Caelestius

Chapter Thirty

Dark mist is still fogging a part of my vision. But I can make out the outlines of a man. He is holding me secure in his strong arms and I let him guide me back into reality.

"Edan," I whisper again. I'm sure a smile has formed onto my lips, despite the numbness I still feel.

I want to ask him what happened and where I am. But before I am able to, someone is forcing a liquid down my throat. I feel cold fingers gripping my chin, holding my mouth open. I want to push these hands away, though I'm not in control of my body yet.

As the fluid enters my body, a burning sensation goes through my throat. I want to gag as it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Though hands close my mouth in an instant and only small drops of the liquid run down my lips. Most of it already in my system.

"Don't Inanna. It will heal you!"

Is that Cedriks voice? What is he doing here? What happened to me and where am I? Why do I not remember?

I try to lift my head and get rid of the blurriness. But every time I blink, I see dancing spots in front of my inner eyes.

"Take your time," a voice next to my ears says.

Goosebumps form on my arms. However something is not right here. My body goes stiff and I want nothing more than to have my eye sight back. The arms that hold me don't feel right anymore. This is not what I remember. Where is the hand under my head, that makes sure I am comfortable. Why does my head just lie on his lap? And the voice isn't right either, it's a little bit to high, like he hasn't reached adult age yet.

Another minute passes by, as I try to get back to my senses. I close my eyes and start counting in my head, which calms me down. And as the bitter taste leaves my mouth, I feel my strength getting back into my bones.

As I now open my eyes, I now where I am. The confusion has left me and I push the man away, that keeps holding onto me. Bewildered eyes meet mine, as I get some distance between us. They have the color of the sky and not of the nature, which I loved as a child. He puts his hands up in surrender.

My jaw hardens,"What happened here?"

Cedrik gets into my vision. He looks like he went through hell, with his sun kissed hair being a mess and the purple bags under his eyes. Nevertheless he offers me a hand and helps me to get up.

He glances at Arijus, who slowly gets up from the ground as well. He nods at him,"He rescued us."

Arijus, who is still watching me, purses his lips. He rubs his dirty hands onto his pants and then crosses his arms in front of his chest.

"How? I remember you, you using your power on the demon. Where is she by the way?" I ask, searching for her yellow rimmed eyes. "And what is with my shoulder?" I add, as I don't see the marks she has left. Instead I see soft smooth skin, only the ripped shirt indicates my former wounds.

Cedrik observes my shoulder with a pleased smile. "I gave you some of the sacred medicine I had left from the godly war. All of your wounds are healed and there is no poison left in your body. And Anasi is death," he points to our right and I look at our battlefield.

Remaining of her hairy limps and head lie on the ground. Black liquid colors the ground and only yet my nose inhales the disgusting stench that circulates through the air. Albeit there is something else that grabs my attention. Small translucent fragments cover the bottom and I crouch down to examine one of them.

It doesn't has the soft texture I expect. Instead it is hard as granite and it looks more like bits of broken glass.

"These were her mirrors," Cedrik explains, as I turn the fragment in my hands. "It was her weak spot and Arijus killed the demon as he destroyed her mirror."

Arijus killed Anasi? I look up at him and for the first time since I woke up, I make out in which condition he is. His eyes are bloodshot and for a second they flicker past me. To the death demon, I suppose. I scan him from head to toe and now notice his slight trembling, his hunched posture and how he chews on his lips.

How much effort it must have taken him to kill the demon and rescue us. Somehow there is a different light I see him in. I guess I have some new respect for him.

"How did you know that was what it was to kill her?"

Arijus runs his fingers through his hair, his gaze goes back to the death demon. At the movement I see dried red blood on his skin and cuts all over his fingers.

"I didn't know that. But I knew I had to help you guys somehow. So I overlooked the whole situation and my thoughts always went back to the mirrors and when she suddenly," he stops to take a breath of air. "And when she suddenly bit you, I knew I had to act fast. And out of instinct I punched the mirror. I thought it was weird, that I could see our reflection, but not hers."

"The mirror shattered into pieces like the darkness that surrounded us," Cedrik comments, as he lifts his eyes to the sky. Gone is the dark. The sun is sinking slowly towards the horizon and leaves a faint yellow light behind.

"The mirrors were her spider net," I realize, as I drop the fragment and look at the two men next to me.

"How are you feeling?" Arijus suddenly asks.

"Good. The medicine did it's job. It can heal any wound caused by demons," I add, as I glance at him.

A sigh leaves his lips and he gives me a small smile. I can only frown at his action. Why does he care? I shake my head. I don't want to think about him right now. It will only leave me bewildered.

Instead I look at Cedrik,"We have to find the others."

He nods, but then glances at Arijus, who I just tried to ignore. "But what about him?"

"What do you mean? He needs to go back to where he came from," I answer, crossing my arms.

Cedrik gives me that one look, I always hated when we were young. He wants to complain.

"You two know, that I'm standing right next to you. Right? And I'm not just leaving. I came, because you just left and since then two months have passed by."

I interrupt him as I raise my hand,"What did you just say? Two months passed by since we left?"

"Yes, I said that."

I share a secret look with Cedrik. If that is true then our teammates are in more trouble than I originally thought.

"If that is true, then we better take him with us. Who knows how dangerous it is to go back," Cedriks says and I blow out my cheeks.

I know he is right. Though I don't like the idea at all. If this continues everything will get more complicated. But at the same time there is a part of me, that would never let anything happen to Arijus. So I let Cedrik persuade me to take him with us and tell myself that the only reason is for him not to get killer. However I already know, that it isn't the only reason.

Hello guys! What are your thoughts? Is it a good idea to bring Arijus along? Tell me in the comments and please vote if you like this chapter :)