out from beneath my knuckles, the bones in his nose collapsing under my hand.

The gushing noise in my ears seemed to have returned and I saw his eyes focus on me once more, his lips twisting in a snarl.

"Finish it."

I felt as though I was moving on automatic as my hand drew back, my fingers forming a point as my claws extended and my eyes focused on the spot on his chest where his heart beat beneath.
Focused completely on the prey before me I didn't see the movement on top of the cliff until she had collided into me, her golden hair clouding my vision as the force of her body carried us both through the air until we came to a tumbling stop in the sand.

Circe hovered over me, her golden tresses forming a curtain around us, her eyes wide and filled with panic, her pink lips open and gasping. Her hands were holding mine down and her whole body was trembling. Her eyes told me that she was surprised that she had been able to stop me so easily, that she hadn't expected to catch me off guard. Her hands tightened around my wrists and I watched soundlessly as she gritted her teeth, a strangled cry of frustration slipping from her mouth.
Her appearance was so sudden that I didn't know what to say, I simply looked at her, waiting for her to speak.

"If you kill him again, I'll never forgive you."

There it was - the ultimatum. My eyes closed and I felt her weight leave me, felt her presence move to him. At the same time, I felt the drive to fight vanish, as though she had shocked me out of some kind of trance and I wondered if she had had the power to do that all along.

I had won, yet I had lost. No, either way, I would have lost – there was no option that was ever going to bring her back to me. Not that she had ever been mine to begin with.

I struggled into sitting position and coughed up some blood as I did. I could feel Elika and my Brother still watching from their position atop the hill but I couldn't look their way yet. For some reason, the feeling of humiliation was creeping up on me. I glanced covertly over to him and saw her crouched over his body, her hair covering his face as it had done to mine only moments before. His hands lay to the sides, unconscious.

Her voice was thick with emotion as it reached me, but she did not turn away from him.

"You will leave now. I said what I wanted to say. You did the same. This pointless fight between the two of you ends now. You have other things to be worrying about Zalas."

Again the humiliation hit me, all thoughts of revenge, forgiveness and triumph long since gone from my mind. She was scolding me as though I was a child and for once in my life that was what I felt like. My shock increased as I felt my face flush red at her words. I was sure that I had had justified reasons to start with, as to why I had done what I had done, but right now, sitting her bloody and broken and looking over at her, she who seemed further away than ever, I couldn't think of a single one.

Slowly I got to my feet, utterly humbled and mortified at being so. I wanted to say something to her but I couldn't think of a single word that would fix the situation. I couldn't believe that mere moments ago I had been fighting for my life, completely caught up in the bloodlust, completely oblivious of the consequences, conquest the only thought on my mind.

'Give up and come with me now and I will spare your life.'

Had I really expected to take him from her? Were those the words I had spoken to him so casually, utterly disregarding the threat that she would pose to those particular intentions?

Brother. We came to capture him, to take him back to our Father. It would be wise to-

I was snapping back an answer before I had even had time to think about the implications of what I was saying. I was going back on my word; I was all but acknowledging that I was in the wrong. Such a thing was unheard of.

Quiet. We will do no such thing. We leave now to track down Aranel. That is what we should have done from the start.

My internal voice was dangerous and absolute. I felt a small piece of myself slot back into place as I gave the order. Circe's snub was not something that would have ever bothered me before I met her, it was clear to me now that the only reason I had ever desired her forgiveness was because I still had feelings attached to her. She had made it clear however, that no such attachments were welcome so therefore, I could now continue with a clear conscious.
That was what I told myself anyway and I furiously squashed the part of me that was embarrassed to be degraded by her, the part that felt so, so ashamed of what I had done, the part that longed to drop to my knees in front of her and beg for forgiveness until she accepted.

We don't have time for this nonsense, I continued, I won. That's all that matters, he won't challenge me again, nor will he ever be a threat to our Kingdom.

I said the words, but the scathing tone and the condescending smirk that would have normally accompanied such boasting was nowhere to be found.

If all I could do for her now was to walk away, then that was what I would do. As I turned to leave I felt the emotionless mask return to my face. I would put this behind me and that would be that. I would never seek her out again. If I wanted to keep what was left of my previous self, I couldn't afford to.

*

Walking away though was harder than I thought it was going to be and my exit was anything but dignified. By the time I had limped around the coast far enough to leave the huddle of their bodies behind, I was utterly spent. I had walked away from the town with no particular destination in mind and my companions had mercifully let me be, sensing that I didn't want their company.

The air was quieter here and it was easier to breathe. I slumped down in the sand, finding shelter in the shadow of the cliffs that lined the thin beach. My mind wandered for a moment and I felt a slight pang of jealousy at the thought of her tending to him while I sat here alone, my lifeblood slowly oozing out into the sand.

I wasn't allowed to wallow for long though – a presence appeared, crouched in front of me, her long white hair swaying in the gentle breeze. She reached out to tend to my wounds, ready to give me energy but I swatted her away feebly.

"Leave me."

"My Prince, you're bleeding out."

"I am already healing, do not underestimate me."

She paused for a moment, her face dark. "At least let me bandage you."

I lifted my head and with effort I swallowed. I would not receive assistance, to do so would be to degrade the battle that I had just fought, as well as the worth of my opponent. I would heal naturally, or not at all. Fate would be the decider.

Tell her Brother, I thought vehemently. Make her understand.

I heard his voice swimming through my mind before I passed out completely.

I will.

