Solace and Nox: A New Light

Chapter 31

Raiden hurt just about everywhere.

The skin on Raiden's wrists was being ripped apart as he hung there. His wrists were ripped apart when Cytra had attacked him. They were sore, and the cuffs were beginning to cut off the circulation in his hands. His hands were completely numb, and he couldn't move his fingers.

His torso was one giant bruise. They were the most vulnerable target for Cytra to attack. His green shirt was ripped in several areas, and those portions of shirt were stained with his own blood.

It hurt to breathe. Raiden would inhale, and a sharp jolt would attack his ribs. His lungs felt like they would burst any second. When he exhaled, his whole body shook, and it sounded like a sickly wheeze.

His head throbbed as he lightly swung back and forth in his chains. Cytra had hit him pretty good. His head was swollen where the dull end of her spear had batted against his skull. And the thin slit on his cheek stung when Raiden tried to breathe.

Why had she done it?

Raiden knew she didn't want to do it, so why did she do it? He saw the pain in her eyes when she came face to face with him. Why did she do it?

Why didn't she just kill him and be done with it?

Raiden's head throbbed to think about it.

He hung for what seemed like an eternity. He needed food and water. His lips were chapped and his throat was dry. His stomach was growling, and he was getting weaker every second he hung from those chains.

The pain was unbearable.

How much longer would he be able to withstand?

In front of him, billowing smoke formed from nothing. Half-conscious, Raiden tried to lift his head to get a better view, but he was too weak. Out of the blackness came Cytra. She immediately ran to Raiden.

"Sunshine, are you okay?" she asked frantically. "Please tell me you're okay."

Raiden smiled weakly, wincing at the sting from his cheek.

Cytra put her hand on Raiden's good cheek. "I'm so sorry. It was the only way to keep you alive."

"You kept me alive by beating me senseless?" Raiden asked sarcastically, coughing at the pain in his lungs.

"I convinced Moldark to let you live, but he had me torture you to solidify my loyalty," Cytra explained. "But that's not the point. You're still alive, and that's all that matters. I need to get you out of here. I need to get you to Turphia."

"Turphia?" Raiden croaked. "But Moldark is going to attack Shodon."

"Moldark's plan is much more than just Shodon. He's planning to destroy all of Aleudia," Cytra said, trying to open the locks on Raiden's chains.

"Cytra," Raiden mumbled. "I have to stop him."

"Raiden, you are in no condition to fight off Moldark Rathmore," Cytra said like a mother disciplining her child.

"He has to be stopped," he argued.

"I know, but even if you and I combined our efforts, we couldn't stop him. He's far too powerful."

"But if we don't, who will?"

Cytra ignored the question, and attacked the lock with more ferocity. Raiden's wrists were screaming.

"Cytra, stop!" Raiden said as loud as possible.

She stopped attacking the lock and rested her head on Raiden's chest. At first, Raiden didn't understand, but then he heard her begin to sob.

"Raiden, I can't lose you," she sobbed. "If you try to stop Moldark, you will never survive."

"But who am I if I don't protect the people I love?"

"It's suicide! There's no coming back from a battle like this."

"Cytra, I am the only one who can possibly stand up to Moldark. Lotharius has a kingdom to run, and he doesn't have a properly trained guard to protect him as he does so. His Elite Guard can only accomplish so much before being overwhelmed by Moldark's power. If I don't stand up to him, no one will. Shodon will surely fall."

Cytra knew he was right. He could see it in her eyes.

"Please Cytra, let me save my home," he pleaded. "The people of Shodon need a hero. They need a hero to fill their lives with hope. Without hope, Moldark has already won. Please, I have to try."

Cytra didn't know how to react. She stared at Raiden, unsure of how to respond.

Raiden wanted nothing more than to be with Cytra. He wanted her to be by his side through thick and thin, but asking her to join him would be wrong. If this mission was doomed to fail, he wanted her to be safe. Raiden couldn't let someone else die because of him. He refused to let that happen.

Cytra's tear-stained eyes were full of emotion. Raiden was asking too much of her, but he needed to let him fight Moldark. Moldark had to be stopped.

"Cytra," Raiden croaked. "Please."

Cytra's eyes welled up with tears, and she came close to him. She stood on her tiptoes and leaned in to kiss him. Raiden closed his eyes and let it happen. He savored the moment. The second her lips touched his, time stopped.

Something sparked inside of Raiden. In that moment, everything felt complete. Everything Raiden feared vanished. Everything Raiden was missing came into place. The one thing that gave him an advantage over Moldark came to his heart. A tiny seed that Cytra, herself, planted, was coming to the light.

Hope.

When Cytra finally pulled away, Raiden opened his eyes, and he was glowing. Cytra stared in disbelief.

Raiden hadn't realized that the magic inside him was slowly healing his wounds. Breathing suddenly became bearable, and the throbbing in his head subsided.

Then, Cytra smacked him.

He was shocked. What just happened? He blinked, trying to figure out why she had done that.

Suddenly, his glow disappeared, and he stopped healing.

She smiled.

"What was that for?" he demanded to know.

Cytra wiped away her tears. "Well part of it is for accepting this suicide mission," she said.

He nodded. "Fair point. But what's the other part."

She gave him a sly smile.

"I have a plan."