“Laira, enough. Please don’t argue anymore. Take Ether and go home. Let me and Percival report back.” I try one last time. “You've done plenty. I was useless. Let me take some of the burden.” I stare at her with a begging look. Ether clings to her. She looks down.

“Do it for Ether.” I whisper.

“Fine. We'll go.” She takes his hand.

“Thank you.” I kiss her and crouch down by our boy. “I'll see you soon.” He flashes a quick smile for me but the busy docks are too much for him.

“Perfect. Zaltem has everything covered here. Don't worry. We'll be fine.” I tell Laira. She nods.

“Percy?” I look around.

“Over here!” A hand waves to me. I go over to him.

“Need a hand?” I ask.

“I'm good, thank you.”

“Let's move.” We make our way to the Dragon Trail.

“Is there a reason why you didn’t want the Miss to come with?” Percival asks me carefully.

“Yes. She needs rest.” I answer. “I have been nothing but a babysitter. I want to help her too. I couldn’t do much over at the Old Continent but I can at least report back to the King here.”

“I don’t think that taking care of a child counts as useless...”

I stop for a moment. I forgot. “I’m sorry.”

The kid shakes his head. “Not at all.”

“What do you need?” A Balli girl asks us.

“One cab for two to Araneum.” Percy handles it, giving her the coins.

“That one.” She points to a smaller carrier. We get in and fly off.

“Are you sure you want to tag along? You don’t look so great.” I try changing the subject.

“I'll be fine.”

“Will you stay at the palace?” I ask again.

“Yes. I have a ton of research to add to the RRD.” Right.

“You’re welcome at the cabin any time, you know that.” I stare at our overly exhausted Cleanser.

“I am grateful.” He smiles at me with his tired eyes.

“Percival, if there's anything I can help you with, please let me know. I mean it.”

“Please take good care of Miss Laira. I don’t think she's cut out for these things, even though she tries so hard... But I also know that she will never back out either.”

I smile. “How long have you thought this way?”

“Ever since I spoke to her about the RRD.” He keeps his gaze on the window. “I was an idiot to rely on her just because she was there... I wish I knew how to make it up to her... Her burdens are my fault...” He whispers.

“Don’t.” I raise my hand up. “Just. Don’t. We both know we probably won’t live long enough to see how everything will turn out. There isn't anyone besides them who can do this more than once.”

“That doesn’t mean it should be her.” Percival finally looks at me. His eyes hard and cold.

“I know... I hoped...” I bite the sentence.

“That having Ether around will make her forget about the horror?” Percy glares at me.

“I hoped she'd focus on the present, rather than the future.” I confess. His stare weakens.

“Do you ever regret falling for her? Considering.”

“Considering our lifespan?” I smile at the kid. He nods.

“Everyday. Everyday I regret being what I am. And yet, at the same time. I can’t be certain I would have met her otherwise.” I gaze out the window too. “Are you in love with Laira?” I finally ask.

“No. You have nothing to worry about.” Percival looks right at me. His voice firm. “I have too much respect for Miss Laira, almost as much as I have for the Lady. I’m merely concerned...” He quiets down... “She cried when I asked her to take the lead of the RRD... I didn’t realize it at the time... It seemed like a natural idea, since I'll probably won’t make it anyways... I had no idea...”

“How much she cares for her family and friends?”

“Yes.” The kids answers. “I have been feeling guilty ever since...”

“Me too.” I admit. Our carrier lands with a loud thud. We get out and walk toward the palace, straight ahead. The Palace only seems close enough. It'll take us about 15 minutes to get there. And another 10 to get to the Throne room. I go back to the conversation we just had. When did Percy grow up? No, that's not it. He's always been mature. That proves it. Breeze is right to worry about him. I hope Ether can be good friends with him. I smile at the thought. We reach the courtyard. I grab the first high ranking Royal Robe I see and ask him where His Majesty is.

“And you are?” The Cornutese geezer snarls at us.

“The Rebirth Research Division.” I tell the old fart. “We have urgent matters to report to the King.”

“I see. One moment.” He steps aside.

“Think they'll let us through?”

“We haven't been around for what? Five months-ish? He's not getting any younger.” I whisper. Percy chuckles silently.

“His Majesty is waiting for you.” The Robe nods and walks away.

“Good thing we know the way.” I roll my eyes. “You wanna go first?”

“We'll see what he asks first. I understand there have been issues accessing Lady Hannah's research.”

“Apparently.” I agree. Laira got turned down each time she tried. We navigate the curvy corridors of the stone palace. Two guards stop us by the Throne room.

“We are expected.” I stare them down. They hesitate and let us through. We enter the hall.

“Ah! My favorite division! How is everything!” The King greets us with arms wide open. Lovely.

“Good, Your Highness, appreciate the concern.” We make a quick kneel. "Skyrider and I have come to report back to you."

“Yes, yes, I’ve been looking forward to this.” His smile gives him away. “Where is miss Evergreen?”

“Resting. I’m afraid that dealing with the RRD has taken its toll on her. We have come in her stead. Is that acceptable?” I keep my voice calm and cold.

“Ah, I see. Yes, of course.” He hesitates for an instant. “Now then, what good news do you gentlemen have for me?” He flashes an eager grin.

“We have successfully procured finest quality Enchanted Herbs, straight from the Greenhouses of Cobalus, for half the original price.” Percival announces proudly. The look on the Kings face. Priceless....

“How did you ever achieve such a feat?”

“We will have to provide transportation and protection of the goods from Crepitus to Existara.” Percival's confidence shrinks immensely. I speak up instead.

“The trips will count as training for the Army's and the Navy's recruits. The expenses won’t increase by much, as the money from the discount will be used for supplies. We do advise to make the deal official and perpetual between the King of Concord and Ballista. This way, the supply will continue on till the next Rebirth.” The King’s face is not fond of the idea... Mostly probably because it means he won’t be ruling the world... Not our problem.

“I shall take this into consideration. Anything else?” He glares.

“Yes. Percival takes over. The RRD proposes to establish a Military Base near the site of Rebirth–“

“What for?” The King cuts in.

“Research and preparation purposes.” Percival takes a few scrolls out of one of his bags. “There used to be one right here.” He walks over to the massive table and rolls the maps out, one by one, on top of each other. The King's curiosity gets the better of him. He leans in, as nonchalant as he can manage.

“We believe that conducting research near the site will increase our chances of success.” Percy goes straight to the point.

“What research would that be?”

“The radius of Rebirth, how deep the malice goes, does it intensify or spread...” Percival drags out his tone, making it sound as boring as possible.

“I see. Anything else?”

“Yes. We can start preparations now that will help during the battle. For that we propose to reinstate a Military Base. It will be easier to gather the troops there too, allowing the Royal Army to deal with other matters.” Percival handles the King like a pro. I smile.

“Other matters? I am not funding two separate fighting forces!” The King quickly flares up.

“You won’t have to. We'll ask for volunteers.” I step in. “Have to believe there are some who want world peace.”

“Volunteers?” The King pauses.

“Yes. In exchange for new techniques and training we'll ask volunteers to help with preparations for Rebirth. That will include building of the base as well. Of course. Should any of the current Army troops express their wish to volunteer, they should retain their monthly payments as they are.” Percival takes over.

“Why?”

“Because they have been enlisted in the Army already.” I join in. “However. From the moment you'll announce looking for volunteers, you won’t have to pay them, as you would for the Army troops. You would be offering them jobs, in a way. Together with knowledge, that they can learn for free of charge, while working for free too, of course.” His Majesty's expression changes. Laira was right. He's all about the money.

