The Forgotten Paladin

Chapter 40: New foes

EITH: "You feeling any better? What happened out there?"

I sit up slowly but pain shoots through my chest when I try to sit up and I fall back.

KEITH: "Woah, careful, you're hurt. Can you tell me what happened?" He rests his hand on my back, helping me sit up, I ignore the dull ache spreading through my chest. I look up slowly at him, he's so close, I can feel myself going read so I look at the ground.

Y/N: "I fell and my arm started bleeding again. I'm fine though." I knew there was something else wrong because of the ongoing pain in my chest, but I tried my best to ignore it.

KEITH: "Are you sure? You look like you're in pain, and you're burning up." Still holding my back, he places his other hand on my forehead, "yeah you're burning up."

Y/N: "Trust me, I'm fine"

I try to move to the side of the bed, but he blocks me, standing in front of me, he's even closer now.

KEITH: "You're not going anywhere until I'm sure you're fine." His eyes were kind and sincere, I looked away, avoiding his addicting gaze. "ha, why are you looking away?" He laughed playfully, getting even closer. My face was practically a tomato now.

Y/N: "Why are you so close?" I mutter, when he's this near me I lose all confidence somehow.

KEITH: "Do you not want me to be?" a playful smile spreading across his face.

Y/N: "I never said that..." he chuckles, stepping backwards and leaning against a wall. I look over to him, he's still smiling, but I can see how he really feels. "I'm sorry, Keith."

KEITH: "What for?" He looks over to me, puzzled. 

Y/N: "Maybe if I hadn't gone after the witch, I could've saved him, Shiro."

KEITH: "None of what happened is your fault, I spent a while thinking about all the things I could've done. Should've done."

Y/N: "Keith, whatever happened to Shiro, was out of all of our hands. None of us should take the blame." I clenched my fists thinking, Zarkon should. 

Keith moves over to me, wrapping his hand around me and pulling me up gently. 

KEITH: "I'm glad you found us, Y/N. I don't know... what I would do without you." I could tell those words were hard for him to say, but he seems relieved that he did.

Y/N: "I'm glad I was led to Aerus, and found all of you. I would be dead by now, or worse." My head tenses, thinking back to what seems like years ago.

KEITH: "I hope one day," he turns me to face him, his eyes solemn and sincere, "You'll trust us more, I can see there are things you're hiding, things that hurt you."

I look at him, he's so serious, I think what happened to Shiro, is making him more of a leader, I don't know what to say to him.

Y/N: "I-"

KEITH: "You don't have to say anything. We all carry our burdens," he looks into my eyes again, he looks happy, or at least more so than before. An idea occurs to me in all this, what if I can see what happened to Shiro? Somehow...

Y/N: "Keith, can you help me down to the Black Lion's hangar?" 

KEITH: "Of course, but, why?"

Y/N: "I have... an idea... it may not work at all. But I have to try."

We make it to the hangar, he looks longingly at the black lion, wishing for Shiro to come out and surprise him. I walk over to it, ignoring my chest screaming at me, the scar from the monster aching.