Eckhart had carried Caleb to the manor. Celia and Mei helped him place Caleb on a table for proper assistance. A long night of watching over Caleb began; a distraught and exhausted Celia stayed awake the long night by his side, holding his hand and silently praying for him to recover. The last time she did this was almost a year ago when the assassin had attacked.
“Get some rest, I’ll take over.” Mei placed her hand on Celia’s shoulder to assure her. Celia looked up with a face drained of emotions.
“I’ll be fine. This is nothing to a Demon like me.”
“You may be of the Demonkin, but you have your limits. Please, I can watch him for now; please sleep.”
“Hmph… I think I can handle this, at least. I wouldn’t get much sleep either way… At least I am productive by watching over him to a degree.”
“I can’t stop your decision, but just take a minute to get something to drink, wash your face even; he isn’t going anywhere.”
Celia looked back and forth from Caleb and Mei for a moment before nodding her head. Slowly getting up from the chair she was sitting in, Mei helped her up and gently guided her out of the room. Once she knew she had the time alone with Caleb, Mei pulled up her sleeves and clasped her hands together.
“Father would be upset, but… It is master Caleb. My Ninjutsu should be enough to help.”
Closing her eyes, Mei began to chant a mantra and began to form hand signs. The air in the room started to shift, growing warmer as a greenish-gold light began to sparkle between her fingers. Mei channeled the mystical power of her jutsu, and a stream of the greenish light began to glow brighter. Mei brought her hands to Caleb’s chest to pour the energy from her hands into him. A channel of healing began to heal his wounds slowly. His breathing began to strain from the pain of the cast, but soon, he returned to normal in good condition. Mei breathed heavily as such a high form of Ninjutsu was a lot on her body to perform. A smile ever so creeps along her cheeks at the accomplishment of her duty toward Caleb and his family. Leaning backward in the chair to rest, she only closes her eyes briefly until she sparks alive to remember about Celia.
Mei leaves the room to find Celia, only to see her gently passed out, laying her head on the table; the fatigue of the situation and time had finally caught up with her, giving her much-needed rest.
“For a Demon, she certainly proved her loyalty to Caleb.” Eckhart stood in a dark corner, looking at Mei at a distance.
“Eckhart? Have you been down here the entire time?”
“The lord is wounded and cannot defend himself. I will be his shield and sword if need be. I did, however, notice that Celia passed out from her exhaustion.”
“Would you mind helping me to her room?”
“Very well. I have nothing better to do.”
“Thank you, Eckhart.”
Eckhart wrapped his hands around Celia, gently lifting her from the table, and followed Mei to her room. The moment he saw the bed, he gently but quickly laid her down to rest; Mei covered her with a blanket. Before Mei could ask Eckhart, she found him missing from the room soon after, waiting outside with his posture ready for any threat.
“That man has a lot on his plate. I better be careful around him when I talk.”
Celia and Eckhart, now taken care of, Mei slowly approached Caleb’s room and sat near him once again. A heavy sigh was breathed through her nose, and she did her best to stay up and watch over him. About an hour later, the sun slowly rose as the shift to a new day finally began; with a smile, Mei closed her eyes and stretched. She was still acting as a humble servant despite her secret abilities; she continued to stay in character. Her eyes began to betray her as they grew heavier and heavier. Slowly feeling them shut, Mei attempted to shake herself away, but the moment she felt her face brush the side of the bed, a light snore was produced by her sleeping.
*
A small and painful sting radiated throughout my body; I could only remember being in that alleyway, bloodied and beaten. The last thing I could remember was that same girl; she had come back to aid me. A long and hazy dream of voices rang in my ears; I couldn’t make sense of much until I began to open my eyes. The blaring sun burned through the curtains and lit up my room to full. My body was sore, burning, and numb, but it wasn’t terrible. Bandages wrapped around my body and head, and a feeling of Deja Vu raced over me. It wasn’t until I noticed that Mei was sleeping near my leg that I was fully aware of my situation.
“Mei…?” I called out to her and touched her shoulder, trying to wake her up.
She didn’t react; she was in a deep sleep. I slowly got out of bed and put on my things that were freshly cleaned by Mei, no doubt. I slowly limped down the stairs to find Eckhart standing outside in the basking sun. I opened the door and walked next to him.
“I’m surprised to see you already up. How are you feeling?” Eckhart calmly asks.
“It hurts, but I am not feeling too bad. You must be exhausted staying up this long. Maybe you should rest like everyone else.”
“I am a knight; simple guarding will not deter my resolve. Do not worry about me.”
“Very well, I must have given everyone a good scare.”
“When we heard the news from Gorg, we raced to you as soon as possible.”
“I believe it. However, I got some business to care for after I am confident in my training.”
“Do you want revenge on the ones who did that to you?”
“Revenge? That is one way to put it. But no, I will show them what it means to be me, is all.”
“What is that then?”
“That I am Caleb Aris, lord of Saiana Village, son of Valum Aris, and my presence here is absolute.”
“Hmph, shall we practice some counters?”
“Lead the way.” With a smirk on my face, I limp myself along with Eckhart to continue my training; my wounds are still not fully healed. I have to prove to myself that I won’t let this drag me back down to the depths of defeat. I will get stronger, and when I do, it will only show how much I really worked…
