Veiranoei rides passenger on a buckrokh up to the slow-moving truck, with one of the Stalvaltan knights guiding the steed close. The trucks are managing to move, though their engines are straining to make use of magic to run, since there is a growing amount of anti-magic suppression.
Regardless, this one is more like a carriage without a top that the command group is gathered in, and she pats the soldier’s shoulder. “Thank you!”
“Wait, your Grace! I’ll signal the driver to…”
“No need! This much is nothing!” She stands up on the buckrokh and hops over to the back of the truck, startling Aramellianna, Zuzia, and Rikuto, but managing to effortlessly board the truck’s bed, which is moving slowly enough that even they are continuing to strategize as they continue to gain distance on the anti-magic fallout.
“Sorry!” states Veiranoei. “Lord Ethuvere is coordinating his soldiers to search the city, and he asked that we keep his son safe.”
“I received a rider informing me of the evacuees headed south towards the Imperial territory,” adds Sundenelle. “This is collectively good news, all things considered.”
“The relief supplies should be arriving quickly as well,” says Treia as she points at the map that is currently held down with ammo cans. A large circle estimating the crater has been drawn, with a second circle penciled in to estimate the cloud’s diameter, though it stretches pretty much to the horizon, so far as the first rays of sunlight have revealed.
Zuzia explains as she gestures, “It looks and feels like the wind is mostly moving south east in this direction, which will carry a lot of the fallout that way. What’s in these areas?” She points at large swaths of Imperial territory, as well as a neighboring nation ruled by King Vubenclef, who is generally considered a vassal to the Empress, but retains his own legal royalty with his family to inherit as normal.
“King Vubenclef’s kingdom is the majority of that area… Will it really be threatened?”
“The closest cities will possibly see similar effects as this area,” replies Zuzia as she circles around the outside of the crater. “I’m not an expert or anything, but the instances of cancer increased a lot in the surrounding areas, and those bombs were significantly smaller than Daniel’s.”
“They were also intentionally detonated in the air to help minimize the irradiated solids,” adds Rikuto. “Most of the worst cases were the survivors in ‘line of sight’ of the fireball, which the crater should have shielded a lot of…” He cups his chin as he studies the map.
“What is this ‘cancer’ you speak of?” asks Silence. Her angels are flying alongside the truck, escorting them as a powerful guarding force, which allows the rest of the soldiers and knights to assist with anything else in the large, slow march of people.
Rikuto explains, “It’s a condition when cells grow uncontrollably, erratically, or incorrectly, often becoming a tumor or a poison to one’s own body.”
“It’s a pretty general term,” adds Zuzia. “There are a lot of conditions, but a factor that was pretty reliably identified as a cause is exposure to high levels of radiation. In a best case scenario, it’s something that can be cut out, and be done with it. But, quite often… It becomes terminal. Uh… Fatal.”
The group is quiet, and Zuzia studies the locations of the major cities as marked on the map. She adds softly, “I suppose we should feel blessed that the largest cities aren’t in the wind path, at least…”
“Yes,” murmurs Sundenelle. “Much of that land is rather mountainous, which is why Urflasdat was the major trade route for the Empire to Mattarglos. I intended to use it as the trade hub with the Fievegal through the Fort Twilight crater.”
Neith asks, “How long was it before the cities attacked on Earth were habitable again?”
“People were able to survive there almost immediately,” replies Rikuto. “But, again, those bombs were significantly smaller than Daniel’s and were air bursts. We need to be cautious.”
“I think we can move people back in within a couple weeks,” states Zuzia. “The crater will be deadly for years, most likely, but as long as people avoid it, and as long as we thoroughly investigate, it should be fine to at least try to move back in a few weeks from now. If the Fievegal is willing to lend their trucks, day trips into Urflasdat to try to find survivors and recover what can be saved should be possible.”
“I’ll volunteer to keep watch over the city itself,” offers Neith. “I can at least try to prevent any further looting while recovery efforts are prepared.”
“Let’s figure out getting the people to safety,” replies Sundenelle. “Do we have a final count from Count Ethuvere about how many people we’re dealing with?”
