Calantha was stunned after hearing everything Astraea told her about being poisoned by Kali. Still, her heart eased a little when she learned that Gala had a temporary medicine to keep Astraea under control.
"How much of the medicine do we have left?" Calantha asked.
"Quite a lot," Gala replied, showing a pouch filled with medicine made by Dr. Thrain.
"How many days will it last?"
"About a week."
"Perfect. Then we're heading to Thalorien. It'll be a long journey. If nothing slows us down, we should get there in three days by horseback," Calantha said.
"But we don't have horses," Astraea pointed out.
"What do you think I used to get here?" Calantha replied. "I brought one."
Her gaze shifted to Gala. "Can your jaguar handle a trip like this?"
Gala answered with a nod, accepting the journey ahead. Besides, Leo was no ordinary jaguar. He had been trained for years to become as strong and intelligent as he was now.
They didn't want to waste any more time. Time was far too precious. If even a single day passed after the medicine ran out, Astraea would most likely fall under Kali's control again.
•••
Tenebrous's Village
Arthur was incredibly lucky to have met Zaraea—a woman born with extraordinary strength, strong enough to support him nonstop over a long distance without resting even for a second.
This time, two elven guards stood tall at the village gate, bows already in their hands. From afar, Zaraea saw them raise their weapons.
"Don't move!" one of them shouted. "Drop your weapon!"
"I don't have any weapons!" Zaraea shouted back.
But the distance was too great, and the guards couldn't hear her clearly. With thick fog surrounding the forest, they could barely see who was approaching. They simply waited, expecting her to throw something down.
Zaraea checked herself several times—she wasn't holding any weapon. Still, there was no response. The guards refused to lower their bows. At the same time, Arthur groaned again from his wound.
She couldn't bear seeing him like this. Gritting her teeth, Zaraea decided to keep moving forward.
"I said stop!" The first warning came as she took a few steps.
"Stop or we shoot!" The second warning followed. She ignored it.
"Last warning. Stop, or face the consequences."
Zaraea didn't slow down. Two arrows shot straight toward her.
In a flash, she let go of the staff she was holding and casually blocked both arrows with her bare hand—snapping them instantly.
The guards immediately sensed something was wrong and called for reinforcements.
"Stop. We can't do this," Arthur said weakly.
"What do you mean?" Zaraea asked.
"Put me down."
"No. I'm not letting you go in this condition."
"They'll attack if you keep pushing forward. You might be strong, but you can't block dozens of arrows. If I die from arrows, how is that any different from bleeding out?" Arthur said.
With great reluctance, Zaraea slowly released him, letting him do what he wanted.
Arthur staggered forward, barely able to walk. His breathing was uneven, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. Still, the guards didn't lower their bows.
Until Arthur collapsed.
One of the guards suddenly recognized him and rushed over to confirm. Immediately, all the guards lowered their weapons.
Zaraea ran toward Arthur, worry written all over her face.
She followed as the villagers carried him away, bringing him to Dr. Thrain's residence. His injuries were severe enough that only the old doctor could treat him.
She wasn't allowed inside. All she could do now was wait outside.
Her eyes fell to the staff in her hand as she wondered how to use it. Aethonia had said this staff could be used to fight Lilith—the strongest demon in Shadowfell.
Suddenly, a woman came rushing toward Dr. Thrain's hut. Zaraea stood up as the woman got closer.
"You're his friend, right?" the woman asked, looking at Zaraea.
"Yes."
Without another word, the woman began pounding on the door, demanding to be let in. But Dr. Thrain refused—he was still treating Arthur.
"Hey! I'm his lover! I have the right to see him!" The woman snapped angrily.
"Not right now, Ravka. You'll have to wait," Dr. Thrain replied calmly.
"Don't make me tear this hut down, Dr. Thrain."
Zaraea froze at those words and tried to calm Ravka down. But her anger—driven by fear and worry—was uncontrollable.
Ravka stepped back, light surrounding her body. Her power was awakening. She was about to destroy the hut.
"Hey, you don't need to do this. He'll be fine," Zaraea said softly.
Ravka ignored her and attacked the hut—but nothing happened. The magic was absorbed instantly.
Dr. Thrain had reinforced his hut with protective magic. It couldn't be destroyed so easily.
Realizing this, Ravka dropped to her knees, her legs trembling. Tears streamed down her smooth cheeks without her noticing.
Zaraea took the chance to embrace her. She understood the pain of fearing for someone you love. She guided Ravka to sit beside her and handed her a cup of warm tea.
"He's all I have left," Ravka whispered. "I can't lose him."
"You won't," Zaraea said gently. "He's strong. If he were an ordinary human, he'd already be dead—but he held on long enough to get here."
"Where did you meet him?" Ravka asked.
"At Neo-Lab. He was assigned to protect my sister on her way to Mythren. I don't know how he ended up fighting that demon alone," Zaraea replied.
"What demon?"
"Aethonia."
Ravka's expression darkened instantly. "That demon… I have to kill it."
"No need," Zaraea said calmly. "I already did."
Ravka froze, staring at her.
"…Who are you, really?"