Naomi felt like she was melting.

It was barely past sunrise, but already the heat was beating down on them, their backs sweltering with sweat. They finished what little food they had left before departing from the temporary camp, leaving behind an arrow drawn in the sand in case the others found it. From there, they kept to the thin strip where the flattened rocky shoreline dusted with sand met the tufts of the savanna grass, taking shade beneath scattered acacias whenever they could. Darius fashioned the extra bits of fabric they had found yesterday to use as head scarfs, hoping to minimize the amount of sweating.

During their break in the shade, Darius took the opportunity to check on his newly healed wound with his back turned to Kaelen.

Naomi knelt beside him, throwing a look over her shoulder before hovering her hand over the baby pink scar. "How does it feel?"

"Like it never happened in the first place," Darius grinned, flexing his leg. "You seriously had never done that before?"

Naomi shook her head. "Healing has never been recorded in my family generations, ever. This… this is not something our line was capable of."

"Must be something special going on with that pretty little head of yours," Darius said, tapping the side of her temple.

It wasn't the end of the world if Kaelen knew about her newfound ability - but without being one-hundred percent sure it hadn't just been a stroke of luck, Naomi didn't want to broadcast it just yet.

They continued onward at a steady pace - Naomi didn't feel as dizzy as the day prior, luckily, but her headache was slowly ramping up in intensity. It worried her; at some point, the debilitating pain would hinder the team's progress if she didn't reunite with Cassien soon. She had tried their connection again before the others woke, but to her frustration, it stayed just as blank as before. Still, Naomi tried to keep her head up as much as she could, vision focused on any particularly memorable landscape in hopes that Cassien would look through her at the right moment to see where she was.

Darius unstuck his tongue from the roof of his mouth. "At least the others don't have to worry about dying from dehydration."

"Why's that?" Naomi asked, though she laughed a second later at the ridiculous joke. "Oh. I guess Cassien could always summon a couple ice cubes."

"Should've been me with him," Darius grumbled, though it was obvious he was trying to keep up spirits. For what it was worth, Naomi appreciated it.

The sun climbed higher, and the amount of acacia trees began to dwindle, losing what little protection they had against the raging heat. Out of desperation, Darius went shirtless, tying the thin linen around his neck as a makeshift cape instead. He didn't seem the least bit shy to be exposed in the company of women - though with his build, it wasn't as if there was anything to be embarrassed of. Even Kaelen started to drag on her heels, and their vision swam from the lack of fluids. The area was desolate of any animals, a poor sign that fresh water wasn't anywhere close by. The pain in Naomi's head worsened with every hour, and she swore that each throb was audible.

After the fourth hour, she became so focused on the pain that she barely even noticed the ground slip out from beneath her, vision going dark at the edges.

"Man, what I wouldn't give for a glass of- Whoa, hey!" Darius yelled after her, but his voice barely registered as more than a muffle.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist, and she slumped against the steadiness of a lean body. For a disorientated moment, Cassien was right beside her - after all, he had always been there to catch her. She almost smiled. But her vision finally cleared, blinking quickly only to find Darius's worried face inches from hers.

"It's alright, I got you," He said, keeping his arm around her.

Delirium.

Naomi straightened with his help. "Sorry. The heat got to me."

He released her, though he kept his arm out for a second longer in case she were to faint again. "I can carry you, if you want - better than falling and hitting your head."

"I'll be okay for now, but thank you."

Kaelen clicked her teeth, arms crossed ahead of them. "You two done yet? I'd rather not roast to death in the heat."

Naomi nodded sheepishly, throwing Darius one last appreciative look before continuing on. The shoreline was disappointingly empty, with not even a hint of shredded clothing or footprints in the sand. They lost count of how long they walked for, and soon Naomi couldn't focus on anything except for the sharp stabs of pain at the back of her eyes. Still, she forced each foot in front of the other, determined not to drag them down anymore than she already had. Naomi bit the inside of her mouth - hard - sharpening her focus, though it didn't last long.

Suddenly, Kaelen halted, pointing a finger out in the distance. "Look."

Up ahead, the terrain curved to form a low bluff of yellow grass and reddish rock; below it, there were thatched roofs scattered all over, thin trails of smoke curling into the sky. Wooden boats lined the sandy shores, with some further out in the ocean. More importantly, there appeared to be tiny black dots moving about - people definitely inhabited the area.

"Oh," Naomi said breathlessly, legs wobbling. "We did it."

That's all Naomi got out before her vision abruptly went black, and she bit the insides of her cheek so hard that all she tasted was copper. Her knees buckled once more, and this time Darius wasn't quite fast enough to catch her.

Stolen story; please report.

**

Everything was dark, like an endless void of something darker than even the blackest shade of black, and Naomi was surprised at how comforting it was; a cradle, a place to hide from the pain. But like a burst bubble, light fractured all over. Naomi tried to burrow from it, but too fast she was ripped from the silence of her sanctuary.

Every sensation around her came back at once. Light stabbed at her eyes like haloed spikes, reflexively closing them shut - it only amplified the still present pounding deep within her skull. She felt the dryness of her mouth, the nausea and aches that rumbled throughout her body.

Then, a cold, bitter liquid was spooned into her mouth, and she felt the wetness dribble down her chin. Naomi coughed, the sharp taste strongly disagreeing with her palate. She tried to spit it out when a rough hand rubbed soothingly at her throat, as if urging her to swallow. But the touch - even done with a quiet gentleness - sparked a panic that ran through her like wildfire. Naomi felt herself hurtled back in time to when Alistair's hands had wrapped around her throat in a murderous strangle; the combination of physical and mental anguish, the unfamiliarity of her surroundings, the unwanted touch - it was all too much.