Veiranoei answers as she withdraws a notebook, realizing how dirty her hands are. But, she pays it no mind as she answers, “Count Ethuvere estimated… let me see… Three hundred thousand people were likely in the city on Day One. Some self-evacuated right away when the mana fire’s glow started to become visible, and the city guards are going through logs, but he expects the main evacuation moved around one hundred and fifty to two hundred thousand over the last couple days. Casualties are unknown, but current estimates suggest around five thousand, but because of the major split in people heading north and south, the numbers are unreliable.”
“Thank you, Veiranoei.” Sundenelle covers her mouth as she thinks, absorbing the information.
Zuzia and Rikuto say nothing for now, since they have voiced their opinions, and for the time being, the numbers are understandably chaotic.
Treia asks, “Do we have any estimates of the bodies that we have?”
Aramellianna answers, “For those being transported via void bags, the last count was around fifteen hundred wounded, but confirmed alive for now, three hundred of which are critical and won’t survive without immediate healing upon extraction, and around one hundred confirmed deceased, though causes vary, with over half of those believed to have happened before the explosion.”
“Let us pray that number doesn’t grow,” murmurs Zuzia. She looks out over the huge ‘swarm’ of people slowly ambling their way along the roads heading north towards Mattarglos. She asks, “Is there more I could be doing?”
“We’ll be setting up a new camp as soon as possible,” replies Aramellianna. “Everyone needs rest all the way up and down the chain, and fortunately, the weather seems tolerable for now.”
“How far out are the Fievegal’s trucks?” asks Rikuto.
“The first ones have made contact with the initial groups,” replies Silence. “Supplies are being distributed, and people in higher priority need of transport will be shuttled to the cities in Mattarglos that are preparing to receive refugees.”
“You’re sure?” asks Zuzia.
“Yes. Mother has informed me. She is with Grandmother, Lady Djihnlierr, and a handful of Imperial and Mattarglosian nobles that just made contact with the trucks. Water and food rations are being prioritized to children and the wounded at present.”
“Thank you, your Highness,” replies Sundenelle. “If you can get a message to them, please ask Vaergraes to instruct them to use my name as the official stance. Anyone who endangers the relief supplies or is caught stealing shall be executed. We don’t have the luxury of arrests and trials right now.”
“Your Majesty,” urges Zuzia gently. Sundenelle looks at her, and the brunette offers as politely as she can without sounding condescending, “I… would ask you not to sacrifice your humanity just because it’s a crisis…”
“I understand why you may say that, my dear Zuzia, but I’m truly afraid that I’ll have to disagree. Crime sees a rise during crisis, and I would rather kill criminals than allow any innocents die because of them. If we had the soldiers to spare in arresting them and dragging them to the nearest dungeon, I would. But, look at us. Everyone is ragged, and unnoticeable poison ash is raining from the sky.”
Zuzia is quiet, and Rikuto tries to console her. “I wish it were that simple, Zuzia, but this world isn’t the same as Earth. We have a lot of hurdles to overcome before we can make the changes I’d like to see as well.”
“I look forward to helping achieve those goals,” offers Aramellianna gently. “But, I agree with her Majesty. It will be a very short list of people who risk it if the first ones are executed instantly.”
“What if they retaliate, though?” asks Zuzia. “If enough people think there is incentive to fight and take the supplies for themselves, is it a crime for a simple breakdown of order to occur while everyone is thirsty and starving?”
Sundenelle and Aramellianna are quiet for a moment as they ponder her question, and Silence is the one to answer. “Then, the trucks will leave and everyone starves. They can then busy themselves blaming and killing each other.”
“Let’s ensure it doesn’t come to that,” counters Veiranoei. “Silence, please relay the instructions not to threaten everyone unless they start problems. Just make sure they have enough information to work with.”
Sundenelle nods in agreement, and Aramellianna agrees with a simple, “That is sufficient for now.”
Silence gives her own reply with an affirmative bob of her head. “Very well. Mother will inform Grandmother.”
“Remember that not all of us know off hand who your Mother and Grandmother are, Silence,” adds Neith. “They are endearing terms, but in formal settings, it can be helpful to ensure clarity.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Sir Neith. Thank you.” Even now, Silence’s voice never falters nor inflects. She’s not ‘lifeless’ like a machine, but her voice continues to be the epitome of a stoic tone.
