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Chapter Fifteen:
Hope for Faede; Quest for a Silver Cahlot’s blood
Altaire, Cadillac, and
Jonah all walked into the room they’d left Faede and Marium in moments earlier.
They all wore withered, tired expressions, like they’d been told some extremely
bad news. They noticed Marium and Faede, unconscious like they’d left them, but
they were holding each other. Cadillac groaned inwardly, this must’ve been
torture to Altaire, to see this. So he did the only thing he could think of. He
covered for Marium. “Ah, um, well, Altaire, you know, Marium is a very restless
sleeper, she must’ve smacked Faede around a bit in her state and then fallen
asleep like that.”
Altaire glanced down at
his short, squirrel-like friend, eyes covered with his bangs, as always. But
Cadillac could still see the odd expression there. It was like… losing hope. Or
like he knew Cadillac was humoring him. “She should know what the doctor told
us.”
Jonah nodded in agreement,
and then glanced expectantly at Cadillac. “Well?”
“What?” Cadillac asked,
dumbly.
“Wake her up!” Jonah
exclaimed, exasperatedly. Cadillac grumpily waddled over to the bed.
“I don’t see why I always
get stuck with the hard chores. Why don’t you wake her up, Jonah? Or you,
Altaire? Are you scared of her wrath?” he spat, more to himself than the
others. He reached out a hand, hesitantly, then shook Marium, gruffly. The
priestess moaned, quietly, and shivered in pain.
Almost as if he heard her
in his sleep, Faede pulled her closer to him, and let out a soft snort like
breath. Cadillac grimaced, and shook her again. This time she opened one eye,
and glared up at the midget squirrel mage.
“No respect I tell you. I
don’t get any of the stuff.” Marium sighed, then tried to sit up, only to get
pulled back down by the sleeping Faede. “Ack!”
Cadillac blinked in
surprise, and grabbed her by the hands. He tried to tug her out of Faede’s
grip, but they failed. “Dang, he’s got you in a vise grip, Marium!”
“I know, stop pulling so
hard, he’s choking me!” she gasped out, making Cadillac let her hands go. She
was wrenched back down to the bed, by the sleeping Faede. “Since he’s finally
sleeping, I can’t very well wake him up.”
Cadillac nodded, then
plopped down in a chair next to the bed. “Marium, I’m afraid we have some bad
news. Um… you tell her, Jonah.”
Jonah looked up, startled
at the turn of events. Cadillac snickered as Jonah stuttered, trying to say
what the doctor had told them. Altaire finally got fed up, and stood up,
abruptly.
“Ahem.” “Marium, the doctor said that Faede is under
great strain from his power and possibly some situation that he was troubled
with in the past. After many years of this stress building up on his body…
Marium, he doesn’t have long to live.”
Marium was so astonished
at this that she jerked up, out of Faede’s grip. Her hand flew to her mouth,
and she stifled a gasp. “C-Cadillac… I can feel the pain he’s feeling. What
does this mean… what will happen when he… if he does die?”
Cadillac, obviously
shocked at hearing this, took Marium by the hand and led her out into the hall.
“Marium, you can feel his pain? But… it usually takes a blood tie between two
reluctant people… years, before they reach that stage!”
The priestess blushed, but
remained silent. Cadillac understood. “Well, we’d better get started on trying
to find the cure-potion’s ingredients, because if we don’t… you’ll probably die
with him.”
Marium laid on the bed
next to Faede, and the other three shared the second bed with each other. If
Faede woke up and found one of the men laying next to him, he’d probably have a
fit. But he wasn’t in any shape to be separated from Marium, so that was how it
should be.
Long after everyone lay
asleep, Marium stay in a resting position, staring up at the ceiling. Finally,
she turned her gaze to Faede. He looked so weak, yet so strong. It was funny
hearing herself think that, but Marium knew it was true. She couldn’t think of
anyone with more willpower. He wanted so bad to keep her safe that it was
almost overwhelming in its intensity. Even Altaire hadn’t had that kind of
feeling for her. Or, if he had, it wasn’t obvious.
