Kaymele (part 6)

    

    'I will not fail!  Bly you must wake up your life depends on it!' I yell, shaking her vigorously.  

    'The doctors want her to be awake so the medicine will work.  Oh, that medicine has made her sleepy and it really worked this time.' I think to myself.  'Time is running out and I still haven't awakened her.  There's only one thing left to try.'

    'Oo ee veh-thehd nah ee ohn-nahd.  See boh oo-thahn-nah.  Eye oo-ess-tell-ee, ess-tell-ee-akh nahd,' I pause and still she doesn't stir, 'Ess-tell-ee-oh hahn, ess-tell-ee-oh hahn, ess-tell-ee-oh, ess-tell-ee-oh hahn, ess-tell-ee-oh vehl-ehth.' I sing in the clearest and sweetest voice.

    There is a long, silent, pause.  Even the noise outside the building; where the sounds of workers could be heard, was silent.  Her eyes flutter open and she moans softly.

    'What, where am I?  Kaymele, are there three of you?  You all sing so beautifully,' said Bly wobbling back and forth as she tried to sit up. 

    'Stop, just lay there for a while Bly you've been through so much, and we had to triple your dose of medicine.  The drugs we had to use on you are causing you to see things in triple I guess.  Don't worry it will go away in a few hours,' I say adjusting her blankets, 'Xander hasn't left you bedside since we gave you the potion.  I finally sent him away to get some sleep for his own good.  You gave us quite a scare.'

    'Oh my head!  How long was I out?' asked Bly in a croaky whisper.

    'Dear, you've been out for nearly six days,' I say.

    'Oh my, it felt as if it were only a few hours.  Can I have some water?' whispered Bly.

    'Of course,' I say pouring a glass.

    'There was something I wanted to ask you before.  What happened back when Nithron rescued you?  What did he rescue you from?'

    I look at the floor and bite my lip.  Fresh memories of Eleniel flood my mind and the tears begin to slide down my cheeks.  To remember that night when horror, pain, and hatred entered my life again.

    'I-I can't tell you. The memories are too much for me, she wouldn't want me to speak of the past.  She was so young and beautiful, why did it have to be her,' I say between sobs.

    'Who do you speak of?  I promise not to speak a word of it to anyone,' says Bly the same way Eleniel used to say to me when she knew I was hiding something.

    A dozen thoughts buzzed in my head, and the fear of anything escaping this room was nagging at my mind.  What if she told Xander about my deeds.  He's not the type of person that you tell murders to and he's fine with it.  What if Nithron found that I spoke of it.  I blushed at the thought of it escaping to his ears.

    'I cannot trust even you my friend, and it would be far too much sorrow for your pure ears to hear,' I say wiping the streams of tears that continue to flow.

    'It was someone dear to you... a friend, or a member of your family perhaps?' Bly questioned. 

    'Please don't make me answer!' I plead.  'Oh how I loath pleading!' 

    Then Nithron enters the room his shoes barely making any noise against the soft earthen floor.  I think he's glad to see Bly awake, but when he looked at me his expression changed.  

    'Kaymele, you've been crying.  What troubles you?' he asks handing me a cloth to wipe my face.

    'Nothing, just happiness... and the wild onions that I was sent to pick I accidentally rubbed into my eyes and they started watering,' I say trembling, 'have you seen Nairi?  Were the herbs useful to Anakis and Natia?'

    'Nairi is sleeping now, I think Adonis won't last much longer he looked exhausted when I stopped in,' he paused and chuckled to himself then continued, 'Anakis and Natia are professional healers, and they send you thanks for the herbs.' 

    'How is Xander?' asks Bly trying to sit up again.

    'He is tired and anxious.  He stayed awake for 5 days always sitting in here with you,' said Nithron.

    She blushed a deep red and lowers her eyes.  I retrieve more salve for her cuts and burns; but from her complexion I can tell the medicine is starting to work.  I wished that I could use my powers on the burns but I've never tried to heal an Elf.  It might start another kind of infection or something even more terrible.  As I apply the salve Nithron soaks a bandage in cold water, and hands it to me.  I noticed it was wet at the last moment, but by then it was too late.  For a moment I was water itself then I feel myself falling faster and faster until I hit the floor with a thud.  'Oh great, just great,' I think to myself.

    'Thanks Nithron!  Now look what you did,' I shout angrily.

