Chapter 154: Chapter 154

TRISTAN:

“Dahlia… Please. Dahlia, we’re almost there!...”

Up ahead, I could see chimney smokes in the distance. Thank the Goddess, we have finally reached Camdress!

However, Dahlia had already stopped breathing for a while now… I don’t know if she could still make it.

I clutched her icy body closer into mine. I tried to keep her warm with my flames, but it was of no use.

Her flesh might be less cold, but her chest wouldn’t rise up for air… Not even once since she had kissed me!

“Dahlia, open your eyes! We’re here!”

I could see some of the huts open their lamps as I approached. I must be causing quite a stir as I shouted wildly at my mate to open her eyes once more.

I reached the edge of the village, but a gate was standing shut against us.

“Help! I need a healer! Help us!”

I pounded on the gate as hard as I could. I had never been this desperate all my life.

“What? Who is it?”

“Help me! My wife – she needs a healer!”

“Speak up first. Who are you?”

“My name is Tristan Abell. We are from the Capital of Talandor! Please, you’ve got to help us please!”

By now, a number of people had gathered by the gates.

“Do you have any form of identification?”

“No! Please… My wife is in danger. She hasn’t opened her eyes since earlier. Please, she must see a healer!”

I didn’t know if I was making any sense to them, but I didn’t care. If they refused to open the gate in another minute, I’m going to burn the gates down and hold some people hostage until they give in to my demands.

“Step aside, sir, so we can open the gates.”

I followed as they said and took a few steps back to that they could unlock the gates for us. As soon as it was wide enough for me to enter, I took a step forward, but a guard held a sword against my path.

“Sir, since you do not have any means of identifying yourself, you cannot enter. We will take the lady to the healer.”

I wanted to breakdown and cry in front of them. How can they ask me to part with Dahlia when she was in the brink of death like this?

However, this was not the time to lose my temper and force my way inside the village. I handed Dahlly to one of the soldiers at the entrance.

“Oh my Goddess, her body is already cold,” the soldier muttered in surprise.

“No, she’s still alive! Please take her to a doctor! Please!”

“Sir… This woman clearly has not been breathing for a long time now… I don’t think our healer could save -”

I snatched the collar of one of the guards. “No,” I roared, “bring her to your healer immediately! Bring her, or I will make sure to kill everyone in this village!”

“Good sir, you don’t need to threaten anyone here,” somebody said amongst the crowd. Suddenly, a part of the thick crowd that gathered before me had parted, revealing a man who seemed like he was in his seventies.

“I… I won’t do anything! Just please take a look at my Dahlia. She had met an accident! I ran all the way here just for help… Just please take a look at her,” I cried out of sheer desperation.

“Very well, sir. My name is Morland. I am the village healer. I will take her in, but under one condition.”

“Whatever it is, I’ll do it! Just help her! Heal my Dahlia,” I started breaking down in tears uncontrollably as I begged the old man before me.

“You have to stay here by the village gates… I’m afraid you have frightened the villagers earlier, so no one would take you in. I’ll send word about your wife’s condition as soon as possible.”

“Alright,” I said still sobbing. “I’ll wait… I’ll wait here.”

I watch the old man and one of the soldiers take Dahlia further inside to the village.

I hated to part with my mate, but if this was the only way I could be of use for her at her hour of need, then I would wait. I would wait and pray to the Moon Goddess that she’d be safe…

As soon as the old man and the soldier carrying Dahlia was out of my sight, I slumped myself against the gates, which were once again closed against me.

I made it… I ran into the night and arrived at Camdress even before daybreak. Dahlia is going to be safe now, right?...

She has to be safe… She has to make it!

“Here, drink this… you must be pretty tired,” a voice spoke from behind.

I looked at the gates behind me, and standing there was a man with long hair kept in a low ponytail. He had a pair of green eyes that glowed in the darkness.

He was holding a water bottle into my face. I reached for it, unscrewed the cap and chugged the refreshing liquid inside.

I didn’t realize I was dying of thirst until the last drop of water had touched my lips.

“Thank you,” I said as I handed back the water bottle from the man behind me.

“You must have come a long way from here if you came from Talandor…”

“That’s right,” I mumbled. If Dahlia never met me, she would have still been safely back in Talandor.

I thought the man had left, but he was still there.

“My name is Thesla. What’s your name?”

“Tristan. Tristan Abell.”

“What happened to your wife?”

“There was a forest fire not too long ago… She was pitted under a burning tree. She suffered some burns, and tonight, her fever was way beyond what we expected…”

“A forest fire? I think I know what you mean. My son and I had seen it when we were traveling a few days ago… That means that your wife had been sick since then?”

I nodded. Goddess, why did this misfortune have to happen to my Dahlia? If there was one person she must punish through all this, it should be me and Samalah…

If Samalah and I did not pursue this revenge, then the king and my Dahlia, they could still be both well now…

“Don’t worry. Sir Morland is a very skilled healer. I’m sure he would be able to help your wife.”

Just then, I heard a little boy speak.

“Papa!”

“Efiro, it’s cold. Why did you go outside?”

“You’ve been gone a long time. We were worried.”

“Why did you leave our guest alone? Didn’t I tell you to guard her?”

“She told me to wait at home, but I was worried… She had another nightmare again.”

“Alright, let’s go back,” Thesla said, patting the boy’s head. He turned towards me. “I must go back home now. If you need anything, just tell the guards, and I will come again. I’ll just put my boy to sleep first.”

“Thank you, sir,” I said back.

The little book looked at me with curious eyes before he turned back to his father.

They had already started to walk a bit farther away from me, but I was still able to pick up the little boy’s words. “Is he a werewolf too, just like…?”

If I wasn’t lacking sleep and rest, I could have sworn that the name he said sounded like ‘Samalah.’