Train With Grace

"You can do this, Gehenna!" Orion encourages Gehenna as she kneels before him, his hand on her forehead as I squirm.

"What if this is too much for her?" I ask aloud as Gehenna chuckles.

"Then is do it anyways!" Gehenna jokes as her eyes remain closed, her forehead pressed against her fathers palm.

"Beware William!" Orion tell me as confusion rightfully grace my mind. "You will feel the same pain as Gehenna, maybe even more because you are mortal" Orion warns as I sigh at the thought of pain.

"I'm ready" Gehenna speaks as Orion looks to me and I give him a nod, telling him I was ready.

His eyes close, and a deep breathe emerging from my mouth. But her, Gehenna, never squirms, never in fear. As a small glowing light emerges from Orion's palm, as he forces it into Gehenna's forehead.

"Let it take over you!" Orion orders Gehenna as she collapses, as my breathing hitches. "What do you see?" Orion ask her as she continues to lie motionless on the floor. "TELL ME, MY CHILD!" Orion orders as she quickly sits up, a glowing object showing behind her as I feel a agonizing sharp pain in my arm. And suddenly I see it. A golden viper with devilish, red eyes. Grounded to the earth as suddenly it burst into flames, as the heat ricochets around us, almost burning me as they simmer out. And Gehenna collapses, on the floor, her body twitching.

"GEHENNA!" I yell her name rushing to her side. "What happened to her!" I angrily demand out of Orion.

"She's still alive" Orion comments as I snicker.

But suddenly the pain in my arm burns, clutching to my arm as I fall back.

"Lift your sleeve" Orion ask my as I oblige. Lifting my sleeve and seeing a bite on the inside of my arm, three holes protruding, and my veins, growing darker by the minute.

Pulling up Gehenna's sleeve, holding her unconscious arm in my hand and seeing the same three holes and dark liquid in her veins.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING TO HER ORION?!" I question him as he looks to me.

"The venom is processing again" he tell me as I lift her body into my arms. Carrying her back to the castle, having the guards lead me to her room, Orion not too far behind me. As I lay her in her bed, sitting beside her.

******************

"Go train!" I hear someone order as they throw a sword to my feet.

"I won't leave my wife" I respond, looking to her as I see the darkness in her arm has only spread. Looking to my own, the soreness I feel.

"She's survived this once" Orion urges me as I nod. Standing up and walking to the door.

"You care for her?" Orion ask as I stop.

"It would be my fault if she died" I admit to him, "Nothing more" I say as I slip out of her chambers and down to the fields with the knights.

"What is this I hear of war?" Emilia ask me as I sigh, my sleepless night catching up to me.

"It is inevitable, Emilia" I reason with her as she sighs.

"No it's not!" She says angrily, grabbing my arm and stopping me in my stride. "The only thing that is inevitable is death, what you are leading our men to!" She says dramatically.

"Either fight the Derns or surrender, it's not up to you to decide" I explain to her as I continue to walk to the fields, the knights bowing to me.

"Noble Knights" I announces as they stay silent. "I come to tell you the rumours of war are nothing but the truth" I confess as they stand, confidence and all.

"Who will we fight?" A Knight as I smile.

"The Dern kingdom" I announce as whisper and confidence is slowly washed away. "Therefore we must do nothing but train" I encourage them as the general looks to me, worry in his eyes.

"Excuse us for a minute" the General escorts me to the sidelines as the soldiers start training, worry in their eyes. "How do you expect my army to fight alongside extraordinary things?" The general ask me as I nod my head. I knew where he was coming from, I was worried as well.

"They will be fine" I assure him as he gasps at my reassurance.

"How can you guarantee that?" The general ask me as I can't.

"I-" I start as suddenly I'm interrupted.

"They will be fighting alongside me" a familiar voice declares as I turn around and see Gehenna, standing in all her glory. "This is a battle against the rulers, no life will be taken, not innocents" she tell him as he snickers.

"Then why the training?" He ask as she chuckles.

"Because" she says, "You protect the people, the kingdom" her reason.

"Fine" the general gives up and leaves as I turn to her.

"Your awake?" I ask her as she smirks at my question.

"I hope so" she answers, "If not I should be checked for a sleep walking affliction" she jokes as I nod my head, pulling up my sleeve and seeing only the puncture wounds in my arm, nothing more.

"The Queen will be here in three days, she will declare war after that." She tells me, her eyes tired. "The war will last no more than a month, no fatalities" she demands to me as she turns around as my eyes follow her.

"Where are you going?" I ask her as she turns back to me.

"To rest before I train the soldiers tomorrow" she replies as confusion eats at me.

"We have a general for that" I inform her as she chuckles.

"If I trusted men for everything I did I would be in trouble" she remarks as she looks to the soldiers. "These are my soldiers now, not the generals" she orders me as she walks back into the castle as I sigh.

I no longer had any reason for worry. But for her, the reason always piled onto itself. Something told me that I would find out a lot more than I ever knew about her through this war. And the mystery of Gehenna Cain would slowly unravel onto my palms.