Carmine

The pain was gone. One extra Exodine cured the low nagging ache, yet never the unnerving distress. I almost died. If those men were a bit more capable and I was just a little too relaxed, I would be dead.

That was the thing, I could never relax. Even now, they penetrated this fortress and attacked me with such ease.

It was debilitating. I brushed aside the hair hiding the scar on my forehead from the ax. There were too many scars. I assumed four or five, but there were thin cuts all over.

From my face, to my arms and chest, I already counted eight on my face just looking in the mirror. My robe was a mangled mess.

Five exodine blocked out the pain, so I never felt those cuts originally. Only the three major slices, one crossing my chest, shoulder, and the lower part of my right arm.

Canus looked hurt. Hidden behind that scowl was his anger. "Do not listen to Acomn. It is only because we could not find the culprits."

Listening to Acomn accusing me of self-inflicting harm was not odd. He well and knew what happened to me was true. Acomn was trying to brush it under the rug as it did not concern him.

I turned and smiled at Canus. He commandeered the soldiers to scour the place miserly and found nothing.

Still many rumors spread, it was odd how a huge fight like that would have occurred in a space so well-traveled.

I watched Janilla sitting by Five who was still bedridden. "I am glad you are by my side, thank you. I wished I caused you no trouble, but I guessed I am still a source of distress for you." My words were meant to ease Canus's rage.

Canus sighed, "Rubbish, not at all. As I said, I will protect you and I mean that."

I nodded saying, "Yes, thank you. I need some time alone."

Canus replied, "Of course." Canus left and I walked up to Five tapping him at his cheek.

He woke up.

I said, "What happened to you, start talking."

"Spatial Bound, it is a method that allows someone to create their own space, warping time and forces arou—"

"Vaska Five," I demanded. Vaska was the common language around these parts.

"They can create a room that no one but them can see, smell, interact with or enter."

"So that was a room?" I asked.

"Something like that. Only you could not enter it or see it. So you were not dreaming or mad. It was just you were the only two allowed inside. You were never supposed to leave."

That churned my insides with abhorrence.

"So youuuu..." Janilla gestured with her hand upward. Then she looked at me and said, "You were trying to enter?"

Five said, "Trying yes, I could not hear your thoughts. I knew something was wrong. I was trapped within one myself, so I had to escape that. I traced your last location and found the other spatial bound. To crack inside I had to force my way inside. Which—took a lot out of me."

I sighed. "You seem fine to me."

Janilla said, "No, he is not. Look at his skin."

I looked and saw anything of note, though looking at his unclothed chest flooded my cheeks with heat.

The sheet covered the rest of his body. I said, "I don't see anything."

Janilla said, "He is getting paler."

"What?" I asked. I looked again and then I noted it. His dark skin became drained of it's deep glow and consisted of a distant blanching effect that I dared not deny.

Five said, "Yes, it is small, but this body will not survive much longer."

Before I could ask, Five leaned up and came off into a standing position. Seeing his toned chest and abs, Five looked like some chiseled statue with the healed cut around the side of his stomach. It formed a big bruise that seemed to be darker and sinking inside of him like the sunken earth.

Five closed his eyes and winced. "I will be fine, just a few days rest is all I need."

"You sound like you are in pain? You need Exodine?"

Five shook his head. "My body heals itself. Most Elams have good regenerative traits."

Janilla asked, "As long as their head is intact."

"Yes."

Janilla stepped closer, her hand raised as if to touch him. Five seemed to stiffen at her closeness. Her hand got no closer. Janilla parted her lips slowly. "It will be harder each time, I read such bodies have poor lifespans."

Five closed his eyes. "I will die soon regardless."

I whipped my head back in shock. Janilla opened her mouth, but could not find the words.

"You never told me that," I said.

Five turned to me. "I told you my outcome was already decided on that day. You only prolonged the inevitable."

I stared and pursed my lips inching to respond. Five nodded and continued, "We should leave. She will get more brazen or try again."

I looked at Janilla. Janilla just shifted on her feet and looked between the both of us.

Pushing aside the burning sensation, I paced some feet and turned around. With a pat on my hips, I said, "I am not sleeping in the wilds again. No, this is the best place to fortify ourselves and fight her. What I need is for you to do is do your job better."

Five opened his mouth, but closed it. He nodded and said, "Yes Mother."

I said, "Any ways to prevent these rooms?"

Five said, "Spatial bound and yes."

"Good, get that done. Janilla help him. Figure out all possible ways she will try to kill me and prevent it. Every last one of it."