The Blindness

the planet

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It was moisture that woke him, drops of cold water hitting his face irritated him into consciousness. He looked around very little had changed, he was surrounded by twisted metal and dead humans, with one exception. He reached out and touched the female's neck, her heart was still beating. He looked to the sky, dark gray clouds past the canopy of green could just barely be seen. The rain had dropped the temperature, they couldn't stay here. He stood with a groan and looked around. There were several rock formations in the distance to the north but other than that nothing he could see that would provide a quick shelter. There was little choice, he scooped the unconscious female up in his arms and set out to the north. It wasn't easy traversing the forest landscape with a, he figured 100 pound human in tow, but leaving her behind would certainly get him killed if her people were to rescue them. And that's what he continued to remind himself every time he thought he should just feed on her and be done with it.

The first night was simple, once he reached the rocks. They were lucky enough to find a dry cave to seek refuge. Once inside the wraith gathered various debris from around the cave and was able to start a fire. He placed the female close and exhaustion took his mind. It was different for wraith, he could go days, even weeks without sleep but only if he knew he would feed soon after. Sleeping allowed him to retain energy longer, for what little rest it did provide. Also, it might possibly be his only comfort in the coming days.

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He woke to sounds of panic from the sleeping female, and he let out a loud sigh. He opened his eyes to see her still unconscious near the almost extinguished fire, she looked as through her rest was tormenting her. He growled a bit and grabbed a few logs for the fire, once it had been fueled he turned his attentions to the female who was grumbling no's and don't while she slept. When he reached out to touch her; he realized what was wrong, she was burning up, fever. He sat back and groaned, he could spare her more strength that would break her fever but if they remained trapped here he would only be killing himself. He looked to the cave entrance, it was a forested world, perhaps there was another way. He stood and walked to the door, he detested water, but he could spare no more, and his many lifetimes had provided him with knowledge of plants often used by humans for various natural remedies.

He spent several hours searching, and he found many plants he could only assume were correct. There were a few he was certain of, even thou plants were different from each world, some basic traits remained the same from plant to plant. And each one he made carefully into a tea, making sure not to mix them just in case she had a reaction. In the first hour he fed her a small plant the one he was most certain of, but nothing she continued to fight him, drifting in and out of consciousness. After he was certain it had no effect he tried another, brewed a tea and tried desperately to wake her long enough for her to drink it.

He had also stopped back by the wreckage and grabbed a medical kit, blankets and anything else he could carry he thought might be of use, including a few small containers he was now using. The blankets he used to cover the small human and the medical kit, was so burned it proved useless. So here he sat with this small human in his arms trying to feed her some random herb he hoped would break her fever. The more flustered with the situation he became the more he debated just feeding off her and ending both their misery.

"Guide?" she whispered. It was like a wave hit him, it was unlike anything he had ever felt before in his entire life. One single word was like she reached out and touched his soul, he suddenly felt her in every bit of his being. No Wraith had ever dared speak his true name, let alone a mere human. He growled and pulled her closer to him, as he looked her over it was then realized she was still lost in the fever, she could not know what she said. Still, he had never told her his name how did she know, even if she didn't know, she did. As he held her trying to understand what this female could possibly mean to him when he noticed her temperature cool a bit. Her tormented rest slowly calmed, he debated laying her down but he found her strangely comfortable, he brought and this was the first bit of peace she had given he brought her here. He leaned back against a cave wall while still holding her, and closed his eye's allowing sleep to take his mind. Even in the darkness, his mind would be haunted by a single thought, 'had he saved kayna's life?'.