15.

The burning armor hit the ground with a crash as Erak peeled himself out of it. The hours spent inside of the burning lake having slowly cooked him to the point even the rare grade armor couldn’t fully disperse the raging heat that had ate at him. His now exposed skin was red and inflamed, hints of blisters starting along them as the cool night wind whispered over his body.

“Erak, your levels! Assign the points to help yourself!” Pomp cried out from feet away, whittled down to nothing more than an ephemeral spirit. Erak swayed as he tried to breath, fire scorching his lungs as his mind flashed back to the day he was burned. The suffocating pain was similar as it blinded and consumed him. His knees buckled and he landed hard as he blindly searched for his screens to add his points.

Erak Bloodsworn lvl. 32

Strength: 70

Vigor: 50

Durability: 50

Perception: 25

Processing:23

Splitting the twenty earned points in half towards his vigor and durability, he felt the rush of power cascade through him. Pain followed and he leaned down and coughed, great rib shaking bellows that sent clots of blood and tissue out of his lungs and onto the ground. Tears suddenly sprang up and out of his dried out eyes and the world blurred as he blinked again and again.

“Help him, Sammus!” Pomp’s voice was distant and hard to hear as the world darkened around him. Hands swooped in and clutched at his burned skin, pulling him further from the lake and his own armor. Erak pawed at the ground until he found the hilt of his sword, the familiar weight reassuring as he clutched at it, refusing to let go even as he was dragged away.

Time became a blur as he drifted in and out of consciousness. The sky lightened then darkened again, trees filled his vision and then there was nothing but clear skies. Pain was his constant companion, gnawing on his bones and peeling his flesh. Every breath was an inferno that scoured his lungs as Erak survived through sheer, indomitable, willpower.

The sounds of battle stirred him, once, twice, three times, but he lacked the strength to rise. His mind and soul were willing, but his body betrayed him as he gripped the pommel of the sword tightly. Each time he heard Sammus cry out, Pomp roaring in the distance and the splash of arctic air as it spilled over him.

Then they were moving again. Always further and further away as Erak continued to wake briefly before falling back to slumber longer. And so time passed until darkness and the scent of mildew and moisture filled his nose. He blinked his eyes slowly and saw nothing and heard only the panting of Sammus as he continued to carry the litter they had strapped him too.

Faint green glow appeared slowly, creeping against the dark until there was light and he could properly make out the tunnel they were in. The well crafted walls, smooth and without joints. The strong runes etched along the sides that glowed with power.

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His bond tugged in his gut, startling him and he felt Victoria near. The presence of his queen was enough to sing a splash of vigor through him, to help him raise his head and look about. She was running toward him, decorum lost in her urgency to see him. Torpin was behind her, shouting something lost to him. Then she was there, strong fingers dancing over the edges of his raw skin as he tried to pull back his stiff cheeks to offer her a smile.

“What happened?” Victoria demanded and Sammus spoke softly of the abominations of the lake. Erak faded away, tethered to reality only by the soft press of Victoria’s fingers to his cheek. Cold swept over his face as she used a tiny trickle of Essence and her power to help cool his still enflamed skin.

“Is…is that his armor?” Lady Torpin asked.

“Yes,” Sammus whispered quietly.

“He was in it when this happened? How’s he alive?” Torpin asked in a mix of awe and horror.

Erak couldn’t remember what his armor looked liked when he had pulled it off. Only the burning sensation as he struggled out of it.

“It doesn’t matter. Call for the healers now!” Victoria ordered and then they were moving again. The smooth stonework disappeared into an infirmary of clean, cool whites and beige, the bed under him soft. A round face took up his vision with a great, bushy, black beard that stretched down and out of sight. Thick fingers pressed against his face, turning him this way and that and Erak growled in his throat as spikes of pain radiated through him.

“Essence infused burns. I will need time to heal this,” the dwarf said in a deep voice. Erak could feel the fire licking at his skin, living underneath it.

“Do whatever you can to save him,” Victoria commanded form out of his sight.

“Of course.” The dwarf pressed a finger to his cheek and the flame inside of him started to be drawn away. It raced through his body to the press of the dwarf’s finger and then left his body. It was painful but sent waves of pleasurable relief through him at the same time.

The fever that had muddled his mind faded a bit and Erak could think clearly for a moment as he looked around the room he was in. Victoria was standing with her arms behind her back and a stern expression on her face. His armor was stacked in the corner of the room, drooping in a way metal shouldn’t be able to droop.

“Erak?” Victoria surged toward him to stand above him. Erak blinked slowly twice and a small smile broke her icy expression.

“You do not have permission to die, Erak. Do you understand me?” her voice wavered at the end, but no sign of weakness permeated her features as she looked at him. Erak blinked twice in response and her smile widened further.

“Sammus told us what you did. Cleansing that pustule of evil. And of the signs you found to where the Emperor and First Prince have gone. You did good, my friend.”

Erak felt relief at his queen’s acknowledgment of his deeds. He had a kernel of worry since he hadn’t found the Emperor himself. He didn’t want to disappoint Victoria.

“The burns you sustained in that lake. They were infused with Essence, it’s why you haven’t been able to heal through them. The healer here will draw the Essence out and your body will be able to recover after that naturally,” Victoria explained. Erak blinked slowly and then looked at his armor. Victoria looked over at it and chuckled deeply.

“Half-dead and you only think of arms and armor. Your sword is fine, your armor and shield, not so much. There’s a dwarven master smith here who’s found a class that has managed to build weapons and armor. He will help you once you are on your feet and healthy. Sleep, Erak. Rest and when you are recovered we can talk more,” Victoria said. Erak nodded slowly and for the first time since he had walked out of the lake he closed his eyes and let himself rest.