Summoner's Second Chance

Chapter 45

The sun had reached its lowest when help came. Several panicked soldiers put Trace on a stretcher as gently as they can, afraid to injure him any further. On his side was his sister, crying and screaming his name as if her life depends on it, and a little way behind him was the three who appeared from seemingly nowhere, their expression calm as if nothing happened.

Trace was carried quickly to one of the tents, where several men and women clad in white robe ran around, tending to the wounded. Noticing them, one of the women ran up to the stretcher and immediately put several fingers on Trace's neck. "What happened to him?" The soldiers shook their head. Slowly, hesitantly, they turned their eyes to Melody.

Although none of them were to blame her for what happened, Melody couldn't help but to feel pain in her chest when their eyes rested on her. With shaking voice, Melody squeezed out the answer. "He... Because of me... He protected me from an assassin..." Receiving the answer, the soldiers slowly turned to Trace, their face was a mixture of admiration and sadness.

A small smile appeared on the doctor's face as she turned to Melody. "Do not worry, he is still alive." Relief washed over Melody's face as she fell to her knees. Taking a deep breath, she raised her head. Managing to form a small smile, she turned to the doctor and asked. "Then when will he wake up?"

The doctor turned to Trace, seemingly hesitating to answer Melody's question. Sensing something was wrong, Melody asked again, though this time, her voice shook once more. "What is wrong, doctor?" A sigh escaped the doctor lips as she shook her head. "That, I do not know... He is in a vegetative state right now, and it is not clear when he will wake up." The doctor walked up to Melody and rested her hand on her shoulder. "I apologize for my inability to help him..." The doctor turned to the soldiers as she pointed to a vacant bed with her chin. "Gently put him on the bed..."

With a heavy nod, the soldiers made their way to the bed. Setting their commander with the utmost care, they gave Trace a silent nod, before making their way out of the camp. Melody picked her heavy body off the ground, and made her way out of the tent, but not before turning to her brother one last time.

Anger, sadness, bitterness; all these emotions hit Melody like a relentless torrent, making her unaware of the group of friends approaching her. "Melody? Is something wrong?" Raising her heavy head, Melody turned toward the familiar voice. Only several steps away from her was all her friends. All of them had a worried expression on their face. Melody couldn't help but be overcome by guilt that she ended up lowering her head once again.

Sensing that something had happened, Alice approached her upset friend, and gently held her hands. "Melody... will you tell us what happened?" Alice's gentle touch made her guilt even stronger, but she knew she had to tell them what happened. Melody finally spoke with teary eyes. "Trace, he... He was struck by a poisonous arrow... Because of me..."

Disbelief spreads through the group, but Melody would never lie to them regarding matter as important as that. Alice asked once again with furrowed eyebrows. "Will you explain what exactly happened, Melody?" But Melody did not answer. She couldn't. Remembering what happened to Trace was enough to make her cry, if she forced herself to explain, she felt something inside her would break. Her question met by silence, Alice was about to ask once more, before a voice interrupted her. "I will explain on the stead of the grand master's sister."

The group turned to the voice and was met by Trace's three companions. Although their face was calm, their heart was not. Only by holding on to their master's words can they maintain their current calmness, and even now, they are at the brink of breaking down. "An assassin targeted the young lady, and grand master took the arrow in her stead." Crossing her arms, a small frown appeared on Ars' forehead. "We were late to arrive. If we were faster, then none of this would have happened."