• “I have the dark sage.” Nathaniel said breathless.
    Nathaniel bent down over Ezekiel applying the dark sage to the wound. “What do I do next?”
    “We need to make an incision here.” She instructed, pointing just below Ezekiel’s heart. “That will prevent the venom from reaching the heart, if it hasn’t already.”
    “But won’t that make him bleed to death?” He asked constricting his claws.
    “I’ll prevent that from happening, just do it!”
    Asmara held Ezekiel down as Nathaniel cut below Ezekiel’s heart. Crimson blood started pouring from the cut. His jaw clenched with regret, Nathaniel plunged a leaf into the now gaping hole, while Asmara sealed it off with her magic.
    She sighed with relief. “Now all we have to do is wait.”

    * * *

    Ezekiel’s eyes snapped open, bringing him back to the present, his mother’s voice fading from his mind. He looked up into the tear stained face of Asmara. She was smiling down at him.
    “I’m so glad that you are alive.” She choked out taking him up in a hug that was so tight he couldn’t breathe.
    “Sorry.” She said letting go of his laughing nervously.
    He fell back down wincing. The pain that had been lacing through his body had diminished to a dull throb but his body was drained of energy. He tried to get up but failed. Asmara helped him up and he leaned against her supporting arm. He stared blankly at his feet. His flesh had v shaped cuts and were bruised a dark purple He reached out his hand tenderly to touch the puffy skin and winced. There were still traces of venom in his wound.
    He looked up expectantly at Asmara. She nodded her head and Nathaniel came in view. He took hold of Ezekiel’s ankle placing his lips on the wound. Ezekiel felt Nathaniel’s fangs pierce his skin and the pressure of blood being sucked from his body. Nathaniel spat out the laced blood and dove in again. Nathaniel repeated this process five times before his blood was clean.
    “Thank you Nathaniel.” Ezekiel said looking at his friend fully in the face.
    He missed his old friend. Nathaniel kept eye contact with him. “Yes, of course, anything for you, your majesty.”
    “It’s been a long time.”
    Nathaniel looked sad and had to turn away. “Yes, it has.”
    “What happened to us?”
    When he looked back his face was a bitter mask of scorn. “You were the prince, that’s what happened.”
    Ezekiel looked away pained by the hatred in his voice. “That wasn’t my fault. If I could change my bloodline I would.”
    “It’s not just that.” He snapped, “Soon after you were forced into the palace walls, I was pulled into training and you didn’t come and visit me once.”
    “Do you think I had the choice? I was imprisoned in my own home. I wasn’t allowed anywhere. My mother would have allowed me to go outside the palace walls but once she became ill my father took over the entire decision making. He thought it best that I train without any interruptions.”
    “I-I had no idea.” He stammered.
    Asmara pushed him aside. “How are you feeling?
    Ezekiel smiled, reaching out a hand to caress her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into it smiling.
    “I missed you.” She whispered.
    He leaned in and kissed her softly on the forehead. “Sorry that I worried you.”
    Asmara flushed bright red and turned to look at Nathaniel to apologize but he was gone.

    * * *

    Nathaniel sucked at the infected wound until the last traces of the bitter tasting venom was removed from Ezekiel’s body. He spat out the blood, watching it spatter on the damp earth. He wiped his mouth and looked up at Ezekiel. He was watching him intently.
    “Thank you,” he said.
    Something swelled inside him. Ezekiel recognized me, he thought. He played it cool, years of betrayal edging slowly into his voice. “Yes of course, anything for you your majesty.”
    “It’s been a long time.” He said with hardly any emotion at all.
    “Yes, it has.” He looked away anger building up inside him.
    All those years making weapons and undertaking training all for him and all he can say is ‘It’s been a long time’? He turned back to face his superior hiding his true feelings well.
    “What happened to us?” He sounded as if he cared.
    “You are the prince, that’s what happened.” Nathaniel said through clenched teeth.
    Ezekiel turned away. What a fool, Nathaniel thought. I can take him down right now. He took a deep breath starting to say something but Ezekiel beat him to it.
    “That wasn’t my fault. If I could change my bloodline I would.”
    Nathaniel clenched his fists. “It’s not just that.” He snapped, “Soon after you were forced into the palace walls, I was pulled into training and you didn’t come and visit me once.”
    He felt like he was going to have a panic attack. All those years in the weapon plant, he thought he was going to die of some chemically enhanced disease. Ezekiel hadn’t visited even once. Well he did once with the king for a fitting of armor and a sword but when Nathaniel addressed him he didn’t even look at him or say hi. The reminder of the painful memory just angered him more, so much that he almost didn’t hear what Ezekiel said next.
    “Do you think I had the choice? I was imprisoned in my own home. I wasn’t allowed anywhere. My mother would have allowed me to go outside the palace walls but once she became ill my father took over the entire decision making. He thought it best that I train without any interruptions.”
    The anger vanished and he came closer to his friend. “I-I had no idea.” He bit his lip.
    He had to tell him now about his mother before it was too late. He opened his mouth to speak Asmara pushed him aside. Seeing the thin line of the situation he backed away. He didn’t want to ruin the moment with his news. Ezekiel would find out the truth about his mother if and when he came back to his people. He sighed in defeat silently taking his retreat. He had a feeling the others were wondering where he went off to.

    * * *

    Asmara turned back to Ezekiel. “I think we scared him off.”
    Ezekiel laughed, pulling her to his chest. “Don’t worry about him; he probably has to get back to his troops.”
    Asmara’s cheeks burned as she laid her head on his chest, listening to his stable heartbeat. He would need a day to recover. She wished that she could use her magic to make the healing process faster. She closed her eyes and shivered. The wind had picked up and she felt they weren’t safe here.
    “You’re shivering.” He said matter-of-factly. “Let’s make a fire and tomorrow get you a traveling cloak.”
    Asmara smiled and slowly sat up, looking down at him. He was smiling back up at her playing dismissively with his hair, twisting them in tight curls and letting them unravel and then taking up the strand again. His chest glistened in the dimming light, taking her breath away.
    “What are you thinking about?” He asked curiously.
    Asmara smiled, looking into the distance and without a word got up to go get firewood.
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