Chapter 16
Milla awoke to the smell of Selski broth. Milla opened her eyes a crack then opened fully when she saw Tal sitting next to the pot of bubbling broth. She moved to get up and was immediately hit by a dizzy spell. She groaned and slumped back onto the sleeping furs. Obviously Tal heard her and came over to help her up.
"Easy now, you've been knocked out for quite some time," Tal soothed as he elevated her neck.
Milla looked up at Tal and saw that he no longer was possessed by anything and he was looking like himself again. She then started to breathe deeply and slowly to get rid of the splitting headache she had. The pain was intense but just bearable. Milla was no stranger to headaches but she knew this one was probably the worst one she would have experienced. Milla concentrated hard on breathing and soon closed her eyes to concentrate. Tal looked on and half expected Milla to ask him what had happened but she didn't to Tal's relief. Explanations could wait, Milla needed time to heal and that, to Tal, was the most important thing to him right now. Milla didn't speak to Tal for quite some time she just continued to breathe slowly and deeply. Tal laid her head down gently and tucked the sleeping furs around her and went to check on the broth.
"What can I do? The poison needs to take its course and I can't heal you because light magic doesn't have any, believe me I've tried," Tal said aloud to Milla not knowing if she had heard him or not.
"Just try and concentrate on your breathing it might help," Tal advised still getting no answer.
Tal stared at the small flickering flame of the oil lamp and was lost in his thoughts. The reason Milla was in her current state was because he couldn't control the beast. Tal had no one else to blame, the thought of losing control of his body made Tal angry. Tal had to find a way to stop it from ever happening again. Tal stayed up all night on watch and from time to time tried to feed Milla the selski broth which proved a more easier task than trying to stay awake. When the morning came Tal felt like he could sleep for days. Milla was feeling better also and she could now stand which surprised Tal. The poison of the beast usually made normal people sick for three days but Milla seemed to have healed herself in just a few hours. Tal stared at the woman in front of him; she was an amazing person no doubt about that. Milla noticed his staring and asked what he was looking at.
"What? What's wrong?" Milla asked.
"You are standing. . .Amazing," Tal drawled.
"Yes I am standing and feeling much better, why do you find that odd?" Milla asked.
"I guess you've always been a quick healer," Tal said and smiled.
Milla furrowed her brow confused.
"What is he talking about?" Milla wondered then shouldered her pack and started off.
Tal followed suit and they resumed their journey to the ruin ship. The journey was not quiet as Tal had expected. Milla was very talkative, that was not normal for Milla but then again the events on the trip to the ruin ship were not a normal either. Milla fired off questions that Tal answered reluctantly but eventually Tal told her everything starting from when he found the beast and ending with what happened last night.
"I can't control the beast all the time so he naturally took advantage of the situation," Tal said while he climbed down a cliff face.
"So you didn't unleash it intentionally?" Milla asked in all interest while she climbed down after him.
"No why would I release a killing machine? Think of all the damage it could do," Tal said after reaching the bottom.
Milla joined him second later and they moved off continuing down the steep cliff.
"So you do not know the origin of the beast?" Milla asked.
"No but I have suspicions that the Icecarls from long ago may have put it into this sunstone," Tal said hefting his pack.
"What makes you think that?" Milla asked a little confused at how Tal could think an Icecarl knew how to work light magic.
"Well do you think a Chosen could have made a beast that ferocious?" Tal asked.
"What makes you think that an Icearl knew how to wield light magic back then?" Milla asked voicing her thoughts and getting a little angry at how Tal was suggesting an Icecarl could create such an abomination.
"I never said that," Tal said calmly "I said that Icecarls may have made the beast and Chosen brought it to life, keep in mind that there was an alliance between our people long ago,"
Milla was silent for the first time on their trip. Milla thought of what Tal had said. It did have a certain ring of reason to it. There was an alliance between the two races. That was how Emperor Ramellean received the talon of Danir, it was a sign of good faith. Milla pondered these types of thoughts and wondered what type of relationship her ancestor Danir and the Chosen Emperor had when Tal stopped and seemed dazed at something.
"What?" Milla asked and backtracked to his side.
Milla looked at what Tal was looking at and saw a sight for saw eyes.
"Wonderful, I never noticed it until now. . .The Ruin Ship is truly a magnificent sight. . ." Tal drawled in awe.
Milla looked on and seemed lost in similar thoughts while she looked at the lichen encrusted ship hull. The ship looked like a beacon of beauty on the dark ice. Milla shook herself from her dazed state.
"Let's go Tal, the ship isn't far and it looks better on the inside," Milla said and took the lead.
