She woke up on a very uncomfortable surface. Her back was aching.

By the Dark God! Everything is hurting!

From her head to her toes. She hurt; She felt like every nerve in her body had been on fire. But now it felt like taking a hot bath after a long training session.

What was?- !!! -That’s right I was!- we were!-

As her memory slowly returned to her. She did her best to open her eyes.

But the simple muscle memory of just opening her eye lids had eluded her. She tried to mover her arms, legs, head and necks. But them most she could do was gasp for air, through her mouth.

She forced herself to take a deep breath, the air burning her throat. She then tried her hardest to squeak out a reply. Even as the words felt like knives cutting her on the way out.

“He— —lp” She called out desperately.

At first no one came. And the thought occurred to her then that she may have died and this was what was after death.

So she tried again. Breath in hot coals; breathing out sharp knives.

“H— —elp!” She screamed as best she could, but it only sounded like a  dying animals last breath.

Panic began to raise in her.

Please! Don’t let this be the end! Please tell me this isn’t all there is?! Apa?! Uncle?! Mother?! Anyone?! PLEASE?!

And just as she took in another gasp of air, she started to coughing. Her body started to shake violently.

“Hey hey, hey!” Called out a soothing voice in a language she knew. “It’s alright.” The sweet voice promised. “I am here. You’re safe now.” The pretty voice told her.

Her erratic breathing started to calm down, she took more cautious breaths.

In.

Out.

“Good!...” The wonderful voice praised her.

She wanted to speak again. To call out to the voice. To tell her not to leave her. But she couldn’t find the strength to speak again.

“Here... bite this and suck.” The voice instructed her, telling her what she wanted her to do. Something soft and wet touched her lips. As the soft, wet thing, pushed against her lips. The sensation of that soft thing helped her to remember where her mouth was. If she wasn’t so parched, she would be crying tears joy at having found out how to use her mouth again.

She slowly, but surely, parted her lips for the soft wetness to enter her mouth.

As it did, to gently parted her jaw. Separating her teeth, and resorting her memory of where the muscles in her jaw were.

Who is this wonderful and beautiful person? Why are they taking such care of me?

But these thoughts would go unanswered. Because as the wetness made it about halfway into her mouth, she did as the voice told her and bit the-

-Cloth?

Yes. She realized. It was a cloth. It was soaked in liquids and a sort of sweetness. As she suckled on the cloth. The contents that soaked it, cascaded down her throat. It’s taste staining her tongue with a flavor of the most wonderfully tasting ambrosia she had ever had pass through her lips.

I’m crying!

She realized as she suckled on the cloth. Her emotions taking over her as her caretaker gave her the most incredible tasting nourishment she had ever had.

And I still can’t open my eyes!

She thought in frustration. For all she wanted was to open her eyes and look upon the face of the gorgeous person caring for her.

All to soon though. The cloth ran dry of the delectable treat, and was left with nothing but her spit.

There was a soft tugging sensation as the person caring for her, started to pull the cloth from out of her mouth.

She couldn’t help it as she whimpered at the loss of the cloth.

“P—please!” She begged, in a meek voice. “More!” Barely above a whisper, but even to her own ears, she could tell that there was more life in her voice now.

The soft melodic giggle rang out, which only brought a smile to her face as she lay there.

A soft, but callous hand reached down and rubbed her forehead. She sought comfort from the warmth of the hands as to caressed her.

“Relax...” The voice whispered to her. “I’m right here.” She promised.

The removed itself from her head, and she morned its loss.

Her ears then twitched at the sound of splashing as something was put into liquid; presumedly, the cloth into the liquid ambrosia again.

The thought started to make her salivate. Sue couldn’t wait for another helping.

As the sloshing ended. Dripping sounds followed, along with a command.

“Open.” The sweet voice told her.

“...” She compiled without hesitation. Trusting the voice and letting it guide her. Even if she would be fed poison by this voice now. She would surely die happy if just to do something so please this person.

But to her great delight, it was not poison, but another round of that intoxicating liquid.

Maybe it is a poison? Uncle always told me that poison makers tended to make their poisons sweet and easy to drink.

But she was far from in a mind to care about such things. For if it wasn’t for this voice saving her; she would surely be dead.

As she finished suckling the latest round of heavenly nectar. The caretaker gently pull the cloth free from her mouth again. This time however, she didn’t fight to keep the cloth in her mouth.

If anything, she let it go willingly, so that maybe the voice would let her sample that sweet, life saving liquid again.

“There we go.” The voice said as if she had just completed an achievement of some sort. “Still thirsty? How is tour throat?” The sweet and seductive asked with concern in her voice.

At this moment. She wanted nothing more than to give in and tell the voice how she was feeling. To tell her that she had saved her and how much better she had made her feel.

But she worried that once she spoke and said a word. Told her that she was now fine. That the voice would leave her alone back into the darkness of her mind. With nothing but her aches and pains for comfort; to let her know that she was still alive.

She took steady breaths and said nothing to her, hoping be on hope that the voice would stay by her side. Because she could also not bare the thought of lying to the voice and telling her that something was wrong when it there wasn’t.

So she just breathed steadily.

In and out.

...

In

...

Out

...

After awhile of not saying anything, she heard the voice ask her another question. This time, much more softly.

“...Are you asleep?...”

She knew the voice would leave if she said nothing. She mustered all her strength and did her best to find and move her head. First she moved it sharply to the left , away from the voice and her presence. Then quickly back.

And again.

And again.

This brought out another round of giggles from the heavenly voice.

“I see...” Was all the voice said. “Well. You should rest. Rest is the best medicine to get better.” It reminded her.

So it was inevitable, you’re leaving me?! She thought in distress.

She felt the presses of the voice that was next to her pull away.

“Please!” She pleaded out. “D-Dont leave m-me!” Her meek and terrified voice sounded foreign to her own ears.

She felt the voice’s aura shift and become sad.

She hated herself for causing the voice to become sad.

“It’s alright.” The voice was back. Closer than before. “I’m right here.” She reassured her.

The voice’s soft calloused hand returned to her forehead. Gently rubbing and caressing her. Lulling her to slumber.

“Please don’t leave me!” She begged the voice.

“.....” The voice said nothing for the longest time, before she answered. “I will be right here for you when you need me. Just call out.”

“...” She could feel herself start to drift off and fall into slumber. Not wanting to give into the darkness of sleep without an answer, she forced out one more request.

“Who?... Who should this one call?...” She asked earnestly. Her consciousness fading away.

“My name is Athena.”

And as she heard the name of a literal angel tell her to call her, all she could say before she drift off to sleep was.

“Beautiful... na... me...”