Chapter 4 - Dishonoured
Knocked out again. 'Is this to be a regular occurrence?' I thought as I looked upon the damp infested ceiling that was covering my head. I remembered the fighting, or lack of it anyhow. I heard voices around me, and when I looked round Karon was sitting by my side. I tried to speak but words were hard to come by, and she simply put her hand over my mouth to stop me from worsening my condition. She looked down at me.
"Rylian, you've been asleep for four days. We were all worried, we didn't think you were going to get out of it."
I was surprised. Four days? That wasn't a good thing, for it meant I had been away from home for at least five, and probably more. What were my parents thinking now? After all, there was no way they were going to find me here. Where-ever 'here' was in the first place. I turned back to Karon, and she spoke to me in tones that were gratifying to my hearing and my senses.
"It was a very brave thing you did. I just want you to know that. I know you're maybe no warrior now, but."
I looked at her but she just signalled for me to keep my silence. I pulled my head up from the pillow and whispered something with the little speech I was able to muster.
".was anyone.hurt in the fighting?"
She grinned at me and laughed. I didn't see much to laugh about though.
"No-one apart from you Rylian. there was no reason for you to jump in. Pretty ironic huh?"
It may have been ironic but it wasn't funny, at least not to me. My head was shattered and my legs felt as if movement wasn't even a future wish. Suddenly a young woman came into the tent, and I only recognised her as the woman who had spoken to me at the battle when she spoke to Karon. that voice was so distinctive it was unreal.
"He's awake I see. And you weren't going to come and tell me this?"
"I was just about to Tomono. he just woke up. He seems all right, apart from his injuries, so are you going to heal him now?"
"Yes, I am. Stand back Karon."
I looked at the woman as she stood over me, and I tried to examine her face as well as I was able to. She had no wrinkles but she looked exhausted, her bloodshot eyes tearing into mine. She wore a black scarf around her neck, which almost seemed to move of it's own free will, and her long black hair poured over her shoulders and down her body and almost to her tiny waist. How could such a small woman be so formidable, as she was when I first met her? It was certainly a puzzle, but then I had already learned that appearances could be deceptive when I met Karon. The woman that stood before me was a lot older than Karon though, I guessed probably in her early thirties, but again she had character that I felt I could only dream of. It was confusing without a doubt.
The young woman raised her hands over my head and a golden light started to shimmer over her tiny palms. I looked at the glow intently, waiting for it to burst into some sort of magical light show, but this never occurred. The rich sensation instead started to cover my body, all over every part of myself that I could feel and some places that I couldn't. The feeling was incredible as I felt my bone knit back into place in the wink of an eye, and I couldn't think of anything quite so pleasurable than what I had just experienced. It was quite an eye-opener.
I got up out of the bed and stood before the woman who had given me back my movement. I was still quite amazed by what had just happened, and I was only able to stammer my thanks to her. She grimaced and told me to follow her outside. I looked at Karon, and I was told to go with the woman. I walked out of the door into blazing sunlight for the first time in what now seemed like years, and once again I felt free. I was able to listen to the air shift as the birds flew overhead, and even the dirt path with its brown, tough texture that I was walking upon seemed appealing to the sense. I walked alongside the woman and asked her what she was called.
"My name is Jessie."
The speech was cold and it had the effect of fear, but I stayed as composed as I could and continued my line of questioning.
"My name's Rylian, but you already know that. We didn't get a chance for introductions back there, huh?"
"I don't think it was a good time for that."
"Yeah, I agree. By the way, where are we going?"
She turned around to me and raised her fist threateningly.
"Look kid, quit it with the innocent act, cause I really don't want to hear it. I don't want to know where you came from, but I don't trust you one bit. You may have jumped in front of Kefka's men, but that doesn't mean you're not with him. If I find out you're with any of those guys I'll kill you so fast you won't even be able to blink. Alright?"
I was stunned, but not overcome by emotion just yet.
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about. Karon told me that I would be able to explain myself when I got here, so why can't I just do that before you start making assumptions? Would that be alright with you, Jessie? Or are you going to kill me before I even get the chance?"
"Alright kid, that's where I'm taking you now, so we can hear what you have to say. But if I even think for a second."
I waved her off and started to walk again, now in anger. Who the hell was she?! I had half a mind to threaten her, but my anger subsided. I knew it wouldn't do any good. I had to find out what was going on here, because I didn't like the way it was going. It was starting to look like my head was on the line, and I wasn't used to that. I wasn't going to die. That was certain in my mind.
