I intentionally slowed down a bit this week. Writing that manically was beginning to have some mental health repercussions.
Even so, I did add 5,672 words this week bringing this draft up to 83,396. It is officially longer than the first draft of this part of the story. I am kind of getting close to starting the ending, but it will probably be over 100k.
I added a new character this week which I have been excitedly planning since I actually gave Zuriel a family.
Here are some highlights:
They found a clearing south of the village and brough the dragons down. In the flight over the place where the village should have been, they caught sight of charred buildings. They dismounted and turned toward Aarav in silence.
The smell reached them before they made their way out of the trees. The small of death; blood and fire. They paused, looking over the scene. Zuriel wondered briefly if they would have saved them had they not taken a month’s rest. He drew his sword and rested it against his shoulder. “Check for survivors.”
They spread out, each picking a building to search. Zuriel approached a small hut, the door of which lay on the ground before it. He stepped over it and into the small space that had been a home once. There was no one inside. He moved on to the next.
The third home he approached, heartsick from the scene in the second, was a long narrow dwelling. He made his way through, grateful that there were no bodies strewn through it. He made his way carefully to the far end and stood looking at an area where a child had obviously played. His throat grew tight as he looked on a doll which was made in the style of a green naima. A little naima had prized that toy once.
Someone coughed. Zuriel spun, looking around the narrow home. There was no one that he could see. “Hello?” He took a cautious step forward. He heard the cough once more. He frowned, it seemed to come from the dining table. He approached the table and stood still a moment. “I am with Agur, I don’t want to hurt you.”
He could hear a very slight movement and realized the long bench on the other side of the table must be empty. He pulled the table as far from the bench as he could and grabbed the edge to open it. Inside lay a nymph woman. Her entire body was slick with sweat, her eyes flickered open for only moments at a time.
Zuriel reached into the compartment and carefully lifted her. She was burning with fever, muttering something he couldn’t quite make out. He laid her on the table. He could see the problem once he laid her down. There was a deep and horribly infected wound on her outer thigh.
“Hey,” He smoothed her damp hair back from her face. “I’m going to try to help you, alright? What’s your name?”
She made a sort of groan but articulated nothing.
He turned his attention back to her wound and tried to think which spell would be most appropriate. He needed some garbi if he could get his hands on it. He glanced at the nymphs pale, contorted face and back at the hideous wound. With his hands just over it he focused himself and spoke “Maken Nadif.” He looked, there was no change in the wound. “Hang in there, alright, I’ll be right back. I’m getting help.”
They walked on in silence a moment. Zia turned and looked at her brother periodically. It was strange to see the striking resemblance to their father, especially given the hair. It was strange to see black hair above a nymph’s face.
“What?” Zuriel finally asked.
“Nothing. I am just pleased to have a brother I can be proud of in so many ways.” She squeezed his arm in hers. “Our parents would be so proud of you, Zuriel.”
Zuriel blinked and pressed his hand over hers. “Thank you. I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am to have you here. To have family.”
“It must have been hard on Earth with just Halvar.” Zia looked at him with sympathy.
“Well, no. I got adopted by a great family. They are good people.” He paused. He missed them. “I had a sister there, too.”
“Really? What was her name?” Zia asked. She found she was deeply interested in anything she could learn about her brother.
“Trish. She was always really quiet, but when she did open her mouth, it was worth it.” He smiled.
“You miss them.”
Zuriel took a deep breath and nodded.
“I am glad you had family. I always wondered what had become of you. If you were afraid and alone. When rumors spread that the dueling had returned to Vale, I almost took the chance of heading to Halcyon, but there were too many sorcerers. I wouldn’t have made it.”
“How did they keep you safe for so long?”
Zia gave a short laugh. “That bench you found me in mostly. I didn’t go out except at night. I was only known to a few trusted families. Most of them probably could have been trusted, but if there was any doubt, they took the safe route.” She smiled sadly.
“I wish I could have met them. To thank them for taking care of you.”
Zia pressed her lips to a smile looking at her brother. “Same for your family. They raised a good man.” She looked ahead again as they came to the gate. “I can find my way from here. You should probably go find Aila.”
Zuriel nodded. “Yeah.”
Zia hugged her brother before passing through the gate. Zuriel stood a moment deciding if he should check her chambers of Api first. He made his way along the wall. If she was upset, she would be in the village.
When he entered the village, a glance down the path to the pond revealed Aila sitting on the edge of the water. He walked to her, earning a glance over her shoulder, but no move to uncurl from the position she sat in. Zuriel sat down beside her.
“I’m sorry.” He said after a moment of silence.
“I didn’t even tell you, what made you think you could share it with someone else?” Her eyes stayed fixed on the pond before her.
Zuriel looked at her a moment, then dropped his eyes to study the tiny white flowers in the grass. “I didn’t mean to exactly. I was upset. He just kept going on about how you would have just adjusted and got used to him and be happy and I just kept thinking that you could have died.” He paused. “To be honest, I pushed the blame on him so much because I was happy to take it off of myself. I thought I had almost killed you by dancing.”
Aila looked sideways at him. “That was only part of it.” She sighed and unfolded her arms from her legs, letting them cross before her. “I am not really angry, I am embarrassed. I am ashamed that I was so weak.”
“You are a lot of things Aila, and weak isn’t one of them.”
“I ran recklessly into battle because I was upset about my promise. One that I made.” She shook her head. “Made my own bed and I couldn’t lay in it.”
“You didn’t have all the information when you made the bed.”
“I know what is worthy of despairing over. A husband to protect me is not one of them.” Aila began picking absently at the grass.