*

CIRCE

I stayed where I was, bowed over Obsidian and utterly motionless until I could no longer hear the sound of Zalas's feet dragging through the sand. When I finally found the courage to look up, he was gone. My gaze then switched to the top of the cliff, where a figure still stood, her long white hair blowing in the wind. We locked eyes for a second, mutual hatred brewing between us, but then she too was gone, disappearing from the edge of the cliff and out of sight.

Anthemin appeared at my side suddenly, coiling himself into a circle, his body blocking us from the wind that had picked up in Zalas's wake. His great eyes blinked slowly as he observed the man that lay beneath me.

It seemed as though as soon as the threat had departed I was able to think clearly again and suddenly my mind felt incredibly focused as I pooled my energy, my hands reaching out to his most urgent wound as I automatically began to heal him.

My hands had barely touched his skin however when his arm shot up so suddenly that I jerked back in surprise, looking down to where his fingers had tightened around my wrist in a death grip. When I looked to his face, his eyes were open, the golden gems regarding me furiously.

"Who told you to interfere?"

My mouth dropped open in shock. Was he angry?

I smacked his hand away, furious with him. "You were about to die! What was I supposed to do?"

"He wouldn't have killed me." His words cut across my protest like a knife.

I spoke in monotone as I answered him, trying to understand. "You don't know that."

"No," He agreed, "But that didn't give you the right to intervene." I could tell that he was having trouble talking but he pressed on. "One on one combat Circe, does that mean nothing to you? I didn't issue the challenge keeping in mind that I could run to you to heal me afterwards, I issued the challenge and staked my life on it."

"Is this about your Pride?!" I asked incredulously, my voice growing higher as I continued. "Forget your stupid Pride! What about the consequences! Did you even think of me when you staked your life on that stupid fight? Did you even consider what you were leaving behind?"

He didn't answer and I felt my anger growing as I yelled in his face. "You're so stupid! Do you think that he cared about this fight as much as you? Do you think that he is refusing to be healed right now? He doesn't give a damn about you! He couldn't care less if you lived or died, but I do! I'm here in front of you telling you that I will not let you die."

I brought out a hand, determined to heal him, his wishes be damned. "Screw your stupid pride," He couldn't stop me, I would deal with this later, when his life wasn't on the line.

I was unprepared however for just how much strength he had left. Before I had even realised what had happened, he had removed me from him completely and somehow I had ended up sitting in the sand, five feet away from where I had been before. He was sitting up, his golden eyes regarding me coolly.

"Heal me now and I will not forgive you for it. I will love you always, but do this one thing, knowing that it is against my wishes and know that I will never forget it."

My arms fell to my sides and I began to cry, loud racking sobs that shook my whole body. "Stupid!" I wailed. "You're so stupid!" I covered my face with my hands, unwilling to look at him bleeding as I sat on my knees in the sand. How could he ask this of me? He was all but asking me to watch him die.

"Circe," His voice had softened somewhat and when I chanced a look at him through tear stained eyes I saw that he was holding out a hand. Unable to refuse his request I shuffled forward until I was back by his side and he pulled me into him, lying back and bringing us both down into the sand. His fingers stroked through my hair as he whispered words into my ears that only made me cry harder. "I won't die Love, you have to believe me."

"I don't believe you though," I answered and when I didn't get a reply I raised my head to find him unconscious, his head lolling to the side, golden eyes closed to the world, oh and how dark the Earth felt without them in it.

Slowly I sat up. Nothing was stopping me now, nothing except-

I looked up to find Anthemin looking back at me. I waited for him to speak, to either condemn or absolve my actions. He did neither. There was something in his eyes as well, something lingering there that couldn't be explained by words. I felt the tears welling up inside of me again as I realised that I alone, was against his choice. As though he had been waiting for me to realise this, Anthemin spoke.

The Dragon half of him will heal his body quickly Vanima. This should not be enough to kill him.

Biting my lip and forcing myself to swallow the tears that were lumping in my throat I began to tear strips off the clothing that I was wearing. Starting with the most urgent wounds I began bandaging him, a sob slipping out from between my teeth every so often. My words came out chokingly as I spoke.

"Are you able to carry him back to the ship?"

Anthemin's reply was calm and steady. I am strong enough to carry you both anywhere. This I promise.

*

ZALAS

The next time I came to was to the sound of Elika yelling something incomprehensible at someone. She sounded upset. A second later mind numbing pain rocketed throughout me and I saw nothing but black.

Time passed and I swam in and out of the real world and the world that my mind had created to hide me from the pain. The small moments when I knew what was going on seemed to stack up slowly in my mind, fleeting memories that mapped out a distorted picture of what was happening on the outside.
I was aware when Elika began to sew up some of my deeper wounds, an assistance that I allowed. The pull and tug of thread through my skin should have hurt more, but alongside the cacophony of agony that was my entire body, the small pinpricks of the needle seemed to fade into the background.
I was aware when she wrapped bandages around me, her eyes red with crying and I was aware every time afterwards when she changed the bandages, the thin strips soaked red with my blood.
I was aware when Unabonan tried to reach me, his voice far away and clouded but filled with concern. Still my decision remained totally unshakeable. I would receive no treatment. I would heal on my own.
I was aware when we were suddenly flying and I tried to think back, to remember the exact moment that they had lifted me and transferred me to my Brothers back, but no such memory came to mind. My head was resting in Elika's lap, her fingers combing through my hair with the upmost care. It was only when her tears broke against the skin of my face that I realised idly that she was crying. The movement of Unabonan's body beneath me was absolute however, the rocking motion lulling me back into unconsciousness.

*