Theo froze, again. His heart began to thrum in his chest, each beat causing pinpricks of pain across his ribs. “W-What? What about Adam?” He leaned in closer to Pina, grunting and falling back when his ribs creaked.

Pina stared into Theo’s eyes for a moment before looking away. “He… hasn’t- he hasn’t woken up yet. At all.”

Tears threatened at the corner of Theo’s eyes. His face flushed with heat. “Wh- no- that can’t- he’s too strong for- I- I need to go see him.” Shifting himself once more, he planted his feet on the floor. The world spun around him.

Pina caught Theo just before he fell to the floor. He hissed in pain as her arms drove into his ribs for the catch. After recovering for a moment, he noticed his body for the first time. Purple. The entire left side of his body, and even some of his right side, revealed itself in deep shades of the heliotrope tone.

Theo's stomach lurched, seeing the damage to his body for the first time. He shoved down those feelings, refocusing on Pina. “I-I need- need to just- get a shirt- Pina, where is my- Oh goodness, Pina, don’t look!” In an attempt to cover himself, he wrapped his arms around his chest, wincing once more as his ribs screamed their retort.

Pina planted her hands on Theo’s shoulders, staring directly into his eyes. “Calm. Down. You panicking isn’t going to change anything. We’ll go see Adam, but I’ve barely been able to feed you the past few days and Galeen said you need to eat something the moment you’re awake.”

Tears continued their descent down Theo’s face, but he sniffed, rubbing the heel of his palm below his eye. When vision returned, Pina held out a shirt to him.

The process of putting it on turned out to be an ordeal in itself. Just the act of raising his arms close to shoulder height caused him low-grade agony. Despite the issues, he finally struggled his way into the shirt - with some help from Pina. It hurt him to leave it behind, but he decided to forgo the vest. He didn’t, however, forgo grumbling the entire walk to his kitchen.

In the kitchen, Pina scurried around the cabinets, pulling out various ingredients. “...Humans like eggs… over easy? Scrambled? How much pepper is too much pepper…?”

Theo sat in a chair at his kitchen table, tapping a foot. The speed only increased the longer he waited for Pina to cook him something. He took shallow breaths, anything more hurting him.

“Galeen said you need to take deep breaths. You’ll get sick if you don’t or something,” Pina said, pointing a spatula at Theo.

Attempting to follow her instructions, his ribs protested. “I- I can’t take deep breaths. They hurt, Pina.”

“They hurt, but do you want to get sick? How are you supposed to run a shop if you’re sick?” Pina asked, turning back to the sizzling pan.

Ideas ran through Theo’s head for enchantments that would do the deep breathing for him. None sounded like a better solution. “...Is the food almost ready?” he asked, changing the subject.

Pina turned around with a plate in hand, smiling. “Yup! I couldn’t decide between over easy or scrambled eggs, so I made both! I put the pepper on the side, didn’t know if you’d want it or not.”

Staring at his plate, Theo sighed, wincing again. A mound of ground pepper sat next to his eggs on the plate. Some of the scrambled eggs sat against it. He elected to not eat those ones. “I uh, keep the pepper for guests. But, thank you again, Pina. For everything. I understand I’m being… impatient, I just want to see Adam. I’m so worried. I understand you have your orders to take care of me.”

Pina sat down next to him, picking up some of the eggs and popping them in her mouth. “Mm, needs more salt next time. Don’t worry about it Theo, other than the whole bathroom thing, it was fine.”

Theo sat up straighter, his face flushing. “W-What bathroom thing?”

Pina’s eyes widened. “Oh, um, your bathroom is just… not um, perren friendly?”

Frowning, Theo took a first bite of the eggs. He barely tasted them as his mind spun. “What did you actually mean, Pina?”

The floral girl cleared her throat. “You uh- well, you didn’t not have to um, use the bathroom. While you were sleeping. So. Yeah.” She intently stared at the wall beyond Theo, refusing to meet his eyes.

Heat built up in Theo’s ears. He coughed. It hurt. The pain meant nothing to him right now. “So… tell me more about Adam? Why hasn’t he woken up? Is he- is he okay otherwise?”