Zuzia flops back against the side railing of the truck’s bed, groaning, “I can’t wait to take a long bath after all of this…”
She gets a few chuckles with this, and Rikuto offers, “There’s an onsen-style bath-house at Castle Mornistae. Just throwing that out there.”
“Hah! I have a better idea.” She grins deviously at Aramellianna, saying, “I think bankrupting Daniel to build one for Ahmpur, the Empire, and then for me should be a good place to start.”
“There’s already a spa in the Citadel,” replies Treia bluntly, and everyone looks at her.
“What?” asks Rikuto.
“I assume you mean hot baths, soaking tubs, bubble jets, and herbal baths, right?” asks the feline woman.
Zuzia and Rikuto look at each other, and Rikuto replies, “Uh… ours has circulating hot water…”
Treia continues, “He hasn’t openly shared it with everyone yet because he was still having certain things finished, but I overheard him explain it to Kera’tai, saying it’s ‘similar to an onsen. But, don’t tell Rikuto’. Neither she nor I understood, and I was only passing by at the moment, but…”
“Turn the truck west!” shouts Zuzia. “We’re raiding the Citadel and murdering Daniel!”
This earns a few more laughs, while Sundelle jokes, “Please be mindful, my Lady, that Daniel is an Emperor, and soon-enough to be the Imperial Suzerain of the Grand Zenkon Empire. Threatening to murder royalty, even for someone I’d like to consider a friend, would be treason, normally.”
Neith defends Zuzia, saying, “While I agree, normally, your Imperial Majesty, His Grace Daniel has made it clear that ‘freedom of speech’ is a value he wishes to instill in the Fievegal, so long as that speech does not include credible, actionable threats.”
“More importantly, if you do receive noble status from Ryuogriar, which I have yet to know her not to keep a promise,” starts Aramellianna, “Your apparent intent to overthrow the Emperor, whether you intend it or not, will tend to rally individuals who will take the statements you make seriously.”
Zuzia sighs in disgust. “Is it too late to run away with my mercenary friends…?”
“Well, you should wait at least until you are freed of the magic contract,” suggests Neith a little teasingly. She opens one eye to scowl at him, and he does his best to smile.
In spite of everything, they’re all trying to keep moving forward, and Zuzia can understand that. It is also easier to simply deny the reality.
Only one person brought nuclear weapons to this world, and though he committed a minor atrocity to do so, he did halt the otherwise-unstoppable march of a crawling apocalypse. It’s a complex situation to be in, and she honestly doesn’t want to think about it much, either.
God… Grant me the wisdom to handle this situation with grace. Please guide me once more to an answer that finds justice for the fallen, yet peace for the living. Right and wrong are easy. But this… this is a heavy problem to ponder…
Zuzia opens her eyes with her head back, looking up at the eerie morning sky. The ‘cap’ of the cloud has started to more noticeably disperse, and she can tell her own exhaustion is going to catch up to her with a vengeance very soon.
“Wake me when we get to the break area or if you need something heavy moved in any sort of way,” remarks the Polish woman.
“Of course, my Lady,” replies Neith, and Sundenelle replies, “Agreed. Though, I hope you’ll forgive us if we continue talking.”
“Certainly, don’t mind me!” urges Zuzia sincerely as she looks at the others. “I’m just going to rest my eyes, and in case I do manage to pass out, you have my permission to wake me.” She smiles, and the others dip their heads respectfully. Zuzia is a powerhouse, so she can remove obstacles, but she’s not a world leader. The people around her are more interested in the humanitarian outcome of the current events, but have different standards of ‘acceptable’ that Zuzia won’t get anywhere trying to fight against. At least, not all at once.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
That said, if they want to lessen Daniel’s grave responsibility, then it’s only fair if his ‘heroic deeds’ are also properly attributed.
