Two days go by and Will hears nothing. Late on the second day he finds himself pacing in a room that has begun to feel more and more like the cell it was originally built as.
Every second that goes by makes him want to tear the place apart brick by brick until he finds Alea.
He doesn’t even know if she’s alive, meanwhile he sits there twiddling his thumbs, useless.
Scenario after scenario of situations in ever decreasing levels of likelihood and increasing lethality play through his mind as he wears a groove into the floor. At least that’s the way it feels.
Will isn’t sure exactly how this world’s doctors treat their patients. The only experience he has is the few times Amos has healed him.
But in his near panic state all he can think about is them giving her the wrong medicine, butchering her during a surgery, misdiagnosing her, mistaking her for the wrong patient and doing the wrong procedure on her.
I think I saw that on a show once. Is that even possible here?
Not treating her fast enough, her bleeding out on the table; are surgeries even a thing here? How does advanced healing even work?
“What are you doing?”
“GAH!”
The black haired dwarf with a beard of intricate braids stood there with his hands on his hips and an eye brow raised. He wore the same leather and armor that he wore when Will first met him.
“Don’t do that!”
“Do what? Is it my fault that ya aren’t aware of yer surroundings?”
He made a good point. “Do you know anything yet?”
The dwarf nods, the grim line of his mouth firmly set on his stern looking face. His brows were scrunched and his eyes intense. Will’s heart pounds, feeling as if it beat any harder, it would beat right out of his chest.
“She’s fine.”
Will just stares blankly for a second. His mind not fully absorbing the conflicting information of what he assumed the dwarf’s demeanor was preparing him to hear.
“Fire and ashes man would it have killed you to smile or something before saying that?!”
The dwarf just makes some mixture of a grunt and a scoff and gestures for Will to follow him.
They ascend several levels of switch-backing stairs before walking down a long stone hallway lined with metal doors before arriving at a seemingly random one. Nothing Will can discern marks it as any different from any other and Will wonders how the dwarf managed to remember that this was the right one.
He knocks twice, hard and firm, the sound resounding down the hallway.
“Come in.”
Will’s breath quickens and a smile breaks across his face as he hears her voice. The dwarf opens the door and Will sees Alea for the first time in days.
She’s turning away from a washbasin, wiping water off her face with a towel. Her bright green eyes are vivid and lively, her thick curly black hair is wild and tucked behind her ears and running down her back. Her full lips stretch into a smile and her cheeks dimple as she sees him and for a second Will forgets all their problems as he finally knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that’s she’s ok.
Forgetting how to breathe as he sees her is just him relieved that she’s ok. Definitely what it is.
She’s wearing the same outfit she always wears, only looking a lot cleaner than the last time he saw them. Her loose but fitted black pants lightly cling to her hips and thighs before flowing down her to her ankles. Her green shirt bringing out the green in her eyes just as much as the first day they met.
Most of all she looked healthy and strong.
The dwarf coughed roughly and it was only then that Will realized he had been staring.
“Ah, hmm, uh so. Everything went well?”
“The dwarves fixed me up, good as new. Took you a while though.” She looked pointedly at the dwarf in front of Will, a slightly teasing tug to her lips as she poked fun at the dwarf.
He harrumphed and walked into the room, angling himself so Will could enter as well.
“We aren’t healers girl. Dwarves are artisans and warriors. But we still got you up and running didn’t we?”
She laughed and stopped her teasing. “You certainly did.” She bows at the waist. “And I am eternally grateful.”
“You might be a couple of brats. But at least Taleya managed to teach you proper manners.”
The smile dropped from Alea’s face. “Have you heard anything from her? Any new messages?”
“Nothing. I’m sorry.” He looked sympathetically at the two of them. “If it means anything, Taleya is one of the strongest warriors I’ve ever met. What’s more, even those more powerful than her haven’t been able to kill her, and not without lack of trying. She’s a wiley one. I wouldn’t count her out just yet.”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
The two young ones nodded, eyes cast to the floor, trying to marshal their feelings. There was work to do, and time enough for worries and fears later.
The dwarf noted the change and nodded internally, approving of the two. They’re young, he thinks. But these two will go far.
“I can spare to keep you two here for another week. I’m sorry Will, but I can’t risk letting you two outside to train while you stay here. It’s too risky.” The dwarf presses on before Will can raise his concerns. “Before you ask, no you shouldn’t just leave now then. As hail as the young lass here looks, she could use a few more days at least to recover fully. And, as a favor to an old friend, I have gifts for the two of you.”
Will and Alea glance at each other skeptically. Both of them excited but cautious.
“Why?” Alea asks. “Don’t get me wrong, we would be grateful, but you’ve already done so much for us.”
“Because Taleya has been a friend to me during some of my darkest times. And she’s saved my tail once or twice. I’ve been trying for years to return the favor but the burnin’ woman makes that difficult.”
Alea barks a laugh at that. “You definitely know my master.”
“I’ll have the gifts for the both of you in the morning. For now, Alea get some rest. Will, you as well.”
Will looks once more at Alea, soaking in the fact that she really is ok. He wanted to stay with her longer, to talk with her and ask her how she’s feeling, but it’s late, and they both really could use the sleep. “See you bright and early.” He says to her, finding it hard to walk away.
The dwarf guides him back to his room and bids him goodnight.
Early the next day, a loud banging jolts Will out of a deep sleep. He jumps out of bed, landing on his feet, lightning wrapped around his fists before he’s even fully awake.