Her eyes flew open, body upright, but the brightness of the room was so agonizing that it nearly knocked her out. She squeezed them tightly again, desperate not to let any light in. Her heart was wild with fear, and she swung outwards with a clenched fist.

"Hey, hey-!" A distinctive accented voice called out, but cut abruptly into a mangled shout as her fist collided with flesh. The hand dropped from her throat. "Fuck!"

Cool liquid splashed over the front of her, and she heard the shattering of something fragile hit the ground along with several more thumps. Naomi thrashed, and her magic flared uncontrollably in frantic bursts, bolts of golden light arcing all around her. Golden energy crackled along her skin like the sun's rays scattered across the surface of water, and hot tears streamed down her cheeks. She couldn't even scream - not enough liquid had hydrated her parched throat.

Rampant footsteps echoed into the room. Another familiar voice, smooth and kind. "What's going on?"

"I was trying to give her some more medication when she swung- look out!" The accent clicked - Darius's - before the sound of something heavy hit the ground, followed by another shattering sound.

There was too much - everything was too much. She was consumed by utter pain, misery, and mistaken terror. Then, the terror that overwhelmed her, retreated like a tide after a storm - almost like magic. She hugged herself tightly in a protective pose, and the gold around her shimmered away like waves of glitter. Her breathing slowed, her fists released to reveal deep crescents indented into her palms. The fight left her as quickly as it had come.

Only one person was capable of such a thing.

"Aryn," Naomi croaked in a gravelly voice. She didn't dare open her eyes, still. The panic may have been removed, but the pain was ever present.

She felt his warmth hover closeby, though he didn't make an attempt to touch her. "It's okay. You're safe. Darius, maybe give us a minute."

"Yea, I'm on the hunt for a cold cloth. Shout if you need me." Footsteps retreated from the area.

Naomi didn't respond, though Aryn continued in a warm hush, his voice like a soothing balm. "We need to get some liquids in you. You've been dehydrated for too long."

Her body trembled. "Okay."

Her head still pounded viciously, but the calm of his magic was enough to suppress her from thrashing about.

"I'm going to give you some water now," Aryn said softly. "Can you open your eyes?"

Naomi shook her head.

"Alright. Hold out your hands instead, please."

She nodded, eyes still squeezed shut, and felt the gentle press of something wooden - a bowl, maybe - against her palms. Aryn guided the motion, steadying her shaking hands as she tilted it to her lips, managing tiny sips of the bitter liquid.

She began to drink greedily, now uncaring of the unpleasant taste. Aryn watched her carefully as he spoke. "It tastes bad, but it really does help. The chief said it's a special herbal remedy specifically for reinvigorating the body of its nutrients."

When the last trickle of the cool fluid dripped into her mouth, Naomi found herself wanting for more. Without even speaking, she felt the empty bowl lifted from her hands and replaced with a heavy weight.

Even from his voice, Naomi could tell he was smiling. "Drink up. You'll feel a lot better once you get a quart or two in you."

Whatever the liquid was - he was right. The effects were already apparent, sharpening the sluggish parts of her mind and soothing the nausea coursing through her body. Bowl after bowl, Naomi emptied each bowl until it was bone dry. But still, her headache persisted - though much duller than before; she couldn't tell if it was because she finally had replenished her fluid levels or something else.

Naomi cleared her throat, speaking much easier than before. "...I'm really glad you're okay."

She squinted against the light once more, shapes swimming into focus with less strain this time. Sitting in front of her was Aryn - silver hair side swept and still unbelievably well groomed somehow, pale eyes tired but always present. He didn't look too worse for wear besides the peek of a bandage across his chest beneath his off-white linen shirt, and a few stitches on his temple.

Maybe it was due to the respite of panic that he graciously granted her, or the simple relief of seeing someone she so deeply respected alive and well; whatever it was - Naomi couldn't stop the tears from spilling out. She shifted towards him slowly, and Aryn met her with outstretched arms in a reassuring squeeze. It was shaky, unexpected, but full of platonic kindness that only brought comfort to the both of them. Aryn couldn't remember the last time he hugged anyone that wasn't his sister.

"I am too," Aryn said as he pulled away, giving his signature kind smile that never seemed to wear out. "But I had full faith that you'd make it."

She didn't want to ask if there were others with him - if Cassien had made it. But the presence of the lingering pain was a sign of something she didn't want to hear, but knew she had to eventually. Either by luck or curse, she didn't have to - Aryn felt her emotions shift to apprehension, and it didn't take a genius to know why.

"I'm sorry Naomi, but I haven't seen Cassien since the storm," Aryn said quietly.

The ache in her chest deepened, but she managed a small nod.

He hesitated, and it felt like the air around them chilled. "There's… another thing. The villagers that found me on the shores - they discovered Finneus's body a few kilometers away."

"We think that he was knocked unconscious before he passed, which means he most likely didn't suffer in his final moments," Aryn reached out, squeezing her hand. "I'm sorry. They're starting a burial soon, if you think you can stand."

She covered her mouth with her palm, blinking hard. It was a loss, plain and simple. Finneus had made a knightly oath to protect his liege, and he had died without even having reached their original destination. But beyond the mourning of a lost life, Naomi felt shameful. She never asked if Finneus had a family, what his favorite drink was - she didn't ever take the time to know him beyond the fact that he was a knight of Monroe.

Did he have a family back home waiting for him?

Had he ever had the chance to love and be loved in return?

Could she and the others fulfill this mission so that his death was not in vain?

Overwhelmed by grief and exhaustion, Naomi squeezed her eyes shut and reached out once for Cassien in desperation for a shred of comfort.

Anything. Just anything, Naomi begged inwardly.

To her astonishment, the world flickered into focus - only to reveal the unfamiliar face of a blonde woman inches away, laughter sparkling in her eyes.

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