***
Hekate, Baeka, and Daniel enter an infirmary that is primarily being used to treat the higher-ranking members of the Fievegal injured during the various events that Daniel is only partially caught up on. He insisted on going because of the broad points he heard, with several trips he needs to make in spite of his own weary state. Doephluev has headed to make some more of the decoction to help Daniel with his pain, Heralesse and Erimaya have been shown to private quarters to make themselves comfortable, Geirahoel and Reignleif have departed for now to feed the dragon hatchlings and check on their other eggs, and Xyreko is carrying out various tasks to organize the relief supplies. She also has to figure out the best way to address an apparent attack on the Zuzia doppelganger and an apparent attempt to assassinate Yaulander that no one seems to have authorized.
But, for starters, Daniel needs to see a certain pair of individuals before anything else.
Hekate and Baeka stay close to him in case he stumbles, since the painkiller has him in a slightly weary, dulled state, but his mind is working well enough. His head is ‘pounding’, though strangely not in a painful way like a normal migraine. It’s more like that repeating pressure he is all too familiar with at the dentist’s office where they’re doing work, but the anesthetic is doing its job. It’s not painful, but can be felt. That’s how he would describe the pulsing in his head that is like a drunkenness without the disorientation, like a migraine without the pain, or a post-REM sleep grogginess without the complete brain fog.
Thankfully, everything is clear for his left eye, and his right eye is bandaged, so the others shouldn’t immediately worry too much about him. He has some energy left, and he won’t let himself rest until he knows what’s going on with everyone else.
And, he finds exactly who he needs to to feel a small touch of relief.
Placed together in a pair of beds near each other, with Peiburi sitting next to one of them, are Wenlianna and Gwenesphia, who Daniel heard were directly involved with a small mana-fire flame that was brought through the airship portal when it remained forcibly opened by the mana fire itself, and it started to consume the floor in the Citadel’s core room.
Wenlianna is sitting up, writing, and she perks up when she sees Daniel approaching. “D-Daniel!? U-Um! Hekate, Baeka! All of you are safe!”
Daniel stumbles forward a little faster, and Hekate calls out, “At ease, everyone!” She remembers that Daniel’s instructions for the ‘royal salute’ for anyone that is lower ranking than the Empresses is to at least come to attention and greet them, after a military etiquette on Earth generally directed at the officers in his home country’s military. Calling it out right away is just good manners when it’s an informal entrance, just to ensure no one feels the need to disrupt what they’re doing. She has seen Daniel do it a few times.
Daniel approaches leaning on the ends of both beds to ‘walk’ himself closer to Wenlianna and hug her when he can. “Wenlie-Mukori… Are you alright?”
“Me? I… I only depleted my mana, Mukori. I… Are you alright?”
“He’s…” starts Hekate, but Daniel interrupts, “I’m alright. I’m alright.”
Hekate hums in irritation, and Daniel chuckles nervously. He can tell from Wenlianna’s immediately-skeptical expression that she understands something isn’t right. And, his eye bandages covering most of the right side of his face don’t do him any favors.
But, she simply replies, “Well, at least you came to check on me… I keep telling everyone that I’m alright, but Xyreko instructed them not to let me move until my mana recovers properly… Especially… since I threw up a little while ago.”
“You threw up?” asks Hekate.
Wenlianna nods. “It came out of nowhere, and because of it…” She looks at the healers and nurses milling around checking on their ever-increasing supply of patients between this room and the main triage area, where soldiers and civilians are being rushed in. “I was deemed ‘at risk’ still, so they’re insisting on monitoring me, because of what we’ve been worrying about with the strange mana…”
“How long were you exposed?” asks Baeka. No one is an expert yet, but she does serve as a relatively-close reference to Wenlianna and Gwenesphia, who Peiburi is gently trying to wake up.
“Just a few minutes after I returned to the Citadel. I didn’t even feel as nauseous in front of the mana fire that made it through as I did this morning. And, I feel fine now. So… Mukori…” She bats her eyes at him, starting her plea, “If you were to tell…”
“Stay in bed,” replies Daniel bluntly, but with relieved affection. “I don’t want to take any chances, and I’ll make sure to come by.”
“You’re promised to put yourself into one of these beds in order for us to let you check on everyone first,” warns Baeka. “I absolutely will fetch the Dragon Empresses if I must.”
Daniel chuckles uneasily, and Wenlianna pouts a little. “So, you really are hurt…”
“Doephluev has me doped up on painkillers that actually work, so I’ll manage for now. And, I do promise to rest for a long time after everything else is handled.”
