The Pact

Chapter 29: Forced Sleep

Kyon POV:

Equus had been asleep for over four days now. The last two days were the worst out of the four; when he was in his Summer and Fall states. I was worried, to say the least. Equus just kept getting seriously injured. During the Summer, he had four grievous wounds that Will was worried he wouldn't be able to heal Equus before he bled out. I had to help with the stitches, and at some point, another Apollo camper had to be brought in to assist.

Presently he was in Winter again, and small scratches kept appearing. Will worked the past four days tirelessly, so I told him to go to bed, eat a real meal, to take a break. Right now, I was dressing any wounds Equus acquired, which was my usual job anyway, so I didn't mind.

I hadn't left the room since Equus went under; I felt the need to be there as some kind of support. Even if Equus didn't know I was there, it made me feel better and stress less if I watched over him. Ryan would bring me food since the campers discovered they couldn't get me to move. Every so often, Chaos would come in and watch Equus with me, most of the time in animal form, but there were some rare times when they were humanoid. I didn't mind the company, and I was glad they didn't say anything. I enjoyed the comfortable but tense silence that was between us. It allowed me to relax but be on my toes in case Equus got a severe injury.

Whenever I slept, I did so fitfully, never fully asleep, but never actually awake. It wasn't my usual half-sleep either, more like a quarter-sleep, which isn't enough but whatever. I wasn't sure bandaging Equus' injuries was even helping him in his battle against Thesis, but I hoped it was doing something. Maybe keeping his body alive helped his mind function better or something.

I sat back down and watched Equus. The sun went down, and I got up a few more times, sometimes squeezing his hand, whispering words of encouragement to him, or merely dressing new wounds. I didn't know if he could hear me or feel anything, but I hoped that however the battle was going, he was winning or at least giving the primordial a hard time. But the time frame was worrying; he had been under for four, now five days. Equus never took his time during a battle like this, especially with a powerful opponent and camp on the line. I refused to believe that Equus was losing, maybe he was at a disadvantage, but he wouldn't fail.

Thankfully, the number of injuries and severity went down; now, he was only getting a few slashes and gashes. Which got me thinking, so far, everything I saw in Morpheus' prophetic dream has come to pass, me fighting in the colosseum, Pollux discovering Thesis outside the Big House, Equus in the infirmary. I didn't see Equus shackled to his bed, but I assumed it happened when he was on Chaos' home planet.

I ran a hand through my hair. Breathing deeply as I closed my eyes, thinking over the situation. Thesis came back; even after I gave him his shrine, he came back. He probably just used us to get his shrine back and then did what he actually wanted while I was returning.

If I even get my hands on Thesis, he's going to fade. I growled in anger at the backstabbing primordial and went over my kill list I acquired from being on Earth. Well, it wasn't very long, so it wasn't really a list since there were only two so far, Chaos and now Thesis.

Suddenly I felt a sense of exhaustion fall over me. My eyes began to grow heavy, drooping as they struggled to stay open. My muscles relaxed completely in the chair, giving me optimum comfort as I felt a haze fall over my mind. I startled awake or tried to look feverishly around, trying to wake myself up. I saw Ryan in the doorway and a parrot that shifted to an eagle on his shoulder. My eyes drooped down, becoming even heavier as I saw Ryan focusing harder.

I fought the drowsiness and heaviness that was overcoming my senses. I couldn't sleep, not fully; I needed to be alert. This sleep I was being forced into would knock me out; I couldn't have that. I looked fearfully at Ryan and saw him hesitate.

The only time I've ever slept deeply was when Equus placed a water barrier over me. I never slept without a guarantee of safety for both of us. Sure, Chaos was here, but they were a primordial; I couldn't trust those right now. Four of them make Equus' life even more complicated, and another is currently battling Equus in his head.

If Chaos wanted me asleep, then they knew I wouldn't like what they were going to do. I grit my teeth as I struggled to stand and stop Ryan. My head felt woozy as I took a step. A single action that felt like I was holding the weight of the sky. Which now that I think about it is kind of dramatic since I know what that feels like. But still, it was difficult, but I somehow managed. Two steps, I was only a bit of a ways away from Ryan now. I reached out in an attempt to get him to stop. To plead with him and ask why he was forcing me to fall asleep.

Chaos shifted to a tall elderly woman and stood as a barrier between us. I growled weakly at the primordial. Anger flaring up even as my mind began to drift off into a haze.

"What- are you- going to do?" I struggled, barely getting the words out. I knew that whatever Chaos was going to do, she didn't want me around for it. And whatever she was going to do, had something to do with Equus. Chaos looked sympathetically at me as I stumbled, my legs practically giving out from exhaustion. She caught me in her arms; my body practically hung there, my legs no longer giving me the strength I needed to stand.

"I'm going to help him, do not worry Kyon." Chaos brought my face up and kissed my forehead, trying to reassure me. But the only issue was that if what Chaos was going to do would help Equus, why did I need to be knocked out to accomplish the task?

"Sleep now; you need it. I will watch over you," Chaos whispered, and I felt my eyes droop against my will. Chaos's attempted reassurance just put me more on edge; I didn't want the primordial watching over me. I wanted to do it myself. I couldn't sleep either; who would make sure Equus got the medical treatment he needed? "Ryan can tend to Equus. You don't need to worry," Chaos spoke softly as if she had read my mind.

I tried to stand, forcing my legs to move, but just as I put pressure on them, my knees buckled. Chaos caught and kept me in her arms, not letting me fall. I struggled against my heavy eyelids, giving one last push of determination against the power influencing me. I saw Ryan standing guiltily in the doorway, and I smiled softly at him.

I felt my eyes close completely as I slumped in Chaos' arms, no longer able to fight the sleep taking over me. Darkness overtook me, and I lost consciousness, entering the realm of dreams.