The coastline of Nihon-Ja was even more beautiful than the city that rested alongside it. A vast stretch of untamed forest that reached right to the beginning of the sandy shore offered a quiet place of refuge for those who sought to escape the chaos of civilization. It also provided a shelter from prying eyes and pursuers, for those who had a need to escape the people that came after them. Such was the case for Falynn, Roni, and Leonov.

“If it weren’t for the threat on our lives,” Leonov said, staring out at the soothing ocean waves less than a hundred feet away, “I’d want to stay here a while longer.”

“Untamed nature,” Falynn said, nodding in agreement. “It’s beautiful.”

They heard a soft snort and turned to see Roni, who’d just returned from a trip into the forest for game. She carried two plump rabbits in one hand and looked thoroughly put upon. “That ocean could kill you in seconds without a care. Untamed nature is dangerous.”

This was the type of comment that would usually spawn an argument with the druid girl. But Falynn was too exhausted, and so chose to ignore it. Leonov took up the challenge for her. “Nothing of true beauty can be harmless.”

Roni opened her mouth to reply, but then glanced at Falynn, and closed it, deciding not to continue. She and Leonov had noticed the exhaustion that had taken her over. Her eyes had bags under them, and her skin had a certain paleness to it that worried them. They hadn’t been in a party together long, but the harrowing experiences they’d suffered together had created a sort of camaraderie that linked them together more closely than they could expect from strangers.

Roni had never considered the idea of hunting with a pack. She knew there were many fine hunters that chose to forgo the solitary life, but she’d never thought that she would take that path. She’d been surprised to find that, after some practice and adjusting, it was strangely reassuring to know that she had dangerous people at her back. If she happened to miss something or take a misstep, they could cover her weaknesses. Survival in numbers was a useless thing, she thought, but if you could guarantee the strength of your fellows, it wasn’t entirely hopeless.

Leonov was used to moving with a team. His years as a soldier in the Attos Empire had seen to that. But he’d also been trained to fight with others as equals, and he’d witnessed the strength of the Empire time and time again. When he’d first joined the party, he’d assumed that only Taiki would be of some use in helping him gain influence. Falynn and Roni were both thin, feeble creatures. Now, of course, he could see that his first impression had been far from accurate. They may not possess his strength, but they were no less equal for the fact.

“Falynn,” Leonov said, turning his attention back to the girl, temporarily his recollections away, “You need to rest.”

“She’ll need another healing session soon,” Falynn replied, almost as if she hadn’t heard him.

“In three hours,” Leonov said, nodding his understanding. “But until then, you can sleep in the tent.”

It had been three days since they’d killed the assassin that Shimonseki had sent after them. Barely managing to save Taiki’s life, they’d picked up the unconscious warrior and ran for their lives, narrowly escaping being captured by the guards of the city. It had only been Roni’s knowledge of forestry that had allowed them to fade away. But they could not return to the city now. They were wanted, and armed soldiers would be searching for them.

None of that was of great importance, however, as long as Taiki continued to sleep in the shelter that Falynn had grown for her. After removing her armor, the party had let her rest on a comfortable bed of moss, and Falynn had tended to her injury every few hours. She was stable now, the druid girl had said, but continued to sleep. Whether out of shock or exhaustion, they had no way of knowing. But after three days, her sleep was just as deep as when she’d slipped into it.

Falynn shook her head. “I have to watch over her. I can’t let her get harmed again.”

Leonov and Roni shared a look without her notice. In spite of the fact that she was entirely blameless, Falynn had attributed Taiki’s injury to her own lack of attention. She believed that, if she’d been more alert, the wound wouldn’t have happened. She’d turned this internal guilt into a refusal to let her guard drop again. She’d hardly slept these past three days, and it was beginning to take a toll on her.

“Be reasonable,” Roni interjected, throwing her voice in to support Leonov. “If you collapse, you can’t help her. You cannot regenerate mana if you’re not healthy.”

Falynn raised one hand, coated with mana as if that thought hadn’t occurred to her. She seemed unfazed. “I’m regenerating just fine right now.”

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“But that won’t be the case forever,” Leonov replied, losing a little patience with the girl. “You have to be healthy if you want to keep Taiki alive, Falynn. If you fall apart…”

He left the thought hanging, sure that she got his point. A lengthy silence stretched between the three of them, broken only when a faint noise came from the shelter where Taiki lay. Roni and Leonov turned toward it at once, but Falynn was already on her feet, plodding across the sand to see what had caused the disturbance. After a moment or two of hesitation, the other two followed her.

The shelter, constructed of thick vines that Falynn had shaped into a large dome, blocked out the weather and wind of the ocean scene around it so that it was warm. Almost uncomfortably warm, Leonov thought, taking a deep breath when he stepped inside. Falynn had noticed this, of course, and with one quick flick of her hand, made a small opening in the vines so that cool air could circulate through the small space. At once, they could feel the temperature dropping.

