Insurrection (Completed) [editing]

5. Christopher

Author's note:
This chapter is a bit short, but enjoy :p Aand this chapter is dedicated to my awesome kickass friendy CharlotteCeceAdams :D she made the new cover...
Thanks Kelsey :* <3 I really appreciate it!
xoxo
Chapter five - Christopher
Keira sat up and rubbed her eyes. A bunch of men was approaching her. They had heavy armour on and had drawn their swords. She looked at them, confused and waited for them to get to her.
"Name please?" One of them asked. His voice almost frightened Keira, from the deep bass that was his voice, the tone of his voice rumbling, the booming power that it brought. He sounded like a god. She could actually feel the ground vibrating beneath her. Keira was immediately able to tell that he was some sort of General.
"Keira," she hesitated.
He whispered something to one of his men and the guy put his sword back in its sheath. The man unlocked the gate and walked towards her. Keira suspected that she was already in trouble so she just sat there and let him examine her. Better not to aggravate these people, a voice warned her and Keira obeyed willingly.
When he touched her leg, she grimaced in pain but did not make a sound.
The man rose and went back to the gate where he said something to the General. During all of this Keira was quiet and watched the men with curiosity. None of them had said a word after Mr General had asked her what her name was. She folded her arms and waited for the man to turn around.
"I'm injured and I'm tired, at least tell me what you are whispering about," she said.
"I am General Cedric," the man replied. Keira nodded and looked towards all of the other so that they could introduce themselves. They all shrugged and kept looking at her, without saying a word.
"Well then, would you be able to take me back to camp?" Keira asked.
She was going to say something slightly sarcastic but she thought she would leave it. The men didn't seem to trust her and they had probably never seen her before.
"Christopher, pick her up and take her to the council of head guardians. They will know what to do with her," the man said and Christopher nodded walking back to her.
The General and the rest of his men walked away and continued to do their patrol.
"Did you ring the warning bell?" Christopher asked, as he lifted Keira up from the ground.
"No, I was in a forest, and then something brought me here and it rang the bell," she sighed as soon as she'd said those words; he probably thought she was crazy.
Keira laughed, and pretended that it was a joke. It was a shaky laugh, nervous of what to say around him.
"Just joking," Keira laughed and swallowed at his unamused expression.
"I mean, yes, I did...I used my last ounce of strength to ring it," she said. Christopher looked more convinced than when she had told him what had really happened.
"I really don't know how I managed to even get out of camp and past the boundaries. It just happened," Keira said.
Christopher nodded and hauled her up into his arms. Keira put her arms around his neck and felt him flex his muscles. She put her head on his chest but didn't make eye contact. He was quite attractive and she didn't want to start anything between them by looking at him and blushing. It was pretty awkward being in his arms, especially since they had just met.
It isn't supposed to be awkward if you're hurt and he's helping you, she thought to herself.
He carried her to the Council buildings and took her to the meeting place.
A bunch of people were gathered around an open space, and they were discussing something. When Christopher announced himself and Keira, the Council members whispered to each other and tried their best not to give her any bad looks.
A stretcher was brought in and Christopher placed Keira on it and propped her head up with his bag. She smiled in thanks and watched him leave the room, only to avoid making eye contact with everyone.
"So wonderful of you to decide to come back to us Miss Parkinson," A bald man stood up and eyed her from head to toe.
He wore a grey suit and the red tie of an elder. She recognized him from the assembly. His name was Mr Briggs. Keira bowed her head and waited for him to ask her to speak; she didn't want to cause any more trouble.
To her surprise, Mr Briggs smiled lovingly and knelt down to embrace her.
"We thought we had lost you, where did you go?"
Keira looked up him, expecting him to be frowning but he had a big smile on his face. It looked more evil than caring. Almost like he was planning something for her as he stood there.
"I am so glad that you are okay," he said as he turned around and motioned for the guards to come to him, "take her to the camp hospital and make sure she gets the best treatment available, she is a very useful pawn in this chess game that we call life."
