Chapter 22 - The Heart - Markus

It didn’t take them long to find the source of all the noise. The tunnel in the cave had wound around and come full circle beneath the basin. It looked almost as large as the open ground above, but it was hard to tell because of the obstructing rock formations and haphazard lighting. The centre of the cavern looked like it was flooded with water and without moving closer, there was no way of telling how deep it was.

A desperate battle was taking place down the far end of the cavern. Beowulf was holding his ground on a narrow strip of stone that led into the lake. He was fighting off a horde of orcs with nothing more than his claws and fangs. If I were not for the favourable terrain, he likely would have been overrun in spite of his absurd strength.

But farther back behind Beowulf, Skadi was fighting a multitude of giant snakes. Just as Beowulf had lost his weapon, so too had Skadi. She was bearing a torch in one hand and swiping manically at them with the claws on her other hand.

The pair of them were in dire straits and Markus couldn't help but feel impressed that they had lasted this long on their own. “We need to hurry!” Markus urged the others “Who knows how much longer they will be able to hold out."

Aela required no encouragement and was already pushing ahead. Kassandra looked like she would have preferred to leave then and there, but instead, she scowled and followed after Aela.

Phillipe was staring at the five giant aquatic serpents, his brow furrowed as he gnawed anxiously at his lower lip.

“Do you know what those monsters are?” Markus asked.

Phillipe shook his head, “No. I know that dungeons are not entirely predictable, but this is...We need to be especially careful.” he looked incredibly anxious now and was no doubt regretting expending so much of his mana earlier.

Markus didn’t like the look of the monster either, but he needed to get Phillipe moving. Although neither of them would be of much help against the orcs, he knew if they strayed too far behind they would become a liability. “C’mon they are leaving us behind,” Markus gave Phillipe’s shoulder a gentle yet firm thump with his shield.

Phillipe nodded and fell into step alongside him, but his attention was still focused entirely on the aquatic monster.

Aela had now broken into a sprint, her powerful thighs propelling her forwards with incredible speed. As she neared the flanks of the orc horde, without stopping, Aela spun on the spot and sent her shield flying, “BEOWULF!” She cried as it whizzed over the heads of the orcs and towards her eldest brother.

Head and shoulders taller than the orcs, Beowulf saw the improvised projectile racing towards him swatted the nearest orcs away with a brutal backhanded fist. As the shield was about to strike him, he stepped aside, snatched it from the air and spun just as Aela had. “SKADI!” Beowulf roared as he threw the shield towards her.

Skadi caught the shield just in time to smash the rim into the jaw of one of the snakes heads as it snapped at her legs. As the monster howled in pain and was temporarily distracted, Skadi strapped the shield to her arm and took a defensive stance with the shield at the ready.

The entire exchange had only taken a few seconds and without his enchanted light sources, Markus wouldn't have seen any of it. He was so in awe of their impossibly high levels of coordination and reaction speed that Markus very nearly ran headfirst into a stalagmite.

Aela was wasting no time in getting stuck into the fighting. Like a viper, the head of her spear lashed out with frightening speed impaling orcs who had only just realized she was amongst them.

The orcs struck by the spear fell quickly and quietly, cries of anger and violence immediately falling silent as the crystal pierced their flesh.

Similar to her fighting style with the pollaxe, Aela gave her enemies no room to draw close enough to strike back at her. She remained in near-constant motion, her tail whipping around her from below as the spear thrust and slashed above.

By the time Kassandra had made it into the melee more than half the horde lay dead and dying on the ground.

Brutally pragmatic, or perhaps just angry and violent Kassandra began executing the wounded instead of fighting the horde.

Beowulf too had changed tactics and was laying into the orcs with reckless abandon. His claws and fangs were a blur of violence as he viciously tore apart those driven back by Aela.

Despite the success of the others, Skadi looked like she was tiring and slowing down. Completely on the defensive, it looked like all she could manage was staying one step ahead of the monstrous snakes as they pursued her back and forth across the rocky islet.

Markus and Phillipe had now caught up to the others, but neither of them was really in a suitable condition to help.

Phillipe joined his sister and assisted in executing the orcs felled by Aela, stabbing his longsword through their bodies to make sure they would not rejoin the fight at a pivotal moment and ambush them again.

The orcs numbers had thinned dramatically and less than a dozen of them now remained and amongst them was the bone armoured orc that cut off its own hand. Even though its attention had been firmly locked onto Beowulf only a few seconds before, its ruby-red eyes were now firmly locked on Markus.