A strained voice
whispered through the air next to Marium. “What did the doctor say, Marium?”
“Oh. You’re awake, Faede?
Did I wake you? I’m so sorry.” She mumbled, absentmindedly. Faede’s eyes
penetrated her vision and forced her to look away, tears misting in her eyes.
“Cadillac says there’s a way to save you. But it involves us being apart.”
“How? Explain it to me.” He
said with an urgent, yet gentle tone. Marium shrugged.
“It’s actually quiet
simple… depending on how long you can hold up.” Marium stated, turning so that
she could see out the window next to the bed. “The local physician said that he
has a friend that is famous for being the most talented doctor in all the land.
He’s a recluse, or some such, but the doctor knows where we can find him.”
“So we’re planning on
splitting up into two groups, one to search out this world renowned physician,
and the other to find all the components for the cure-potion he has to conjure.
And… there is a problem. One person must stay with you.”
Faede groaned, and rolled
his eyes away from her. “I’m a burden… useless and dead weight. You should just
leave me and go on with your mission.”
“Don’t talk like that,
Faede.” Marium said, sighing. She was feeling the unbearable pain begin to
bloom inside her ribs from Faede’s agitation. “Calm down, you’re going to
awaken that blasted pain again…”
Faede took a deep breath,
and tried to settle down. But he couldn’t help but feel… like trash. And he
didn’t like resembling trash in front of the ones he loved. The one he loved…
Stop that, idiot! Why can’t you realize, she’s still the enemy! And
you’re only here for a specific reason, anyways. Why did you have to go and tie
with her? Besides, all you’re doing is bringing the poor lovely more
responsibility, and pain than she can bear… Then why doesn’t she resist the
bond? Faede’s mind wandered on this topic a little too long, and the
silence made Marium edgy.
“Faede, what exactly are
you thinking?” she asked, quietly. “I know what Altaire is thinking. Atleast, I
used to, until I became tied to you. But now we’re losing the natural bond we
used to share. I can barely hear his thoughts when he’s almost yelling them at
me. You aren’t the same. It doesn’t seem like you want to share your life with
someone. You don’t want to feel strange, new emotions that come from deep and
trusting relationships.”
After a moment, Faede
sighed and closed his eyes, then wrapped his arms around Marium. “You’re wrong.
I’ve wanted to feel these things all my life, but all I got in return for my
hopes and dreams was a soul eating curse and a father that keeps me alive for
one reason. To have a legal heir.”
“After 13 years of disappointment, you
tend to question when the real thing comes along. You kind of, lose hope. All
of it, until you find something worth hoping for again.” He mumbled, voice
tinged with an emotion Marium couldn't put her finger on. "About the plan.
What are the groups?"
“Hm. I think that I get to go with
Cadillac to search for the Silver Cahlot’s lair, and Altaire’s gonna go get the
doctor from his hiding place.” Marium said, trying to suppress a yawn. She was
surprised to realize that she hadn’t felt the pain all night. “Are you scared,
Faede?”
The young man’s face had been almost
impassive during most of the conversation. Finally, he shrugged. “Death… it is
not a major issue for me. In fact, it is a fate I have been accustomed to. You
should be as well, no one lives forever.” His harsh words burned themselves
upon Marium’s mind, but she just nodded.
“I suppose.” Was her reply. She
abruptly rolled over, and faced away from the gloomy sorcerer apprentice.
“Well, I’ve had enough reality checks tonight, mage. I’m going to sleep.”
She couldn’t see Faede since she had
her back facing him, but she could have sworn she heard him snicker at her
words. “Don’t worry, you will have many more ‘reality checks’ during your time
with me. Good night, Marium.”
Across the room, in the other bed,
Altaire was lying, still as a dead man, listening to the conversation with
reluctance. She forgot. She destroyed our
promise. How could she…?
With a heart full of mixed emotions,
Altaire fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.