Book Restoration System: Savior Of The Forsaken Legends [BL]

"Are you okay?" Darius asked between powerful leaps. "You've gotten quieter."

"... I'm fine." Auri tightened his hold around Darius' neck. "Just a little dizzy from the constant motion."

"Do you want me to stop for a while?"

"If you feel tired already..."

"I can still go on, but I don't mind stopping for a little rest."

Auri's head lolled on Darius' shoulder, his breaths turning shallow as nausea crept up to his throat. "I-I think... I'm gonna puke..."

Darius stopped just in time for Auri to throw up the contents of his stomach. He made a displeased noise—something between a scoff and a groan—but still kept a firm hold on Auri's waist. "You better not get any of that on me."

Auri retched as his stomach lurched violently, the almost digested berries he snacked on earlier splattered on the sand, barely missing Darius' boots.

"Great," Darius muttered dryly. "Just what I needed."

"Sorry..."

The world spun around him, its boundless sea of red sand wavering in front of him like paint swirling through canvas. When they exited the mountain's forest an hour ago, he was still feeling fine. He was even able to adjust to the rhythmic rise and fall of Darius' leaps. But now that they're traveling through the desert's edge, the oppressive heat radiating from the sand made his nausea worsen, and Auri was ready to pass out.

"Are you done?" Darius asked. "Or do I need to start digging your grave in the sand?"

Auri wanted to throw a reply, but his throat still hurt from the force of retching. He could still taste the acid in his mouth. "Ugh... Water. I need water."

"Demanding, aren't you?" Darius mused. shifting his hold on Auri's waist as he reached a hand behind him. "I feed you, I dress your wound, I carry you in my arms, and now you want me to serve you water? What's next? Are you going to ask me to wipe your ass?"

"Just give me water, I beg you." Auri groaned. "The inside of my mouth tastes awful."

"God, you're more high maintenance than a noble brat." Darius released a long-suffering sigh and handed him the waterskin. "Go on and drink. Try not to choke on it."

Auri ignored Darius and filled his mouth with water. He swished it around his mouth, trying to wash the vile taste in every corner, before spitting the water onto the desert floor.

"What are you doing? I hope you realize that we are now at the desert's edge. We don't have the luxury to waste water here."

"What do you want me to do? Drink back the bile in my mouth?"

"Why not? That came from your body."

Auri wiped his mouth with a low whine. "Ugh, can we stop? I don't have the energy to argue with you."

"Yet you have the energy to complain." Darius adjusted his grip on Auri's waist and cradled him back in his arms effortlessly. "I'll take it easy from here. We're halfway through, so endure it a little longer and try not to throw up on me again."

Auri sighed as he pulled the hood of his cloak over his face to hide from the sun. "Slower would be nice. Thank you for being thoughtful. You're the kindest person I've met in my life."

"Save your breath. Flattery won't work on me."

That's what he said, but Darius had adjusted the force of his leaps. His pace had slowed, but his every step remained steady. His boots skimmed through the soft patches of sand before launching forward to shift onto a firmer ground. He jumped over jagged boulders and hardened sand ridges with ease. The way he leaped and twisted was calculated, as if he knew where exactly his feet would land.

Auri pressed the side of his head against Darius' shoulder and listened to the slow but controlled breathing of the man carrying him. Despite the distance they had already traveled, Darius's breath remained steady. The strength in his arms never faltered, either. Even when Auri had almost slipped multiple times, Darius would only adjust his grip and carry on.

"Why are you going this far for me?" Auri asked suddenly, looking up to search beyond Darius' mask for an answer. "I mean, you could have just left me behind. It's my fault for getting bitten by a wild boar, anyway. And we barely know each other."

"You are mistaken about something."

"About what?"

Darius kept his eyes ahead, not looking down. "This isn't about you. It doesn't matter who you are, and if it were anyone else in your place, I would still do the same. So don't try to find any meaning in my actions. This is just something I would do."

