CHAPTER TWELVE
ZELGIUS
When I wake, Kita is gone. I can tell immediately that she's nowhere in the cave.
The second thing I notice is...everything feels...different.Ike...he must've gotten the antidote, or something, because...I'm not...dyinganymore.
The third thing...
What was I thinking?
I just went out and admitted it to the world? To him? That I...loved him? I suppose I thought I was going to die, but...
By the goddess, he must think me a fool. And now he is more dangerous than ever, for since I've told him, he may try to use my feelings for his advantage...
No...he wouldn't do that, would he...?
….He sleeps right beside me now, leaning against my left shoulder. So he hasn't abandoned me, I see.
Where could Kita have gone? Perhaps she went out, or...
…...perhaps he killed her...
Ike awakens a few minutes after me. "...Zelgius?" he asks softly. "...How are you feeling..?"
"Where's Kita?" I demand.
His silence is enough of an answer. "...Did you...?"
"No!" he says quickly. "I...I, well..." He looks away, ashamed. "...Micaiah...sent only enough of an antidote for one of you. I...chose you. Kita...she died. Last night. I...I'm so sorry."
My feelings are a mix of rage and happiness. Happiness that I am alive, and he is alive...but rage, that my sister...my dear little sister, my only family left, the girl I've sworn my life to protect...
…...is dead. Because of him.
"...How could you?" I ask, my voice barely a whisper. "How could you let her die...!"
"It was you or her..." he says. "Your life, or hers..."
I unconsciously clench my fists, and for a brief moment, I wish that he were dead. No...no, it would be better if I was...
"I'm so sorry," he says again. "I know I can't...I can't ever make it up to you...but...I..." He sighs and looks down at the ground. "...Forgive me..."
I want to answer him. I want to say something. But there isn't anything. How could there be, when none of it is right anymore...
Time seems to pass so slowly today. Ike gets some breakfast; I eat it mechanically, barely even registering what goes into my mouth. I do notice that Ike seems relieved now.
Just...It feels like a dream. A bad dream. One where those you love are gone and you are lost and confused without them.
I swore to protect her. I swore it to Sydelle, even as she lay dying, that I would protect Kita to my last breath.
And now I have nothing left...nothing but my own pathetic life, and this boy, this beorc boy who refuses to give in to sense, or logic, refuses to worry about himself. If he had any sense, he would've abandoned me and Kita a long time ago, taken care of himself...
How does he expect to win if he protects me, so late in the game?
Or...does he even expect that...?
Then, finally, around midday, Ike finally asks the question I've been dreading all morning. "Did you mean it?"
I feign confusion, though I'm not sure why. "Mean what?"
"Well...do you really...love...me?" he asks slowly.
…How do I respond to a question like that? At a time like this, when everything else seems so wrong?
Will he use me if I say yes? Possibly. Saying no would be the best solution, but...
Goddess. Kita always says...said...I am too honest for my own good.
"Yes."
There is a long silence between us, and for the first time in my life, I cannot read someone. I cannot read him; either he has no emotion, or he is blocking me from it...but I feel nothing from him, nothing at all.
And suddenly, I have no need to read him, as he leans in and kisses me on the mouth, as I give in and pull him closer, kiss him again, and he kisses me back, and it feels so good.
And yet...it's...frightening. What have I gotten myself into now...?
IKE
The day seemed to flash by in his eyes. Zelgius was still weakened by the poison, but he was fast recovering; in maybe a day or two, if his legs weren't broken, he would probably be able to walk and fight.
Ike did some scouting around on his own, but he never went far from the cave. He saw no signs of Sakira or Mia anywhere; and when he went to where he'd left Kita's body, there was no sign of flowers or anything. He didn't care much; his mind was on other matters.
I know I love him, he thought, leaning against a boulder for a brief rest. It was raining, and his hair was plastered over his face, even despite the headband. He'd probably return soon, but he wanted some time to himself first. I know that. But...does he really love me?