Bellowing in sheer unadulterated hatred, the orc broke free of its kin and charged him. It dropped the bone axe it had been ineffectually clubbing Beowulf with and pulled something from its crude belt pouch.

What happened next was in almost perfect synchronicity. As Aela plunged her spear through the orc’s neck from behind, the orc lobbed an empty vial at Markus. Even as Aela bore the orc down to the ground, it was grinning so fixedly on Markus that he almost didn’t raise his shield in time.

Fearing the worst, expecting the vial to be filled with a caustic acid or unstable chemical that ignites when exposed to air, Markus flinched as the vial shattered against his shield. But instead of either, the pungent stench of concentrated ammonia stung his eyes and made it hard to breathe. Staggering backwards Markus had expected the smell to lessen somewhat, but it didn’t.

Five screeching roars echoed through the cavern and drew everyone’s attention. The reptilian monsters had disengaged from Skadi and briefly dragged themselves out of the water onto the land bridge, revealing that five monsters were in fact only one.

Its body was massive, easily taller at the shoulder than Beowulf and three times as wide. Each serpent was connected to the torso by their sinuous bodies, revealing why Skadi’s kiting tactic had been so effective and why the serpents had not been able to simply surround her earlier. The body of the monster was like an emaciated reptile that was missing its hind limbs. Its lithe torso gave way all too quickly to a long powerful tail festooned with pectoral and dorsal fins that shivered and waved in obvious agitation.

As the monster launched itself into the water on the opposite side and disappeared from view, Markus felt a familiar fear take hold of his heart. As much as he desperately wanted to believe that the monster was retreating, perhaps to lick its wounds. Markus knew that it was coming for him, he understood this with a certainty that defied all expectation and reason.

As he stumbled farther away from the water, he caught a glimpse of the look on the armoured orc’s face. Even though it was clearly dead, the orc’s expression was one of smug triumph. As the stench of the ammonia burned at his eyes, Markus understood his mistake and how the orc had gotten the better of him.’

Firstly, the orc had not been a chieftains bodyguard as Markus had assumed. The orc was a beastmaster. Secondly, the orc beastmaster had marked him as the target for his pets undivided and vicious attention.

Skadi was already racing down the causeway, her eyes firmly fixed on the water. ”IT IS COMING FOR THE HUMAN!” She shouted frantically while gesturing at Markus.

It took every scrap of his rapidly hemorrhaging willpower to turn his back on the lake, but somehow he managed it. Frantically looking around for a defensible position, Markus settled on a naturally formed bottleneck of stalagmites and stalactites near the wall. Running as fast as he could manage and surprised that he hadn’t tripped or slipped on the damp stones, Markus only just managed to slip through the gap as the sound of crashing water and infuriated roars erupted behind him.

As terrifying as it had been to turn his back on the lake, Markus found it even more so in trying to turn to face the monster. It was like a part of his brain had convinced itself that so long as he couldn’t see it, the monster couldn’t hurt him. So by the time he managed to shakily turn around, the monster was almost upon him.

Beowulf was hanging onto its tail and crawling along its back, ripping and tearing with his claws as he drew himself closer to its body.

Aela was hurling javelins at the serpent’s legs in an attempt to slow it down or cripple it, but in spite of her accuracy, it only seemed to piss the monster off more.

Skadi had been trailing behind, shadowing Aela and trying to get her attention. But as Aela had thrown her last javelin, Skadi seemed to have a new idea and sped towards the right leg of the monster. Yanking one of the javelins free and pulling up short to avoid the retributive tail swipe. Skadi shifted the javelin to her shield hand and then dove in to get another and then another.

With his back pressed against the wall, Markus couldn’t do much more than draw his sword awkwardly with his left hand and wait.

The monstrous multiheaded serpent crashed into the exterior of Markus’s shelter and was thankfully repelled without managing to do substantial damage. Enraged by the obstructions denying its entry, the monster tried to force its way through again and again. With each attempt, the serpents talons tore free or smashed another segment of his shelter.

Just as the monster was about to force its way through, its body stiffened and briefly convulsed. Hissing and roaring in fury, the serpents briefly turned their attention from Markus.

In that moment of distraction, Markus unbuckled his shield and dropped it to the ground. Squeezing through a gap near the wall, he quickly put as much distance between himself and the monster as possible.

From his new vantage point, Markus could see that Phillipe and Kassandra were still putting down the last of the remaining orcs. Markus could also see Beowulf Ripping and tearing one of the serpents necks while it was vulnerable. Skadi and Aela were stabbing at the monster’s flanks and each time Aela’s spear pierced its hide, the monster would briefly convulse in a seizure before renewing its efforts to break into his former shelter.

