Awakened (Bloodline, #1)

Chapter 12

12: Quenching My Thirst

The cold and dry wind blowing through the desert made my wounds sting in pain.

Moria said she could not use her magic to heal my wounds, so the only thing she could do was ensure they would not worsen. She also had to bind them tightly because the scent of my blood might attract more enemies.

Undead also had some regeneration abilities, so the deep wounds would probably heal in a few days, as long as we wouldn't encounter any problems along the way.

Habang naglalakad kami ay muli akong napatingin sa braso ko. It was completely covered with bandages, so I wasn't that repulsed compared a while ago. Still, that incident was terrifying. Akala ko talaga ay magiging pagkain na ako ng ghouls. But that happened.

Before I lost my consciousness, I sensed the same sensation I felt when we were attacked by the horde of Katteris before. There was that burning feeling inside me, as if my blood was boiling and ready to explode. I had my doubts before but Moria said I did that, though I had no idea how.

"Am I really okay?" tanong ko sa kanya.

She warily glanced at me. "Yes, you are, lady."

"But you said a ghoul's claw is poisonous." I looked at my wrapped arm in worry. "I felt their claws digging into my skin earlier."

Kei and Moria exchanged serious looks. Pakiramdam ko ay hindi maganda ang ibig sabihin no'n.

"I did not detect any toxins in your body," she reasoned. "Somehow, their deadly claws did not affect you, lady."

Napakunot ang noo ko nang marinig ko 'yon. "But how . . ."

She let out a quick sigh and I was afraid I made her angry with my questions. "I am not quite sure, too, my lady, but for now, let us just say the ghouls' poison don't have any effect in your system."

Hindi na ako muling nagtanong sa kanya pero sa totoo lang ay mas lalong dumami ang tanong sa isip ko. I remembered how the blood of the Katteris splattered on both Kei and I that time but only him got affected. It almost cost him his life yet I didn't even get any wound. The same thing happened with our encounter with the ghouls. Fortunately, the three did not incur any deadly wounds from the pack that attacked us, but I did, yet aside from physical wounds, my body felt alright.

I couldn't get anything out of my experiences and worse, they weren't even telling me what they know. Now, I was getting scared of myself because I did not even know what I was capable of.

***

Hindi ko alam kung ilang oras na kaming naglalakad. Everyone was silent, but the tension was high because we were still in the desert, and a pack of ghouls might attack again. It seemed like it was already midnight but I wasn't sure if we were already halfway.

Napatingin naman ako sa kalangitan. The sky was clear and it was littered with thousands of stars. It was such a scenic view, especially since there was nothing to obstruct the panoramic beauty of the desert at night. I wanted to indulge in its splendor, but the exhaustion was making it hard for me to focus. My body was already giving up on me but more than that, I felt . . . hungry and thirsty.

"Are you okay, lady?" tanong ni Kei nang mapansin niyang bumabagal na ang paglalakad ko.

"Y-yes, I think."

Maging si Moria ay napahinto at lumapit sa akin. "May I?" she asked while reaching for my face. I wasn't sure what she wanted to do, but I groggily nodded. She gently raised my chin and looked straight through my eyes.