The Zodiacs

24. Chaos Wreaked

Everybody was lounging around the cool cave in avoidance of the unfriendly heat of the Egyptian Sahara when Akil and the others rushed in, carrying an unconscious boy along with two other new girls. One of them was helping him move the heavy boy, while the other rushed alongside them. Seth held both of Aaron's legs on his shoulder to keep the injured foot from dragging along the ground.

Odion was sitting near the back of the cave, conversing with Tau and Keket around Tau's self-created bed when he glanced toward the familiar girl. Immediately, his eyebrows furrowed in curiosity, wondering if the recognizable posture was really that of who he thought it was.

"Tau," Akil shouted as they all rushed into the space, pushing everyone who was sitting around the fire back as they watched curiously. "Pull me up one of your beds for this kid. We need to pull the nail out of his foot as soon as possible."

Quickly, the man reclined in the comfort of his bed lifted himself up, throwing his legs over the side and hopping off. He left Keket and Odion behind while they both watched in narrowing focus. "Sure," Tau answered, walking past the fireplace and intercepting the group of six before they could get any further into the cave.

He flipped his palms toward the ground, lowering himself until his fingers pressed into the dry ground and slightly buried themselves in the dirt. Then, with an externally simple but physically demanding pull, the Earth sign lifted himself up, dragging with him a long block of stone from beneath the flooring's surface. Everyone watched as he raised it higher and higher, bringing the solid rock to a stop when it reached the height of his waist.

"Thank you," Akil breathed, turning himself, the other girl, and Seth around to lay the boy's back onto the hard surface carefully. "Zahra, do you want to give him the da'wa before we pull it out?" He asked, looking toward the ex-soldier whose hood still fell over the top half of her face --shielding her features from everybody around.

Odion narrowed his eyes, standing at a distance that muffled the clarity of Akil's wording. "Did he say Zahra...?" He whispered, directing all of his attention on the three newcomers.

Keket shook her head at his quiet question, unsure if he had been talking to her or discussing something within his own mind, but still answering. "I think he said da'wa," she nodded before turning back to the sight that was beginning to draw the attention of everybody in the cave.

Zahra nodded, pulling the royally vibrant orb from her pocket and stepping beside the unconscious boy. "Here," she spoke quietly, pulling his chin back to open his mouth and drop the large ball between his teeth. "Swallow this so you can get better, okay?"

The boy groaned with obvious pain and fatigue, nearly choking when Zahra closed his mouth so the ball was crushed between his teeth. Immediately, all of its warm liquid doused the inside of his mouth like a thick oil racing down his throat. Aaron coughed loudly after the unflavorful thickness moved past his airways, allowing him to pull in another breath after the brief moment of uncomfortable suffocation.

He was sitting by himself against the wall, nonchalantly watching chaos ensue in front of him but not bothering to participate. It was the familiar sound that made Aharon move off the wall in interest. "Aaron?" He questioned quietly, pushing himself up and walking toward all the others as they circled around.

"Do we pull it out now?" Suma asked, looking toward Zahra like the girl bearing the da'wa orb would have all the answers. It was the expectation after all --to know how the object she'd just dropped into Aaron's mouth worked.

But Zahra blinked back at her. "Um... I don't know. I mean, he said to wait a couple seconds... or was it minutes?"

"You don't know?" Suma narrowed her eyes at her. "You just gave him something that a Dauha Knight gave you and you don't even know what it is or how it works?"