New Depths (boyxboy)

Chapter 25

Diego watched him leave, a fireball ready and waiting in his right hand and his sword in the other. That man would have raped me if Diego hadn't gotten here and stopped him. Another sob passed my lips and curled into a ball whilst crying. Diego's head snapped over to me and he ran over dropping his sword next to me and the fireball in his hand diminishing.

"Atlas, are you hurt?" Diego asked softly putting his hands on my shoulders. I lunged forward and hugged him tightly for comfort. He tensed but quickly relaxed and sat back on his heels and hugged me back.

"I am hurt, yes." I sniffed wiping at my eyes that more tears fell from.

"Where?" Diego asked gently.

"M-my back," I cried.

"Let me look at it, Atlas. I won't touch it don't worry." Diego promised, releasing me so I could turn around. I pulled up my top and pointed to my lower back where Damari had punched me.

"That looks like a nasty bruise but no skin is broken," Diego told me. I turned around and hugged him again. "He didn't do anything to you before I got here did he?"

"He was going to rape me." I choked. "H-He tired t-to."

"Shh Atlas, he's gone now. But did he get to do anything before I stopped him?"

I cried harder and Diego hugged me tighter. "No, n-not really."

"No really?" Diego asked again.

"He didn't, he just touched me." I clung to Diego and buried my face his chest.

"Atlas you're shaking, you need to slow your breathing down. Come on, breathe with me." Diego showed me how to control my breathing and stopped me shaking and all around calmed me down. Damari wasn't here, he was gone so I don't need to think about him right now.

"W-What are you doing here, Diego?" I asked as I started to feel calmer. My mind was a lot clearer and I was starting to wonder how Diego was here.

"Your father called in allies to help with the attack on the Kingdom. He told a group of us to follow your trail, sent some of the best trackers out and we found you. We were also following the Black Pearl tribe and when they attacked you, your mother, Daz, Calder and Pearl we fought them. They have been taken away and are on their way home."

I looked into the forest where the roar of a battle was still taking place. Some of the trees were ablaze with orange fire which was quickly spreading. "Everyone's safe then?"

"Yes, the battle at your Kingdom has stopped and your family are safe and well," Diego confirmed. I felt relieved that they'd left my family and Kingdom alone but I knew Damari would just keep following me. I looked into the forest again watching the flames engulf the trees as the fire spread. I could see a shadow of a person emerging and I tensed watching the figure to try and see who it was. As they jogged closer, the moonlight shone down casting some light over the beach I saw it was Daz and breathed a sigh of relief. I still felt a twinge of anger, though, even though I probably had no right to but in my eyes, I did. He left me and that meant I almost got raped and taken away. It wasn't Daz's fault for being almost being raped but it was his fault for leaving me when he knew Damari was here and he was after me. He was the one who chose to leave and let me go off on my own knowing I had no protection against Damari.

"Atlas? What's going on?" Daz looked annoyed at seeing me huddled up to Diego and stabbed his sword into the sand.

"What do you mean?" I asked coldly. Diego let go of me and put some distance between us knowing that Daz wasn't happy with what he thought was a display of affection when really it was just comfort.