The Healer ✔

Chapter Ten

"Is that Riba?" Ragen asked, pointing off into the distance. "On the horizon?" Elora followed his hand, staring at a distant dot along the cliffs.

"I believe so," she said. It had only been a day or so since the fight with the serpent and despite being uninjured, Elora was still tired. They had stayed along the cliff line just in case they saw anyone else in trouble. They didn't see a single other mermaid. Elora could only assume that the serpents had killed them all.

"Yeah, that's it," Nyal said from behind her. She had almost forgotten that it was where he'd been born, that it was his home.

She turned when he let out a sigh. "Are you worried?" she asked, staring at the troubled expression on his face.

"Of course, I am," he replied. "I can't trust that it's still going to be standing when we get there. It's my home."

He'll be lucky if it is. Her father's voice rang through her mind. She hadn't heard him since before they were attacked by the serpent; she'd wondered when he would speak to her again. His words confused her; wouldn't he know if Riba had been destroyed or not? Perhaps, he just wasn't looking anymore.

"I'm sure it will be fine," Mikhail said from in front of her, his first words in a long while. He spoke the words Elora didn't want to. She couldn't promise something like that to Nyal, not when she didn't know if she would be right. If anything, she was almost sure that it wouldn't be there anymore.

It would take them another few hours to reach Riba, and Elora knew those hours would be long and tense, filled with Nyal's worry and anticipation about his return to his home. She hoped there would be someone there for him, some survivors. As far as she knew, he didn't have much family, so they wouldn't have to worry about them being alive.

Lost in her thoughts, Elora stared out onto the water below them. She didn't notice Nyal speed up to walk next to her. "Do you think it will be okay, Riba, I mean?" he asked, drawing her away from her thoughts.

She looked to him, to the furrowed eyebrows and the teeth chewing on his lip. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "I could fly up and look for you if you wish."

"No," Nyal replied. "I think I'll wait. It won't be much longer anyway."

He was far from wrong. They stopped only two hours later when Riba slowly began to fill their vision. There was a dirt road not far from them leading towards the city, weeds creeping their way across. The city itself was still quite far away, but close enough that they could see the damage done to it.

The farm houses dotted about on the outskirts had been obliterated, only scorched wood told the group that they had even been there in the first place. Towards the city walls, the destruction only worsened. Every single watch tower had been blown to bits, the remains becoming piles of rubble on the outside of the city. The gate had been broken into, but Elora was unable to see what had become of its remains. Smoke billowed from within the city, and she could see ruined spires of the castle.

It was exactly what she had wished not to happen, but a part of her had known from the start. There was a feeling in her stomach, like a heavy weight. She could only describe it as guilt. If it hadn't been for her, Nyal would still have his home. So would Ragen and Mikhail, so would everyone in the realm.

"No," Nyal whispered next to her. "No." He darted forwards, scrambling towards the dirt road. Elora cursed, following after him. She heard Ragen and Mikhail call out behind them, and then footsteps in the grass as they hurried to catch up.

She could feel the wind in her wings as she ran, ruffling the feathers. Nyal ran ahead, clothes flapping in the wind. He hit the dirt and kept running, a blur in the bright sunlight. Elora didn't bother too much with trying to catch up to him, she just wanted to keep an eye on him. He would stop eventually.