Pina pursed her lips, drawing with her finger on the table. “Galeen… isn’t sure. They stabilized him or whatever, but that Garden Snake’s venom got into his blood. It had some nasty poisons from those plants growing on it mixed in too. They think he’ll be asleep for a while, but they don’t know if they can fix… his body. Not with their spells and mana tier at least.”

That last line gave Theo a flicker of hope to grasp onto. “So, it’s just beyond Galeen’s capabilities? Another healer could fix him?”

Pina shrugged, shifting her position in her seat. “Maybe? I’m no healer. Galeen seemed to think so.”

Theo clenched a fist. Adam will be okay. I’ll do whatever I can to make sure of that.

“What’s… wrong with his body?” Theo asked, the effects of various poisonous plants he knew running through his mind.

“The poisons and the venom damaged his body. Like, a lot. His healing spells mostly preserved him as-is, but he’ll be weaker than he was even when he’s healed,” Pina said, tapping the table with a finger.

Theo finished what he could of his plate, pushing it toward Pina. His stomach revolted the efforts to fill it, but he tried to move his mind away from that sensation. He had a boyfriend to go see. “I’m done. Can we go now, please?”

Pina sighed, pushing up out of her chair. “...Okay. But, he’s rough, Theo. Are you okay with seeing that?”

“I’ll- I’ll have to be,” Theo said, staggering through the door into his shop on unsteady legs. He grabbed a healing potion off a shelf. As he uncorked it, Pina grabbed his arm.

“You can’t, Theo. Galeen said no healing potions. You haven’t eaten anything, you won’t have enough in you to heal properly. And… something else, I forget what they said,” she said, grabbing the bottle and recorking it.

Frowning, Theo let her place the bottle back on the shelf. “Pina, where’s my bag?”

“Behind the counter, I can carry it. You want a wand or something?” she asked, moving behind the counter and lifting the bag up. “It had some blood on it, but that stain cleaner you made worked wonders.”

Theo took the empty bag from her, setting it on top of the counter. He scanned his shop, biting a lip. A Bastion Plate, a wand with wind blast enchantment similar to Pina’s Gale Buffet, and a stamina potion went into the bag. He may not have been allowed to use a healing potion, but surely a stamina potion couldn’t hurt. He turned to Pina. “I’m ready.”

In the end, Theo returned for a vest. It hurt to put on, but what if Adam woke up when he was there - vestless? Afterward, he truly left the shop, Pina in tow. Wetness shone on the stone streets from a fresh rain. How fitting. He frowned, trying to keep up his pace on the slick street.

It hurt him to admit it, but he had to stop for a rest every few streets. His body begged for him to sleep once more, but he needed to see Adam first.

“Are you okay in that vest?” Pina asked, looking him up and down. “You keep… wincing.”

“It’s um, it hurts but I just- I need it,” Theo said, adjusting the vest in an attempt at finding a more comfortable position for it on him.

“Theo, just unbutton it or something. You’re going to hurt yourself,” Pina said, laying a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m fine, Pina. The vest is staying on,” he snapped, shrugging her hand off his shoulder.

Pina’s face sagged. She turned and kept walking.

Theo’s heart sunk. “Pina, wait.”

The floral girl continued her pace, just a bit too fast for Theo in his current state.

“Pina, please. I’m sorry. I just- I’m worried about Adam, and I hurt all over,” Theo said, holding a hand out toward her.

Pina turned around, arms crossed. “You think I’m not worried? I’m worried about both of you. I carried you back to Romuen myself, Theo. You coughed up blood. And even then, you made it out better than Adam did.”

That last line lanced through Theo. His shoulders sank.

Eyes softening, Pina frowned. “Let’s- Let’s just go and see Adam.” She turned, walking in the direction she had been before.

Theo followed, the rest of the walk was silent.

It turned out, Galeen lived a considerable distance from Theo. Sweat rolled down his forehead by the time they made it. His body screamed its demands for rest by this point. However, neither of them moved to the door.

“Pina…”

“Theo…” they both said at once.

Theo paused, gesturing to Pina. “You first.”

The perren girl adjusted her bag on her shoulder. “I’m- I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought Adam up like that. I know you’re worried. I’m just- I’m worried too. I’m sorry.”

