Emilia??? A voice called out to me from the darkness.
My eyes slowly opened to see Pauk staring back at me.
"You okay???....." he asked his eyes staring directly at mine, looking worried for me.
"What happened?..." I asked my body still numb with pain. "Omg how is Jay???!!" I yelled suddenly remembering what happened.
"He's okay don't worry he's just a little bruised." Paul answers me.
"And the other??..." I asked.
"A little hurt but nothing serious." he said touching the back of my head.
"Did we save them???..." I asked looking around for the kids but they are nowhere to be seen.
"The kids??...yes you did..." He answered.
"Thank God...." I replied relieved resting my head back in his hand his arm.
"You know.... you really should take better care of yourself..... I won't always be around...." he said.
"We had no choice they was getting away…. how did you know to come anyways???...." I replied.
"Yours and everyone else signal bracket went dead.... so we came to investigate..." he replied.
"My body still in alot of pain…. It's even hard to breathe…." I said to him clutching my sides turning a little to try and find a comfortable position.
"I've already stopped most your bleeding and done some light healing but your injuries are quite severe" he replied.
"How bad are my injuries???...." I asked.
"Pretty bad.... you have an assortment of broken bones and I assume a minor concussion....." he replied. "Can you walk ??..." he asked holding out his hand.
Taking his hand I tried to lift myself up, but my legs wouldn't move.
"You okay??...." he asked.
"Yeah just my legs won't move...." I answers him.
"Hmmm..... can you feel this???" he said flicking my leg.
"No....." I replied.
Okay how about this???... He said taking off my shoes and flicking my toe.
"Still no...." I replied now even more worried…. Knowing what this could be but in denial.
Hmmm..... lemme try something.... he said opening his book flicking through the pages. He said something in an unknown language causing hands to light up golden yellow and touched me. "Okay try now...." he said.
Trying again but my legs still refused to move, I swivelled my head side to side.... tears welling up in my eyes knowing what he's about to say.
"I think you've lost motion in your legs...." he said wiping away the tears and holding one of my hands.
"You mean I'm paralyzed ...." I stuttered as I began to cry.
"Lets not get ahead of ourselves…. I haven't tried everything yet…." He said trying to fake a smile but it was obviously clear that he was so hurt to see me like this. "... there some stronger spells I can try but they will take time a preparation and worse comes to worse I'll use a wish… I promise you ill fix this….." He answered.
"Okay…" I replied relaxing a little his promised filled me with a sense of relief, in all the years I've known him he will always try and keep his promises not matter what the cost.
".... One spell I haven't used before.... and I haven't really heard it can heal this type of injury... but it's worth a shot" He replied looking sad at me.
"Lets go.... I need to do some preparations." He said picking me up in his arms, I instinctively wrapped my arm around the back of his neck holding him close.
As he stood up, "Hey Emilia good to see you awake!" Ashley smiled and returned to doing something on the computer, the dead body of the human beside him still smoking from my spells.
"I'm gonna leave early.... tell me when you're done here." He said to Ashley taking me out the chamber.
"Yeah no worries." He replied waving him off.
As we walked through the chamber the remains of a human body and the two ogres were still on the floor.
"What happened to the ogres?.." I asked noticing one was normal while the other had its limbs severed and scattered in different places.
"Luckily you guys took one out by the time we arrives.... and Scarlet swiftly dealt with the other one before any serious damage was done." Paul replied.
"What happened to me?.." I asked.
"Well you tell me.... when I arrived you was unconscious on the floor and a man was walking away from your body with a sword in his hand." He asked.
"Last thing I remember... I got crushed on a wall then a mad stabbed me with something...." I said.
"I thought as much.... When I arrived he was walking away from your body.... So I vaporized him." Paul replied coldly.
"Thank you for saving me....." I said looking at him.
"I didn't really save you.... the armor did.... it stopped the stab.... and your amulet would have also stopped you from bleeding out." He answered.
"Well…. thank you..." I said as we walked up the dark cave, being in his arms calmed my nerves in the complete darkness knowing that I was completely safe with him.
"Where's the others and Scarlet?.." I asked.
"They are up above Scarlet is on perimeter duty and I had another friend with me at the time, she's helping with some healing and talking to the children." He answered.
"Someone I met before?.." I asked.
"Hmm don't think so...." He replied.
"Hey Emilia!!!" Everyone yelled as we exited the cave, everyone was sitting around a campfire with bandages looking quite worn and battered.
"Hey everyone!" I replied keeping a strong face trying to hold back my tears.
"Are you okay?..." Jay asked.
"Yeah she's alright... she just needs some rest." He replied as he said it I realized that I felt extremely exhausted like my body was put through alot of strenuous activity.
"Anna... I'm gonna be heading off first.... tell me once Scarlet and Ashley is ready I'll come back for you guys and the Kids." Paul said to a girl who was tending to a bunch of kids.
"No worries boss." She replied to him.
"I'll introduce you guys at a better time." He smiled at me.
"Okay heroes with me.... I'll take you guys back to Atlantis." Paul ordered them.
