A quick rocking motion made me open my eyes but realizing I could only see with one, I closed the other. Penelope was next to me with a look as if she saw a ghost.

"What happened to your face?" she said.

"You don't remember?"

"I'm pretty sure I would remember something like that. What happened?"

"Ah, it's nothing."

"Don't give me that." She caressed the bandages over my eye. "That's too much for 'nothing'."

"Nah, it was just an accident."

She scoffed. "How did it happen?"

"I, uh... Hit a training dummy with the back of my sword and it bounced back. It wasn't a training sword." I gave a nervous laugh.

"What-? What were you practicing, anyway?"

"Uh... Disarming techniques."

"Sounds bullshit, but okay. Next time, be more careful. You're going to need both of your eyes."

"Well, I still have both of them... I think." I sat up and looked around, turning my head a bit more to the left to line up my field of view properly.

"Do you think you can handle a commission with your eye like that?"

"What do you take me for? I can fight blind."

"I know. When you first learned how you wouldn't shut up about it."

I folded my arms. "Well, then, you understand."

"Don't pout at me looking like that. You look like a wounded puppy." She giggled.

"Yeah, sure." I giggled as well.

Sometime later, we were at the guildhall in search of a job. Once we stepped inside, the commissioner behind the bar at the opposite end of the hall waved us over. Once we got there, he handed us an envelope each.

"Here's the payment for your last commission. The farmer came by and let us know what happened."

"Farmer?" said Penelope. "What happened?"

Casually, I said, "You really don't remember. You tripped and hit your head while we were herding cows. I guess now you have some memory loss."

"Wow, I must have hit my head pretty hard."

"It didn't really look like it but I guess you were unconscious for a while."

"Really?" She brushed her fingertips across her head for a couple of seconds. "There's no bump or anything."

"You can thank Zeta for that." I took a step back and scratched my head. "And I guess I should also say I'm sorry."

"Wait, you're the reason I got hurt?"

"I mean, I hurt myself too, see. I even gave Zeta a nosebleed. I'm pretty sure I hurt everyone yesterday."

"Now that I think about it, if I could be healed, why not you?"

"Oh, mine was caused by my own magic, you see..."

"Okay, I forgive you. You're hurt enough that I don't need to hit you anyway."

I gave a nervous laugh, "Anyway, how about we pick up a commission."

"How about it?" said Penelope to the commissioner who was now sifting through a short stack of papers. "Any commissions available within our range?"

"There's always some." He stared between a couple of papers for a few seconds. "But I need to confirm. You two are a guild, right?"

My partner and I looked at each other for a second.

"Uh, well.." I started.

"Not really?" said Penelope

"Hmm, that's what the paperwork says. Looks like we've just been operating on the assumption that you're a guild since you've been doing this for so long."

"Is there a problem?" I said, already having figured out what the problem was.

"While there's nothing wrong with a couple of adventurers taking commissions, you have taken a few guild commissions over the last month. None of them were any higher than A-rank, so we can overlook it, but since it has been brought to our attention, it seems that those commissions were a misrepresentation of your abilities."

"So, are we in trouble or not?"

"What I'm saying is." He reached down and produced two silver pins with a B emboldened on them. "These were supposed to be for you."

"Really?" Penelope eyed them eagerly.

"Yeah, but since you're not a guild, I can't give them to you."

"Okay, so, if we become a guild, we'll be able to take higher-paying commissions?" I said.

"Well, you could always partner up with a guild or you could try becoming nationally recognized like that guy that ended a secret war a few years back, but even he started his own guild."

"How exactly do we become a guild?"

"Paperwork and merit." He handed us a guild application form. "You already have the merit part down, so just head upstairs and head down the hall to the left, take another left, and head all the way to the end. Show this to the person inside and they'll get you sorted out."

We followed the directions and came to a door with a black plaque and bold red lettering that spelled out a familiar name.

"Belladonna?" I said, repeating what I read. "Is that...?"

