Chapter 15
Cynder awoke at about midday. She noticed a fresh bandage on her neck, and her back wound had some herbs held by other bandages on it. She flexed her limbs. They had regained most of their feeling, though her hind legs were still tingling quite a bit. She lay her head back down, remembering the nightmare.
"Hey." she heard Amarak say. She looked up at him. He had entered the room with some cooked meat hanging from his jaw. He lay it down next to her. She just stared at the meat. Finally, she took a small bite. Amarak watched her eat slowly. "what happened?" he asked, finally. Cynder looked at him with no answer.
"What happened with Spyro? Why does everyone think he and you killed king Zanatus?" Amarak asked.
"Well... It's all Zemas. He... Can manipulate the thoughts and minds of others. He's been doing it for days now, making people think that they traded with Spyro, instead of somebody else, and making everyone else believe the story." Cynder sighed. "And through that power, he managed to cause an event that got Spyro killed..."
"I'm so sorry." Amarak said simply. Their was a brief silence. "Have you given up?" Amarak asked, finally.
"What point is there in not giving up at this point?" Cynder replied to his question with one of her own. "Zemas got away, Now he's inside his castle, a place i cannot hope to breach." she curled up slightly. "I've failed."
"You're being too hard on yourself." Amarak said.
"I think I'm being perfectly reasonable..." Cynder mumbled, turning away from him. Amarak sighed with frustration, and turned away form her. Exiting the room, he turned to Loyran. "How is she?" Loyran asked.
"Not good. She's given up all hope. Something tells me she'll kill herself a this rate." Amarak replied. "Look, I want you to keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. I'll handle the next few contracts myself."
"No problem." Loyran replied. Amarak smiled at his son.
"That's my boy." He said. Amarak turned away from Loyran, and went outside. Loyran went to the edge of the room in which Cynder lay. He was about to enter when he heard something. She was crying. He figured he'd leave her to herself for now, and went about his tasks. Finally, He went inside to check on her.
She was gone. "What the! Cynder!" He called out. She had run off, it seemed.
Cynder moved quietly behind houses, taking slow, unstable steps. Her legs still weren't fully negotiable. "I Can't stay with them..." She said quietly to herself. She had decided to abandon these friendly folk, for one reason: to not put any of them in danger. She couldn't add to her already heavy guilt. One more death at her fault, and she couldn't take it. Then, she heard Loyran calling her name. She ducked behind a tree, and waited.
It didn't take long for him to find her. He rounded the corner, and looked at her. "Cynder-"
"Just let me go..." Cynder said. "I just... I can't put anyone else in harms way. I've wronged too many already."
"Cynder, That's nonsense. You aren't putting anyone in danger by sitting in my back room healing. Please, think. If you leave now, where will you get? Where will you go?" Loyran asked her, dead serious in his tone, with a hint of sadness sand compassion. Cynder bowed her head.
"I don't know... Away from civilization..." She muttered.
"And so you can." Loyran replied. "But I implore you, wait until you're fully healed. You'll need your strength out there." He said. In his head, though, he wanted to help Cynder recover emotionally, not physically. He had never seen a Dragoness her age so broken, and it almost broke him just to see it. "Come on, let's get you inside."
Cynder decided not to argue, and followed him. She slept better then before that night. She was still wrecked by her nightmares, but at least she got some 8 hours. Her neck wound was almost entirely healed, and her back was also healing nicely. She spoke to no one that day, but moved around the back room some.
Just enough to keep her muscles flexed, and ready to move. And with her energy partially exerted from that, she slept much better that night.