The Forgotten Rogue

Chapter 56

"Kedo?" Emeric's voice was choked up as he neared the still form of the young juvenile. He was met with silence...The silence haunted his soul...He feared the worst...That he had lost his younger brother. The silence seemed to open a door to a dark void in his heart, shattered into a thousand pieces at the moment.

"Kedo answer me!" Emeric cried...Tears springing to his eyes.

He rushed forward, however, before he reached Kedo, Aire stepped into his path and grabbed his arms. Emeric tried jerking out of her grip, but she held fast.

"He's alright Emeric." Aire reassured. "He's unconscious, but for now he'll live."

"For now? What the hell's that supposed to mean?" The words were met with a build up of tears in Emeric's eyes.

Aire guided Emeric to the side where there were fewer eyes to gaze upon them. She pulled him into a hug.

"With injuries like those it would take a miracle to recover. You know that. I don't want to give you false hope Emeric...so I'm going to be straight with you." She pulled back and gazed into Emeric's red rimmed eyes...Seeing the pain in them brought shame over her.

"He might not make it through the night..."

Emeric shut his eyes as tears spilled over his cheeks. He buried his face into her shoulder, hiding his weakness...It shocked her...Emeric had been the strongest warrior she had ever seen in the Dome. Not just physically, but also in his mental strength. He had always pushed through every hardship and every challenge that sprang up in his path... He had cut down every foe.

But now...When the one closest to him gets hurt...That's when his soft side comes out...When he sees a fallen brother, he shows the empathy he truly possesses.

"I'm sorry, Emeric. I did everything I could. Now all we can do is pray that fever doesn't take him and that he has the spirit to keep fighting."

Emeric didn't respond. He simply clung to Aire...He feared that if he let her go he would be letting everything go...That everything would crumble away to dust...To ash...

"Emeric." Rayhan called from a far. His voice seemed urgent, yet it took a lot for Emeric to draw away from Aire to gaze at his father. Rayhan stood by the edge of the settlement, and by him stood a dozen men.

Emeric felt his throat close momentarily, but he relaxed as he noted the dark hair and his Father's relieved body language. Emeric wiped the tear tracks form his face as he moved towards the group of men. Most of them were from the council. Emeric felt a portion of his father's relief as he realized that some of the refugees had managed to escape the mass murder.

The men dispersed as Emeric reached Rayhan. The older Etreshian barely had to look at his son's face to understand the turmoil he was going through. Rayhan gripped Emeric's shoulder in a comforting manner.

"How is he?" Rayhan asked gently.

Emeric sighed sadly, releasing some pent up tension, "He's breathing."

Rayhan's face fell, noting the serious tone in Emeric's voice.

"He'll pull through. Just you wait and see."

Emeric gazed levelly into his father's eyes. "False hope won't do me any good now Dad. Aire said it would take a miracle for him to make it through the evening."

Rayhan nodded slowly, not sure what to say...There wasn't anything he could say to lift his son's spirit.

"I'm going away for a while." Rayhan said as he gestured to the council men who were examining the damage of the settlement. "They helped the others escape the brunt of the attack. I need to go check on everyone and make sure that all the wounds are being tended. Aire will be coming with. Will you hold the fort here?"