Arcanum

Chapter 33: Lucas

I followed after Aiyana, and backed her up when a rebel was about to hit her in the back with a mace. I deflected it, and sent them whirling back. I quickly slashed my sword down their chest, and pushed them to the ground with a high kick.

I growled, but felt a little quicker and nimbler with the markings of the catori on me.

I begun to hit harder, and Aiyana helped me out too. Soon, we were left with what seemed the master of his rebel team.

"Give it up Grim." Aiyana snarled, and I stood beside her, still in battle stance. The man chuckled darkly, and suddenly he pulled out a purple glowing crystal that glowered with dark energy.

My stomach leaped as I realized what the crystal was, and screeched at Aiyana to move when he shot the magic at her, but the magic moves as quick as light, and it struck her.

She barely muttered a word, before she fell towards the ground. I dropped my sword and caught her before she hit the earth though.

I could see that she was quickly falling ill under the magic's intense power, and I tried to contain my rage, but it was impossible.

I stood up slowly, and grabbed my sword. Grim was busy cackling to notice me. Before he knew what was happening, I shot forward and held the blade against his throat, and his skin was even beginning to burn from the magic held in the blade, crackling from my emotions.

"Heal her." I snarled through gritted teeth.

"Never." He spat at me, and I pressed the blade harder against his throat.

"I'm not going to ask you again. Either you heal her yourself right now, or you tell me how to heal her." I growled, and he narrowed his eyes.

"I'm sure you can figure it out yourself."

"Do I look like a magician to you? Heal her this instant or you won't be able to see her the next time she's awake." I threatened darkly, as he begun to bleed from the sword.

"Crusade crystals. I'm sure they'd work." Grim finally submitted, and I let him go, and watched him run off before I rushed over to Aiyana.

She was flinching in pain in her unconscious state, so I knew she must be suffering.

I grabbed her horse from before, and picked her up and carefully rested her on it, and high tailed it back to the village.

"Help!" I shouted as I searched desperately for a medic. Soon, some catori people came out and took her from my arms.

"What happened?" The same man that took charge in the battle demanded to me.

"A guy named Grim shot her with a dark magic crystal. It's a powerful one."

The guy began to pace back and forth quickly, and I put my head into my hands. My first day as a catori and I can't even protect the princess. What have I become?

I watched people rush back and forth, and finally rested my gaze on where I saw the princess disappear.

Eventually, the medics that took her, waved me over.

I rushed over, and the medics quickly told me what was going on.

"She's going to survive. We gave her a crusade crystal and it's taking its affect. Only problem with it is that even though it removed the dark magic, she's still going to feel the withdrawal. So we put her out for a couple days so she can recover without distractions." The medic explained quickly, and I nodded in thankfulness, before I rushed into the small house she was kept in.

When I walked in, I instantly smelled the pleasant smell of a warm cabin, with a hot smell of green tea.

Aiyana stayed in a bed by a window, and a table was across from her. I pulled a chair from the table and sat at her bedside.

She looked so peaceful now. So.. unstressed.

I sighed, and took her hand in mine and I begun to massage it lightly.

"I'll stay by your side Aiyana.. No matter what." I whispered to her, and watched her. I wasn't bored the entire time I sat there. It was a little awkward when some would come in to visit her.

Days have passed, and the medic's said it was possible for her to wake up today.

Of course, the humans had to come attack though, right?

It was close to midnight on the third day, and I was getting ready to go visit my father, when I heard a shriek from outside. When I came out, I was hit on the head by the hilt on a sword. My mind spinned for a moment, before I came to, and quickly drove the human off.

Aiyana

I quickly rushed through the fight, and finally got to the cabin to find a man standing over Aiyana.

"No!" I shouted and jumped onto the man, and made us go down.

I fought him, and kneed him somewhere not too pleasant, and punched him in the face before I knocked him out when I continued to punch him.

I panted, and stood up and looked at Aiyana, who continued to peacefully sleep. I decided to stay here, and keep guard until the war was over.

"Please wake up soon, princess." I whispered.