sweet dreams • leo valdez

05

Eventually when things had ever so slightly calmed down, the Legion regrouped on the Field of Mars. Delilah and the others were welcomed by their Cohort, being congratulated. She could see how much the others were enjoying this, having been outcasts to not only their Cohort but also to the entire Legion. They'd proved their worth.

It was then that Delilah's attention was caught by someone yelling, "Help!" She turned and immediately ran over when she realised who was being carried in on a stretcher. Gwen was lying there with a pilum in her chest, seeming to bleed more than what should have been humanly possible. She knelt down next to Gwen, holding her hand. She tried to exert her power to stop Gwen from drifting off, but at the same time she could feel how much pain Gwen was in and the graveness of the injury. It wasn't good.

The medics were shouting for everyone to stand back and give her space, though they let Delilah remain where she was. She had worked with them before, being able to act as anaesthesia or to stop those sleeping who shouldn't. But the gauze, powerered unicorn horn and nectar weren't working as eventually Delilah felt Gwen's spirit leave her body and saw her visibly stop moving.

It was silent as a medic shook his head, confirming to Reyna what they already knew. Delilah didn't know what to think. She'd been too wrapped up in the plan and in their victory to check on her co-campers and ensure that no-one she cared about was seriously hurt. And now Gwen was dead.

Then Reyna spoke, her face looking dark and stone-cold. "There will be an investigation." She announced. "Whoever did this, you cost the Legion a good officer. Honourable death is one thing, but this..." It was then that Delilah noticed the positioning of the weapon. It was a First Cohort weapon and had obviously been thrown from behind. It was a dishonourable way to fight, and could even have been used after the game had been announced over.

Suddenly Delilah felt something strange, before hearing a gasp from the very dead Gwen.

"Shit!" Delilah exclaimed in shock as Gwen's eyes opened and the colour came back to her face.

"Wh-what is it? What's everyone staring at?" Gwen asked in a confused manner as she blinked around at those surrounding her as if everything was fine. Delilah could only stare in shock.

"There's no way. She was dead. She has to be dead." Delilah heard someone whisper.

"There was a river, and a man asking... for a coin?" Gwen said as she tried and failed to sit up. "I turned around and the exit door was open. So I just... I just left. I don't understand. What's happening?" No one could give her an answer.

Delilah felt pity for her friend who still had a pilum in her chest and so said, "Gwen, just sit there for a moment, and close your eyes, okay?"

Gwen looked at her confusedly, but accepted the words of her friend and closed her eyes.

Delilah looked to the pilum, wrapping her hands around it and trying to pull, but her hands were shaking and it was so bloody that she just couldn't get a proper grip on it. Then she felt Frank appear next to her, Hazel and Percy following closely, and together they pulled the pilum out. Gwen didn't even react, just sitting there, but the wound itself was starting to miraculously heal.

"It's closing on its own. I don't know how, but-" Hazel said, looking at the wound.

"I feel fine." Gwen insisted, accepting Frank and Percy's help to stand up. "What's everyone worried about?"

"Gwen..." Delilah reached forward to grab her friend's arm. "You just died. But... then you came back."

"I-what?" Gwen might have collapsed had Delilah not been holding her. She pressed her free hand against where the deadly wound had once been. "How- how?"