Chapter 56

"Damn! I can't go there..." Nash bit her lower lips as she walked back and forth.

"Why?"

"Ah!" Nash clutches her chest, "You scared me! The Kapre will get wild more once it sees a lady."

"You're right." Teves nodded.

"Will it work if I alter my appearance?"

"It won't. The Kapre has an enhanced nose that allows them to determine if someone is a girl or a guy."

"How annoying," She sighed, "I got to go, goodbye sir Teves!"

Nash dashed towards the restricted area.

The Kapre became violent as Nash approached them, "Eeeekk"

Nash heard it, "Aish... it noticed me already!"

When Nash arrives, the knights are surrounding the Kapre. 'That won't work.'

"Oyy!" Nash yelled, attracting the attention of others.

Nash gets shivers when the Kapre starts drooling, 'That's gross.'

Nash squinted as she noticed a sword in Kapres' chest. "If I'm not mistaken, that's Sir Thed's sword..."

'Perfect.'

"Nash watch out!" The Kapre ran towards Nash and captured her. "Nash!"

Nash winced as she felt something piercing her legs, 'What's that?'

Nash threw her dagger to Yjhan before being captured, "Leader! Throw it to it's head!"

"It's not going to pierce in!"

"Just do it!"

When Yjhan threw the dagger, the blade penetrated its head but did not penetrate its brain.

The Kapre's attention is drawn to the dagger, just as Nash predicted. Because the head is one of the most important parts of a creature, it is frequently protected.

Nash looked below, "catch me!"

She used her magic power to release the Kapre's grip. As she falls, she then use her gravitational power to force the blade that had been trapped at the Kapre's chest.

"eeekkk!" Before Nash even fell, the Kapre grabbed her once again, tighter.

"urgh..." Nash silently groaned as she felt something pierced her leg once again.

As the Kapre continued to grab Nash tightly, the Kapre raised his arm and threw Nash to the ground. It was enraged after Nash forced the sword to it's heart.

Nash looked at the Kapre as she fell, "you're dead."

"Got you..." she heard a deep voice as she fell on someone's arm.

Nash chuckled as she looked at him, "Nice catch"

The Kapre's fall made a loud thud, causing the ground to shake.

Jaxael let down Nash but Nash suddenly lost the strength of her legs and almost fell, fortunately, Jaxael caught her.

"I can't feel my legs," she whispered. She looked down and noticed blood oozing from a severe wound. Suddenly, Jaxael carries her in a bridal style.

"What happened?" Aeries approached them, a worried expression on his face.

"She can't feel her legs"

Aeries examined Nash's leg and discovered a severe wound. "The wound is deep! What caused it?"

"I'm not sure, the moment it captured me, something sharp pierced in," she bit her lips suppressing the stressing pain she felt as Aeries examined her legs.

Kane suddenly arrived and ripped a part of Nash's cloak and tied it around her legs. "Let's head back to the center."

"Is she hurt?" Thed suddenly arrived holding Nash's dagger, "Here's your dagger."

"Thank you," Nash answered, his voice trembling. She began to break out in cold sweats. "Cold... It hurts so badly."

Idris removed his cloak and draped it over Nash's body. Among the squad, Nash and Idris are the only ones dressed in cloaks.

"Head first to the center," Thed ordered.

Nash's eyes gradually close as she loses consciousness.

...

"Doctor!" Idris shouted as soon as they entered the center.

Jaxael placed Nash on an empty bed and the doctor began to examine her injuries.

"What is this?" The doctor asked, "The wound is deep, almost to her bone!"

The doctor asked for them to step back from the patient. He touched Nash's forehead, "High fever and cold sweat. She lost a lot of blood, these injuries can't be treated in this small facility!"

"What?!"

"I'll clean her wound and try to stop the bleeding. Tina! Get some towels! I won't be able to close her wound... This is all new to me."

As the doctor cleaned Nash's wound, Lady Gwyneth went near Nash. "The Kapre's hands are rough and have a scale-like feature. Once it has a firm grip on you, there is a good probability that the scales will pierce your flesh. Did the Kapre capture her?"

"Yes," Aidan answered.

"Then that might be the cause. You must have enraged the kapre for it to grasp her so tightly. I feel sorry for her."

The door swung open, revealing Thed, "How is she?"

"She has a high fever as well as cold sweat. Her wound can't be treated here." Yjhan explained. "Her wound was deep and almost penetrated her bone."

"That deep?!" Tado exclaimed.

"You should go to the capital now. Serio is staying at the Imperial palace, he can help you." Thed said.

Yjhan nodded and carried Nash's trembling body.

Thed opened a portal. "This portal will send you straight to the Imperial palace's garden. Now go!"

They entered the portal together.

Yjhan can't help but be concerned for Nash and himself, 'Shit! I promise I will take care of Nash.'

As soon as they arrive, a few knights are already waiting outside.

"Who are you?" The knight guards asked, pointing their spears, "You dare break into the Imperial Palace in the middle of the night?!

"We're squad knights! We have to meet Serio, now!" Aeries exclaimed.

The knight guards looked at the injured Nash and their eyes widened. "Go!"

They ran towards Serio's room and knocked aggressively, "Argh! The old man is trying to sleep. What is it now?!"

Serio opened the door looking sleepy, "Wha-- what happened?"

He led Yjhan into his room and placed Nash in his bed.

"What happened?" Serio carefully unwrapped the bandage on Nash's leg and was shocked to see the deep wound.

"This is deep..." He breathes deeply and turns to face the squad knights. "For now, leave. You don't have to worry about her here, she's in safe hands. Go back to your inn and rest."

"We can't do that!" Idris countered.

"Idris," Yjhan called.

"But Nash--" Yjhan cut him off.

"Serio is a healer, he knows what to do. Now let's go back."

"Yjhan, you stay and explain to me what happened"

Yjhan looked at his members, "I'll follow you. If I see you still in or near the palace, I will not make a request to the emperor to allow you to visit."

Squad 15 doesn't have a choice but to follow. Yjhan watches his members retreating.

As soon as he can no longer see them, he returns inside and informs Serio of what has occurred.

"I see... a kapre, huh?" Serio continued to examine Nash's wound as he prepared the things he needed.

"Yes, a big one."

"I see... Now go follow your squad. They look like they won't be leaving that easily."

"Please take care of Nash," Yjhan bowed.

Serio smiled, "I will... Now go."

Yjhan left Serio's room.

Before leaving the Palace, he spoke with one knight to inform the emperor that his youngest daughter had been gravely hurt and was being carried to Serio.

...

"You're still here?!" Yjhan exclaimed after seeing his squad outside the Imperial palace, all anxious.

"We can't just leave her..." Idris muttered as he walked back and forth.

"Serio is the best healer in the empire, I'm sure he won't let Nash die," Yjhan pushed his squad to walk away from the palace.