Golden Child [Rewriting]

*Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Ignis Tenebrio was out for four days, while Avani and the healers dutifully tended to him. He woke up, disorientated, and throat dry.

"Where am I?" He winced as he attempted to bolt out of the bed, he felt a force press down on his chest, and then noticed a pair of green eyes looking down at him.

"Calm down," Avani's voice said sternly, "I'm almost finished."

"With what?" Ignis' voice scratched the back of his throat, and he found it hard to annunciate his words properly.

"Healing you," she answered simply, but noticed the distress in his eyes, "and before you hit me, I was trained by Professor Enlai Mainova, while he was still alive, I know my way around a healing spell."

"I thought..." His voice faded out as he realised he had no idea where he was, "wait, what happened?" Meri's soft footsteps interrupted Avani from answering.

"My friend Nuri carried you back to the village after you were injured by that monstrous thing." She said timidly, handing him a glass of water, which he gratefully accepted, and downed within in a matter of seconds.

"Thank you, I suppose," he said, head still clogged up with sleep and disorientation, "I don't think I've had the pleasure." He looked up to her, with his signature smile on his face once more, "I'm Ignis." He held his hand out to her in a polite manner. She shook his hand gently.

"I'm Meri." She replied with a slight nod.

"What exactly happened?" He asked, slightly embarrassed, "my memory's not at it's best at this time of... well..." he attempted to peer out the window, but it was for naught, he could barely sit up without a tsunami of pain tearing through his entire being, he felt Avani's soothing magic push him down again, and she offered him a smile as she excused herself, "what time of day is it again?"

"I'm not sure either. I just remember Nuri melting my ice barrier, and then carrying me to the garden. Next thing I knew, he was holding you and covered in blood, and we rushed back to the village to find a healer. I'm sure Nuri will clarify everything once he returns," she nodded, "it has been four days since then. It's about lunch time, are you hungry?"

He braced himself against the wall slowly, and nodded, attempting to make his voice sound less hoarse, but failing gloriously, "I'm famished, actually. Thank you."

"I've just made lunch, so you are lucky." She said with a faint smile gracing her face, and disappeared into the house, returning with two plates filled with sandwiches. She placed one onto the table draped over Ignis' bed, and sat down next to him on a small chair. Famished was an understatement, Meri thought as she prepared the third one.

"These are great!" Ignis declared as the third one disappeared from his plate.

"Thank you," she replied shyly, "my brother used to love them too."

He deflected quickly, "where's Nuri?"

"He's somewhere in town, gathering supplies for our journey." She replied dutifully.

"What journey?" Ignis asked curiously.

"We are travelling to the City of Gold, to find my father." She answered, and saw him fading quickly. She excused herself from the room, and peered past the doorway to see the chatty mage fall into a state of rest once more. After about half an hour, Nuri returned, dumping the supplies onto a nearby table and removing his hood, to check on his friend. He entered the room silently, and saw how Ignis' eyes fluttered open.