Book 1: Tears of a Savior

Chapter Seventeen: The Healer and the Shifter

"We need help!" we floated down into the city on the citadel steps. "We ask your assistance, our friend is seriously injured please!" Harry was asking the civilians, but no one wanted to help. Aiden had collapsed on the ground, his feathered body still there, his wings still out and his hair was now damp with blood. "Harry? Is that you? HARRY!!" a girl with silver blue hair came running into Harry's arms, kissing his cheek. I felt warmth rise up to my cheeks, who was this? "Merl!" he said, they separated, "Princess do you know this man?" a man with white hair and beard approached the scene. "Psst, Giselle, if we don't find a healer quick Aiden might die." Kellan whispered in my ear. I nodded, "Please excuse this rash and sudden interruption but our friend needs healing and soon, if it would be alright, we'd like to ask your help." I said, bowing my head in front of the girl and man. "My, your wings are blood stained." The girl said. I looked behind to my wings; they had patches of demon blood, I made them disappear and my clothes with it. "There was no need to hide them; I noticed it when you all landed, you've fought demons." The girl said with a serious face. "This one's a descendant of the goddess of Rhylm." A voice said, "Remel come out, before you scare someone." The girl said, and right before my eyes; a guy sprang from the ground. "Forgive me princess." He bowed, and stood on her right. He had light brown eyes and black hair. He didn't seem like he was paying attention to anything except Aiden; his gaze didn't falter once, and stayed, un-blinkingly in his direction. 'Goddess of Rhylm?' I thought to myself. "Your friend, bring him into my healing room and we'll inspect all of your injuries and then you're invited to my feast, you are the savior; we should welcome you as one." She concluded.

We got up and we were led into a building which resembled a hospital room. "I'm Merl; I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Harry's sister." She said. Harry's a prince?? "I'm Giselle; I didn't know Harry had a sister." I said as sweetly as possible. "Yes well, I'm his oldest and only sister, I can't imagine why he'd go about bragging." She let out a small giggle. We laid Aiden on the biggest stretcher and Remel was seated on a stool in the farthest corner of the room, his arms and legs crossed as if to meditate. "That's Aiden; he's from the Eastern Air Kingdom. They tortured him in the cavern and I guess he turned into well what we told you." Harry murmured. "He's an Aroanïc a descendant of those who inhabited Rhylm, the floating paradise." Remel said, speaking up. "The cursed creature of the gods?" Merl asked. "Precisely, his ancestors almost destroyed the Earth; so the four elemental gods bestowed a curse on the first born prince, each royal family had had princesses and he, I'm guessing he is the first born prince of the blood line ended with the curse." He continued. He got off his stool and reached us, "The curse is consisted of his biggest fears, and can give an immense amount of power to the point of destruction. We can heal him, but only he can defeat his fears." he left the room. "I'll need you all to leave this to me." Merl said. We left and split up around the kingdom. "I don't think I've introduced myself properly to you," I heard Remel's voice say; the ice sculpture near me shifted into him and he came down from the pillar, "I'm Remel, shape shifter and guardian of the royal family." He bowed his head and then rose. We walked together and the silence between us grew heavy. "If you're worried about your friend, there isn't need to be." He stated, leaning against the bridge rail. "I..." the words I wished to speak didn't come, I was worried about Aiden but I wanted to know how Remel, a complete stranger, knew what he was. "I know because I can tell the past and one of the possible futures a person possess." He grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled it to the side, revealing a blue rhinestone attached to a gold chain. "So, you're like a fortuneteller." I stated. "no, well yes, but I learn a lot from people's memories and well since I'm a shape shifter, I can morph into the ground below someone and just by their single footstep, tell what or who they really are. Like with Aiden, I was underneath him and saw he was a descendant of Rhylm." He said, looking into the sunset. "...Isn't it painful?" I asked, coming next to him. "What?" he looked at me now, "Isn't it painful to see the past or a possibility of the future?" I asked fully. "Well, I... yes actually, it's very painful. You see a person's secrets and emotions and painful memories. It's quite exhausting as well." He said thoughtfully. We heard a horn go off, and his head shot up. "A war horn? Come on," he grabbed my hand and we started running, feeling like we were flying, he grabbed me and picked me up bridal style, and jumped onto a look-out tower. He put me down, he looked into the sunset, so did I. "Remel?" I asked quietly, I looked at him. He was squinting, as if starring straight into further than what the naked eye could see. "They're going to attack. The demons are coming." He said after a while, looking away from the sun, running his hands through his hair. "What!? When!? Where!?" I started feeling panic rise; I didn't want a war to start. "Your other half's on her way here, if you don't figure out how to kill her without killing yourself, you'll have to fly outta here." He looked at me with a serious face, and jumped off the tower into the streets.

The final battle was going to get here, whether I was ready for it or not.