The petals drifted slowly through the air.
It glazed across my skin, flowing freely in the air. It's paleness is just so pure and placid.
It's hard to believe that something like this would be a totally terrifying creature's remains.
For a few seconds, neither of us moved.
The petals floated between the shattered remains of the stall and the fractured pavement beneath our seemingly tired feet, carried gently by a wind I couldn't even feel. One landed near my shoe. Another settled on the broken glass beside me.
The sword remained clenched in Aerielle's shaking hand, though her grip seemed weaker than before. Her shoulders rose and fell unevenly as she struggled to catch her breath.
And just as I was about to make her confess, to tell me if she was okay, or how she knew my exact location on the exact day when things started going the wrong direction, or maybe...
just maybe how she seemed to know me,
She let go of the weapon in her hands. Her bare knees slammed hard on the stone ground, her both palms resting on the same plane as her lower leg. Her long hair was brushed off to her side of her face looking towards me and glided down abrasively. She constantly panted for air amidst the thick layer of dust clouds and looked in excruciating pain.
What do I do? What would be the absolute right thing to do?
I tried with all the strength left in me to at least move my legs. I lifted my fingers and placed them as slowly as I could on my neck.
It stills aches so much. It might as well be a bruise considering after how "she" held me high up in the air.
I am still trying to cast away my emotions and fears as hard as I can.
I glance back at Aerielle and she is still struggling.
Ignoring the throbbing and pain in my body, I command my sluggish legs to stand up and in turn lowering and leaning my back in the direction in front of me, taking short breaths in between, so I don't accidently pass out.
I walk and walk..
till I reach out to her, placing a opened hand before her exhausted soul and indicating her to hold on to me.
She looks up with drowsy eyes straight in front of her for several seconds, as if to rethink... to retrace her steps... and reset time.
I was like that a long time ago.
And then looks towards my hand and clenches it hard. She nearly falls twice before standing upright for once.
Has she being swinging that immense swords for what, hours? days? And if so, why would she dothat?
The thought occurred to me as I looked at the calluses across her long fingers.
" You don't seem alright." I say those four words before putting her arms around my shoulders
"What about you? I am not sure if you l-look okay y-yourself.. " she grunted.
Our eyes met and a silence of dread was upon us. Neither of us opened our mouths or moved our lips. It was a simple communication between two dreary eyes begging for rest.
I skimmed my eyes elsewhere to at least find a place to sit, which was rather difficult in between broken windows, once paved streets to inherit huge cracks in them, and destroyed emporiums and stores.
But by fate's grace, I nearly spotted four chairs, barely intact, in front of a latte shop at the corner of my vision. We stalled in that direction before actually stumbling across it.
I took off her arms off my shoulders and told her to sit. She let out a grunt of pain again and lowered her head in exhaustion.
I sat myself, letting my eyes shut for a brief moment before opening them again, out with a sigh of relief and tiredness .
I looked at the table between us, which held up a glass jar of water and another canister with a lid which held some decent looking confections and sweets.
" Please help yourself. You look like you won't last long." I said.
" I could say the same about you." she replied.
I let out a sarcastic laugh, laying my back on the chair as comfortably as I could.
Seeing this, she moved her lips in distress, as if trying to say something she wasn't allowed to.
" The battle isn't over yet, Van.
You have much to see... and so much to answer to."