The Custodian Chronicles: The Rising (Finished)

Chapter 23: Consequences

Cedrick opened his eyes. "Cedrick, you're awake." Arylana sighed, relieved.

Cedrick looked at her. She was sitting beside his bed; her hand on top of his. Roxorim was standing beside her, having stood up.

"Are you okay?" Arylana asked, deep concern in her voice.

Cedrick smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine." He started to sit up.

"Don't you dare." Hissed a voice Cedrick was all too happy to hear. Elphacena came into view. "You've been stupid as usual." She snarled. "Just wait a moment, while you gather yourself, or you'll fall over. You've already done this once. You'd think you'd learn." He'd broken his promise, and she was upset by it.

"Is father alright?" Cedrick asked, looking at all the anxious faces.

"Oh yes, perfectly." Arylana assured. "No one knows anything happened." Cedrick sighed his relief.

"In fact, we had to force him to leave your bedside." Roxorim informed him. "If the general and Elphacena hadn't insisted, he wouldn't have done it."

Cedrick huffed disbelievingly. Roxorim and Arylana exchanged looks.

"You could have killed yourself." Elphacena put down the bowl she'd been carrying and glared at Cedrick. "You said you wouldn't do it again."

Cedrick shrugged. "I... I couldn't let him die."

Elphacena sighed. She understood that feeling all too well. Her eyes were sympathetic. "You better hurry and get dressed, or the general will try to kill you next. He asked for you ten minutes ago. He would have come storming in here, if your father hadn't come out and said you weren't here."

Cedrick looked at Elphacena blankly. "Ten minutes? How long have I been out?"

Elphacena sighed. "Well, from the moment you were put in here, a half hour. Yes, I sped it up. Now please, just go, all of you, before things get worse."

Cedrick knew better than to disobey that tone. He stood up and was ready in about a minute. He rushed out the door. To his surprise, he found he was back inside the caves. He'd expected to be in an outdoor encampment of some kind.

"How did you get me here?" He asked Arylana quietly.

"Elphacena did it. She flew you in a side way when no one was looking." Arylana explained.

"And Cedrick," Roxorim called his attention, "you should know how father reacted when he saw what happened to you."

"We thought you'd died." Arylana said; her voice a little shaky.

Cedrick huffed. "Yelled at my body that I shouldn't have been so foolhardy, did he?"

The siblings exchanged sideways glances. "No Cedrick, he didn't." Roxorim looked at Cedrick uneasily. "He... well..." but at that moment Author ran up to them.

"Sir Commander, I've been looking for you." He panted. "I have your casualty report."

Cedrick stiffened. He was not looking forward to this. He already felt drained of energy. How much bad news could he take? He swallowed. "H-how many? How many and who did we lose?"

Author swallowed. "Sir... I'm afraid.... I'm afraid there isn't a man dead."

Cedrick stared at Author. "Wait.... what?" Did he hear that right?

Author beamed. "Sir, we didn't lose a fighter. All of our men are alive and well. A few are wounded, but all are going to make full recoveries. We didn't lose a single man. The only division ever to have that happen. They're all alive, sir. They got through."