The Beast Within

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

Very little sleep was gotten that night by everyone, a gloomy silence settling over the hut.

Darkness dragged on and yet still Tes did not rouse, at some point, Ceraun curled up beside his mother on the pallet that was easily big enough to hold both parents when they were both still alive.

Noelani drifted into the room to check up on Ceraun and she found him fast asleep so she threw a blanket over him.

She was starting to get worried that Tes had not woken up yet, she might have to go for a healer in the morning.

Because she checked and Tes was still unconscious that rarely happened unless something was terribly wrong because it should have subtly shifted to her just being in a deep sleep.

Ceraun went on her high alert, waking up the instant that Noelani stepped on the pallet.

"Who goes… oh?" He deflated when he realized who it was, noticing the blanket around his shoulders. "Thank you." He appreciated it.

Noelani nodded gravely, readying to leave, just as she turned around to make good her leave Ceraun reached out and took a hold of the hem of her skirt, attracting her attention.

"Yes?" She returned to ask, expectant.

“Will she wake up soon?” He asked earnestly.

Noelani felt her throat squeeze in on itself at the hopeless desperation swirling around the child like an icy storm.

“If the Pillars will it.” She answered in a heavy voice, hoping with all of her heart for his sake.

Ceraun went quiet, his hand falling away as he sat closer to his mother, sitting upright beside where she laid, unmoving and breathing shallowly.

What had the Pillars ever done for them? The Royal Family, what had they done to prevent the extinction of their race? They should have fought while they still had the strength in ranks but instead, waited till Mages were whittled down to a measly number incapable of protecting themselves.

“Do you mind if I sit with you?” She asked into the silence.

“If you wish to.” He allowed, staring at the wall in front of him.

Noelani slowly settled down on the edge of the pallet, saying nothing to fill up the prominent silence because there was nothing to say.

Ceraun appreciated the quiet, he was not stupid, he was well aware that his mother should not be unconscious for this long but trying to rouse her now might be dangerous, it would be best to wait till she chose to do so.

He perhaps preferred her this way, as long as he knew she would turn out okay because if she was conscious, she would feel nothing but pain.

Noelani sat stiffly, her head swirling with thoughts, she did not want to alarm Ceraun but she would have to get a Healer the next day to look Tes over.

She could only hold on to her hope and pray that the Pillars found favour in them to keep Tes safe and healthy.

Dawn drew nearer with every quietly indrawn breath and every exhale of breath, yet still, Tes did not awaken.

The first bell jarred through the dark morning, the cutting sound unpleasant to the ears.

Outside the room, the other children were rousing, soft shuffling and whispering as they woke up.

Outside it was cold, the morning dark still, the town was quiet save for the soft chirping of insects and the sounds of other Mages waking up to yet another day in a cruel existence.

Adrik chose to go get water with Haneul and Auris, letting Ceraun spend time watching over his mother.

Noelani, in that time, hurried out of the hut to go get a trusted healer, Mages with Healing Magic were now few and far between but luckily she knew of one from Coldmaw, it was to the Healing Mage's house she hurried to that cold morning.

Adrik and the others were also gone to get water which would be used for the whole day, leaving Ceraun all alone in the hut.

He sat unnaturally still, his eyes closed, meditating even.

He knew his mother would get better because she had to, he would not have it any other way.

The loss of his father was yet to sink in, the fear of his mother dying as well cushioning his heart from the full effect of the fact that he now had no father.

That he would never see his father smile wearily at him as he listened intently to him ramble about his day.

He would never get reassuring pats on his back or shoulders again whenever he felt blue or down.

He still did not know what exactly had happened and he felt like he never would, no one but his mother would want to be the bearer of that information and his mother was lying in front of him, moving none.

He opened his eyes and slouched, his shoulders drooping in misery and a bone-chilling sadness.

Did this all happen because of his decision to join the army? It was quite farfetched but there was little else he could do except blame himself and make out everything that had happened all his fault someway.

There was absolutely nothing he could do, he could not make his mother wake up or console her when she did.

He could not do anything about his father's death, although he knew that his father had absolutely done nothing wrong to warrant the death sentence.

There was no one to report to, no one to try and seek justice from, no one, worse still to try and extract revenge from.

It was a bleak and hopeless situation, he could only sit there and stew in his swarming emotions that were slowly evolving from hurt, sadness and imminent pain to slow simmering rage.

He reached out a hand to his mother, wanting to push her hair away from her face, to touch her face, perhaps to comfort her or to comfort himself.

Or yet still to convince himself that she was still there and he was not just sitting all alone in his room, hallucinating.

The sound of the front door swinging open laid that line of thought to rest and he reflexively snatched his hands back, wondering who it could be.