Chapter 33: Getting Back on My Feet
Arthur slumped against the side of the wooden cart, feeling completely wiped out. Even with his new blonde hair disguise (Marcus Goldwind’s appearance), he felt like a total fake—a beat-up prince pretending to be a merchant while his kingdom thought some prisoner was actually their real prince.
"You need to stop fighting the healing process," Sylrathi said gently, her eyes showing genuine worry. "Your magic is still messed up from what the Heart did to you.
Every time you tense up, you’re just making it take longer to get better."
The cart bounced over another bump in the increasingly crappy road, and Arthur winced as pain shot through his damaged magical core. They’d been traveling for six hours since leaving the safety of Lyranth’s borders, and he could already feel the difference.
"How much further to the first rest stop?" Arthur asked, trying not to sound as weak as he felt.
Sylrathi checked the merchant maps they’d brought to keep up their cover story. "About two more hours." She shook her head. "I’ve seen ancient heroes try stuff like that. Most of them died for good."
Arthur watched her as she guided their horse along the deteriorating road. Something was different about her since the Heart chamber—like she was more protective and intense than before. The way she’d held his hand during those first scary moments when he woke up, the fierce determination in her voice when she’d promised not to let him die.
"You saved my life," he said quietly. "When the Heart was draining everything I had, your magic was the only thing keeping me alive."
Her hands gripped the reins tighter. "I couldn’t lose you. Not when I’d finally found..." She stopped talking, her usual ancient composure fighting with newer emotions.
"Found what?" Arthur asked gently.
Sylrathi stayed quiet for a long moment, her purple eyes distant with memories spanning centuries. "In five hundred and forty-seven years, I’ve watched kingdoms rise and fall. I’ve seen heroes burn bright and die young, watched people I cared about grow old and die while I stayed the same." Her voice got softer. "I learned not to get attached. It hurt too much."