“Wow. You guys look like shit,” Layla crumpled where she stood, sitting down next to the barbequed shrimp carcass.

Erin stumbled to her feet, blood still running in a steady stream from her lacerated arm.

“Jack. Jack! Is he ok?”

Rory pulled himself upright with a pained groan and went to her, pulling her broken arm over his shoulder. She hissed in pain, but leaned on him and limped to where Jack lay.

“I’m not much for first aid, but we need to see about your arm. Here,” he began pulling unbuckling the straps of her ruined vambrace and easing her gauntlet off.

“How’s your health, legs?” Layla called.

“Less than half. How much does that spell peel off when you burn a wound?” she replied.

“Half,” Layla’s consternated reply came back. “I have some left in the tank for kissy-boo-boo fixin’, but I don’t know if it’ll close your arm.”

“Shit, this is bad, Erin. You’re leaking like a sieve,” Rory had finished removing her vambrace. “I can see your pulse. That’s bad, right?”

“Yeah, that’s bad,” she replied. “I’m getting light-headed.”

Layla rolled over and pushed herself upright, grunting as she gained her feet. She wiped her face again, then stumbled over to the two.

“Rory, what’s your favorite thing about Darius in bed?” she kneeled down next to them.

“What? I don’t think this is the ti-” he indignantly replied.

“Shut up. I don’t have enough mana for Mirage. Now think about your boy-toy’s abs and close your eyes,” she cut him off.

He opened his mouth to argue, then shot a glance at the pool of blood at Erin’s side. He closed his eyes.

“He makes these amazing soft little noises… This is awkward, Layla,” he grumbled.

“Shut it. More,” she laid her hand on the back of his neck.

“He’s beautiful, and he’s the best kisser I’ve ever met, and he does this thing with his-.”

Layla had pressed her lips against Rory’s and flexed whatever spiritual muscle powered Mortal Appetites. Rory struggled for a moment.

“Think of Darius,” she whispered.

He put his hand on the side of her face and let out a shuddering breath, then returned the kiss. The seconds passed, until finally, Layla drew back, eyes bled to gold and her horns and wings revealed.

“I love you,” Rory whispered.

“He loves you too, hon,” Layla whispered back.

Rory collapsed onto his rear, exhausted. Layla turned to Erin, who was wiping away a tear with the bloody sleeve of her blouse, leaving a streak of red across her cheek.

“Your turn, legs,” she didn’t smile, looking down at the steadily growing puddle of crimson.

The feeling of healing with her kiss was like eating warm cookies with her dad in the family kitchen, or laying in the sun when she was a child, before the migraines started. It was better than sex. Well, it was close. She held onto Erin as their lips touched, soft, wonderful power flowing out of her like the world’s gentlest and longest orgasm. She emptied everything she had left, then pulled away. The wound in Erin’s arm had closed to an angry red slash, scabbed over and clotted with drying blood, but her life no longer pattered onto the floor in a steady stream.

“We need to wash that,” she told Erin, who swayed slightly and opened her eyes.

“Hmm? Oh. No, Jack first,” she replied.

“I’m ok. I’m… fuck… I’m not ok,” Jack rasped as he tried to roll over.

“Note to self, do not let the mana-engine run dry from now on,” he groaned.

“We, uhhh, sorta bit off more that we could chew on this one, I think,” Layla mused.

They groaned at her. Rory chuckled, then Erin joined him. Finally, they all began to laugh weakly, growing slowly until most of them had to wipe tears from their eyes. The danger was passed, and they had survived.

“Why do I smell cooked shrimp?” Jack asked.

More laughter.

-----

They rested there in the Heart chamber, undisturbed by the Dead Strand’s other inhabitants. Toben had mentioned that the dungeon’s monsters would become far less aggressive once the bonded creature was killed, and that proved to be true.

