Chapter 7 (T) - Awakened

  Everything is dark. But despite the darkness, I start hearing sounds. They’re… kinda loud. There’s lots of people talking and bustling about somewhere nearby. I try to roll over and drown the sound out with a pillow, but I guess my body doesn’t wanna listen yet. Somewhere nearby, I hear a quick intake of breath.

  “Tessa? Are you awake?”

  I recognize that voice. “Xander…? What’s up…?”

  “Um- Do you- Do you feel okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine…? Why wouldn’t I be-” Everything comes back to me. That guy in the forest. The town on fire. The giant dragon thing. The asinine stunt I pulled to try and kill it, and how I got sent flying thanks to it. “...Oh. Right. ...How the hell am I alive…?”

  “Umm… I- I was hiding on top of the tower… I heard a loud crash, so I risked looking over the side, and I saw you jump down onto the monster. And then I- I realized what was happening, so I jumped off, and managed to catch you.”

  “Whoa. ...Thanks. Guess I owe you one, huh?”

  “I- I’m just glad you’re alright. ...You, um… You are alright, aren’t you?

  “Uh… probably? Can’t really move right now, but-”

  “-But you’re always like that when you first wake up, right?” I hear his heartbeat slow a little as he relaxes.

  “Yeah, pretty much. ...How about you, then?”

  “I’m alright too. I got kinda banged up, though… Couldn’t really stay stable in the air after I caught you, so we kind of crashed into a house… Our injuries were nothing the medics couldn’t fix, but my arm’s completely busted.”

  “Sounds like Zach’s got his work cut out for him, then. ...He’s okay too, right?”

  “Yeah, Zach’s fine. The fire didn’t spread far past the tower, so he slept through the whole thing.”

  “Ah. ...So where is Zach, anyway?”

  “Oh, he left a while ago to feed Cana and start working on my arm.”

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  “And you stayed to look after me, huh?”

  His breath quickens. “I- Uh-”

  I grin at him. “Xander, I can practically hear you blushing.” He shifts somewhat, probably trying to hide his face in his hands. Not really sure what the point is though, since my eyes are closed. ...Oh yeah, I should probably change that. I try to open my eyes and stretch a little, and my body actually responds this time. Looking around the room, I realize it’s my bedroom. Xander’s sitting in my favorite chair, which someone pulled close to my bed from the far side of the room. His right hand is on his face, exactly like I thought. His left arm glints on my nightstand, looking pretty badly dented. Zach might have to make him a brand new one, if the damage is as bad as it looks. Outside the door, the hustle and bustle continues. ...In my house.

  “Hey Xander, what’s going on outside the room? Why are there so many people over?”

  “Oh, that. Well, um… A- A lot of people got hurt… Too many for the hospital to hold… Your dad and a bunch of other knights volunteered to let people who got injured stay here to get treated until more permanent shelter could be arranged.”

  “Oh. Yeah, that makes sense. ...Welp, guess I’m not gonna be getting any more sleep until they’re gone, if they’re making this much noise…”

  On the far side the room, the door creaks open, and Xander turns to see who it is.

  “O-oh! Councillor Aranae!”

  “Good afternoon, Xander- Oh, Tessa! You’re awake.”

  “Yep. Morning, Dad.” He smiles warmly at us. He’s clearly exhausted.

  “Xander, your brother called for you. He’s gathered the materials to fix your prosthetic. You should probably go on home so he can attend to its repairs.”

  “Oh! Thank you, sir! I’ll, um… I’ll see you later, Tessa!” He walks a bit unsteadily to the window and hops out, spreading his wings to fly off across town. Once he’s flown out of sight, Dad takes his place in the chair, and I sit up in bed.

  “...You alright, Dad? You look beat.”

  He sighs. “I stayed up all night to do paperwork. Right as I’m about to go to bed, Xander shows up at the door, trying to hold you with one arm, saying something about a dragon.” ...So he didn’t even notice the roaring, or that the town was on fire. I will never understand how he manages to work with that much focus. “Since then, I’ve been trying to treat as many victims as I can…” He sighs again.

  Oh yeah, speaking of people who got hurt… “Is Jay alright?”

  He gives me a weird look. “Jay? Er, I’m afraid I don’t know who that is.”

  “The guy who fought the dragon with me? Tall, brown hair, black cloak? Jumped like fifteen feet in the air? Got knocked through a window?”

  “I’m… I’m afraid I’ve heard nothing of anyone matching that description.”

  “...Oh. Dammit.”

  “Is there… something about this man that concerns you?”

  “Yeah, you could say that. ...When we fought that dragon thing, I saw the emblem on his blade. I dunno how, but… he had Mom’s sword.”