A second later he looks around himself, reorienting to where he is and what’s going on.
“Flaming dwarf.” He grumbles.
The pounding of the door goes off again and Will quickly dresses and opens the door.
“Took you long enough boy. Taleya must be a softer master than I would think if you’re allowed to sleep in so late.”
“I doubt it’s even dawn you grumpy dwarf.” Will says. He was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, trying to fully wake up as he realizes what he said and stops cold. Nervousness suddenly running through his body.
He looks down at the dwarf, intricate braids as immaculate as ever, and see’s him grinning. He laughs loudly.
“Not a morning person I see! It’s ok. Even fairy princesses need their sleep.”
Will grins back, relief flooding him at the dwarf not taking offense at Will’s tired comment.
“Looking in a mirror when you were thinking of that comparison?”
The dwarf laughs all the louder. “If ever I decide to start doing field missions with my team again I’ll have to bring you with me. You’d do well in our group. Now come on. I have both of your gifts waiting in Alea’s room.”
The dwarf leads the way back towards Alea’s room quickly.
The dwarf knocked once, and before the sound even had a chance to reverberate down the hall, Alea had the door open, a slight smile on her face as she looks at Will.
“Good morning.” He says to her. “Did you sleep well?”
“I did. Slept like the dead.” Will winces slightly at the joke. Still not completely recovered from how close she came to that. “The dwarf was right. I rarely sleep that deeply; my body must really need the rest.”
“Then I’m doubly glad he’s letting us stay for a few more days.”
“Oh you’ll be even happier in a few seconds. Now get out of the way girl and let me explain to you two the gifts.” The dwarf said gruffly as he sweeps past Alea and into the room.
On the bed Will spots a decently sized box, one about the size of his chest.
Will walks up beside Alea and leans his head slightly closer. “Any idea what’s in the box?”
She shrugs. “Not a clue.”
His eyebrows raise slightly. “You didn’t peak?”
She puts on an affronted look, her hand going to her chest. “Excuse me sir! I’ll have you know I am an ardent enthusiast for the rules! Our host requested that we don’t touch the box, and so I have done my utmost to adhere to his directive!”
Will starts laughing loudly. The look on her face and her stance almost as funny as her joke.
“If you two idiots are done, come look.”
They both laughed at the grumpy dwarf and walk a few feet forward to take a look in.
When Will can finally see into the top of the box that the dwarf had just opened, he frowns.
“Um, they’re very pretty, and it’s a nice gesture, but I’m afraid I just don’t see you that way.”
“Will you shut yer burnin’ mouth and look to yer friend.”
Will looks to Alea and is surprised by the look on her face. While Will was skeptical, Alea’s face shows one of shock.
Inside the box are two flowers. Each one having a vibrant green stalk, leading up to one blooming white flower. Each flower has three petals which were as white as snow, and were sitting in a small, narrow pot filled with pitch black soil.
They were also glowing softly.
“They’re pretty, but I’ve seen weirder things than glowing flowers.”
The dwarf frowns slightly, giving Will an odd look.
“These are too valuable.” Alea says, looking back to the now smug looking dwarf. “We can’t accept these.”
“Anyone want to fill me in on what I’m missing?”
“Will these are cultivation treasures.” She tells him, looking back toward the flowers again. “Cultivators can absorb them, giving their cultivation a jump, saving them time of having to cultivate slowly to get the same result as simply absorbing a treasure. They’re extremely sought after, rare, and insanely expensive.”
“So, what? They’re basically an object that is able to be eaten that is filled with condensed Qi somehow?”
The look the dwarf was giving Will went from odd to suspicious.
“Have you really never heard of them boy?”
“I come from a place pretty far away. I was pretty sheltered.”
The dwarf frowns but seems to drop it.
“In a nutshell, yes.” Alea says. “You aren’t supposed to eat them raw though. Doing that can be extremely dangerous. They can run rampant in your body, effecting way more than just your cultivation. They’re supposed to be refined and put into pill form. Or at least that’s what I thought?” Alea says, asking the question of the dwarf.
“No, yer right. I just wanted you two ta’ be able to get a sense of the raw thing. Not many people get the chance, and when they sense it in the wild, if they’re ever lucky enough ta’ come across it, they might miss it.”
It wasn’t until the dwarf had mentioned it that Will felt it. Like soft music being played while you’re distracted, so you never actually notice when it was turned on. In the same way, he didn’t notice the feeling the plants gave off right away. The sense of it was there, just hard to pin point, hard to focus on until your attention is pointed to it.
Will nods. “I see what you mean.” He says.
“I’ll have my refiners work on these today, and by the morning you’ll be able to take them and cultivate with them.”
“I have to ask one more time. Are you sure?” Alea asks worriedly. “Treasures like these…won’t your superiors question them missing?”
The dwarf laughed. “These are from my personal stock missy. I use them how I please.”
The shock on her face redoubles. “The cost alone..”
“Bah. I’m not so poor as all that. Besides, if I took them, the effect would be negligible.”
This time, both Will and Alea had expressions of shock on their faces.
“Just how strong are you?” Will asks.
The dwarf smiles and winks. “Strong enough, as my da used to say. One day though, when this secrecy isn’t needed, I’ll tell you.”
They both nod in response.
The rest of the day is spent meditating and cultivating together in Alea’s room. Both of them excited for the following morning.
