The Time Hopper

A Very Slow Recovery Process

"Riley!" I screamed, now in a blind panic as I raced from the men's baths and up the corridor, towards the stairs. I knew something was wrong this place, I knew I shouldn't have left Riley or agreed to stay here. I called to him again, barreling by a couple of concerned looking women who tried to stop me, but I brushed them off. I didn't feel well, I couldn't remember how long I had been in the bath, and black spots were beginning to creep across my vision. I collided with the wall and pushed myself off of it to keep going, ignoring the rising nausea and suspicion I was about to pass out. I had to find him. 

I didn't have my book. I had forgotten it by the springs, but I couldn't make myself go back to get it before I found Riley. I might not have much time. 

"Sadie?" I heard him call as I careened from side to side, my head swimming as I tried to figure out where his yell had come from, which was hard because everything sounded so tinny. I rounded a corner and saw Riley and Loshi rushing towards me. He was unharmed, and he wasn't tied up, an he just looked worried about me. 

"Riley, I thought you were..." I slurred, stumbling towards him as my vision blurred into blackness. I felt myself fall and saw Riley dart across to catch me before I hit the floor.

.

.

.

"Sadie? Sadie, can you hear me?" The answer was yes, but I had no way of communicating that right now. I felt tired and floppy and sick, and I had no reason to move. The texture of Riley's clothes were strange to me, but his scent of sweat and grass and the feeling of his wiry arms around me assured me that I was safe. Eventually, I managed to force out a groan, just to let him know that I wasn't dead. I heard a sigh of relief. 

"There we go. Come on, lazy bones, open your eyes." He chided me, his lilting Irish accent strained with the forced playfulness. I didn't open my eyes, and I felt him poke my cheek. "Sades, open your eyes or I'll pour a bottle of water over your head." Jokes on him, I'm already soaked to the skin after checking to see if he had gone and drowned himself. Still, I pulled one eye open, offering him a shaky smile even though my vision was very blurry. He gave me a grin of his own, shoving a wet strand of my hair away from my eye. 

"There we go. What was all that about?" He asked me softly, helping me sit up. Loshi was knelt nearby, looking very worried. 

"You weren't in the bath. I thought something bad had happened to you." I explained, groaning and squeezing my eyes shut as I struggled to remember what exactly had happened just before I passed out. A thrill of fear danced through me and I patted my pockets, glad to feel the familiar outline of my notebook. 

"Yeah, Loshi said that you were having a soak, and I finished my bath. I did call through that I was going to find Loshi, but you must not have heard me. I'm sorry." He explained, and I relaxed a little. It was all just a misunderstanding. 

"Don't do that. I thought something horrible had happened to you." I answered, wrapping a skinny arm around his neck and giving him a quick hug. 

"Sadie, you truly are safe here. This temple has a long history of being a sanctuary, a place of healing, and staying out of the war. If Obsivian or Consequences want to get to you here, they will have to go through everyone else to reach you. It is the same with anyone who takes refuge within these walls." She explained, offering me a cup of water. I took it and drank for a moment before answering. 

"I thought you liked peace here. If someone finds out I'm here, you'll be dragged kicking and screaming into the war." I pointed out. 

"The twins could explain this better than I could, but we aren't pacifists. We choose peace wherever we can, but this place hasn't stayed standing for as long as it has by everyone here refusing to fight. I think you would be surprised by the amount of power that is housed within these walls. You are safe here. The twins accepted you, they granted you sanctuary, and they know who you are. They knew the risks, and that means they are willing to fight for your safety." Loshi explained, and I knew for a fact that she wasn't lying about some parts. The fact that this place hadn't been taken over showed that there was some trick to protecting it, and the strong smell of lavender and burnt hair indicated that there was a lot of raw power here. But if they preferred to avoid fighting, they wouldn't have much in the way of training.