Too Far
Chapter 7
Crystal walked over to him and knelt down. She could see beads of sweat dripping from his brow and his breathing was fast and labored.
"Uh oh" Crystal said out loud.
(Yea "uh oh" is right babe.) D's hand replied through his clenched fist.
"Who the hell?" she questioned, D was unconscious, so how could he talk to her?
(Hey, could you open his left fist please? He is hurting me.)
Not knowing what else to do she reached down an open his fist and jumped as she saw a small face in his palm.
(Well thank you toots, that's much better. Oh boy, this isn't good.)
"What is it?" crystal asked, she couldn't believe she was talking to a hand.
(You have to get him out of the heat now. He is suffering from sun sickness.)
"I thought one could only get it from being in the sun too long?'
(It counts for the heat too and he never fully recovered from the first time and if we don't move him soon he will die here.)
Oh what have I done she thought as she released her spell. The vines released D and his sword and disappeared into the ground from whence they came. She went and grabbed his horse that was munching on some grass and brought him back to where D was.
(Hurry, he has lost too much blood too…this doesn't look good.)
She shook her head as he reached down and grabbed his sword and put it back in its scabbard on his back. Then she grabbed his left arm and tried to hoist him up on her back. He was really tall to her small 5'10" frame and even though he was thin and looked light he was actually heavy as hell. She tried all she could to get him from her back to his horse and nothing worked. Finally she called on the tree they were under, her spell brought a branch down to wrap around his waist and hoist him over his horses back. She released the spell and the branch went back to its rightful place. She mounted his steed behind his body. He was draped over the back of his horse with the arrows still in his back. His breathing got more labored as she kicked his horse into a gallop towards her cave.
(Where are we going?) His hand asked.
"To my house. It should work for what he needs."
(You know he is going to be mad when he wakes up. Then I can tell him he was a dumbass for not listening.)
"You knew?"
(Of course babe, I even tried to warn him. But he never listens to me.)
"I know he is going to be mad, but this was the only way he would listen."
(You're probably right, but I suggest you keep those vines handy after all. He is going to be pissed and you will…)
"Have to give him blood. I know." Crystal finished "I'm sorry." She then added turning D's horse to the left.
(Don't be, this could be fun, but how did you know about the blood?)
"He is a dhampir; he has vampire blood in him. Since he lost as much as he has he will need more to heal him fully." Crystal replied as she entered the boundaries to her home.
(You are a smart one.) Was his hands reply.
They weren't too far away now. She was beginning to think she might have killed him with the stunt she pulled in the clearing. His breathing increased and he began to sweat more as she reined his horse to the entrance and called for it to open. She walked his horse in the hall and beckoned the barrier to close behind them. They continued down the darkened hallway into the large living space. She snapped her fingers and a small light on the table lit up.
Her cave was dark, cool and somewhat damp with a dirt floor and no place for sunlight to enter. It was the perfect home for a dhampir to recover. Her furniture was made from the cave and woods that surrounded it. There was a small kitchen in a nook straight in from of them when they entered. She had a small single person table protruding from the wall. Her bed was a hole in the cave wall made of logs from the forest and had a large straw mattress on it. This was directly across from where she intended to bury D. A small door to the right contained her bathroom. It was sparsely furnished but it worked perfectly for her. The long hallway they entered through had no light and the single light on her table wouldn't penetrates is darkness. It was the only light she had and it was enough for her.
She hopped off his horse and called upon her spell book to move the dirt from her floor to create a shallow grave for D to recover in. Once she had finished with the grave she ran back to where his horse stood patiently and pulled him off.
(Ouch, that's gonna leave a mark.) She heard his hand say.
He dropped to the cave floor on his side with a loud thud. That's when she noticed he started to stir. He made a faint groaning noise.
(Are you gonna pull those arrows out?)
Crystal shook her head as he pushed him onto his stomach. She reached back and grabbed the one in the small of his back.
"I'm sorry D." she said as she yanked the arrow out. It tore some flesh and muscle with it as she saw D twitch. He definitely felt that one. She took the one in his shoulder next and pulled it out. It tore open the muscle that was still trying to heal. He didn't move that time. Well his isn't coming to anymore. This has to be killing him she thought as unbuckled his sword from his back and tossed it to the side. She reached down and grabbed his arms, flipped him over and dragged him to his temporary resting place. She dropped him in the hole and covered his bloody armor clad body with the dirt that her spell had removed. She covered all but his head and he left hand. She would need some company plus she had questions. She felt like a heartless wench after she had finished. She was forceful but then again his life was in her hands. She turned and picked up the sword and propped it against the wall across from where D laid and went and sat next to his side.
She was right. D did feel the arrows coming out. The one in his back shot pain up his spine and made his head spin. His body twitched in hopes of escaping the pain. All he felt of the second one was the muscle tearing away. Then he could feel he was being dragged, it was tearing his shoulders up. He could feel the coolness of the earth around him. That first arrow pulled him deeper in to a state of unconsciousness but not enough that he couldn't feel was going on around him. This is what he needed. His breathing immediately slowed but it was still labored. He could hear voices talking, one he recognized as his hand and one he didn't know. It was the voice of a woman. The voices were faint to him, as his hearing was slowing loosing its sharpness as his body probed at his mind to shut down. His body finally shut down and drove him deeper into the darkness of his mind. They made it. He was fine for now, but he would need blood soon. The grave for which she dug for him was the final straw in his battle right now. That is what finally bade him unconscious.
After sometime she finally spoke to D's left hand.
"Is he going to be alright? I mean, when does he need to be unburied?"
(Well not yet. His breathing still worries me but we have to let him take in the earth before the blood or we will have issues. But you will at least get to see his other side.) His hand replied in a serious tone. It surprised her, other than in the forest, this was only the second time he seemed serious about D's condition.
"I went too far. I hope he understands. I feel horrible about it."
(I wouldn't worry about him. He'll get over it. He always does.)
"Why do people fear him so? He seems like a nice person under that cold hard exterior. I mean, I understand he is half vampire, but why be afraid of him?"
(No; he never has and hopefully never will because then he wouldn't be able to live with himself. People fear the unknown and they don't know or understand him. So they naturally fear him. It doesn't help that that he is cold as ice either. But the sheriff doesn't fear him….what is his deal?)
"That is a long story. It's part of the reason why I brought him here. I will tell you when he wakes. I just hope he understands."
(Fine, fair enough. Go, take a nap, you look tired. This is going to be awhile he is out cold.) D's hand said with a chuckle.
"I think I will. Taking him down like that took a lot out of me. Yell for me when he starts to wake. When do I need the vines on him?"
(Not yet. Once you offer the blood I would bind him, because that is going to be the only thing that brings him around completely.)
"It seems like you have done this a lot." Crystal said as she started towards her bed.
(Yea, well when you live in a person who is stubborn as hell and doesn't listen then you learn.) D's hand replied.
Crystal laid down in her bed and covered herself up. She was very tired. It took a lot out her to contain him. She knew he was strong just from the stories, but that wasn't anything like she thought. Sometimes stories became exaggerated after they go through so many people. He was very strong…scary strong. She snapped her fingers again to put the light out and finally closed her eyes and let the sleep come her.
D's hands said no more as he retreated from his palm to check the status of Ds recovery.
(Looks like we are going to see those pearly fangs of yours after all aren't we D.) D's hand thought to himself.