In The Darkness

"Where exactly are we going."

Turning over to the women beside her Yilel voiced her first question ever since they had departed from the Fiery clan.

"Come now, are you really going to ask that instead of enjoying this? After all it'll be a long time before you can do this yourself after all."

Althea kept going as she pointed down towards the ground below them as they soared through the sky together.

"That's besides the point, I thought you were looking for Xilo so why aren't you doing that instead right now."

"Haha, you're not wrong but it's not like I'll find him within a day or two either and finding you put a temporary halt to it for now."

With a curve of her lips she playfully rolled around in the air well making their way towards their destination. Xilo was definitely important to her but it wasn't like she wouldn't find him eventually and well she did get angry when she first learned he vanished that was just an in the heat of the moment thing. Once she had calmed down and thought about it she knew she would eventually find him anyway regardless. "It's not like he can disappear from the Continent." When she thought about that she was able to calmly let it go especially when she found Yilel. Finding someone like Yilel was a rare find even in her clan after all and she couldn't give up the opportunity and miss such a chance.

"FIne, but that still doesn't answer my question. We've been travelling for days but still haven't arrived. So where are we going."

"Hehe"

Coming to Yilel's side she booped her nose as she whispered in her ear.

"It's a secret, But you can call it my home of sorts. Does that satisfy you?"

"Not really."

Pushing Althea away Yilel was already getting used to this women's antics and the one thought always came back to her whenever she looked at her. "What is she thinking..." Every action and thing Althea did confused Yilel which frustrated her but thankfully she was getting used to her now. "Though I feel like going Crazy."

"I thought so but what does it matter really, You get what you want and that's all that counts right?"

"Maybe, but what do you get out of it?"

"Now where's the fun in all that. If I told you all the joy would be gone for me and besides I'm pretty sure you won't tell me the reason you want to kill Xilo right?"

"Hmph, Forget it."

"See We're both even and that's perfectly fine."

Laughing to herself Althea was about to say something else before she felt a sharp pain run through her entire body and halt her in place. Holding in her cry of pain she sat there for a couple of seconds breathing deeply as she let the pain run its course.

"Althea?"

Feeling pain she had never felt in her entire life Althea couldn't even hear Yilel. "What the heck is going on." SHe felt like her body was being smashed to pieces and ripped open over and over again. Barely holding on she used her Astral Energy to try and fight the pain but even that didn't help her. "AHHH.." Screaming internally she felt one last shock leave her body before finally the pain faded away. Heavily panting she finally started to feel her body working again as the pain faded.

"Althea, are you okay?"

"Hmmm."

Barely squeezing a reply out Althea was regaining herself.

"What happened?"

"I don't...Exactly know.."

FInally after a couple of minutes she felt herself again but all the playfulness of before was gone. Turning towards the direction of her home she went even faster than before as she travelled.

"This woman..."

Watching all of Althea change's Yilel sighed as she was forced along as well.

Eli was sitting in his room the next morning waiting for his wife to come back. Tearia had been passed out all day and night. "Wake up soon." He didn't want to see his granddaughter like this but there was nothing he could do but hope. "So frustrating.." It had been a long time since he had felt this feeling of powerlessness again and if it was before Tearia's parents died then it would've been hundreds of years since. But now in the span of less than 20 years he had felt it twice again and it pierced deeply every time. "But what can my strength do now?" But his strength was useless both times and it left him in silent suffering. "I can trample the world but I can't even help my own family...." But before he could think about it anymore he heard his wife coming back interrupting him.

*Creak*

Opening the old wooden door of their inn she sighed while standing in the doorway looking at her husband. Seeing that depressed look she silently sighed but there was nothing she could do to help. "It's not like I don't feel the same." Shutting the door behind her she took a seat next to him.

"So is she awake."

"...."

"So that's a no then?"

"No...It's...just not a yes."

With a complicated look she looked at her husband as she barely said those words. One of her worst fears had come to fruition this morning.

"What's that supposed to mean, how is she?"

"Well all of her injuries are healing nicely but..."

"But...?"

"Maybe it's best I show you."

Standing up she made her way to the door again. Seeing his wife acting so weird and hesitant he knew whatever he was about to see probably wasn't a good thing but he still followed along. He was simply too worried not to. Making their way to Tearia's room they travelled in a heavy silence until they reached her door. Seeing that sight again she winced as she watched her husband. On her bed their Granddaughter laid with her eyes open again. Excited Eli completely forgot his fears and ran up to her in happiness while coming to her side.

"Tearia! how are you feeling."

Taking her hand and holding it he asked her a question but didn't get a response back. FIguring she was tired he asked again.

"Tearia are you feeling ok?"

With still no response he asked one more time as worry filled him.

"Tearia...?"

Seeing that she stopped herself from almost crying and watched on.

"I'm...."

But he finally heard a response but not what he was expecting. Listening in more closely though he finally heard her soft mutterings and shock ran through his body.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Over and over again those two words flowed from her mouth weakly and softly but unrelenting as she laid there. Dread filled his body as he finally properly looked at his granddaughter. Yes she was awake but what he saw wasn't the eyes of someone who was even alive. Her lifeless eyes sent shivers down his spine as he stared at him as her monotone look filled him with sadness as he constantly heard her repeating the same sentence without stopping. No matter what he said to her there was no response and whenever he tried to grab her hand or rub her cheek she never reacted or even moved like she never even noticed it. His wife was right, Tearia may be awake but she wasn't at all at the same time. Sorrow filled his mind as he forced himself to look away and back up. Almost at the verge of tears he walked over to his wife and hugged her looking for any support he could at the moment.

"How long...Has she been like that."

Seeing him like this she perfectly understood what he was feeling at the moment as she hugged him back and led them out of the room. Letting him regain himself she didn't reply as she waited for them both to calm down a little bit.

"Since the moment I walked in and noticed she was awake."

"Can we fix it or help it anyway."

"No this is something only she herself can fix and who knows how long that could take."

"I see."

With that he let go of her as he sluggishly walked back to his room. Watching her husband's lonely back walk towards their room her heart hurt as she followed behind him.

"Tearia...."

Hoping for the best she sighed and caught up with him to keep him company.