It hurt to think about it, but he knew he had to consider all the possibilities. Maybe he never had any definite person he loved, but lied about it...so he could call it whoever he was left with? I mean, if I had died and Leanne survived...would he have confessed to loving her? Would he have said he loved Volug, or Kurth, or even Sakira, if it had come down to just the two of them? Sponsors do seem to like the tragic love thing...I remember something like this happening before; a pair from the same district said they loved each other, and they got a lot of sponsors. That was a long time ago...Did they both survive? But that's irrelevant...
He decided to just pose himself questions and answer them yes or no...just to sort a few things out in his mind.
Do I love him? Yes.
Is it possible that he loves me? Yes.
Is it possible that he is just faking it, for the sponsors? Yes.
Am I faking it, for the sponsors?
…...No. No, I'm not.
Will he kill me, if it comes down to just the two of us?
Ike wasn't sure about that one. On one hand, Zelgius had proved himself resilient in protecting his friends and family over himself; on the other hand, though, it was possible that he'd been doing it all as part of his 'grand plan for victory'—or at least, Ike assumed that's what it really was.
He decided to play it safe. He answered himself; Yes.
Will I kill him, if it comes down to just the two of us?
That one was even harder. Would he? Would he really kill this boy that he'd come to love, to save his own life?
….On second thought, that's not so hard at all. No. Never.
Though with answers like those, it seemed impossible for him to ever win.
ZELGIUS
Ike goes out to hunt, scout around for the other two. I wait, for one hour, then two, in the cave. My legs refuse to move in the slightest without hurting, so I sit very still and contemplate things.
I know that I love him. I love him more than anything, but I don't know if he truly loves me back. He...never seemed the kind to love someone like me.Leanne, or Mia, or even my dear little sister, Kita, yes...yes, he could love them.
Me? I'm nothing. Why would anyone love a nothing? Especially a boy like him...?
The boy of blue flames could have so much more; I refuse to believe he'd actually settle for me.
But, well...I would like to believe that I've gotten to know him over the past week or two. I'd like to think that I know he would, that he would love me, but how do I know that he hasn't been faking this from the beginning?
Well...I suppose, if he really was just playing it for the game, he probably would've saved Kita, not me. She would've been less of a liability.
But perhaps he thought that, if he kept me—me, one of only three tributes to get a score of eleven, and probably one of the favorites—he would be more likely to get sponsors. But this late in the game, do they really matter?
…..I...I guess I can't say they don't. You never know when an aptly-timed gift might save your life. Though, in my case, I'm likely as good as dead anyway. After all, what sponsor in their right mind would give money to help a tribute who can't even stand?
CAREERS
Sakira crouched down beside the footprint in the riverbank mud. It had rained earlier that day, and the print was especially clear, though the scent had been mostly washed away—there was too little of it left for her to pick up with her weakened senses, but she knew whose print this was. She ran one finger along the edge, tracing out the shape, then stood up again with a small smile.
"You're close, little girl," she purred to herself. "Soon, you'll be mine for the killing...and then, on to the boys."
Though, after a pause, she reconsidered; "Unless it would be better to go for them first...?"
The more she thought about it, the more the sadistic lion was attracted to the idea. "Yes...I will find them, and kill the half-breed. And then the beorc's screams will draw you to me. Perfect!"
She took a step and stumbled, crying out slightly as her injured and nearly dislocated right arm banged into a rock. She swore under her breath. Damn...if only this stupid arm wasn't so useless...
At least, the beorc girl won't be much better. And I still have ten hours left.
IKE
He returned to the cave later that day. The sun was already dipping low in the sky, but no colors washed it; the world around him seemed to gray out by the day, to the point where he and the other tributes seemed the only spot of color on this dull landscape.
Zelgius glanced up slightly as the younger boy entered. "Any sign of the other two?"
"No," Ike replied, "nothing." He knelt down next to Zelgius. "Feeling any better?"
"Unfortunately, it is impossible for broken legs to heal overnight without some kind of magical assistance." the other boy replied dryly.
"Yeah..." Ike sighed and leaned back against the wall. "At least you're safe, I suppose."
"...In the Hunger Games...no one is safe." the Branded boy said softly.
"Well, relatively safe."
"Both my legs broken, stuck in a cave, relying on another tribute for my life?"
"You know I would never let anything hurt you."
"I suppose, but...it's hard to find anyone to trust."