Everyone slowly and carefully got up and walked to us. "Ummm sorry for all the trouble we caused.." Grace said looking down on the ground unable to face him.
"Not at all... You guys did really well..... Defeated two ogres... saved a bunch of kids... and discovered an illegal warp gate used for human smuggling.... I think you guys did well for a first year." He replied with a smile
They all looked at him unsure if he was being sarcastic or not... "Ohh and by the way... we can't just go popping off and killing people..... Atlantis Students must follow a strict code of conduct before engaging in combat." He said to every with a jolly smile.
"Sorry...." They all replied.
"No worries... I've got you covered this time.... but please next time obey the rules okay?..." He asked.
"Okay we will" they all replied like a naughty child replying to a parent.
"Good lets go!" He said opening his portal behind him, "After you!" He said smiling at everyone.
One by one everyone stepped through the portal, everyone including myself was surprised we entered Paul's room, "So as much as I want to give you guys the credit..... You'll be disciplined for breaking School rules.... so I can't take you guys to the Infirmaries. So if everyone would just like to take a seat on the sofa's... I'll take care of your healing." He said with a smile.
Everyone excited liked kids at a playground ignored their aching bodies and wounds and quickly dove on the sofa. Paul gently placed me on the sofa sitting me up right and positioning my legs for me.
"So I'm gonna be using Healing Circle..... It should be enough for everyone.... but it takes time to cast and work.... so please just sit within the area till you're all okay." He said with a smile pulling out one of his books. Letting go of it, slowly it floated to the table at the middle of all of us flipping through its own pages, landing on a certain page and began to glow golden yellow. Slowly runes began to draw themselves in a giant arc around us forming a circle. The moment it completed the circle glowed with a greater intensity but not too intense to blind us, I instantly felt the effect as it reduced the numbing pain in my whole upper body. Meanwhile Paul vanished in the Kitchen.
"WOAH!!!! A spell self-casting spellbook??!! I've haven't even heard of one of these!" Jay said.
"Me either..." Grace and Helen said looking at it intently but not touching it.
"Yup.... he has I think 6 of them..." Daisy replied.
"What the hell??!!" the three of them looked at her in shock.
"Yup..." She nodded, "but I remember when I first met him they didn't work as well as they do now..." She replied.
"Say what do you think are in the other rooms?.." Helen said looking around noticing several doors.
"Ohhh he went into the kitchen... the room beside it is the bathroom.... then the other is his training room." I answered.
"NO WAY!!!" Grace replied hearing the answer, "He has his own training room?..." She said.
"Yup..... It's looks nothing special... just a lot different weapons." I answered.
"What's in the last room?.." Helen asked.
"No idea... it was locked when I tried to take a peek." I replied.
"I bet that's where he stashes all his powerful magical stuff!!!" Grace replied.
"That would explain why it would be locked...." Jay replied looking curiously at it.
Paul returned from the kitchen causing us all to abruptly stay silent and pretend like we weren't talking about his secret room. "You guys okay?.... you look a little odd..." He asked with a tray full of bowls with some cups and jugs floating behind him.
"Huh?... yeah... we were just wondering what your special book was..." Grace said.
"Ohhh..... They were a gift from my old master." he said placing everything on the table.
"Your old master?.." They asked.
"He went by the name Jedediah.... he was very old by the time I met him.... but with the little time we spent together he taught me a lot..." He answered them
"How many teachers have you had?.." They asked.
"I've had alot.... the most important lesson in life is to never stop learning." He smiled and began pouring out a glass of water and juice for everyone. "There's plenty of time for questions, rest up and drink up okay?.." He said taking a seat beside me.
"How's your legs?..." He whispered to me looking concerned.
Trying to move my legs, it still didn't budge... I swiveled my head side to side. "Hmmm....." he said contemplating. He proceeded to stand up and walk to his wardrobe pulling out a book and began reading it.
"What's he up to?.." Jay asked.
"No idea..." I replied.
"By the way what is this food?... why does some of it taste sweet and some taste normal?.." Grace asked looking at it nibbling at it first before eating it.
"Ohhhh those are stuff you find back in my home..... The sweet ones are called sweets and the others are called savoury snacks...." I said noticing the selection of candy and chocolates as well as a selection of pies and finger foods.
"Ohhh what's this??!! It so crumbly and yummy!" Jay said looking super happy eating a sausage roll.
"That's called a sausage roll..." I replied.
"What's this??!!" Daisy said holding up a snickers bar.
"That's a snicker.... its chocolate with peanuts in the middle with I think caramel." I answered her.
"My words…the food is amazing why would you ever leave??!!" Jay said scoffing down everything he could.
"Okay that does not taste good... and it gets stuck in my teeth..." Helen said placing a piece of fudge on the plate.
"Ohh that's fudge... Fancy proper fudge is nice... but the cheap stuff kinda blows..." I answered her.
Looking down at the bowls I was shock to see some Hazelnut chocolate bars, in particular my favourite ones but they stopped making them years ago... how did he manage to get a hold of them?...