Pulling his dagger from his belt, Markus hastily unenchanted his sword and began carving new sigils into the leather. Markus silently cursing himself for not doing this in the first place. He had no reason not to have done this in the first place. Concentrating, Markus redirected the mana already within the sword back into its strengthening enchantments and also into the new mana conversion enchantment.

Now suitably armed but feeling more vulnerable than before, Markus tried mustering his courage to approach the boss monster. But he couldn’t do it, every instinct was silently screaming for him to run and hide.

During its latest seizure, the boss monster’s tail whipped out and sent Aela and her spear flying backwards from the force of the blow. With her spear no longer crippling its movements, the monster tore into the rocky hideout in a frenzy. Once inside and discovering Markus had escaped, it shrieked in rage and Beowulf was sent tumbling back out into the open ground of the cavern.

Beowulf was bleeding from a multitude of small cuts on his face, arms and legs. In spite of these injuries, he was already shaking himself off and preparing to rush back into the fight.

“BEOWULF!” Markus yelled as loudly and clearly as he could, “CATCH!” He threw his sword with as much strength as he could muster towards Beowulf. Unfortunately, hand-eye coordination was never one of Markus talents and neither was strength. So his sword barely made it halfway towards its intended destination before impacting a stalagmite and clattering to the ground.

Beowulf stared at Markus incredulously for a moment before loping over to retrieve the sword from where it had fallen. After sceptically inspecting the blade, he shrugged and charged back into the fight.

The boss monster had begun smashing its way free again and had just noticed Markus again.

Armed with only his dagger and watching the fanged maws of the serpents drawing closer, Markus was seriously beginning to reconsider his choices in life.

Clearly not expecting the effects of Markus enchantment to be so powerful, Beowulf very nearly lost his footing as he cleaved the left forelimb off the monster below its shoulder.

Hissing and shrieking in pain fuelled rage, the monster still pitiably attempted to drag itself towards Markus, but now the serpents actively harassed Beowulf in a concerted effort to kill or disarm him.

However, with its attention divided between Markus and Beowulf, the monster had forgotten about Aela. She quickly gave it cause to regret it. Aela drove her spear deep into its other forelimb and instead of retracting it, she left it there and drew her sword.

Capitalizing on the monsters seizure, Beowulf hacked off two of the serpents heads before they had time to recover.

It was the beginning of the end for the boss monster. The spear’s enchantments had rendered it anemic, its movements becoming sluggish and weak. Between the two of them, Aela and Beowulf handily began carving the monster’s body apart, piece by piece. They had no mercy, blades rising and falling with brutal efficiency and purpose. It wasn’t until the final head was sent tumbling onto the floor that they both slowed and then stopped their assault.

The monster’s body was still trembling, its tail still spasming and thrashing, but Aela and Beowulf were ignoring it.

“Remember the agreement!” Aela growled as she shoved Beowulf, “What the hell were you even thinking?! Markus almost died because of you!” She shoved him again, this time more forcefully, “Do you think Markus didn’t know what you were trying to do when you and Skadi ran off?! He could have left you here! I want you to remember that!"

Beowulf was initially taken aback by the intensity of Aela’s rebuke and sounded uncertain of himself when he tried to explain himself. “We had just intended to scout ahead, truly. But we got excited. You should understand what this means for us!"

Skadi had now joined Beowulf and was glowering at Aela, ”It is mine!” She hissed angrily, “Don't even dare to think about taking it away from us!"

Seeing the situation was rapidly getting out of hand and would devolve into bloodshed if he didn’t do something fast. Markus quickly jogged over and imposed himself between them. “Take it easy, we can argue about this later. For now, let's secure the dungeon heart before the monsters start spawning again."

Beowulf and Skadi backed off but were still glaring at Aela, although Skadi seemed more desperate than upset.

Recognizing that it was probably the best he could hope for at the moment, Markus turned his attention to securing the dungeon heart. Withdrawing the tablet from a leather sleeve on his belt, Markus quickly scanned the monster’s body. It was easy enough to find, the heart was buried deep in its torse and shone like a miniature sun. “The heart is there, in its chest,” Markus pointed to it with his free hand, “Could you retrieve it for me please, Aela?"