Ike turned to face him. "You can trust me," he assured the other boy. "I promise."
"So always says the traitor, before he betrays said trust."
"Zelgius..." The blue-eyed boy subconsciously slid his hand into Zelgius'. "I would never betray you. I...know how you feel, but...I wouldn't."
The Branded boy sighed slightly. "And how are you to know that...that I am not the traitor I speak of?"
The question hurt—or, more than the question, the idea that Zelgius would try to hurt him. Ike wondered if the other boy really meant it. "...Well..." he said thoughtfully, having an idea of a response but not one he liked. "I suppose if you were like that, you could kill me while I was sleeping. I wouldn't suspect a thing. I'd probably never know you did it. I somehow doubt you would do that, though."
Zelgius nodded, ever so slightly, and Ike took comfort in the fact that he'd been right in guessing that bluff, at least. Though whether he would ever guess the important one—that Zelgius loved him, if it was a bluff—he didn't know. "...I still trust you." the beorc said firmly. "No matter what you say."
"Really?" the Branded queried. "So, if I told you that I was planning to kill you when I allied with you, you would still trust me?"
Ike nodded without a thought. That put Zelgius slightly off-balance.
"...And if I told you that I really did abandon you to save my own life...?"
Again, Ike nodded. "I don't care what you say. I still trust you. And besides..." He quickly explained his earlier theory about how he'd gotten left behind.
Zelgius paused for a long moment when the other boy was done. And suddenly laughed. "What?" Ike asked, slightly annoyed, thinking that the Branded was laughing at him.
"How do you do it?" Zelgius asked wonderingly. "How can you manage to know almost everything, just from a single thought...?"
Ike shrugged nonchalantly, but inside he was bursting with happiness that he'd gotten it somehow right. "Intuition?"
"Well, you're mostly right." the green-eyed boy said. "But I did get Leanne along with Kita. After we fought Medha, she wanted to go back and get you; I said you were probably gone. She left to look for you, and Kita and I went on by ourselves."
"So I was right!" Ike said triumphantly. "You didn't abandon me!"
"...I didn't say that."
That gave the beorc a pause. "...What?"
"I did abandon you." Zelgius said softly. "I didn't wake you on purpose because I didn't want to stay near you. I intentionally tried to get Leanne not to go back for you..."
Ike fell silent for a long moment, confused. "But...why?"
Zelgius looked into his eyes sadly, then down at their clasped hands on the floor. "You know as well as I do." he murmured.
The beorc blinked. "You...didn't want to fall in love with me?" he guessed.
The Branded laughed. "No; I was already in love before that. I didn't want you to know."
"But Zelgius!" Ike rolled over slightly so he was on his knees, facing the other boy, still holding his hand. "I loved you before then too, I just—didn't realize it!"
"Exactly." the Branded said firmly. "I didn't want you to realize it, because...well..."
"...We're from different districts." the beorc said slowly. "We're both boys. There's no way both of us could survive the Games together."
"...Yes. Which is why...I can't...let you trust me."
"Hmm?"
Zelgius looked up to meet Ike's eyes again. "If you trust me...stay with me...love me...then one of us will likely have to die at the other's hand. I don't want that to happen."
"I'm not going to leave you."
"You may not have a choice."
"Yes, I do!" Ike declared. "There's a choice for everything, Zelgius—and I've chosen to stay with you. Love you. Trust you. Even when you think that trust is undeserved, Zelgius—I trust you." The Branded boy coughed slightly, looking back at the ground, and Ike realized he was covering up a sniffle. "I...don't deserve your trust." he said weakly. "I don't deserve anything. I don't even deserve life."
"That's a lie!" Ike reached over and turned Zelgius' face back up to look him in the eyes. "If anyone deserves to survive the Hunger Games, it's you! You've done so much for your sister, for me—you're a good person, Zelgius, and you deserve more than I or anyone could ever give you!"
"That's not true."
"Yes, it is. Because—" Ike paused for just a moment, as he suddenly realized something he should've seen before. "Sydelle didn't sell you out, did she?"
The Branded boy blinked. "W-what?"
