I looked at the girl in front of me with mixed feelings, on one hand I was grateful for her saving my life, and she was a healer, a good person to have as a teammate but… honestly, she carried an air of immature childish energy, that made me feel as if she messed up a good amount of everything she did, in other words, not the person I want to be around. "How long have I been out?" I asked "Umm… five hours, give or take a little?" she said somewhat unsurely. I nodded slightly and laid back a bit. "You feeling okay?" she asked. I nodded and replied, "Tired" I said coldly "Sure, sorry" she said. I sighed and closed my eyes and felt exhaustion wash over me completely. Almost dying really tires someone out I guess.
I woke up slowly, as the sunlight peered through my eyes it was bothersome, annoying, troubling and every synonym of the sort, I heard Artemis moving around and sat up, opening my eyes. She turned and looked at me with her signature sunny smile, "Good morning Cassy" she said cheerfully. "Morning" I said ignoring the nickname that she gave me, her golden hair was tied in a bun as she was packing things back into the cart, she turned to me and smiled, "How are your injuries holding up" she said in what seemed to be a rare moment of competence that was honestly captivating, I stood up and walked to the cart finding a spot in the back. "Don't walk too much your injuries haven't completely healed" she said frowning slightly, "I'm heading to the exams too, do you mind if I follow you?" I asked with unwavering resolve "But your injuries" she said with concern "I'll manage" I said surely.
She looked to be contemplating my words then nodded "You better not get hurt though" she said poking her finger at me threateningly… or what she thought was threatening it was honestly just childish but I nodded to soothe her worries. She mounted the horse and spurred it into a trot, I settled into a meditative posture and activated my skill willing it to manifest as heat not flames. Activating my skill gives a boost to all physical properties including healing, and that boost grew steadily overtime, partly the reason I was able to survive Andrew even if only barely and with help. I looked to Artemis who sensed my gaze and waved back with a smile, at first I considered splitting up with her when we reached the capital but in the short time we've been together her unbound energy has grown on me, besides she seemed so innocent and naïve, that I felt that hurting her in any way was a sin worthy of death.
I kept my skill active while reducing the heat stopping any flames which was harder than it sounded it felt like going against your very own nature, I usually try to ignite the flames as fast as possible but now it just felt weird to be honest, and though my control over my flames increased greatly, they weren't exactly feel divine or demonic like the wheel said but I kept it in mind as something I would unlock later. I felt someone staring at me, so I opened my eyes to see Artemis facing me… also on the cart… and not handling the horse I stared slightly and said "Shouldn't you be…" I said pointing at the horse. "Vanilla's a smart girl and were mostly going in a straight line anyways" she said confidently. "Vanilla?" I asked with an eyebrow raised, "Well she didn't have a name when she was with my uncle so I named her" she said rubbing her arm nervously "And you named her vanilla?" I deadpanned before chuckling slightly. "Stop laughing" she said embarrassingly.
I ceased my laughing fit and looked at her and she started sweating slightly "It's hot back here." she said tugging at her collar a bit "It is" I agreed knowing I was the cause of the unusual heat, I stopped using my ability feeling it cool a bit, I kept staring at her until she looked back at me. We both held eye contact as I stared into her emerald green eyes she looked away blushing "Sorry" she said embarrassed, though I did not share her embarrassment. "Why did you save me?" I said in a monotone voice, contemplating her reason ever since I woke up mainly thinking she was planning to cash in on it later… as I was going to do with Isabella… it's different, Isabella is rich, I on the other hand, have nothing but the torn clothes on my back and a few Drago in my pockets.
"It was the right thing to do, and I couldn't call myself a healer if I didn't" she said kindly. "You are a kind, honest and truly innocent person Artemis" I said seeing her blush at my complement, "Such people usually do not live or remain that way for long" I said coldly. Her face paled at my words "However, I owe you my life, so I promise to protect yours as long as I can, no matter the cost" I said with an unwavering resolve. Her signature smile returned to her face as my words sank in. "That'd be great, thank you" she said gratefully, she knew that my words were the truth.
"It would be my honor" I said firmly, she smiled and gave me a friendly side hug, careful of my remaining injuries, "I can just see us being besties" she said excitedly. We chatted for hours on the road to Aragon, though a part of me still remained with my family in Lumivale, my future was in the capital, and I would embrace it wholeheartedly, I'll grow so strong that Andrew's strength won't matter but for now, I'll keep my presence in the capital under the radar but when I'm done. I'll just waltz through those gates without a care in the world and pay my family a visit, I swear it. I steeled my resolve, smiling along with Artemis, this is the start of my new life.