“You sure sound confident. Is this knowledge of yours that valuable that people will want to work for free to gain it?” I hate to admit it but he does have a point.

“Your Highness, are you aware of my Reflector ability?”

“Yes. One of the rarest types. Able to control any Force of Choice but unable to produce it.”

“Exactly. Tell me, Your Highness, do you see anyone casting anything, here, in this room at the moment?”

The King does a full revolution around himself. “No.” His voice gives away his confusion. I take a Vial and start mumbling. I break it, letting the fire merge together with a handful of dust and air. I grab the flames and spin them around myself in blazing waves. I shoot them upward and let the fire burn up. That leaves me with one Fire left. I need to restock...

“How...” The King staggers in place.

“It's a secret." I grin. I put the broken Vial back into the other pouch, full of used Vials, clanging the glass quietly.

“This is only the beginning.” Percival adds.

“I see.” His Majesty is intrigued.

“In time, the base should be able to produce income for itself to sustain it too.” Percy continues. “Once the Rebirth is dealt with, we'll have all this land to develop.” He purposely skips over the part to keep the site in check. I don’t think the King even cares anymore, if he'll even be alive to see it happen...

“Your Majesty, you have the once in a life time opportunity to go down in history as the one to unite all of the Original Nations, for the sake of saving our world as we know it.” Well now, Percy’s quick to pick up bad habits. I grin, as I watch our little Cleanser grow up right before my eyes.

“Sir, you shall be the one to receive the credit for what will be known as the greatest victory.” Percival takes advantage of the King's silence and grabs the opportunity by the horns. Ha! Wow. The kid's good. The King is gleaming.

“You'll have it done. I shall make a pact with the Original Nations! They will honor it!” He paces quickly. “What else?” Now’s our chance.

“We have been running into some issues, regarding the successor of late Lady Hannah. We need their knowledge for the last piece of the puzzle.”

“What issues? I never heard of anything?” The King's riled up plenty. He's clearly annoyed with something that is getting in the way...

“We were told on multiple occasions that the successor refuses to make contact with the RRD. Lady Hannah's research on disease is crucial for us.” Percival pitches in.

“Ridiculous.” The King waves his hands around. “I will have no such thing. Leave it to me. Is that everything then?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” I bow. “We appreciate the trouble.”

Percival quickly rolls his maps up. “Thank you for your time.” Percy bows.

“Not a problem.” The King nods. “Let me know if there will be anything else you need.”

“Of course.” We bow again. “If you'll excuse us.” We leave the room. We put some distance between us and the Throne room and I break.

“You sly little devil you!” I jump Percy's shoulders. “Greatest victory, huh? The one to unite the Nations, huh? I see Laira's bad influence is rubbing off on you." I ruff his hair up.

“I, honestly have no excuse...” The kid is mortified. I laugh.

“You did great. One thing though. The volunteers? How sure are you?”

“Oh, I talked to Zaltem about that. The rumors have been spreading all this time. The number of Army recruits have already increased. And if they hurry to join the army - they will get paid still and get to volunteer for the RRD.”

I stop at a halt. “You clever devil. That's why!” The kid blushes.

“Working outside of the Royal City allows troops to take their families with them...”

“Oooh. I see. “That's what you were aiming for?” I stare at him amazed. He nods.

“I hope it works. I already told the others to spread the word now.”

“Wow. Nice. Real nice. Scary. But nice.” I tell him.

“Thank you. I try my best.” He nods. “I'll be going then.”

“See ya later, come see Storm soon, she misses you.” I wink at Percy.

“I'll come round tomorrow. Promise!” He keeps his eyes to me. He'll show up. I can see it. I take a second to soak in the proud moment. I make my way to the Stables, grinning like a lunatic all the way. I look for my Robastant. I got him back, after old man Tonso passed. He borrowed him for the battle... I find my name tag on one of the gates. I realize I never really gave the guy a name... Even Crile has Axe... I stare at the tag for a moment… Marcus Tallen. Tarus. I laugh for a quick breath.

“Tarus. Come here boy. Remember me?” I open the gates. The bull-horse mix stands up, shakes the hay off and stares at me. Wait. Riiight. I bet you guys are one of the Cornutese successful productions too, huh? I freeze up at the sight and the idea combined. This trip has been one revelation after another… He walks over to me in a few easy steps and nudges me with his gigantic bull's nose. I snap out of it and pat him.

“From now on, your name will be Tarus, you like?” I ask the creature walking him outside. The coat flares up dark red in the sunlight. It's gotten colder while we were gone... I get on Tarus and we ride off. Robastants aren’t the fastest but they sure are the sturdiest mounts. They can take a few spears to the side before they will give up. Horses are easier to take down. Not to mention Oscinians. Those over grown battle chickens are the weakest. If it weren’t for their speed, they'd be useless. Oh. Snow. I see a few patches, as we dash through the woods back to the cabin. I smile at the idea of having a snowball fight with Laira and...

“Ether!! Sweetyyy!!” I hear Laira's voice. I jump of my mount.

“Marcus!” She runs over to me, tripping over her robe. “I can't find him!! I looked all over the cabin!! Every room! Every bed! Every under it! He's not here! Anywhere!” The horrified expression says it all.

“Where were the two of you last?”

“Kitchen. I went into the cellar just for a moment to look for anything edible, I forgot to pick something up and…” She crashes to her knees...

“Where are the dragons?” I ask trying to keep my cool.

“Hunting...Probably. He's not in the stables either...” She adds gasping for air... A cry echoes in the distance. A child's cry...

“ETHER!” Laira jumps up and rushes towards the forest. I follow her.

“ETHER!!” She calls again. A roar. That's definitely not Ether... We hurry to where the terrified cries are coming from.

“Marcus!!” Laira screams out in horror. Oh Gods, please no... A bear’s back comes into view... Next to it - a child huddled up between the giant roots...

“LAIRA, GET ETHER!” I shout out to her. “Over here you overgrown throw rug!!” I grab a stone and throw it at the beast. Great!! THAT'S ALL I AM WORTH? I see Laira sliding under the roots and casting a dome of Vines around herself and our boy... I grab the last Fire Vial and break it in my hand. Come on! Work! I pour the mana into it, chanting as fast as my tongue can manage. It barely even lets out a spark... COME ON!! The damn bear is right in front of me... One paw swipe and I'm... A burst of flames shoots out from my palm, just in time to surprise the fur monster. It scares it just enough for me to add a gust of the Herbs and increase the power. I can do this... I mutter the words. I keep the flame going and circle the beast away from Laira and Ether. The fire dies down. Not yet! No, no, no! NOT YET! I fail to maintain the power and the flame weakens. I quickly grab another handful of dust and throw it in the fire. Better than nothing. It gives the flame a bit of a boost. Another flare. The beast roars. I take my dagger out and charge the bear. I slide under it and stick the blade into its chest. The beast roars, standing on its hind legs. My toothpick did not do anything besides irritate it even more... I roll out of the way of the raging bear, a little too late...

“LAIRA, GET ETHER!!” Marcus shouts to me. I pick up speed the last few steps and slide in, under the roots. I grab crying Ether into my arms and quickly enclose us into a dome. The boy screams, shaking in my embrace. The bear claws at the Vines, my casting barely keeps up...”

“It's ok, baby, it's ok now. We're here now.” I hold him to me. I hear the sound of a fire blazing. Marcus is fighting. Alone. I need to help... I feel a squeeze on my stomach. Ether has his tiny hands clutching onto my robe, with his face buried in me.

