Chapter 25 Azahara
Azahara
They arrived exhausted at the tavern in a small eclectic village that night.
Fortunately, there were plenty of rooms, and they could finally get a solid night’s rest, as they were starting early the next day.
Kaed had risen before Azahara, and when her eyes opened, she found herself alone in bed.
She wondered if he was upset with her; their conversation before falling asleep hadn’t ended well.
“No, I’m sorry, Azahara, that’s going too far,” he had nearly shouted when she told him that Zhal would be training her, his response unfiltered. “You know better than anyone about a Vaeragi’s power.” His words stung, and even he seemed to regret them.
“I do, and that’s precisely why I want to train with her.”
“No, absolutely not.” It hadn’t been up for debate, but he insisted, “I’ll train you.”
“You both can train me.” His body language while they lay in bed was distant, and Azahara regretted bringing it up at that moment. She had chosen this time, alone and without judgmental eyes on them. She also didn’t want to hear Zhal saying “I told you so.”
Kaed hadn’t agreed, but he took her into his arms and said, “Let’s talk about this later, please.” That settled the matter, and they fell asleep in each other’s embrace.
Azahara wasn’t angry with him, because she understood the risks of training with a Vaeragi. However, becoming a warrior like that meant everything to her. While she would never have the physical strength, adopting the mindset of one and learning how to use it would serve her well.
She changed into a more form-fitting outfit, gathered her belongings, and headed downstairs to the tavern’s lobby.
The fabric of her attire was perfect for training—stretchable and flexible, providing ease and comfort during physical exertion.
While it wasn’t luxurious, her black-on-black outfit was breathable yet thick enough to withstand the cold outside.
She searched for Kaed briefly, instead, she saw Illyan sitting at a table, sipping tea.
“Hey, Illy, good morning,” she greeted them as she approached and took a seat. The tavern had a traditional feel, with wood furnishings throughout. Several tables and chairs filled the space, and a bartender served coffee, tea, and biscuits to the morning patrons.
“Morning, Ladybug,” Illyan replied with a smile. “You’re up early.”
“Am I?” Azahara glanced around, noticing that there were only a few scattered patrons. Most appeared to have passed out drunk, while others were nursing hangovers. “Kaed wasn’t in bed. I thought maybe I had slept in.”
“Nope, he’s off with Zhal,” Illyan informed her. Azahara sucked air between her teeth, groaning in embarrassment. Was he seriously going to scold Zhal for even considering it?
“Are you okay?”
“Sure, uh, where did they go?” Azahara asked, her tone curious. She noticed that they were looking at her suspiciously.
“Don’t worry,” Illyan reassured her as they sipped their tea. “They’re definitely not running off into the sunset together, if that’s what concerns you. They’re just getting more camping gear since we had to leave ours behind.”
“Why did they go together?” Azahara asked, her tone genuinely curious.
Illyan wasn’t buying it. “The Vaeragi said that he would get the wrong stuff. Why are you asking these questions? Is something wrong?”
“I asked Zhal to train me, and Kaed wasn’t happy.”
“Ahhh.” Illyan nodded in understanding, taking another sip. “So that’s why he looked flustered this morning. Here I thought he was blue-balled or—”
“Illyan Ru` Faelrin Sylvan Lazuli, not another word.” They both shared a laugh, and Azahara felt better. Even if Kaed tried to convince Zhal not to train her, she knew her word would hold sway. Not that she wanted to override him in any way, but if she had to, she would.
“Would you like something, Miss?” An incredibly young voice interrupted their conversation, and Azahara turned her attention to the table. The little girl couldn’t have been older than ten.
“No, thank you,” Azahara replied with a smile, her heart warmed by the girl’s innocence.
“You are beautiful, and I love your eyes,” the girl gushed, holding a small tray under her arms and shyly alternating her gaze between Azahara’s eyes and the floor.
Azahara’s smile widened. “Thank you. You are also beautiful. Did you do your own hair?” She noticed two sets of braids expertly tied around the girl’s head, holding her brown hair back from her face. The long tendrils of hair matched her hazel eyes.
“My sisters did,” the girl replied with a bright smile and a touch of blush. “I’m glad you like it.”
Azahara exchanged a glance with Illyan, both equally pleased with the charming interaction.
“Lucy, come on, get back to work,” the man behind the bar called out to the girl, and she quickly returned to her duties.
