Treachery : book 2 of Codex Elysium

Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Freyr paced restlessly back and forth in the hallway, his great broad sword resting lightly on his shoulder, his whole body language was tense and impatient. He felt that he should be down in the courtyard fighting not up here guarding a hospital. All around him was total chaos, the great hall had been turned into a new hospital and the three goddesses were all rushing around doing what they could to help. A never ending stream of wounded traipsed past the god and into the great hall, it didn't look as if there was one member of the prime legion left that hadn't been seriously hurt. The ones that had been healed and patched up were reluctantly making their back down the corridor. Freyr could understand their reluctance, the fight had been grim and hard, it was even over yet, he felt there was still worse to come.

Tiberius leant against the wall with his arms crossed, he was scowling at the line of dwarves and spoke to no one in particular

"This is wrong. We should be retreating not sending them back out there to be slaughtered!"

Freyr stopped his pacing and glared at the old druid

"And just where do you propose we retreat too? We await the high ones orders! Until Odin says retreat we will stand and fight!"

Tiberius muttered some choice swear words under his breath but said no more. It was all very well and god for Freyr, he was a war god, this was what he lived and breathed for. He didn't fear mortality or dying in a battle.

Cassie was fussing over Alexia and trying to swab at a cut on her little sister's forehead with the ragged end of her sleeve. She wasn't really helping or stopping the bleeding. Alexia winced and bore the fuss patiently. Cassie managed to smear yet more of Alexia's blood over her forehead, she paused and swore

"This is utter madness! This is just insane! Worlds of dwarves, armies of hell! None of this is real! I swear I am locked up in a nut house somewhere and this is all just in my head!"

Tiberius arched a bushy eyebrow at Cassie, even after all this time of knowing her, the young woman could still surprise him. He still couldn't get used to her stubbornness and her lack of belief in magic of other worlds. Even when the truth was right in front of her, Cassie still denied it. They both watched a couple of heavily bandaged dwarves limping back down the corridor towards the battle

"How can you even begin to think this isn't real?" demanded Tiberius. Cassie glared at the old druid. For her the idea that she was actually insane and locked up in a mental hospital was giving her great comfort but she wasn't going to admit that. But no one was going to take it away from her either, especially not this miserable old druid.

"It is real Cass" Said Alexia quietly "the pain makes it very real"

Cassie looked long and hard at her little sister and noticed the way Alexia was holding her arm, the way it trembled. Cassie grabbed hold of it and drew back Alexia's sleeve then cursed violently. Her arm was soaked in blood and had a deep cut. Cassie swore some more and stormed off into the hospital, she continued to pain the air blue with her foul language before returning with a basin of water and some bandages.

"Why didn't you say anything about this? Why were you letting me waste my time on that little cut on your face?" she began to gently wash Alexia's wound and her voice became softer "I swore I would protect you this time, I swore I wouldn't let you get hurt again"

Alexia shrugged

"That's what happens in battles, people get needlessly hurt"

Cassie continued to dab at the cut, her voice became softer still

"Yeah well this is it for us. No more fighting, no more battles for either of us"

Alexia winced as her wound was tended too, she frowned and asked