The Huntress of Iyhiri

Chapter 12

 Agnez turned her head as Yaalon walked through the door. She sat on a metal table in a mostly empty room, one arm wrapped around Ra. A light shone down from the center of the room, its source hidden within the ceiling. Ra smiled at him and jumped down from the table. She raised her arms out to her sides and smiled.

"Look," she said, "all healed."

Yaalon looked in wonder as he saw that Ra's cuts, burns, and bruises were gone.

"It was amazing, Yaalon! They had me lay on that table over there," she turned, pointing to what looked like a shallow, silver basin in the far corner of the room. "They turned a greenish light on overhead and it felt warm and tingly. After a few seconds, they turned it off and said I was done. When I got up, everything was healed. Isn't it amazing?"

"How?" Yaalon asked, shaking his head and turning toward the sentry that had led him down the long, dark hall to this room.

The sentry stood silent.

Agnez slid down from the table. "I don't know how it works," she said as she walked toward Yaalon, "but I don't care. Look at her. Not a scratch. Even old scars from childhood are gone. I don't know what happened but she's healed and not hurting. I'll take it and figure the rest out later."

"What about your leg?" Yaalon asked.

"They offered but I said no. You know, stubborn me. I'll be fine."

"She really is the most stubborn woman you'll ever meet, Yaalon," said Rajhani as she walked up to the two of them, winking. "She'd rather hurt than heal." Ra chuckled as she wrapped an arm around Agnez.

Yaalon stopped shaking his head and put a hand on Agnez's shoulder. He lowered his head and looked her in the eye. "You're okay?"

Agnez met his gaze with a steady look. "We're okay."

"Rockdog?" he whispered, lowering his arm and taking a step back.

"He's safe. Took off into the woods once he realized we weren't in danger. He looked about to rip a face off at first, though. Ra told him to go and that we'd be fine."

"And he just went?"

"This one seems to have a way with wolves," Agnez said and she gave Rahjani a light shove with a palm to the shoulder.

"When do we meet Thalassa?" Rahjani asked, looking from Agnez to Yaalon.

"I'm not sure. Or that you even will. She's not exactly what I expected," Yaalon said.
"What do you mean?" asked Agnez, tilting her head.

"The Euryfera tell stories of her being a helper, a good leader. But now that I've met her, I think they were wrong. I think she only serves herself."

Ra took a step back, holding her arms outward again. "But she saved Agnez. And look at me. No wounds. Why would she do that if not to help?"

"I don't know, Rajhani. But she said that we can only leave here if I agree to make a deal with her. Maybe that's why. To gain favor. Or to tempt with the hint of a bigger bribe."

"What kind of deal?" Agnez asked, bringing her brows together as she looked from Rahjani to Yaalon.

"She didn't say. I didn't ask. I wanted to make sure you were okay." Yaalon lowered his gaze. "That both of you were okay, I mean."

Rajhani looked from Yaalon to Agnez and smiled. "Are we going to be able to get back out of here or did we make a mistake?"

Agnez nodded. "Not sure yet, little sister. But I don't believe they mean us harm. And in any case, we got in. We can get out."