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Millard’s lungs burned. The air was thick with sulphur, and the heat coming from the bubbling lava all around them was almost overpowering. The Forbidden Temple underneath Mount Berecain was possibly the closest place to all the classical depictions of hell a person could find, he supposed, and yet the volcano itself was perfectly natural.
In fact, the only unnatural thing was the Temple itself.
He shuddered at the thought of what they’d seen there, barely aware that his feet were still moving. Ceraphina, attempting to attain godhood to wipe all of humanity from the land, and Lyblac usurping her moment of glory to see her own plans come to fruition. Both had failed, but not without a hard won fight.
And what a fight it was, Millard sighed, absently wiping away a trickle of sweat with his sleeve.
The Band was wearily making their way back to Berecain, to nurse their many wounds and take stock of their victory, if they could call it that. A tyrant had been stopped, yes, and her motives had been possibly the most unnatural of all the foes they’d faced so far, but… Millard couldn’t help but feel a small amount of sympathy for the girl who’d lost everything.
They walked on, feet dragging and bodies weary from patched up wounds and tiredness, and soon the entrance to the Temple faded out of sight in the heathaze. Here, where the paths were winding more and more, and the air flow was restricted by the nature of the cavern, it became harder to breathe.
Blinking tiredly, he saw Sazantos, being assisted by Rondo, walking ahead of them, apparently lost in thought. Not that Millard could blame him. They had all seen things that a person should never see, things that would make even the most devout of clergy question all they knew about their faith.
He was glad that Rondo was there to help Sazantos. The man had been distracted ever since Lyblac vanished into smoke, and the young Knight Ardante was subtly guiding Sazantos without him apparently even realising it.
Suddenly, a loud hissing noise broke into Millard’s thoughts, and he stopped just in time to avoid being scalded by a vent of steam. Fiore had nearly stumbled backwards in her surprise, only saved by Scarecrow’s steady hand on her back, and the others looked similarly shaken. Millard’s own heartbeat sounded very loud in his ears as they waited, just in case there were any more interruptions, but when it seemed like everything had settled again they continued on.
Footstep after grudging footstep, breathing hampered by the soot and heat in the air, Millard couldn’t help but fall back into his thoughts. His body was moving automatically now, only keeping enough awareness in case of a monster attack, but fortunately they were undisturbed. His mind wandered, thinking of the girl who had started all of this, and her reasons for doing so.
Ceraphina’s behaviour was perhaps understandable, but that she went to such lengths… Millard shook his head. I wonder… If there had been anyone to guide her, anyone to help, that things would have turned out differently. A true friend, rather than a useful ally.
He followed the bend in the path almost without thinking about it.
The past cannot be changed, I suppose, but I still have to wonder…
The gasp from behind him jolted him from his thoughts, and he turned quickly, almost bringing his staff to bear out of habit. He relaxed slightly when he saw there was no threat, but on seeing Theo collapsed on the hot stony floor he instantly dropped to his knees to check on his fallen friend. The apothecary was still breathing, albeit shallowly, and his skin was hot to the touch.
“He… he just fell,” Sofia was saying, as Millard checked his vital signs and loosened the scarf around Theo’s neck. “He was just talking about needing to get some more supplies when we got back to Shepherd’s Rock, because Berecain likely wouldn’t have any, and he just collapsed.”
Millard couldn’t find anything wrong with the apothecary, although Theo still bore several minor wounds that needed further attention. Save your magic in case we need it, he’d advised Millard. These can wait until we get back to an inn. I’ve patched them up, but you should keep something in reserve.
But what about you? Without you, the others might...
I don't think we'll run into too much that will need my expertise, Theo had joked, patting his satchel. I'm just being cautious, I suppose, he had said, more seriously. We're very close to Berecain, and that fight took a lot out of all of us. If anyone can get us all up and healed enough to get back there, it's you.
At the time, Millard had acquiesced but looking back, perhaps that had been a mistake. Especially since Theo had also been hit by a different kind of sleep magic in the fight against Ceraphina, as had Viola. They had recovered after a fashion, but it was largely unknown to them all, and they had no way of knowing if there were any side effects.
Fortunately, it looked like Theo had just succumbed to a combination of exhaustion and the hellish heat around them. It was dangerous, yes, but he would recover.
“Sofia, could you create some ice for him?” Millard asked, taking a cloth from the pouch at his belt. He spread it over his hand, palm up, and held it out in front of him. “He will be fine, but he needs to cool down.”
“Of course!” the scholar said, holding one dainty hand over Millard’s. The air around them chilled briefly, and several chunks of ice about the size of a goose egg appeared, landing lightly in the cloth. He drew the edges in, forming a pouch of sorts, and handed it back to her.
“We’ll need to carry him, I’m afraid, but if you could hold this to his forehead, it will help him recover faster,” Millard said, keeping his voice calm. He glanced over his shoulder, noticing that Sazantos had stopped and was watching them intently. “The sooner we leave here, the better.”
“I’ll carry him,” Gilderoy said, wincing slightly as he knelt to pick up the apothecary. Sofia instantly went to his side and placed the bag of ice on Theo’s forehead, and Millard didn’t like how fast the ice was melting.
“It’s all right,” Sofia said, a smile on her face. “I can always make more. After all, I came out of that fight relatively unharmed. It’s the least I can do.”
“Thank you, both of you,” Millard said gratefully, and they started to walk again.