    Lying on the floor both Bly and Nithron now see what happened.  I have now gained a tail, the scales are shimmering in the light coming from the high windows.  My eyes are now blue and my hair; that had been in a loose braid, now hung loose down my back.  My dress was now gone, and in it's place from the torso up, a greenish bodice that has cap sleeves and ornate designs all over.  On my arms I have arm bands that swirl between my shoulder and elbow.  The most startling to them was the tattoo on my hand.  They both stare at me with open mouths, frozen in shock.  I sigh and lift my hand above my tail; curling in my fingers the water begins to evaporate off me.  In a few moments I'm back on my feet applying salve again.

    'What just happened?' asked Nithron still standing stalk still.

    'Oh, nothing.  Just a little thing I forgot to tell you about myself,' they both still looked puzzled so I continued, 'If water touches my skin then I become a mermaid.  It's like that for all the other merfolk, a single drop alone can cause a transformation.' 

    As I was finishing my speech Adonis rushes in looking frantically around.  

    'Have any of you seen Nairi? I woke up and she was gone!' exclaims Adonis.

    'Now just slow down.  She may have gone to find water or some other thing that Ceridwen's might need,' said Nithron reassuring Adonis.

    In the silence that followed Adonis heard something that not even mine or Nithron's Elf ears could hear.  He dashes off down the long corridor.  Nithron starts to leave when Xander runs past.  

    'Xander!' calls Bly.

    'Bly!  Your awake, and look much better than when I saw you last,' says Xander slightly gasping for breath.

    'Hurry Nithron that was Nairi's scream,' he says taking off again, 'I will come back Bly and talk to you properly.'

    'Hurry Nithron, I'm coming too,' I say starting towards the door.

    'Whoa, you aren't going anywhere,' says Nithron grabbing my arm, 'we don't know the trouble, and you are attending Bly.  Please stay here.'

    'Please, don't go,' pleads Bly.

    'Oh, Bly.  I guess I must stay and assist Bly as you say Nithron,' I say lowering my gaze.

    'We will return,' says both Xander and Nithron.

    Soon after they left I peeked out the door.  Not a soul to be seen.  I turn and face Bly, she is fussing with her dress.  I give her the dress that the rebels kindly gave for her to change into.  Even though it had been worn by a lady with much longer arms and a bigger waist than Bly, it was in much better condition than the one she was wearing.  She goes into the next room to change and adjust it.

    'Here's my chance,' I think, 'I'll just quietly slip away while she's busy.'

    Swiftly I ran; down the corridor and out the large doors towards the Captain's tent.  There aren't any people around, and that worries me.  I reach the entrance of the tent and call for Captain Beleg.  The tent flap opens and his rough face meets mine.

    'Captain, I expect you heard the scream?' I say.

    'Of course, I have already sent for a hundred of my men to gather their weapons,' says Beleg stepping outside of the tent.

    'Good, I'm going ahead.  Tell your men to hurry!' I say taking off again.

    Beleg doesn't try to stop me like Nithron did, so I rush off to find them.  I listen for Adonis, Xander's sword, the twang of Nithron's new bow, and the singing of arrows flying through the air.  But instead I hear the roar of Prid and follow him.  At last I find them all fighting at the doors of the dungeon.  Hiding in the trees I can see everything.  Two dragons one black as night, and the other grey with sharp green eyes.  I see Adonis his hair in flames and all at once before my eyes there he was a giant, red, dragon.  Then there is nothing but teeth, claws, and fire between them.  Xander, Prid, and Nithron are trying to reach the dragons' tender bellies, but unsuccessfully.  Adonis is tiring fast he's no match for two older dragons.  I call for Florentide to come help him, and she is flying with the most speed she can control.  I search for Nairi but in all the confusion I can't find her short figure anywhere.  I needed a plan, I needed to safely find Nairi, and secretly help Xander, Nithron, and Prid defeat the dragons.  Finally I think of one thing that I was forbidden to do at home.  The council told me that I was never to cast any spells upon anyone or anything, but I'm not home anymore.

    'Iire i luu lende, fuin lanta.  Galad edraith lye ilya!' I whisper.

    As I spoke the words my face began to glow with white light, far brighter than the sun.  My eyes must have been shining too, for no one could look directly into them.  I felt my hair rise and burst into what I guessed to be blue flames, and the rest of me; even my dress, turns into water.  I leap out of my hiding spot and rush towards the battle field.  The fighting stops because of the blinding light, but I dim after a while and the dragons can see again.  The black one takes a swipe with his claw at me, but I see the claw coming, and create a water ball to throw at the sole of his foot.  It meets it's mark and as the water touched his bare, soft, skin he screeched in pain.  The water worked as an acid, it burns and boils the skin until there was nothing left but blood and loose tendons.  

