Her Mythical Warriors (Book Two)

“How long has she been sick?” Julianne asked, her eyes wide as she stared at Akira.

“It was her,” Fin whispered.

The others looked at the male troll.

“What was?” Malique asked.

“The black dog. It came for her,” Fin said, pointing to Akira, who was now in Wolfric’s arms.

“We need to get her to cool water,” Wolfric said, looking up at the others.

“It’s the same fever as before,” Darius said, feeling Akira’s forehead.

“I thought you beat that fever,” Jules said, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’m not losing her again!”

“None of us are,” Wolfric growled, climbing to his feet, Akira in his arms. “Cool water. Now.”

Leviasen whistled for his mount, shifted to his fairy form, and jumped on, then took to the skies to search for water.

“Here, feed her some of this,” Stella said, holding up the herb that had helped the fever last time.

Malique took the herb from Stella and force-fed it to Akira. Once it was in her system, they sighed with relief. Less than thirty minutes later, Levi returned with instructions on how to get to the water. They traveled the rest of the day toward the stream and stripped Akira the moment they found the water.

“Let me take her,” Zelious said, holding his arms out to Wolfric.

Wolfric stared at him. Zelious sighed.

“I can take her underwater.”

Wolfric nodded and handed Akira over to the new warrior.

Zelious took Akira to the deepest part of the stream, a part that looked more like a pond but had water constantly flowing in and out of it. He stepped into the water and tried to create an air bubble but couldn’t do it while holding his Psychi. He should have thought of that…

“Let me help,” Wolfric said, joining him in the water.

Zelious nodded and handed her back to the wolf. He created an air bubble and motioned for Wolfric to place her head into the bubble. Wolfric moved Akira, so her head pushed into the bubble, then handed her over to the Zelious.

Zelious held Akira close as he swam to the bottom of the pond. He stayed in the water for a couple hours, praying to the Gods that Akira would beat this fever again. But not even the cold water or the herbs brought her fever down.

When Zelious stepped out of the water, Akira still out in his arms, they found that the fever was even higher.

Wolfric took Akira from Zelious, and the group searched for a place to sleep that wasn’t in the woods. They found a shack, and Darius shoved the door in. They found a bed inside the small shack, and Wolfric laid their Havent upon it. Julianne helped Wolfric dress Akira and stood back to watch her friend die once again.

There was nothing they could do. The fever was so high her skin was turning purple. They refused to give up; there had to be something they could do. They weren’t losing her, not again.

~⚔~

Akira opened her eyes and looked around the room. Where was she?

“Akira.”

Wolfric’s voice penetrated her foggy brain. She turned her head and smiled at her wolf.

“Wolfie,” she rasped.

Wolfric smiled a sad smile, “try not to talk.”

She looked around the unfamiliar room and found that her warriors were asleep in different positions around the bed she lay in.

“The fever won’t go down,” Wolfric whispered.

Akira looked at him.

“The Black Dog was here for me,” she whispered.

Wolfric nodded, a tear sliding down his cheek.

Akira lifted her hand to his cheek and took the tear onto the tip of her finger. She looked at the tear, then at him.

“I can try to heal myself.”

He shook his head, “that will take too much energy, and you don’t have enough….”

“Let me try,” she rasped, trying to sit up on the bed.

Her movement woke her warriors. Three pairs of eyes stared at her as she sat up against the pillows.

“How do you feel?” Malique asked, watching her.

Akira shrugged her shoulders and moaned. “Like crap.”

Her warriors chuckled.

“You really shouldn’t be moving,” Malique said, moving to pull her back down the bed.

Akira stopped him with one look.

“I want to try to heal myself,” she said with determination.

“That’s dangerous,” Malique whispered. “You’re not strong enough….”

“I need to try,” Akira cried, then started coughing.

“Akira,” Wolfric whispered, moving closer to her.

Akira shook her head, “if nothing you guys did helped this time, then maybe I can heal myself like I did… Oh, My God.”

The four warriors looked at her.

Akira closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Why hadn’t she thought of this before?

“Akira?” Wolfric whispered.

Akira opened her eyes and looked at Wolfric.

“This is the same fever I healed Corien of.”

“Ah fuck,” Malique growled.

“Who’s Corien?” Zelious asked.

“Fin and Stella’s little brother,” Darius said.

“It’s how we met the trolls,” Wolfric said.

Malique filled their new warrior in on the story of meeting the trolls.

Zelious looked at Akira. “Are you sure this is what the boy had?”

Akira looked at her warrior and nodded. “It has the same feeling to it. I think I can heal it; I’ll need some herbs for strength.”

Wolfric grabbed the ball of herbs, ripped off a couple of leaves, and handed them to her.

Akira smiled at her wolf as she took the herbs from him. She shoved them into her mouth and forced herself to chew them. Once they were in her system, she instantly felt their powers. She closed her eyes and concentrated on healing the fever from her body.

The warriors watched Akira’s body glow with her amber light, then dim and go out as she passed out.

“Shit.” Wolfric moved to Akira’s side. “No, no, no,” Wolfric cried.

“What happened?” Zelious asked. “What’s going on? Did she heal herself?”

Malique growled as he punched the wall, and Darius fell to his knees beside the bed.

