Southern Star

The moon was high

Coughing and gasping, she dragged herself out of the river, almost all of her strength was gone, laying on her back, Bell was trying to breath all the air she could. She wasn't sure how but she had managed to save herself from the wall of water. All of her body was bruised from hitting uncountable things on her way down. "such a bad luck" she thought and laughed at the bad timing of the moon, the good thing was that she put her friends in a safe spot before the explosion and for what she saw, human offices were not affected, so somehow everything had worked out.

Suddenly, she heard in her head "are you all right?" And she sat down, scared of the voice, getting the afterfeeling of her sore body. "it's so freaky when you do that" she replied "Sorry about that! I couldn't sense you for a while and was getting worried" Bel heard again in her head. It was Tom, another of the youngsters in her group. He had telepathic abilities and even though he rarely used them, he often freaked everyone out when he did. "I can feel you now and see your position, you are very far from where the central is. Are you hurt?" Tom asked "I'm all right, just a bit wet" replied Bel. "Ok, we'll go and get you" One second later, she heard at her back, "Bel!" and still sitting on the grass she turned to see Fu'ad running towards her, Rehan had open a portal and all the group was there to see her.

'Why are you all wet?! what about this?" He said looking at all the bruises and cuts in her arms and face "I'm ok" she said pulling her arms back from Fu'ad's hands and incorporating slowly.

"The good news is that the wall is down" Everyone else clapped and cheered while Fu'ad was still concerned about Bel's safety, he started to take off his jacket and put it over Bel's wet body, she looked and smile at him and whispered "thank you".

"Yes!" shouted Rehan, "there you have it little fuckers, what you thought? that you could block the entire river?"

"Well I hope they don't try to build it up again" replied Tom

"Even if they do, we will destroy it again!" Rehan shouted again.

"Well is better if we head back" said Emiryo"we don't want people to start missing us"

"Right on!" expressed Rehan and opened one Portal for Tom and another for el otro loco.

"Thank you everyone! Your effords would be rewarded" said haha with a sign and dissapeared on his portal.

" May mother earth be with you" expressed Tom with a bow before leaving.

Rehan was left exhausted closing both portals.

"Feeling ok Rehan? Can you take us back?" asked Fu'ad.

"I'm ok Aram" she replied "I just need to take a break"

After a few minutes, the three of them were able to go back into the village, there was a magic field so they needed to open the portal just before that to not be discovered. Fu'ad carried Reham on his back, as she was completely drainned after openning a high number of portals. When they were close to the houses he said to Bel to just go home as he would drop Reham at her house before heading back. Bel consented and said bye to Reham to which she replied "yeah, yeah, yeah" as if she didn't care.

"Won't Bell get jealous?" asked Reham while she rested on Fu'ad's back.

"What are you talking about?" replied the man with a smile "there's nothing to be jealous of"

"You mean she wouldn't see me as a threath?!" dramatized Reham.

"Stop!, she and I...we are more like brother and sister"

"That is sick... I've never seen any siblings looking at each other like that"

"I don't look at her in any weird way" claimed Fu'ad embarrased.

" Is it Bel then? she doesn't want a piece of this?" teased Reham squeezing Fu'ad's abbs.

"If you don't stop, I'll dropp you down just here"

"oh please don't!"

When Fu'ad went back home, Bel was already asleep on her bed, even though she didnt say anything she must have been exhausted as well. He looked at her sleeping pacefully and felt a lot of regret build up inside of him, "it's better to go to sleep", he said to himself.

"bam bam bam, clang clang clang" they heard and sit up straigh onto their beds, Bel was so sore and bruised that just geting up was a punishment. Fu'ad looked at the window and saw that the sun had just risen "What the f**k!" he exclaimed before running downstairs.

"Odalis!" he screamed upset when he saw who was making such a noise.

"Oh my dear Fu'ad, you're awake already? just in time for breakfast!" mentioned the girl showing a table full of food she just prepared, Fu'ad noticed something unusual on the table.

"Is that bread?!" questioned running towards the table.

" Yes it is! I did a quick stop at a human market and thought would let you know as soon as possible"

"Odalis!" exclaimed Fu'ad with watering eyes an a mouth full of bread.

"Where is Bel anyway, was I not loud enough?"

"I'm here!" yelled coming down the stairs.

"You look awful" commented Odalis "Do you have your period?"

"What are you talking about?! Just give me a piece of bread!" claimed Bel while Fu'ad gave her approving looks since she was wearing long clothes that hid her bruises.

"So what did you guys do last night?" asked Odalis

" Not much, went to bed early" replied Bel.

"So how come you look so tired?" questioned Odalis with an inquisitive look.

"Why don't you tell us how the campaign was?" asked Fu'ad.

"It was all right" - she expressed- " Axciss was there and the rest of the team, everyone came back safe and we gathered the materials we needed".

"Sounds all right" - replied Fu'ad.

"But there was something strange - she commented, getting everyone's attention - we got to a plain, just to collect a few feathers from a cockatrice. And the place was full of feathers, but no cockatrices around... and the strangest thing was that the land was burned, I mean...not really burned but just like dry, as if it hasn't rain in years."

"That's odd, replied Fu'ad, could it be a dragon?"

"No dragons have been seen in years, plus Axciss said that's not how a dragon burn looks"

"So he has seen dragons before?" asked Bel.

"Of course, he has lived many lives"

"Isn't Axciss so cool?" asked Fu'ad

"What cool? He is an old hag that's what he is" replied Odalis.

"I think Axciss is the best" replied Bel, getting affirmative nods from Fu'ad and a disgusted face from Odalis. "What does he think it is?"

"He doesn't know, but will investigate it, putting his nose inside the books" Odalis said with a ridiculous face.

"Im sure he will find out" -added Fu'ad- anyway are you staying long?

"You want to be alone with Bel dont you?" expressed Odalis putting Fu'ad on the spot, he exclaimed "What are you talking about?!" and started to get all the dirty dishes, Odalis reached out for Bel and gave her a hug "You can't have her Fu'ad she is mine" and they continued talking and joking and enjoying that moment in time.

Odalis was planning on staying for a while, she wanted to help in the village and train as well, but she was really drained from the campaigne and she wanted to rest.

When they finished to clean everything up, Bel also went to her room, after a few minutes some soft knocks on the door revealed Fu'ad's presence, he had some items to clean her wounds. He grabbed a piece of cotton and pour some extrange liquid onto it, Bel rolled up her sleeve and Fu'ad started to clean the cuts from her forearm.

"Bel... you don't need to do everything on your own, if you are hurt or you need help you can let us know" a weird feeling took over Bel, deep down she felt angry, she pulled her arm back.

"I dont like it...when you talk like that" she said while crossing her arms.

"I'm just trying to say that I am here for you... we all are" expressed Fu'ad feeling a little shy.

Bel walked towards the window, "just leave the kit there, I'll finish myself"

"Bel" sighted Fu'ad while he moved in the bed.

"it's fine, I'll see you later"

Fu'ad scratched his head and sighted, after a few seconds he stood up and left the room, he knew that Bel was stubborn and sometimes he had to give her some space, there was no use in reasoning now.