The Lost Knight (Volume III) The Lost World

Chapter 39: White

Enveloped in white, I'm safe. Hidden and swaddled, I can escape from everything—except pain. Each jerky lift from Baliss's wings sends my broken body swaying as he struggles to reach the small poof above the others. Every movement tears more flesh from my shoulder, sending bolts of agony down my spine. 

When the white clears to misty grey, I'm distracted by the colorful jungle growing on top of the clouds. There's almost no greenery but lots of tropical yellows, reds, and blues. How is it possible for plants to grow on clouds?

I don't have time to brace for impact when he drops me, just a sharp breath and a splat as I land on the soggy floor of the cloud. I roll over and involuntarily inhale to ease the jolt of pain. The thick fog makes me want to cough. I fight the urge. I'd rather have Baliss puncture my other shoulder than go through whatever agony a cough will cause.

I search for Jonah through the gaps in the broadleaf plants above my head. I want to curl into a ball, but it's difficult to move. The sopping, spongy ground stings my burned skin. I just need to lie still and rest. Only I can't because I'm soaking wet, cold, and dying.

"Agatha!" Jonah frantically shouts.

"Here," I manage to croak, but it's so faint I don't think he could've heard it. Why am I so weak?

When he finds me lying on the ground, the fear on his face discloses that I'm hurt far worse than I thought. I shriek when he roughly grabs my head to examine my burns.

"Sorry," he says. "I need to look." He touches my ear, and I yelp. I didn't even realize my ear was injured. "Where do you hurt?" He's forcing himself to sound calm as he continues to examine me.

"My face hurts. My nose is broken, and so is my wrist. I did something to my ankle, but I'm not sure what, and my shoulder's on fire." I barely get the words out. Talking hurts.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do," he says. "I couldn't get there. Can you breathe? Did he puncture your lung?"

"How is she?" Dathid asks, appearing over Jonah's shoulder.

I'm so happy to see him I attempt to smile but groan instead. Moving my face sends pain streaking up my cheeks.

Jonah doesn't respond, so I do. "I'm alright. I'm glad you caught me when you did. My lungs are fine. I hurt everywhere else."

Jonah lets out a sigh and rocks back as if the tension suddenly left his body. He looks as if he might melt to the floor. He startles me when he jumps to attention. I don't have the will to turn to see what startled him. Hopefully, it will just kill me and end this. 

"Agatha alright?" Trelix askes as he walks into my view. Blood is pouring down his face from the stump that used to be his right horn.

Dathid immediately jumps over me to get to Trelix. "Lie down!" he orders.

Now it's Trelix's turn to look horrified. "What! What is it?"

"Lie down. We'll do triage right here," Dathid says as he gently guides Trelix to the ground. Then he turns to Jonah. "Gather everyone up as they land. If they need medical attention, bring them here."

Jonah focuses his wide, scared eyes on me. "Are you going to be alright?"

I give him a weak half-smile and hide the pain from my face. "Yeah. I'm fine. I've broken stuff before. This is nothing," I lie.

The longer I'm out of danger, the worse the pain gets. My wrist is messed up, and my eyes are swelling shut, either from the severe burns on my cheek and chin, or the badly broken nose.

"I'll be right back," Jonah whispers.

"I can stabilize your wing," Dathid says as my vision leaves, "but we won't be able to set it until we're back at Cromsmead. I don't know how to treat a broken horn."

"Nothin' bleeds like a busted horn," Trelix answers. "Just wrap it up. Do you have any bloodstop?"

"I don't know what we have. Rimard is dead, and so is Frung. I know there are other medics, but I never saw those squads, did you?"

"I saw Squads One and Five go down almost immediately. Seven flew in to help and were completely wiped out. I'm the only one left from Two. How many do you have left?"

"I'm not sure," Dathid answers. "When unit Seven was obliterated, they came after us. We scattered. I ended up with Eight. There were five of us left before the last attack."

Trelix takes a sharp breath as if he's in pain. Dathid must be doing something to his wing.

"Make room!" someone shouts. Moans of agony from multiple sources surround me. My pulse jumps. I wish I could see.

"Lost a leg and a lot of blood. This one took a talon to the chest." Everyone is talking at once, including the moans from the two they just brought in. The chaos is made so much worse by the darkness. I need to open my eyes.

"Jonah, get that dragon of yours and try to get a fire going." Solara orders. "If we can't get them dry, maybe we can keep them warm."

Frantic movement surrounds me, with most of the energy focused on the person to my right. People are scurrying around. Orders are shouted. A hand grabs at me. It's the patient being treated next to me, seeking some comfort. I squeeze the oversized, heavy fingers, hoping to give its owner reassurance that I'm here and I'll stay for the duration.

Its grip relaxes. I focus all of my energy on it and the moaning creature to whom it belongs. I want desperately to lose consciousness, but my mind keeps me just awake enough to feel. I can no longer make out the voices. They blend together in an uneasy jumble that adds to my pain. I hold the hand, both to give and receive comfort, and when it goes limp, I envy its owner for the peace it has found.

"Are you still with us?" a strange male voice says.

I moan in response.

Something cool and heavy drapes over my eyes. Then the man painfully lifts my burnt head and wraps it in cool bandages. It's like I'm suffocating. I moan in protest and try to push away. Unfortunately, I'm too weak to move and only hurt myself more. An unpleasant acrid smoke fills my nostrils. I refuse to inhale. He's trying to kill me.

"Breathe," the voice whispers.

I give up and take a gulp of air. I'm floating. I laugh at the thought of floating on a cloud as I drift off to sleep. I think of mattress commercials that talk about sleeping on a cloud.

Don't ever lie on the clouds. Clouds bring pain and death.