When A Life Is Lost (Old Draft)

Chapter 20: ...But is it?

Chapter 20: ...But is it?

I couldn't believe it.

Alykana was back.

But who was the other guy?

Ania gave a cry of delight, running forward and, to my dismay, enveloped the both of them into a hug.

"Alykana!" she sobbed, overcome by what I assumed was relief, "Eoius!"

The guy 'Eoius' hugged her back, seeming exhausted. Alykana winced, clutching her bandaged arm.

I walked forward slowly, before prying Alykana from Ania's grasp, much to her relief. I gave her a one arm hug, making sure not to touch her bandaged arm, which she seemed grateful about. I pulled away, before lightly touching her shoulder, holding her at arm's length.

"What happened to you Ally?" I asked, concerned, "Are you okay?"

She sighed, looking exhausted. I helped her sit down on a rattan chair, helping her to relax into the cushion. I saw Ania help 'Eoius' into a similar chair, but he looked in worse shape than Alykana - by the looks of it, he had been there much longer than Alykana.

Ania rushed inside to get a first aid kit - I knew that Alykana kept some medicinal herbs somewhere in the house, and they would surely help her with her injury.

"I was taken by Saulus," she spoke, her voice was strained and tired, "I tried to fight him off, but he was too strong. He took me to Geramina Prison - the one that Ania was held at."

Ania came running out of the house, holding a box that herbs and medicines were spilling out of in her rush.

"Got them!" she exclaimed, her breathing hard.

She went to Alykana first, as she continued. Ania unwrapped the bandaging - made out of a simple cloth shirt, I noticed - to see a deep wound. It looked like...it looked like what my wing looked like the first time I went to Alykana, except that this was skin, rather than feathers.

"When I first was taken, they put me in this waiting cell," Alykana explained, wincing when Ania applied some cream to the wound, "They were moving me to my actual cell, but I refused. So they gave me this little favour."

We all winced sympathetically, as Ania continued to look after the wound.

"You know this will need stitches?" Ania asked Alykana, looking concerned.

Alykana visibly winced, looking at the gaping wound.

"Yes." She said in a pained voice.

Ania smiled grimly at her, before bandaging the wound back up with a new bandage.

"It can wait for now, but not for ages," she advised her, "I'll do it if you like?"

"Can't you just heal it with your powers?" Alykana asked excitedly, as though trying to find a way to get out of stitches.

Ania thought about it for a moment before replying.

"I can try, but not at the moment. I'm too exhausted."

Alykana looked happy enough at her response, so she went into her house to sleep.

Ania started to help Eoius, before we heard a shriek from inside.

Me and Ania ran inside, panicked, where we found Alykana standing in the middle of her house, looking on the floor at some blue pottery shards.

"Who broke my lamp?!" She demanded, looking adorable in her anger.

I looked guiltily at Ania, who replied at the same time as Alykana.

"Malus!"

*****

After Alykana had fallen asleep finally, after scolding me for ten minutes, I went out to get some firewood for the diminishing fire. In fact, I just wanted to get away from Ania and Eoius - they obviously had a past.

As possessive as it seems, I was jealous of their relationship. I know that Ania wasn't my girlfriend or lover - not yet, at least - but I still loved her. And she still loved me, deep down. The feelings that we had couldn't be erased by anything.

I picked up a few sticks to take back, but generally just walked around. Suddenly, I heard a snap of a twig behind me. I span, dropping the sticks and raising my fists to fight. If it was Saulus, I would kill him.

Ania came out of the shadows, hands in the air, a frustrated expression on her face. I dropped my fists, bending down to pick up the dropped sticks.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ania demanded, her hands on her hips, a furious expression growing on her face.

"Collecting firewood." I replied, showing her the sticks.

"Don't give me that sack o' lies," she replied, fury leaking even more into her voice, "There is a whole basket of wood behind the house. You know that. So what are you really doing?"

I sighed.

"Fine," I admitted, "I just wanted to get away for a bit."

"From what?" Ania asked incredulously.

I hesitated, not sure how to put 'You and Eoius being all lovey-dovey'.

"Um..." I started, but we were interrupted by a scream and a crackling noise. We raced back to Alykana's house, tripping over roots and fallen branches, dropping our measly wood collection. We burst out of the forest, to find Alykana's hut bathed in flames of red, orange and yellow, dancing in the air, spouting out black clouds of spoke and ash. Eoius was standing now, staring in shock at the growing flames. He was alone.

"Where is Alykana?" I asked, as Ania began to sob in dismay.

"I don't know!" Eoius replied, in a panicked voice, "I just woke up and saw the flames. I think she was inside!"

Me and Ania looked at each other in alarm, before I ran inside of the house, Ania shouting desperately for me to stay.

The whole house was burning, smoke consuming most of the inside. I coughed, inhaling smoke, before I grabbed my shirt and put it over my mouth. I walked through the burning wreckage, trying to find my friend. I strained my ears to hear anything other than the crackling of the fire, and the heavy breathing of myself. I continued to search, feeling the fire burning my bare flesh on my arms. Just as I was about to give up, I heard a faint coughing sound, coming from a pile of rumble in the corner of the room, where I knew that Alykana's bed used to be. I tore at the rubble, ignoring the fact that it was red-hot, completely focused on finding Alykana. I pulled one smouldering plank up, to find Alykana. She was covered in ash, she was coughing and she looked exhausted. Other that that, she looked fine. I sighed in relief, before grabbing her and getting out of the house as fast as I could.

I was just in time, as the moment I pulled Alykana and myself out of the house, the roof collapsed in, preventing any further access.

I collapsed on the floor, putting Alykana down. I saw Ania run frantically towards us, just using her healing powers to heal us, not bothering with the first aid kit.

I lay on my back, still breathing heavily, coughing every so often to try to get the smoke out. Ania spoke frantically, her mouth moving, saying words that my muddled brain couldn't understand. I tried my best to stay conscious, but it was to no avail.

I coughed once more, and the world went black.

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Sorry it's late and it has been a long time, but...I was doing exams and stuff. But they're over on Thursday!