At dawn, the five men assembled outside the inn on their horses and set for the journey into the wilderness. A few people gathered waved them goodbye and good luck. They traveled for hours before reaching the cave where the chimera lived.
Everything worked according to their plan, and they captured the chimera and slew it; Aelfric collected some of the beast’s blood in a Vail he brought along and then set off to find the hostages. A whimper led him to the farther end of the cave, and he saw all the women huddled in one corner.
He found Sil. She is battered, bruised, and scratched, her clothing burned, and she is in rough shape. His eyes teared up when he saw her this Way. She was a bit taken aback when she saw him
“Aelfric??” She asked, not believing her eyes.
“My love.” Aelfric rushed and embraced her.” I thought you were dead.” He whispered into her hair.
“Oh, you came.” She cried. She was looking at him the way she never had. She raised her hands and caressed his face. It was as if she saw him in a different light. “I thought I was going to die, Aelfric.”
“You’re not going to die. You’re safe now, my love.” Aelfric rocked her.
She looked at him through her tears and then rose to her knees and kissed him. Aelfric was caught off guard by the kiss but kissed her back after a second. Oh how he’d missed her lips. The kiss was soft and warm and short. Sil pulled away and lowered her eyes in a coy manner. Aelfric used his finger under her chin to raise her face back to him.
“I thought I’d never see you again.” He whispered, putting his forehead on hers.
“I thought so too, Aelfric.”
“I’m sorry I left the way I did. I should have…”
“Shhh.” She interrupted, placing a finger to his lips. “I love you, Aelfric.” She pecked him lightly on the lips.
“I love you too, Sil.” He said into he hair as he hugged her again. He took her hand and helped her rise .”Let us get out of this horrible place.” Sil nodded.
The other women had already immediately left there when they found out that the Chimera was dead. In the front of the cave, he found his friends still dealing with the chimera’s carcass.
“Good luck, gentleman.” He waved at them, and they waved back. He helped Sil climb the horse, and when he finally did, they rode back to the citadel in silence. When they got to Mrs shiffs inn, Sil’s father, Mr. Melse, was already standing there, and a few local farmers and some of the inn’s residents. When they saw Sil on the horse, they broke into an excited howl.
Mr. Melse ran to the horse and helped his daughter down. Aelfric climbed down after her.
“Father,” Sil said with a soft tone embracing her father.
“You did it, lad. You did it. Thank you for bringing back my daughter.” Mr. Melse said over Sil’s shoulder. Aelfric smiled and nodded at him.
“Well done, mate.” Said a huge man with a ruddy nose. He patted Aelfric on the shoulder. “What about the others?”
“The ladies have returned to their homes while my colleagues will be arriving any time now with the Chimera’s remains.” A round of applause erupted around the space. Lots of people came and patted Aelfric on the back.
“We will be going back to the farm now. You have done real good.” Mr. Melse said to Aelfric. Sil was leaning on his side, smiling up at Aelfric.
“Wait, sir, let me prepare some salve for her wounds and bruises.”
“Right now, I want to take my daughter home. You can come by the farm tomorrow to treat her.”
Aelfric wanted to protest more, but he looked at Sil and acquiesced. Sil moved forward and embraced him.”Thank you, Aelfric. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow, my love.” He waved at them as they climbed into a wagon.
Some minutes after they left, his crew finally arrived. As soon as they landed, people gathered around them to see the spoils they have collected and, of course, the deadly beast. Davis was naturally the one that took all the praise and attention. Aelfric quietly retreated upstairs to his room and brought out his newly acquired book to study. He read till he was drowsy, and then he fell asleep.
The next day, he prepared the salve he wanted to give Sil and the letter Arcus wrote to him and set off to Melse farm. He knocked on the front door and waited till Sil’s father answered it. “She’s up in her room.”
In her room, he found her on her bed, tucked warmly under a thick blanket. She stretched her hand towards him when she saw Aelfric. “You’re early.” She hurriedly wiped her face but it was too late. He had already noticed the streak of tear she was trying to hide.
