Destructive Love

“Where am I?”

“Safe.”

“Where?”

“That’s not important right now, you need to rest we need your assistance once your well.”

“My help? With what?” She whispered unsure who she was.

“Your unique ability can aid… Not now, you need to rest.” A female voice hesitated, thinking better of it and turning away.

“Huh?” She lay back down contracting her forehead, where was she? What ability was she talking about? What had happened? She felt around unable to determine what she was on, unable to see anything except darkness all around. Where was she before this? She closed her eyes tightly trying to focus on yesterday’s events, or any past for that matter.

“Why can’t I see anything?” She asked doubting if anyone was still there.

“It’s twilight at the moment, we are deep in the cave, you won’t see a thing for quite some time.”

Twilight? Cave? She felt more lost then before, she tried again to focus on how she got in a cave but her mind was an area of mist.

“Would you mind burning a light? I’m uncomfortable with dark spaces.” She asked hoping the female would, it might just shed some light on the situation. How ironic she almost snorted. What the hell was going on?

“Sleep Sinira.” The tired voice begged, “You have been asleep in this space for a few weeks now not requiring light.”

Sin…i…raa? Who was tha… She jerked as everything rushed back to her, her mind an explosion of vivid memories; Who she was, following a trail from Zitex, avoiding Gaeleath finding out about her nature, the search for Talgrim, the magical moon light kiss in a tree with a ruggedly handsome…

“DRATHIS?!” Sinira screamed for him hoping for his voice to reassure her everything was ok.

“Relax Sinira. You are safe.”

“Stop saying that! Where is Drathis? Is he ok? Why is he not answering me? Why can I still not see anything?” She started to hyperventilate as the final pieces fell into place bit by bit.

It felt like yesterday, yet she clearly heard the voice saying a few weeks ago, had she not?

They were racing from a village from an advancing force determined to wipe them out, she frowned trying to recall the events clearly. They had been boxed in when the sky had become dark… What happened then? It was a… She squeezed her eyes shut again forcing the fog in her mind away.

The darkness shuddered the earth with its impact; she remembered being thrown through the air, landing with a thud as she rolled uncontrollably to the pit’s edge.

“A titan! Drathis?” She squeaked as a hand came to her shoulder as if knowing what she was realizing or going to. But how? Why? Who were they?

“Just breathe, I know this is tough for you.”

Sinira scowled why she would say such an odd thing… She had caught the pits cliff edge!

The scene played out over and over as new pieces started to fall into place. How hard had she hit her head?

“Where is Drathis?” She asked again, but no answer was given as the hand on her shoulder pulled away. Frowning Sinira ran through the events again, something nagging at the edges of her mind. She could see Drathis distraught face flash before her as he battled with all his might to pull free, to reach her, to pull her out, to, to… Her heart skipped a beat as she recalled the crushing last moments, she had seen him.

“Don’t, we don’t end like this.” Sinira heard Drathis cracking voice, recalling the desperation in his eyes, “I love you Sinira.”

“I… fell…” She whimpered, hot tears rolling down her cheek at the crystal-clear memory. She relived the terror she had felt falling watching the pit rise up around her, screaming his name, reaching out with all her might for help.

The darkness creeping up around her.

A blinding green light.

Then, nothing.

“Am I dead?” She whispered knowing it was a stupid thing to ask, but it would be the only thing that makes sense so far. No one in all of history survived the pits, well survived in a sense that they never came back up to Relangathian. They were endless pits that sucked out all that could be connected to life.

“No, you are live, and safe.”

Who was this? And why was her main answer always the same, something wasn’t right…

“Burn a light please.”

“It’s bed time you should sleep.”

“Who are you?” Sinira asked ignoring the plea in her voice. She wiggled around trying to move unable to determine why she couldn’t.

“Just a helping hand.”

“Why won’t you give me any straight answers? DRATHIS?” She bellowed loudly dying inside to hear his reply.

“She won’t rest now that she has come back to herself, burn alight.” A new voice sighed.

“But I don’t have answers for her, she needs to sleep till Violet returns.” The familiar voice objected.

“Show me where I am and who you are, or I’ll keep screaming!” She threatened taking in a deep breath, trying to understand why her voice was shaking, feeling her bottom lip tremble with emotion. They remained silent, had they left? Who was Violet?

Why did she not know where she was, she had defiantly fallen, but to where?

“DRATHIS!!!!” She screamed as loud as she could, feeling fresh tears fall, his lack of reply breaking her heart further.

Suddenly the blackness parted as an awkwardly bent branch with cloth and oil was lit. Sinira jerked at the two oddly shaped faces beside her, she recognized the race from somewhere but would deal with that later, she had to see her damage, why couldn’t she move? Averting her gaze down she observed the wooden oval tub she lay in filled to her neck in thick, brown, mud?

She couldn’t see through the thickness of it and tried again to move only managing to shake the mixture like jelly, good, she thought, at least now the see body could try to move.

“Wha, is this mud?” She voiced feeling suddenly foolish for asking the least important question of the moment.

“Yes, but this is not your average land mud.” The new voice said.

“It’s from the bottom of the pits, the soil there is virtually untouched with amazing healing powers, being so close to Relangathian’s core and all.” The familiar voice offered.

“Healing? Is something wrong with me?”

“Violet will be able to say when she returns.”