    Florentide arrives and breaths icy fire at the other dragons.  Prid; now a loin, lunges at the dragon and Adonis shoots fire at the injured foot.  The dragon jumps back.  Xander runs forward; nearly getting scorched by the other dragon.  Then the army of a hundred rebels led by Beleg arrives.  With Nithron leading the charge they rush the dragons and the battle has indeed begun.

    'Adonis!' I shout in a watery voice over the battle cries, 'where is Nairi?!'

    'At the edge of the forest.  She is wounded I think, hurry and get her back to Anakis and Natia!'

    I frantically search the edge of the forest, and then I see her.  The long dark hair and the torn dress. 'Nairi,'.  I run faster and faster until I reach her.  Her shoulder has been pierced by a branch I guess to have been bitten off by some other kind of monster.  She is lying in a puddle of red and purple blood an artery must have been punctured when she slammed into the tree.  There was no time for thinking, gently I lift her. Before I can lift her into my arms I see it, one of the dragons transformed back into a man and is shooting arrows with deadly aim.  I watch as one of the arrows pierces into Nithron's side.

    'NOOO!' I scream.

    He falls to the ground and the world seems to be spinning around me, and I hear nothing but the racing beat of my heart as I leave Nairi and run to him.  Before I can fully process what has happened, I throw a water ball at the archer straight onto his chest.  He screams and frantically tries to wipe the water off, but it was far too late.  

    'Death to all who are servants of King Felix!' I scream to him before he died.

    Nithron's breath is getting shorter and he is grabbing at my arm.  I see his blue eyes, and I can't help but tear up.  He pulls my ear towards his lips he says.

    'Save, Nairi...' he whispers.

    The other dragon is taking off and leaving the battle and swearing something, but I can't hear.  Tears are streaming down my face and I can't let go of his hand.

    'No, I won't leave you!' I say holding tighter.

    'Go! You must Go!' he says throwing me back.

    I run back to Nairi still crying.  She is still bleeding badly, and I race back to camp with her in my arms.  Anakis and Natia meet me half way and quickly set to work clearing her room.  After I arrive the spell breaks and I'm back to normal.  Though my nose is bleeding, I don't notice.  

    After what seems like an eternity the battle party returns.  Adonis is in a full sprint towards the building.  I run past him trying to find Nithron, but he stops me.

    'Where is Nairi!' he says taking shallow breaths.

    'She's in her room with Anakis, Natia, and about a dozen other physicians,' I say but stopping him now, 'but Anakis and Natia say that no one else is allowed into the room.'

    'What!  They will surely let me in.  I have to see her!  I was lazy and wasn't there for her,' says Adonis almost beginning to cry.  

    'Look they are Fairies alright!  They are the best healers known to Incantevole,' I say.

    'Fairies?!  How do you know?' he asks shocked.

    'Their colors, just ask Bly, Xander, and maybe even Prid.  They are fairies, and they will stop at nothing to save Nairi,' I say, 'now where is Nithron?  Is he alive?  Who has him?' 

    'Slow down, Xander and Prid are carrying him here as we speak, but I should warn you that...' he says.

    But before he could finish, I was running to find them.  Through the hundred men I searched for them.  Finally I spot them Xander on one side and Prid on the other Nithron in the middle.  His entire side was red with blood.  Xander and Prid didn't look much better, but they were both able to walk.  The arrow was pulled from his side and left behind at the battle field, so now there is a gaping hole where the arrow used to be.  We make a bed for him, and Anakis, Natia and more physicians are beside him telling me to leave.  But I can bear to leave him for even a moment.  I feel Xander and a guard pulling me out of the room.  I claw and bite even scream to stay, but I weaken and they pull me away easily.  Outside the closed door I collapse and bang endlessly against it, screaming, and crying.  No one dares to come near, fearing my violent behavior; I already scratched Xander's arm to the point of bleeding.  Then through my tears I see Bly cautiously walking up to me.  She wraps me in a blanket and takes me back to her room.  

    I lie on her bed and whimper until I fall asleep.  'How many more people that I love will be taken away from me?  First Eleniel, now surely Nithron will die too.' I think, and with unstoppable sobs I slip into a deep sleep.