Isle of Giants

Chapter Three (1)

    CHAPTER THREE

    Forest of Caelia, Rai'lun

    Oana

    The young griffon was still under attack though his form, still and unmoving, betrayed no action of the ongoing battle residing within the grounds of his body. Oana knew he was in pain, so much so that his nerves had been shocked into paralysis, his mind so full of agony that it had shut down on itself in the attempt at protection. So far there had been no signs of the poison's victory against the dark sickness within him, but her faith held ever strong. There was still time, the griffon still had strength left to fight back with.

    Eon hadn't moved from his side all through the dusk, not even to return back to her post knowing that she was leaving him in good hands. Oana knew she wouldn't until he had woken up and so she made the decision that upon leaving the cavern she would seek the nearest deva and let them know of Eon and her situation, that they would need to select a substitute to take over her patch of Caelia. The forest's needs could not be left unattended for so long, and none of them knew how long exactly it would take for the poison to take effect.

    Iancu, the giant who had wandered into Caelia with reasons still unknown, hadn't moved either. Barely any further words had been exchanged between them both. He simply stayed where he had sat and watched and listened to the noises and songs of the dusk. Waiting for it to pass, he kept his impatience to himself, although Oana could feel it pricking at her skin like the bites and scratches of insects swarming and crawling over her flesh.

    Eon made a shrill scream just before the griffon cried out. Oana and Iancu quickly shot up, instincts blaring at the sudden noises. Once Iancu knew just what was going on he stayed out of Oana's way as she rushed to the creatures side. The griffon's body began arching up, his limbs kicking and spasming.

    "It's the poison," Oana whispered to herself, then louder so everyone else could hear. "It's the poison! It's defeated the sickness!"

    Iancu's mouth dropped at her revelation, a breakthrough that he believed did not exist, there was no cure. But, if Oana treated and Eon successfully healed the griffon back to full health then the griffon would be the first ever creature to have not been claimed by the plague. A feat all thought impossible.

    Oana opened one of the griffon's eyes with her fingers, the pupil rolling to and from the back of his head. Eon took a deep breath in.

    "No. Wait," Oana stopped the deva. "Not yet. The poison hasn't fully taken its hold on all of the body, only then do you heal."

    Eon expressed her concerns with the risks behind Oana's actions, Iancu gritted his teeth and bared it while the deva spoke. Oana slowly nodded her head, but didn't take her eyes of the griffon.

    "What did it say?" Iancu asked.

    "She said that once the poison has fully taken over the body there is a chance her kiss wont have any effect, he'll be too close to death to pull him back and he'll die."

    "Kiss? Is that how it heals things?"

    Oana nodded her head again and became more focused when the veins in the griffon's eye faded into a darkened purple, swollen and painful. Oana waited until it had infected both his eyes and the small body beneath her hands stilled.

    "Eon, do it now!"

    Eon, who had been holding her breath for quite sometime, finally released the trapped air and dust residue, blowing her kiss onto his chest and using every ounce of energy she had to heal her friend. Oana watched as the purple fluid began to slowly retreat backwards through the veins in the eyes. It was working. He was healing. He wouldn't be fully out of danger until all the poison had left his system, but his chances at survival were increasing.