Three weeks went by with monotonous repetitions, examinations, treatments and consultations before Mariel was finally allowed the right to move about. Under scrutiny, and still bound to the endless treatments, she was moved around the temple using a wooden wheelchair.

The day had finally arrived when she would be taken to visit her friends. Her assigned temple sister, a female about her own age named Fravil, was about her age and they had gotten on well.

“So, as a sister here… Do you too have healing powers?” Mariel asked Fravil out of the blue. The sister returned her a surprised look, and shook her head.

“No… Apart from being able to fix bruising and small cuts… You see, if I wanted to say, fix a broken leg using Brandt… I’d have to know the bone structure, its composition, and precise details… That’s why it takes years to learn how to heal, and being say, a combat healer… Could take decades. Closing a severed artery… To say the least, you’d have to know everything about it… But why do you ask?”

“I was just thinking that, perhaps you helped my friends and me when we were brought in?”

“No, I did observe the procedures, and delivered salves and tools, and wiped away blood, but nothing else.”

Mariel nodded, and for a moment, wondered to what extent her mother could use her healing powers. It was clear it was difficult business, and her dream of being a healer too seemed all too distant.

“A fair warning Mariel… You might hear or see things you’ll wish you hadn’t… So please, if it’s too much, let me know.”

“Thanks Fravil… I’m sorry you must be burdened with my selfish desires. But I need to see them.”

They rolled down one of the large outdoor corridors. Between the pillars they had a perfect view of the city; its big walls surrounding the city and its many shrines and temples.

“See over there? That’s the palace.” Fravil pointed to an imposing fortress a little further down the ridge. “And over there, is the market square… Is it okay if I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“I wonder about humans… Are they dangerous? I heard the other sisters talk about them… That they torture us, skewer our children and burn and pillage anything and anyone they come across…”

“In a way… You’re right. But you’ll meet two humans today, and you’ll get to see them up close… Tell me what you think after we have visited them.”

They soon arrived at the beginning of a long corridor. Doors lined both sides, and Mariel was pushed over to one of the doors. A small wooden plaque bore the text: Human, Tizare.

She knocked on the door and it soon slid open, revealing two armed guards and Tizare, sitting on the edge of his bed, still closely wrapped in bandages and blindfolded.

“Tizare!” She shouted, and he responded to her with a smile and a wave of his hand.

“Mariel, I’m sorry about the other day, I shouldn’t have told you everything…” He stood up, and limped towards the door to greet her. The two guards stepped forward in unison and drew their short swords.

“Please… He’s my friend.” Mariel pleaded.

The guards sheathed their swords, and Fravil pushed her over to Tizare. With some fumbling, he managed to lean down and give her a hug which she accepted happily.

“Now I know how Casindire’s days are… It’s not at all fun… I look terrible, don’t I?”

“Awful… Are you recovering?”

“I’ll live… My eyes will be fine too given time…”

Before they could continue, the guards at the door snapped to attention, and three highly decorated males entered the small room. At first their faces appeared surprised, but any shock was quickly replaced by stone-cold expressions. Fravil immediately bent her knees and kept her gaze firmly locked onto the floor.

“Is this her?” The one at the front, in a tabarded suit of plate bearing golden decorations kept his eyes firmly fixed on Mariel.

“Yes sir… She is one of the few we recovered alive from the attack, the human has so far… Proven reluctant to share any useful information.” One of the main person’s attendants stepped forward, leaving through some papers on a clip board.

“Leave us.” The leader said, and everyone promptly left. Fravil looked between Mariel and the leader, and quickly hurried outside, shutting the door behind her.

“So… Let us sit down and talk, like equals… I hear my subordinates have been unsuccessful at extracting any information from you.”

“That’s right, they can threaten me as much as they want…” Tizare grinned.

“I see… Then what about you kinsmaiden… Can you share anything useful with me?”

“Not unless I know your name… Sir.”

“I’m Knight Commander Uldervec… And I know that humans are involved in that massacre… Now I have a fair amount of evidence that states neither of you did it, and in fact fought bravely alongside my soldiers… But the public won’t know that… Unless you can impart to me some understanding of what I’m dealing with here.”

“Remember Mariel… This information could end up hurting someone you love… Choose wisely.” Tizare added.

“What will happen to my friends if I don’t cooperate?”

“They’ll be hanged in public… And I’d prefer not to do that… It is a rare thing indeed to see a human get along with our kin, let alone as friends… But I am a soldier first, so give me a reason not to.”

“Or, if you do reveal it, you might sacrifice your parents to their insatiable revenge.” Tizare spat back.

Mariel stopped. At first she had been all for revealing what she knew, but the prospect of sacrificing that which she held dearest stung at her. It might be that if she told what she knew, the cry for revenge would see all humans wiped out in retaliation. Or if she decided to remain silent, she’d sacrifice Tizare and Saya for the secrecy, and even then, why wouldn’t they torture her for the information afterwards?

She decided to stick to the present, while throwing Tizare an off-hand line about trusting their saviours.

“Humankind has invented a powerful collar, one that supresses their minds and make them into mindless drones… Or livegnar.”

“I see… Go on.”

“And a practice of carving out demon crystals, then grind them down and use the powder for powerful casting supplements…”

Uldervec remained silent for a long time, what she had just told him must have been hard to accept, let alone understand. But his expression remained that of a professional soldier, ice cold. Finally, he sighed and nodded.