Aela nodded and shot a sour glance towards her brother, “Of course," After stripping off her gloves and tucking them into her belt, Aela slowly began ripping through the monsters scaly hide. Apparently not the least bit squeamish, she had no problems snapping through the monster's ribs, tearing free the dungeon heart and yanking it out with one hand while the other held the muscles and sinew out of the way.

It was smaller than Markus had expected, no bigger than his fist. “Could you hold it up so I can get a good look at it?” Markus asked as he moved in for a closer look.

Aela obliged, balancing the heart on her open palm and raising it up to his eye level.

The dungeon heart did not appear to have markings of any kind on its surface. In fact, it looked almost identical to the marbles Markus had procured from the glassworks with only one exception. The marbles were mostly transparent but the heart was black and so thoroughly opaque that light struggled to penetrate its surface at all. It was also surprisingly warm to the touch and immaculately smooth.

“Were the other hearts like this?” Markus asked curiously.

Aela took a few moments to think before replying “More or less” she agreed.

A little disappointed that there were no markings to find, Markus raised his tablet and held it in front of the heart. “Could you slowly rotate it for me?” He asked. The inner flow of mana inside the heart was breathtakingly complex and he wanted to make sure to record as much of what he was seeing into the tablet as he could manage.

Aela nodded and slowly turned the heart horizontally around on her palm, “Like this? Or do you want the other way?” She asked.

“Let's do both. Do a full rotation along the horizontal axis, then a full rotation along the vertical axis.” Markus was glad for the help, without looking through the tablet, he honestly wouldn't have been able to tell whether the heart had completed a rotation or not. Markus was actually rather impressed that Aela could manage it. Did her innate senses as a chimera allow her to feel the currents of mana to such a degree to differentiate by the sense of touch alone? Or was she seeing something he wasn't?

With that thought in mind, Markus thought it prudent to ask another question, “Aela, what do you see when you look at the dungeon heart?"

Aela shrugged, “It looks like broken ice, but it feels smooth."

Excited Markus tapped his finger on one of the larger mana veins “So what do you see here?” he asked.

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“A crack?” Aela replied, unsure of why he was making such a big deal about it.

“Could you trace the length of the main fissure?” Markus asked excitedly.

Aela nodded and unerringly ran her finger along the length of the mana vein.

“Amazing,” Markus grinned, “You can see dungeon mana,” he explained excitedly.

Aela’s expression was far from impressed and a little bemused. “Yes, I know,” she replied.

That caught Markus by surprise “Wait, what? Since when?"

Aela shrugged, “Since always?” She glibly replied.

Markus was tempted to say something snarky but restrained himself. He would look into it more later. With a complete scan of the heart’s mana veins, Markus was now keen to see if Skadi would have a similar reaction to the destroyed heart as Aela. He already assumed that there would be a rather drastic difference because of what the tablet was showing him at the moment.

When Aela had destroyed the second dungeon heart, mana veins around her body had been badly damaged or severed entirely. In particular was a cluster of veins in her abdomen, roughly where Markus assumed her womb would be. Looking at her now, all the damaged and severed veins had been repaired and reconnected.

Comparing Aela to Skadi made it abundantly clear that Skadi was missing the majority of those same mana veins. If Markus's hypothesis was correct, it was those veins that allowed chimera to reproduce. Better still, Markus believed he had seen similar mana flows while recording the heart. He would need to study it in more detail later, but it was a promising lead.

By the way, Skadi was anxiously clawing at Beowulf’s arm and staring fixedly on the dungeon heart, Markus thought it might be best to get on with things. Gingerly taking the dungeon heart from Aela in his right hand. Worried he might drop it, Markus quickly walked over to Skadi and held it out for her to take it, “It’s yours now."

Quick as a flash, Skadi snatched it and stared hungrily at it for a few moments before scampering a short distance away.

Markus barely lifted his tablet in time to watch as Skadi broke the heart and the tidal wave of mana rushed over her. Unlike when he had watched Aela break the heart, the wave of mana seemed significantly thinner, more insubstantial. But even so, Skadi’s mana was now lit up just as brightly as the dungeon heart had been moments before. So Markus wasn't sure what the difference meant if anything at all.

Knowing what to look for this time, Markus was surprised to see that the new mana veins were rapidly creeping through Skadis abdomen. With each passing moment, the bright intensity of her mana began to fade. The new veins were thin and spindly at first but had now thickened and begun branching out in a more comprehensive and interconnected web of mana.

With the change complete and the dungeon hearts mana exhausted, Skadi looked positively manic. She was grinning widely from ear to ear and rubbing her abdomen, “It worked! Finally! After waiting for so long!” Skadi locked eyes with Beowulf and leapt into his arms, “We are going to have a baby!” She cried.

