I had been standing next to Illa's bed for some time. The Domovoy claime that the girl completely helpless and wouldn't be able to wake up. The woman barely moved indeed, occasionally letting out quiet moans. At these moments, her pale face contorted into a grimace that probably indicated the pain she was feeling.

There were disgusting dark kvits on Illa's body. I had never seen spirits like these before. The elongated bodies of the kvits were covered in peculiar, thick protrusions. Inside their semi-transparent bodies, to be some spherical objects. They appeared to move freely within the spirits' bodies. Occasionally, a subdued light would emerge from within these spheres. It gradually grew brighter, as if a tiny lamp were igniting and slowly gaining strength. After a while, the light seemed to break through invisible boundaries. The spheres would then burst like miniature bombs. Strange waves, resembling spasms, traveled across the kvits bodies. The tentacle-like protrusions swayed back and forth, and then it all started anew. It seemed to me that the kvits increased in size after each wave. But I wasn't sure.

There were a total of twenty of these repulsive creatures on the sorceress's body. Twelve of them were situated on Illa's left leg. Why did the kvits take a liking to this particular limb of the woman? Perhaps the witch had fallen into some kind of trap or stumbled upon a pit inhabited by these vile spirits.

I pondered on capturing the kvits. I even found a suitable container—a clay vessel with a tight cork. But one thought held me back: "What will happen if someone discovers this vessel with enigmatic symbols drawn on it?" There were only two possible answers. The first: nothing. Just an empty clay vessel. What's interesting about it? Strange symbols? Anyone could have drawn them! The second answer was more unpleasant. I had no idea what awaited me once I left the Great Forest. How do the government agencies work in this world? Evan didn't know, and I certainly didn't either. I could only imagine the worst, relying on my experience from my own world. They would have turned Evan's life inside out, transforming it into a living hell. Who, where, why, and how did he end up in the forest? What is this strange object he carries? What do these symbols mean? I shuddered at the thought of having to answer thousands of questions from a malicious man in a damp basement. It's better not to attract unnecessary attention. I don't need these creatures.

I decided to simply remove the repulsive creatures from the girl. I even reached out my hand towards one of them, but once again, a thought visited me, causing me to pause. If I completely rid the woman of the spirits, she would quickly recover miraculously in a challenging situation, arousing unnecessary interest. And who was present? That's right, me. Proving my involvement would be difficult, but attracting any extra scrutiny was undesirable. This ranger trek is kind of weird. Brin wasn't deterred by the loss of a strong team member; he went all-in. That meant the rangers must have had a reason for doing so. Perhaps the mission was of utmost importance and garnered significant attention from important figures. And here I was—a very strange young boy. As I lined up my thoughts, they once again led me to a dank cell with a malevolent interrogator.

Should I leave everything as it is? But the sorceress will die quickly. Going back without the mage? Perhaps this witch is the only chance to reach civilization. The sorceress needs to be on her feet and useful to the group. There are twenty kvits. The spirits are killing Illa rapidly. What if I remove half of them? Most likely, she will stop dying, but she will be weak and ineffective. Carrying a woman through the entire forest is no small feat. I don't know the right course of action, but I know whom I can seek advice from.

"Atzhas" I quietly called out to the Domovoy. " How many kvits should I remove to ensure that the sorceress doesn't miraculously recover suspiciously easily and remains useful in case of danger? "

"You're quite quick, Evan" the Domovoy appeared in front of me. " Remove at least five of them! It's not as easy as it sounds. "

I didn't think it could be difficult. I had to try it so I wouldn't look stupid. I extended my hand, imbued with spiritual energy, towards one of the vile creatures and poked it with my finger. Its gelatinous body writhed in a peculiar and aggressive manner, while its upper protrusions twitched. It seemed as if it were reaching for my finger. I touched the spirit again, but this time I released chi from my fingertip. My energy easily pierced through the kvit. A dark mass gushed out of the spirit. It was like water rushing out of an unexpected breach. The spirit body quickly deflated. The kvit quickly shrank to the size of a shirt button and detached from the girl. Its remnants gradually descended but never reached the floor, dissolving into thin air. I looked at the Domovoy.

