The following day, Aaspaelwin readied for travel again. He'd gotten his wounds dressed by a shaman, and changed into clean clothes. A cool paste of healing herbs muted the pounding pain over his ribs. His thoughts jumped between worry for Sekafi and fear for the monster. He had to go back there. Why had he agreed to that? For her. Of course. He wished there had been any other way, but he couldn't possibly afford a healer by himself. He needed Master Owadro's help. Or, at least his money. Sweeping the room with his eyes, he made sure he had everything before leaving. Money pouch, new mapping gear, knife, parchments to write the runes on, waterskin, food rations. Sighing deeply, Aaspaelwin grabbed a tan cloak hanging by the door and exited his home, a small room above a potter's store. He'd rented it for years.

'Good luck on your journey,' Gaen, the owner, called as he passed through the store.

'Thank you.' Aaspaelwin raised a hand in farewell. For the last time? The hair on the back of his neck prickled at the mere thought. What if he never made it back home again?

Warm air blew his hair back from his face as he stepped out into the dusty, noisy street. On his way to the Chancellor's office, he passed a small shrine and took a few minutes to offer some food, burning it on a small altar, and prayed for success. Statuettes of the deities stood in a circle around him. Heldest the healer, Eldon the sunlord, Ira goddess of the fire mountain, Efwyr the god of war, Wekk the goddess of trade, Kinirin the huntress, and many more. Maybe one of them would find pity in their heart enough to spare him. But never trust in it. That's what his mum used to say, long ago. Don't trust the gods, they'll do what they want, and you're nothing more than a tiny speck in their grand schemes. He sighed and left.

A few minutes later he met with Lady Hennaja, flanked by two guards in black lamellar armour, arming swords by their sides and helmets under their arms. One of them immediately drew his eyes. A fire lizard. Not what he had expected. The red lizardman gave him a blank stare and Aaspaelwin turned his attention to the Lady, suppressing his unease.

'Ready to set out?' she asked without wasting time on pleasantries.

'Yes. Sooner rather than later.'

'Healer Serigel will be with us shortly. I assume you were informed properly by Master Owadro of what to do, yes?'

Aaspaelwin nodded and swallowed. Find the remaining four or five stone markers. They should be standing in a large circle around the central standing stone where they'd encountered the monster. Copy all the runes as precisely as possible. ”Be very careful you get them right,” he'd said in an ominous tone. Aaspaelwin shuddered. The mage suspected the monster was summoned, and to banish it, he'd have to know exactly what they were dealing with. The magic runes would be the key to that. Knowing nothing of magic, Aaspaelwin didn't like this task at all. He wasn't some mighty hero, fighting monsters for a living. How could people do such things?

Lady Hennaja indicated the two guards, her bracelets tinkling. 'These will follow you, and keep you safe on your journey. Sir Drakaw Hapow.'

The man nodded and gave him a once-over, smirking slightly. In Aaspaelwin's eyes, he looked like any other human guard in the city. Big, burly, a few days' dark stubble covering his caramel chin, and hard dark eyes.

'And Hiaashaqwi Kaw,' Lady Hennaja said without stumbling over the name and nodded to the lizardman.

Aaspaelwin watched it curiously. He couldn't tell if it was male or female, or read its passive face. Clear amber eyes sat on the sides of a dragon-like head crowned with short white horns. Its red scales gleamed like gold in the sunlight. The powerful tail moved lazily from side to side. Aaspaelwin recalled something about them being poisonous and that they didn't like being called lizardmen. He couldn't for the life of him remember what they called themselves though. He gave a nervous nod. Hiaashaqwi blinked. Both guards were taller than him, intimidating. He was used to being the shortest, but missed Sekafi's strong, familiar figure. She made him feel safe. He didn't know these two. Could he trust them?

The small group waited together in silence for the healer. He arrived only minutes later in company with another guard, a minotaur woman, the size of a mountain. At least Aspaelwin thought so. Minotaurs were moving walls of muscle with the temper of steppe lemmings. He shifted his weight nervously before turning his attention to the healer. A rotund dark man with a thick curly grey beard, dressed in a white and golden robe, his hood pulled up to cover his bald head. His face split into a great white smile as he met the group's eyes.

