With Jhestan in tow, I raced in the direction of the stables. I knew this running would only make Jhestan's condition worse, but I had to get him to safety, then I could work from there. Jhestan's breathed heavily and his face was pale almost like he was a ghost; he was basically a walking corpse. Without me in his mind, he would collapse and most likely die.
I nearly collapsed with relief when Story's head came over the hill, which was followed by Toril and Kian's head atop their horses with the other horses tied to them.
Story, I called as we ran towards each other, can you carry both Jhestan and I?
Of course I can, scoffed Story haughtily as she skidded to a stop in front of me. What do you take me for? A regular horse?
Now is not the time for jokes, Story. I hastily climbed on top of her. "Jhestan's riding with me," I bellowed as I ordered the droopy captain to climb on behind me. Jhestan, a weak, walking corpse, could hardly lift himself off the ground and Brynley and Zyn rushed over to help him up. Toril was sweating buckets and looking about ready to make a run for it and leave us here and Kian sat up on his horse and glared at me. I glared back and then refocused my attention on saving the captain.
Hold tight, I told Jhestan when he finally made it up. Jhestan wrapped his large arms tightly around my small frame and I could feel his consciousness slipping; his heart beat was dangerously slow. And stay awake, I added as I kicked Story into gear.
We raced back down the center of the market place, because the trees were too tightly packed to race our horses through them. People threw themselves out of our way as we crashed down the packed road and soldiers dove at us in futile attempts to stop one of us.
"Brynley," I screamed when I realized that we needed to find a place to hide and I couldn't do so as long as I held onto Jhestan's mind. "Find somewhere to hide!" Instantly, Brynley sat up straight and stuck his nose in the air as if he was sniffing for a direction the way a dog would sniff for a scent. He pulled ahead and led us to the path we came from, but as soon as he hit the tree line, Brynley took a hard right onto a hidden path that I would have never found. We followed the bath deep into the dense forest.
"Here," yelled Brynley as he yanked his horse to a stop and we did the same. Hastily, the boys leaped off our horses and began leading them off the path. I jumped off Story and then told Jhestan to get off. The man slid off of Story mechanically and I barely caught him before he hit the ground. I ordered him to follow Zyn and I galloped after them into the trees with Story close behind me.
My head pounded with each step; I have never held control of someone for so long. I squeezed my eyes shut as the pain pulsated at my temples. It felt as if a nail was being hammered into both sides of my brain and each second longer I held onto Jhestan the more painful each pulse was.
I stopped running and leaned on a tree for support. I rubbed my temples in an attempt to lessen the throbbing, but if anything, it made it worse. I couldn't hold on for much longer, so I didn't.
Jhestan dropped like a rock the moment I let go. All the boys leaped towards their captain to catch him, but Zyn was already lowering the large man to the ground
"Sorry," I moaned as the pain receded from my head. "I couldn't hold onto him for much longer." Toril spun towards me sputtering angrily. "You were controlling our captain?"
"Yes I was," I snapped. "If not for me he would be lying dead back at the fief entrance." The short man writhed in prideful anger.
"How dare you take con-"
"What were you doing about the situation you blubbering coward? 'Oh what are we going to do'," I mocked childishly in deep man-like voice. Toril turned a dark red before he started to charge me.
"Toril!" Brynley bellowed at Toril, which made Toril stop instantly, but he continued to glare daggers at me.
"Yeah," I teased, "down dog."
"Laika," called Brynley quietly as he kneeled down by the dying Jhestan. "What are we going to do?"
I looked down at the man, desperation dripped from his eyes. The pale Jhestan that lied next to Brynley was gaunt and near to death. I growled as I tore a blanket out from a pack on Kian's horse. I bent and wrapped it around the sword protruding from Jhestan's side.
"Keep pressure on that," I said and I turned around and headed back into the forest.
"Where are you going?" called Kian in a dangerous tone.
"To get a miracle," I yelled back as I slipped on my hood.
***
The market place was still in chaos when I slithered into the raucous crowds. I paid no mind to the soldiers that ran past me and the angry villagers that demanded to know what was going on. I had sent out a mass message via brain to pay no mind to me as I looked for the familiar group of white x's that signified a healers hut.
I stayed in the shadows as I came to the healers hut and felt inside for healing runes. There were two healing runes, one significantly stronger than the other. The other one felt like it was a young apprentice, but unfortunately, the rune was too strong to steal from outside the hut.
Before I went in, I desperately racked my brain, trying to think of a way I could save Jhestan and not have to steal another life. But I knew how it worked and decided it was best to take the weaker rune and leave the village with a strong healer.
With that, I entered the hut, dagger ready in my hand. There were other people in the hut, mostly midwives, but I headed straight for the weaker rune. "Can I help you?" asked the stronger healer who was slightly alarmed.
"Yes," I said nonchalantly stepping up to the young boy with the healing rune on his neck. "I need your rune." Before anyone could respond, I put two fingers on the boy's rune and yanked on it and the soul slipped out of the boy with ease; the black scrawling on his neck disappeared. Once the rune was in my hand, I turned around and ran.
"Theus!" I heard a woman scream at the same time the boy's body hit the ground. I cringed as I sprinted to the trees.
I'm sorry, I thought to the black rune soul in my fist.
***
"Laika," gasped Zyn as I burst through the trees near him.
"Laika," cried Brynley, standing up. "He's dead!"
"I know," I growled. I was not able to feel his soul on the way back. I stomped over to Jhestan's side and put my boot on his stomach than grasped the sword hilt tightly. Before anyone could stop me, I ripped the sword from Jhestan's side.
"What are you doing?" screeched Toril.
"He's dead," I howled at him. "Just stay back and I'll bring him back!" I stuck the point of the sword at Jhestan's neck and flicked my wrist cutting his tunic down his chest, revealing the wound. The hole in Jhestan's side was dark red and showing signs of an infection; it oozed red and green in an unhealthy fashion. I knelt down next to the captain as I fished the healing rune soul from my pocket. I balanced the soul on my knee as I pulled my dagger, sighing scornfully.
"How?" whispered Zyn as I slid back my rune. I placed the blade on my forearm and in one quick motion I sliced open my skin, crimson liquid gushed out and down my arm. Quickly, I snatched up the rune soul and held it tight as I put it under the waterfall of my blood. The rune pulsed in my hand and I braced myself.
I gasped suddenly and fell back as the rune exploded and hit me with a wall of power. The dark rune soul now glowed an eerie blood red and its overwhelming power cauterized my body. The throbbing in my head was back, but so much more agonizing. It was as if I had been hanging upside down for days and all the blood in my body was ready to shatter my skull to pieces.
I struggled to maintain control of my own mind and body as the enhanced rune fought to take over me and eat my rune and kill me. Moaning through my gritted teeth, I pushed myself up so I was leaning over Jhestan's corpse. I located the hole in Jhestan's side, braced myself once more, and shoved the tainted rune soul into the wound.
The rune erupted like a volcano inside me. I scorched the walls of my mind like lava and flooded my insides with it too. My body burned and I threw my head back and screamed in agony. Still, I kept the healing rune in place. I could feel the rune working, it killed the bacteria inside Jhestan, replenished the blood he lost, stitched up the wound, and brought him back to life. The pain began to subside and I laughed weakly as my vision darkened.
"He's alive," I whispered. Then, my mind went blank and the world went black.