“Of course. I couldn’t waste any time coming to treat you. How are you feeling?”
“Apart from the dreadful news about Arcus’s death, I’m feeling considerably better. If you didn’t see the purpling bruises on my skin, you wouldn’t even suspect I was captured.” The purpling bruises and injuries were not so deep though. It was like the beast treated its captives fine.
“I know that wherever he is right now. He’d be smiling at us because you are safe now and the towns people are too.” He kissed her forehead and continued. “Now it’s good that you feel better but I’ll still need you to drink this concoction and apply this salve on your injuries.” He brought out the medications from his laboratory bag and handed them to her to take. He rubbed the salve to her injuries with care, blowing air from his mouth to help soothe the pain she might have been feeling. When he was done with rubbing, he looked up at her face.
“Let’s get married.” They said unplanned but in unison. They chuckled at their words and how it felt like they had read each other’s mind.
“Yes, we should and we should make haste of it.” Sil agreed.
After Almost losing each other, Aelfric and Silver became even more sure that what they’d found was love. Sil had expressed to him that she could never have children, and he had said lovingly.
“I never imagined to be so lucky as to be a healer, and a husband. All the love we would give to our children, we will give to the children whose lives we save and to each other”. Sil’s eyes glittered with tears as she put her arms around his neck.
Their engagement was not a thing of nervousness and excitement. Yes, Aelfric spoke to her father, but there was no nervous burning question. The two simply knew they would be together always, and that they longed to celebrate finding one another.
At the small Ceremony, Aelfric placed not a ring upon her finger, but a blood red pendant around her neck. “I give you this pendant as beautiful as it, is our future together. It will bind our souls to one another and we’ll find each other no matter how far the waves drives us apart from each other.”
“I love it.” Sil said as she admired and fondled the necklace.
The pendant, wrought with magic, was a truer joining than any marriage ceremony. For he had used the blood of the chimera to fashion the stone. The Chimera’s very magic ensured that this object belonged innately to Aelfric, and no matter where Sil went, if she wore this talisman, it would lead itself, and her, back to him.
It was evening and all had returned to their houses as the ceremony was over. Sil and Aelfric were sitting in Arcus’s house. As the only healer left in the citadel, Aelfric had taken over the duties and house of Arcus. He brought out Sil’s salve and while he did that, the letter he collected from Arcus fell. As he picked it up, he remembered that he had not told Sil about his plan. Aelfric knelt down and rubbed it on the already fading injury on her knee. Silver watched him as he applied every rub with attention and care.
His hands, rough but tender felt like the wind in the morning. She imagined what it would feel like on the other parts of her body again.
“Sil? Sil?” She snapped out of her thoughts though it took a little shake. “Penny for your thoughts”.
She smiled. “It wasn’t something serious. Just random thoughts”.
“And you don’t want to talk about it? Is it about the chimera?” He peered into her eyes.
“No, no my love it isn’t. I’m fine. What were you saying?”
“Master Arcus left me a book, Magix of death and life.” Sil looked at him wide eyed. “Isn’t that the book about Necromancy?”
“Yes, it is. I have studied most parts of the book and I have learnt most of all I need to know.”
“What are you saying, Aelfric?”
“I’m thinking of performing the ritual”. She shook her head and made to leave where she was sitting but he held her hand. “Imagine how wonderful it would be for no one to die anymore.” She continued to shake her head in refusal. “Besides, Master Arcus supports the ritual, if not why would he leave the book in my hands with this letter?” He brought out the letter and showed it to her.
“He wrote to you? What did it say?” He handed it to her. She opened it and read the contents with tears in her eyes.
“I miss him.” She said letting out a little sob. “I miss him too.” Aelfric agreed. He drew her closer and held her while she shook sobbing.
“I haven’t read this book you speak of yet but I know it would take a lot of magic and sacrifice to perform the ritual. I don’t want you to feel any pain.” She paused. “What if… What if you have to die for the ritual to work or the sorcerer who killed Arcus comes after you?