Beowulf dropped his sword and lifted her up in his arms. He had the same manic glint in his eyes as he drew Skadi in close and kissed her.

Feeling a little awkward, Markus stowed his tablet away and went to go collect his shield from where he had left it earlier.

Aela tagged along, easily catching him up, “Why arent you mad at them?” She demanded while handing Markus his sword.

It was a fair question. After giving it some thought, Markus sighed and shook his head, “I am mad at them."

Aela scowled, “Then why aren’t you angry?!"

“I am angry, I just don’t think this is a good time or place to do something about it.” Markus shrugged non-committally.

Aela stopped walking, “You could have died Markus...” She sounded hurt, “They nearly got you killed and you don’t seem to care!"

Markus had been about to pick up his shield, but he stopped and straightened back up instead. Markus sighed and removed his helmet so she could see his face, or the top half at least anyway. “I do care Aela, perhaps not in the same way or to the same level that you do, but I do care."

Aela looked away and bit her low lip.

Markus walked back over to Aela and held her shoulders, “Everything seems to have worked out and I know that has as much to do with luck as anything else.”

Aela stiffened and made as if to pull herself away, but she wasn’t trying very hard.

“What I feel right now, Aela, is relieved. Relieved that the danger is past. Relieved that you are unscathed.” Markus gently pulled her closer and when she didn’t resist, he hugged her close.

Aela quietly sobbed into his shoulder, “You could have died..."

Markus wasn’t sure what to say, so he chose to stay quiet and instead just held her for a while.

Beowulf and Skadi were laughing and hastily leaving the cavern after shedding their borrowed equipment.

Phillipe and Kassandra were patiently waiting by the water’s edge and talking quietly with one another.

“I’m sorry,” Aela mumbled as she pulled away and wiped at her cheeks with the sleeves of her gambeson, “It’s just...The thought of something happening to you...I can’t stand it,” Aela flinched as if the thought alone was more than she could bear.

“It’s alright,” Markus gently patted her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze, “I am honestly touched that you care enough about me to become upset." It was true, Markus was unused to the idea of someones primary concern being his wellbeing without ulterior motives attached. So Aela’s earnest and honest care for his welfare for its own sake was a welcome change.

Aela gave Markus a small appreciative smile, took his hand from her shoulder and held it against her cheek briefly before letting go. “I’ll go get the rest of our equipment. You should probably wash your shield off in the water before you handle it too much,” Aela suggested while cupping her hand over her mouth and nose.

The smell was already beginning to make his eyes water, so Markus couldn’t blame her for wanting to get as far away from it as possible. Even Phillipe and Kassandra gave him wide berth before he had dunked his shield in the water a few times.

“That was a truly unique aroma I hope never to encounter again,” Phillipe commented wryly.

“Even that would be too soon,” Kassandra agreed. She had removed her helmet and was holding a handkerchief over her nose and mouth.

After giving it a few more thrashings in the water for good measure, Markus strapped the shield to his pack. “Is there a name for that boss monster?” He asked. It was unique enough that Markus assumed it had to have one.

Phillipe shrugged, “If it does, I have not heard of it."

“It was a false hydra,” Aela commented as she rejoined the group.

“Looked pretty real to me,” Kassandra challenged, “Nasty bastard!"

Aela rolled her eyes, “True hydra regenerate. Wounds close themselves faster than you can make them, body parts reattach or regrow entirely. They are far more formidable."

Markus shivered involuntarily as he considered what the outcome of the fight would have been if they were facing a true hydra. “We should probably get out of here before the dungeon collapses,” he said while trying not to imagine what may still be hiding in the depths of the lake.

The hike back to the entrance didn’t take particularly long. The path circling around the basin was largely clear of obstructions and despite taking longer than scaling the ridge, the walk back was far less stressful.

Exiting the dungeon was a somewhat jarring experience. Markus had almost forgotten how full of life the world was and the reminder only served to make the lifelessness of the dungeon all the more profound.

The steward had already seen them and sent for the groom to retrieve their horses while the guards opened the gate for them. Phillipe and Kassandra’s horses were brought first, but Markus’s wouldn't be much longer if the brisk jog of the groom was to be an indicator.

“It was a pleasure fighting alongside you again,” Phillipe bowed first to Markus then to Aela, “If you are ever in the capital, by all means, please pay us a visit."

