Immortalia

Chapter 14 - Falling

Chapter 14 – Falling

There was an eerie air over the camp as the sun descended in the distance. Aurora looked around for the others, walking through the camp, noticing the warriors doing their own thing. It didn’t take long before she could hear singing, and following the sound, she found Valeria soon after.

The shorthaired Immortalia was dancing near the fire, moving to the beat of a drum that accompanied the foreign words. The flames illuminated Valeria’s skin, causing shadows to dance around on her body. Aurora stopped for a moment, mesmerized by the sight. It seemed almost otherworldly.

A hand grabbed Aurora’s shoulder, and she jerked around, ready to fight off whoever it was when she noticed Milada.

“Oh. My. Gods. Aurora!” she squealed. “These warriors are amazing, like, have you tasted their food?”

Aurora shook her head. She hadn’t even thought about food yet. There was too much of a havoc inside her mind to consider something as simple as eating.

“You simply have to try it.” Milada tugged at her hand and pulled her over to a long table covered in food. There were no plates, but the warriors had collected some large leaves to substitute.

Aurora grabbed a leaf and glanced over the various dishes. She turned to Milada who was happily stuffing her face with fruit. As Aurora opened her mouth, Milada pushed something inside.

A bittersweet taste hit Aurora’s tongue, and she tried to savor it. Her mouth was filled with the delicious juice after the bitterness subsided. She swallowed, and then she nodded in approval.

“That is amazing,” she said.

“I know, right?” Milada spoke with her mouth full of fruit. “I’ve been stuffing my face all evening.”

Aurora smiled to her, before turning around and facing the fire. She found the movement of the flames oddly calming, and she closed her eyes to listen to the music.

“So…” Milada said, chewing loudly. “What did you say to Aaron?”

Taken aback, Aurora glanced at the younger Immortalia. “How did you know that I’ve been talking to him?”

Milada shrugged. “He was looking for you earlier, and I sent him to the waterfall. I figured he’d talk to you about something important.”

“Oh…” Aurora didn’t know how to respond. Her mind recalled her conversation with Aaron, and a feeling of despair crept over her. She didn’t know how to continue—she didn’t know what her next move had to be.

“So… When did you two come back, anyway?”

“I’ve been back a while. Just checked on Zachary.” Aurora bit into a piece of fruit, hoping to end the conversation.

“Ah. I don’t like him,” Milada said, scrunching up her nose.

“Me neither, but eh. He’s all I have.” Aurora shrugged. She glanced over the crowd of people. “When did Aaron come back?” she asked, hoping to sound casual.

Milada frowned. “I don’t think he’s back yet. I haven’t seen him since this afternoon.”

Aurora’s heart stopped beating for a moment, and she looked around the crowd once again. There was no sign of Aaron’s adorable brown hair, and she could feel herself tense at the possibility that something had happened to him.

Placing the leaf on the table, she started to walk back to Zachary’s tent. Maybe Aaron didn’t want to take part in the festivities, and instead, he might have gone back to rest. She walked between the female warriors cabins with light steps, careful of making too much noise.