She scowls lightly at him, but she’s honestly relieved to see that he is alright, along with Hekate and Baeka.
The feldrok teen asks, “How’s Gwen?” exactly one second before Daniel says the same words.
Wenlianna looks over to her bed neighbor, and Peiburi replies, “She… um…”
“Hey, Daniel…” murmurs the younger sister for herself. Her ears are drooped sadly, and Daniel lifts Wenlianna’s hand to kiss it gently.
“Sorry, Mukori… Please excuse me for a moment…”
She nods, though it’s a little disappointing for her. Still, she accepted the situation as it is, so she remains quiet for the moment.
Daniel moves over to Gwen’s bed, taking her hand next. “Tell me, Gwen. What happened? Did… Did you lose…?”
She pouts, and she says softly, “I… my… tail…”
This admission causes a moment of visible confusion for Daniel. Even Hekate can tell he was thinking something else, and Hekate can easily admit that she, too, thought of something far worse.
That said, she understands how important a tail is. For gatonines, especially, there are many stigmas around them, such as shaved tails, nubbed tails, or excessively unkempt tails.
But, Daniel seems to relax a little. He doesn’t say it, but he just thought, ‘Wait… that’s it?’
Instead, he squeezes Gwenesphia’s hand, saying softly, “I’m sorry to hear that. Your tail is… was beautiful. But, I’m glad you’re alive.”
“But…”
Daniel lifts the wrap that is covering his cheek, revealing the horrendously scorched flesh underneath, and she gasps, recoiling away from him. Hekate’s ears droop back, and her tail sinks as she regrets that it happened, but Daniel remains in the best spirits possible about it.
Wenlianna asks, “What is it? Let me see Mu-...” He turns his face towards her, which is his right side, and she instantly gasps just like Gwenesphia, covering her mouth. She is speechless, and she doubles over to the side where a bucket is, retching.
Everyone tries to remain respectfully quiet, though Hekate feels a little sick to her stomach hearing it, and Baeka steps away to cover her nose.
The mechanic states as he lowers the bandages, “Sorry, Mukori.”
“It’s worse than it looks,” grumbles Hekate as she grips Daniel’s pant leg, standing next to him as he remains seated on Gwenesphia’s bed.
Peiburi asks, “What happened? Have you received healing m-...” She halts herself, remembering the most crucial piece of information that relates to Daniel in any given major situation on the world of Zenkon.
No magic, particularly with the curse still in place.
The elder sister apologizes softly, “Apologies, Daniel…”
“It’s alright,” replies the mechanic. “We’re alright, which is good enough for me…” He then redirects his attention to Gwenesphia. “So… What about you, Gwen? What happened?”
Gwenesphia does most of the explanation about the mana fire that crossed over, with Peiburi and Wenlianna filling in relevant additional information. Daniel listens patiently and nods in understanding, especially when they get to the void attack spell, Ahok’s miniature version of the void artillery function, and which depleted her own and Wenlianna’s magic. Gwenesphia managed to deliver the staff like a spear to detonate the spell and snuff out the mana fire and portal all at once, but she only survived by the near literal base of her tail. The back of her hair is also noticeably uneven, but a significantly miniscule detail compared to the appendage she lost.
Peiburi adds, “By the time there was a healer available with enough mana, it was already too late, apparently.”
Daniel is quiet for a moment, and Hekate asks sharply, “Why didn’t they prioritize you!? You’re an Empress! If I had known…”
The otherworlder emperor reaches his hand, but because she’s standing on his right side essentially, he has to search because his blind spot is obviously much wider. Still, he manages to find her head and gently pets her, which signals to her that she’s missing something.
“Most of them… were at the mana fire until last night,” replies Wenlianna. “Those that were here have worked tirelessly…”
Daniel nods in agreement with the assessment, since it was pretty obvious once he thought about it. And, he murmurs softly, “I’m sorry, Gwen…”
The feline woman with soft lilac-hued hair smiles gently. “I… should be apologizing. I probably shouldn’t… be present as an Empress…”
“Why’s that?” asks the human.