Kassandra waited until her brother’s back was turned before cracking a small smile and waving them goodbye as well, “Until next time."

Watching the pair of them leave, Markus was suddenly acutely aware of Beowulf and Skadi’s absence. “Excuse me, did you perhaps see where my two remaining party members have gotten to?” He politely asked the steward.

The steward shifted a little uncomfortably, “One of the guards saw them scale the wall,” he sniffed indignantly, “We had perhaps thought something untoward had happened and they had simply cut and run. We were most relieved to find that not to be the case, I can assure you of that.” He did indeed seem much more at ease than when they had first arrived an hour or so earlier that afternoon.

The groom returned with Markus’s hired horse as well as a mounting step to assist Markus in mounting his horse. Thoroughly grateful for the groom’s consideration, Markus gladly gifted him a penny as compensation.

Having mounted his horse and left the estate behind, Markus was wondering what they should do regarding Beowulf and Skadi. He had no way of knowing where they had gone and no way of contacting them. “Should we just wait for them to come back? Or head home?” Markus mused aloud.

Although he hadn't expected an answer, Aela provided one anyway “Heading home is probably best.” She gnawed at her lip for a moment as if she was unsure if she should continue, “Skadi has spoken often and fervently of her desire for a child. Mother had suspected they would, erm, satisfy that need at length after defeating the dungeon,” Aela blushed and looked away as she spoke, which only made him feel more awkward.

With a rather vivid idea of what she meant, Markus was content to continue the return trip home again in relative silence.

After returning the horse to the livery stables, Markus bought some meat pies to share with Aela for an early dinner on the way home. Wanting an early night, Markus bid everyone a good evening and went to bed.

Markus woke up early the following morning when Aela very nearly dragged him bodily out of bed.

“Wha?” Markus yawned sleepily. He hadn’t gotten his thoughts together yet and hadn’t heard a single word she had just said.

“Beowulf and Skadi have returned and are at the south gate, the guild woman won’t go unless you accompany her,” Aela sounded annoyed and more than a little cranky.

Rubbing at his face, Markus groggily pulled on his boots and got out of bed. He hadn’t gotten changed before going to bed last night, so thankfully he didn’t have to get changed now. Buckling on his sword belt, Markus stumbled out of his room and blearily tried to remember how to put one foot in front of the other without falling on his face.

Markus trudged down the hall and then down both flights of stairs, clinging tightly to the railing to make sure he didn’t miss a step and fall.

Anabelle was waiting for them by the front door. She looked much too alert for someone awake this early in the morning. Seeing Markus descending the stairs, she made as if to bow but caught herself and pretended to stretch instead. “Good morning. I was contacted by the southern gate captain earlier this morning. Your two absent guests are requesting entry to the town, but the gates normally will not be opened until sunrise at the earliest. Your special status with the guild would allow the gate captain to make an exception, but you would need to be present and show your identification to confirm your identity.” Anabelle shrugged helplessly, “He is just following procedure."

Markus groaned at the prospect of walking all the way to the south gate. “What do you think Aela? Should we just make them wait until sunrise?"

Aela shifted uncomfortably, “I think we should go get them,” she didn’t look happy about it. “They probably slept outside already, so it isn’t about having a warm bed. Something must be worrying them."

The suggestion of danger was all it took for Markus brain to finally wake up. “Alright, then we should probably get going then,"

With the streets so empty and the chill of the early morning air requiring brisk strides to ward off the cold, they made good time in reaching the south gate.

“-told you, the gate doesn’t open till dawn!” One of the guards sneered peevishly while leaning lazily on his halberd.

“Bloody chimaera,” another guard spat on the ground in disgust.

Anabelle glanced at Markus and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, but she remained silent.

Markus mood had officially soured. He was glaring at the pair of guards on duty by the portcullis when the captain on duty strode out of the gatehouse.

“Would I be correct in assuming you are Mr Markus Farus?” He asked coolly.

Markus nodded, “I am,” he withdrew his identification from his tunic and held it up for the guard captain to see. “I would like for you to raise the portcullis so my guests can enter the town. Will that be a problem?"

The guard captain’s jaw clenched in aggravation. He no doubt had expected Markus to just wait until dawn rather than come down in person at such an early hour. Making no effort to hide his anger at his authority being overridden by a civilian, “Fine!” The guard captain snapped and stomped back into the gatehouse house.

The portcullis was raising so slowly that Beowulf didn’t wait for it to finish and just ducked under it. Now unobscured by the deep shadows of the gate, it became clear that he was carrying Skadi in his arms. She was huddled against Beowulf and wrapped in a bloody animal fur. It was like she was trying to ward off the cold, in spite of already having a fur coat of her own already.

