Chapter 16

This can't be happening to him ...He was losing strength as his fists were attempting to tear down the door.Why would fate forsake him like this. He stayed there by the door and eventually stopped yelling when he recalled that there probably isn't anyone outside...

He was so horrified and when he heard Nayr s monstrous groan he got even more scared.He rotated his body such that his back is on the door and he is facing the man groaning like a dying beast..The tears started to fall rampantly.He was so backed up against the door that the frame must have left an imprint in his flesh.. Nayr groaned once more..Orl ran from the door and towards the Fusuma patio door to the left of the room.He knew it was locked just like the others but it wouldn't hurt to try..He struggled to open it but no success...The Shoji windows near the bed might be able to tear off and he could escaped however there are two setbacks to that.The first is if he manages to to tear off the windows he will only wind up in the balcony and given the altitude he might get undoubtedly injured if he jumps.Then what would be the point of escaping of he is just going to injure himself..The second reason which is perhaps the core reason why he is not going to those windows is because they are close to the bed that has his dimise..

As he stuggled with the patio door, pulling it vigorously yet the door not budging like it was clued on, he heard the groans and they were getting more agressive..The harder he pulled the door handles the louder the groans became louder and that's when he stopped because admist the groans he heard something..He stopped pulling with one hand and then he kicked the door out of frustration. And that's when he heard a rather unique sound. He turned his head to look at the bed but returned his head again to continue pounding on the door but then the sound came . This time it was more defined. He froze in place to listen

However this time ,there was no sound produced. The room was befell by a sudden grave-like silence.

Is his mind playing tricks on him or does when him pounding on the furniture make Nayr groan?

He must be losing his mind that is for certain.He slowly let go of the ring handle of the door and turned around.And looked at the man on the bed who was drenched in blood and was no different from a corpse..He took one step at a time towards the bed..

One part of him told him to go back and crunch by the door another told him to check if indeed what he thought he heard was true..

Saying his chest was rising vehemently is ann understatement.He was infinatly scared that is for sure but he kept getting propelled to quench his wondering soul ..This is probably why they say the one thing more poisonous than fear is curiosity..

Two steps later he was next to the table at the foot of the bed...He hesitated as he was next to the table but nonetheless swallowed saliva that had piled up in his mouth.. His eyes were fixated on Nayr the whole time, he took steps closer to him and as he watched him, he managed to only half blink because his soul was fighting with his mind.He couldn't attain a balance between what he knows is the best thing to do and what his gut is telling him because right now those are two very different things..

Orl passed the table and stood at the corner of the bed. He exhaled heavily. His muscles were powered with adrenaline but there is absolutely no way he is turning back. if he is destined for death today, atleast let him die with a clear head

Orl stopped next to Nayr .He took a visual inventory of Nayr s face and he instantly became more conflicted..

How is it that his face is so wrinkly yet his chest is so smooth and youthful not to mention petit.like the polished surface of a porcelain plate.His flesh looked so fragile almost like it would tear easily from the slightest pressure. Under careful scrutiny, it is possible to see his ribcage and some tiny green veins.It would be reasonable to compare his chest to that of a developing adolescent but then again that,just adds more storms to the whirlpool of confusion.

However shocking and uncorrelating this is,it is not partly the reason why he stormed off.

Nayr s chest was clear.There were no scars or injuries.It was only bruises from him falling and landing on the stairs.Orl had assumed that something punched through his abdomen which is why he was drenched in blood when he was carrying him to the room but now he doesn't know..

Another thing which threw Orl out of balance was the surging of black liquid underneath his skin.The black liquid flowing under his skin is probably what he threw up earlier on..As for the bloody patches on his chest,those arise from the cloth he was wearing meaning that that blood is not his .

Orl closed his eyes firmly as he braced him self for what he is about to do

He wanted to reach over touch Nayr...What in earth is thinking.. Orl was still developing mild tremors but there were not that massive.His muscles were twitching so much so that any further prolonged twitching would be a mild seizure..He wasn't sure what to do but somehow it seems as if ,if he was in his right state of mind he won't even picture himself this close to Nayr.

He bit his lip and he reached for the cloth from the ground and placed it gently on Nayr s forehead.He was afraid to touch him because there is a chance that he might get infected by his ailment.But mostly because he doesn't know what he will think or feel when Nayr s skin comes into contact with his own

Nayr released a soft moan a few seconds later and this startled Orl a little bit making him take step back and thump into the wall

The black veins that were surging dark rivers started to become faint but were still quite visible.. Orl stood there looking at Nayr and that's when he let his body slide down the wall such that he is sitting down.He hugged his knees to his chest as he sat there looking at the body in the bed..

*********

Adrain had been walking for over four hours.His feet were sore and he was really drained.He was still confused as to how that voice he heard back then was propagated because when he turned around, all he had seen was an empty space.Even though that should have scared him ,he had a fair share of bizarre events so he just assumed that the voice was in his head

As he took each step, he felt really hungry.He can't recall the last time he had ever eaten a full meal and when he thinks of all the food he had sent back when he still lived in the palace, his stomach gets a lot hallowed..

He carried on walking.The worst part is he doesn't even know where he is going and he is just walking for the sheer goal of moving..He has to admit that he is still hurting from what happened over five hours but it hurts a little less than it did..

Anyways this forest is not too dense but one can't see beyond twenty feet from they could be standing. However because of the quietness in this forest,it wouldn't be impossible to hear a pindrop.Aside from the occasional tweeting of the birds and creeking of the trees ,there is not a single sound.So that means the sound of following water that Adrian hears is most definitely a creak or a small lake..

He heard towards the creak and he was right ,it was a small lake about ten feet wide and probably a meter deep.The small lake had crystal clear water and small marine life.The entire circumference of the lake boarder was coated with river stones with a rice colour similar to those at the palace.The somewhat beach was about forty feet wide on each of the banks.After that the trees fenced off the lake like a small spring.The water followed from under a huge rock about eighty metres away,which explains why the water is so clean.

As he approached the lake , he knelt down and threw his hat on the gravel.He peaked in the lake but he couldn't see his reflection clearly.He knows that he is wearing simple clothes and are probably like beggars.He doesn't know when his clothes were changed not to mention who did it but anyway that's that

His hands were halfway from being submerged in the water when a flaming arrow pierced through the air out of nowhere and landed in the water in front of him,sending drops of water to Adrian.

Adrian was so surprised and fell backwards.He looked from side to side to see who was the mysterious archer.While he still surveying, another arrow fell next to his thigh.That was the part that ignited fear in him

He quickly reached for his hat and he stood up to flee the scene.He ran the second he was on his feet.At this point the arrows were falling like raindrops and were all aimed at him.The only difference is they were not falling from the sky but instead from behind him.He navigated through the forest jumping over the tree roots which were crisscrossed like worms in a whole..

Why was he being attacked and who was attacking him?