Kaskia: A Hero's Awakening

Chapter 16

Squishy slung his hammer over his back and picked up Aiden, as gently as he could, in both arms as Grape put out the fire and gathered all the essential items they needed, leaving everything else behind as they prepared to leave their camp. Arlington led the group in the darkness of night, followed by Squishy and Aiden, then Grape, Rina, and Ellie bringing up the rear. Arlington told Squishy that they were still, at least, an hour away from the base of the mountain, that they needed to pick up the pace if they wanted to get there sooner for Aiden's sake.

Squishy told Grape to carry Rina as well, since she was the slowest of the group. Rina agreed without any arguments. Grape rested Rina on her shoulders as they picked up their pace to a jog, Ellie keeping alongside Aiden and Squishy as they hurried their way to the mountain.

"We're almost there!" Arlington shouted, seeing the base coming into sight. "There's Jr. too!"

The group picked up their stride, needing to get Aiden to the mountain as soon as possible to heal his wounds.

"What happened?" Jr. asked as the group stopped where he was waiting, catching their breath.

"His wound is infected." Squishy replied, taking deep breaths. "He has a fever and needs to see Teddy right away!"

"Understood!" Jr. replied. "Let me carry him up the rest of the way."

Squishy handed Aiden over to Jr., watching as he took his unconscious body up the mountain, Arlington following behind him. "Don't worry Rina, we'll be right behind them. We just need a minute to catch our breath." Squishy said, taking big mouthfuls of water, then giving some to Ellie.

Grape, Rina, Squishy, and Ellie made their way up the mountain, following the path where Jr. and Arlington ran, they made their way up the trail more cautiously. Jr. and Arlington had far better balance and agility to traverse the mountain faster than Grape or Squishy.

"Where am I?" Aiden muttered to himself, rubbing his head as he looked at his surroundings. He was sitting on a small cot in a stone room that had an iron door with a small square hole towards the top. Aiden got out of the bed and walked to the door, standing on his toes to get a glance of the other side of the door, only to see a hallway with dozens of doors just like his. "Am I in a cell?"

"You are where I want you to be." Cladon stated, staring at him through the door. "You have information that I need, child."

"Where's my family?!" Aiden demanded. "What did you do to them?!"

"You shall see them, soon." Cladon answered. "Only after you give me what I want."

"What do you want then?" Aiden asked, walking away from the door to sit back on the bed.

"The name of the one who used magic." Cladon told him. "And the name of the one you were on your way to meet."

"I don't get it." Aiden muttered. "You have Rina, and I was never told the name of who we were meeting."

"The other child..." Cladon said, scratching his chin. "Interesting."

"Why is it so hot in here..." Aiden asked, as he rubbed his shoulder, wincing in pain. "Why does my shoulder hurt?"

"Come child." Cladon told Aiden, reaching his hand to help him to his feet. "Let's go see your family."

"How did you get in here..." Aiden asked, when he noticed that he was no longer in the cell, he was back home in his room. "What's going on?"

"Aiden!" Rina yelled. "Wake up!"

"But I am awake." Aiden yelled back, running past Cladon, leaving his room behind to run down a staircase that led him into the desert temple. "Rina!"