"She didn't. You did." Ike said, his voice getting stronger as the realization crept into it. "You did something wrong on purpose, or faked it, and told her to turn you in, so that your family could survive. You did it for them."
"...I..." Zelgius lowered his eyes. "How...would you know...?"
"You're the kind of person who would do that." Ike gently ran a finger down Zelgius' face, down the scar, sending a nervous shiver down the Branded's spine. "I know you are. You let yourself be beaten so that others wouldn't be. You let them turn you in so they could survive another winter. You...you gave that last bit of yourself away, for others."
"For Kita." he murmured. "Always, for Kita. And now she's...gone."
"...no." Ike said quietly. "There were others, weren't there? Other times, other places, other people you gave yourself up to protect. Others that survived because of your sacrifice. Always, for them."
A single tear trickled down Zelgius' cheek. "I...didn't..."
"Ssh." Ike wrapped his arms around the Branded boy and pulled him close, careful not to bump his legs. "Don't cry. Goddess, I don't want to make you cry. I don't want you to be sad anymore! Please, Zelgius...don't be sad. I love you. I trust you. And I want to keep you with me as long as I can."
And suddenly, Zelgius was crying.
It was the first time he'd really cried in over ten years. For so long, he'd kept himself from it; kept his sorrow and pain in; and not a tear had he shed. But now they just wouldn't stop.
He was glad to have Ike there for him. To have a shoulder to cry on. To be with someone he loved.
They held each other for what seemed like an eternity, and both of them would've been happy if that moment had indeed lasted forever. But eventually, the tears subsided, and Zelgius looked up to meet Ike's eyes.
"I...I trust you, too," he said, his voice barely a whisper.
"Thank you," Ike replied, a brighter smile on his face than he thought he'd ever had.
And that time, it was he that leaned in. And for a brief moment, as their lips touched, as the cave seemed to fade around them and in the Hunger Games nothing would ever be so...
For a moment, the world just seemed right.
And then the moment passed, and as they came apart, they both knew that every eye in Tellius was on them now.
ZELGIUS
I do trust him.
I am a fool. I know I shouldn't.
But—how can I not? How can I fear him, after...after...
…..He seems able to guess everything about me. Everything about my past. Could someone untrustworthy do that so easily...?
Well...probably. But...I...
I just love him. That's all I can say about it. I love him, and I trust him.
My life is in his hands.
And my plan is for him.
Some time passes. A day, maybe two, or three. We talk, mostly about inane or pointless things. Wonder about the other two tributes, and where they are. We hear no cannons, so they must still be alive.
It begins to rain about an hour before sundown on the third day. We cuddle up together under the one sleeping bag, and eventually Ike dozes off on my shoulder. He's so warm...Kita always seemed to be cold, almost lifeless; Ike seems to be her opposite in almost every way.
We've kissed a total of nine times in all. I feel better every time we do; each time his lips touch mine, I feel the warmth of a thousand fires, and a little bit of color seems to return to my world. What I once saw as dull and lifeless suddenly seems brilliant and vibrant; things I ignored as simply a useless part of my surroundings are now fascinating and wonderful. The birds that Leanne spoke of never seemed to sing before; but now I hear their melody ringing throughout the trees outside.
And with Ike sleeping on my shoulder, his gentle breathing echoing mine, I find that the nightmares that have haunted me for so many long years do not plague my sleep.
Is this how it feels to be in love?
We are both startled out of our sleep by the sound of the Capitol anthem, followed shortly by a booming voice—a voice that I quickly recognize as Kieran Fergus, and realize that it must be playing throughout the entire Arena. We both listen intently, not wanting to miss a word.
"Attention, tributes!" he says. "There will be a feast today. However, this is no ordinary feast. Each of you needs something desperately. You will find that something in a backpack, marked with your district number, at the Cornucopia at sundown. This will be the only announcement."
Then the voice falls silent. I turn to Ike and I can practically hear the gears turning in his head.
"No." I say, just as he begins to open his mouth.
"Why not?" he asks.
"I won't let you risk your life for me," I say firmly.
"Zelgius, they might have something for your legs! This could be our only chance!"
"I don't care. I don't want to see you killed.