'Greetings, fellow travellers,' he said in a sonorous voice. 'I'm Serigel Hepp, but you probably knew that already.' He laughed, a contagious, warm laugh. Relief flooded Aspaelwin at the sound. 'I heard we had to make haste, so let's move as soon as we can. Does anything need to be done, or can we set off at once?'

Lady Hennaja smiled and shook her head. 'We're all set and ready to move. May the Wayfarer be with you so you do not get lost, and may the Sunlord keep you safe.' She raised a hand in farewell, and the group started moving.

Aspaelwin walked in the back together with Serigel, while the guards and the minotaur, a friend of the healer, moved in the front. She was simply called Ginger for her colour and hadn't said a word since they met. He liked Serigel's friendly demeanour though and spoke with him as they moved, asking about his work, and if he thought he could save Sekafi.

'Of course, young man. I can heal any wounds, as long as the patient is alive and has a will to survive. By the sounds of it, your friend is quite the fighter, both spiritually and bodily, so I have no fear. As long as we reach her in time.' He dabbed at his brow with a handkerchief. He didn't complain, but Aspaelwin could tell the walk and the hot weather troubled him. He probably wasn't used to travelling much.

'I hope so,' he mumbled, worry gnawing at him every step of the way. He wished they could run. But they could only move as fast as their slowest member, and that was the healer. At least Ginger carried his luggage, speeding them up a fraction. At this pace, they'd reach the farm at the earliest in the afternoon the following day. He took a deep breath of the hot air, trying to calm his frayed nerves. Serigel placed a pudgy hand on his shoulder.

'Don't worry, there is nothing you can do about the situation right now. Focus on positive thoughts and conserving your strength for later. We'll reach her in time, and I'll heal her.'

'Thanks,' Aspaelwin mumbled and gave a half-hearted smile.

'Mind you, she'll be tired after the healing and fighting the poison for so long. She'll have to stay and rest a while before she can take up travelling again.'

He nodded.

'If she was indeed infected by a summoned monster of the goddess of disease and decay, she'll suffer, but she won't die fast. That gives us a good chance of reaching her in time.'

Aspaelwin snatched his eyes from the road and to the healer's dark soft eyes. Serigel smiled. Aspaelwin supposed he was right. While suffering wasn't pleasant, it was indeed a good thing right now. A fast-working poison would have ended her long ago, and then they'd be unable to do anything but mourn her passing. He pressed his lips together and marched on, increasing the pace. Serigel trudged after him as fast as he could.

The evening passed in relative silence, only broken by the guard's whispered conversation. Mostly, Sir Hapow spoke, and the lizardman replied with nods or shakes of its head, only rarely speaking in a hissing tone. They made a small fire to keep them warm during the night. The fluctuating temperatures in the open fields, cold nights and sweltering days, gave Aspaelwin a headache. Hiaashaqwi lightened the mood somewhat by making a few tricks with a burning branch. Aspaelwin and Serigel gave their surprised appreciation. But Aspaelwin made a mistake.

'Wow, I didn't expect that,' he laughed as Hiaashaqwi finally placed the burning log back into the fire without flinching as the fire licked their scaly hand. 'I have never met a lizardman before, can all of your kind do that?'

The firelizard froze, its eyes narrowing.

Sir Hapow smacked Aspaelwin on the shoulder, leaving a stinging mark. 'He doesn't like being called a lizard, half-breed. He's a samandar.'

His face heated. He'd known, and yet said it. He should apologize and back down. That was the only proper thing to do. He had to spend several days, maybe weeks, with them after all. 'Perhaps you shouldn't call me names either then? Did you think about that, human?' Oops. Why had he said that aloud? He hadn't meant to.

'Are you daft?' the man snapped and stepped into his face.

Aspaelwin flinched but refused to back down. 'Are you?' That was the wrong thing to say. Again.