Knocked out again. 'Is this to be a regular occurrence?' I thought as I looked upon the damp infested ceiling that was covering my head. I remembered the fighting, or lack of it anyhow. I heard voices around me, and when I looked round Karon was sitting by my side. I tried to speak but words were hard to come by, and she simply put her hand over my mouth to stop me from worsening my condition. She looked down at me.
"Rylian, you've been asleep for four days. We were all worried, we didn't think you were going to get out of it."
I was surprised. Four days? That wasn't a good thing, for it meant I had been away from home for at least five, and probably more. What were my parents thinking now? After all, there was no way they were going to find me here. Where-ever 'here' was in the first place. I turned back to Karon, and she spoke to me in tones that were gratifying to my hearing and my senses.
"It was a very brave thing you did. I just want you to know that. I know you're maybe no warrior now, but."
I looked at her but she just signalled for me to keep my silence. I pulled my head up from the pillow and whispered something with the little speech I was able to muster.
".was anyone.hurt in the fighting?"
She grinned at me and laughed. I didn't see much to laugh about though.
"No-one apart from you Rylian. there was no reason for you to jump in. Pretty ironic huh?"
It may have been ironic but it wasn't funny, at least not to me. My head was shattered and my legs felt as if movement wasn't even a future wish. Suddenly a young woman came into the tent, and I only recognised her as the woman who had spoken to me at the battle when she spoke to Karon. that voice was so distinctive it was unreal.
"He's awake I see. And you weren't going to come and tell me this?"
"I was just about to Tomono. he just woke up. He seems all right, apart from his injuries, so are you going to heal him now?"
"Yes, I am. Stand back Karon."
I looked at the woman as she stood over me, and I tried to examine her face as well as I was able to. She had no wrinkles but she looked exhausted, her bloodshot eyes tearing into mine. She wore a black scarf around her neck, which almost seemed to move of it's own free will, and her long black hair poured over her shoulders and down her body and almost to her tiny waist. How could such a small woman be so formidable, as she was when I first met her? It was certainly a puzzle, but then I had already learned that appearances could be deceptive when I met Karon. The woman that stood before me was a lot older than Karon though, I guessed probably in her early thirties, but again she had character that I felt I could only dream of. It was confusing without a doubt.
The young woman raised her hands over my head and a golden light started to shimmer over her tiny palms. I looked at the glow intently, waiting for it to burst into some sort of magical light show, but this never occurred. The rich sensation instead started to cover my body, all over every part of myself that I could feel and some places that I couldn't. The feeling was incredible as I felt my bone knit back into place in the wink of an eye, and I couldn't think of anything quite so pleasurable than what I had just experienced. It was quite an eye-opener.
I got up out of the bed and stood before the woman who had given me back my movement. I was still quite amazed by what had just happened, and I was only able to stammer my thanks to her. She grimaced and told me to follow her outside. I looked at Karon, and I was told to go with the woman. I walked out of the door into blazing sunlight for the first time in what now seemed like years, and once again I felt free. I was able to listen to the air shift as the birds flew overhead, and even the dirt path with its brown, tough texture that I was walking upon seemed appealing to the sense. I walked alongside the woman and asked her what she was called.
"My name is Jessie."
The speech was cold and it had the effect of fear, but I stayed as composed as I could and continued my line of questioning.
"My name's Rylian, but you already know that. We didn't get a chance for introductions back there, huh?"
"I don't think it was a good time for that."
"Yeah, I agree. By the way, where are we going?"
She turned around to me and raised her fist threateningly.
"Look kid, quit it with the innocent act, cause I really don't want to hear it. I don't want to know where you came from, but I don't trust you one bit. You may have jumped in front of Kefka's men, but that doesn't mean you're not with him. If I find out you're with any of those guys I'll kill you so fast you won't even be able to blink. Alright?"
I was stunned, but not overcome by emotion just yet.
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about. Karon told me that I would be able to explain myself when I got here, so why can't I just do that before you start making assumptions? Would that be alright with you, Jessie? Or are you going to kill me before I even get the chance?"
"Alright kid, that's where I'm taking you now, so we can hear what you have to say. But if I even think for a second."
I waved her off and started to walk again, now in anger. Who the hell was she?! I had half a mind to threaten her, but my anger subsided. I knew it wouldn't do any good. I had to find out what was going on here, because I didn't like the way it was going. It was starting to look like my head was on the line, and I wasn't used to that. I wasn't going to die. That was certain in my mind.