"What's the difficulty? " I asked. " Will it come back to life?"

"I thought... " Atzhas scratched his forehead, looking surprised. " It's been a while since I've seen shamanic work. To help someone in this situation, it would require at least three purification rituals. It's hard, working blind. And you just lightly touched it with your finger. I'm not entirely sure, but leave five. Usually, with that number, person live for about two months, constantly falling ill, but... It also depends on the person's health, and the woman is young... Leave five. I think it will be fine. "

I quickly pierced fourteen of the kvits one after another. I decided to leave two kvits on her leg, two on her torso, and one on her right arm. It didn't take long before all the damaged kvits evaporated. None of them reached the floor again.

"Well... " the Domovoy uttered, looking astonished. " Spectacular... It's not every day you witness the mass extermination of spirits with a single touch. "

"Small ones... "

"It doesn't matter, " the Domovoy grumbled and disappeared.

In the evening, I sat on the first floor. I heard the creaking of the floorboards on the second floor. Light footsteps could be heard from the direction of the staircase. I didn't bother turning around. It was clear that the sorceress had finally woken up. I continued cleaning the root vegetables that resembled potatoes. The water in the pot was about to boil.

" How are you feeling, mistress?" I asked.

I noticed that the commonplace address of "Mistress" in this world was unpleasant to me. I remarked with surprise, noticing that the term of address made me feel uneasy. Evan didn't think that way. It was perfectly natural for a young man to address someone of higher social standing in that manner. To me, a man from another world, this was some kind of perversion.

"Fine. " Illa grumbled discontentedly.

"Will you have a drink? I just brewed some pine needle tea. I found some wild berries nearby... "

"Sure. " The sorceress didn't bother listening to me. " I hope I won't get poisoned."

"Oh, come on, mistress." I had to force myself to say that word again. " My mother taught me, she has wonderful recipes. The whole village... No, even the whole region..."

I was speaking some nonsense just to lighten the mood. I tried not to provoke her displeasure. The sorceress wasn't paying attention to me; she sat in front of the fire, gazing at the dancing flames. I pulled up the kettle, poured some forest tea into a clean cup. Illa silently took the cup and turned back to the fire. I quickly ran to the river and washed all the dishes. When I returned to the tower, Illa was still sitting in a crouch in front of the fireplace, holding the cup of tea in her hands. It seemed to me that she hadn't moved all this time. The sorceress was absorbed in her thoughts.

Soon the water over the fire started boiling, in which chopped pieces of root vegetables were placed. On pre-stripped branches, I skewered freshly dressed rabbit carcasses. The rangers had brought salt with them, and I made use of their abundance. All that was left was to keep an eye on the carcasses as they began to roast by the embers. I occasionally flipped them over. Illa took occasional sips from her cup and continued to gaze into the fire. It was quiet. Soon, the magnificent aroma of roasted meat filled the first floor of the tower. I glanced at the entrance. It was already gray outside the walls. Dusk had fallen on the forest. I wondered if Illa and I would be able to put that door back in place. Probably not. We'll have to come up with something to barricade the tower entrance again.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

After about another half an hour, the House Spirit appeared nearby and reported that the rangers were returning. I was genuinely pleased with this news. Perhaps tomorrow we would finally set out from this wilderness. I'm starting to get bored here.

Soon, footsteps could be heard. Illa was lost in thought and didn't pay attention to the muffled noise. She was quite carefree, and in such a dangerous place, one always had to be on guard. The rangers unexpectedly appeared in the doorway. It seemed like the men wanted to startle and have some fun. Also a bit of a mind of grown men. A nervous sorceress might throw some kind of spell at the men who suddenly appeared. And then what?

"Good evening, folks! " Brin cheerfully greeted us. The sorceress flinched and turned sharply. "Looks like we've come back at the right time. Well done, Evan! You've planned dinner perfectly. How are you feeling, Illa?"