Her smile becomes a little disappointed, and she explains, “Well… Not having a tail is worse than shaving one… And a lot more painful. It suggests that… I hate being a gatonine so much… I would actually cause myself harm.”
This time, Daniel smiles and lets out an almost exasperated sigh. He replies bluntly, “Is that so? Because Kalegrynten has almost an entire ear missing, and it just adds to his character.”
“An ear obviously lost in battle and a tail are-...!” starts Peiburi defensively, but Daniel puts his finger to his lips, halting her with a disgusted expression as she gives him only the slightest sliver to explain himself… or else.
But, the wayward mechanic has a few priorities; logic, efficiency, integrity, and a general freedom over oneself. He replies, “Anyone who questions my family members or tries to denegrate them are not our friends, they’re not our allies, and they’re not our trade partners. If you guys leave it up to me, I’m going to lead us to ruin, but I’m gonna be sure I burn down everyone else’s playhouses and their pride while I do it. I won’t force you to do anything, nor do I want to force you into a humiliation ritual. But, that’s because I want you to hold your head high as a hero who protected our home, and it cost you dearly.” He pulls Hekate close, turning her sideways so he can tug a little on her tail. “Plus, we have Hekate. She can share…”
“DANIEL!” snaps Hekate, and Gwenesphia adds almost simultaneously with her own ears folded back in irritation, “That’s terrible!”
The human laughs as Hekate smacks his hand away and hugs her tail to her chest defensively. “Sorry, sorry… Bad joke…”
The feldrok teen growls angrily, and she spins, swatting him in the back with her puffy black tail. It does no harm to him, which is good, since a stiff breeze probably will knock him over. He continues to laugh and pets her head, which only irritates the ravenette more, and she smacks his hands away, whining, “No! No pets for you! Bad Daniel!”
“Seriously, though!” calls out Daniel as loudly as his hoarse voice will allow, and he coughs once from the strain on his voice. He then says sincerely as he takes Gwenesphia’s hand again. “If showing that you still take pride in being a gatonine is so important, then you will be the Gatonine Empress of the Fievegal. And by that, I mean, we will make a functional prosthetic tail of gold, jewels, pearls, silk, or solidified honey if you wish, and you will adopt whatever aspects of gatonine culture that truly defines your history, from gowns and dresses, to tatoos and ancient ancestral ornaments passed down in the Honeydip family since the First Baron and Baroness Honeydip received the nobility from the Grand Premier or the former king or whoever, assuming your family is alright with it, of course.” He moves their interlocked hands to her belly, saying softly, “You have a LOT to be proud of, not least of which is being a defender of our home while the rest of us were slamming our heads into the wall halfway across the continent. All of you are. I know I don’t personally care all that much about aristocracy and nobility and whatnot, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you all to hold your heads high, forget about any attempts at slander anyone slings at us, and destroy them with our unstoppable success. So, Gwen… Wenlie-Mukori… I want you both front and center with the rest of us, showing the strength of the Fievegal is not something mere words can corrode away. Whatever you want to make that happen, I will see it is made so.”
This earns Daniel smiles, finally, and Gwenesphia squeezes her hand. “Are you sure, Daniel? I… I know you liked…”
“Indeed, it is a tragic loss to not be able to bite your tail…”
“DANIEL!” screams all five of the women in his immediate proximity, startling everyone else, and he laughs as Hekate starts bopping him with her fists as she complains, nearly trying to climb onto him and attack him like she normally does. The Feldrok Empress manages to hold herself back, but she continues to complain as they share a playful moment to lighten the mood as much as possible.
After a little more talking and making sure the two are alright and resting, Daniel asks, “I… also heard Ryuo has been struggling…”
Peiburi answers, “She and Emerald have been all but glued to the mana donation altar in the control center, I think. They’ve been out of sight, but from what Xyreko has said, and what we’ve heard… I think Fal has been… uh… emitting his power quite frequently.”
Daniel winces at this. The true effects of radiation took a long time to become widely known and understood in any meaningful capacity. Initially, it seemed like a miracle cure… because it killed all of a person’s ailments faster than it was killing their healthy tissues.
