The Omega Princess

Chapter 34

I felt completely alone as I stared down at the three bodies that lay sleeping on the forest floor, it would soon be dawn but the night was still dominating the sky with her dark blue hues. Neymeria had brought Cara back a mere hour after I had given away my strength. I stared at the small child laying in the middle of the two men, so small and fragile and yet when I had held her in my arms trying to rid of fear, I found she wasn’t scared.

Instead like a mother she cradled my face in my hands and told me that everything would be alright, I looked away when had she become so brave? Is this what our journey had done to her or was she always destined to be like her mother? I couldn’t help but wonder what Hera would be thinking right now, I hoped to the Goddess that she wasn’t cursing me for endangering her child. I looked over to Dale, one of his hands protectively held Cara while the other was outstretched as though reaching out for something. All of his injuries seemed to have disappeared but as they did he seemed to fall into a deeper sleep.

That didn’t worry me it was the murmurings that left his lips every so often and the creases that lined his face as he frowned. He’d really been worrying me since we left Lorenae, it felt as though he was waiting for some inevitable disaster to happen. It was a huge cloud that seemed to hang over his head constantly and it was making him change, suddenly I never felt so distant from him. Each day that passed made me think that at any moment I was going to lose him and what would I do then?

I sighed in frustration looking around for Neymeria, she had sulked off a while ago, to hunt I supposed she definitely needed the energy. I watched the sun rising, refusing to look over at Kai but as the sun began to resemble his eyes I found myself sneaking a glance. I wasn’t imagining it… he looked different.

His features were the same, the white hair which was beginning to brush his shoulders, the lightly toasted skin, wide shoulders and tall frame yet there was something I was missing. Something that I had only just noticed, I looked away again staring out over the rest of the quiet forest. Another question I couldn’t answer and like my question regarding Dale I wasn’t quite sure I wanted an answer.

As the sun rose, it brought with it a tainting heat that splayed over me. The night had left me cold and so had its horrors but day brought with it a warmth I missed. I stood up stretching myself, I was surprised as something rubbed itself against my legs. Neymeria seemed to beam up at me and I couldn’t help but laugh her feline characteristics, I stroked her fur shuddering as I felt her bones reach up through her hair to brush my fingertips. Her mouth had the leftover residue from her meal, at least she had eaten well.  I looked over the hill, noticing the slight sparkle to my far right, it seemed like a body of water.

“Stay here” I ordered

She looked up her forest green eyes questioning me with her eerie humanness but nonetheless she did not disobey me as I grabbed the satchel of clothes and made my way down the hill towards the bewitching pool of water. I tried not to think as I walked, any more thinking and I would drive myself crazy. Instead I simply allowed myself to feel the sun’s heat flow through my body and try and enjoy it.

As I drew closer to what seemed like a small lake, I found the heat to be uncomfortable rather than embracing me it smothered around my body. I ran to the lake, ripping my already shredded clothes off from my body and dropping the satchel in the process. As I tread deeper into the water the cool liquid wallowed around me and for a short moment was my salvation.