~ The Unworthy Title ~

~ Chapter 5 ~

~ Bryce ~

I was standing next to a tree when it happened. They were fighting. Testing techniques to each other, trying to find an opening so they could attack. And then I heard it. It was as fast as the wind. One second she was standing facing him and the other... she was on the ground. Bleeding. I rushed to her. And knelt. So much blood. Too much blood. What should I do? What do I do! I wasn't a healer and clearly neither was Emerson. What should I do? Emerson was also next to her trying to think of something. He looked at me and stood up.

"Get her to Keir!" He told me while he was trying to calm down.

"What, he- he can't help her. He's not a-"

"Bryce now!" He shouted, his voice cracking.

"You are fine, you are fine." I whispered to Crystal while taking her to my arms. I rushed to the castle. Where is his room? Where is he?  I told Crystal the same words again and again.

"You are fine. You are fine." I ran. Walking wasn't an option, my legs moved on their own. I ran to every corridor in every part of this cruel castle, trying to remember where his room was. I hadn't been there for years. I looked at Crystal. She was getting colder. I looked behind me at the floor. Her blood. Her blood was on the floor. I had to rush. I had to-

Left. I hadn't been to the left side of the castle for ages, that's where he was. I ran and ran and ran. Black door, a black door. Every common room had a brown door but his was black, I had to find a black door. A- there! I rushed to the door and knocked hard.

"Keir! Open now!" I looked at Crystal again who was trying to keep her eyes open and her wound closed with her hand.

"You are fine. It's fine, he will fix you he will-" Keir opened the door and looked at my hands.

"Get her in now." He rushed to a library with boxes and books. I put her at his bed carefully.

"Uh, take off her shirt and pull down her pants until I can see the wound." Keir said from behind while making some noise with the boxes and the things he was searching.

   I took off her shirt, I pulled down her pants until I could fully see her wound. She had a big one right down her belly. But it wasn't the only wound. I took a step back trying to take a better look. Burns. She- she had burns everywhere near that space. I pulled down her pants. More burns, more, more. She was covered in burns. I heard Keir coming from behind and I pulled her pants back so only the wound could be seen. Keir looked at the wound closely.

"Alright Crystal you know what we do, um Bryce keep her down and steady. Crys look at me, look at me." Crystal took her eyes from the wall and looked at Keir, she was tired. Of course she was, she was... No, she was fine. She could do this.

"Crystal, um you might wanna bite something so take this." Keir took a small piece of cloth and put it in her mouth. I put my one hand to her shoulder and the other to her legs to keep her down. I didn't like that, no. I hated that, but there was no healer and Keir was our best choice. Keir looked at me and then at Crystal.

"Ready ?" Keir asked with his hands close to his body. Crystal nodded, closing her eyes. I didn't want to watch her like this I-

   Before I could think anything else Keir forced two flames from his hands and in an instant his hands were on Crystal's wound. Crystal screamed, you could hear her screams and cries through the cloth. She tried to move her hands and her feet but I kept them down trying to help Keir finish that madness faster.

After some seconds that felt like a cruel hour. Keir stopped. Crystal eased. I took out the cloth from her mouth so she could breathe. She took some deep breaths and closed her eyes trying to calm. Trying to realize she was alive. Keir went to the corner next to his door and gave me a signal to follow him. He didn't look at me, he pulled the door and went outside so Crystal couldn't hear us, I followed. Keir looked down. He was serious, no he was mad.