“Answer me,” Zelious growled.

“The herbs are supposed to keep her from passing out,” Malique growled.

“What does this mean?” Zelious asked, his heart breaking at the thought of losing his Havent.

Wolfric turned from Akira’s unconscious body and looked at the new warrior.

“It means she’s too weak for the herbs to help, and she can’t heal herself.”

Zelious looked around at the other warriors.

Malique nodded his head and slid down the wall to the floor.

“Isn’t there anyone who can beat this fever?” Zelious asked.

The others shook their heads.

“Akira is the only one who has cured that fever. The trolls had tried everything before they found Akira,” Wolfric said, leaning his head against Akira’s hand.

Darius shook his head. “She wasn’t even fully charged after being attacked by that damn spider.”

“Then what do we do?” Zelious asked.

“Pray to the Gods that they’ll save their special Havent,” Wolfric grumbled.

Zelious stared at Akira as they started to pray to the Gods. Did they really care what happened to a Havent? Even if she is the Great Grand Niece of Zeus?

~⚔~

Julianne stared at the warriors as she entered the shack, Leviasen and the trolls close behind her.

“What happened?” Jules asked.

The four warriors turned to them. Wolfric turned back to Akira while the others told them what had happened while they were gone. Jules looked from the warriors to Akira’s purple face and back again. What will they do if Akira is the only healer able to cure the fever that has taken over her?

“No,” Stella cried, running to the bed. “This is our fault. She wouldn’t be sick if we didn’t take her to save our brother.”

“We don’t blame you, Stella,” Malique said, looking at the female troll. He looked at Fin. “Either of you.”

“But we brought this on her,” Stella cried. “We only thought of healing our brother. We didn’t think what it may do to her.”

“No one thought she would get it,” Darius said, placing his hand on the troll’s shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself.”

Fin snorted and stomped out of the shack.

“Is there no way to help her?” Julianne asked.

“Akira is the only one who can fix this,” Wolfric said, pulling Akira’s hand to his cheek. “And she’s too weak to fight the fever.”

“There has to be something,” Jules cried.

“I think we should leave the guys to tend to their Havent.” Levi pulled Jules from the shack.

“No, I want to stay with Akira,” Jules cried as she was dragged out the door.

“That was odd,” Darius said, watching Levi pull Jules from the shack.

“Did the herbs not help?” Stella asked, looking up at Wolfric.

Stella wiped away a tear and tried to look more like the warrior she was, but she was too sad to be a warrior right now.

“No, they didn’t,” Wolfric whispered.

Stella slid down the side of the bed and sat on the floor. What were they going to do? She knows the warriors won’t survive losing their Havent again.

“What are the fairies doing?” Darius asked as he approached the window.

“What’s going on?” Wolfric asked, looking up from Akira to watch Darius at the window.

Darius frowned. “They’re arguing, and Levi keeps trying to throw Jules on the back of his mount.”

“What the fuck?” Malique pulled himself to his feet.

The vampire joined the Pegasus at the window and watched the two fairies arguing. Levi finally won out and got Jules onto the back of the dragonfly, and they took off into the night sky.

“Okay, so I guess we’ve lost their support,” Darius said, his eyebrows furrowed.

“What do you mean?” Wolfric asked, joining them at the window.

“They just took off on Pen,” Malique said, pointing up into the darkened sky.

“Where the fuck are they going at a time like this?” Wolfric demanded with a growl.

“I don’t know, but it looked like Jules didn’t want to go. Levi forced her to leave,” Malique said.

“I always knew there was something with that boy,” Wolfric grumbled. “I never liked the way he looked at Akira.”

“I think they’re related somehow,” Stella said from her position on the floor beside the bed.

The four warriors turned and stared at the troll.

“How could they be related? He’s not a Demigod,” Wolfric growled.

Stella shook her head, “no. But there’s something between them that only they can feel.”

Wolfric shook his head and said, “if they’re not back by sunrise, I’m going to strangle their little necks.”

~⚔~

“I don’t like leaving like that,” Julianne said, holding on tight to Levi as they flew through the night.

“I know.” Leviasen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I didn’t like it either. But I didn’t want to give them hope in case there is none.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t just a bedtime story?” Jules asked, looking at her prince.

Levi nodded, “I’m sure. You know as well as I do that the myth is true.”

Jules sighed, “I know, but I don’t want to get my hopes up.”

“We shouldn’t, just in case he denies helping us.”

“The King? I know he will deny us. He only cares about himself.”

Levi laughed, “no, the Caladrius. You know they won’t help if they don’t find it worthwhile.”

Jules nodded. “I’m glad we left Aarush behind.”

Levi snorted, “that crazy king is too fascinated with magical birds. That’s the only thing keeping Pen safe; he’s not a bird.”

Jules laughed and patted the side of the dragonfly.

“Good thing you’re not a bird, Pentairious.”

The dragonfly twitched his wings, making the fairies laugh.

“Now to find the greedy king, and borrow his Caladrius, and hopefully save the life of our friend,” Jules said, pointing in the direction they were heading.

Levi nodded in agreement, “hopefully, the Gods are watching over Akira and will keep her alive until we get back.”