Chapter 589: Licking Wounds
There had been a man in the cage beside mine. Rows of cages stretched into the shadows, each holding a huddled, faceless figure, but this cage, this slave, I remembered. He’d saved my life, after all.
I didn’t know his name, nor had he spoken to me more than once. That had been the time I angered our master, and she’d broken my ribs. I’d lost so much blood, and when he saw I hadn’t the will to staunch it, ordered me to do so. I remembered trying, but the pain was too great, and he ended up reaching through the bars and tying the bandage himself.
That was the last time I’d heard from him, but now, as I lay on the edge of death, I could hear his voice again. The words had long since faded, but I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to move.
I tried to open my eyes, only to wince and squeeze them shut again. The air stung the sensitive tissue, and the meager amount of light I’d glimpsed transformed into blurry starbursts on my pupils. The ringing in my ears had stilled, but sounds around me remained elusive, converting into a disorienting buzz.
Fable was far away, the bond suppressed by whatever it was that made my mana difficult to use. I couldn’t even sense what direction he was in or how he was feeling, only that he was alive.
I whimpered, biting my lip. I had taken a step of faith and trusted Fate when she said I could find joy, but here I was. Alone. Always, I ended up alone.
Slowly, I smoothed my hands down my skirt, breathing a sigh of relief as I found the fabric bloody and torn. Beneath the torn fabric, I could feel the raw scrapes of wounds on my legs. The damage, however, allowed my shaking fingers to tear strips from the weakened hem.
With a few makeshift bandages secured, I struggled into a sitting position, wincing as the motion sent a stab of pain through my back. It faded quickly, only to flare up every time I shifted my left shoulder.
From there, I gingerly lifted my tail into my lap, following the streams of blood to find the cut. The laceration was long and jagged, nearly two feet long and deep to the bone. I felt at the four or so strips I had and selected the largest one. Wrapping it around my tail proved difficult with my shoulder, but that pain was nothing compared to the absolute agony when I tried to tie it off.