“Sweet baby. It's ok. It's ok...” I stroke his hair as my tears drop down on him... Another roar... Marcus... Another roar... Please... Ether cries louder... My body trembles...

“Sweetness...”

“Marcus!”

“It's ok now...” I hear his voice tell me from a distance... I release the spell and look around. Marcus waves to me, a few yards away... I pick Ether up and run over to him... The bear is on its side, right next to him... With a burnt paw and an ice spike in the throat... Marcus is covered in blood... With his right leg and arm completely crushed... I kneel next to my man, put the child down and freeze...

“Hey, sweety, did we scare you?” Marcus speaks to our boy... “I'm sorry...” His pulse is weak... I want to help and yet I don't have the foggiest where to start!

“It's ok now... Don't cry...” Marcus puts his hand on Ether's face.

“Don't die...” A tiny voice speaks from the boy. “Don't die...” He says it again... Marcus laughs clumsily. I finally snap out of it and reach into my holster for a potion. I stick it right into Marcus's mouth. He coughs but manages to drink it.

“I won't die...” He says. Ether starts crying again. I quickly wrap Marcus's limbs in Vines.

“We're getting you to the Infirmary. Now.” I tell him.

“I won't make it...” Marcus says to me...

“He'll be here soon...” I look up the sky, ignoring the stupid Mage. A roar from above comes thundering down on us. Meteor. With Marcus half dead he rushed over.

“Good boy. He can't land here.” I pick Marcus up as best I can and try to walk him to a more open area. Meteor doesn't have that patience. He torches a few trees, burning them up, to make room for himself and puts the remaining flames out with the pressure from his wings as he lands next to us. I climb up, put Marcus next to the nape of the neck and use the Vines to strap him in, letting them slither around the dragons scaled neck. I jump down, grab Ether and climb back up the dragon.

“Palace.” Is all I say and we take off. I cling onto Meteor the same way Ether clings to Marcus.

“PERCIVAL!” I scream inside my head.

“You startled me.”

“Help! Marcus is! He!” Random words juggle inside my head.

“What? What is it? Did something happen?”

“He's Dying! Help!” Is all I manage.

“WHAT! I SAW HIM AN HOUR AGO!”

“There was a bear and Ether and...” I can’t...

“A what? A bear? Never mind! Where are you!”

“We're coming in on Meteor. We're almost here.”

“Ok. I'm on my way.”

“Please...” I clutch the Vines... Meteor roars and circles the sky.

“Just land!” I kick his scales, almost falling off. He roars again and lands, carefully. I grab Ether and slide down the dragon. I go back up and unhook Marcus. He's barely conscious. I struggle to get him down. Meteor stretches out his wing. Gotchya. I nod and slide down it with Marcus in my arms.

“Miss!” Percival's voice reaches me. I look around. I see him running to me with some other Cleansers right behind him.

“Miss! What happ–“ His face freezes mid breath.

“Get him inside NOW! I NEED RAVOS AND CLEANSERS STAT!!” His voice changes. I help a few guys get the cocooned Marcus on a stretcher and they carry him away quickly. I crash to my knees and scream out.

“PERCIVAL!!” A voice screams inside my head. I stagger in place. My head rings.

“You startled me.”

“Help! Marcus is! He!” Random words ring inside my mind. Something's off.

“What? What is it? Did something happen?”

“He's Dying! Help!” Is all I hear.

“WHAT! I SAW HIM AN HOUR AGO!” My body moves on its own.

“There was a bear and Ether and...”

“A what? A bear? Never mind! Where are you!” I ask running toward the Infirmary.

“We're coming in on Meteor. We're almost here.” She says.

“Ok. I'm on my way.” I pick up speed. To hell with this! I jump out the first window I see and run across the yard.

“There's an emergency!” I start shouting. “I need help!” I yell running across the yard like a deranged person.

“Master Percival?” A voice. I stop and look around. A girl.

“Are there any high skilled Cleansers around?”

“Yes. A few.” She nods.

“Please get them and bring them near the entrance. We have a patient incoming in critical condition! Any Ravos too!” I run off again. I see the dragon. I rush over.

“Miss! I “call out and she turns to me with Sir Marcus in her arms.

“Miss! What happ–“ Half of his body has been mummified with Vines. Oh Gods... I hear a noise behind me.

“Get him inside NOW! I NEED RAVOS AND CLEANSERS STAT!!” I hear a voice that's not mine yet it comes out of my throat. Miss Laira helps a few guys get the wrapped-up Sir Marcus on a stretcher and they carry him away. She crashes to her knees and screams out in agony. Ether stands there watching her. His eyes red and face puffy... I smack myself in the face and crouch down by the Miss. I take her by the shoulders and shake her.

“LAIRA!” I hear something come out of my throat. The wet yellows stare at me.

“Get a grip! I need you to focus! Tell me what happened! His injury!” Silence. “NOW, DAMN IT!” I scream in her face.

“Crushed. His right side. Crushed. Arm and leg. Internal damage. Possible.” She speaks in hacked sentences.

“What did you do? Treatment!” I ask again.

“Potion. Health. Vines. Preserve.” She stares at me without blinking. Potion and Vines to sustain him. Ok. Crushed. Bones gone, probably. Muscle damage. Right side... Organs... I take a breath.

“He won’t die.” I promise you. I tell the Miss. I look at Ether. He stares at me with his greys. No doubt. No panic. No question. A cold, hard look.

“I promise.” I tell him and run back inside.

“Master!” The same girl waves to me in one of the doorways. “In here!” I run in.

“Status.” I throw my robe off and dip my hands into boiling water, purely out of habit.

“Alive. Barely. For now.” She tells me.

“Where's Zaltem?” I look around.

“Not here yet.” Someone says.

“On his way.” Another voice.

“We used a few potions. But the Vines...” Another voice.

“Remove them slowly. Right arm and leg are crushed. Possible internal damage. I want every bone fragment out of the flesh and anything usable - salvaged. Heal the muscle as you go along. Work fast and work thorough.”

“Percy...” Sir Marcus reaches for me. I take his hand. “Don’t...bother...”

“Shut THE HELL UP!” I snap at him, squeezing his hand. “I made a promise to save you and I’m going to SEE TO IT EVEN IF IT KILLS ME! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO! YOU WERE FINE LIKE AN HOUR AGO! DAMN IT!” The words spill out of me... I hear a faint giggle and panic fills the room.

“We're losing him!”

“THE HELL WE ARE!” I press my hands down on his chest and start casting. As if. Not on my watch.

“I need Herbs! Enchanted ones NOW!” A noise follows and a pouch appears next to me. I take one hand off the Sir's chest and move it around to his side. I take a handful of the Herbs and hold them next to an open flesh wound, letting them seep into his body. I move the two hands in a crescent moon manner and begin pulling on nothing. I chant the spell and move my hands, imitating waves. As long as the heart doesn’t stop...

“We need more potions!” Someone yells. I see Ravos and Cleansers working together on the crushed limbs. Bone shards are being removed from the flesh. I keep the chant going, as I push and pull the air around the heart. Rocking it. Keeping it beating. Nice and steady. Just enough to keep the blood pumping. Not on my watch.

“I promise.” Percy tells Ether. His back is all I see as he runs off. I gasp for air. My lungs are on fire. My chest aches. I can’t breathe... Marcus... I... Need to... Help... I can’t... Move... I feel a nudge. Vision’s a blur. I turn my eyes. Ether. His tiny shape with horns... The fuzzy image of his figure... I focus my attention on him. I can’t get a single gulp of air in yet. I feel something. A hug. I look down. The view is clearing up. I see him. Hugging me. I see him. I finally manage to take in a breath.

