Cora's Camp 2

Theos eyes slowly opened to a white canopy. A white tent sheltering him from the sun outside. How long had he slept that soundless sleep. The one of deafening silence broken by only faint whispered words long forgotten.

He moved feeling pangs of yesterday. Pain shot through his body as he slowly sat up. His breathing seemed easier but one look and his bound leg said something. He had only been healed partially. Theos slid back down into the bed looking across at Kemba. His wounded ears a bright irritated pink. He blinked several times slowly recalling yesterday before sitting back up again slowly.

He looked about the tent for any signs of Kaa or Blake. Both had been injured Kaa more so if Theos was remembering right. It was all kind of a blur. Like his mind didn't want to remember. Theos slowly slid from the bed so not to jar himself as he landed. He felt the need to relieve himself. Though he was still tired his body asking for more sleep to heal more. Theos had to make sure they had won. That everything was okay.

He limped towards one of the relief pits not unlike those from the mines. Little dugouts made to be filled in. He relieved himself then headed slowly for the tent flap or for Kaa if he was there.

As Theos approached the camp, the smell of fresh blood lingered. The other tents upon leaving his home were filled and the medic wing was busy. Moans and cries of pain filled. Talk of amputations and taking digimon back to the capital filled the air. Talk about others dying.

No recognizable faces were anywhere except one, Ike, who had been given the task of taking water to tents and food. I just so happened, Theos was next on his long list. He had just finished tending to his father who was much better off then nearly everyone.

No Kaa, Blake, Done or Ban.

Theos noticed Ike immediately as he saw him coming towards the tent. Ike was slightly surprised to see him out of bed but was glad he was alright. He stopped short of going in and sat down the pale looking to him seeing the question he had on his mind.

"Morning," Theos said his tail wagging slightly.

"Morning," Ike responded. Not offering much else.

"So how's Kaa and Blake," Theos asked sitting his one broken leg sticking out so none of his weight was on it.

"Kaa is alive but still sleeping. He hasn't woken yet," Ike responded then paused. Did he not remember what happened to Blake? They were all in pretty bad shape. He supposed Theos must have passed out before it happened. Kemba however it had taken some time to coax some sensible words out of him.

"Blake is dead," Ike said bluntly. There was no graceful way to put it. He watched Theos look to the ground his ears back.

This was why he had felt the need to make sure everything was okay. Because part of him knew something wasn't. Theos had no words. Someone else dear to him died and it would only get worse from here. Stall had been adamant about that. Theos had to really try to hold back his tears of sadness and frustration. He was just so weak.

"If you are going to sit and rest anywhere it may as well be in the bed," Ike said  picking back up the pail and heading inside. He may want to be alone for all Ike knew. It was obvious even without the tears Blakes death hit him hard. Theos remained outside head drooped in silence.

As Theos was reflecting on it wall and Ike had wandered inside to provide to their station food and water, next to him a few digimon were talking about the princes.

"It is a shame what happened to prince Kaa." A soldier said and the other nodded. "Yes, our future is bleak if the boy does not wake up. He may wind up not being there anymore." The other replied.

"We still have Don though," The one soldier cringed a bit. "Are we so sure we want his...uh...type as our king? He's not exactly a compassionate fellow..."

"That isn't true. As long as you have a dick he is." The soldiers began to snicker.

"Shh, you idiot, what if someone hears you? He's with the heir right now, that tent is only three down!"

"Is it? Sorry, I didn't mean to...jerk...around." The other soldier sighed and shook his head,

"The point I'm making is we should really consider our options if the young heir doesn't make it. It would be bad having a gay king...it makes me feel uncomfortable and it makes most of the city too. That aside, he is cruel like his grandfather. I saw him trying to kill someone the heir was fighting to protect...not to mention his insistence in sending the youngest to his death..."

"Wait wait wait...that rumor was true? Don sent his family on a suicide mission? How could our king allow that?"

"I don't know...it's not my place to understand royalty, but it worries me. Come, we spent enough time talking. We should eat our rations."

The two soldiers wandered back inside their tent leaving Theos alone with his thoughts once more. Back inside, Ike would finish filling Theos and Kemba's rations and water despite Kemba not waking yet.

Theos listened in. Their conversation making him frown his one ear flicking irritably. 

"Is it? Sorry, I didn't mean to...jerk...around." Only three down; that was good to know. Theos stood a slight rumble in his throat.