His eyes narrow and he stands up. "Well, I am going. And you can't stop me!"
I can't. Not really. But I can go after him... "I'll follow you, then. At least partway." I reply, my voice devoid of emotion. "I may not make it there, but if I'm yelling your name, someone will probably find me. And then I'll be dead for sure."
He blinks, and his expression changes to one of surprise. "...You...You wouldn't get anywhere. Not on those legs."
"Then I'll drag myself." I say firmly.
I study his face to see his reaction. He knows that I'm maybe just strong enough to do what I threaten, that I can't defend myself, and that the exertion could kill me in itself, let alone whether Sakira or Mia finds me. I see his resolve weaken.
"What...what am I supposed to do?" he finally asks. "Sit here, protect you until the other two come along and kill us both?"
"That won't happen," I say. "But if you go to the Cornucopia tonight—or what's left of it—one of the other two will probably kill you. You know it."
"I won't die," he says.
"You can't face a fully Transformed Lion, Ike!" I snap. "And if you fight Mia, you won't be able to kill her. I know that."
"If I don't go, we'll probably both die!" he insists. "I'd rather take the chance that only I do!"
"If you die, then I'll be good as dead anyway! How am I supposed to defend myself?"
"Which is why I need to go, so that I can heal you so you can defend yourself!"
"And if you die, neither of us will go home!"
"That's not true!"
"You know it is!"
"Dammit, Zelgius!" His voice raises to a shout. "I know you're worried about me, but I'm not going to sit here and watch you waste away! The Gamemakers will kill us both before any other tribute does, at that rate! I'm going, and you—you won't stop me!"
"Yes, I will." I say, my voice flat. "I already said I would follow you."
"I don't believe you."
"Do you want to test me?"
"No! But..." He sighs. "Zelgius, please promise you won't do anything stupid."
"I will, if you promise you won't go."
"...You know I can't do that."
"Then I won't promise anything either."
We stare each other down for a long, tense moment. Then he falls to his knees beside me and kisses me lightly on the lips. "Alright," he says, defeat in his voice. "I won't go. I promise..."
He's lying, but I know he won't admit it if I ask. So I simply reply "Thank you."
I make no promises of my own. I know that he notices, but I don't care. We both know that his promise was false.
He stays with me for several hours. I'm faintly aware of the sun rising and starting to go down outside, but the cave is at such an angle from the sun that it's always hard to tell. I expect for him to make a move, to try and slip out to go to the feast, but he never even leaves the cave.
Then, a few hours before sundown, he goes out to get some water. I feel tired from having not slept all day, to make sure he didn't run off...
I feel a heavy weariness creeping over me, all of a sudden. My eyes...hard to...keep them open...
...No...I can't fall asleep yet...he'll...hurt himself...
The last thing I see before I sleep is his face as he enters the cave again...and then...I...can't...
IKE
He'd barely paused to check that Zelgius was actually asleep before he grabbed his sword and set off for the Cornucopia canyon. He knew that he was probably making a mistake; that Zelgius would never forgive him now, would never trust him again...
But it was the only choice he had.
Now...to get to the feast, and save his love's life.
The climb down went much faster than before. Despite the fact that it was still raining, he was alone now, he had to carry a sword with him, and he had no Leanne to help him if he fell, he felt as if he were invincible—as if since he couldn't afford to fall and hurt himself before even reaching the feast, he just wouldn't ever fall or slip.
He finally reached the canyon as the sun was halfway below the horizon. He saw no sign of Mia or Sakira—just a flat, large black square where the Cornucopia had once been.
Wait. What? Where'd that come from?
He decided the Gamemakers must've put it there over the former standing point in preparation for the feast, or something. Indeed, all the ash and rubble seemed to have been cleared from the canyon, leaving a flat dirt field, fast turning to mud—a perfect battleground, in Games terms, for the three standing tributes.
Ike crouched behind a boulder near the river. The rain showed no sign of letting up; he ignored it, considering as he was drenched already. The other two tributes remained nowhere to be seen.