"Only one way to find out." Penelope knocked on the door.

"Come in." The voice on the other side confirmed my suspicion.

We entered. It was a windowless room lined with file cabinets and a few chairs in front of a desk holding a few stacks of paper and a computer with a familiar woman sitting behind it. Danna was sorting through and writing on papers from one stack and putting them in one of two other stacks.

"Sit." She pointed at the seats.

We both took a seat and sat in silence for a minute.

"You gonna say something?" she asked, casually.

"Yeah," I said, "I thought you worked... somewhere else."

"Whoever worked here moved for whatever reason so I was placed here a few weeks ago. So, what are you here for?"

"This." I handed her the guild application form.

"About time." She took a look at it and handed it back. "You still need to fill it out."

"Oh, yeah."

"Here's a pen." She handed me a black pen.

I took it and we looked over the form. Everything was filled out already aside from a few things. We only had to sign our names as founding members, come up with a guild name, and appoint a guild master. We both signed our names as founders and took a few minutes to deliberate on the guild's name. Most of what we came up with sounded more like band names than anything, but eventually, we settled on Starblade. 'Star' because of my eyes and 'blade' because we both use bladed weapons and the name just sounded cool.

but I couldn't help but stare at the spot for the guild master's signature.

"What are you waiting for?" said Penelope, staring between me and the paper excitedly.

Hesitantly, I wrote my signature and sat the pen down before sliding both pen and paper across the table.

"Congratulations on becoming an official guild." Danna read through the form, pulled a stamp from a drawer and stamped it, then placed it off to the side. "You'll get a copy of your permit in about a week, but you can still accept commissions in the meantime." She handed me a blue slip of paper the width of my thumb. "Give this to the commissioner at the bar and you can start taking B-rank missions immediately."

Back to the commissioner, I handed him the slip of paper. He blew on one end of it and it turned into a white bolt of electricity then dispersed Into the air. After seeing this display, he handed us the pins still sitting next to him on a wooden coaster. Penelope pinned it into her hair with a wide smile and I placed mine under my chainmail over my heart.

"Okay, so B-rank commissions. Gimme." Penelope was so excited she could barely contain herself.

"One did come up that I think you two would be perfect for." He reached down behind the bar and handed us the resulting paper.

The commission was for chasing down a wraith haunting the tunnels under a mansion in the mountains to the west. The owners were too afraid to face it because they suspect it was the spirit of their father who died under suspicious circumstances.

"This does look like an interesting mission," I said.

"A mission where I can just hit something? Sign me up," said Penelope. "I haven't been able to put the enchantment on my axe to good use yet."

"Yeah." I brushed my fingers across my bandages subconsciously.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, it's just that I get to put my blind swordsmanship to use for once."

Taking the commission, we traveled out of town and followed the main mountain road for a while before taking a side road up to an imposing castle in the distance. We arrived just after nightfall and were greeted by a young man with silver hair in a butler uniform. He was pacing in front of a large oak door leading into the manor.

"Hello, I assume you're visitors? May I help you?" He stopped and bowed to us.

"We're here for the commission you sent." I showed him the document.

"Thank goodness, you've come at the perfect time. Please come in." He turned toward the door and walked straight through it. The door never opened.

"Uh..." Penelope and I made the same sound in a confused, yet alarmed response.

He popped back out after a moment. "My apologies. I was too hasty." He walked into the door with his arms outstretched and pushed it open. "Please follow me."

We entered behind him into a marble foyer with a red carpet leading to a wide set of steps that branched to the rest of the house.

"Just to be sure," I said, nervously. "We're here about a wraith, right?"

"Unfortunately, yes. The wraith in question was once the lord of this house and father of the current lord."

He led us to an office only housing a desk and a man sitting at it writing papers, barely visible by lamplight. As soon as the door opened, the man at the desk noticed and spoke.

"What is it, Raymond?" He sounded as if he was in a hurry.

"Sir, the guild who answered our commission is here."