“Help.” I whisper. “HELP ME!” I scream inside my head again.

“Laira?” A voice.

“What is it? Talk to us!” Breeze.

“What’s going on?” Crile. I gasp for air.

“Marcus is dying. He got injured and...”

“WHAT! WHEN! HOW!”

“HELP ME!” I wake up from a scream inside my head.

“Laira?” I ask the darkness.

“What is it? Talk to us!” Breeze sits up in panic next to me on the bed.

“What’s going on?” I focus my attention.

“Marcus is dying. He got injured and...” Laira breaks up.

“WHAT! WHEN! HOW!” Breeze screams out, waking up the twins. I crawl out of the bed to them.

“Just now...” A tiny tremble... “I don’t know if he'll make it...”

“Is Percy with you?” I put Xan on my shoulder and place a hand on Rei's belly.

“LAIRA! IS PERCY THERE WITH YOU!” Breeze repeats the question scaring the kids again. She finally snaps out of it and comes over too. She takes Reina into her arms.

“Yes.” Finally an answer!

“Then you have nothing to worry about.” I tell Laira swaying in place with Xander. “Trust in Percival.”

“I... I don’t know what to do...” I feel the desperation in her voice...

“Of course you do!” Breeze takes over. “You're a mother now! You don’t have the luxury of mopping around! You have Ether to think about!”

“I have to help Marcus...”

“You can help him by taking care of Ether! Get a grip, damn it!” Breeze is harsh.

“Is that what you call though love?” I whisper to her.

“Shush you.” She silences me and I smile.

“Laira! Focus! Marcus is in good hands! Let Percy worry about helping him. You worry about yourself and most importantly Ether! Do you understand me!” Zarri's tone may be rough but her face is in pain. The moonlight reflects in the frustrated tears on her face... I put the sleeping Xan back into the cradle. I take a robe off the floor and put it around my wife's naked shoulders.

“You'll catch a cold.” I whisper to her, taking our girl from her.

“Laira, you have nothing to worry about. Marcus will be as good as new once Percy finishes. Breathe, ok?” Just breathe.” I tell her softly. Trying my best to hide my frustrations too.

“Ok...” She tells us.

“We're here for you.” Breeze tells her wrapping her arms around herself.

“Right.” Laira's voice goes quiet.

“PERCIVAL!!!” Zarri roars, splitting my head in half, again.

“IM IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING HERE!!” The kid answers with an angry gusto. I giggle.

“We KNOW! HOW IS HE!” Breeze snaps again. Her body trembling and not from the cold...

“Alive!! For now...” I feel the worry in his voice. I lay Rei down and hug Breeze.

“Can you do it?” I ask Percy.

“I WILL do it.” Ha! Good answer. I smile.

“He's all yours.” I tell him.

“Leave it to me.” Is the last thing we hear. Breeze twitches in my arms... My chest wet and warm...

“He'll be fine. You heard the kid. He'll take care of it.” I stroke my wife's hair. I never was much of a believer and I won't start now but I pray to the universe to give Percy the strength to make it happen...

I get my breathing back in place and stand up, with Ether hanging on to me. I pat Meteor. His expression is what I feel like.

“It'll be ok. Right. Percy said so. You stay here. We'll check on him.” I pat his nose. The dragon makes a worried growl and curls up, hiding his head under his wing. I go inside the Infirmary. I see a girl run into a room. I follow her. I peek inside. I see Percy's back. This is it. I quickly turn away and walk over to the side. These are the operation chambers. I slide down to the floor, with Ether in my lap. Only then it hits me.

“Are you hungry?” I ask our boy. He shakes his head. I reach into my pouch for a snack. I find two cookies from the ship.

“Here.” I give them to him. He refuses again. I put them back.

“You tell me when you need something. Ok?” He nods.

“Oh! Lady Evergreen!” A Balli girl stands next to us. “You shouldn’t sit here. You'll catch a cold. You can wait in one of the empty rooms there, if you wish to...”

“It's fine.” I cut in. “There's no telling when an emergency can happen. We'll wait here, if that's ok?” I stare at her with a blunt look. She hesitates but nods.

“Thank you.” I tell her quietly. She leaves us. We sit there. Waiting. I listen to the sounds. I feel like being underwater... I hum a melody from a lifetime ago... Tears roll over me... Memories of my childhood flood me... I clutch onto Ether... I can’t do this... Please... I beg the universe... Please... I... Footsteps echo through the stone corridor.

“Miss Evergreen!” A familiar voice reaches me. I look up.

“Zaltem!” I stand up, cradling Ether. “Save him! Please!” I break down again.

“On it.” He nods and goes into the room. I slump back onto the floor and sob quietly...

“Miss... Miss...” A whisper wakes me up.

“How is he?” I mumble.

“We're working on it.” I focus my gaze. Zaltem's face comes into view. Drained. “You should take your boy and go home for the night. We'll keep going till it's done.” I want to argue but I can't. I stand up.

“Alright then. Appreciate it.” Is all I say and leave the Infirmary. I walk to Meteor. He greets us with his light.

“Let’s go home. They said they will take care of him.” I tell the dragon. He lets us climb on. With everything going on I failed to notice Ether's behavior. I feel like this should be his first time encountering a dragon yet he doesn’t seem scared. I focus my attention on the boy. His face is swollen and his eyes are red. He has a worried yet focused expression on his tired face. It doesn’t take long for Meteor to take us back. I jump off first and catch Ether. I hold him up for a moment longer.

“This is Ether. He's ours now. Say hi.” I tell Meteor. He sniffs the boy. Ether watches the dragon.

“This is Meteor, he's Marcus's dragon. Go on.” I encourage him. Ether looks back at me for a moment and puts his hand on the scaled body. He swipes it to the sides a few times and smiles.

“There we go. I let them have a moment. I hear a roar and see the other's come out too. Storm runs over flapping her wings to greet us. Sky follows her lead, just without the gustful winds.

“Hi, girl, you good?” I pat her. She almost purrs. Ether carefully stretches his little hand to her.

“This is Storm. She used to be Breeze's dragon, and Meteor was Crile's.” I tell our boy. He quickly looks at me surprised. Storm gives the little guy a sniff too and nudges him slightly. Ether giggles and pets her. I see Sky watching me from a bit of a distance.

“It's ok. Come over.” I wave to the shy dragon. Storm steps aside and Sky creeps in.

“This is my dragon. His name is Sky.” I tell our boy. “Sky, this is Ether. He'll be living with us from now on.” I tell my dragon. The look he has on him...

“Sky used to belong to Starlight. She was a friend of ours. She was Cornutese, just like you.” I tell Ether. He turns his little head to me in awe. I put Ether down and let him approach Sky by himself. The dragon keeps staring at the little one. I wonder if he thinks it's Star, or something... Judging by his eyes, he might be... Sky hesitates for another moment. Ether reaches for him. Sky lowers his nose down, bit by bit. He hovers over Ether, taking in his scent. He circles his head over the boy one more time before letting him touch his nose. Ether strokes the dragon's scales even more carefully than he did with the other two. Sky retracts and stares at me again. I pick Ether back up into my arms.