"The point I'm making is we should really consider our options if the young heir doesn't make it. It would be bad having a gay king...it makes me feel uncomfortable and it makes most of the city too. That aside, he is cruel like his grandfather. I saw him trying to kill someone the heir was fighting to protect...not to mention his insistence in sending the youngest to his death..."

"Wait wait wait...that rumor was true? Don sent his family on a suicide mission? How could our king allow that?"

"I don't know...it's not my place to understand royalty, but it worries me. Come, we spent enough time talking. We should eat our rations."

Theos ears fell back and his voice quietened. It was true however only one of them had died, thankfully. He still had no idea where Kemba got the magical potion he put in Ban's mouth. Theos started walking down the tents.

Kaa hadn't woken up yet and it concerned him. While he doubted it would do much good he wanted to go see him. Talk to him and Don and see if he would wake at the sound of his voice.

Ike returned outside to see Theos gone. He knew where he had probably gone based off his questions. Ike shouldered the bucket and returned to his chores. Going to refill the bucket and head for the next tent.

It took Theos a moment but he finally limped up to the tent holding Kaa. He peeked in gingerly seeking approval before entering.

Don was inside, sitting on a stool looking over his brothers bedside. Don was not moving and hadn't even noticed Theos considering his back was turned to him. Kaa was laying in the bed, he didn't look like Magi healed him and was bandaged. His tail hung over the side and his back spines had been removed.

Don had his brother's claw in his own. He was sniffling every few moments.

Theos ears remained back. Maybe he should leave them be. Don wasn't the kind to show his emotions. Still though Theos entered quietly and sat at the other side looking at Kaa. He looked so frail laying there. 

"Magi was unable to heal him," Theos asked. It had to be the black magic like the fact he can't heal Stalls wounds.

"Magi was unable to heal him," Don looked over to Theos as he sat there. Theos could see the entirety of Kaa now, his mouth was open and he had some contraption going into his throat helping him breathe. His stomach was bandaged but stained red in its center.

There was an I.V. in his arm giving him blood and water.

Don simply shook his head slightly, "There is no telling...if he'll live." Don's eyes were completely red and the scales around them puffy, he had been crying alone for hours by the looks of it. He looked back down at his brother's face.

"He hasn't moved in thirteen hours. Not even a twitch, his heart is barely beating. I should have told him I loved him. Now...now...he may die thinking I hate him. What has happened to us?" Don gripped his brothers claw tightly.

"This is my fault, if I had just supported him more...like an adviser should. I want to trade myself with him so badly." Don looked up to Theos,

"You saved Ban didn't you? When Stall shot him. Whatever you did, can't you save Kaa?" Don asked.

"There is no telling...if he'll live." Theos truly hoped he would. He already felt bad about Blake. If Kaa were to die as well.....Theos would give his life for all of theirs no matter how hard it was. He'd even plan to fake his death so they wouldn't come looking for him.

"He hasn't moved in thirteen hours. Not even a twitch, his heart is barely beating. I should have told him I loved him. Now...now...he may die thinking I hate him. What has happened to us?" Theos shook his head no. Kaa would never hate his brother.

"This is my fault, if I had just supported him more...like an adviser should. I want to trade myself with him so badly." Don looked up to Theos,

"You saved Ban didn't you? When Stall shot him. Whatever you did, can't you save Kaa?"

"Honestly I am not sure how he was saved myself. Kemba went out hunting while I watched over him. He returned with a vial and made Ban take whatever was inside," Theos responded. 

"He won't die. His wound is deep but we both know he has a strong spirit. He fights for his believes and he'll fight to see them come true. He has to he is heir after all," Theos continued. "Even if he wasn't the first one awake." Theos looked to Don.

"He knows your love for him," Theos said with a sad smile,

"Honestly I am not sure how he was saved myself. Kemba went out hunting while I watched over him. He returned with a vial and made Ban take whatever was inside,"

So it was Kemba that saved Ban, but what vial? What happened on that mission? It didn't matter now. If Kemba could have saved Kaa, he would have during the battle. Whatever cured Ban, was depleted for certain.

"He won't die. His wound is deep but we both know he has a strong spirit. He fights for his believes and he'll fight to see them come true. He has to he is heir after all," Theos continued. "Even if he wasn't the first one awake." Theos looked to Don.

Don's eyes twitched in surprise for a moment then softened again, "He knows your love for him,"

Don placed Kaa's claw on the bed and stood from his stool, moving it out of the way. He walked to a corner of the room where a bucket and sponges lay. Don picked it up and brought it over, he dipped in a sponge and handed it to Theos.

