Chapter 3

There never was any time to react. The flame shot from the sky, and Aki erupted in a blaze of fire.

“No!”

Selene screamed and thrust out her hand. A gust of wind came from nowhere, forcing the flames to retreat. Uruk rushed forward to pull the writhing figure from the entrance. She collapsed onto the ground, and he frantically patted her scorching clothing to quench the flames. I stood paralysed, staring at the scene.

“Help her, my Lady.”

I looked up in a daze. Karim was standing next to me, protecting me with his shield from whatever might be lurking outside the door.

“Help her. I will hold them back.”

I stared at Aki on the floor. The flames had gone out, and she was no longer screaming. What exactly were they expecting me to do? I reluctantly walked over and halted next to her. I didn’t know any first aid. From what I could see, she needed much more than that.

“Help her, my Lady!”, Selene urged.

I could feel their gazes on me as I slowly knelt by her side. She was alive, but that was the only good thing I could say about her.

“Call on the light, my lady. She doesn’t need to die.”

I watched Aki’s still figure helplessly. I didn’t know what to do. Who did they think I was? I couldn’t heal her. She stirred and squinted weakly at me, murmuring,

“Tomorrow… the sun will rise… again…”

Selene shoved me aside.

“No, don’t do it! You will be too weak!”, Uruk begged her.

She turned and shot an angry look at him.

“I will not let her die”

An acrid scent filled the air. Karim turned away.

“Blood magic? May the Goddess forgive you …”

I didn’t see what she did as she knelt over Aki. They were talking fervently among themselves, but I couldn’t hear their words. After a while, Karim put his hand on my shoulder and helped me onto my feet.

“We need to go, my lady.”

He led us further into the chamber and to a tunnel in the wall. Someone lit a torch as we entered, but I never saw who. We stopped once, and someone passed me a flask of water. I kept drinking until Selene took it from my hands. We kept walking, and only when the darkness of those tunnels was replaced by the clear, dark sky above our heads, did I notice Uruk carrying Aki strapped to his back.

I stumbled and collapsed to the ground. Karim tried to help me get up, but all my strength had left me, and I barely managed to sit up to rest my back against the rock.

“We need to stop”, he said.

Selene turned to us and her gaze pierced me.

“Why?”

I stared at the ground.

“Selene..”, Karim said softly.

She nodded with a frown, and I watched them setting the camp, but I had no strength to help them. What had they wanted me to do back then? Who did they think I was? Karim sat down next to me and passed me some food, and I ate without thinking.

“It wasn’t your fault, Rina. Goddess led you here for a reason, we may not know…”

Selene spat where she sat some distance away, and her anger cut through the air.

“Where was your Goddess when..”

“Selene..”, he said softly and Uruk got up, putting his massive hand on her shoulder, and recited quietly,

Soft like a feather,

hard like a steel,

shine like a star

in the starry sky.

She sighed and looked up at the sky.

I dispel darkness

and bring the light.

I don’t regret

walking this path.

As they finished, Uruk kneeled down and put his hand on Aki’s still figure.

I looked at them. I don’t know why the cat had thought of sending me here. Not only was it a nasty place, just as she had said, but confusing. I glanced at the rest of the group one last time before turning my back on them and closing my eyes. Tomorrow, I promised myself, I would leave.