No way in Heaven or Hell - Afterlife Series Book 1

Chapter 13 - Home Stretch - part 3

Using his dagger to heave himself up the slope, Khyros felt as if every step was more painful than the next. But if Eliana was ready to keep fighting, he couldn't show any less determination. And if the lake didn't work, she'd be able to focus on protecting herself rather than worry about him too. It took what felt like a long time, but he finally reached the top of the slope. He leaned against the wall, drawing his sword to hold him up. If he sat down, he wasn't sure he'd be able to get up again. The jacket tied around his wound was soaked and trickles of blood ran down his leg.

Damn... it looks like I'll have to hurry... he told himself. But of course, the more I move the more blood I lose... good thing the lake isn't too much further...

He pushed himself away from the wall and set off again, using his sword as a crutch. It wouldn't do the blade much good but he wasn't sure he'd manage without it. It was strange, when he thought about it. He hadn't felt so driven in a very long time. It felt a little like waking up from a very deep sleep with a bucket of ice cold water, because he'd never seen it coming. Oddly enough, he'd never felt more himself since he'd met Eliana. He still had no clue what that was about. But it was good change, in his opinion. He cursed himself for not being able to go any faster. And he shuddered at the thought of returning to the chamber to find Eliana... he could barely think it. He shook his head and pushed on.

It has to be near...We didn't walk that long when we left it...

But it felt a lot further in his condition. He had to pause every few moments because the his wound was making it difficult. He felt dizzy and his vision blurred more often than not. Oh, and boy, what a headache he had! But at last, he reached the chalmber with the glistening runes and lake. He needed but to step in it to feel stronger. Panting, sweating, his side burning, he stepped forwards and knelt by the lake. Breathlessly, he slid a hand into the water. The gash on his hand he'd sustained from helping the Woeden slowly faded and evneutally vanished. Emboldened, his heart thumping hard, he then removed the jacket Eliana had given him and removed (with painful difficulty) the shirt he had been wearing beneath it, revealing a deep and wide wound. It was still bleeding, though less heavily now he'd stopped moving, cupped some water on his hands before pouring it carefully over the wound. Some would have said "just get into the lake, it'll be simpler", but Khyros felt that would have been insulting to Earth and to Phoebe. This was a place that commanded respect, and deserved to be treated as such. He winced slightly at the ice cold touch, but didn't move. He waited and peered down at his wound. For a few horrible moments he thought it hadn't worked. Maybe it couldn't do anything for this kind of injuries... but then, slowly, he felt a warmth spread through him. When he looked at his wound again, he smiled.

Eliana wasn't sure how much longer she'd keep this up. The beast, madder than an entire flock of rhinoceroses, was getting more and more ferocious and, worse, more precise in its attacks. She already had a nasty cut in her right arm, her head was buzzing, she wasn't sure why, and her left shoulder ached, making it harder to hold her sword up. She certainly wouldn't be able to hold her bow, and she was out of arrows anyway. Oh, she'd landed a few nasty injuries, but it didn't seem like any were bad enough to incapacitate it.

It must have a weakness... Eliana thought desperately.

But she knew that she had very little time to find it. And she couldn't understand where Khyros was. She was fairly sure he hadn't left her, but... where had he gone, what plan had he thought of?

Whatever he's planning, I hope he does it quick because I think I'm reaching my limit...she thought as she stepped backwards, her lip bleeding.