“All good?” I ask them. Ether nods. Sky blinks. I turn to Meteor. “Now then, get inside and be ready to move out. I'll come get you when I need you. Ok?” The dragon lets out a tiny, sad roar. I take our boy inside the cabin. It's pitch black in here. Our Light Stones died without the mana supply... Not that I need them. I remember clearly what the place looks like... We go into the bathroom to wash up a little. I take some candles out from under the basin and light them up. I help Ether out of his dirty clothes and pat him down with a damp towel. I realize I have nothing here to change him into. All of the bags are still in the living room. I wrap him up in a towel and leave him on the stool. I wash my hands and face. I stare into the mess of a reflection in the mirror over the basin, with the gloomy light dancing on my face...

“Right. Focus.” I let my hair down and give them a quick brush over. I braid them and pin them up again.

“Right, let's get you changed.” I take Ether and a candle into my arms, and we go raid the bags. I let him mess around in the dark till he finds a pair of pajamas to wear. He puts the shirt and the shorts on.

“How about something to eat before we call it a night?” He nods with a smile. Except that we barely have anything... I go look for something down in the cellar again. This time I take Ether with me. He clings to me again. This place must look scary in the weak light... There should be something... I take a jar of mixed vegetables and some white grains... Ether watches my every move as he sits there on the counter. I place the stupid candle next to us. I get the Spark Stones and start a fire under the stove. It resembles a fire place rather than the kitchen stove. I get the fire going and put the pot with water on it. I take a pan with some oil and let it heat up before tossing in the veggies. I sprinkle them with some sugar. It has vinegar in it, it should help ease the acidity. I taste them and give a piece to Ether.

“Try it and see if you like it.” He bites it and chews slowly. He smiles and nods.

“Ok then.” I add a dash of salt and pepper in and let them fry a little longer. The water boils in the pot. I pour the grains in with a tablespoon of salt, stir for a bit and put the lid back onto the clay pot. It'll be a bit before the grains are done... I close off the fire a bit more under the pan and let it roar under the pot. I rustle in the cupboards for some tea. Calming Herbs. I smile at the label Percy made. I put it back. I take some black tea and make us two cups with some honey. An extra teaspoon for Ether. I need to go shopping. We made sure not to leave anything before setting off, so now there's nothing here... I set the plates out and put the fried veggies in.

“Have these first, the grains aren’t done yet...” I try to smile. Ether nods and eats up. I take a few bites myself. I barely taste anything... I take the pot of the stove and let it rest till we get done with the veggies... I try the grains. Edible enough. I put some in a bowl for Ether and hand him a spoon instead of his fork.

“Eat as much as you can.” I tell him. “And don’t forget your tea.” I smile briefly. He nods. I slide the shutters on the fire and let it slowly burn up. Ether manages to clear his share. I toss the dishes in the wooden basin, get the cork in and pour some water over them. Ether hands me his empty cup too. I leave the dishes to soak and take Ether into my embrace again. I take the candle too and we go upstairs. I set Ether down on the bed with the candle on the nightstand.

“I'll go change and be right back, ok?” I pat his head. He nods. “Don’t go anywhere. Please.” I whisper as I leave him there. I return to the bathroom and light another candle. I take my robe and the light gear under it off with the shaky hands. I barely manage to keep it together. I step into the tub and let the freezing water wash over me for a brief moment. I quiver from the cold and quickly wrap myself up in a robe. I return to our boy.

“Do you need to go to the restroom?” I ask him crouching down. He nods. “Alright.” I take the candle and Ether downstairs again. I set the light down next to the small basin in the restroom and let him take care of business. He steps out a few minutes later. I pour some water in the basin and I pick him up to let him wash his hands. We go back up, and cuddle up for the night... Ether passes out instantly. Brave little boy... I stroke his back over the covers. I gaze into the dark abyss till I too, pass out...

I step outside into the dark hall. Miss Laira and little Ether are at their usual spot – crashed on the floor, by the door. I sit down next to them... I see Ether open his eyes. I nod before he wakes the Miss up.

“He's ok.” I whisper. “Your dad's fine.” I smile. He burrows himself back inside the Miss’s arms.

“Commander?” I reach out.

“Percival! Dear gods what is going!”

“It's over. We did all we could. He's stable now.”

A sigh of relief. “You scared us for a second there.” Lady Breeze sounds exhausted...

“Thank you, Percival.” The Sir's calm voice is a nice contrast to the Lady's antsiness.

“Not at all. I just kept him alive... The others did all of the work...”

“And none of that work would have mattered if you hadn’t kept him going till they finished.” Sir Crile tells me.

“Thank you.” I answer.

“Get some rest. You need it. We'll talk later.” Lady Breeze sounds so warm now. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” I answer.

“Is he ok now? Can we see him?” Miss Laira's eyes stare at me in the dark.

“I figured you were asleep.”

“I just woke up.” She tells me quietly.

“Then go home. Come back in the morning. He's stable and asleep. I'll keep watch. You've been camping out here for two days.” I look at her. She fights it.

“Very well.” She gets up with the boy in her arms. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” I stand up too and see her off. I return to the operating room, where sir Marcus is sleeping soundly. I sit down on the chair in the corner.

“Did she leave?” Zaltem asks me.

“Yes. We need to move him out of here...” I didn’t want her to see the bloody mess everywhere.

“Right then. One last job before we're done here.” He stands up and some others do too. They take the stretcher with sir Marcus off the table and carry him out. I pick myself up and off the chair and fall to my knees. I brace for impact yet remain dangling in free fall.

“You're beat too.” Zaltem speaks to me.

“I'll rest when I die.” I straighten out and follow the rest of the party.

“You won’t have to wait long at this rate.” He walks next to me.

“Tell me about it.” I sway as I walk but manage to keep an upright position. The guys carry Sir Marcus to the resting wing. We got a private room for him. Pays off to be a Royal Hound... The team manages to transfer the Mage over to the bed. I crash in a chair again.

“You good here? Or would you like us to carry you too?” Zaltem pokes fun at me.

“I'll be fine. Thanks for your hard work.” I bow my head to the others and everyone leaves. I don’t hold out any longer and pass out cold...

My head swims. I don’t feel anything besides pain all over. I open my eyes. The light hurts them... I blink a few times. I try to look around.

“Marcus?” I hear a voice. Painfully familiar and warm...

“Marcus, can you hear me?” I feel something touch my skin. Who is Marcus? Wait. Me. I am. I'm Marcus. I look to the side. A blurry imagine stands next to me... I pour all of my strength into my eyeballs. I squint and ah, there we go.

“Hi, beautiful... Is this heaven?”

“Idiot!” I feel a weight on my chest and a squeeze on my hand.

I gaze down. “Hi, baby.” I try to smile.

“Dad!” I hear and cries follow. Dad!? Suddenly my visions a lot clearer. I see Laira on the chair next to me and Ether on my chest, bawling his tiny eyes out.

“Dad?” I ask out loud this time.

“Don’t flatter yourself. He called me mom yesterday ago.” She grins proudly to me. I try to laugh. Ouch.

“How are you feeling?” She asks softly again.

“Hurt all over...”

“Good. Means you’re alive.”

“I know that voice.” I try to lift my head off the pillow.

“You'll be out of it a little longer before you can move.” Percival comes into the range of my vision. “Welcome back.”

“Something tells me you had a lot to do with that.”

“Not only. A whole team of Cleansers and Ravos worked on you.” Laira tells me. I feel Ether quiet down under my palm.

“It took us working non-stop for a full day and a half with one night to put you back together.” Percy tells me. I focus my sight on him. He looks exhausted to say the least. “You were out for another two days.”

