A Wicked Game [The Crown Saga II] (Under Editing)

Pure Healer

My body ached.

Light came and went behind my closed eyes as if my mind was drifting in and out of consciousness, but the pain reminded me that I was still fully awake.

Art's arms burned on my icy skin as he carried me through the torch-lit cave. My body trembled despite the warm cloak covering me, and the warmth only seemed to worsen the pain in my arm.

The sound of heavy doors grinding against each other reached my ears before the light from the sun temporarily plagued my sensitive eyes.

Fresh air filled my weakened lungs.

I forced my eyes to open wide enough to glimpse the view that only a few individuals in this world would ever see.

No books described this place, and photography was strictly prohibited. It was a myth turning into truth before my eyes, and the vision was worth the agonizing sigh that escaped my smiling lips.

The City of the Templars was as grand as I'd envisioned, yet so much different.

The five mountains did indeed encircle the city, but not how I'd expected it.

Carved into the mountainsides were buildings of stone and wood. Some looked like regular buildings housing a family, while others consisted of pillars, platforms, and stairs leading to more rooms than I could count.

The city was probably larger than what the windows allowed me to see as well.

"Brace yourself, Willow. This won't feel good," Art said seconds before my stomach turned and my heart stopped.

He'd teleported us to one of the other mountains. I despised being teleported, but it was the only means of traveling between these mountains as they appeared to be connected solely by vines and brittle roots.

The sound of doors bursting open jolted me out of my self-pity.

"Coralyn, Raymond! What is the meaning of this?"

The old lady seated in the middle of a long table removed her glasses and stood up. Her mouth grew from a thin line to wide open when she saw Art with me in his arms.

"Arthur," she gasped. "What, in the name of the ancient spirits, is going on?"

"We've come to ask for your assistance, eldest Templar." Art lowered his head to acknowledge her power. "My apprentice has been—"

"Raatak is awake," Raymond said, cutting off Art as he closed the doors behind us.

Another gasp escaped the elder's lips, but the elderly man behind her surpassed her voice. "That can't be. Raatak isn't supposed to awaken before the end of next month."

Art was faster than Raymond this time.

"I took my apprentice to these mountains for her first lesson on the Caeli board. I warned her against approaching Raatak's mist, but something went wrong. Raatak awoke before his time. She escaped, but her arm was caught by the haze, and she was bitten by one of Raatak's Durrakals."

Art paused, and I heard his heart beating faster. He was nervous.

"We need Kaoru's help."

I'd never seen Art so frantic. He no longer looked like the calm, wise man I knew from the castle. Instead, I saw a boy hopelessly trying to convince others to believe a ridiculous tale.

Who would ever believe that the monster they've spent years—if not centuries—studying and fighting would stray from a lasting tradition without some kind of interference? If only I'd been fast enough to figure out where that scream came from.