Chapter Eight - Wounded

After I hanged the gemstone on my neck, I've returned over to my room, in which Annie was sleeping peacefully in my own bed. Wound on my chest was still bleeding, and my armor needed a repair, but I did not care.

As long as she was safe, there was nothing less threatening than her life being in danger. Also the enemy, which was around Alyss in the space, was quickly destroyed, after I've repaired the main controls. Our weapons then reactivated and destroyed the remaining enemy ships.

As I sat down on a chair, in front of my work desk, I exhaled. "We almost died. All of us. And I was telling her not to underestimate the enemy, but I did such a stupid thing myself."

I've unequipped my armor, which was formed from the same metal, of which all of my weapons were made, hidden under my skin. For a first few years of wearing it, it was quite an unpleasant and painful procedure to "unequip" it. But I've gotten used to it now.

Then I've grabbed a few old school bandages to try and stop the bleeding. I was not sure if it would help, wrapping a godly entity in bandages to stop their bleeding. After I was wrapped up, I've cast a healing spell upon myself.

I was suddenly feeling very weak, so I got up, and laid myself down next to Annie, which said some unintelligible noises from her sleep. I've closed my eyes, and fell asleep. Even though I did not need to sleep, the pleasant feeling that came with it, I was able to re-create, and it would help me regenerate.

After I woke up, or should I say, I was woken up by Annie lying on my chest. I've opened my eyes, and looked at her. She seemed okay. Maybe a bit too much okay. She was smiling from her sleep.

I've decided that I will let her be for now, as she was probably dreaming about something nice.

Three Heris passed, and then, finally, she woke up. She lifted her head from me and looked in my eyes: "Good morning, Dorian. Sorry I fell asleep on your chest. It wasn't intentional."

She started to blush. I looked back at her, with a smile on my own face: "It's okay. You were wounded pretty heavily. You needed a rest, to heal up and regenerate. I wouldn't have forced myself to move you away from my bed to have some rest myself."

"How did the battle end up finished? I barely remember being almost torn apart by your weapon, held by some kind of Void warrior. Also, what is that gemstone?"

She looked sad, probably because she maybe thought that she failed me. She also seemed to be interested by my new trinket. "Yeah, you were badly wounded. I've carried you here and healed you. That gemstone.. It is an Ancient Shard. Made by the Lord of Darkness herself.

Then I barely remember myself what I've done. I was in some kind of rage after he almost killed you. And don't worry, you didn't fail me."

"What happened to that warrior? Did you kill him, Dorian?" Annie asked me. "Yeah, I did kill him. He does exist in this timeline no longer."

I needed also to upgrade those firewalls, so I carefully lifted her off me, then got up and grabbed some clothes out of my wardrobe. There was no need to walk around Alyss in my armor for now.

I've looked at Annie covered in my blankets, wearing her now almost destroyed dress and said: "You're going to need new dress." Then I started to think what to do next.

"I need to go to the main control room. Alyss's firewalls need an upgrade, so the enemy won't hack us next time." I said, turning out to leave my room. She stopped me with a gesture, looking at me as she didn't want me to leave her alone: "Please, don't go. I don't want to be alone. The electronics can wait, I cannot."

I stopped myself, turning around back to her, as I was replaying what she did just say in my head. "Okay, let's go somewhere nice, where we can eat and chat idly like normal people." I've came to her and took her in my arms, bridal-style, once again and lifted her from my bed.

She smiled, obviously happy with what I just did and let herself be carried by me wherever we went. "We're going to the bridge, to see where we can go for our next date." I said.

And that was how me and Annie have met each other, went through our first battle, started dating and eventually became a couple.