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The man grabbed Aspaelwin's tunic and pulled him up to his own height, forcing the small half-elf to stand on his toes. 'You're a stinky little half-breed, and you dare insult both me and Hiaashaqwi? Samandar are proud and have the right to be. You, you are just lucky the Lady likes you,' he growled.

Aspaelwin swallowed, his face burning hot in anger. 'You're not –'

'Apologize!'

Aspaelwin jerked back at the shout. 'Let me down first,' he snapped, knowing he continued on the bad road of being rebellious. Why did he never learn when to quit?

Soft hands interrupted them, pushing both Aspaelwin and the guard back. 'Please, friends, don't fight. We're all here together to help both the Ikelos and the city from a much greater evil. Let's not allow our differences to get in the way.'

Sir Hapow snorted, but let go of the tunic. Aspaelwin straightened it and brushed off imaginary dirt, his motions jerky with anger.

'Thank you,' the healer said with a faint smile and sat down by the fire again.

As soon as Aspaelwin had collected his thoughts and calmed down enough to look at the others again, he turned to the samandar and gave a stiff nod. 'I'm sorry, I didn't know what your kind was called.'

Hiaashaqwi shrugged and glanced at his friend. 'Heshissi,' he said and walked off a short distance.

'Hessi...?' Aspaelwin said, confused.

'Apology accepted,' Sir Hapow snapped.

'Ah.' This journey couldn't come to an end fast enough. Aspaelwin poked his food rations for the day. How would he survive on his own with these two guards? His stomach clenched at the thought. He wished Sekafi was here. At least he'd get to see her tomorrow. If she was alive. She had to be. Of course she was. Right? He gazed at the first stars appearing in the sky. 'Please, be alive,' he whispered.

'Don't worry,' Serigel said. 'The gods will see to it. I'm certain she's all right.'

Aspaelwin smiled and nodded, hoping he was right.

They arrived at the farm shortly after noon the following day. Earlier than Aspaelwin had expected, despite their pace. He wanted to run from the moment he spotted the roof of the farmhouse but didn't want to appear impatient or childish. Still, walking when he wanted to rush strained him.

When they finally arrived and found the farmer, Aspaelwin couldn't stay calm any longer.

'Is she all right?' he burst out before even greeting the man.

The burly man raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak, but then eyed the others behind the half-elf and shut it again. He nodded. 'She's in the shed. Did you bring the Talents?'

He sounded more polite than last time, Aspaelwin thought. But maybe he was spooked by the dangerous-looking people in the group? Nodding, he fished for the money pouch and handed over the coins he'd promised. Then he hurried around the farmhouse to the shed in the back, ignoring the farmer's gleeful grin. The healer followed while the rest stayed with the farmer, talking.

Sekafi still lay in the shed, to his relief, surrounded by empty food bowls and a can of water. But fear replaced his relief almost immediately. The ikelos looked like a fur-covered skeleton. Had she died after all? The fur lay matted and dishevelled over a much thinner frame than he remembered. Her mouth hung open, the skin around the badly dressed wounds on her left arm and side looked dark and infected, and her eyes were swollen shut.

'Sekafi!' Dropping his pack, he threw himself to the ground beside her, shaking her by the shoulders. No reaction. 'Sekafi! Please.' He didn't know what to do if she died. He couldn't bear it. Tears blurred his vision as he shook her again.

'Please, step aside. I need to attend her immediately,' Serigel said, his tone soft and warm, but carrying an urgent tone.

A hand grasped Aspaelwin's shoulder, strong but gentle, pushing him aside. He staggered to his feet and stepped back, wiping the tears away with the back of his hand. The healer sat beside his dying friend and placed two fingers on her neck.

'What are you doing?'

'I'm checking for a pulse. Now, please don't interrupt me.'

