Daevas -I- ✔️

Chapter 4.3: Trespass

Ari found it difficult to open his eyes. The chirps of the birds stirred him awake, but his eyes felt so heavy. Everything felt heavy. After summoning some strength, he pried open his eyes, only to find a pair of molten ones staring back. They were pretty as stars, Ari thought, before he shook his head and tried to blink away the image. As he attempted to rise, Ari fumbled back onto Auovin.

He rose again on shaky arms, but just as his strength waned, Auovin steadied him until he was pressed back onto his chest. The same fog that had overcome him in all those times before was consuming him, and the lack of strength frightened him. However, he was too tired to panic, and his eyes were already closing.

"Just your body trying to keep you warm stole away what little energy you had left," Auovin mumbled as Ari breathed deeply. "You are quite pitiful... "

"Ari!" His ears rang from the sound of Freir's voice, making him feel nauseous.

In the next minute, Ari felt himself being lifted and brought onto someone's back.

"What had you done to him?" Freir yelled.

"It is far too early in the morning for such noise," Auovin said.

Ari lifted his head, scanning the surroundings for Cyrus, but Cyrus was nowhere to be found, which struck him as odd. He laid his head back onto Rein's back, not wanting to think much more about it. He just wanted to sleep. He was so tired.

"Demon!" Ari heard Freir shout again.

"No, the question should be what have you all done to him? He is weak because of you."

"To the temple, Freir. They will help him."

"The temple is—" Freir started.

"—Freir! We have discussed this," Rein said. Ari felt Rein moving not long after.

Ari did not know how long he had closed his eyes. When he opened them, his head throbbed with an ache that spread down into his very toes. He squeezed his arm tight around Freir's throat, causing Freir to cough.

"Rein, he is awake!" Freir shouted.

Ari looked closer and noticed short red-orange hair belonging to Freir. Since when had he gone onto his back? His eyebrows furrowed, and his heart raced.

"Calm down, Ari. You will be fine," Freir soothed.

Ari felt a warm hand on his forehead not long after, causing him to sigh. He felt cold, but it was well into the summer. Something was wrong with him.

"He is sweating badly, Rein." Freir tried to hide the panic in his voice, but Ari heard him well enough.

"He will be fine."

"Look at him," Freir hissed, "he is paling, and there is sweat covering the entirety of my back."

"It could be toxins or stress or—"

"—Rein, you may not care for him, but I do, and going to that temple—the barrier—"

"Would you rather have him die then? It was Nolan and your idea to take him with you on that hunt. I advised against it and look at him now. It is best if you listen to me then go against me in this," Rein warned.

Ari closed his eyes before reopening them again.

"I did not think we would be away for so long and that demon— that demon took much of his blood," Freir said.

Ari wanted to call for Auovin, but no words would come from his throat. Instead, he lifted his head from Freir's back and scanned the surroundings for him. Where was he? He could not have left. Ari tightened his grip as a cold fear spread through him. He did not want to go with them to the temple. The temple... Auovin had to leave.