“What is wrong?” Aela asked suspiciously.

Beowulf looked incredibly worried “I don’t know, Skadi was complaining about being cold and hungry.” Seeing his sister’s expression sour, Beowulf shook his head and started heading in the direction of the house, “She passed out suddenly and wouldn't wake up no matter what I tried. I need to bring Skadi to mother!" Beowulf quickly outpaced them and disappeared into the darkness.

“Could she be sick?” Markus asked. Worried that bringing Skadi into their home would only cause others to catch what she had as well.

Aela shook her head, “Maybe, but I don’t think so...” Her expression had changed from annoyance to pity. “Beowulf is right. It is best that mother takes a look at her, she will know."

If Anabelle knew what they were talking about, she betrayed no sign of it. She was, if anything, making active attempts to pay attention to literally anything else.

After telling Hector to wake Svalla and to stand ready to open the front door for Beowulf, Markus thought it would be best to hurry home as well. He wasn’t sure if there was anything he could do, but hurrying alleviated his anxiety somewhat all the same.

Once they arrived back home, Anabelle quickly excused herself, mumbling something about preparing breakfast. Truthfully, Markus hadn’t paid much attention and was following Aela upstairs. Seeing no sign of Beowulf or Skadi on the second or third floor, they continued up into the attic.

Skadi was laying down on the furs in the centre of the room and was bundled up with blankets. Svala was holding a large candle and examining her, while Beowulf knelt nearby. The rest of the family was standing or sitting against the wall opposite the window and watching with dour expressions on their faces.

Not wanting to interrupt, but assuming Svala needed light to carry out her medical assessment, Markus quickly enchanted a penny from his coin pouch.

The sudden introduction of the light startled the others, but Svala simply put the candle down and held out her hand expectantly without turning around or saying a word.

Placing the coin in her palm, Markus stepped back and waited. After a short while, his curiosity started getting the better of him. Moving closer so he could get a better view, Markus pulled out his tablet. Her mana veins looked noticeably less vibrant than they had yesterday. Noticing something that hadn’t been there before, it took Markus over a minute to realize what it was. Skadi was pregnant.

Freezing the image so he could take a closer look, Markus backed away again.

Aela looked equal parts curious and disapproving as she whispered “What are you doing?” She pointed at the tablet.

“I was trying to see what was wrong,” Markus fidgetted uncomfortably, aware that he had no medical training whatsoever and how pretentious he must sound. “I think she is pregnant, could that be part of why she is so unwell?"

Glancing first at Skadi then back to the tablet, Aela grimaced, “Oh no,” she shifted uncomfortably.

Svala placed the coin down by the candle and walked over to them. “What are you looking at?” She demanded.

Markus showed her the tablet “It’s an enchantment for seeing the monster and dungeon mana,” he explained quickly, “This mass of veins weren’t here after she destroyed the dungeon heart, so I thought maybe she was pregnant."

Svala scowled, “Show me what is happening right now!” She demanded sternly.

Markus nodded and changed the tablet to active viewing again. Thinking that Svala wanted a quick demonstration of how it worked, he had not expected her to snatch it from his hand and quickly kneel back down beside Skadi.

Svala pulled away some of the blankets to expose Skadi’s abdomen and stomach, then she slowly waved the tablet over her exposed flesh. Svala repeated this a dozen or so times before slowly shaking her head and slumping her shoulders. She replaced the blankets, moved to kneel down by Beowulf and whispered quietly in his ear.

“NO!” Beowulf sprang to his feet, hackles raised and snarling, “You don’t know her like I do! There has to be something else you can do!"

Svala shook her head and placed one hand on Skadi’s shoulder and the other over her heart, “There is nothing else I can do for them, Beowulf. If I terminate the pregnancy, Skadi will recover and you both will have the chance at having children again in the future. If I do nothing, she and the children will both die."

Beowulf angrily shook his head, “You don’t understand! All she ever wanted was a child of her own, you can't do this!"

“She will have a chance at children again. But only if I act now, otherwise she will die,” Svala’s voice had taken on a hard edge like she was disciplining a child.

“If you do this, you will kill her!” Beowulf had tears in his eyes as he looked down at Skadi and gently cradled her face in his enormous hands.

Svala stood up and reached out to comfort Beowulf, “There is nothing else we can do."