“It’s me that should be sorry, Pina. I let myself get caught up in my worries and I took it out on you. I apologize, it was rude and unnecessary of me,” Theo said, a misting of tears meeting his eyes.

Pina opened her arms wide, half-smiling. “Hug it out?”

Theo allowed a small smile to meet his face. “I’d like that.”

The two embraced. Theo only yelped in pain once before Pina lightened her hold. After they parted, he reached out to the door. His hand hesitated, shaking.

“Theo?” Pina questioned.

Gritting his teeth, Theo’s mind spun. Opening the door meant seeing Adam. An internal war fought itself in his mind. “I’m um, just a second…”

Pina pushed past him, taking care to avoid his torso. “I’ve got this, come on.” Knocking on the door, she waited beside Theo, smiling at him.

He swallowed, his throat growing dry. A sip of water did nothing to sate it. His heart thumped in his chest, increasing its tempo with every second that passed. The lock clicked and the door swung open. A familiar obsidian fulvitre stared at Theo and Pina from inside.

“Young Pina. And young Theo as well. It is good to see you both. You look… better than I last saw you, young Theo,” Faastran said, inclining their head in a slight bow.

“Hi, Elder Faastran. May we come in?” Pina asked, returning the bow.

Theo questioned the formality but bowed with Pina, taking a sharp breath. “Hello, Elder Faastran. Thank you for… everything. I’m not sure I’d be standing here without your help.”

The obsidian fulvitre waved a hand. “Please, young Theo, it was mostly Galeen, I just held you down and supplied them their tools. Come in, I insist.” They stood out of the way, gesturing the two of them inside.

Theo couldn’t help but stare at Faastran again, noting the artistry that went into their body. Flames of glass crawled their way up inside the fulvitre’s body, shifting with every movement like real flames. It took him a moment to realize that not a scrap of clothes covered them, leaving their whole body on display.

“You have never met a Vulbanian fulvitre, have you, young Theo?” Faastran asked, tapping their chest with a finger.

Theo flushed, shaking his head. “I haven’t. Sorry. I shouldn’t stare. I’ve met fulvitre, of course, but I’m from Renwurd. It’s a very… human town.”

Faastran nodded. “As are most. It is okay, it warms me to know you appreciate my meldings. If it is of higher comfort to you, I may put on a robe. Despite our lack of your… physical parts, I understand humans prefer coverage.”

“No, it’s quite alright! You're not the first fulvitre I’ve met who doesn’t wear clothes. Plenty of merchants I’ve met didn’t. But um, may I see Adam, please?” Theo asked, glancing around the room. The construction turned out to be quite similar to his own home - light pine wood with darker accents and mountainous granite as a base.

“You must excuse me for the rudeness. Of course, young Adam takes precedence for you, I will lead you to him,” Faastran said, turning on a heel toward a door on the other end of the room.

Theo followed after the obsidian figure, watching the glass flames dance across its back as it moved. Once through the door, Theo watched Faastran peek into a room in the hall, speaking in a muffled tone.

They turned to Theo, opening the door further. “He is still asleep, but you may see him. Galeen has just finished their treatment. A friend of yours is inside as well.”

Theo approached the room one agonizing step at a time, his heart hammering in his chest. It skipped a beat when he caught his first glimpse.

Adam lay in the bed, eyes closed. Across his skin, hues of red, yellow, and purple radiated around inumerable scabbed-over cuts.

Tears welled up in Theo’s eyes. A swath of teal moved in his vision, but he ignored it, rushing to Adam’s side. “Oh, Adam. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have- I shouldn’t have had us go- go into that forest.”

As much as it hurt, Theo collapsed onto the side of the bed. He stayed there, whispering his apologies over and over before someone yanked him back up.

Theo rubbed at his eyes, preparing a glare for whoever interrupted him. Telsa stared back at him, her indigo eyes reddened by tears. All of the fight left him, seeing the rings under her eyes.

Telsa lifted him up straighter before letting go. “Theo. I’m talking to you so listen.”

Theo swallowed, nodding to her. “I-I am.”