Biting his lips, Aspaelwin stood and watched the healer. Serigel removed his golden medallion, shaped like a unicorn's head, and placed it on Sekafi's chest. Covering it under his hands, he bowed his head and prayed. At least, that was Aspaelwin assumed he did. He couldn't hear the words, but it went on for a long time. Doubt made him want to ask again what he was doing, but fear of ruining the healing kept his mouth shut. He didn't see anything going on. Was this really working? He'd never seen a real healer in action. He swallowed nervously and glanced out the door. Ginger had, uncannily quietly for someone that big, come to stand outside the shed, redying a mixture of some kind of herbs. She crushed them in a mortar. A sharp intake of breath drew his attention back to Sekafi, and he near shouted for joy to see her eyes open again. She groaned, and a finger twitched, then she lay still again. The joyous cry died on his lips.

'Is she gonna make it?'

The healer kept praying, uninterrupted. His voice sounded strained, and sweat dripped from his chin. A soft glow spread out between his fingers as if the medallion shone. Maybe it did?

'Is she g –'

'Didn't he tell you not to interrupt?'

Aspaelwin jumped at the gravelly voice of the minotaur. Guiltily, he looked her way.

Ginger glared at him and shook her head, then returned her attention to whatever she was doing.

Aspaelwin wished he could do something to help, feeling useless standing there. Stepping over to Ginger, he whispered, 'Can I do anything?'

She looked up and her large brown eyes softened. 'Get some boiled water.'

He hurried off immediately.

More than an hour passed and the healer still prayed. Aspaelwin paced outside the shed. A sharp fresh scent stung the hot air above a small pot over a fire. Suddenly the healer gasped and the shed lit up from within by a bright glare. Aspaelwin shielded his eyes even as he ran towards it. What happened?

The light faded as quickly as it had appeared. As Aspaelwin entered the shed, Serigel leaned back, his face shining with sweat, but with a satisfied smile on his lips. Beside him, Sekafi sat up, her former swollen eyes open and clear, the infected wound on her shoulder gone and covered with new lighter coloured fur. She blinked and focused on him.

'Aspen! You're back.'

He laughed and threw himself at her, embracing her into a fierce hug. Something wet touched his cheeks.

'You crying, wimp?' Sekafi whispered in his ear, and he laughed harder.

'It's your fault if I am,' he said and dried his eyes.

She giggled and hugged him, but it wasn't with the crushing strength he was used to. She soon let go and laid back down again, panting.

'Are you all right?' he asked, worry lacing every word.

'Yeah, I think so.'

'She'll be fine but needs to rest, Serigel said. 'I'd say a minimum of four days. Preferably more.'

'But...' Aspaelwin said.

'You have things to do and cannot stay,' Serigel continued. 'But I'll remain here to make sure she regains her strength and doesn't come running after you too soon,' he added with a knowing smirk.

Aspaelwin couldn't keep a smile off his face. Relief at seeing his best friend again after such a long time of worrying made him lightheaded. 'Thank you so much, Healer. I'm forever in your debt. How can I ever repay you?'

Serigel raised a hand. 'I have already been paid, and I need nothing from you. Seeing your smile is reward enough.'

'Still, I thank you with all my heart.'

'Stop being such a big softie, and get moving,' Sekafi butted in. 'Where are you going?'

'Uh...'

Sekafi sat up again, a cloud over her face. 'You're not going back there, are you?'

'Y-yes. I have to.'

'Are you insane?' She tried to get up, but Serigel pushed her back down. 'You can't go there alone! You'll die!'

'I'm not alone. I've got two good guards with me. They'll keep me safe,' he said, hoping it was true, though doubts weighed heavily on his shoulders.

She glared at him but relaxed her clenched fists. She must be really tired if she didn't protest more, Aspaelwin thought with a slight smile.

'I'll be fine,' he reassured her. 'Wait for me.'

'By the Dark Ones, you're daft sometimes, Aspen,' she muttered. 'I'm coming after you as soon as this one,' she eyed the healer, 'lets me up from the ground.'

Serigel laughed and gave her a steaming cup with the herbal brew Ginger handed over. 'Drink this, and rest. You'll be back on your feet in no time.'

'Sooner than you think, sir,' she snorted and downed the brew in seconds, grimacing.

Aspaelwin smiled. They shared a few more minutes talking, then, as Sekafi laid down to sleep, he left with the two guards. He wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, and get on with his life. But first, he had to face his fears.