Beowulf seemed to collapse into himself, but then he saw Markus and a sudden manic intensity washed over him instead. Knocking his mother away, Beowulf stormed over towards Markus, “YOU!” He grabbed a fistful of Markus tunic and yanked him off his feet, “You can save her! DO IT!” Beowulf then threw Markus to the ground beside Skadi.

Suddenly realizing what he intended for Markus to do, his blood ran cold. The memory of the pain he felt in clawing Aela back from the brink was excruciating. Fearfully looking around for someone to help him, Markus was disappointed to find that they were all stunned into inaction.

“I SAID DO IT!” Beowulf roared and gave Markus a ringing blow to the side of his head that knocked him down to the floor.

Tasting blood, Markus tried to get up but a sudden flash of pain erupted in his stomach and he involuntarily and reflexively curled up to protect himself.

“HEAL HER OR I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!” Beowulf leaned down, snatched Markus up by his throat with one hand and held him up in the air. His claws were digging into Markus’s neck but that hardly mattered compared to the vice-like grip pressing down on his windpipe.

Unable to breathe, Markus feebly kicked and scratched to try and make Beowulf let him go or at least loosen his grip so he could breathe.

Aela was the first to shake off her stupor and launched herself at Beowulf in a fury. However, no matter how hard she hit him, he wouldn't let Markus go.

The rest of her family came in like a wave of teeth and claws, but that was the last thing Markus saw before everything turned dark.

Waking up with a skull-splitting migraine, Markus staggered out of bed, lost his balance and vomited across the floor. Wiping the bile from his mouth, he was surprised when someone took hold of his shoulders, helped him back up again and sat him down on the bed.

“Sorry,” Aela apologised as she took a wet cloth and wiped the bile from his lips “I didn’t think you would wake up so quickly,"

Markus tried to tell her it was fine, but he instead only managed a ragged racking cough that caused dark spots to swim across his vision.

“Here, drink this,” Aela insisted as she took the cup off his nightstand and pressed it to his lips.

Taking a small sip, Markus tastebuds revolted and he immediately spat it back out.

Aela frowned, “Drink it,” she insisted.

Markus shook his head and tried to speak again, but the effort only irritated his throat causing him to cough again.

Aela hissed and dropped the towel in Markus’s lap. Pressing her thumb and forefinger into his cheeks, Aela forced his mouth open and poured some of the liquid inside.

Unable to spit it out or free himself from her iron grip, Markus was left with no other choice than to swallow the vile brew. Believing his ordeal was over, he had not expected Aela to pour more of it into his mouth. Redoubling his efforts to get away proved just as fruitless as before, so Markus was again forced to swallow the bitter draught and suppress his urge to vomit.

There was still more liquid in the cup, but thankfully Aela set it back down on the nightstand and removed her hand from his face. “It is medicine for your throat and for the pain,” she explained, “It will help you feel better after you rest some more."

Markus could feel the pain in his head and throat lessening a little, but he was also growing incredibly drowsy.

Aela helped him lie back down in bed and carefully laid a clean folded damp cloth on his forehead.

The door opened and Svala walked in without waiting to be invited, not that he could speak to make the offer anyway. “Is what your brothers and sister told me true?” She demanded heatedly.

Aela got up off the bed and imposed herself between Svala and Markus. “About what?” she answered warily.

“Did he really bring you back from beyond the brink?” Svala insisted.

Aela didn’t answer.

Evidently knowing her daughter well enough to understand what her silence meant, Svala was temporarily rendered speechless herself. “How did he do it?!” She demanded, taking hold of Aela’s shoulders and holding her in place so she couldn’t escape.

Aela squirmed, but her mother held on tight, “I don’t know!” She hissed painfully.

Svala let her go and turned her attention to Markus instead “Then it is simple. Markus can do the same for Skadi."

Markus suddenly felt like someone had dumped him in an ice-bath. Just the memory of the pain made him shiver uncontrollably.

“NO!” Aela shoved Svala backwards so suddenly and forcibly that she crashed into the far wall. Aela was now baring her teeth and ready to fight, “Whatever Markus did, it caused him immense pain!”

Jumping to her feet, Svala bared her teeth and snarled angrily, “So what?! Life is pain! Get over it!”

“I won’t let you hurt him!” Aela growled, the promise of violence laden in every syllable.

Svala was shocked into silence, evidently surprised that Aela would be willing to take it so far. “We will talk about this again later. Once you have calmed down and-”

All at once, the drowsiness had become too much and Markus passed out. The last thing he saw was Svala backing out of the room and closing the door behind her.