Taiki lay exactly where she’d been placed, not even stirring to move an inch or two to the side. Her face was paler than ever, and she’d broken out in a cold sweat. As Falynn move to kneel beside the comatose warrior, Taiki finally did move, though not much. She grimaced as if in pain, and raised one arm to ward off something that only she could see. At once, Falynn put a cool rag on her forehead and muttered a quiet spell. Taiki calmed down, and her face relaxed.

“Is it a nightmare?” Roni asked. She’d remained in the entrance of the shelter, peering around Leonov’s broad frame to glance at the warrior. Even she looked troubled as if it was discomforting to see the strong fighter laid so low. “Does she have a fever?”

Falynn lifted the rag to rest her fingers on Taiki’s forehead, then shook her head, looking worried. “Not a fever. As far as I can tell, she’s perfectly healthy.”

“Except for the fact that she’s missing an arm,” Roni quipped, but she was wise enough to keep her voice low so that the druid girl didn’t hear her. Leonov did, and he turned to burn her a glare. She lifted her shoulders in what might have been a shrug, then added, “I’ll get started on these rabbits, then.”

She vanished from the entrance, and Leonov returned his gaze to the two other women. Falynn let out a long sigh and rested on her heels, her face still troubled. He couldn’t avoid the feeling of helplessness welling up in his chest. He’d put himself between them and danger any time it was required, but when it came to matters of healing and diagnosing obscure illnesses, he knew nothing.

“I’m sorry, Falynn,” he said quietly. “I don’t think there’s anything I can do to help you right now.”

“You did your part and did it well,” Falynn told him. She looked beyond tears. Too tired to muster any emotion, in fact. “You killed the man that did this to her.”

Which was certainly true, though his memory of the incident was too vague to recall accurately. He was a bit troubled by the rage that had overcome him, in fact. It was similar to the state of instinctive fighting that he’d relied on in the past many times, but his mind had fogged over in a way that could have resulted in his death. It was sheer luck that his strike had landed and that he’d killed the assassin, he thought, or he and Taiki would have both fallen then and there. And without them, there would have been no hope for Taiki or Roni.

Taiki shifted again, and they both stared intently, watching as she reached out with one hand to grab Falynn’s arm. Her face was troubled once more. Falynn reached out with her free arm to soothe the girl once more, but Taiki squirmed, avoiding the touch. Her hand tightened, and Falynn let out a low hiss of pain at the strength of the grip, but she didn’t retaliate.

“Are you okay?” Leonov asked tensely, prepared to move forward and restrain their friend if needed. “Is she hurting you?”

Falynn waved him back. “It’s fine. Nothing I can’t handle.”

She put her free hand over Taiki’s grip on her arm and muttered quietly. Taiki relaxed once more, and her arm fell limp by her side. But she muttered something inarticulate, then quiet clearly, they heard, “- won’t let you touch her.”

Then she rolled over onto her side and fell silent. Leonov looked from Taiki’s red arm to her face and saw a tired but kindly smile there. He felt an almost overpowering urge of protection fill him, and had to take a deep breath to combat the unease that accompanied it. Falynn heard him and glanced over at him. “Leo?”

He shook his head vigorously, then moved closer. “Alright. That’s enough. Lay down.”

Her face closed back into a mask and she began to rise once more, but he put a firm hand on her shoulder. “I mean it, Falynn. Sleep.”

“But she needs-”

“She needs healing, I know,” he said reassuringly. “I promise I will wake you when the time comes. Until then, I’ll remain right here, on watch. Sleep, and recover. Keep her company.”

He could see the struggle on her face and knew that it was a losing fight. She couldn’t stay awake much longer, and even the prospect of a short two-hour rest was eroding her stubborn refusal. Seemingly without meaning to, she sat down on the moss beside Taiki, allowing her legs to stretch out before her. It took almost no effort for Leonov to gently push her flat, and she made no attempt to rise again.

“I suppose you’re right,” she said, her words slurred as sleep began to take her. Unconsciously, she wriggled closer to Taiki, her eyelids drooping. “But don’t vanish on me. You need to stay safe too.”

He smiled, watching as she fell asleep, then turned toward the shelter’s entrance, sitting down cross-legged with his sword across his knees. He’d sit there for the two hours while Falynn rested and Roni would let him know of any approaching danger. He wasn’t sure why, but at that moment, he felt a small flare of hope in his chest. Not enough to push back all the melancholy, but just enough to let him feel, deep inside, that perhaps there was some bright future ahead of them. And if he had his way, he’d make sure they reached it.

“Don’t you worry,” he said in reply to Falynn’s last comment. “I won’t leave you two. I have to make sure you get what you want.”