The Haunting: Destiny (FF)

Chapter 52

Mia's POV:

The world is quiet. The sound of wind whisp around my ears as I walk in a field I cannot see, but the tickling grass lets my feet graze by as my hands hover over a soft crop.

There's voices in the distance, I recognise it. A young girl who's voice heightens at the last word whilst her excitement fails to be hidden.

"Bunsy!"

I smile. I didn't think I'd hear her again.

But then there's a scream. Spinning around my eyes shoot open and I jolt forward.

It was a dream.

My sigh of disappointment gets shut down as the now dampened screaming starts to slow down to muffled cries. Gathering my surroundings I spot Armen still on the floor, now he's curled up into a ball, clutching his left arm as he hisses in pain.

Dizziness hits me as I shoot up, walking towards him I ignore it as I crouch down. I yell his name as he turns to me. His left eye is shut tight as the bloodied scar on his face is slowly flowing down his face.

"Mia? What-" he coughs out, "What happened?"

He tries puts his hands down to sit up, only to suddenly retract his left arm. I have to keep him down as his breathing finally gets to a steady pace. He still won't open his left eye.

"You teleported us out of the Empire... but something seemed to go wrong." I claim.

He doesn't respond as I can see his right eye scan the area, hesitating in Grayson's direction he lets out a inaudible word, closing his eye.

Concerned about the still bleeding wounds scanning for anything to help. There's nothing. Thankfully the wounds aren't as dire, nor is he in the same state as Grayson was. I've just got to hope it doesn't get worse...

He's quiet. Real quiet. It's different and it worries me. In a matter of days, his whole demeanour has changed, the way he looks at the sky and the sound of his voice. I may not have known him for long but I can always tell. 

"What happened to Drake?" I ask quietly.

He turns his head away, holding his breath. You can hear the birds, chirping their oblivious tunes as the wind continues to howl with mournful chords.

"I don't know." He finally mutters, refusing to meet my eyes.

He brings his left arm closer to him, wincing only to pull it closer. I have a feeling I know the truth, but I won't push for answers, yet.

The air is thick as neither of us say a thing. I don't think we've had a chance to talk properly before now, there's either been other people or life threatening action. Then again, even when he had a bit of rest at that village, he avoided all of us, even Drake...

I thought I knew Drake; quiet, determined, a bit angsty but friendly, willing to carry on despite all the shit he's gone through, but since the reunion, it wasn't him. He seemed deflated, weaker, paranoid. I think he was slowly loosing it for a while, maybe that trip to hell tipped him over. Then again, I wasn't there, I don't know what happened nor is anyone willing to tell me.

I hear shuffling. Armen is slowly sitting up.

"Hey hey! You've got to-"

"No. I'm fine." With pain in his voice he finally sits straight, eyes blinking a bit before he decides to keep the hurt one shut.

"What's happened to Grayson?" He asks.

We both look at him, "He's lost a lot of blood." I mutter, "I've tried to cut off the circulation to his leg, so hopefully it'll stop."

You can barely see him breathing, it's painful to see.

"Well, we can't just stay here." Armen claims, trying to get up, this time I force him to stay down, "If the empire start searching they'll find us, then what? All of that was for nothing, we'll be caught and executed instantly. So what are we going to do?

With each word his voice gets worse, anger and despair seem to seep through as the power of his tone decreases.

I've been thinking the same thing. It's true, if we wait around we'll be captured, if we move there's a chance to wounds will get worse, then again if we sit around Grayson might die from infections. Armen seems partially alright, at least he's conscious, then again that's a problem in itself with how active he wants to be, he might just neglect his own health. I'll need to keep an eye on him.

"You need to rest. We can decide things later-"

"But-"

"If you keep going you're just going to kill yourself. Your body is still healing." He doesn't look at me, "Even if you were physically well, Grayson isn't conscious, I doubt he'll be able to walk anyway."

"I could heal him-" he slightly perks up but the look I give him quickly shuts that down.

"I don't know all the logistics of it, but I remember what was said. You don't have any mana left, do you?"

He sheepishly turns his head away, "Maybe."

"I- dude, even more reason to rest up!"

"Well, I don't know how to regain mana, Drake never... he never told me." He mutters the last part. 

"Maybe we can find someone else to help?"

He gives a half-hearted chuckle, "Impossible, they're all dead."

"They're not-"

"They are, I- back then, they were told of a powerful magic, a spell, a way of making them more powerful than three hundred men, and even gods, so many flocked there... so many burned in the fire, unable to escape as all exits were locked, all mana was sapped and none of them noticed the smoke until it was too late..." his words are certain, almost hopeless, then he realises I'm staring he starts to rub his arm, "sorry, I... all I'm saying is that they're dead. He made sure of that."

This is the most open he's ever really been with me, and I don't want this to be the last time.

"And I'm sure, I've met one. After the whole, magical library thing, I've met a couple mages. And especially after that big boom of magic there's-"

"Stop-" Armen suddenly shouts, hands covering his ears- "I... I... I'm sorry, I just. Can you not tell me any more?" He whispers.

He takes his arms down and waits for my answer.

"Sure, but you'll need to give a better explain that."

"I will, just... later, okay?"

...

"Fine."

...

"Well," I start looking out at the vast sky, "Either way, get some more rest. You need it."

I doubt he's going to get much, and if he does sleep, I wonder if he'll dream. I wonder if any of us truly dream or if it's just snippets of the happiest memories we wish to hold dear to us, or it's a nightmare, reminding us of the wrong choices that could've turned out better if mere seconds were saved.

There seems to be a storm brewing.

Hopefully it'll stay quiet for a while.