"An army of Cyclops. They are here."
My eyes widened in fear and confusion. My eyes darted between Dolores and the direction from which the footsteps came and I honestly knew not what to do.
"Dolores... Hey," I bent over to help her up. "We have to go now." I said to her.
"Go Naya. I'll only slow you down. Don't worry about me, I'll meet you in Torra." She said.
I smirked at her impossible statement "meet me in Torra! With those monsters at your heels? I don't think so." I responded.
"Naya just..."
"Hey! The only way you would slow me down is sitting here in reluctance to move with me. Please, help yourself up. I know the Cyclops tossed you back and forth and hit you severally against trees but I promise you'll get your strength back after a while. Please can we go?" I said to her.
Dolores smiled weakly realizing I was not going to leave without her.
"Devon needs you. Go" she said.
"Not without you." I said and quickly put her arms across my shoulder then lifted her and began to run but without running far, I tripped and fell together with her.
"Naya you have to go. I can handle this." She said.
"No. No aunt Dolores. You're my only biological family and I can't lose you." I said with teary eyes letting my emotions be felt in my voice but her eyes were slowly closing to have heard me or felt my emotions.
"Your friend is injured." A female voice said and when I turned around I saw the dwarf lady with two horses, she was riding on one of them and dragging the empty one.
"You know, I'm not a bad person and so I just can't leave you here with your wounded friend. Hurry up and get her on the horse. Those Cyclops ain't going to show us any mercy when they finally get here." She said.
I smiled with my entire teeth on display.
"Hey, we're safe now. They won't hurt us." I said to a whimpering Dolores.
"No time for talks girl. Get her on the horse and let's go. I'm not leading those Cyclops to my home." She shouted.
I tried to lift Dolores but it was almost impossible.
"Hey! Aren't you going to give me a hand here?" I called out to the dwarf.
"Getting back on my horse might be impossible before those monsters arrive. Now get on with it."
With time, Dolores was able to lift herself off the forest floor and we both rode on one horse as I held unto her. She was weak.
As soon as we got on our horses, the Cyclops started to get closer. We hurried our horses as they galloped, sputtered, and neighed.
Soon enough the Cyclops was in sight.
"Oh, gods." The dwarf said in terror but suddenly trees started to fall after each move we made across it, slowing the Cyclops down and killing some of them, and soon enough, we lost them.
The dwarf led us to a small village on the outskirts of a bigger town and then took us to her little home. It was a small tattered house that looked no different from ours back in Damitro except we had a fixed door but she had to lift her door for us to pass. I had no idea there was a village poorer than Damitro. When we got to her home, Gilbert her husband quickly rushed to help me get Dolores down from the horse even though with much difficulty but we still succeeded before I equally dismounted my horse.
We took Dolores into the house and lay her down on the little bed there.
"Her body is hot." Gilbert said.
"I think she's got a fever." I responded. "Can I get some cold water and a towel?" I asked Gilbert nicely but he turned to his wife.
"Quickly Daliah, get them." He said.
"Daliah." I smiled at a beautiful name for a dwarf.
In no time, Daliah came back with my requested items and even something extra. She had a cup filled with green water.
"After you clean her up, give this to her. It helps calm a fever down." She said.
"What's in it?" I asked.
"I don't know. I get it from my physician every week. Gilbert is constantly getting a fever from cowering." She said.
"Daliah not before our guests." Gilbert said.
"Thank you." I said as I took it and they both left saying they'll meet us in the morning.
If it was in my powers, I wouldn't give that to Dolores as I knew not what it was made of but it looked like something I constantly delivered to my mother's patient in Damitro so after I cleaned Dolores up, I forced some of it into her system. It didn't take ten minutes for her eyes to flutter open. She looked better than before.
"Dolores." I said and hugged her.
Soon she sat up next to me. The antidote worked like magic and it was a confirmation that it must have been composed of what my mothers did.
"Naya I... I must say I've underestimated you and your strength. You're stronger and tougher than I thought you were. You might have gotten into trouble a lot because this world is new to you. I must commend your skills." Dolores said.
I grinned widely, "Is this you apologizing?" I asked.
"Like I would ever. Listen, I only think I should let you know that you're unbreakable despite your fears. Even I get scared sometimes. It's just a natural phenomenon, what matters is how we handle it." Dolores explained.
"And I also saved your life."
"That too." Dolores smirked.
"You know..." I started then smirked with an honest smile and continued, "I never thought I'd hear you say these words. Thank you for finally realizing my worth."
Dolores smiled at me for the first time since I ever met her. "You're a lot more like me than your mother and that is why we couldn't get along at first."
"You think we're getting along now?" I asked but my question was met with silence.
"You didn't ask where we are when you woke up."
"I heard everything." Dolores returned to her usual frowny face before she spoke "Get some rest. We're headed to Torra tomorrow. It's just a few hours away from here."
"We're headed to Torra today you mean? It's almost sun up." I said.
"More reason you should rest." Dolores said and sunk herself into the bed.
I quietly also did the same just that I did not sleep off. I thought of how my day had been. It was just the beginning but yet rough. I couldn't help but wonder how the rest of the journey might go. I had no idea how life outside Damitro was. We were poor but we never had to worry about safety. We only worried about our food and tax, but now here I am struggling to protect myself. Though my night would have gone better if I had spent it in Luciana's Manor but who knows a greater danger that might await at sun up. I wonder how Luciana would react to me escaping her castle. She'd be very disappointed, but why did she live alone? Well, that's not left for me to worry about.
'How is my mother doing? How is she managing all the jobs we did. Who would even be the one to deliver her antidotes to her patients?' I sighed. 'I just hope she doesn't break down from much work.' I thought to myself.
I was immersed in different thoughts until finally, I drifted off to the Dreamland unwillingly.
I'm just a few hours, I woke up and turned around to wake Dolores only to find out she was not breathing and her entire face had turned green...