“Appreciate the trouble.” I mumble.

“You’d better.” The kid tells me. “You get yourself in that kind of a condition again and I'll finish the job instead of healing you.”

“Ha!” I let it slip and laugh painfully.

“I’m sorry...” Huh? I look down. “I’m so sorry... I’m sorry...” Ether keeps muttering between small gasps of air...

“Nooo, baby... It's not your fault...” I stroke his head. “You're alright. I’m glad you didn’t get hurt... “

“But you almost DIED!!” He screams out and continues to sob.

“Don’t. Ether. It's ok. I knew the risks... I should have trained more...”

“You should have!” Laira sobs too. “I should have...”

“Oh lords don’t start again.” Percy cuts in. “You have them to report too.” He tells me. I giggle.

“I'd rather not. I feel like I can die for real from that...”

“The faster the better.” He gives me a look that makes it very difficult to argue with him... “Oh boy...” I reach for them.

“Knock knock?”

“MARCUS!! FINALLY!!” Breeze shouts inside my head.

“Welcome back to us.” Crile's calm tone soothes the ringing.

“How are you feeling?” He asks.

“Hurt all over...” I answer.

“Good. Means you’re not dead.” He tells me. I can just see the stupid grin on his face.

“WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!!” Breeze yells at me again.

“I wasn’t.” I admit. “I saw my kid in danger and I acted. Isn’t that what it means to be a parent?”

Silence. Is my Lector stone broken? I hear a roaring laughter. Crile.

“Well said.”

“Can’t argue with him when he puts it like that...” Breeze seems to have calmed a bit...

“Rest well. Talk later.” Crile finishes it.

“Sorry to have worried you.”

“Don’t. Even.” Breeze hisses at me and I smile.

“Later then.” I say.

“Well that went well.” I announce to the others. “Help me up?” I reach out. Laira and Percy both assist me to sit up.

“How’s that?” She asks adjusting the pillow.

“Great, thank you.” I look at our Cleanser. “What did you do to me?” I stretch my right arm out.

“We tried to salvage whatever we could.” He tells me bluntly.

“You make it sound like I’m a shipwreck.”

“Think of it however you like.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Your joints had to be replaced with a cluster of Vines. We used them to, basically hang the bones with tiny threads from the muscle. That's why you can still move. Lucky you it was mostly your elbow and shoulder that got most of the impact. Your hand there, retained your original structure.” He explains it to me. I stretch the fingers out and touch the elbow. Vines, huh?

“What else?” I ask.

“Same thing with your hip and knee. A portion of the ribs too. My estimate is, that you'll require frequent maintenance.” Percy doesn’t sugar coat it for me.

“It's a good thing I’m marrying a Ravo, then huh?” I smile at Laira.

“Marry?” Percy stares at me.

“He proposed on our way to Crepitus.” Laira answers.

“I'm looking forward to it.” The kid finally smiles at me. The door opens and the King walks in.

“Your Highness.” Laira bows and so does Percy. Ether slides of the bed and bows too.

“At ease.” The King waves them off. “I heard what happened. I see you pulled through.”

“Your Majesty, pardon me for my lack of respect at the moment.” I nod. “I feel honored to have the King himself check on me.”

“But of course. I heard a great deal on Skyrider's performance during this operation. Tell me, that name?” He glares at Percy.

“Yes. Late Deathbreeze Skyrider passed down her dragon to me, Storm Skyrider. It was agreed during our trip to the Castle of Despair. I bonded with the dragon during that time too.” He's good. Percival's face is unreadable.

“Ah, and miss Evergreen? Weren't you closer to our War Chieftain?”

“Yes, we were childhood friends. But I have the honor of taking care of late Lady Amana Starlight's dragon, Sky Starlight. We had him renamed with my last name.”

“I see. What happened to Shadowkill's dragon then? The black one.”

“Meteor is under my jurisdiction now.” I tell the King. Of course, he didn’t come over to check on me. He was just baiting us to see if we'd slip up. Tough luck.

“I see. Very well. Now then, if you'll excuse me.” The King leaves the room as abruptly as he entered it.

“What was that all about?” Percy asks.

“Testing us. He probably suspects us.” Laira answers.

"Yet he didn't say anything about your "last name" last time we saw him." I roll my eyes and my head aches again.

“I doubt he was paying attention that time, anyways, the entire fighting forces saw the dragons. No reason to think that wasn’t believable.” Our Cleanser sits back down.

“Hope so.” Laira takes her place by my side, with Ether on the chair now.

“That reminds me, I heard from Zaltem, yesterday, was it? That we were finally granted access to Lady Hannah’s research, well kind of?” Percival says.

“Kind of?” I ask.

“Why wasn’t I told about this?” Laira stares at Percy. He ignores her.

“The King pressured the successor to meet with us, she agreed to do it but that was all. Due to the situation…” He gives me a look. Sorry… I avert my eyes…

“When can we meet her?” Laira asks our Cleanser.

“I’m trying to get in touch but she’s fighting it. I asked Zaltem to keep the pressure going, hopefully we’ll hear something soon.” He explains.

“I want to be there when you go.” Laira insists, without giving the kid an option to decline.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” He smiles briefly. I clear my throat.

“How long am I staying here?” I ask Percy.

“Till you manage to stand on your own. Which won't be happening any time soon, so make yourself at home.”

“Great. The cabin's a mess. I need to get a ton of things anyways.” Laira tells me, resting her head on mine.

“This what a care home feels like?” I ask someone.

“Be happy to have your private chambers.” Percy tells me. Right.

“Anyhow, I'll leave you guys to it. Reach for me if you need anything at any time. I'm close by.”

“Percival. Thank you.” I give him my right hand. He shakes it.

“Don’t mention it.” The kid tells me and leaves the room.

“He'll never admit it but Percival kept you alive, without stopping, so the others could operate on you. He used his Shamanic casting.” Laira tells me quietly.

“How did he do that?”

“He used Air casting to stimulate your heart, to keep it from stopping. Zaltem told me.”

“He was involved too?”

“Yes. Because I was completely useless...” I feel her sob silently. I reach for her.

“You had Ether to take care of...”

“That's what everyone tells me... I don't know what I would have done without Percival and the others... I didn’t have a single clue about what to do or anything...”

“You did plenty...” I feel her face. Wet from the tears... I look at Ether and he's back to weeping too...

I spend my days cooped up in the Infirmary chambers. Laira and Ether spend most of the afternoons here, keeping me company. Depending on Ether's mood, he sometimes speaks, sometimes not. He hasn’t called me dad since I woke up... The door opens.

“You guys are early today.” I speak, sitting up.

“Sorry to disappoint.” A husky female voice speaks to me.

“Oh. Captain Matile. What a surprise.”

“I'll say. Not many survive hustling with a wild grizzly.”

“Yes, I hear that a lot these days. Please. Take a seat.” I point to the chair.

“Oh that's fine. I won’t be long. Just wanted to check on you.”

“I appreciate the trouble. Sorry to have worried you. Thank you for carrying.” I sing the same thing to everyone who stops by.

“I see you have plenty of visitations.” She smiles.

“I’m sorry.”

“It's fine. As a matter of fact, I came here to apologize...” Huh? I don’t follow? “Anyone willing to sacrifice themselves for a child is the right choice for them. I am sorry I ever doubted you.” Matile tells me. I find myself completely lost. I stare at her.

“I’m sorry, it may be due to my condition but I don’t follow?”

“Didn’t she?” The Captain pauses. “I approached Evergreen about Ether. I suggested that perhaps me and my husband should take him...”