“Hey, look at me.” He turned her face to look at him with his hands. “I’ll be fine. I have not read all it requires to perform the ritual but I know there is no death in it, maybe a little pain.” He lied. He couldn’t tell her that the ritual would rid him of his soul. ” And for the sorcerer, I don’t think he knows that the book still exists. My love, if this ritual works, we could live together, forever. You, me and all other people. Children do not have to die of the swamp fever anymore. None of the elderlies has to die of any disease. If I had known I would have done the ritual sooner. Maybe my master would still be alive.” He paused. “I have lost a lot and I don’t want to lose you too.” Sil had nothing to say. She stood staring at him. His face was frowning, desire as well as worry was written all over his face. She knew she couldn’t make him change his mind.
“I can’t let you do this alone. I will perform the ritual with you.”
“What? No, Sil. I made the choice, I will do it alone. The pain…” She kissed him in a bid to shush him. “We’ll do it together.” He drew her closer and kissed her like it was the last time he would see her.
***
Two weeks had gone by and it was time for the ritual as agreed by both lovers. Aelfric had stayed up all night and day reading and memorising all and even more of all he needed to know for the ritual. He thought of Sil and how she accepted to do it with him. Her presence and approval was all he needed to be more confident. With that in mind, he set off to the venue where the ritual was to be performed. He went ahead of Sil to prepare the altar and all they needed for the ritual. It was that night at Wivern’s rest when the sky was filled with twinkling stars that replace the bright and warm summer sun that had shone all day.
He stood over the altar as he waited for his love, his Sil.
***
She stood in front of the mirror in her room crying. Her right hand was on her stomach, rubbing it with admiration but also with some kind of regret. How could this have happened of all times, now?. Her happiness knew no bounds when she found out she was pregnant and she couldn’t wait to tell Aelfric the good news. But the ritual tempered with the happiness the news brought.
Sil broke down into more tears confused about what to do. She knew she was supposed to be with Aelfric performing the ritual but she couldn’t. Atleast not when she had a little human growing inside of her. But again she couldn’t let Aelfric do the ritual all alone. He needed her.
“No, I need to tell him. Maybe it would change his mind.”
With that said, she rushed out of the house and headed to Aelfric far into the bushes away from the citadel. She saw him turn to stare at her as she stood by the door. Her eyes locked on to his.
“You came.” he said, breathless with relief.
“Of course I’m here, my love.” She moved to him and held him close, one hand on the back of his head. The other wrapped tightly around his body.
“Everything’s ready…”
She peered into his eyes as she zoned out of all other things he was saying. She was trying to hold back the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes.
“Aelfric-“, she started still a bit lost for words and not even conscious of the knife that had just pricked her slender finger.
“Did I hurt you?” Aelfric asked pulling her out of her thoughts.
“No, my love. You could never hurt me,” she said softly holding both sides of his face with her hands while leering into his eyes. She couldn’t bring herself to break the news that might dissuade him from carrying out one of his biggest heart desires. Though it was the only way to keep him alive. The ritual only provided a fifty-fifty chance of survival. It was too heavy a sacrifice.
“Aelfric I….” Sil was white as stone.
“Just read, we’re almost there. Any moment now.” She watched with fear as Aelfric dropped slowly to the floor still holding out the small scrap of parchment to her.
“I’m so sorry”, Sil said. She lowered his head to the cave floor, weeping as she stroked his hair and said to him, “I can’t… I just can’t do this”. She kept repeating. Her tears streamed down her face heavily. She let go of his head and walked to the door without looking back, away from the ritual, the alter.
Him, the love of her life.
It was until she got outside the building that her weeping grew even more uncontrollably. But then She straightened up and wiped her tears as she walked home managing to hold back the rest of her tears.
Sil had just gotten to the porch of the house when she felt a jolt in her chest. She felt weak from the jolt. She also felt liquid dropping from between her legs. When she looked down, she found that it was a reddish liquid. She gasped with fear. She tried to move a step into the house but she fell. The last thing she felt was a hand holding her, catching her from hitting the floor.
“Dad?” Her sight was blurry but she knew it was him.