He didn't have long to wait, however; just as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, there was a great screeching noise, and then the black box slid aside and a metal table slid up out of the ground, with three packs on it. One seemed large, red, and he could see a '2' right on the front. The next was smaller, dark green, marked with '11'. The third was tiny, small enough to hold in one hand; black, marked with a '12'. That one was the one he needed, he was sure of it.
And, seeing how small it was, he knew he had to go now. If one of the others went first, they could easily grab his pack and make off with it, and then Zelgius would be sure as dead if anything happened to Ike.
So, readjusting his sword grip, he dashed out from behind the rocks towards the table.
His feet seemed to fly over the ground, but just as he reached the table, he slipped on the mud. It saved his life; he heard a dagger whiz over his head, and it would've hit him in the head if he'd still been standing.
Quickly getting to his feet, he turned just as Mia threw her second dagger. He slapped it aside with the flat of his blade, then brought it around to block again as she drew her sword and leapt down at him. She balanced off of his sword for a brief moment before leaping off, landing in a crouch.
"Get out of my way," Ike snapped. She'd broken the truce already; he didn't want to kill her, but he would not let her keep him from his goal.
"I'm afraid I can't do that," she replied bitterly, then darted forward again. Ike parried her quickly; he was fast, but she was even faster. Their blades rang together for several moments, before Ike kicked her and threw her aside. He started for the table again, then spun around just as a third dagger came whizzing in. He wasn't quite fast enough that time, and it slashed his cheek; ignoring the pain, he tried to run past Mia, so he could circle around after she'd grabbed her pack.
But then a huge roar stopped both of them in their tracks, and suddenly Ike found himself faced with four hundred pounds of angry lion. His eyes widened and he barely managed to dodge aside in time; Sakira landed where he'd been a split second ago with a loud thump and splash, as she kicked up the mud, then turned, roaring again.
Mia shouted and dashed forward, slashing at the lion's legs. Sakira swatted her with one paw, sending her flying back, and stalked towards Ike, favoring her right foreleg but otherwise uninjured.
"You killed Skrimir," she said, her voice rippling weirdly from her feline jaws. "I'll make your death very slow for that."
Ike slowly backed away from her, sword held at the ready. "I'll kill you too if you get in my way," he growled.
"You can try!" She snarled and ran towards him, her huge paws kicking up a spray of mud as she ran. Her fangs bared wickedly.
Ike did the only thing he really could do; he leapt to the side. She swerved and managed to slam into him all the same, but he got a return slice that gashed her injured leg before she did so. He went flying about thirty feet, slamming into the ground, and heard an audible crunch; he figured his ribs were broken, judging by the pain, but still he struggled to his feet.
Sakira roared again, running toward him, ignoring her wound. He got his sword up and slashed at her; she leapt back, not quite reaching him, and growled just beyond his reach.
Walking carefully, his eyes locked on hers, they began to circle. Every time she made a lunge, he returned it with his blade, which made her keep her distance.
Then, suddenly, a wash of red light ran over her, and he realized she was Reverting. In that brief instance, however, where he couldn't figure out what she was doing—that was when she leapt at him. Her front paws slammed into his shoulders even as they turned into hands; her legs pinned his even as they smoothed out; and she slashed his face with her fangs even as they shrunk into her humanoid features. Ike shoved her hard, trying to get her off, but she slammed one foot down on his right wrist and managed to pin it. Her sword suddenly whipped out of her belt and she put it at his neck, forcing all her weight down on his wrists and broken ribs to keep him pinned.
So this is it, he thought, and he hoped she would kill him swiftly. But instead, she chose to savor the moment.
"Where's your boyfriend, Eleven?" she purred cruelly. "Still hanging on?"
So long as she was talking, Ike would stay alive, so he snarled in reply; "He's out there now. Ready to kill you."
"Liar!" she said with a grin. "He's nearly dead. I know I got him. You probably have him holed up in some cave somewhere while you try to keep him from going insane. What's in the pretty little backpack? An antidote? Well, sorry, Lover Boy, but he'll never get it."
Ike worked up a mouthful of blood and saliva and spat it in her face. She flushed with rage and slid a dagger out of her belt. "Fine, then!" she snapped, bringing it up to his face. He felt the cold steel tip brushing his lips and clamped his teeth together. "You have a pretty face, you know? Let's remedy that."