Keira jolted at his words and felt the urge to blatantly stare at him. This man had just said that he was using her, like he was commenting on the weather. Not to mention the fact that he was being poetic and cryptic. Chess game that we call life? Keira didn't know whether she should feel flattered or offended.
Not only that, but Keira was confused. If anything, Keira would have imagined her as the useless 'pawn' in his chess game. Marvin probably hadn't told the elders and head guardians about her little breakdown.
She had heard about Mr Briggs and how he was friendly and always pretended to care. He made you feel so great-only to humiliate you and make an example of you. During the past few weeks it had already happened and a boy had left because of it. He was only ever genuinely nice if he thought that you could make something out of yourself.
Keira hoped that this was the case; she didn't want to become infamous for caring about the ferliobogs and running away because she was upset. No, she would use a different approach, because she would not just stand there and watch the ferliobogs be treated the way that they were.
"I will speak to you later, when you have recovered and are well rested," he said.
Keira thanked him and the other members. They didn't look very convinced but Mr Briggs smiled nonetheless. This man, he was a snake. Cunning and powerful, manipulating you and before you know it, you would be dead.
She was carried out of the room and once the door was closed she relaxed and lay back on the stretcher. Keira took a deep breath in and exhaled, trying to calm herself down and settle both her pounding heart and whizzing brain.
It was good to be back in a familiar environment. The guards who were carrying Keira stopped abruptly at the command of a guardian. Keira immediately sat up to pay her respects. She smiled when she saw that it was Christopher.
"If you don't mind, I need my bag now," he said to her.
"Oh, here," Keira replied as she handed it to him, "thank you."
He nodded and took the bag from her. Keira winced as she tried to lie back. Without the support of Christopher's bag, her ride was going to be much more uncomfortable.
"Let me," Christopher said.
The guards lowered Keira down slowly and helped her up. Christopher slung his bag onto his back and lifted Keira up into his arms.
Again?
Keira sighed and put her arms around Christopher's neck.
"Are you comfortable?" He asked Keira.
"Yes, thank you. You know, you don't have to carry me, the stretcher was okay," she replied.
"You didn't look very comfortable," Christopher said, smirking.
Keira froze. She didn't have anything to say. His kindness was overwhelming. "Mmm," she mumbled.
Christopher started to walk towards their destination. With every step his muscles tensed and then relaxed. Keira listened to his soothing heartbeat as she leaned onto his chest. She counted every beat and every breath he took until she fell asleep.
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By the time Christopher got to the camp hospital, Keira had fallen asleep. He was glad she had, for he did not want her to see what they were about to do to her. As soon as he had reached the gate, they had opened it and put Keira on a stretcher bed. The doctors immediately put her on an aesthetic and started to take tests on her.
In total they took four blood tests and injected more of the antidote into her system to make sure that no traces of the venom had stayed behind. After a full seven hours of tests and medication, Keira woke up in a hospital bed, groggy and tired.
She tried to sit up but was stopped by the tubes that were coming out of her arms and legs.
A worried Jason stood up to check up on Keira. He was surprised and pleased that she had finally opened her eyes. Jason put Keira's hand in his and asked,
"How are you feeling?"
Keira smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a raspy cough. She felt a tickle in her dry throat and wanted to cough, but knew if she did, she would deal with more pain than she was willing to feel.
The pain in her body was too sharp and even as Jason had moved her hand into his, she had felt a streak of pain shoot through the left side of her body.
"Water," Keira managed to say, she shut her mouth instantly and coughed inside.
Jason picked up the water and brought it to Keira's mouth so she could drink. Keira nodded and smiled in thanks.
"I'm glad you woke up, Mel was getting really worried. I told her to go and get you something to eat. I swear she chewed her fingernails off."
Keira wanted to say something but her brain felt slow and all she wanted to do was sleep the pain away. A nurse walked in with a bottle of pills and a clipboard. The nurse asked Jason to leave and Keira sighed to herself, she was relieved that she didn't have to say anything.