"Ah..." Auri closed his eyes, a smile fluttering on his lips. "And here I thought you're just a brooding swordsman. It turns out you're also a man with principle. Are you some kind of hero, Darius?"

Darius huffed. "Far from it."

Peeking behind his cloak, Auri picked out the silhouette of a fortified village across the horizon. It must be the village Darius mentioned. Though he couldn't remember its name, Auri knew it was a fortress of something.

The landscape gradually changed as they approached. The endless ridges of wind-blown sand slowly gave way to a firmer path, making Darius' steps felt steadier. Patches of dry grass appeared in the sand's wake, and a few palm trees swayed their frond in the desert's dry air.

Darius' powerful leaps had shifted into more controlled strides. He had been propelling them forward for hours, vaulting across dunes with raw strength, expending energy to maintain his momentum. Now, the terrain had changed, so there was no need for sheer force to navigate the land.

"We're almost there," Darius said. "Are you awake?"

"Hmm."

"How are you feeling?"

Auri blinked at the question. His first instinct was to reply with the usual 'I'm fine', but as he breathed through his nose, he noticed the lingering warmth against his lips. It wasn't the desert heat but something more internal—like when he's about to get a fever.

"Hey, talk to me." Darius glanced down at him for a moment. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm feeling a little hot."

Darius sighed. "Okay. Hang in there. We're now at the gate of Ruhad Fortress."

"Ruhad Fortress, huh?" Auri closed his eyes, his thoughts turning sluggish. "I'll try to remember it this time."

Darius' trudges turned into a normal walking pace. They were now approaching the entrance to Ruhad Fortress.

The fort's appearance up close wasn't something Auri expected to find in a desolate land surrounded by rugged cliffs. The entrance had a grand archway with intricate patterns etched to its posts and roofs painted with emerald-green. Its walls had gathered sand at the base—a testament that it had withstood countless of sandstorms in the desert.

Two men armed with halberd guarded both sides of the entrance, while an elderly man stood in the middle, as if he's been waiting for them to arrive.

"I thought I'm just seeing a mirage, but it really is you, Darius," the elderly man said. "What brings you here?"

"Abu, it's good to see you," Darius greeted as they walked inside. "Where's Safiyah?"

"Ah... Is that person injured?"

"Yes. I happened upon him while I'm at Mount Saha. He was bitten by a water boar and needs treatment."

The old man sighed remorsefully. "You came at the worst time, Darius. Safiyah just left to Osiriah Town this morning."

Darius's fingers twitched, his grip around him adjusting with unconscious tension. "When will she return?"

"I'm afraid it may take her a while. Their men had an encounter with the empire's Inquisition. Many were injured."

Auri looked up through half-lidded eyes when Darius stopped walking. The way Darius' breathing changed and how his stance turned more rigid spoke volume. He didn't know if it was the fever making him more sensitive, but he felt a sudden shift in the air. It pulsed through him like a sudden cold surge—Darius' fury.

"How's your leg?" Darius directed the question at him. "Do you think you can stand?"

Auri moved his legs. It had gotten numb from staying in the same position for hours, but he could still feel the pain of his wound beneath the bandages.

Instead of answering, he wriggled out of Darius' hold and planted his feet on the ground. Just one step, and he almost collapsed.

"Take it easy," Darius said, keeping an arm secured around Auri's waist.

"You should move him to the clinic," the old man suggested. "There's an empty bed you can use."

"Is it okay if I borrow some of her tonic?"

"Go ahead. I'm sure Safiyah wouldn't mind."

Darius turned to him, his expression almost apologetic. "Unfortunately, the healer isn't here, but I can tend to your wound until she gets here."

Auri leaned his weight against Darius and offered him a tired smile. "I'll be fine. I've been through worse."

"You're more resilient than I thought."

"I am," Auri said.

Yet, after nightfall, his fever took for the worst.