Chapter 38 Azahara #2
Whether it had been memories of her death, being locked in that prison, or seeing the ‘what-ifs’ of their coming conflict, something would rip her from her sleep.
Kaed joined her, but by the third night, she insisted they just take turns sleeping with her. That way, he wasn’t exhausted daily trying to learn to use the wether. He hadn’t liked it but gave in when she forced Zhal to almost carry him back into the main house.
By night four, she stopped trying to sleep. Exhaustion inevitably took her, but the sun would soon break through the window, waking her before the nightmares could take their hold on her.
To say the least, by the end of the week, they were all exhausted. Thankfully, Kaed and Zhal had learned how to use the portals without vomiting and were confident they could get to the nearest Outpost using one.
They spent the last day resting, cleaning themselves up, and filling their stomachs.
Azahara opted to cook their final meal with the family, which was loved by all.
Her famous stew was both filling and hearty.
She shared the recipe with the mother, who commented that her parents must be very proud.
It was meant to be a beautiful gesture, one that she appreciated.
The glances by her family didn’t go unnoticed.
Kaed and Illyan had made it a point to bring up her mental state nearly daily. While Zhal cared, she wasn’t any good at that. She cared more about her physical well-being.
Her mental health was in shambles, but Azahara tried her best not to let it affect everyone around her. All things considered, she felt she was doing a great job. Then there was her physical health, which was doing better than ever.
She had never felt stronger, physically, than she did then. It was as though lightning itself flowed through her veins. Which made for a strange combination; her mind wanted to shut off, but her body wanted to run without stopping.
Zhal was proud when she engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Azahara, and while she could overpower her, Zhal was the first to surrender. After two straight hours of swinging, running, and dodging, she was spent, while Azahara walked away from it without so much as a single limp.
As they wrapped up their final morning and said their goodbyes, Kaed and Zhal prepared mentally for the wether travel equivalent to double the distance they had traveled over five days. It would be the longest distance they had traveled through the portal since starting their training.
It was also there that they would be saying goodbye to their companions: Noxus, Moondancer, and Starlight, which was hard for Azahara and caused many, many tears. The three of them would be set loose to find their way home.
She had no doubt they were smart enough to get there, but it still ripped her to pieces to have things go this way. Animals, whether mentally strong as the three of them were, did not fare the best in the wether portals. It was much safer for them, and they all knew it.
Illyan approached Azahara, who was watching Starlight walk off with Noxus and Moondancer, her arms wrapped tightly around her. “Hey, Ladybug.”
She turned to them and smiled. “Hey, Illy. You guys ready to go?”
“Yeah, I’m ready to open the portal now. We are going to send you first if that is okay. So that you can be on the other side waiting for them.” Illyan put their hand out, and she took it.
“Makes sense. Are you going to set it just outside of the Outpost?” They began walking toward Zhal and Kaed, who looked to be meditating.
“Kaed gave me a description, so I’ll send us about an hour from the location, just to be safe.”
“Good idea. The last thing I need is for them to feel threatened and begin shooting arrows at me.” That thought hadn’t crossed their mind as Illyan suddenly stopped.
“Ah, that’s a good point. Maybe two hours out.”
She couldn’t help but laugh then. Oh, how the innocent mind wanders. She thought, putting her arm around to hug them. Her head craned to see them smiling down at her.
“Let’s get this over with,” Zhal called out to them as they approached. Illyan stepped away from her to prepare the wether.
Zhal looked at her, and Kaed did the same as he put out his arms for her to step into them. They embraced, and she molded into him, finding a calming place in her mind.
He placed a kiss atop her head before pulling away, just as the sound of the wether was opened. It reminded her of the sound of ripping paper, but a stack of them. It wasn’t smooth, but instead, harsh and slow.
“We got this,” Kaed said, tilting her chin so he could kiss her lips. She welcomed it, leaning into it and holding him there as long as possible.
“All right, Ladybug. You first.” Their hand was outstretched for her, and she took it without question.
“See you on the other side.” She slipped her foot through the portal and jumped in with no hesitation.
That feeling of being taken apart and put back together took over as she entered the wether.
It was such a strange sensation, and again not as painful as it once had been, but still not something she enjoyed.
When she finally came through the other side, she released a sigh of relief as fresh air struck her nose and filled her senses.
Her vision finally focused, and that relief was ripped away from her instantly.
It was dark, and she was not surrounded by grassy fields and beautiful trees of the outer city of Ocasio Solis.
Instead, tall limestone walls reached to the sky around her.
The air was thick with an oppressive and foreboding atmosphere.
Crystals lay in the cave, likely once glowing, now rested malevolent, casting only shadows against the jagged walls.
The only light provided was merely a hundred feet ahead of Azahara, where her eyes rested on a Giant’s skull, wrapped in greenery; light, and water pouring down on it from above. That water fed the river that was mere inches from her feet.
Illyan had sent her to the wrong place.
This was Helgum, the City of the Forgotten, a place for the dead.