"I've been calculating all day when to start cooking." I muttered under my breath while continuing to prepare the meat. Illa chuckled softly, perhaps having heard my words, and took a sip of the now cooled tea.

"Everything is fine, Commander. I'm feeling better now." The girl replied without turning towards the rangers. " I've always said that we mages are resilient, guys."

"Excellent!" Brin boomed. "We're doing great, too! I'll tell you all about it soon. "

Petr gave us a nod of approval. He was even more silent than usual. The men dropped their bags and weapons beneath the stairs. The scout went out on some errand, while Brin approached us. He squatted down, placed his broad hand on my shoulder, and took a deep breath:

"What a great evening!" The ranger patted my shoulder a few times. "Now everything will be fine!"

"And it only gets better from here." I tried to make sure there was no trace of sarcasm in my voice.

" So it is, lad, so be it. I'll go freshen up from the journey..." Brin patted me on the shoulder once again and stood up. "Don't start dinner without me!"

Soon, the footsteps of the big ranger faded away behind the ruins' walls. I prodded the root vegetables with a knife that had been simmering in the water for a long time. The vegetables were ready. I approached the table and started tidying up the mess. I brushed away the crumbs from the surface, arranged plates for four people, placed the cups. There were no napkins, but it would be sinful to complain. I took the pot off the fire and went outside to pour out the boiling water. Soon, I returned to the tower. I placed the pot on the table and topped it with the roasted meat. I thought that the fat dripping onto the vegetables would make them even tastier. I moved my chair closer and sat down at the table. The woman cast an interested glance at the table, huffed, and moved to the adjacent seat. We sat in silence, waiting for the rangers. I fidgeted in my chair, feeling uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gaze of the sorceress. After a few minutes, the men returned.

Soon the rangers returned. The men moved the door into its place and locked it, sliding a thick bar into the grooves. It was a pity the door wasn't made of iron, but it still looked imposing.

"You're a good hunter, Evan." Brin praised me, taking a seat at the table. "Thank you for such a dinner to celebrate our return."

"I just got lucky."

I reached out for the delicious-smelling vegetables. And right away, the sorceress attempted to strike my hand. The woman had only just started her motion, but I already knew the trajectory of her strike. The world around me slowed down a bit. Her spoon gracefully flew towards my hand. I became transfixed by the leisurely movement and almost missed the moment. Just in the nick of time, I moved my wrist aside, evading the blow. A moment later, I scooped up a large piece of the root vegetable with my spoon. The woman's spoon crashed into the edge of the pot with a resounding thud and flew out of her hand. The spoon clattered loudly on the stone floor and skittered away. While Illa looked on in astonishment, I added some more food to my plate. It seemed to have turned out amusingly. I noticed the men concealing their smiles. I was surprised by my abilities and absentmindedly asked:

"For what reason, mistress? " I couldn't come up with a different way to phrase the question.

"You scoundrel! " the girl hissed. "Don't they teach you respect in your backwoods? You have to wait! The elders take the food first! Cheeky boy!"

Angry Illa leaned forward, her hand reaching out towards me. The sorceress was about to give me a slap. I was taken aback. As an adult man, I was prepared to protest against her authoritarian behavior. However, Evan's memory reminded me that the punishment was deserved. In the last moment, I slightly tilted my head forward. The slap turned out weak and misaimed. It was a light touch on the top of my head rather than the powerful strike the sorceress had planned. From the outside, it probably looked convincing. My head jerked sharply, the woman's hand swept above my head. I let out a cry and began rubbing my head with my palm, as if I had received a strong blow. I hoped I wasn't overacting. The men chose not to interfere with the disciplinary process. They disapprovingly shook their heads and started serving themselves food. Illa shot me a furious glance but made no further attempts to strike. For a while, the sorceress burned holes into me with her gaze. Then she left the table to search for her misplaced spoon.

