Eternity is too little for me. Let's stay together till the moment this world and our souls last.
- Diary Of Ophelia
" Perseus! " Jason dismounted and rushed towards the tree. A perfect hole had been formed on its trunk. It was darkness beyond it.
" I'm fine. " A voice called out accompanied shortly with a groan of pain.
" Move aside. I am going to jump in. "
" Don't bother. There are a flight of stairs. Ow! They sure are sturdy. My back can vouch for it. "
" Hold on. " Jason entered the hole and felt about the surface inside the huge trunk with his hands and feet. Cautiously he made his way down. There was indeed a flight of stairs leading down and they were made sturdy enough since they were slabs of stones, presumably embedded into the soil.
' The fall must have hurt him a lot. ' Jason mused. ' Seems like the little Lieutenant encounters bad luck a little too often. These steps are clearly man-made. Who must have made it? The walls are no longer wood after a few steps. The slone slabs have been embedded even into the walls. Obviously, this place was created with a lot of planning, ' Jason noticed while his hands made contact with the inner surface of the world inside the tree.
At last he felt the solid soil under his feet. There were no more steps. " Perseus? "
" Yes. " A small voice sounded from the left.
" Where are you? "
" Towards your left. Walk ahead straight. This seems to be a tunnel. "
" Stay right there, kid. You had a nasty fall. Stop wandering into strange so-called tunnels. " Jason reprimanded 'him' harshly.
' Who the hell does he think he is to command me? Owing to my injuries I'll have to ask him for his help. It's the only reason why I will obey you, you overgrown bull. '
" Okay. " Celosia replied out loud in a meek voice.
Jason was taken aback by 'his' obedient reply. ' Has the kid come back to his senses so soon? Well, very good. Saves me from further trouble. '
Jason turned towards his left and walked straight ahead. After a few steps, his hands encountered a human body and a sudden yelp of pain followed instantly.
" Are you alright? I'm so sorry. " Jason pulled back his hand hastely.
" Yes. You poked my bruised arm. I'm alright now. " Celosia replied with false bravado.
" Here, come to me. Give me your hand that was not injured. Or were both injured? " Jason coaxed 'him' patiently.
" No. My left hand is alright. " Celosia reached out towards the voice of Jason. She felt her hands coming in contact with his and held on tight.
" Come on, let's get out of here. " Jason held her elbow and started to lead her out briskly. The next instant, he felt his companion stumble and turned around to steady 'him'.
" Now what? " Jason asked exasperated.
" I had sprained my right leg during the fall. " Celosia informed him with as much dignity as she could muster.
" Great! Is the great Lieutenant of the Isles Of Athena this clumsy? " Jason mocked 'him'.
" I can manage. You can go ahead. " Celosia said through her teeth. She felt furious and mortified at the same time. ' The unfeeling brute! '
" Nevermind. Since I've got involved this far, I guess I can stick to the end. " Jason replied ruefully.
Jason turned and picked up 'Perseus' in the princess style. " Quiet, please. I know that being carried may risk your pride, little Lieutenant. But bear with it. You are in no shape to conquer a flight of stairs, " Jason interrupted Perseus' feeble protests.
Celosia said no more. The drowning had left her feeling weak and the fall from the heavens through a path of stones was just the cherry on top of it. She was worn out. Her body ached all over.
They exited the tree and Jason placed 'him' carefully onto the grassy carpet, for the second time that night.
" What? Haven't you got no more egoistic words to offer? " Jason teased 'him' on seeing 'his' long face.
" Thank You. " Celosia offered her thanks in a stiff voice.
" Well, what else could I do? I couldn't very well face your sister with a clean conscience if I had left her brother in the hole inside a tree. " Jason shrugged.
Celosia was enraged. ' Epione again! She's but a child. How dare this ancient guy fall in love with her? Preposterous! '
" If you could please help me mount my horse, I'll be on my way. " Celosia had to swallow down her pride and rage to ask for further help.
" Let me fix your leg first. " Jason reached out to help 'him'.
Celosia pulled her leg closer to her and refused, "No. Remember? I have a sister who is a healer. I can manage by myself. Please help me reach my horse. "
' Seems like his pride has been severely bruised along with his whole body. ' Jason found her attitude and statements amusing.
" Alright, brother. " Jason picked her up once more and placed her on the back of Pegasus.
" Thank you for your succour. Hope you will keep this encounter and the incidents to yourself. And I do not enjoy being called a kid. You can address me as Lieutenant Perseus. " Celosia turned Pegasus around.
" If I remember correctly, I had asked you to call me Jason. And you did not. That being the case...."
Celosia shot him a nasty look and rode away in a flash.
Jason chuckled to himself and followed the lone injured rider back to the palace.
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Celosia rushed ahead and entered her courtyard. Letting her left leg hold her entire weight, she dismounted the horse. Her whole body throbbed with pain. She somehow managed to stand upright, holding onto Pegasus. After having taken a few long breaths, she started talking to Pegasus:
" Here, here. Go back to your home, alright? I'll visit you tomorrow with apples. " She combed his mane using her fingers and whispered to him. She turned him towards the exit and guided him, " Go, go. To home. "
Pegasus turned to nuzzle her hair affectionately, like a kid saying good bye and ran off towards the direction of Royal stables. He was used to the roaming at night with her. Pegasus knew the drill very well.
Celosia observed him for a while and then made her way towards the makeshift ladder. She stood beneath it and stared up at the window. The distance seemed too long with her injuries. She had no other choice than to fix her leg right there. She had refused Jason's help for two reasons. One, of course, because she was angry at him. As to why she was angry, she did not bother to think deep about it. Secondly, she had sedatives and other herbs that helped to reduce the pain to a great extent in her chamber.
Celosia sat down on the grassy floor and tore a large strip of cloth from the bottom of her chiton. She gritted her teeth in advance to welcome the intense burst of pain that was sure to arrive. She held her right foot in a strong grip and bandaged it tightly using the strip of cloth. Having completed that successfully, she got up cautiously and turned towards the ladder. After taking a long breath, she climbed the ladder. Acute pain attacked her nervous system with each step she took upwards.
She made it to her room after a long time. She was sweating buckets by then. She took of her swords and checked them for any invasion of moisture. Having found them dry enough, she kept it aside and took two pills that Epione had left the last time she visited. They helped her to ease the pain. Somehow she managed to undress and donned a flimsy, soft and too-big chiton. Sleep embraced her the moment her head made contact with the pillow. She slept soundly while someone remained sleepless at some other part of the palace.
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