Milla awoke to the smell of Selski broth. Milla opened her eyes a crack then opened fully when she saw Tal sitting next to the pot of bubbling broth. She moved to get up and was immediately hit by a dizzy spell. She groaned and slumped back onto the sleeping furs. Obviously Tal heard her and came over to help her up.
"Easy now, you've been knocked out for quite some time," Tal soothed as he elevated her neck.
Milla looked up at Tal and saw that he no longer was possessed by anything and he was looking like himself again. She then started to breathe deeply and slowly to get rid of the splitting headache she had. The pain was intense but just bearable. Milla was no stranger to headaches but she knew this one was probably the worst one she would have experienced. Milla concentrated hard on breathing and soon closed her eyes to concentrate. Tal looked on and half expected Milla to ask him what had happened but she didn't to Tal's relief. Explanations could wait, Milla needed time to heal and that, to Tal, was the most important thing to him right now. Milla didn't speak to Tal for quite some time she just continued to breathe slowly and deeply. Tal laid her head down gently and tucked the sleeping furs around her and went to check on the broth.
"What can I do? The poison needs to take its course and I can't heal you because light magic doesn't have any, believe me I've tried," Tal said aloud to Milla not knowing if she had heard him or not.
"Just try and concentrate on your breathing it might help," Tal advised still getting no answer.
Tal stared at the small flickering flame of the oil lamp and was lost in his thoughts. The reason Milla was in her current state was because he couldn't control the beast. Tal had no one else to blame, the thought of losing control of his body made Tal angry. Tal had to find a way to stop it from ever happening again. Tal stayed up all night on watch and from time to time tried to feed Milla the selski broth which proved a more easier task than trying to stay awake. When the morning came Tal felt like he could sleep for days. Milla was feeling better also and she could now stand which surprised Tal. The poison of the beast usually made normal people sick for three days but Milla seemed to have healed herself in just a few hours. Tal stared at the woman in front of him; she was an amazing person no doubt about that. Milla noticed his staring and asked what he was looking at.
"What? What's wrong?" Milla asked.
"You are standing. . .Amazing," Tal drawled.
"Yes I am standing and feeling much better, why do you find that odd?" Milla asked.
"I guess you've always been a quick healer," Tal said and smiled.
Milla furrowed her brow confused.
"What is he talking about?" Milla wondered then shouldered her pack and started off.
Tal followed suit and they resumed their journey to the ruin ship. The journey was not quiet as Tal had expected. Milla was very talkative, that was not normal for Milla but then again the events on the trip to the ruin ship were not a normal either. Milla fired off questions that Tal answered reluctantly but eventually Tal told her everything starting from when he found the beast and ending with what happened last night.
"I can't control the beast all the time so he naturally took advantage of the situation," Tal said while he climbed down a cliff face.
"So you didn't unleash it intentionally?" Milla asked in all interest while she climbed down after him.
"No why would I release a killing machine? Think of all the damage it could do," Tal said after reaching the bottom.
Milla joined him second later and they moved off continuing down the steep cliff.
"So you do not know the origin of the beast?" Milla asked.
"No but I have suspicions that the Icecarls from long ago may have put it into this sunstone," Tal said hefting his pack.
"What makes you think that?" Milla asked a little confused at how Tal could think an Icecarl knew how to work light magic.
"Well do you think a Chosen could have made a beast that ferocious?" Tal asked.
"What makes you think that an Icearl knew how to wield light magic back then?" Milla asked voicing her thoughts and getting a little angry at how Tal was suggesting an Icecarl could create such an abomination.
"I never said that," Tal said calmly "I said that Icecarls may have made the beast and Chosen brought it to life, keep in mind that there was an alliance between our people long ago,"
Milla was silent for the first time on their trip. Milla thought of what Tal had said. It did have a certain ring of reason to it. There was an alliance between the two races. That was how Emperor Ramellean received the talon of Danir, it was a sign of good faith. Milla pondered these types of thoughts and wondered what type of relationship her ancestor Danir and the Chosen Emperor had when Tal stopped and seemed dazed at something.
"What?" Milla asked and backtracked to his side.
Milla looked at what Tal was looking at and saw a sight for saw eyes.
"Wonderful, I never noticed it until now. . .The Ruin Ship is truly a magnificent sight. . ." Tal drawled in awe.
Milla looked on and seemed lost in similar thoughts while she looked at the lichen encrusted ship hull. The ship looked like a beacon of beauty on the dark ice. Milla shook herself from her dazed state.
"Let's go Tal, the ship isn't far and it looks better on the inside," Milla said and took the lead.