"I don't have time. Please fill them in and lead them there for me, will you?"

"Of course, my lord."

As he led us down a series of halls, I had to ask, "Is he a ghost, too?"

"No. My lord is still alive. As are the rest of the servants. I was awoken from my slumber when the late master's ghost made itself known. I was his favorite, you see, but that seems to be both an honor and a curse. It was all we could do to lock him in the catacombs but he rampages ever still."

"Then, why aren't you a wraith?"

"I have no grievances with my past life. I believe I lived it well."

"Where are the rest of the servants?"

"My master ordered all living servants to flee the castle until his father is taken care of."

"Well, that's all my questions."

The whole conversation was chased by a rumbling from below our feet. It sounded like a mix of howling and falling objects. Eventually, we made it to a service elevator.

"This is it," said the servant. "Down there is the former master of this house. I bid ye well."

"You're not coming with us?"

"I do not know what would happen in his presence, for it seems he summoned me."

"I get it. We shouldn't have to fight you, too."

Penelope and I boarded the elevator and pulled a lever to lower us down. Slowly, the atmosphere shifted as the doors opened to a wide stone corridor barely lit by the light in the elevator.

I pulled out my sword and held a fireball ready while Penelope pulled out both her axe and shield. As we stepped into the darkness, my fireball shined a light on our surroundings but it did little to help the creepy environment or the distant darkness housing our ghastly target.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

We crept along between corridors lined with walls full of coffins, cobwebs, and empty torch stands until we met a large room with a torch nearby the entrance. I lit the torch with my fireball, but nearly a second later, it went out to the sound of a quick breath.

"Penelope, get ready."

Silence.

I took a quick look behind me to find that she wasn't there.

"You'd better be fine." I scoffed. "Separated."

I went to re-light the torch and both it and my fireball went out followed by an angry moan coming my way quickly from in front of me.

Closing my eye, I focused on my sword and surroundings. With a simple step forward, I swung my blade and hit the rapidly approaching source of the moaning.

I sliced through something and the sound of bone hitting stone followed soon after. It was as if a full skeleton landed next to me.

Quick rattling came from another direction and I sliced it to the sound of more bones crashing to the ground. This one was followed by pained human howling.

"What do you want?" A decrepit, raspy voice reached my ears from ahead.

"I was called to put down a wraith," I said, taking a step forward.

"I will get revenge on my murderous progeny. None will have my research!" The voice now sounded more enraged and full of life.

Feeling a rush of energy from the source of the voice, I opened my eye to see the visage of an old man cloaked in black wisps with glowing green sockets in absence of eyes.

It was still dark, but I could now see my surroundings as if bathed in low light. My sword was also glowing faintly red with magic.

I held my blade steady and said, "You can go peacefully the easy way, or I can make you the hard way."

"Welcome to your grave." The man reached his hand out toward one of the halls and a deep rumbling followed from the same direction.

"There's something else, really?"

I was hoping I could stall until Penelope caught up because the energy I felt from him told me I couldn't fight him alone without at least a few scratches, but now something big was coming. It was now or never.

I swung my blade and fired off a wave of magic. He shifted to the side and avoided my attack as the rumbling grew closer.

I raised my palm and cast another spell. "Magic missile." Five orbs of impossible geometry sprang from my hand and raced toward my target. This time, he only dodged one that fell off course while all the rest homed in on his location and collided in a bright red explosion.

Despite being hit dead-on, he was only knocked slightly backward with no sign of any real damage.

Before I could cast another spell, The rumbling stopped suddenly as a hulking creature burst in. At the same time, Penelope flew out of the opening and rolled across the ground. Her flashlight was blinking in and out as she tumbled past the wraith.

She swung her flashlight around before it landed on me. "Oscar!" Hopping to her feet, she ran to my side. "Where did you go?"

"Straight forward."

"So did I, then that thing started chasing me and you weren't there."

"I found the wraith," I said, pointing my blade straight ahead. "He said something about 'research' earlier and I'm willing to bet the thing that was chasing you is it.

