An Airan's Quest

Chapter 13: Evanity's Plan

Tarah's POV

A few minutes after we had our breakfast, Evanity drew closer to me and began cleaning the stab wound at my waist. While she worked quietly, I scrutinized her face closely and saw that there were dark circles under her emerald eyes and that her usual pearly white skin which had always radiated a pinkish glow before was now pale and ashen.

"You don't look so good," I commented as I watched her replaced the old bandage with a new one.

"Have you taken a look at yourself in the mirror?" she shot back at me teasingly. She tossed the dirty dressing at the heap of garbage just near us and weaved her hand through her disheveled chestnut blonde locks. "You don't look so good yourself either."

Despite of everything that has happened to me, I chuckled softly then fixed my gaze on her. "Well, that's fairly predictable since I was attacked last night. But what happened to you? You look like you haven't slept well."

"Well... actually I didn't sleep at all last night," she confessed. When I raised an eyebrow at her questioningly, she said, "I kept vigil last night. I didn't want anything bad to happen the second time around again." I could sense that there was something more behind her words but didn't question her further about it.

Without warning, a prickly pain rose up in my chest and quickly spread out all over my body making me grunt in pain. My body began to twitch abruptly as my chest tightened cutting off my air supply and I breathe with difficulty as my entire body continued to shudder uncontrollably.

"Tarah!" Evanity shouted looking alarmed at my condition. She took my shoulders to steady my quivering body and asked worriedly, "What's happening to you?"

It lasted for about another minute before the seizures finally subsided and my breathing returned to normal. I sucked in air and let it out then contorted my pained expression into a smile. "Oh, that was just nothing. I'm still getting used to having my seclaire ripped out from my body that's why I'm having these convulsions. Don't worry they're not fatal. They only last for a few minutes. Gradually they'll continue to lessen as my body gets used to not having my seclaire around me anymore."

She smiled at me looking relieved then searched around her bag and pulled out a small crystal vial from it. "Here, drink this tonic. It'll help you to regain your strength much faster." She handed it to me and I accepted it.

I popped it open and took a small sip and swallowed, savoring the syrupy flavor of the liquid as a warm, comfortable feeling began to flow all over my body taking away all of the fatigue and pain that I felt. "I feel much better now. Thanks." I smiled at her and she returned it.

~~~*~~~

The day passed on uneventfully and before we knew it, it was already afternoon. Until now, I still wasn't used to just sitting around doing nothing after everything that had happened to us in the last few days. My legs have already began to cramped up for sitting on the ground for too long and the silence between Evanity and I was deafening and so I decided to start a small conversation with her and was about to open my mouth to speak when she beat me to it.

"Tarah?" She was looking engrossed at the bright blue flames of the flare in front of us. "Why did you buy the flare back in Caron City?" It illuminated her entire face bathing it in a cerulean glow.

"Well, it's because it can act as a waterproof defense against water," I explained patiently to her, saying the exact same thing that the storeowner had told me. "Besides that, when you or your seclaire inhale its fumes you could also breathe waterproof fire."

"Wow, that's so cool!" She tore her eyes away from it only to glance at me for a few seconds before turning back to stare at it again. Then she knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. "But how do you extinguish it?"