“Oh. Right. I forgot. Sorry, my head’s a mess.” I lie with a smile. She shakes her head.

“Not at all. I understand. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have taken up so much of your time. I hope you'll be back in action soon.” She nods and leaves.

“Thank you.” I tell her as she closes the door. Approached Evergreen about Ether? I cover my face with my hands and just sit there. The door opens again.

“Dad!” Ether jumps on the bed to hug me. I hold him to me.

“Hey there, how are you today?” Laira sets a bag down on the nightstand.

“Ether, honey, can you do me a favor and go find uncle Percy? I need to ask him something. Just don’t get lost, ok?” I ask our boy.

“Sure!” Ether jumps down and walks out the room.

“We need to talk.” I stare at Laira.

A knock on my office door snaps me back to reality.

“Yes?” I call out. The door opens and a horn at the knob level shows itself.

“Ether!” I jump out of my chair.

“Dad said he needs to ask you something.” He tells me. I take him by the hand.

“Ok, sure.” We walk back to Sir Marcus's room. The boy has begun to speak sometimes. Judging by his sentences, it doesn’t seem like he never knew how to speak before. It seems that he simply didn't want to. Must've been some trauma or something that caused him to shut down... He's not as shy anymore either... His confidence has been growing by the day… Maybe that's why he wondered off into the woods by the cabin? He felt comfortable with them? I look at the boy. His face has a weird expression. I stop for a moment. Loud voices reach my ears. We walk up to the room and...

“THE PROBLEM ISN’T THAT YOU HANDLED IT!! IT'S THAT YOU DIDN’T TELL ME!! HOW COULD YOU HAVE KEPT THIS FROM ME!!” That's sir Marcus...

“BECAUSE!! LIKE I SAID!! I WENT BACK ON HOUR LATER AND SAID NO THANK YOU!! I DIDN’T THINK IT WAS WORTH MENTIONING IT SINCE I WASN’T GOING TO DO IT!!” That's the miss...

“THAT’S NOT THE POINT!! DID YOU THINK THAT I PROPOSED TO YOU JUST BECAUSE OF ETHER!!” A deafening pause... “ANSWER ME!!”

“MAYBE!!”

“DAMN IT, LAIRA!!”

“They are fighting... Because of me... Again…” A tiny voice speaks from the boy. I slam the doors open.

“ENOUGH!” Now I roar at them. “You two are a hundred years too early to be having these shouting matches!” Both of them stare at me without making a sound or a move. Ether on the other hand weeps silently next to me.

“You’re scaring your son.” I tell the two idiots.

“Ether, I'm sorry...” The Miss kneels a few steps away from the boy. He slips his hand out of mine and dashes off, down the corridor.

“ETHER!” Sir Marcus tries to get up.

“DONT MOVE OR I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!” I growl at the Mage. “I'll get him.” I run off. Damn the two idiots. I chase after the boy. I catch up to him right before we hit the communal beds.

“Ether, wait, wait, please.” I grab him. He squirms. A lot. “Please wait. Listen. Hey. Easy. Easy.” I tell him. He keeps fussing but less. I wait a moment longer.

“Do you like Marcus and Laira?” I ask the boy. He stops fighting. “Do you like being with them?” I ask again. “Do you think they will hurt you?” I ask again. He shakes his head.

“Of course not, because they would never.”

“They aren’t fighting because of you. They are fighting because of them.” I try to explain it to the boy. "Sometimes parents fight with each other. But that doesn’t mean they don’t care about you.” He looks at me.

“Tell me, do you want to never see Laira and Marcus again?”

“No.”

“Neither do they.” I pat his head. I stare at his horns that sir Marcus and I worked on, because they were so banged up, magic wasn't able to fix them...

“Let’s go back to them. They worry about you. Ok?” He nods, wipes his eyes with the back of his hands and we walk back. If this is what it looks like being in love, then I'd rather not... I think to myself. We find the two idiots sitting quietly. The looks on their faces remind me of a funeral mood. The Miss notices us first. She staggers, trying to stand up but sits back down instead. Ether hides behind me for a quick second... We wait. He lets go of me and runs over to the Miss, burying his face into her knees. His attachment to the two of them is growing stronger with each passing day... Strangely, nobody says anything. Silence rolls over us.

“Percival?” Zaltem’s voice echoes in my head.

“What is it?”

“Miss Emalavi has agreed to meet with you.” He tells me. About damn time.

“When?”

“Now.”

“Say again?” I stare at my feet.

“She said she'll meet with you now or never. To quote her.”

“On my way. Thank you, Zaltem.”

“No problem.” His voice disappears.

“Pardon me for breaking up your moment but miss Emalavi has agreed to meet with me, so I'll leave you guys now.” I tell the others, standing up.

“I'll go with you.” The Miss picks up the boy and hands him to his father.

“Are you sure?” I ask her.

“Yes.” She answers sharp. Ok then.

“We better hurry then. She hasn’t given us much time.”

“Have fun.” Sir Marcus smiles at us.

“Smartass.” I mumble walking out the door. Miss Laira follows me. Neither she, nor I say anything for a long moment. I wonder if I even need to say anything...

“Thank you and sorry.” She speaks to me. I steal a quick glance at her.

“I... I have no idea what you are talking about.” I blabber. She chuckles.

“We never had a reason to fight before. This is rather new for us...” She admits.

“Somehow that does not surprise me.”

“Have you ever been in love before?” She asks.

“Where is this coming from?” I stutter, staring at the Miss's profile.

“I take it it's a no then?” She smiles at me.

“Yes.” I confess. “I have no idea what that feels like.”

“Love isn't a feeling.” She whispers. “It's an ability. An adult person is either capable of it, or not. A child is able to learn how to love, as long someone guides them down the right path...”

“I never thought of it that way... Then maybe I simply don't know how to love?” I ask myself.

The Miss laughs under her breath again. “Oh, you're capable alright. You care deeply, that's the first sign.” She smiles at me softly. I feel the skin on my face get warmer. Damn it. I quickly pinch myself in the leg. We arrive at the Medical Research wing. A Primerian girl greets us at the door.

"Sir Skyrider, Lady Evergreen. We've been expecting you. Please. Follow me." We look at each other for a quick moment and let the girl guide us. We walk through the entire floor, all the way to the back. Our guide proceeds down the stairs.

“I have to wonder, where is it that you are taking us to?” The Miss asks coldly.

“Oh, fret not. This is where the research takes places, as not to disturb the rest of the work upstairs.”

“Thoughtful.” I say. We walk down a stone corridor, heavily lit across both sides with Light Stones. She stops by a door and opens it for us.

“Please. The Master is waiting.” We enter a room, that vaguely resembles an office. A Primerian woman in her mid-30s greets us, without looking up from her papers.

“You and your so-called division, have been pestering me for weeks now. I am a very busy person. Make it quick.” Did I say greet? I jumped ahead there.

“We wouldn’t have had to pester you, if you simply agreed to help the Rebirth Research Division the first time we asked.” I recognize that tone. The Miss is itching for a fight. I wonder if it truly was a good idea to bring her with me?

“Did you not hear what I said?” Master Emalavi finally lifts her gaze up at us.

“Then let’s not waste any more time.” The Miss says. “Tell us everything you know about diseases and how to treat them.”

“Ha!” She laughs at us. “For someone of your status I expected you to have more brain power.” She pauses. “I can't tell you that.”

“Do you refuse to cooperate with us even after receiving direct orders from the King of the Concord, himself?” Miss Laira keeps the pressure going.