She pointed her flashlight at the pair and I could see details of the creature. It was a vaguely humanoid stone golem. The man was gone, but the golem was now glowing an ethereal green.

"Die." The man's voice rang from inside the golem as it charged toward us.

Penelope's eyes turned red and she reeled back with both hands on her axe, dropping her flashlight. Thinking fast, I snapped my fingers and relit the torch nearby and she swung the moment the stone creature came close enough to touch us.

The sound of metal on stone rang out as her axe bounced off its sturdy arm and redirected a fist as it slammed down at us. It brought down the other and she did the same again. The resulting wind caused the flame to go out again, but I could see it perfectly fine.

I pulled out my other sword and slashed with both of them, slightly chipping into its body.

It started moving again and by that time, I had already moved away. I thought Penelope would have, too, but she slammed her axe down multiple times on top of the first arm to move.

After a few whacks, she successfully cracked it while the other arm rose above her to smash it down.

She narrowly dodged it to the side and it swiped at her to continue its assault. They both moved toward me where I was waiting with a single blade above my head.

"Blade Wave." Its arm stopped completely and recoiled back with a new cut engraved into it. I then ran up to the arm still on the ground and stabbed it between the cracks. This time, the impact sounded less like metal on stone and more like a lit fuze while a green light began spraying out.

In response, it swung its arm back with a screech and launched me behind it across the room. I landed fine, but Penelope was looking wide-eyed as if she couldn't see what was happening.

"Penelope, what's wrong?" I called.

"It's pitch black, I can't see."

"How did you dodge?"

"I don't know-"

The golem slammed its non-broken arm down directly on top of her. She seemed to notice at the last second but dodged a second too late. Now she was buried under a heap of stone. Next, the subtle green glow became much more apparent and Penelope let out a pained howl. It raised its arm and I could see the green light wafting from Penelope and dragging a red light from her. That's when I realized it was pulling at her soul.

I dashed to intercept and cast 'blade wave' on the way. The spell severed their connection, but the golem brought its limb up to slam down again. Barely making it in time, I spread my arms out. "Horizon." A bubble red from the base and fading to clear at the top and speckled with stars surrounded both of us.

The attack bounced off and cracked the shield but I was able to assess Penelope's condition. Kneeling down beside her, I couldn't see much more than her shape in the low light as she lay face down on the ground, but the red aura coming from her was shifting back into place and disappearing. I reached for her and she jostled on her own before standing in a flash. The red glow in her eyes was more intense and she was breathing as if she had just run a marathon.

"Are you o-"

She ran forward at full speed and was gone before I could finish. Her axe rammed into the legs and body of the golem, jostling it, but not damaging it.

In the middle of her assault, it swiped her away and she landed off to the side on her back but stood all the same.

During that, I was taking aim with another blade wave at the broken limb. It was sitting in a position where the cracks were hard to see, but it wouldn't move so I went around it until I could see the green glow.

When I discharged my spell, it blocked with its other arm, not taking another scratch.

Penelope's eyes stopped glowing but she was already charging again.

The golem turned toward her and two beams of light shone from its chest as she came close. One at me and the other at her. Before either of us could react, we were hit.

Immediately, I noticed that my movements were sluggish and my reaction time slowed down. As soon as it happened, I cast an emergency spell. I could only use this one once a day and it drained a lot of my mana, but being slowed down against a golem was not ideal under any circumstances.

"Counter affliction." The space around me glowed bright green and became a beam traveling back the path it took.

It was in the middle of slamming its arm at me and slowed down a bit, but I wasn't able to dodge the hit entirely and it caught my leg, nearly crushing it. I was still able to stand, however.

Penelope finally got close enough to hit it and her eyes began glowing again with high intensity. While the golem was distracted by me, she moved in and was already in the middle of her slow-motion attack.

Despite the speed, she still whacked a small chunk off of it and since it was also moving slowly, it jostled slowly as well.

