Flower Falls and Crystal Calls

Injured

Chapter 36

The trip back to the Seeress' complex was torturous and slow. It took them twice as long as it usually would have to get down and even longer to make their way back up the path to the compound. Elle refused to let Laer carry her when he offered, so he was stuck supporting her as they all walked back.

When they finally made it, they walked into chaos. It seemed that every woman in the place was rushing back and forth carrying various things, and there were not nearly as many guards as was usual. All of that stopped when the first one caught sight of Elle and screamed.

All the women froze for several moments before there was an even more frantic rush of activity. Elle looked over at Laer with a sardonic twist to her lips and managed to breathlessly huff out a question. "Do I look that frightening?"

Despite how worried he was about her injuries, Laer still chuckled at her dry humor. "You're terrifying, but not because of how you look. However, right now, you look like you tried to bathe in a dead animal. We should probably pin one of these girls down so we can get you looked at."

Thankfully Ingens was on the same page and grabbed one of the girls as they were rushing past. She stared up at him with wide eyes but managed to dip her head in respect for his new position. He kept his voice calm to ease her obvious distress. "We need to get help for the Emissary. Can you tell me what has happened?"

The girl flicked her eyes over to Elle and gulped before she looked back at Ingens. "A beast came from the sky and attacked the Guardian. I do not know all the details, but many guards were injured while helping to defeat it. We have gathered them all in one of the rooms. I can take you there, and perhaps we can assist the Emissary as well."

Elle's eyes widened, and she shared a shocked look with Laer. Surely, it couldn't be what they were thinking, could it? When Ingens turned back to them with a frown, that thought was all but extinguished. Still, none of them said anything aloud.

To expedite their trip through the compound, Elle agreed to allow Ingens to help support her as well. It was still slower than if she had allowed one of them to carry her, but she refused to be the damsel in distress. Even with the delay, they made it to the large room where the injured were gathered in short order.

There were even more women rushing between about a dozen pallets with men that were sporting various injuries. None of them looked any worse off than what Ingens and Laer were, thankfully. That helped to ease a knot in Elle's middle, but her relief was short-lived when she heard Yeul cry out in shock and Caius cursing before he was right there in front of them.

Elle had time to notice he was already sporting several bandages before he swept her up and away from the two men that had been helping her stand. He glowered down at her before he glared at the other two. It was only then that he noticed the state they were in as well. She could tell that he snapped his jaw shut to keep from saying something and took that opportunity to try and push away. "Put me down. I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own."

He glared down at her once more. "So I could see. That was why they were both holding you up."

She glared up at his flashing eyes, but neither got to continue before Yeul was right there. She had already commandeered one of the women that had been helping. "Caius, set her on the empty pallet in the corner so we can asses what has been done. I have already asked that two more be brought in for Laer and Ingens. Let us tend their injuries, then we can find out what happened."

Caius immediately did what he was told, but Laer didn't wait to spread the news. "I don't mind sharing right now. We kicked ass, that's what happened. Elle's eidolon came out to play, and let me tell you, I don't think a bigger Bahamut ever existed, but between the three of us, we sent him packing."

Caius had not finished standing after he set Elle down on the pallet. When he heard what Laer said, he froze and stared at her for several seconds. "This- you fought your eidolon?"

Elle sat back against the wall with a sigh and gave him a nod. "Yes. And from what I gather, you did too?"

Caius finally finished standing before he looked down with a frown and answered. "Yes. Thankfully there were several guards onhand to assist. I was also attacked by a Bahamut."

There was mumbling behind them both, but neither of them noticed it for several seconds. It was a strange coincidence that they both were attacked by their eidolons at the same time, but that they were the same one was odd in the extreme. Not that Elle didn't already know Caius had Bahamut, but she hadn't thought about how weird it was that she did as well until he was looking down at her with that unreadable expression.

She was almost glad when he turned away without another word, though she wished she hadn't seen the expressions on both Ingens' and Laer's faces. It was clear they both thought it was a coincidence about as much as Elle did. Thankfully, that was not the question that was brought up, though the thing Caius asked next opened up a subject that was nearly as uncomfortable.

"You took down Bahamut with just the three of you? There were no others involved or injured?"

Ingens stepped forward with a salute and somehow managed to not wilt under Caius' growing glare. "Yes, it was just us three. The Emissary was practicing her spellcasting when it happened, and we were the only ones close enough to assist besides Malin. He was needed to get the trainees to a safe distance."

Caius looked like he was ready to yell, but before he could, Yeul stepped up and dipped her chin to the two men. "You have our thanks. If you had not been there, it could have been much worse. Please rest, and we will have your wounds treated as well."

Both men saluted the Seeress before they made their way to the pallets that had just been brought in. By that time, the healer had made her way over to Elle. It took all her willpower not to scream or pass out as the woman started poking around on her ribs. After only a few moments, the woman stood with a frown and turned to Yeul. "Seeress, it would be best if we have the Emissary moved to her room where I can better examine her. Several of her ribs are broken, but I need to verify there is no worse damage. It would not be right to do so in here."

Elle barely heard at least two male voices curse from across the room. She had broken out in a clammy sweat at the woman's ministrations already and was not looking forward to whatever else she had planned. At that point, it had nothing at all to do with the fact that she was going to need to take off her shirt. She could have been stripped naked and not blinked an eye if the woman kept her hands off her ribs.

She wasn't given a chance to object before Caius had lifted her from her place once more. She tried to glare up at him, but the sudden motion on top of the exam had her stomach trying to crawl up her throat. Especially since it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to quit ignoring the way her chest was burning. During the walk, she had something to focus on, but now she had nothing to distract herself with.

Caius must have noticed her issue, and he gently adjusted her in his arms before he whispered down to her. "Be still. It will not be long. The healer has something that will make you sleep as soon as she has determined what has been done to you. I will find out from the others what happened."

For once, Elle was not in any mood to argue with him. She knew she shouldn't have, but she laid her head on his shoulder and let him carry her. It was a weakness that she just didn't have the strength to fight at the moment. She could kick her own ass for it later when it didn't feel like the world was tilting and trying to shake her off.

By the time he laid her down in her bed, she was thankful the healer had been right behind them. She didn't even see the worried look Caius shot her as the healer moved around and had her drink something. It was bitter, and she nearly threw it right back up. She had to clamp her teeth shut and held her hand over her mouth to keep the reflex down. After that, the healer shooed Caius out and had two women help her remove Elle's clothes and cleaned off the worst of the blood.

Elle was grateful to the woman for whatever she had been given by the time they got around to her clothes and cleaning. She had already started to feel disassociated from her body, which was a good thing. She wasn't entirely out of it enough to sleep, so she heard the woman gasp when her side was exposed, but even the mumbles about checking her breath for the smell of blood didn't faze her. It was only a short while later that she finally slipped into blessed sleep.