A New Age, of old strength and allies (ONC 2023)

7. Recovery

A tremble ran through me as I stood up from the stone table. Even as my vision wavered, blackening at the edges, the feeling of my fever having finally broken was a welcome relief. A bone deep ache tore through me as I stretched, but the harrowing pain seemed to have settled back into an unstable slumber. Still feeling tender, I was oblivious to the gentle scents of lavender, chamomile and sage, until Cain placed the bowl and a hot cloth down next to me. A pale blue robe that looked more like a cloak lay on the other side, the light material holding a shimmer.

As I stared, Abel leant over. “A little something of old, from the Lilith clan.” He smirked. “Unless you’d rather walk around half-naked. Not that I would mind.”

A cold light lit up my smile. “What was the gift of the Lilith clan...?” My eyes narrowed. “Karma, wasn’t it?”

I heard Cain laugh softly as Abel joined him. The two of them leaving the room, but not before Abel turned back with a seductive wink that was only half serious.

“Meet me outside when you’re ready.” After that, they disappeared.

As my hands brushed over my jumpsuit, I found myself sighing. Once again I was filthy, but this time I had a mixture of dried blood marring the material. Slowly but surely, I peeled away the stiff and stained clothing, with every movement feeling tiresome.

Dipping the cloth into the water, stirred the soaked herbs, as I lightly ran it over my skin. The feeling soothing and yet refreshing, as the concoction washed over me in relaxing scents. Cain was clearly talented when it came to healing.

‘I wonder, was he even better with poisons.’

My thoughts were a nice distraction as I relaxed at the scent of lavender. The chamomile and sage, less obvious. I spent a few long moments gliding the cloth over my limbs, something that was usually done without thought or effort. The stiffness that flamed with every new stretch, gradually receded until I felt a warmed fluidity loosing my muscles.

Despite feeling revived, the moment I settled back into my damaged jumpsuit, stiff with sweat and blood, the feeling slowly disappeared. Taking hold of the pale blue robe, I slid it on, its light weight a relief. Buttoning the front, I straightened the hood as I looked it over. Its length falling to mid-calf, a slight flare to its overall shape.

‘I can’t believe I’m wearing this.’

I was glad that there was no mirror, I had a horrible feeling that I looked like a knock off version of little red riding hood, only dressed in blue instead.

‘Wonderful.’

There was nothing that I could do about it, though, so I left, taking the directions that Cain had sarcastically given me earlier on. The hallways were fairly short and carried the same dimness as the rest of the crypt, except for the roughened walls and lack of care. The longer I walked, the steeper the incline became until daylight greeted me.

As I stepped out into the light, my eyes thinned to slits. The sunlight warming yet harsh. It was clearly still early, as a freshness lingered in the air. The sun, although bright, lacked it’s usual cloying humidity. As my eyes slowly adjusted, I looked around, taking in the beauty surrounding me. A walled garden laden with flowering blooms, and a small stream basked beneath the strengthening rays of the sun.

The flowers, and their vivid colours, sat gently weaving together. The sight reminiscent of meadows from long ago. Hearing the soft burbling of the stream, I walked over and settled down beside it. Its flow almost hypnotizing, as I watched the lazy current drift by. It must have been part of an underground spring.

A few minutes later, I heard footsteps before Abel came into view, and sat down beside me.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” His voice was quiet, devoid of its usual taunting.