The Phoenix's Maiden

Anticipate

“Let’s go back to them immediately,” Kamandag ordered poison and once again in a blink of an eye her full control of her body was given back to her alongside of her transforming back into her black fairy form. She almost stumble upon feeling again the sensation of her muscle movements, but she quickly regains her balance and flapped her wings to stay mid-air.

“You go back to them,” Poison told her inside of her mind. “I’m dried up, I will be gone for a while to take a rest,” Poison informed her.

“Wait,” Kamandag attempts to delay her rest but Poison was in her deep slumber already. On that point Kamandag felt an unexplained loneliness, it’s just a while ago when they’ve met and they stay in touch with each other for a short duration of time, yet she missed the voice inside her that quickly. She is not just aware that the fairy grew fond of Poison that quickly, she is just too embarrassed to admit it.

Kamandag reached the hill where she hid Arthur and the goddess, Amaterasu. When she arrived, she saw the young knight sitting against a wall and the goddess is still unconscious.

“Did you defeat them” Arthur immediately asked Kamandag upon her arrival. The black fairy folded her wings and look at Arthur with worry in her eyes. She scratched the back of her head because she does not know how to answer his question.

“I guess,” she answered with hesitation in her voice, to Arthur, it sounded like that she is not sure if she completely defeated the enemy.

“We must be certain of their complete defeat,” the young knight demanded and Kamandag was relieved that the young knight got the wrong idea. 

“Sorry, I misspoke,” she revoked her words. “They are completely obliterated, don’t worry. I am a hundred percent sure of it,” she reassured the young knight, at first Arthur scanned her face if she is telling the truth since he is doubtful at this situation and he is blaming himself for being reckless, if not for him maybe the goddess put an end of the situation with no problems at all.

“Are you sure?” Arthur asked the black fairy to make sure if she is telling the truth. Kamandag noticed that Arthur is scanning her face so she felt anxious that turned her back into her snake form.

“Yes,” she answered with affirmation in her voice. Arthur felt so relieved when he is assured that Kamandag is telling the truth. “For now just rest…” Kamandag noticed that she is in her snake form again without her noticing so she transformed back again to her black fairy form. She cannot carry these two while in her snake form. “We will go back to the cave immediately to treat the goddess,” she looked at thn unconscious goddess and walk towards her.

With her strength she carried her and she make sure that she is carrying her properly to show her respect. She thought that with all that dancing, she failed miserably and also, she was reminded that also failed but, in the end, they defended the crystal and that’s all that matter for now.

Arthur felt guilty again when he was reminded of his fault that he is the one who caused this. He wants to apologize to Kamandag for what he did but he also knew that she is unaware that he is the one who caused that to goddess, but his pride and guilt was mixed up that preventing him from doing it.

“Let’s go,” Kamandag offered one of her hands towards the knight and he saw the smiling fairy towards him while she is giving the goddess a piggy back ride. His whole body is shivering because of guilt and he is hesitant if he will accept her offer of help. “Hey slowpoke,” Kamandag called to him again and the young knight was taken back to reality once again. He snaps out of his deep thoughts and he reached for her hands with his that is still shivering.

Kamandag did not give meaning to his shivers like the knight had in mind but instead she instantly grabbed his hands as soon as the hand entered her reach. She assisted the knight to stand up and she offered one of her shoulders to grab on by mildly lowering her knees. The knight accepted the offer and once they are done, the black fairy unfolds her bat like wings once again and they are ready to fly back home. She launched herself upwards and they had a safe and quiet trip without any interruption for now.

An hour passed and finally Kamandag saw glimpse of the cave, her motivation to endure the pain and her fatigue was filled up again. She sped up so they can soon reach the cave where Amber is currently waiting for them. She felt lonely in the cave after her training so she decided to rest while waiting for their arrival. She has no idea why did they disappear so suddenly.

She saw Kamandag’s black fairy form flying towards her and she was filled with joy to greet her. She stood up from the ground and walks forward a bit, and when Kamandag landed on the round she ran to hug her but she was pinned down, when she saw Arthur wounded badly and the goddess unconscious.

“A little help please,” Kamandag requested when she saw the maiden staring at them. She needs to think of a reason to convince the maiden.

Amber felt her feet again and Kamandag fell onto her knees when she felt the comfort of the land. She transformed back to her snake form and Amaterasu is about to fall on her but she does not care anymore since all inside her mind right now is to rest and regain her strength. On the other hand, Arthur managed to prevent his fall with a little strength left on him.

Kamandag managed to catch the goddess and she instantly saw the bruises on her body. The mighty Amaterasu is at this state, how? She asked herself. Right now, upon seeing them she is confused on what really happened on the three. Why is she not aware of it? Why did they not tell her? Questions are forming inside her mind in a speed of light, but no one can answer that now since all of them has no strength to do so.

Amber lay Amaterasu’s body on the round gently and she inspected the situation and quickly she thought on how she will take care of these three. She gently grabbed Kamandag’s snake body and the striped snake barely opened her eyes.

“Thank you,” she whispered and Amber went to Arthur first since he is barely conscious and can walk with her support. She clicked her hand to snap back Arthur to reality. He is completely spaced out when she reached him. She grabbed one of his hands and pulled him back to his feet and she puts one of his arms around her shoulder.

“What happened?” she asked Arthur but the young knight is on the verge on collapsing. She noticed it and decided to ignore her curiosity for now, she picks her pace and rushed towards a nearby room for them to take their rest, and to make it easy for her taking care of them.

Soon she reached one of the rooms and she set the two down in comfort.

She immediately walks back outside to tend the goddess and upon reaching her she used her knowledge in basic first aiding that she learned back on her first work, that requires that knowledge on every employee in case a disaster happened to them.

She puts herself down to her knees beside Amaterasu’s head, and with the palm of her both hands she slid it below her head and gently lifts it up, she immediately slides her knees to give support to her head. She lay her head on her legs and Amber puts her hands to her back so she can make her sit. The maiden is not entirely sure if her procedures are correct since her memory are vague on that knowledge so she just thought that gods’ body don’t work the same way as humans that is why she is thinking that Amaterasu is going to be alright. She lifts her back to make her sit while making her own body as the support for her upper body to prevent it from falling on the ground. She is struggling a bit since the goddess’s weight is a bit much for her, but in the end, she managed to make the goddess sit. She grabbed one of her arms and like Arthur, she wrapped it around her shoulders while her other hand is tightly hugging her body.

With all her strength she stands up and carry the goddess back to the nearby room where she left the two earlier and she started walking. Just what happened to them? She asked herself again while carrying the goddess, she is a bit relieved that she is hearing a faint breathing from her. She is a god after all.

After this she will tend their injuries and give them the proper care they need and in return she will interrogate all three of them to answer all the questions inside her head that is constantly bugging her out. At first, she thought that the two take it far with their training again and that is a very reasonable reason for them but seeing Amaterasu unconscious, that gave her the mystery.

Just what power of this creature that knocked her out and she is a bit frightened when she though that there is something far more powerful than her. From what she remembers, the goddess told her that she is the most powerful being residing in this land to guard the crystal. Speaking of the crystal, she is more frightened to think that this creature might be after it and she is just alone and weak. She cannot imagine herself facing that powerful creature.

But it’s just her thoughts overreacting after all she has no idea what happened at all and what caused the goddess to faint.

-The Phoenix’s Maiden-