Last Light

Chapter 3

My body instantly relaxes as I face away from Petra, the Last Light only catching slivers of the back of my neck as my brown hair sprawls out in the air behind me. I look to my right, finally eyeing the stranger for the first time. His hair is not nearly long enough to hide his neck like it does mine, but even so, he does not seem to be in much pain. 

Who is this? And why does the Last Light not seem to- 

 My thoughts are interrupted by the water of the Viscora Sea breaking our fall. As I let myself sink deeper, I glare up at Petra through the safety of the water.

I finally look away and begin to swim awkwardly through the water with only one leg and two arms. I feel a hand grab the burned flesh on my elbow causing me to flinch at the pain. I turn to glare at the stranger in the water who gives me a sheepish smile. "Sorry" he mouths before he points upward, beginning to swim. I pull him back down by his shoe. His eyebrows meet each other over his nose as he squints at me through the water. I point down and mouth "trust me" at him before beginning to swim deeper into the depths of the Viscora sea, away from Petra and her burning Last Light. 

I don't know if the stranger follows me, but frankly, I don't care at this point. I just know that my lungs begin to burn with a lack of air. My leg is still pretty much useless, though I think I can feel my toe twitch ever so often. 

I finally reach the crevice in the rock wall that I knew would be there, and when I turn to slide into it I see the stranger floating right next to me. 

I see he trusts me after all. 

That makes one of us. 

 The opening is just big enough for us to squeeze through before opening into a much larger tunnel that leads all the way to the back of my cave. 

As I crawl through, I grab a packet of dried Sanson I had purposely stored in a pocket in the wall for this very purpose. I quickly pinch the contents of the packet into my mouth and then suck on it, instantly feeling relief in my lungs as air flows into them. 

I turn then, looking at the stranger. He eyes the packet I offer him but before I can try to explain, a sense of realization seems to come over him. He quickly crams the contents into his mouth before nodding to me, thanks I assume. 

I turn from him again and begin to pull myself deeper into the tunnel using the cavern walls, knowing the way back home by heart. I had practiced this many times since I had found the crevice, but I'm not exactly ecstatic that I have a reason to use it now. 

Reaching my cave, I emerge from the tunnel, shivering in the damp air despite the bright red burns screaming across my flesh. I sigh, knowing full well that it would be at least a month before they wouldn't hurt anymore. 

I hear the stranger emerge behind me as well, teeth already chattering. Panic begins to rise inside me as I realize what I have done. If he really is from the Palace then I have led him directly to where I live. Now the Palace will know exactly where to find me if I let him go. 

"You're staying," I say, cringing at the words. 

Why am I so stupid? This stupid boy has ruined everything. Why couldn't I have just stayed home today?... Because the forest called me. Right. 

As I limp towards the fire I hear the sound of the stranger's voice behind me, "Oh, I don't want to be a bother… but if it's alright with you, I'm all for it. Thanks!" 

I roll my eyes as I keep making my way towards the fire, dragging my leg behind me. I suppose this is easier than telling him he's a prisoner. I hear the rush of water as he hoists himself out of the tunnel. I fumble to the ground next to the fire, stretching out my paralyzed leg to look at it a little more closely. I mentally kick myself at having allowed this whole scenario to happen. Another reason I shouldn't have left the cave this morning.