The Hay-yen assault was officially over, the Tuskir had prevailed as best they could, but the victory wasn't without cost. Pain and loss are a war's currency and the tribe had paid plenty.

Urla had her work cut out for her and her mana had been quite a bit depleted with the healing she's been doing, but at least she could still take care of some injuries, if not many. The Tuskir Elder even managed to fully heal Woh's leg, but she is an amphoran so the size of the injury being tiny helped with expending less mana.

"It got awful quiet. D-do ya think they've won?" Woh asked as she still hugged Michael's glasses, which had some blood stains on the right lense.

Urla, who just finished up healing Rok, stood up with a huff. "I have faith that they are fine. I'll make my way out, accompany me if you feel able." She said with a groan as she began pulling her cart of supplies.

The elderly Tuskir didn't even make it out of the walls before she saw Runhar limping in, holding Michael in his arms, Zurra, still in her giant form, following shortly behind with slow movements.

"Thank the Hunt Father, you are fine." The older sow said with an ease in her tone, as if tension just left her.

Runhar didn't reciprocate as he kept rushing towards his mother. "No, we ar'n't! Michael! He's broken an' bleedin'. It is bad, mother." His voice cracked and trembled towards the end.

Rok who could finally manage well by himself, tossed off baskets and materials from one of the storage tables they had outside. With a hurry in his step the Tuskir dragged it closer.

Runhar's arms shook seeming ready to give out, having just enough force to not drop Michael like a sack of rocks.

The elderly sow stopped by the table as well, starting to quickly and closely examine Michael up close. She had summoned a small healing spell with what she had of her mana, as she began clearing of clothes off of him using a dagger to cut the material. Wiping away blood and tossing on the ground bloody rags, her body froze once she saw the boy's legs below the knees.

"Rok! Go to Oinna's hut and bring me the roots that help with mana in one's body! The boy's suffering of mana burn." She said with panic showing in her tone for the first time.

Rok squealed surprised as he nearly tumbled in a mad dash away.

Runhar who had been taking a breather looked alert as the words hit his ears. Glancing over he could see it, his first time witnessing a mana burn victim. "By the Brood Mother... shite..." He groaned as she stumbled to the table's edge.

The human's skin on his legs was a light ashy grey caked in spots by blood. Where the skin was still dry, the greyish texture of it would crumble and break down into fine dust onto the table. The blood splattering was the only thing still holding the crumbling skin, in places, to Michael's already bent and broken legs. Below the grey layer of dust muscle was quickly exposed as if someone peeled back the top layer covering them. The toe nails as well seemed to have blackened and crumble apart like brittle rocks.

Zurra's gaze was affixed on the scene as she approached, metal plates falling off of her as she shrunk down to her normal size. "No! No! The fucken idiot! What'd ya do boy?! I told ya tha not be stupid." She squealed in a whispered cry as she was on the opposite side of the table, grasping the edge of the table like she meant to tear it apart.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Runhar's eyes searched Michael up and down as he ruminated in a hurry of the fight before, until they stood still with clarity. "He was runnin' real fast, faster than your spell would have allowed." He said glancing towards Urla.

The Tuskir elder was already at work, maintaining her healing spell and focusing on what is most major. "Figured as much! Zurra, hold him down, son, help me set his legs, we need to make it quick, before he wakes proper." Urla said raising her tone.

The other two got to assisting as they tried together to repair the mangled mess that was Michael's body.

Woh didn't move a muscle ever since Runhar carrying Michael came into view, she just... froze. Her eyes were affixed on the human up until now, her mind stunned trying to process what she saw. It was a horrible sight, one she found herself unable to look away from. Her mind flashed back to her own demise, which nearly happened not long ago. It flashed to the sight of Michael managing to stop it, to save her. Here she stood, remembering this and slowly feeling even tinier as she came to one realization. 'I... can't do anythin' to save him. I can't assist them or hug him properly to comfort him... I...'

The pink amphoran broke from her trance as she heard a piercing scream hit the air, it was Michael's. He was struggling to thrash and flail around as Zurra held him down, Runhar switching from helping with the setting of bones to holding down his legs so they won't worsen.

"GHHHAH! HAHHH! HAAAAAA! AHH! AH- GET-... OFF ME! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" He roared out as he struggled to free his arms, the right broken one being much easier to subdue.

"Boy, it's - ACK!" Zurra attempted to say as her grasp on Michael's left arm slipped, the human giving her a hook punch in her cheek for her trouble.

"WHERE ARE YOU?! I DON'T H- AGH! -Hah... Have toO SEE YOU! JUST THOSE EYES! WHERE... where... are those eyes..." He said as his flailing arm slowed down and the smith managed to secure it again.

Each time Urla went to set and heal part of the bone the human got a shot of adrenaline in his system that sent him trying to fight, screaming for those blue eyes.

Zurra tried to speak to him as well as Runhar, but he was clearly not listening as his consciousness seemed to only cling by due to the pain, causing him to focus on the last thing he most likely remembered, that was happening.

Woh noticing this croaked bulging her throat over and over like a stress ball that was itself stressed. She then shook her head, her big bubbly eyes having a determined look behind the tears. She checked her suit, putting back on her impermeable gloves as she then hopped onto Zurra and then down by the side of Michael's head.

She flinched only once as he thrashed his head and screamed, but that only seemed to embolden her. She grasped the human's ear with both hands and she held it set, starting to speak softly into it.

"Michael. All's fine. It's... it's dead. It's o-over, ya hear?" She said starting to slowly choke up with new tears in her eyes. "It's fine now M-michael. We're fine!" She squeaked with a croak towards the end.

The human took a second to recognize the voice as his moving about, slowly calmed down. His head turned as Woh got to see up close the young man, his wrecked and cut face, the eyes covered in a mess of bloody gunk, dirt and black ichor. "W-woh? Y-your leg..." he mumbled back as he tried to blink, but his eyes were just watering caked in the messiness in his eyes.

Woh took one of the many rags of his clothes and she wiped away at his eyes, managing to clear away most of the debris. "I-it's good now, a bit sore, but it's fine. See?" The amphoran said plopping on her as she wiggled her leg in the air then hopping back to her feet and doing a little jig, with a half baked smile.

Michael looked at her entrance as he seemed to weakly smile and let out a small shakey laugh. "Heh. Haha- ow! Hah... ah... dancin' froge... that's a classic..." He groaned as his eyes were now half open, his body now seeming to relax, only groaning when Urla with Runhar set another section of bone.

Woh smiled back as Michael just seemed to stare at her, eventually only staring emptily in her direction once he passed out with his eyes still open, still she sat there, looking over him.

The next few days was more recuperation for everyone, standing guard and for those able to assist, helping put together Michael like a smashed jigsaw puzzle. Woh was there each time, calming Michael down each time he woke lashing out delusional to what is happening, calming him down and eventually putting him asleep. She watched and helped soothe him, therefore giving the others an easier time to help mend him.

'This... This I can do, at least.' She thought to herself after putting Michael back to sleep once more, a content satisfaction washing over her.