Monsters
Ryner looked just past the horizon. He could see the town in the distance.
"Beautiful isn't it?" Ryner whispered to Ferris, but she didn't reply back. "We're almost there, so just hold on a little longer." The moon lit the path brightly as he walked carefully with Ferris in his arms.
When they reached the empty streets of the small town, he wanted to scream for help. Ferris was still unconscious and her body temperature was still the same as when he found her. I don't know what to do. If I call for help, Roland's military could be in the area. I would basically be screaming 'please come and kill me alongside my dying partner.' Ryner gripped the flawless beauty tightly and rested her head against his chest. Her body had become pale as it sat in his arms motionless. I don't know what to do, Ferris. Please tell me what to do.
Upon a miracle, a young boy approached the two. He had the same colour blanket that Ryner had given the group of children earlier in the day.
"Hey mister! Why are you sitting on the streets? It's chilly today. Thank you again for the blankets and dango! "He said with a huge grin.
"Kid, do you know where I can find a doctor?!" Ryner asked desperately. The boy looked at Ferris and then back to Ryner.
"So you found your girlfriend, mister?"
"Yeah, just take me to the best doctor you have here!" the boy held Ryner's pant leg and pointed the direction as they ran.
After much turning and going through alleys, they arrived in front of a small, little house. It looked old, but Ryner hoped and prayed that there was a doctor behind that door. The little boy could see that Ryner's hands were busy so he knocked on the door for him.
"Hello?! Hello?! Is there a doctor here? I need help! My friend is ill. Please open the door and help us!" Ryner pleaded. There were loud footsteps coming towards the door but they weren't let in. Instead, a voice greeted them from the other side.
"What do you want? How dare you disturb my sleep?!" it was the voice of a man and he sounded angry.
"My friend is ill and unconscious. Please help her! Her body temperature isn't healthy and-"
The door opened to reveal an old senior with glasses. He was short, had gray hair and a stubble.
"Quiet boy."
The old man looked at Ryner and then to Ferris. She was motionless and her chest didn't rise and fall as high as the average person.
"Bring her in. She needs my attention." the doctor said as he held the door open. Just before Ryner entered the house, he dismissed the child beside him.
"Thank you for the help." Ryner said with a small grin on his face.
"No problem, mister! Take care of your girlfriend now. Bye!" the boy said waving and then ran off. Ryner sighed but didn't say anything in return. Instead, he just shut the door behind him. He carried Ferris upstairs to where the old man was preparing his equipment.
"Put her down on the bed." Ryner did what he was told. He could finally feel his arms again as he placed her down and took the large sword off his back. The doctor felt her forehead. "Looking at her temperature, this was done by magic."
Ryner looked puzzled. Magic?
"I don't have the ability to sense which area is infected." the old man stated.
"Allow me." Ryner said as he activated his Alpha Stigma. The man looked shocked but didn't say anything about it. As Ryner scanned Ferris's body, there was something dark around her chest and back area. "There is something dark around the chest and back."
The old man took off Ferris's gown. Under it was a huge scar evidently from something sharp, and the whole area had turned dark purple. Ryner stared at the injury with awe. He was very much astounded to see that the injury he healed in Nelpa had turned into this. Keifer had said that there was something on Ferris's back, but he never thought that it would turn into something so severe.
"My word! Boy, how did that come on her back?"
Ryner explained the whole battle and how he had healed Ferris's back with healing magic.
"She is fighting with something in her body. From what I can gather with the information you have given, I'm almost positive that something has infiltrated her body when she fought with your enemy and you didn't notice it when you were healing the poor girl."
Ryner didn't know what to say. "Can you treat her?" he managed to pull those words out of his throat.
"I don't have a prognosis for her as of yet. I will need to run some tests and then I'll let you know."
"She doesn't have time for that, damn it!" Ryner yelled impatiently. "She's in a critical condition now! If you can't help her, I'll find another doctor who can!" Just before Ryner picked up Ferris, the old man stopped him.
"It is your fault that she has ended up like this. Your carelessness brought her to where she is today." the old man stated. Ryner stood there with nothing to say back. He knew that the doctor was right. "If you truly want to kill her, then by all means take her. I can give her an injection to try and bring the fever down, run the tests and then continue from there, unless you have other plans."
Ryner stared at Ferris for a good 20 seconds with tightened fists. Crap, what have I done to you, Ferris?
"How can I help?" he asked while looking at the blond.
.
.
.
.
.
.
After they were done with the preliminary testing, Ryner stepped out of the room so the doctor could treat Ferris. He didn't know what was going on and was getting rather anxious. His companion was still unconscious. Ryner was tired but sleep didn't come to him. He was too worried about Ferris's condition to worry about the small hindrances.