I took advantage of that and began serving myself some food. I didn't want to be greedy, so I only took a small portion. I hoped that the delicious food and a generous serving would soften the sorceress's mood, but the men didn't support me. When Illa returned to the table, she found only a small amount of vegetables and a small piece of rabbit waiting for her. She glared at me angrily, then at my plate. There was nothing to reproach me for, so she started quietly scolding the ignorant villagers. It was clear to everyone who she meant.

Gradually, everything calmed down. Everyone quickly satisfied their initial hunger and felt content. The rangers briefly shared their adventures with the sorceress. They didn't rush to involve me in their adult matters. They simply didn't notice me. I was glad that I wasn't kicked out from the table or sent outside. I ate and pretended as if I didn't exist. From the men's stories, I understood that they had found mutilated bodies in the forest not far from our ruins. It seemed that the rangers had recovered some stolen items and were very pleased with this accomplishment.

"They must have had a meeting with someone, but it wasn't the client," the sorceress speculated. "The client would have taken the stolen scrolls."

"That's right," the men confirmed in unison. "We thought the same."

"Who could have killed them and why didn't they take the valuable items?" Illa asked.

"That's not the main question," I unexpectedly interjected into the conversation, surprising even myself. I hadn't intended to get involved; it just slipped out.

"And what is the main question, young one?" three pairs of eyes stared at me.

The rangers stopped eating. The seasoned warriors looked at the teenager with surprise as he opened his mouth. Lightning flashed in the sorceress's eyes. It was clear that she was running through all known forms of punishment in her mind, and perhaps even inventing new ones. Brin opened his mouth, filling his lungs with air, ready to unleash an angry tirade, but I beat him to it.

"Someone strong will come to the meeting place, won't find their order... And?" I pretended to ponder and continued immediately, "Oh, there are traces here. Where do they lead?"

"You sure know how to ruin one's appetite," muttered Petr.

Brin, with a frown on his face, exhaled slowly through his teeth and threw his spoon. Some of his food flew out of his plate, causing a mess, but no one paid any attention to it. Everyone had forgotten about me as well.

"It's too dangerous to go out at night. We'll leave in the morning. " The lead ranger took command. " We'll travel at an accelerated pace for a few days, trying to distance ourselves from any pursuers, if there are any. Gather your belongings now and be ready to hit the road with the first rays of sunlight."

"All a beggar has to do is pull up his trousers and he's ready." I muttered quietly.

"Evan, a silly question, but what weapon are you best with? " the tracker asked. "An axe?"

"My legs... I can run fast."

The sorceress sneered contemptuously. Brin nodded approvingly.

"It will come in handy tomorrow. How long can you run?" Petr clarified without even smiling. It seemed that the men liked my answer.

"Long enough."

Petr nodded, got up, and went to his belongings. Brin followed suit. The men were quietly discussing something. The sorceress also retreated to the second floor. The team was gathering and preparing for the challenging day ahead. As for me, I stayed behind to clean up the table.

Soon, I finished cleaning up and quietly made my way to the third floor. In the early days of my solitary stay among the ruins, I had created a hiding spot among the stones. Inside, two makeshift devices lay peacefully, which I named grenades. The construction was primitive, but I hoped that everything would work as intended.

I took a bottle made of murky glass, of which there were many in the ruins. The object was easily breakable, which was exactly what I needed. I placed several small stones inside, which would help shatter the container upon impact. To my greatest joy, I found a pot of resin in the rubble. I coated the bottle with the melted substance and rolled it in the iron debris. Nails, metal scraps, and other miscellaneous items were piled up in the tower for years. Who needed all that and how it ended up here remained a mystery to me. When the resin solidified, it became a primitive, fragile contraption that I named a grenade. Naturally, I didn't have the opportunity to test my idea, but I hoped it would work. I would charge the bottle with energy and throw it at my enemies. It would shatter and explode, sending the iron debris flying in all directions as shrapnel. I had tested it, and such a bottle could hold an energy charge for about ten seconds, more than enough for my purposes. Afterwards, the bottle would disintegrate into harmless dust. If I was right and a little luck will be on my side, it should all work out. I also hope that I wouldn't need to test my idea in a real-life situation.