Sazantos and Rondo took the lead again, and the rest of the Band made their way wearily out of the volcanic caverns. With each footstep, Millard became more and more aware of how ragged they all were. Scarecrow was helping Viola, who clearly didn’t like showing her weakness but allowed him to support her anyway, and Fiore was a little unsteady on her feet. Was she nursing damage she hadn't told anyone about? Even Lynette, who had seemed tireless so far, looked to be flagging.
The sight of the entrance to the rather rundown town of Berecain seemed like a blessing when it came into view.
When they reached the inn, Sazantos briefly roused from his abstraction to bid them farewell. He and Rondo would be making their way back to Flamesgrace at once, to report their findings. However, even as Sazantos made to leave, Rondo told them all to take their time in recovering, and to rest well. It was a well earned victory, he said, and that Orsterra was in their debt.
It was hard to feel like the champions of an entire continent when you were bruised, bloodied, and exhausted from the whole affair, though.
The innkeeper had shown them the way to their rooms, and then left them to their own devices. None of the townsfolk had seemed to welcome the news of Ceraphina’s defeat, but that wasn’t surprising. Millard wondered if anything could rouse them from the heaviness of living in the shadow of the infamous Jennish.
“So, what now?” Fiore wondered, sitting down heavily on one of the few beds. It creaked ominously, and she gave a nervous little laugh.
“Now, we get clean, and we rest,” Viola said. The thief looked tired under the layers of soot and grime, but her eyes were still sharp. “Sazantos was generous enough to get us two rooms here, with a bathroom, so I say we make the most of it.”
Gilderoy gently lay Theo down on one of the other beds. “Even if it ain’t of the best quality?” he said, putting the apothecary’s satchel down on the floor and sitting down next to him.
“These folk will probably appreciate the extra coin,” Scarecrow noted. “We only need to rest up here. We can get to Shepherd’s Rock as soon as we’re able, and take a bit of time to recover properly there.”
“Makes sense,” the jeweller shrugged. Millard watched as the big man put his own pack down on the floor, next to the satchel, and then started to tug off Theo’s boots. “First off, then, I say we get clean. Cold water’ll help, since we’re all half-roasted anyway, even if it will be a bit of a shock to the system after that heat.”
Millard agreed. He was feeling incredibly sweaty under his robes, and he wanted nothing more than to get clean. “Who will go first, then?” he asked, looking around the room.
“You should,” Viola said pointedly. He was about to object, to let the others go first, but she raised her hand and went on. “Once you’re clean and rested, not to mention once you’ve cooled down a bit, you’ll be in a better state to help the rest of us,” she pointed out.
“What Viola means is,” Lynette said, unwrapping her headscarf and shaking out her hair, “that you and Theo are always looking after us. It’s high time we looked after you for a change!”
Viola shot the dancer an amused glance, and then shrugged. "That, too," she said with a grin.
Millard looked at them, briefly lost for words when they all nodded with varying levels of weary enthusiasm. He drew in a breath, meaning to object anyway, but he let it out again with a smile. “Very well, but I won’t be long,” he said, peeling his outer vestments off with poorly disguised relief.
“You can leave Theo in our hands,” Sofia said, taking a bowl from one of the nightstands and, after a moment of focus, created more egg-sized pieces of ice within it. Lynette came over with a jug of water from the table and, with a glance at the scholar for permission, poured half of it in.
Sofia then took a clean cloth, one of her own handkerchiefs, Millard thought, and dipped it into the ice water. She folded it into a neat square, and then started to gently clean the grime from Theo’s face.
“Is there any of that ice water for the rest of us?” Viola drawled, but there was no venom in her tone.
“There’s another bowl, and I’ve still got water here,” Lynette pointed out. “I’m sure it won’t be a hardship for Sofia to create some more ice, either.”
“Of course it isn’t,” the scholar said, not looking up from her task. “We just need some more glasses. Even cups would do.”
Fiore, bless her heart, seemed to have found more energy from nowhere, and she all but jumped to her feet. Millard envied her, he really did. “I can get them!” she said cheerily. “Even if the innkeeper doesn’t have any, the tavern is just across the road. I’ll make sure we’ve got enough, don’t worry!”
“Go on, go and get clean,” Lynette said, putting her hands on his shoulders and pushing him towards the bathroom. If you need anything, Scarecrow will be happy to help, won’t you?” she said sweetly.
Millard expected an argument from the hunter, but Scarecrow only huffed out a laugh. “Sure,” he said, folding his arms and leaning against the wall. “I’ll stay in here and give Gilderoy and Sofia a hand with Theo, but call me if you need me.”
“I think I’ll go with you and get us some food,” Viola said, walking over to stand by Fiore. “There should still be something good to eat in this town, even if it looks like this.” She gestured to the poorly repaired walls and frayed furnishings around them. “After all, we’re just doing what we were told, right? Rest up and take our time?” There was a wicked smile on her face.
“I cannot argue with you there,” Millard replied lightly, still allowing Lynette to propel him from the room. He cast a glance over at Theo, who was still passed out on the bed.
“He’s fine,” Gilderoy said. “He’s cooling down by the minute, and I’ve been studyin’ a bit of medicine in my spare time lately, so I’ll sort out his injuries in a bit. I know we’ve got plenty of apothecaries in the Band, but when it’s just us, we can’t be relyin’ on just you two. Nah, we’ve got to make sure we look after the two of you, too!”
For a moment, Millard felt overwhelmed. The exhaustion wasn’t helping his self control, and he felt tears prickle at the corners of his eyes. As he reached the doorway to the bathroom, he looked down, trying to regain his composure, and then looked at them each in turn.
“Thank you. All of you,” he said with a smile.