Chapter 69: Off Again
Aziel and Arthur both rose from their deep sleeps and greeted the horizon over a new view with a smile. The pale orange glow of dawn painted the desolate landscape in hues of amber and gold, transforming the barren expanse into something almost beautiful. The cracked stone beneath them had served as their bed for the night, leaving imprints on their skin and a dull ache in their bones, but there was something refreshing about waking up beyond the field of roses—something hopeful.
They didn’t speak at first, instead just enjoying the view and the fact that they were one step closer to making it back home. The morning air was cool against their skin, a welcome respite from what would undoubtedly become scorching heat as the day progressed. In the distance, heat waves already began to shimmer above the fractured ground, distorting the horizon into undulating patterns.
After a while of silence, finally Arthur spoke, his voice still rough with sleep. He cleared his throat and tested the energy flowing through his body before declaring, "My core feels filled again and most of my wounds are flesh wounds..." He pressed a hand against a particularly nasty gash on his arm, wincing slightly at the touch. "Painful, but I’ll manage. They’re already healing over."
Arthur’s fingers drifted to his thigh, where the deepest wound pulsed with dull pain. The skin around it had turned an angry shade of red, though thankfully there was no sign of infection.
"The wound on my thigh is the only one worth worrying about," he continued, prodding gently at the tender flesh. "It might cause us to move slower, but either way, at least we’ll be moving."
Aziel nodded, running a hand through his disheveled hair. He glanced down at his own body, cataloging the various scrapes and bruises that decorated his skin like a macabre painting. None were serious enough to hinder their progress.
"Yeah, most of my core is filled too..." He summoned a small flicker of lightning to his palm, satisfied when it maintained its steady glow for several seconds before he dismissed it. "And as for my wounds, I don’t have any that will slow me down, so we should get moving here soon."
He stretched his arms overhead, feeling the satisfying pop of joints realigning after the long rest. His muscles were sore but responsive—ready for whatever challenges this new territory might present.
Arthur sighed, a sound that carried both relief and apprehension. He was excited about moving on, the prospect of continuing their journey filling him with renewed determination, but the thought of walking for so long made his thigh hurt just laying there. He gazed out across the vast nothingness that awaited them, a landscape devoid of landmarks or guidance.