Nausea is the most obvious effect of strange-mana exposure, but because it is intensified energy that is to the base arcane energy what gammas are to photons.
“Mukori?” asks Wenlianna, and Daniel turns his gaze to her. “Please go check on her. She’s… um… She’s… M-Mukori… too…”
Daniel scoffs lightly, and he nods. “If you two need anything it’s yours…”
“AFTER you rest,” reiterates Hekate. “We go check on Ryuo, and then…”
“Yes, yes, Sweetpea…” Daniel leans over carefully, kissing Gwenesphia briefly before kissing her forehead in turn. “Thank you for surviving and for what you did, Gwen. Rest well.”
“You’re welcome to rest in my bed when you come back,” teases the gatonine with a soft smile. “I’ll be sure to punish you for that terrible joke.” She shoots a wink at Hekate, and the feldrok girl’s ears perk up. She grins deviously at Daniel, batting him with her tail.
“Nuh-uh. I’ll be the one making sure he doesn’t leave his bed so he actually gets some rest.”
Daniel carefully walks back to Wenlianna’s side, and he leans close. “Mukori…”
She leans into him and kisses him herself, and Daniel flinches when he remembers what she just had happen, but no foulness reaches him. Water suddenly hits his leg, and he looks down as Wenlianna holds his shirt collar. She just water magic to sprinkle water on his thigh like the mature magic scientist that she is.
The brunette grins as she presses her forehead to the mechanic’s, and she adds tenderly, “You’re a cruel man flirting with all of us right in front of each other…”
“I figured it would be a little better than not flirting at all…” murmurs Daniel playfully, though knowing it’s not the best topic to have to discuss.
“Mmm… Hekate, make sure… Make sure he doesn’t get any more hurt… please.”
The feldrok girl nods, gripping Daniel’s belt, since she doesn’t want him to vanish on her.
“He has racked up a colossal debt to me. Especially because he’s protecting Lucy…”
“Hekate… She helped…”
“But…” Daniel gently extracts himself from Wenlianna to kiss Hekate’s forehead, and she stops her protests.
The mechanic adds with a bit of dryness, “I know I was right on the line before, so if I’m officially too ugly now… I’d understand…” He fakes pouting, and Wenlianna cups his bandages with the most delicate touch, knowing not to risk causing him pain.
“Mukori… You owe us all a very long explanation.”
“Agreed,” replies Daniel. “But, give me a little time to get everything back in order as much as possible. I’ll answer to everything then.” Pondering Fal for a moment, though, he asks, “Did… you or Ahok make any progress on something for Fal?”
Wenlianna shakes her head softly. “No… Ahok might’ve started, but once the portal was open… I don’t think she had any time to work on it, and is over there…” She gestures, and Daniel can see the specific corner being guarded by female soldiers, just in case. Ahok is better about the presence of men, and he can usually get away with being near her without issues, but for her peace of mind, everyone agreed to keep a few soldiers near her just to keep any accidental encounters from startling her.
“I’ll check with the kobolds to see if they know anything…” replies Daniel. “If possible, I’d like to relieve Ryuo as soon as possible.”
“Then let’s hurry,” complains Hekate softly as she tugs on his belt. “I can hear your bones crying for rest.”
“I know, I know… Alright. You ladies rest well. And, thank you again.”
They smile at him, and Peiburi adds, “Thank you, Daniel…”
He bows his head respectfully, and he makes his way with his two lady escorts out of the infirmary.
Ryuogriar is likely his most ‘loyal’ consort, rivaled only by Hekate, and possibly inching out Hekate only because she actively works on Daniel’s ‘interests’ before Daniel even knows what he wants. And the fact that she’s running on fumes to take care of Fal…
Please don’t let anything happen to Ryuo… If anyone deserves it, it’s definitely not her…
The thing keeping Daniel going right now, and which he’s thankful the laugur decoction is taking the edge off of, is the fear that any part of his family is in danger of vanishing from his life, just as Hekate is still nearly tripping him as she clings to his belt.
Everything is surreal right now. Even things right in front of him feel so far away, and all he can do is try to find and gather everyone he loves back into the nice safe Citadel.
He has survived for now, but he’s not sure yet if it’s a dream or a nightmare.
***
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