The darkness settled after who knows how long. I, and everyone else there, was gasping for air. I looked up at the sky and saw that it was dark, it had turned night during the time we were all consumed by the darkness. I quickly looked across the battlefield where I saw it. The drake, laying on the ground, its lower jaw gruesomely displaced, two of his horns stuck in his menacing eyes while the other two had been stuck up his nostrils. And there, standing right in front of the drake, his cloak swaying in the wind was Altair. When he turned around I could see how exhausted he was even from this distance. That's when he fell over.

"Altair!" I called out, wanting to run to him but Evergreen held me down.

"You need to rest, someone will take care of him," she said.

I sighed.

"Fine..." I said.

I watched as a few medics rushed out across the battlefield, a few going to Commander Lestul and the others rushing towards Altair. That's when most noticed it, Barion was gone, all that was left behind of him was the crater in the wall that was created when he crashed into it.

"Where is he?" Elsa asked as she stared upon the spot where Barion had been before everything turned dark.

But the only one that could answer that question was currently unconscious and being carried across the battlefield by six medics at once.

"How did he beat that thing?" someone asked.

"That guy is constantly surprising everyone... wouldn't surprise me if he was actually some kind of deity," another responded.

"Maybe the seven sent him down so we could finally defeat the Demon Lord Council?" some girl said suggested.

The other two began laughing. I listened to their conversation with great interest.

"Think that girl is right?" Evergreen asked as she got up from the ground.

"No... of course not, there's no way he is a deity... he's just an elf, right?" I said.

Evergreen shrugged as she turned away.

"I'm going to Servil, you get some rest in the meantime," Evergreen said as she waved me goodbye.

I leaned back and took a deep breath, quickly falling asleep on the blanket the medics had put me on. But I didn't sleep for long, waking up only about an hour later according to the medic that took care of me. By now many campfires had been set up and a sort of camp had been built down here. I could see Evergreen, Servil and Nara sitting around a fire not too far and limped over to them, sitting down on one of the chairs.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, looking at Servil who had many bandages wrapped around his upper body.

Only a small stump was left of his left arm. Nara next to him had casts on his left arm and on both legs.

"As good as one might feel after they lost an arm..." Servil said, sounding quite down.

"What about you?" I asked, now looking at Nara.

"I'll be fine he responded..." said Nara, his voice weak.

I sighed and leaned back a little, staring up at the stars above, and the twelve moons, all of them crescent. That was when Evergreen answered the question I didn't want to ask because it would have made things even more awkward.

"Altair's still asleep, but don't worry, he's fine," she said.

I nodded, seeing the warm light of the campfire flicker about in the corner of my eye.

How should I tell him? When? As soon as he wakes up? Or should I wait?

Not finding an answer to my questions I just stared at the flames, as did the others. We spent our time in silence, mostly. At one point the medics walked around to take a look at everyone again and Servil was taken away so they could change his bandages and Nara got a drink that was supposed to minder his pain, Evergreen got her few wounds looked at and they opened up my cast to put a weird green paste on my broken leg. I thanked them and they left again, moving on to the next few soldiers.

By the time day broke I had fallen asleep again. I was woken by Evergreen who violently tapped my shoulder.

"What?" I asked, barely having opened my eyes.

"Altair is up again and they just finished questioning him;" Evergreen said.

I had never felt as awake in my entire life, nearly jumping up from the chair.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"He went over there," Evergreen said, pointing towards an archway in the wall that led into another chamber. "Go now before someone else does, and take this."

She handed me a long stick so I could walk easier.

"And be careful, the commander suspects that some of them are still running around here and has a few people looking around to take care of the strugglers," Evergreen added as I began limping towards the archway.

"I'm always careful," I said as I made my way to Altair.

I barely noticed myself walking until I actually stepped into the chamber. It was small, lit up by a single brazier in the middle of the room. All the walls except the one the entrance had been built into were lined with large wooden crates. And there, hunched over and leaning against one wall, supporting himself with one arm while his large cloak lay on the ground was Altair. He seemed to be throwing up and mumbling something.

"First I have to actually use it... and then that woman shows up and thinks she can just take me?" he said very quietly.

He then chuckled.

"Oh I get it she's yo-" he began but that's when he spotted me. "Ivory, what are you doing here?" he asked, looking a little pale.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you," I said as I approached him.

I don't care if he just threw up... I need to tell him, now!

"What is it," he asked as he stepped towards me.

"Well... remember when we... met?" I asked, suddenly way more nervous than I wanted to be.

He nodded slowly and saw his eyes narrow a little as if he was slightly uncomfortable.

"Since back then... since back then I've... always tried to talk to you... tell you that I-" my heart began skipping beat after beat, I didn't know how to continue, what do I say? What If I accidentally say the wrong thing... should I say I like you? Or should I say I, "-l-love you."

My heat instantly turned hot as I accidentally said that last bit out loud, it was quiet but I was sure he heard it. I stared him right in the eyes, he looked back, his eyes widened as if in terror. I wanted to say his name but that was when I noticed his hand move towards me.

Is he going to embrace me? Does he share my feelings? Does he love me? Is thi-