Blessed Teaching - 6

For what reason I found myself within that embrace, cold water given to me in an attempt to mitigate the shock… and maybe to cool me down. Sat between bodies and wood stained crimson with the blood of those criminals.

Yet only logic dictated such a scene. For all I knew of was that endless gray light. Varying tones of monotone gray. Merely changing in intensity.

And as the corpses began to move once more, their heads - crushed as they were - pulling themselves back together without an uttered word.

"Truly… how low have they fallen…" Uttered to the side of my body. Cupping that glass so close to my face. Both hands holding onto it with a fealty that spoke of my need for such a thing.

Yet as those corpses rose, their flesh shed onto the ground. Crystalline structures of plague that spread from the pockets of dead skin.

That same plague that… that… I shook my head, sipping at the cold water. Keeping the ice away from my sensitive teeth.

But no longer could I play ignorant. I stood despite the ache within my knees, within my head, within all of my body.

I placed myself next to that knight. Letting my hand rest on her own, taking upon myself the deadly plague. For I would not let such a travesty occur as I had before.

And so I fell to the ground. Scratching at the pain, yet never… never uttering more than a grunt of pain. For it was my pride.

My pride which allowed me to watch as she dismantled the corpses, amazed at the crystal clear skin she held. Of the simple fact… of the simple observation… for she was free of that plague they had spent so much effort spreading.

And when she looked to me, struggling against the ground. She turned and knelt, pushing me against the metal breastplate of hers. Trying, with soothing words, to ease my pain.

Even as I merely smiled into those veiled eyes of hers. Pushing her from my body and pulling myself up. Struggling to walk between the counter. Where the drinks were being held and to one specific bottle.

A bottle that was different within my monotone vision. It held something more than just liquor within. And the knight must not have been comfortable with me seemingly contemplating a bottle.

As she took it from my hands and opened it herself. Inspecting it with a rough eye. 

"This isn't liquor." She eloquently spoke. Divesting what must have been ignorance on her part. For she knew not that I had already known this.

Chastising me on my choices.

"But this will be of help. Please, I'll need you to follo-" Before she could begin uttering the rest of her spiel I plugged my ears, falling to the ground and writhing in pain.

The fever had worsened.

But was this not what you wanted…? Did you not want me involved within this conspiracy of witches who pulled the dead back to life… bringing about a plague. Was this not enough suffering?

Would I need to do more… tell me… please.

But when no response came, when my questions came back unanswered I found myself wondering about these circumstances.

That ended perfectly, casualties to a minimum, with a woman strong enough to fight even that cursed plague for a moment, no matter how short it may be…

Or even to the initial steps, those loud collapses that surely should have woken Abigail, my beloved would not have left me so weakened and wandering… No, there was no chance.

When the impossible was eliminated, then what remains, however improbable, must be the truth. 

So then what was the truth, that my teacher had arranged every single interaction. Had barred my betrothed from taking part within this quest of mine. Had pulled me towards this specific location, had me collapse in the right location.

All for me to be rescued by some other.

When I thought of her… yes truly, however improbable such a thing was, it must be true.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I let my eyes close, fading back to those souls. Collapsing on top of the carpet. Within sight of that knight.

For she must know what was to come next. 

…

I next woke within my bed… not within a cell being interrogated… not within some strange hotel being molested by some unsavory knight. 

No, I was woken within familiar bounds. Given to the sight of Abigail hugging me tight. Her lips parted ever so slightly as she took my lips. Kissing down until she reached my ear. Flowing streams of tears wrangling down her neck.

Was the previous night a dream. I gazed down at my hands, my own vision instinctually contained to that gray realm.

But as I did… as I basked in her warmth, hugging myself ever closer, taking in that calming scent of hers.

I found myself truly baffled. For I knew what had happened the previous night. Known that the knight was real. Yet here I stood, in counter of all evidence. Placed within that same bed of mine.

Soaked within the same sheets. Had the previous night truly occurred?

But as I found myself further within her embrace. Her small hand groping against my stomach, pulling my shirt over my head and trailing saddened kisses over me.

I found no desire to pursue that line of thought. The only thought within my mind was that beautiful look within her eyes. As she stared straight into my soul.

Watching within my own eyes as she divested her own clothing, leaving her bare and with naught but a bra to hide her dignity. Not that it mattered much to her. Seeing as she was focused more on my own rising arousal.

A tear stained smirk holding true to her face.

"Not yet…" I whispered. For as much as I was willing, for as much as she wanted me. I didn't want it to be now.

When I was so delirious that I could barely tell left from right. Where I could barely distinguish her face from another.