Updating Orion I

Lysander folded his arms as he looked at Orion, who still rested comfortably on the bed.

“So,” he began. “How are you feeling?”

Orion looked at him with mock disbelief.

“You only just realised I’m conscious?”

A faint snort escaped Ronan.

Lysander rolled his eyes.

“Brother,” he called, as if restraining himself from strangling Orion.

“What?”

“I’m serious.”

“I never said you were not, though. I only asked if you just now realised I was conscious.”

Lysander gave him a flat look.

“Will you just answer the question?”

Orion sighed dramatically.

“I feel okay,” he said.

“Do you feel dizzy at all?”

“No.”

“How about a headache?”

“No.”

“Do you feel any pain anywhere?”

“Not at all,” Orion told him.

Lysander narrowed his eyes.

“You’re answering those a little too quickly.”

“Because those are the answers,” Orion told him. “I really am okay.”

Lysander nodded, but still he closed the distance between them, then reached down and took Orion’s wrist without another word.

He counted his pulse carefully, his expression completely focused.

The room remained quiet while he worked.

After several moments, he released Orion’s wrist before gently pulling one of his eyelids down.

“Look up.”

Orion obeyed.

“Now left.”

He did.

“Right.”

Again, Orion complied.

Lysander studied his pupils for several long seconds before finally stepping back.

He nodded once.

“You’re fine.”

“I already told you that, brother.”

“I know,” Lysander said. “But I just had to be sure.”

Ronan spoke up then.

“You should walk around, Orion.”

Orion looked at him.

“Why?”

“So we know your limbs actually work. You’ve been on the bed for days without walking around.”

Without saying a word, Orion slowly raised his middle finger toward Ronan.

“Is that necessary?” Orion asked.

Lysander nodded.

“Ronan may be a jokester, but he’s up to something. Walk around, Orion.”

Orion sighed.

“Just so you know, I told you all I was okay.”

“Better safe than sorry,” Ronan said.

“I’ve been unconscious for days,” Orion grumbled.

“Exactly,” Tobias said. “That’s why you need to walk so we know you’re perfectly okay.”

“This is why I will always like Shorty.”

“She’s likeable,” Tobias and Brynhild said at the same time.

Sophia gasped softly.

“Oh my,” she said. “I’m so honoured.”

Orion rolled his eyes at her words, but then he pushed himself off the bed.

He walked perfectly well around the room, even striking poses in front of them.

“You are ridiculous,” Sophia said, biting back a smile.

“Put more into the waist,” Ronan said, encouraging Orion.

Orion nodded, then rolled his waist in reply, making Tobias and Ronan burst into laughter. Sophia chuckled, and even Lysander laughed.

“I walked very well and even rolled my waist too,” Orion told Brynhild.

She shook her head, a smile on her face.

When Orion reached the bed, he turned and gave them a dramatic bow.

“I thank you all for attending today’s performance.”

Ronan immediately clapped softly.

“One of the worst performances I’ve ever witnessed,” he said, laughing.

Orion sat back down on the edge of the bed.

“There, happy now?”

Lysander nodded.

“You’re as good as old.”

They chuckled again, and like a switch had been flipped, the humour disappeared.

“The others should be here soon,” Lysander said.

Orion nodded once before his expression became serious.

“Where are we with preparations?” Orion asked.

Lysander answered first.

“Kairen managed to cultivate more of the corpse plant.”

Orion’s brows lifted slightly.

“Really?”

He nodded.

“Marta and I finally found the exact measurements needed to boost healing during the war. We are already in the process of creating more.”

Orion nodded approvingly, and then a knock sounded at the door. They already knew who it was, their wolf senses picking up their scents before they walked in.

First was Madam Tyler, then Daniel, Caspian, Eldric and, lastly, Mary.

She looked exhausted.

Dark circles rested beneath her eyes, and her face and even her arms were stained with soot.

The moment she saw Orion sitting upright, relief crossed her features.

“I’m glad you’re alright.”

Orion smiled.

“Thank you.”

Mary sighed.

“You picked a terrible time to scare everyone.”

“I wouldn’t really say I picked it. I wasn’t really given a choice,” he told her.

She shook her head as she chuckled.

Lysander excused himself and found a healer to help them with more chairs.

The healer didn’t waste time and brought enough chairs for everyone to sit.

Without anyone officially saying so, the medical facility became a place for council meetings.

“We’ve adjusted the warriors handling the sneak attack,” Caspian said.

Orion looked toward him with a raised eyebrow.

“Adjusted?”

Caspian nodded.

“Brynhild, Kevin, Daniel and I went through everything again, and we found a better approach.”

“I’m curious about that. What changed exactly?” Orion asked.

“We’re going to use the weather to our advantage,” Brynhild answered him.

Orion frowned slightly.

“The weather?”

She nodded.

“The other territories aren’t accustomed to the weather in Nirvana. They do not know how unpredictable it can be unless you know how to study it and understand exactly what is being observed too,” Brynhild said.

Orion nodded. That was a good idea, but he needed to hear more before he said anything.

“According to Paula, there will be a blizzard in exactly two days,” Brynhild said.

Orion frowned deeply. Then something seemed to occur to him.

He slowly looked around the room.

“…Have I been unconscious longer than I thought?”

Sophia spoke up then, her voice soft so as not to disturb Raina.

“Excluding today…” she said, “…we only have two days before the Enclave reaches Nirvana. They are already on their way as we speak.”

Orion stared at her, his brows raised in surprise and perhaps curiosity too.

“How do we know that?” he asked her. “Did you see a vision?”

“Not… a vision exactly,” she told him. “I’ve had two visions.”

“I’m sure there is more you have to tell me, Shorty, so…”

“I met with the goddess and spoke with her. She gave me a gift, but really it’s a better way to control my powers, and I do not collapse after seeing a vision now.”