Page 78 of Nixx
“It's nothing, it's your body getting rid of the residue of the poison that was injected into you. Do you remember that?”
“Kryll! Kryll did this to me. But how did he know?”
“Look, these are the vials of anesthetic. There is a pictogram on it with skull and crossbones to warn about their danger. These products are essential on certain occasions, but to be used in a very precise framework. The dose he injected you with could have killed you. Fortunately, Tigger found you quickly and I gave you a counter-poison.”
Tigger, really? She's telling me that it's this fawn that found me? Right now, I need to put the Bastion on alert about Kryll.
“Lokk.”
“Nixx, by all the Winds, you’re fine!”
“I'm fine, even if I'm not at my best. Put all the guards on alert about Kryll. He's the one who attacked me!”
“Kryll? All right, I'll pass it on. I'm not surprised to hear it from that dirty son of a vork. In the meantime, get some rest.”
Sarah hands me a flask and says:
“Drink this, it's milk from your purple coconuts. It's rich in electrolytes, it's to rehydrate you, it'll do you good.”
I empty the flask in one go and I remember the argument I had with Sarah before all this. I remember that I hurt her with my accusations.
I wrap an arm around her waist and press her against me. She buries her face in my chest, taking deep breaths.
“I was so scared,” she says. “You were nowhere to be found and you didn't answer anyone. I thought you were so angry with me that you had gone far away.”
I take a step back and lift her chin between my fingers. I can't miss her wet eyes and I am even angrier at myself for having hurt my wife so much.
“Kitten, I would never do such a thing. Already, by the time our argument was over, I was no longer angry at you, but rather at myself for not trusting you as you trusted me. I first apologized to Ferdinand and when I tried to do the same to you, you were already asleep in our bed. That's when Kryll asked me about an urgent problem. But you should know that no matter how far away you are, I communicate perfectly with Lokk or Rymm who are very close to me. I will never be too far away not to answer them.”
“This Kryll, he's going to try to go after you again when he realizes he's failed.”
“Chances are, he will, but we won't let him. All the men of the Bastion are now aware of his treachery. They will be on guard. And in the meantime, I need a good shower. I'm dirty and I don't smell very good.”
We go to the hot springs for a relaxing shower. I stay for a long time under the steaming waterfall which helps me to relax a bit. Sarah helps me to clean my feathers which were soiled during my fall through the trees.
I help her in return to clean herself, taking pleasure to pass my hands conscientiously on the least part of her body. As I caress her back, she lets out a little moan, more painful than pleasant.
“Kitten?”
“I must have gotten a stiffness or something in my shoulder blades, I have a pain between my shoulders.”
I inspect the area she is talking about and see nothing in particular.
“You don't have any marks, no cuts, no spots.”
“It's not serious, I probably mispositioned myself while sleeping and strained my muscle a bit. It will be better tomorrow.”
We leave the shower and get dressed before joining our room to finish the night, even if it is very late. She falls asleep deeply as soon as she lies down.
I hold her close to me and fall asleep too. Later, after a first very late meal, I leave her with Ferdinand in the kitchen, where they have to test new utensils, they just made with a replicator; cast iron pans.
On my side, I leave the training to continue the research with my men. Alas, no trace of Kryll. I inform Rymm who is currently in the East with Liamm to coordinate a search mission at sea.
Before we left the Middle Lands, we all worked together on a search plan to find the wreck of the Proud and we indicated where we had picked up the group of humans.
But Liamm and his sea people are the most qualified to determine where the currents may have pushed this wreck. so, we agreed that he and his people would search first and when the wreckage was precisely located, the four of us would coordinate to determine how to access it.
“Rymm, how are things going on your end?”
