Aphrodite's Sphere**Edited**

chapter 29

The following days were uneventful. We managed to keep out of our hunter's sight and still keep moving on with no delays. We kept heading towards east, hopefully wishing that sometime soon we would cross paths with that Phoenix. My anxiety grew every passing day, and the doze of fear, that we will not find the Phoenix on time, seemed to increase with each passing moment.
I took a glance at Dion's sleeping figure and allowed a small smile to form on my lips. The light of the burning fire illuminated his face that so clearly mirrored his stress and anxiousness. Even in his sleep he seemed so serious and harsh. His brows were forming a clear annoyed frown. Well I guess a trained soldier always looked that way in war.
From beside me I heard a throaty noise, as if someone was suppressing a laugh.
"What's so funny? " I asked Navid in a whisper, not wanting to wake the rest up.
"You two of course! " he said, amusement lingering in his confusing answer.
"What is there so funny with the two of us? "
"Well, first of all what is mostly entertaining is the glares you earn from Aileen. And the fact that any day now I may be lucky enough to see some wrestling woman." He said in a dreaming voice " and hopefully there would be rain and mud involved. " he said with a playful wink and smirk.
"Keep your comments for yourself. That if you value your life. "
"Ohhh, someone is getting feisty." he said. If I wouldn't know Navid's crazy jokes I would have said he was suddenly flirting and he would have surely managed to earn himself a black eye by now. "You didn't seem to mind Dion's dirty talk did you?" he continued and eyed me suggestively.
"What do you mean?" I said, already feeling the blood boil in my cheeks. Could he know?!
" Well, you know exactly what I mean, but just a tip. However, I sugest that if you ever decide to suck each other's faces anytime soon, again, I would do it away from where miss Medusa over there can probably see it. "
Blushing would have been alright with me, but what I did was get as red as a beetroot and radiate heat like a hot-pan. Realizing that the ground would not grand my silent and ultimate wish to swallow me, I decided that the second best idea was to ignore his remark to avoid other remarks.
" Where are you going? " he asked. I was already heading towards the safety of the trees. Away from his embarrassing remarks. In hope to cool my radiating red cheeks and mentally lie to myself that it wasn't as bad as I thought the situation to be.
"I'll be back in about ten minutes." I assured him, not even bothering to look back at him.
"Call for me if anything looks suspicious." I heard him say. "And don't head too far!" Was the last thing I heard him shout before the deep and quiet forest swallowed me completely.
Well I can safely say that deciding to spill my feelings to a tree bark was by far the best idea ever. I mean how awesome is someone who listens to every single word without retorting a sarcastic comment or sending me away due to the fact that I bore it.
"Oh dear Gods , I am getting crazier by the day! " Burying my heads into my palms I sighed. " I bet Navid would love seeing me here , confessing my feelings and problems to a tree. I bet it would fill him with jokes and witty comments for a month."
It was amazing how even when in a quest to save the world a girl would always find space for some boy trouble.
"If it makes things better you weren't only herd by a tree." A deep manly voice suddenly said, making me jump. A shadow made himself erupt from the shadows, making a husky figure visible from between the ghostly figures and shadows of the forest.
"What do you want?" I found myself stupidly asking. As if anyone would stop to tell me they liked my outfit and not intend to kill me. Witty comeback Nevinda. My inner annoying voice intruded.
"Well, I would like to take you on a trip around the world." He said and then dramatically paused and placed a hand on his very structured chin, as if caught in very deep thinking. "Or should I say the underworld?"
"Leave...." I managed to utter without stuttering. Sounding even stronger than I thought possible.
By now I had already managed to call my sword, and was wrapping my fingers around the cold metal as hard as I could, making my knuckles a very scary shade of white.
"Well, I would also like to be in bed with one of my nice ladies, but I guess we both ain't getting what we want, now are we?" His deep black eyes shone under the silver rays of the moon, stirring emotions that should be locked deep inside of me if I dared wish to escape.
With some power that I managed to find inside of myself I tried to create some bond between Navid and I. Hopefully wishing this was the way they communicated.
Navid...Navid...Please hear me.
I uttered inside my head. Begging all the Gods I knew to allow me to hear a response as soon as possible. I knew that we would have more chances of winning if the attack would be a surprise one and shouting Navid's name aloud would have probably ruined that. Well Nevinda next time stop being lazy and learn instead. My inner voice decided to sarcastically lecture again, making me regret the fact that I did not learn the art of telepathy even more.
"So now....are we going to do this the hard way...or the easy way?" He said in a sarcastic tone, leaning his head to the right and studying me from head to tone and biting his lip in approval.
Annoyed and disgusted by his very presence I decided that fighting and putting in practice my knowledge would be the best choice right now.
"The hard way it is." He said in an annoyed tone.
Launching towards him I side stepped and rejected his blow just before it hit my left leg. Soon after several similar moved I found out that he was no t reaching for my vital organs but instead for a way to make me immobile.
I made the mistake and twirled around in attempt to get him easier, and due to the fact that I was still inexperienced I fell right t into his trap. His sword was at my neck in mere seconds and I was stuck against a tree with no way of escaping.

His barely illuminated face formed a vicious smile as he pressed the blade harder against my neck. A drop of blood stained the abused skin. I knew he wouldn't kill me but I was more afraid that he wouldn't and use me as a weapon to destroy everything I ever stood for. that is what made me not give up.

Dion. I managed to whisper inside my head in a one more weak attempt to communicate with them knowing too well that screaming was now out of question.