Emerald

Chapter Four

THE DRAFTEE

This was familiar. This situation. Where have I seen this before? My breathing... the bed...

Caixa listened to the waltz playing on a nearby jukebox. Wherever she was, it wasn't Damiens tree hut. She recognized the song.

Mother...

"Ah, you're awake," Someone said as Caixa opened her eyes.

Caixa sat up in bed. She looked around. She was surrounded by other beds lining stone walls. Stained windows framed the room, and nurses scurried about. Soldiers laid in beds, some covered in bandages, others sleeping.

"How do you feel?"

Caixa's eyes drifted to the voice. Standing next to her bed, a young woman who couldn't have been much older than Caixa herself, smiled down at her.

"Alright, thanks," Caixa managed to say.

"You were out for quite a while."

Caixa snapped back to her senses. "Where's Tobias? Has he woken up yet?"

"Yes, he's been awake for hours."

Caixa sighed. Why did she even ask that? She could care less about whether or not the all-powerful blood god had woken up. She shamed herself.

"Would you like to see him?" The nurse asked.

"No," Caixa thought for a moment. "I want to see Damien."

The nurse fiddled with her hands. Caixa noticed the ring on her finger. It strangely resembled the one her mother always wore. Caixa thought nothing of it. "Damien..." The nurse whispered.

"Is everything okay? Where am I, anyway?" Caixa asked.

"You're in the Palace of the Gods," the nurse responded.

Caixa sighed. She pulled her feet out from under the sheets and laid them on the floor. She stood up, feeling the wood planks below her.

"Don't mind me asking, but who are you?" The nurse asked.

"I'm Caixa," She replied.

The nurse smiled. "I'm Juliet."

They shook hands.

"Er... I'm just going to go find Damien now..." Caixa said after an awkward pause.

"Yeah. Wow. Okay," Juliet said, straightening her posture slightly.

Caixa looked down at her feet as she exited the hospital wing. Strange. Juliet hadn't given her any instructions on where to find Damien. And by the looks of it...

Caixa found herself standing a story above the grassy courtyard. She looked around the square. Towers and halls stood around it. The Lord only knew how big the castle was. For all Caixa knew, it could take hours before she found Damien.

Caixa walked down a flight of stairs and felt her bare feet on the gravel path. She stepped onto the soft grass, and walked towards the giant oak tree in the center of the courtyard. She looked around the thick truck. She was surprised at what she saw on the other side.

"Oh-!" She said, taking a step back.

Damien was laying on his side in the grass, breathing with the wind. Was he asleep? She knelt down, and gently shook his shoulder.

Definitely asleep, she thought.

She shook his shoulder harder this time.

"Phil...not now..." He mumbled.