The Knights of Aragon

Chapter 9

I am utterly baffled at the medicine of this place. My wounds have stopped oozing black puss and has nearly healed. The bite on the side of my stomach is now scabbing over. My ankle now has new, pink skin growing in place of the one I lost during my encounter with that Nightcrawler. My bruises are now faint green and nearly gone. It still stings but it's much more bearable.

I graze them gently. "Sorcery," I whisper in awe. "Not quite, but really good guess." Rhydian's voice catches me off guard, making me jump towards Rhydian, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. "How long have you been standing there?" I quickly cover myself with my shirt. "Long enough to see those nasty bites of yours," he crosses the room. Rhydian cleaned up and changed into a white tunic and black trousers. He rummages through one of the cabinets and takes out a glass jar that is half-way filled with greenish black liquid.

He unscrews the lid and hands it to me. "Drink this, it'll help with the bruising," he tells me. I take the jar and hold it up to my nose. Its pungent odor makes me violently gag. "What is it?" I ask as I cover my nose, repulsed. "If you want those bruises to go away without any complications, I suggest you just drink it without knowing the ingredients."

Gods, this going to be unpleasant. Quickly, without thinking, I drink the elixir. Once the liquid lands on my tongue, I am overwhelmed by the strength of herbs and oils that was used. The taste wasn't as bad as I thought, but it was still awful. I cough violently as I swallow it down. "That was awful," I wheeze. Rhydian chuckles at my reaction. "Yeah, well," he shrugs, "it does the trick." He takes a seat in front of me. "Does it have magical properties?" I ask him while surveying the glass. He shrugs his shoulders.

I sigh, impatiently. "Do you not know or are you not going to tell me?" Rhydian only smiles wickedly at me, clearly enjoying knowing something that I don't. "So, where are we going? Where will your blade take us?" He not-so-subtly avoids my question, but I let it slide. For now. "The map shows two more stops on our journey," I answer and put the glass on the table, "We have to go to Skritus next. Although, I'm not sure what to expect when we get there. I didn't expect to meet you here." I painfully sit at the seat adjacent to his. "Nothing about this quest will go the way I expect it to."

Rhydian meets my eyes, his clear blue eyes crash with my harsh green ones. "I didn't expect to ever be free from Ouroboros, let alone be freed by a ginger with an ancient artifact that may or may not," he jokes, resulting in me rolling my eyes. "First off, do not call me a ginger," I emphasize each word pointedly, "Second, that's what that mirror was called? Ouroboros? Isn't that a bringer of death?" He seems surprised at my question. I'm not sure if I got it right or if I'm terribly wrong.

He regards me thoroughly. "Not exactly, but you will tell where you get those ridiculous notions," he states, "The Ouroboros is a prison realm that was created by ancient magic. It is a symbol of life and death. Once inside, the prisoner can see those they loves live and die. It is a curse." His eyes cloud over and looks at the distance, probably remembering a vivid memory. I wonder what he saw through those mirrors. I wonder what I would've seen if I was in his place.

"That's awful, Rhydian." I touch his hand reassuringly. "While you were in there," I cautiously begin, "who did you see?" He clenches and unclenches his jaw. "You don't have to answer," I quickly say after, "I don't need to know anything. It's not my business." I get up from my own seat and make my way towards the door. "Who would've you seen? If you were in my position," he asks from his spot. That's a good question. My first thought is Draxum. I would've missed him terribly. But, if I was in his position, I wouldn't have met him or anyone else. If anything, I would've been the same girl I was eight years ago. Broken and alone.

"No one."

* * * * *

"Are you sure we should take these? It's not very practical," Draxum comments, stretching his arms uncomfortably. We are all currently wearing interesting parts of armor. Most of the steel we found was old and rusted at the joints, so we thought it best to wear certain parts of the armor. Draxum has a breast plates and armor covering arms and parts of his legs. Rhydian, however, has armor covering his upper chest and shoulders. He also has some pieces covering his elbows, knees, and shins.