But then, just as the dagger slashed open the first cut on Ike's face, carving a scar not unlike Zelgius' across his right eye, Sakira was inexplicably ripped off of him and thrown aside with a shriek. The beorc pushed himself up quickly, one hand covering his wounded eye in pain, unable to process what had happened. Had Zelgius actually appeared to help him? Had the Gamemakers sent some wild animal to add to the fun?
But as he got up, he saw it was none of those.
Mia had a fire burning in her eyes, and she was holding Sakira by the throat, the Lion's feet dragging just on the ground. Her hair was matted with blood, and her teeth were gritted as she tightened her grip. Her sword had disappeared; Sakira's weapons had dropped and she struggled to loosen the beorc's grip, gasping for air.
"Mia?" Ike asked, surprised.
The girl snarled and threw Sakira aside, hard. She yelped and tried to land on her feet, but instead slammed awkwardly into the ground and rolled all the way to hit the sharp edge of the table hard. There was a gory tearing sound and she cried out in pain. She struggled to get up.
Mia turned and saw the boy's expression. "Are you really that surprised?" she asked sadly.
Ike got up shakily, wiping some of the blood off his face. "Well...yes, I suppose. I thought you...called off the truce."
She briefly closed her eyes, and coughed; Ike immediately realized she was trying not to cry. "I did...didn't I..?" Then she hurried over to the table, grabbed the green pack labeled '11', and slung it over her shoulder.
The girl seemed content to let the conversation end there, but Ike wasn't. "Why'd you help me?"
She smiled faintly. "I...it was a favor. For a friend."
"But...you didn't want that. You didn't want to help me."
"...Should I not have?" She picked up the small black pack and tossed it to Ike; the beorc caught it easily. "Go on. Get out of here!"
"What about Sakira?"
She got up with a small moan, clutching the wound at her side where it slammed into the sharp edge of the table. "You're dead, bitch!" she screamed angrily.
Mia gritted her teeth and shot one last look at Ike. "...See you later!" Then she sprinted as fast as she could for the cliffs.
Ike didn't pause to wait for Sakira to come after him again. He turned and ran.
He heard her shout after him, but ignored it. Reaching the sheer wall of the cliffside, his bloodied hands unconsciously found their handholds, and as he heard her roar behind him he began to climb.
He didn't know how he'd gotten back up to Zelgius' cave. His ribs hurt with every step, his hands were slick with water and blood, he could hardly see out of his right eye from all the blood that came from it, and his head felt fuzzy and faint; yet somehow, he managed to get back to the cave. He was drenched, covered in mud, wounded in several places, but he was alive.
The Branded boy was awake when he came in. "Ike!" he said as the beorc stumbled in—first angry, then concerned. "Dammit, I told you not to—what happened?"
"Mia and...Sakira." Ike breathed. "But...I...got it." He set down the small pack and opened it wearily, even as Zelgius tried to wipe some of the blood from the beorc's face.
Inside the pack was a small blue bottle, halfway filled. When Ike picked it up, he felt a slightly strange aura coming from it. "Magic?" he asked.
"It's an elixir," Zelgius said, his anger temporarily forgotten for wonder. "They were used in the old days, the time of the Hero Ike. Just a small drink—about a third of this bottle—could cure all of your wounds."
Ike immediately offered it to the Branded. "Here...take it."
"No. You're hurt; you drink first."
"Take it!"
"Ike, would you do as you're told for just once?"
Surrendering, Ike took the bottle and had a tiny sip. Instantly he felt the pain draining from his body, replaced by a feeling of calm. "Oh, that...that feels better..." he mumbled.
All the weariness of the climb down, the fight, the climb up, caught up to him at once, and he dozed off.
The last thing he heard was Zelgius murmur; "Ike...I told you you would betray me..."
And here's chapter twelve! The end is coming soon~ (Well, chapter fourteen is the end, I think...unless I write a sequel! It's possible...
Anyway, very much thanks to LegendarySwordsman for the review! Heh...My meat-adding skills need work ^^; My worst problem is probably my battle scenes...gah...
And again, reviews are much appreciated, thank you for reading! :3
~DarkieDucessa