In the depths of the jungle

Chapter fourteen: A second chance

Kira:

When I opened my eyes I saw the sky above me. The sun was almost at her lowest point yet bright enough to sting in my eyes. When the contours got a little clearer I saw dark green tree tops and farns that surrounded the clearing. My ears slowly started to catch some noises. I could hear the sound of the jungle. Screams from the Lemuras that jumped around in the trees. The Sound of birds distinct singing and whistling. And the roar of a Mikuba hunting. First there were only colours and sounds that filled my head but after a while I started to feel my body again. The numbness that calmed my limbs slowly left until my whole body was stirring with pain. I turned my head, trying to escape it this way. But than it hit me like a lightning bolt. The images from my brother shot through my head. His sad tormented face. His razor sharp teeth. My shrill screams and low moans. It all came back in swirling, hurting pictures which my head slowly tried to put together. It took me some time to remember all what happened. When I did, a question was formed in my mind.

How could I still be alive? I had heard my last breath with my own ears. I felt how my soul was freed from my body. And even if I could have survived the wounds, there still was the poison. Sure I was a healer, but I can't heal myself, not like that. I could find no explanation. Here I was, still breating, still alive after they slaughtered me like an animal.

It was truly a miracle, that my heart was still beating.

Until I would find an other prove the only explanation is that its the goddesses doing. Maybe she gave me another chance. I had never seen this before, but I had heard stories from Althena: Once how a high priestess was resurrected, though I clearly was not as important as her. None the less I was more than glad to be given another chance. Filled with new hope, I wanted to move my hands when I noticed that they were still bound to the piles. From the sticky feeling and the iron smell it was clear that I was covered in my blood. Thanks to the plants I rubbed on my cloth and skin when I ran away there were barely any insects. Otherwise there would be swarms of flies hovering above me and maggots in my wounds. But the smell of the black flower kept them away. I tried to pull my hand out of the loop but I gasped in pain, because it felt like ripping my arm in a half. I took a deep breath and focused until the pain slowly faided, not entirely but my whole body was hurting. I looked up at my left arm and flinched, there were deep cuts in it, crusted blood and my skin had all sorts of coulours. So I turned my look to the right side, well my right arm looked better. And I could move my fingers. To my luck the loops were lose enough now to slowly grab the pile and pull it out.

Sweat was running down my face but I made it. With my right hand I freed the other one. My head was pounding but I needed to move into the shadow. But for that I had to free my feet.

My head felt way too heavy, so I first lifted my waist, than my shoulders, first I thought it would work, but before I even could move my head an inch it stung like hot iron. I cried out in pain but instantly broke of because I was afraid to be discovered by the wrong. I coulnd't fight an animal, certainly no of my brothers men, if they happen to be still around. I carefully tried to touch my neck. But just where the bite wound should have been, was only some crusted blood and sore skin. But although there was no physical wound it still hurt like it was freshly ripped open.

I slowly tried to lift my head from the ground. I propped myself on my right arm, my head was swirling and my breath came in short bursts. But I made it to untie my left foot.

The right one was more difficult. I barely could move it at all, because of the stuck arrow. With my left foot I tried to push the pile out. Finally with the wood still bound at my leg, I dragged myself a few meters into the shadow of the trees. There was no way I would be going somewhere anytime soon. I would need water, even just a bit and to clean my wounds. Plus some ointments I had the time I ran away.

The plants around could help me to stop the bleeding and end the nagging emptiness in my stomach. I guessed that three days passed since my brother well killed me. I could feel the pain in my chest like a whole. There was a wound next to my heart were the knife was stuck when I died. But now it was only bloody and the skin was damaged, but it appeared that my inner organs were intact again. I stared at it fascinated. It probably had to heal for the process to come back to life. I still had no clue what happened. Either someone of the Chuckclan had found me and had the unique abilities like me or it was truly a miracle.

I looked around the clearing and noticed the place where my blood had sunk in the ground like a little lake and started to feel sick and unbelievably sad. The betrayal squashed my heart and I felt how my eyes got wet. Happy memories with Ramon were running through my mind, our hunts and the time I passed the tribal task. One of my happiest when I came back home after 4 years. But also the many times he was there at night for me when I missed our mother so badly. And the few times I held him tight. Our whole childhood we sticked together, no matter what and it all crushed when he met HER; Lamara. His hard face but his hurt eyes appeared in my mind, the moment of how he looked when he bent down to bite me.

My head started to swirl again and I leaned against the tree behind my back. I tried to focus because I knew that my energy from the freeing will soon be gone.

I needed to get out of here! Fix my leg and eat something. And the most important: get my strength back. My sight got blurry again and I felt how I slided to the ground. There were black edges around my sight and despite trying to stay conscious, I slipped away into darkness.

I woke with a terrible headache but my helpless feeling was almost gone. I sat up and tried to focus to see something because I thought my eyes were playing me when I noticed that it was it was night. I sight it was cooler and my eyes got used to the dark real quick. I started to searched the ground around me for sticks and stones because the arrow was now stuck in a already healing wound where the skin was starting to close. This would have been easier with my dagger, but I noticed that my betraying brother stole it.

When I found a sharp stone I grabbed my ankle and brought it closer to myself. Than I placed it on my calve where the arrow was still stuck. My eyes could still see perfectly and I saw that it was swollen. I knew I needed medication for that but before anything could really heal, I need to cut out the arrow. I pressed the sharp stone down and opened the wound again so I could grab the little of the sharp end of the arrow. It was not very easy to do so only with one arm. My left one was more or less in one pice but definitely still not usable.

I bit my teeth together and my breath got faster but I managed to get a hold of it through all the blood and flesh. When I finally pulled it out, blood started to pour down. I pressed the little I had left from my trousers into the wound.

Surprise, Surprise. Well not such a big one afterall, since this story would make not much sense if she stayed dead, yet I hope you were still worrying about her a bit :-) I hope you liked the chapters. If you have some tips or Ideas please tell me ;-)

Yours Flora