The Etherealites

16: Rune - Chimera

As I come to, Zariah's voice filters in through the haze of my mind. I blink a few times, before seeing I'm in a room, the ceiling above me illuminated by the sconces that dot the walls. I groan as I sit up, looking around the room.

Malik walks over to me, then, his concerned hazel eyes studying my face. "You okay, Rune?"

My memories rush into my mind then, and I feel a surge of panic.  "Haldryn?!"

"He's alright, he's being healed," says Malik softly.

"Where is he? Can I see him?"

He nods.  "You're the Alpha, Rune. Of course you can."

I stand up on wobbly legs, and Malik lets me lean against him as we walk from the room I woke up in and into a living room. A man is hunched over the bed Haldryn is laying in. Beside him is Zariah, who paces and chews on her lip.

"Zariah?" I ask. "Who is this?"

"Meet Varrick," she says, turning to me and smiling. "He's an Alchemight. He's the one who's healed you and Haldryn."

I look at the man, Varrick. He has on a pale green shirt and khaki pants that are tucked into big, brown boots. His tan skin is smeared with dried blood and ingredients from his work. His hazel eyes are hidden behind the curtain of his curly, brown hair. Varrick winks at me, before turning back to Haldryn.

He uncorks a bottle, then leans forward, allowing a few drops of the strange, glowing pink liquid drip into Haldryn's open mouth. Varrick steps back, gesturing for Zariah to do the same. She nods, obeying.

She lets a couple drops fall into Haldryn's mouth. As he swallows it down, Haldryn coughs. Zariah does her best to help him out, offering a water bottle to him. He gulps it down greedily, and then his amber eyes fall on me.

"Rune?"

"I'm here, Haldryn," I say, kneeling beside him.

"Are you okay?" he asks me.

I snort. "You are badly wounded, and yet, you're worried about me? Why?"

He shrugs a shoulder and winces. "Ouch."

"Be careful," says Varrick in a deep, raspy voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Broken ribs and all," mutters Haldryn, scoffing.

"Will he be okay?"  I ask him. Varrick nods.

"Yes, he will be fine. But the thing is, we almost lost you two. When Zariah brought you here, I thought you two were dead."

Haldryn goes pale. "What?"

"We are fine, though, right?"

"Ha. Yes, you're both okay. I gave you a healing tonic and a bit of Jolts."

"What's that?" I ask him, confused.  "Jolts?"

"Aah. That's, uh, a kind of tonic that heals but also can stimulate you. It's meant to help people who are dying to stick around long enough for proper help."

"Oh."

I turn to Zariah. "Where are we?"

"Wildshield," she says.  "It's a town, up a ways from the Halveer forest."

"Oh, okay," I say.  "Why did you bring us here?"

"Because Varrick here is my .... mate," says Zariah. She walks over and kisses him.  "I know most Chimera have a mate within their own kind of Etherealite. But I wanted to help you out. And I remembered that Varrick has a sorta clinic. So, I brought you here, to be treated."

"Thank you," I say to them both.

Varrick nods and Zariah smiles. She then looks over at Malik, who's pacing. He looks at us, and a soft smile crosses his face.  He then turns to Varrick.

"Think you can make this one a bit less foolhardy?"

"Ach, fuck off, Malik," says Haldryn, as he chuckles.

"Well, he did indeed act very reckless the other  night. Oh, yes, you had both been out for a few days." Malik winks at Haldryn.

"So," Varrick says, his tone deceptively calm. "What will you and your makeshift Pack do next, Z?"

"Well," Zariah says, smiling.  "That's yet to be decided. And when it is, it's Rune's job to choose where we go."

I chuckle.  "Yeah, yeah."

"Well," Varrick says casually, "I think I know where you ought to go."

"Oh?"

He nods. "Addersteld. It's the Courtly city."

"Why would we go there?" I ask him.

Varrick turns to Zariah, who nods once. He sighs. "Because there .... there are two Augurs there. And they have my sister trapped there, and if we don't get her back, I'm scared of her fate."