“Who are you and how am I alive?” She asked fearing the real questions she wanted to ask. Where was Drathis, was he alight? She swallowed the sore the lump building in her throat, no tears yet, not until she had all the facts. For all she knew, he could be sleeping in the room next door.

“I’m Kiki and this is Hinlee.” The familiar voice tapped her chest with thick arms then pointed to the other. She noticed then their big boned features finally being able to put her finger on what they were.

“You dwarfs?!” She asked alarmed.

“Yeah, and you’re an elf!” Kiki replied excitedly.

“I thought you guys were hidden from sight, in like mountains and such.”

“Duh, hence the cave.” Hinlee mocked pointing out the cave they were in. Kiki slapped him in the chest rumbling off about manners. Sinira ignored them looking around the shadows dancing on the roughly chipped back walls of the cave, taking it in for the first time.

It was a long and narrowly chipped dome-like room, homely with rugs and lounging chairs scattered about. To the left lay three beds and an untidy desk sat littered with books, crumpled papers, and a plate of stale bread. To her right were four large cabinets sunken into the rock, locked with huge chains, she wondered the point of why such protection measures were taken, and what they hold? Drathis could just snap…

“Where is Drathis? And how am I alive?” She snapped her head back to them bringing herself back to the moment.

“I’m unsure of whom you speak, but Violet will be returning soon, she will be able to answer your questions properly.” Kiki said walking up to her and wiping the sweat away from her forehead. “Thank goodness your fever is nearly broken.”

“We have to go; it’s getting late…” Hanlee sighed moving to put out the torch.

“Wait, where are you going?” She called after them watching the torch, her light being taken away. She didn’t want to be left in the dark alone, she had too many questions, she couldn’t even move what happened if she needed to pee?

“We need to sleep; we have been up guarding you for the past thirty-eight hours.” Hanlee growled pulling Kiki by the shoulder, Sinira felt guilty, looking at them more closely she could now see the dark lines under their eyes, but it wasn’t as if she had asked to be there for her, wherever here was.

“Please, just leave the light on for me.” She whispered unsure if they would fulfil her last request. Kiki smiled placing the torch in the wall of the cave closest to the tub waving as she followed Hanlee disappearing into the darkness.

Left in the room alone Sinira tried not to panic, her movements being restricted pushing her near hysteria. The cave was deafeningly quiet that she could hear the flood flow through her veins.

“Sinira?”

“Mmm?” Sinira answered opening her eyes slowly, how long had she been out?

“Did I fall asleep again?” She asked taking in the cave again.

“Well with your fever, you need to sleep more, I just needed to talk to you quick.”

Sinira turned to face the new voice.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Violet, Kiki left a message for me that you were awake, I just had to steal a moment away to come talk to you.”

“Why?” Sinira asked bewildered.

“Well, it’s not every day I’m assigned by the gods to look after you, you had a nasty fall you know. I’m not too sure how much you recall, but I think you are ready to get out of this sludge. Then we will discuss more over a snack, what you say?”

“Ok.” Sinira half whispered feeling insecure, where was Drathis? She wanted to be able to know the answer without letting her mind wander, trying to riddle the answer while snuffing out the flame of mournful thoughts daring to engulf her.

Violet took the torch and disappeared from sight as she bent down to light the coal under the tub.

“You not going to cook me, are you?” Sinira half giggled trying to ignore the tails she knew of dwarfs eating certain types of flesh, feeling her body heat up slowly but surely.

“Of course not, did you know it’s a curse to kill an elf?” Violet smiled disappearing then reappearing with a large cream-coloured robe. “I need to heat the mud in order to liquefy it again; just a few more moments and I’ll be able to pull you free.”

True to her word the sludge melted and she was finally able to move around, Sinira felt her arms, her legs from thigh to ankle for breaks, her sides and stomach for any tenderness, thanking the gods, there was none.

“Well come on, out you get.” Violet called with the robe over her shoulder and an outstretched hand. Sinira took it and was pulled up onto her own shaking feet, Violet placed the oversized robe “There, there.” Violet soothed her guiding them to the washroom.

Sinira leaned against her for support, her legs not obeying what they knew ass the wobbled with each step.

“Don’t stress, you will be weak for a while, but once we get some proper food in you, I promise you will be as good as new. Now here, in you go, wash up and meet me out here when you are done. Then we can have a chat over a snack.” She smiled patting Sinira’s dainty hand.

“Thank you for your kindness.” Sinira smiled looking up at her pausing for a moment to take her in; she seemed much older than Kiki and Hanlee, by fifty years at least. She had shoulder-length wild hair curling in every direction, but it framed her soft face perfectly, the shape of her eyes holding wisdom and rich secrets she couldn’t wait to ask about.

“Violet?” Sinira popped her head out of the washroom looking for her after having one of the most delightful bathes washing away all the mud between her toes and out her hair.

“Here dearie.” Violet replied placing the last plate on a round table. Sinira casually made her way to the table having placed on another clean extra-large, fluffy coat. She pulled her hair up into a wet bun unafraid of showing off her ears here, she felt at peace in this cave, home almost.

“Have a seat, and eat up.” Violet said taking her own seat. “We have a lot to discuss.”

Sinira sat down hopping up onto the chair, realizing all the furniture was just a tiny bit larger than normal, obviously intended for their kind. She sighed taking an apple as her tiptoes just touched the cold ground. She wondered where her trusty boots were, they had seen her on almost every journey, not that she needed them not, but the false sense of being safe they gave her was needed now more than ever.