The Weaponsmaster

Chapter 45

The five of them stared as the blue light got smaller and disappeared. Danny cried out almost inaudibly, feeling his heart snap in two.

He rose and pulled himself together, forcing himself to close everything off. He had to be strong now. Toni rose also, and even though she didn’t show it, she was broken up inside as well.

The force field broke down slowly, cutting off the barrier that had kept them out for so long. None of them moved. Mike snorted, as if he smelled something bad. John said hoarsely, “What do we do now?” He was trying hard to control his breathing, but wasn’t doing well.

Wren sighed and lowered her head. “We go find any remnants of the battle. All of this must be documented correctly, for Weaponsmaster Andrea’s sake.”

They walked in slowly, fearing the worst.

Mike growled and he suddenly changed, becoming taller as he grew fur. He sniffed the air, “I can smell her.” He pointed straight ahead and looked back at them. Danny wondered if he even knew he had changed forms.

Danny nodded and the six of them went on. They stepped slowly toward where the circle had been, seeing blood and charred rock all around them. Danny felt numb as he walked on, unable to process much of anything.

As they neared the place where the circle should’ve been, they saw a lone figure. “What is that?” asked Shena, squinting her eyes to try and see.

Danny’s eyes widened. “That’s Andrea!” he gasped.

The six of them rushed towards her at light speed, and within a second they were all standing next to her as Danny knelt down to examine her wounds. His hands were shaking as he rolled her onto her back and stared at her quiet face. The side of it was covered in blood and blood was pooling around her from the other wounds she had garnered.

She looked strangely calm for one so hurt and bloodied, but he couldn’t feel her aura at all. Danny reached down to her neck with his hands trembling slightly. No one breathed.  

Danny held his thumb to her neck for a few seconds, not feeling anything as the silence got louder and louder in his ears. He was about to call it when he felt a faint pulse under his fingers. He put his head down to her chest to check her heart beat. It was faint, but she was breathing. She was alive.

“She’s alive!” yelled Danny. “Call for some help!”

Danny held out his hands and began to heal the most serious wound, the one in her stomach. Toni knelt next to him. She wasn’t an experienced healer, but she could start to heal the other life threatening wound, the one on her chest.

“How is she alive?” John said with ragged breaths. “I thought you said the one who uses the seal would be sacrificed.”

“That’s how it’s supposed to work…” Wren said slowly. Then she noticed the scroll Drea was clutching. “What is that?” she whispered.

Danny looked up for a second then said, “Leave it. It doesn’t look like she wanted to let it go.”

“We have to see it,” Shena said slowly as she looked at Danny with a look of sympathy. She was able to dislodge it from Drea’s hand and gave it to Wren. Danny noticed that in her other hand, Drea clutched the knife he’d given her. It made him smile, even in the dire circumstances.

Wren took the scroll and began to peel back the opening. Her eyes widened in surprise when she opened it. It was blank. “H-how could this be?” she stammered.

Shena and John stared at it, bewildered expressions on their faces. “Maybe we aren’t meant to see it,” said John as he took it from Wren and rolled it back up.  

Danny wiped his brow. He had already used up a lot of his energy just healing her stomach, but he wasn’t prepared to stop and let her die. Toni was panting, sweat dripping down her blonde hair.

“We’re going to need some help here,” Danny said.  

“They’re on their way,” Wren said, looking at Danny with concern.  

“I won’t let you die Andrea,” he whispered over and over again as he healed her, hoping she would hear him, praying that she’d believe him. His heart had been beating out his chest since he saw her alive. He only hoped he could save her in time.

Mike knelt down next to him and put his hand atop Danny’s. Danny immediately felt his aura increase and looked at Mike in surprise. All of a sudden, even in his Lori form, he didn’t look like such a monster.

Help arrived soon after in the form of five soldiers and five healers. They paused and froze in place when they saw Mike. Mike only stared back up at them and stood up. Danny was breathing hard now. He’d been able to heal her stomach and chest with Toni’s help, but the two of them were useless now.

Even after the help arrived and Mike pulled the two of them away, Danny continued to repeat his mantra in his head, hoping his words could still reach her. He wasn’t fully awake at that point, but could remember being lifted onto someone’s back and being carried back to the hospital through a portal.

His thoughts were a mixture of swirling colors and words as he closed his eyes and rested. His last thought was one of Drea, hoping she had made it.