“It seems completely insane… But that’s the most accurate explanation today about how this massacre happened… Can you add anything to this, human?”

“If I know something… To what degree can I avoid being hanged?”

“Simple. Tell me something that will allow me to either defeat these murderers, or tell me what their objective is.”

“And to be let go when I recover?”

“Difficult… I’d have to raise the issue clandestinely with the tribunal, if you can prove to be valuable enough, then maybe… Understand, I’d easily give you a commendation for fighting alongside my people to the end… But the public is, outraged.”

Tizare sighed. “Mariel, would you check up on Saya for me? It seems I have to dig myself out of my own grave somehow.”

“Sure… Will you be okay?”

“Hope so.”

Mariel nodded, and made a gesture to Fravil, whom after a moment’s pause, snapped out of her silence, and hurriedly shunted Mariel back outside towards a door further up the corridor.

“I’m not sure what to say, I was expecting him to… I don’t know, something terrible… But he was so, normal… Kinda cute.”

“Huh? No way… You really?”

“Shh, he was just a little, cool looking… Please don’t tell anybody… My father would kill me if he knew…”

Fravil knocked on the door and hearing no response, pushed the door open, revealing an utter darkness inside. They carefully entered, and she lit a small candle by the door. At the back of the room, tucked in a blanket on the floor, was Saya.

“Gods… What’s happened to you?!” Mariel nearly jumped out of the wheelchair, but was held back by Fravil, who approached her.

“Mariel? Is that you? But that’s impossible… You were bled dry…” Saya weakly tried to stand up, but failed to find the strength to do so.

“I survived… What happened to you?” Fravil helped Mariel over to Saya.

“I saw you fall… They got Cassy too, and everything came apart in an instant… All I remember is cutting down burning people... The screams… Tyrik’s armpits… The bloody screams!” Saya’s face contracted with discomfort.

“It’s okay… We’re safe now, and we’ll take…”

“Screams… Blood everywhere… They dug this little thing… Crystal, out of that one guy’s… Chest… His innards… They cleaved a survivor… Stabbed one to death with my sewing kit… Sharp needles…” Saya rambled on without stop.

“She does this occasionally… It’s best to leave her to it…” Fravil whispered and began to back Mariel up.

They quietly left Saya’s room and headed for Casindire’s room. On the way, there, they met another sister, who told them to go to the basement. She had just returned upstairs after helping Casindire down to the cell holding Siravin. With effort, the two sisters helped Mariel down the winding stairs to the basement, and sat her in a nearby wooden chair while they returned to pick up the wheelchair. The basement was typical for a religious building, built into the foundations of the building above. Soon the sisters had brought her wheelchair down to her, and they continued deeper down the long stone brick corridor, lit intermittently by torches.

They emerged into a large open storeroom underground, which also served as a refuge, from the amounts of supplies stored there.

“That footstep… Mariel? Is that you?” A familiar voice echoed.

“It’s me… How are you doing?”

“Nevermind me!” Casindire approached the three following Mariel’s voice. “You shouldn’t be down here… Your body is still too weak.”

“I’m concerned for you and Siravin… So not even the stairs will stop me… I had help though.”

Casindire stopped before her, and through some waving in thin air, managed to find the Mariel’s hand.

“So thin and frail…” She caressed her hand gently, as concern began to form on her face. “You shouldn’t be down here… its damp and you risk becoming ill!”

“I need to see him…”

“I won’t accept it… Aren’t you two sisters of this place!? How could you bring her down here! Take her back upstairs!” Casindire began railing against the two sisters.

“No… They’re not to blame! I wanted to come down here!” Mariel interjected, which brought out a painful expression on Casindire.

“Mariel… Please. Go back. I don’t want you to contract an illness… How will the rest of us manage if you end up dying? I promise to check up on Siravin from time to time… I’m okay you know? My shin is on the mend, and feeling better already.”

Mariel finally resigned, and asked to be brought back upstairs. She felt she had to visit Siravin, to somehow try to bring him back, regardless of the futility. With a lot, more effort, she was brought back upstairs. Both sisters were completely worn out, and Casindire volunteered to bring her back to her room.

“Ah, take a left here.”

“Like this?”

“Yes… And continue forward.”

“I’m sorry… This is supposed to be my job, but…” Fravil trailed behind them.

“No, you’ve pushed me around long enough… Take a break, I’ve asked a lot of you and you’ve done it… Thanks.”

“Sister… Could you show me where you prepare food?” Casindire asked abruptly, while narrowly avoiding an oncoming sister.

“A-ah sure… What for?”

“I clearly need to take charge of her recovery… From now on I’d like to prepare her food, and make sure she is on a healthy diet…”

“Ah… You just need to ask, and we’ll get it for you...” Fravil sidestepped, intimidated.

“Listen to me ‘sister’ I did one… One thing back where I came from… Everyone I worked with resented me for it.” Casindire puffed up her chest and crossed her arms menacingly. “I’m blind, and believe me when I tell you… I was the better cook... Luckily, sight isn’t everything, and it took me years, to prove that. I’ll handle it.”

“… Ah. I’d have to ask… But I’m sure that could, be arranged, maybe?” Fravil appeared to shrink even more.

“Get it done. Now.”

“R-right away! I’ll go ask right away!” Fravil backed away slowly, and hurriedly headed in the opposite direction. Casindire took a deep breath.

“Was I too harsh?”

“If my… Mother heard you… She’d invite you in for tea.” Mariel laughed.