“Let me know if you need anything,” Lucy said before leaving their table.
“Ah, kids,” Illyan mused, resting their elbows on the table and leaning their head into the palms of their hands. “I would love some little Ladybugs to raise.”
Azahara took a deep breath and placed her hands on the table, absently picking at nothing but making the motions as if she were.
“That sort of future has been dead for me, Illyan,” she said quietly. “Not that I’ve ever really wanted them anyway. Why bring them into a world like this? It’s selfish and—”
“Sorry I said anything,” Illyan interrupted with a smile, looking down at her. “They stink and are gross anyway.”
Azahara chuckled and leaned back. The conversation ended there, but she reassured Illyan with a smile that she wasn’t upset. Kids were never an option for her, and now less than ever. Even after finding someone to love, she had no desire for them. Illyan was as much of a child as she could handle.
After a bit longer, she asked, “You done with your tea? Can we go look for them now?”
They found Zhal and Kaed outside, engaged in conversation. There was an additional bag on Noxus, which likely meant that was their new gear. She didn’t need to ask if everything was ready; the way they were slouched told her they were just waiting on the two of them.
Kaed turned to her, a gentle smile on his lips. “Good morning, beautiful.” He outstretched his hand for her, and she took it.
“Here I was thinking you were talking to me, Kaed,” Illyan quipped with a grin.
“Morning to you, too.” Kaed rolled his eyes playfully, pulling Azahara closer to him, his arm wrapping around her shoulder.
“We are ready to go if you both are. We can get a few hours of riding in before we take a break.” He looked down at her, his eyes filled with love and passion.
“I’ll make lunch while you and Zhal have your first lesson. ”
She felt her heart constrict and warmth fill her bones. His lips pressed against her forehead, and she bit her lip gently. “Thank you.” She wasn’t sure what had happened between last night and now, but she was thankful for it.
“Let’s get going,” Kaed declared, and there were no objections from anyone.
Azahara had a few regrets in her life that she could remember.
One was taking Skyy and Mel to the Temple of Ohrok; another would be asking Zhal to train her.
She wasn’t sure what to expect, but she figured it would involve sword fighting or combat drills.
The number of ways she was wrong would be the death of her.
Sweat drenched every inch of her body. Her chest ached from breathing so heavily.
While the only part that didn’t hurt was her legs, they still trembled.
Kaed and Illyan caught and cooked fish for the past hour, and Zhal was taking Azahara through their first training session, which they had started when they turned twelve.
It consisted of ten sets of twenty different types of squats, climbing techniques, and handstands.
Even the handstands, which weren’t as strenuous, were challenging when performed with both legs tied and a blindfold on.
She was strong, but this training regimen quickly revealed that she needed more stamina. While she was fast and agile, it was clear that she wouldn’t last on the battlefield for hours without further conditioning.
During the last set of her walking handstands, her arm gave out, causing her to fall face-first into the dirt and rocks. The fall was rough, and she let out a grunt of discomfort. She heard footsteps rushing to her side but suddenly stopped.
“Get your hands off me,” Kaed said, making her throw her blindfold off.
Zhal had Kaed pinned behind her arm, preventing him from, what she assumed was, rushing to her aid. “Stop treating her like a child.”
Azahara felt liquid dripping from her cheek, and she wiped it away. The familiar sight of blood stained her hand. Her stomach churned, and the world around her seemed to blur.
“I am not…” Kaed’s voice faded into nothing as her heart rate accelerated, and she clutched at her shirt. A sharp, stabbing pain throbbed through her body. Her fingers moved across her chest, feeling something unusual. As she looked down, her worst fear became reality—a hole exposing her heart.
“So much blood,” she whispered.
“It’s time to come home.” The voice sounded strangely familiar, and Azahara couldn’t help but smile as she looked up.
However, her smile quickly faded when she realized it wasn’t Death standing before her.
Instead, piercing red and orange eyes gazed at her from a face twisted with pleasure.
“It’s time we put an end to this game of cat and mouse, Dikos Mou. ”
Suddenly, there was no heartbeat, and everything felt surreal. Panic surged through her. “You shouldn’t be here.”
Blood. So much blood.
“Shouldn’t I? You called for me,” Goddrick spat.
But then, familiar voices cut through the chaos.
“Azahara, it’s okay.”
“It’s just a little bit of blood, Ladybug.”
“You should have let me go to her!”