With much time that had passed awfully slowly, the doctor finally came out of the room. Ryner stood up immediately. The old man sighed and rubbed his hand against his stubble before continuing to speak.
"I have done all that I can for the girl. Now it's in God's hands to see how her fate will turn out."
"Can I see her?" Ryner asked quietly.
"Don't make too much noise though. She's resting." Ryner nodded and went inside. He approached the blond beauty slowly. He scanned her with his Alpha Stigma and didn't detect anything. Ferris's chest was rising and falling at a regular rate and the colour in her face was slowly coming back now. She was sleeping soundly too.
Ryner bent down onto his knees and looked at Ferris. She truly was a sleeping beauty.
"God's hands? He's hated me from the very start. Why is it that everyone hates me and you're always there to support me? Why are you so different from everyone else, Ferris? Why can you and Keifer, Iris, and even Sion think of me differently than God? I promised you that my death is in your hands and yours alone. Not even God can take that away. If he keeps throwing these challenges at us and you can't bear them anymore, I'll take them. You belong to me and me alone. We will not be separated. I'll kill all Gods that get in our way. Just promise me one thing," Ryner chuckled a little before continuing. "That when you get better, I'll bring you all the dango you want and in return, I get to catch up on my naps."
He then held her hand reflexively which was by her side. As he touched it, he noticed that Ferris's hands were unlike the hands of a warrior's. Your hands are so smooth and different compared to a typical knight. Ryner touched her pale cheek with his other hand. Get well soon. I have a promise I made to Iris that I intend on keeping. What kind of a partner would I be if I can't even keep a promise to your little sister?
Just as he was going to get up to leave the blond so she could rest, he felt something lightly gripping his hand back. He looked to see that Ferris's hand was still linked to his. He gently tried to unlock them, but to his astonishment, there was pressure coming from Ferris's hand. With a small sigh, he grinned, sat on the corner of the bed and even when lethargy built over his eyelids and his body fell asleep, he didn't let go of her hand.
O.O.O.O.O
Ryner awoke to the sound of banging on the door.
"Hey WAKE UP! Roland soldiers are outside checking everyone's homes!" It was the old man. Ryner peeked out of the window to see large groups of soldiers marching outside. A few of them, roughly in groups of three, would either let you open the door for them or break it down forcefully. Crap. How did they find us so quickly? Ryner opened the bedroom door. "Pick up your girlfriend and leave from the closet sunroof."
"If I take her now, she'll die. Her body is barely able to produce any body heat!" Ryner exclaimed. The old man stared at him and then to Ferris. He opened the closet door and stood there firmly.
Ryner knew he wasn't going to change his mind. "Is a doctor's job to neglect an injured patient's cry for help? Is this truly what makes a doctor? FERRIS WILL DIE, GOD DAMN IT!" the old man didn't speak. Ryner approached Ferris and saw how soundly she was resting. Shit shit shit! Please just get better, Ferris. Wake up, please just wake up.
"How will I explain that I have an Alpha Stigma in my house? They'll kill you and end me in the process for giving shelter to monsters.
Monsters... Ryner tightened his fist to the sound of that venomous word coming out of the man's mouth. It stung him severely before, but to have Ferris classified as one too burned the depths of his whole body. He wanted to yell. Ryner wanted to tell him that Ferris was no monster. Sure she can act like one, but she was no monster. Instead, he closed his fist tightly and tried to calm his anger.
"Alright, we'll leave." Ryner said with a sting of anger in his voice as he took Ferris out of the blankets. Her fever had gone down a little.
"You can take the blankets and some medicine for her though. I prepared them for her for further use but clearly I won't be able to give it to her. Mix it in cold water and give it to her to drink twice a day until it runs out."
"And what if she isn't conscious when it is time to give it to her?" Ryner inquired.
"Force it down her. She needs that medicine to keep her body running at a regular rate."
"Got it." Ryner said as he took it from the table to his left and put it in his breast pocket. He wrapped Ferris tightly in the blanket, picked up her sword, and headed for the closet. "How far is it from here to the next town?"
"Head east." he said
"Thank you for everything." Ryner said just before he pushed out of the home and onto the roof.
Thanks for reading guys! My next chapter will be up late because exams are approaching! (Ewww, I know) Please leave a comment in the review box! Thank you for all the support! A huge shout out goes to DragonHalf! Thank you so much for all the compliments :) I feel so loved :) And to all my other readers, I appreciate the time you take out of your day just to read my fanfiction. About 97 per cent of my June will be spent on exam preparation and exams! I love you all from the bottom of my heart (the chapter got me in this emotional epiphany, sorry :P )