The Knights of Aragon

Chapter 7

The house looks like one the old buildings that are used for storage in the village. But, it feels different. I can't pinpoint what it is but there's definitely something about this place that isn't normal. "How is this still even standing?" I groan, "Any symbols that refer to the Knights would've been destroyed by the mobs of people that were fueled by hatred." I limp up the porch stairs with Draxum.

Draxum sets me down near the front door and works to unlock it. My adrenaline is giving out to the pain throbbing on my ankle and side. I know that some of my skin in those areas are gone-which will most likely delay my trip to Axinite. I feel heavy and it's getting hard to breath. "Draxum," I wince, "I think I'm about to pass out. You're going to have to stitch me up on... your.." Everything goes black.

This time, I have no nightmares or visions or visitations from murderous beasts. My head is silent, calm. I hear the song of a mockingbird. The scent of lilacs. The rustling of leaves. A child's laugh. I've forgotten what it has felt like to feel complete and utter peace. I feel no pain or exhaustion. I am just... here. But this peace is short-lived. Pain shoots up my leg and across my stomach. An uncontrollable scream rips through me, but the pain persists. It's a horrible feeling. Bile rushes up my throat a I struggle to breathe through the pain. I see red behind my eyelids, a rush of images of red and orange fires like my hair. They burn bright and the heat overwhelms me. I think I pass out again, but this time I wake up on a table in the middle of a dining room.

It is dimly lit by torches in the room. Old type of torches, looks like. The type that hang on a handle on the wall with the fire wild and free out in the open. That can't possibly be safe. I roll my head to the other side and survey the rest of the room. A chaotic mess of random armor liters the ground as if there was a massive dumping of old steel. Draxum's footstep pad in my direction, alerting me of his presence. I sharply inhale and I try to get up from the table. "You're ok," Draxum rushes to my side with my canteen. "When you didn't wake up, I got worried that I did something wrong." I snatch the canteen from his hands and hungrily drink from it.

My ankle is bandaged tightly around. The same goes for the bite at my side. "How long was I out?" I say while clutching my side. "I'm not really sure," he looks out one of the large windows in the dining area. "What do you mean?" I ask between coughs.

Draxum lets the drapes go. "Well, we've been here for hours-hours, Val-and it's still light outside," he looks back at the window he was looking out of, "It's weird." A flicker of fear in his eyes reminds me how young he still is. I survey his body to see if he has any injuries of his own but all I see is his bloodstained hands. I hate the sight of his bloodied hands. Even if it is mine. "Draxum," he looks up and I pat the spot beside me, silently asking him to sit.

Once he sits, I wrap one arm around him and hold his hands with the other. "You did good, kid," I pull him close, "You saved my life." A sob shakes his whole body, piercing through my own heart. I hug him tightly as a few tears of my own slide down my face. "I was so scared! I didn't know if you were dead when I saw you on the ground, bleeding," he draws me closer to him.

I rub my hand down his back soothingly. "I'm ok," I tell him, "I'm ok." I repeat those two words over and over until he falls asleep in my arms. Cradling his head gently, I lay him down on the table- careful not to wake him-and cover him with an old table cloth from the floor. The dining room is incredibly messy. There are spears and blunt swords hazardously thrown in a pile in a far corner of the room. Most were broken while others were perfectly intact. Ordinary swords and knives were on display and a nice fire burns in a fireplace at the opposite side of the room. This whole place is gigantic. I suppose it makes sense since it was meant to occupy dozens of novices.

I step out into a hallway. It's much more decorated than the dining room. There are beautiful and delicate painting along the walls. I take my time admiring one painting to the next. They hold stories that I've never seen before and I probably won't ever hear about. Knights coming together and protecting their loved ones. Men defeating their enemies and gaining the victory that they deserved. It's a level of pride that I haven't seen towards the Knights in my time.