"He needs to be washed...help me." Don would wait for Theos to take it and then soak his own, bring the sponge to Kaa's face, dabbing it and scrubbing it lightly. His scales were still stained and full of grain from the sand.

"I knew you and he were close...but to tell you that. What exactly do you mean to him?" Don passed the sponge over his brother's head and under his open maw, going up and down his neck.

"No one else knows that, not even Ban. I feel like I've lost him...those horrible things we did to each other. The things I've said...I'm pushing him away...and he's looking to you. I really am the villain of this story." Don sighed moving the sponge over his left shoulder.

"If he told you that I'm the true heir...what will you do?"

"He needs to be washed...help me." Theos nodded and got up limping over to take the sponge.

"I knew you and he were close...but to tell you that. What exactly do you mean to him?" Theos started on his legs
watching Don. Theos wasn't sure himself. It was a big secret and he had told him. Out of trust and love and in a moment of weakness while trying to find himself in all this chaos.

"No one else knows that, not even Ban. I feel like I've lost him...those horrible things we did to each other. The things I've said...I'm pushing him away...and he's looking to you. I really am the villain of this story." Don sighed moving the sponge over his left shoulder.

"If he told you that I'm the true heir...what will you do?"

"That is up to you. You and Kaa have already decided your roles. It's not my place to decide how you live your lives. Your secret is safe with me," Theos responded moving up Kaa's body.

"That is up to you. You and Kaa have already decided your roles. It's not my place to decide how you live your lives. Your secret is safe with me,"

Don watched Theos a moment looking back to his own side, rubbing the sponge across his chest and over to the other shoulder, running it down his other arm. It would be long before Theos reached where his sand colored scales turned red.

"I thought it was safe with Kaa, and he told you so I have to trust you. Not that saying anything will change the law. He crawled out of the shell first, making him first born by technicality." Don removed the sponge, and put it back into the bucket. The water immediately became grainy and slightly discolored.

After rinsing, he continued on his brother's upper half, going back over what he had already cleaned to be thorough.

"Not that any of it matters...if Kaa dies...I'm heir. I'll have to completely change who I am...what I want to be. For the sake of the Kingdom." Don began to sniffle again, his salty tears falling to his brothers soft scaly flesh.

"I'm so selfish...it should be me in this bed. It should have been me that fought at your side. Our roles should be reversed..." Don wiped over his own tears and looked at Theos.

"If it was me...I could have noticed something...I could have saved Blake, saved you and Kemba from feeling pain. Saved Kaa. I'm supposed to be smart, yet everything I do is stupid. Ike was wrong about me, he said no one would hate me because of my actions...but I hate me. I hate that I couldn't save anyone, I hate that Stall is smarter then me, I hate that I am afraid to tell Ike..." Don stopped himself surprised at his words then returned his attention to his brother, cleaning just above his wound.

He remained silent a moment, "I see...that is why he told you. You're easy to talk too."

"You...you haven't asked why."

"I thought it was safe with Kaa, and he told you so I have to trust you. Not that saying anything will change the law. He crawled out of the shell first, making him first born by technicality." True, Kaa said the same thing. Theos followed his lead rinsing the sponge before starting on his other side.

"Not that any of it matters...if Kaa dies...I'm heir. I'll have to completely change who I am...what I want to be. For the sake of the Kingdom." No he wouldn't. Theos wouldn't let him change into anything else than what he is. An what he is is Don.

"I'm so selfish...it should be me in this bed. It should have been me that fought at your side. Our roles should be reversed..." 

"If it was me...I could have noticed something...I could have saved Blake, saved you and Kemba from feeling pain. Saved Kaa. I'm supposed to be smart, yet everything I do is stupid. Ike was wrong about me, he said no one would hate me because of my actions...but I hate me. I hate that I couldn't save anyone, I hate that Stall is smarter then me, I hate that I am afraid to tell Ike..." Theos listened silently.

He remained silent a moment, "I see...that is why he told you. You're easy to talk too."

"You...you haven't asked why."

"I don't need to know. Things happened as they have. You shouldn't hate yourself you have done everything you can. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise," Theos paused. "Stall he is pure evil. His goals baffle everyone and it seems I'm the only constant. You know I wouldn't blame you for blaming me. I brought Stall to your doorstep."