Pursing her lips, Telsa pulled a strand of hair behind her ear and sighed. “You weren’t. Look, Adam wouldn’t want you blaming yourself like this and you know it. We’re adventurers. We accept that we’re putting our lives on the line every time we’re in combat. Frankly, it’s insulting that you’d demean that choice by blaming yourself.” She crossed her arms

Theo’s heart sank. “But- but if I hadn’t had us go, and we’d just left the picnic earlier…”

Telsa held up a hand. “Nope. Not going there. I won’t lie to you, that Garden Snake was after you. They feed off things that are high in mana. With the mana leaks and that meditation thing you were doing, you were basically its ideal meal.”

Mood dropping further, Theo’s shoulders slumped. He opened his mouth to speak, but Telsa went on.

“Even so, from an inspection afterward, that snake was already there before we started. Just going out into the field was probably enough to trigger it. My guess is it only didn’t chase because it was just waking up, and by the time it did, we were in the forest.

“The mana there must have masked our presence to it. But, the point I’m trying to get to, Theo, is that even if a lot of what you did contributed to that snake attacking, it was still our choice to fight it. As much as I’d like to blame you, Adam, Nils, and I could have left you like that,” she said with a snap of her fingers.

“But you were protecting me,” Theo said, pointing to himself. He lowered his voice. “You stayed because of me.”

“Because that was our choice, Theo. Shit happens when you’re an adventurer. That’s why we never travel without our gear. You never know when something’s gonna attack. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time. That Garden Snake was probably hibernating there for years. Just took someone who’d Snapped to come by when it was hungry,” Telsa said, shrugging.

Theo glanced over at the warrior in the bed. “Adam’s still hurt though, and he hasn’t woken up…”

Galeen moved from their position against the wall. “His recovery is beyond my abilities, but he is not completely lost. There is a healer in the inner wall. A tier 7 Integral mage who specializes in recovery spells. It will cost… a considerable amount for her services, but I have heard of her healing worse cases than this.”

“Are you talking about Vidalia? She’s a blue. I’ve heard about her,” Pina said, stroking her own yellow petals.

Hope bloomed once more in Theo’s chest. “I-I’ll pay it. Any cost.”

“Theo-” Telsa started.

“I know what you’re going to say Telsa, but I still blame myself, no matter what you say,” Theo said, turning to the fulvitre in the room. “Galeen, can he be woken up at least?”

The fulvitre paused, their water-motif meldings shifting across their arms as they tapped a cheek. “He may. In time. He will be weak when he does. Only high-tier recovery magics may restore him. One of you will need to take care of him. I am sorry, but I need space for treating others. A wand was the smallest price I could request of you.”

“I can make you one. I assume you want it for assisting breathing? What are your attunements? If you don’t mind my asking,” Theo said, possible runic formulae forming in his mind already.

“I am a primary Integral, secondary Primordial healer. While I do not have flesh myself, I have found my abilities best suited to working with it. This… breathing wand, it would be useful. I do not have lungs of my own to push air with,” Galeen said, pressing a hand to their chest.

Theo let his enchanter side take over, welcoming the distraction. “There’s some old formulae I have laying around that I think would work perfectly with some adaptations. I believe I’ll need to perform some observations of breathing to understand exactly how it works, but I should be able to make a wand specifically for you. Pina’s methods worked with my Gale Buffet wand, but they seemed… less than ideal.”

“Saved you…” Pina muttered, crossing her arms.

“They did, and I thank you for that, Pina. I owe you more than you can ever imagine. The least I can do is say you don’t owe me for the wand. I’ll consider saving my life more than payment enough for that. But, I believe a wand more specialized for this purpose would have higher efficacy,” Theo said, internally debating the wand wood and resin he’d use.

“I thank you, young Theo. Your work will save lives,” Galeen said, bowing to him.

“Please, no, thank you, Galeen. You saved my life. I know I owe you more than you’ve asked for, so I’ll make sure to refer any injured adventurers who come to my shop to you for treatment. But, I have one final question for you,” Theo said, holding up a finger.

“Yes? What is it, young Theo?” Galeen asked, the waves on their exposed arms rippling with their movements.

Theo cleared his throat. “How uh, how are we moving Adam out of here?”