Erin’s right arm was still a mess of broken bones, and her left arm was nearly as useless since the slash had fractured her forearm as well. Jack could barely move until he regenerated enough mana, so Layla and Rory took turns taking watch for the night. Around midnight, Jack recovered enough to take over for them, and they both got some well-earned rest. He woke Erin to splint and bandage both her arms, using a piece of curved shell to support her hand. She threatened him a great deal with all manner of bodily harm as he gingerly bound up her wounds, but ultimately fell asleep with her head in his lap. He was still amazed at her pain tolerance, but he figured it was a result of her outrageous Fortitude skill.

Once day broke, Jack had recovered enough mana to be active again, and he set about butchering the shrimp and searching the grotto for any other loot. Sadly the shrimp was a loss. The humid open air and heat had already soured the meat. He eventually located the hollow that hid the Heart, a melon-sized iridescent blue gem, like a multi-faceted glowing sapphire. Toben had warned them not to molest the Heart, since it would summon any remaining creatures from the innermost mantle to defend itself. More importantly, any damage to the Heart would redirect the flow of mana in the font’s domain to regenerate its shell, robbing the village and the surrounding land of the Tide’s bounty.

However, Jack discovered the giant shrimp had stashed within the Heart’s tiny chamber a collection of shiny rocks, gems, coins, and what appeared to be a bit of equipment from adventurers that weren’t so lucky. Rory’s Appraise skill turned up some question marks about the gems, and they were added to the growing pile of loot stashed in their rucksacks.

Rory finally hit ten in Merchant with all the appraising, so he picked up a talent that let him discern more information from the skill in question. In doing so, he discovered that two of the gems were enchanted to increase Health regeneration. The others were simply mundane, but apparently very valuable, cut gemstones, likely the possessions of some unfortunate soul who ended up smashed to pieces by the giant shrimp. He packed both of the regeneration gems into Erin’s bandages, noting with satisfaction how she sighed and relaxed when the trickle of healing began to take effect. They were no match for potions or an actual healing spell, but they’d ease her recovery significantly.

More importantly, they’d be even more useful once she restored enough Health to submit to Layla’s Cauterizing Flare. After watching Erin’s panel for almost an hour, Layla mapped out her recovery time, both with and without the regeneration gems, and declared that she could heal Erin’s left arm now, but the right arm was actually three separate wounds. It would be almost two days before she was back at full steam. They talked it over and agreed that they should wait until Erin’s health was completely full before cutting it in half again. Rory was the slowest to heal, but he gladly took it easy, while Jack opted to head out into the dungeon and pick on some small fry, using Devouring Shadows to top his Health off.

While he was off slaughtering knee-high crustaceans, Layla sat down next to Rory where he rested.

"It smells like a seafood dumpster fire in here," she wrinkled her nose.

He chuckled, then winced and held his side.

“So, you wanna talk about it?” she asked.

“Not really. We did what we had to do,” he quietly replied.

“Ok. You’re a great kisser, by the way,” she giggled.

“Oh, shut up you tart,” he smiled.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, both looking over at Erin’s still form where she rested, snoring every so slightly.

“She doesn’t ever hesitate, you know? She just throws herself between those things and us,” Rory mused.

“She’s the best person I know, Rory. We’re lucky to have her,” Layla replied.

“Yeah…” he trailed off.

Silence fell between them again, heavier this time.

“I know you didn’t choose this, and you probably wouldn’t have, but we’re lucky to have you too,” she offered softly.

“I just don’t understand why that big, stupid snake couldn’t have brought him too,” Rory whispered back.

“Would you really have wanted him here? Could you deal with it if it was Darius laying there with two broken arms? If that puddle of gore over there was his blood instead of Erin’s?” she replied.

“No… no, I wouldn’t want that. He’s safe where he is. I’ve watched him bleed enough for one lifetime, Layla. I just…” Rory’s sentence died again.

“You miss him. I know, hon,” she threw her arm over his shoulder and pulled him in tight.

“Listen Rory. I’ve never been in love. I’ve only ever had hook-ups. The love of my life was a very expensive ‘massager’ I bought off the internet,” she made air quotes with her free hand. “But if I ever love someone, I want what you have. It’s beautiful.”

He put his head on her shoulder and took a deep breath, exhaling a long, weary sigh. Fucking giant snake gods, honestly.