“Do not twist my words, Evergreen.” Master Emalavi glares at the Miss. “I cannot tell you everything about diseases. It would take me weeks to do that. If you have a specific inquiry in mind, then perhaps I would be able to help you. If not - leave. Now.” She goes back to her books.

“Percival. Feel free to take over any time now.” The Miss growls slightly inside my head.

“I didn’t think I should...”

“Now!” She growls for real this time. Ok ok. This tension caught me off guard a little... Think, you! Aah.. I curse my lack of knowledge on the topic one last time...

“Well?” The Master pushes us.

“Flesh!” A word slips out of me. I clear my throat. “I meant to say, flesh eating disease and its treatment.”

“Amputation is the most effective one I know.” Master Emalavi answers me with a smirk.

“We're trying to preserve life here.” The Miss steps in again. The Master looks back at us again. She puts her feather down.

“Depending on the area of infection and how severe it is there really is no other treatment for flesh eaters other than the removal of the limb. However. If the disease has made its way toward the internal organs, than only death can cure it.” She takes a moment. We let her take the lead on this one.

“Now, if the disease is in its early stages, it can be slowed down and cured even, in some cases, with topical applications and Cleanser treatment.”

“What are the signs for the injection?” Miss Laira asks.

“It can appear as a rash, a cut or simply a change of color. There are variations. Some types appear and disappear randomly throughout an individual's life span, without ever getting truly treated yet not causing much of a threat either.”

“And the treatment for all types are topical applications only?” I ask.

“Yes. Medicine that has been created for topical applications is not recommended for ingestion. The stomach acid would simply dissolve the drugs, without them ever taking effect. Some flesh wounds can only be healed externally. Applying healing spells to an injected area, without cleaning the wound first will do more damage. This is basic healing. I expected you, of all people, to be familiar with that.” Master Emalavi stares me down. I hold her gaze.

“Yes. I am well aware of that. However, diseases are something out of my area of expertise, as I have not yet lived long enough to be able to research it as well as you have. I have barely finished with poison. A question.” I pause.

“Yes?”

“Would it be possible to create a liquid version of the most effective ointment?”

“Perhaps. But its effectiveness would drop significantly. That's why we don't use it.”

“What are you thinking?” The Miss cuts in.

“We don't need to completely treat it, simply slow the process down while in combat.”

“So, it's a flesh eating one we're dealing with?”

“No. Rather. I’m not sure.”

“Then why ask her about it?” She hisses at me. That feels familiar...

“I had no other ideas!”

“Is that all you two need?” The Master sounds annoyed.

“No.” I’m quick to answer. “We have reason to believe that we are dealing with a collective of diseases. I do think that flesh eating is the basis for it, as it is also the most bothersome to deal with. Especially on the battlefield. However. Further research might reveal other components.”

“And?”

“What we are asking is not answers but cooperation. You have the perfect opportunity to be part of something that has never been achieved before.”

“Is that what you tell all of the fools?” The Master grins at me.

“It is the truth.” I hold my breath.

“As tempting as it is. I'm afraid our priority is medical treatment. Not combat.”

“And what if we told you we have a way of combining the two?” The Miss catches on and joins me.

“I'd say you're bluffing.”

“Not at all.” Miss Laira counters the Master's hard stare with her own. “We have a deal with the Greenhouses of Cobalus to be our provider for the Enchanted Herbs.”

“Impossible.” The woman sneers at us.

“And yet it is the truth.” The Miss holds her own.

“Well?” Now I pressure Master Emalavi.

“Fine. Have it your way. If you can deliver the Herbs, then we might be able to spare some man power for the new drug development. Don't expect anything much though.” She drops her gaze back to her papers.

“The Rebirth Research division thanks you for your cooperation in the matter.” Miss Laira bows. I follow.

“We'll be in touch.” I add as we leave the room.

“Now then. Care to share?”

“I figured we can train Ice Mages Shamanic Water casting to have them double as Combat Healers. They would only need to learn how to use both attributes at the same time.”

“Only! He says.”

“Yes, well, it's a good thing we have a lot of time for training. The way I see it, we can prevent the spreading by freezing over the affected area. Buying some time, at least.”

“That would make it somewhat easier... Along with the Herbs, it would be more battle efficient, that’s for sure.”

“Exactly. Perhaps the research will show us more what we are truly dealing with. Making it easier to find the counter measures...”

“Let’s hope so... What's the plan now?” The Miss asks me.

“First. I want to make sure Sir Marcus is back on his feet, before I proceed with anything Rebirth related. His rehab is my top priority now.”

“Thank you.”

“Don't mention it. I'll come around to check on him later again.”

“Appreciate it.” Miss Laira smiles at me. “Honestly, Percival, I don't know what we would do without you.”

“Probably the same thing you have been doing before we met. I'm not that special...” A loud slap cuts me off mid-sentence. The left side of my face stings. It takes me a moment to realize what just happened. I slowly turn back to face the Miss. I see the frustration reflecting in her eyes.

“Don't ever EVER again dare to ridicule your existence and skill and everything else that you are! Do you understand me!” I feel my neck moving slightly in agreement. I continue to stare at the Miss.

“Good! Then we'll see you later!” She walks away from me, leaving me standing in the middle of the Medical wing, dumbfounded.

“Good! Then we'll see you later!” I turn around and walk away.

“The nerve! Honestly!” I scowl a bit more on my way back to Marcus and Ether. I enter the room a bit harshly.

“Judging by your expression and your entry, it did not go well?” Marcus asks, letting Ether climb off the bed.

“No. It went fine. Considering. It's Percival who pissed me off.”

“Oh, I see. Wait. What? Percy? Really?”

“Yes! You'd be dead right now if it wasn't for him and he has the AUDACITY to brush it off as a MINOR detail!” I crash back into the chair mumbling still. Marcus bursts out laughing and quickly grabs his ribs.

“What is it? Does it hurt?” I come over to the bed. “Let me see.” He waves me off. “Don't fuss."

“No. No. It's fine. It hurts to laugh a bit.” He says giggling.

“And? What did you tell the kid?”

“I slapped him.”

“You what?” Marcus laughs again groaning in pain. “Wow. Didn't know you had it in you.”

“He deserved it.” I mutter. “Are you sure you don't want me to check you?”

“Yes yes, I'm fine. Now then. How was the meeting?” I notice Ether eagerly staring at me. I pick him up in my lap and sit down on the end of Marcus's bed.

“We got her to agree to cooperate with us in the future, regarding development of new Combat-able Drugs.”

“That sounds interesting. Did Percival work his magic again?”

“Oh yes. Get this. He wants to train Ice Mages Shamanic Water casting and have them use it both at the same time.”

“Really? Huh.”

“What? I steer my gaze away from Ether's smiling face and back at Marcus.

“Controlling more than one attribute? I wonder if he got the idea from me.”

“Oh. That would make sense.” I agree.

“Help me up?” He puts his legs down.

“Have someplace to be?” I mock him.

“Restroom.” He glares at me. Right.

“Sorry, my bad.” I put our boy down and help my future husband up on his feet.

“You good?” I ask.

“Barely.” We slowly move toward the restroom.

“Listen, about what happened before and the whole...” I struggle with words.

“Save it. I hate the fact that you didn't tell me but I hate fighting with you even more. I only want you to promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Talk to me.” Marcus looks up at me. “That's all I want.”

“Ok. I can promise that. I think...” I smile clumsily at him.

He sighs with a smile. “Good enough.”