Tipping the Scale

Chapter 20: The Range of the Gods (Part 2)

Lidea awoke slowly, the warmth that cocooned her, making her feel languid and unwilling to open her eyes just yet. She would fallen back asleep, if it hadn't been for the incessant mumbling, she could hear. With a groan she opened her eyelids, taking a moment to study the tent wall in front of her, before realizing where she was.

In a whip she turned around, to see Warchief beside her. Sweat dripping off his face as he wrangled inside his sleeping bag. Yelling while trying to escape the horrid memories that haunted his nightmares. His drawn face had turned even more pale and he shivered uncontrollably. Reminding Lidea of how much energy he must be losing by creating this heat.

"Warchief, wake up!"

Lidea yelled, even though she knew he wouldn't wake. On his other side, Crystal stirred. The healer sleepily looked over at the two of them, but one glance was all she needed to become wide awake and move for the sedative.

Knowing what was to come, Lidea pinned him down. Which was easier than normal, now that his movements were restricted by the sleeping roll.

Holding him down on his shoulders, she couldn't help but feel saddened. Just how often, did he need to be sedated? No matter how harmless a medicine, none were good when taken in excess. Lidea could only imagine, what kind of harm, being regularly sedated like this would have done to his body.

But then it was preferable to the harm his powers would do when they left him to his own devices.

Tears of frustration formed in her eyes as she took in his condition.

"Stop hurting yourself!"

Although her words wouldn't reach him, she couldn't help spilling out her thoughts as she pinched his shoulders.

"The hurt won't bring them back! It is pointless! Don't you understand that they would have never wanted this?!"

Crystal kneeled beside her wordlessly. Tapping against the syringe, as she waited for Lidea to free Warchief's arm from the sleeping bag.

But as she did so, the both of them were startled as Warchief started yelling again. Flailing his arm wildly and almost hitting her in the face as his skin heated up further.

"Lidea!"

Crystal screamed franticly as flames burst off his skin and started running up Lidea's arms. In a panic, she jumped back and tried to swath away the flames, only to stop as something occurred to her.

It didn't hurt.

Looking at her arm, she could see the flames dancing over her clothes and skin. But there was no burning sensation, no pain. Like they were some sort of illusion, but their warmth convinced her otherwise. It was real fire, but for some reason, it didn't harm her.

Crystal's eyes had widened and she reached for the flames, only to pull her hand back with a hiss as it burned the top of her finger.

The two women shared a look. Each puzzled as to why Lidea was safe from Warchief's powers, while Crystal wasn't.

However, they didn't have a chance to talk about it, as Warchief screamed again. The flames across his body, increasing in intensity.

Immediately, Lidea went to grab him, stretching out his arm for Crystal to do her work.

Just as before, his flames didn't hurt her. Even as they scorched his own flesh.

Had she somehow become impervious to fire?

Crystal plunged the syringe into his arm, and almost immediately the flames disappeared. Leaving nothing but the smell of acrid smoke behind.

Sitting back on her heels, Lidea stared at her arm in wonder. Not quite understanding what had just happened.