The Raven Flame [The Crown Saga III] (First Draft)

The Traveler's Den

I was never going on another boat ride ever again; I never wanted to see as much as a shadow of a salty wave for the rest of my life.

"This way," Art said, motioning his hand toward the cliff side further back on the beach. "We still have a small mile or so until we can rest."

"Come on," Piper said, curling her arm around mine to pull me to my feet.

I groaned, the ground still oscillating like waves under my soles — at least, it felt like it.

Balance was unachievable while my inner ear was still this confused, so I almost dragged Piper down with me as my foot got caught in a small pile of sand.

"Cursed blood," I hissed, spitting sand from my tongue to rid my mouth of the foul taste of salt and uncomfortable stones settling in my teeth. "I'm sorry, Piper."

Piper chuckled, squatting in front of me to wipe off the sand stubbornly sticking to my cheeks after falling face-first into the sandy ground. "Don't worry; not everyone is suited for a life at sea. Besides, you did pretty well, considering it was your first time on the open ocean, and we encountered a fairly violent storm."

I snorted but immediately regretted my reaction as my abdomen flexed, making my stomach turn. I forced a hard swallow as the decomposed remains of my sparse breakfast fought their way up my throat.

Art and Eos had already turned their backs on us and were sluggishly moving forward. They didn't look entirely unaffected by this ruthless shortcut, but they didn't look as battered as I felt.

"W-where is Alia?" I whispered through clenched teeth, barely able to raise my head unless I wanted to spill the acidic content burning my throat.

"She's currently kissing the sand a distance behind you," Piper said, chuckling, amused as she craned her neck to look over my shoulder. "She's in much worse shape than you. So, I asked Atlas to help her since I doubt my lousy healing abilities would've been able to do much for her. In return, I promised him I'd take care of you."

I strained my muscles in an attempt to look behind me, but Piper smacked her palm against my forehead before I could move.

A wave of calmness suddenly washed over me, flooding my frayed nerves with restorative energy. The World stopped spinning, and exhaustion became a less overwhelming power.

"Better?" Piper asked as the tension in my shoulders disappeared, and my body relaxed.

I nodded and accepted the hand she offered to help me up. "Thanks."

It was still difficult to properly command my sore limbs, but it wasn't impossible like before. A grunt of mild agony pushed past my lips as Piper threw my arm around her neck to support me.

"How is she doing?"

I twisted my head to look beside us where Caiden stood, carrying Alia on his back. Her eyes were closed, but she still seemed to be breathing.

"Better," Piper said, smiling as she adjusted my weight across her neck. "I did what I could, but I still have a long way to go if I want to become part of the Gaia Corps. How's Alia?"

Gaia Corps? She wanted to work as a healer in the Earth Realm.

"Exhausted," Caiden said. "She'll probably need a good night's sleep, and then she'll be back on her feet. She didn't sustain any serious injuries during the storm, but she has never liked the sea."

"That's good to hear," Piper said, tightening her grip around my wrist as I began slipping from her warm hand.

"I-I think that I can walk from here, Piper," I said, patting her shoulder with a wry smile.