With an Idea in mind, I unsheathed my other sword and swung them both at the cracked arm on the ground while closing the distance. "Blade wave."

I hit the cracked arm head-on and shattered it. The green light emanating from it before now spouted like a geyser From the detached limb. It flailed it into the air followed by a pained howl that hurt my ears and nearly deafened me. Penelope took some steps back and shook her head.

Before the disorientation could affect me, I kept my eye on the severed limb and jumped to strike it as soon as I was close. Narrowly missing it, I nearly hit the wall when I landed while it flailed around aimlessly.

The now obscenely mobile arm raced back around and slammed me into the wall. I heard many things crack and I lost my breath.

The next thing I knew, my eyes were opening to what sounded like a rockslide. I looked around and saw that I was lying next to Penelope away from the wall. She was bashing away at the golem as it lay motionless on the ground. Even the green light emanating from it had faded to nothing.

Finding it difficult to move, I sat up and grabbed her arm. "Stop. It won't move anymore."

She looked at me with the red in her eyes leaking from them and shining white beacons where her pupils were.

Stars.

She jumped up and our faces met, forcing our lips to lock for a moment. I tried to pull away but she gripped the back of my head and kept me in place. It didn't feel right, but I couldn't stop it.

When she finally pulled away, she said, "Don't leave me again."

"I... I won't." After an awkward silence, I said, "We're never going to talk about that, are we?"

"Nope." Her eyes faded to normal and she looked around for a second. "Give me your flashlight."

"Sure." I handed it to her and it flickered a bit as she turned it on.

We started walking back the way we came by the recently used torch near the corridor opening.

"So, you can see in the dark now?"

"I guess so. Just seems like low light to me. I can see things in shades of gray."

"How many?"

"How many, what?"

"Shades of gray."

"Eh, somewhere around fifty."

"I knew you'd get it."

"You're the one who dragged me to see it."

"When we get back, I'm punching Emett in the face."

"Emett? His name's Emett?"

"You mean, you don't know the commissioner's name?"

"I never ask the commissioners their names and they never tell."

"Fair enough."

We made our way back to the elevator after nearly getting lost a few times. Once inside, I got a better look at my partner. She had blood stains all through her hair and down her face and multiple dents in her armor. I, on the other hand, couldn't count the bruises around my body.

When the elevator finally stopped, we went looking for the office the ghost servant took us to. When we finally found it, I nearly kicked the door open, but instead, I used the doorknob.

As soon as the door opened, the man at the desk said, "My servant disappeared. I assume you dispatched my father."

"And a stone golem he was puppeteering." I folded my arms and winced. "It wasn't easy."

"So that's what the old fart was hiding. His 'research'. It all makes sense now. I'll make sure you're compensated for having to go above and beyond the commission description."

"Thanks." I sighed at my own curiosity and said, "He also accused you of killing him."

"Oh, I wish I did." He scoffed, "He was always paranoid that someone would finish him off, so he ordered his most trusted servant to end him before someone else could have the satisfaction of doing so. Now, they're both gone."

"How did the servant die?"

"He was always a frail man. He died of sickness only a few years later."

"Alright, I guess we'll be going." I started closing the door.

"You can stay the night in my guest rooms if you want." The man stood and I could see the casual suit he wore.

"Sure," I said, finding it harder to keep my legs moving the more I walked.

"If you'll follow me." When he entered the light of the hall, I could see that he had short red hair and dark eyes. He led us up a set of steps to a corridor. "You can take any of the rooms here for the night. I ordered my servants away until my father was put to rest, so there is very little hospitality to be had, but I hope you can rest well."

"Will do," I said, limping forward and nearly collapsing as I was caught by Penelope.

"He'll be fine," she said, "He used up a lot of mana." She carried me to one of the rooms and laid me on a bed.

"Everything hurts. Okay, not everything, but still." I tried to laugh off the pain but that only made it worse. "Ow."

"Yeah, let's just hope that wound on your face didn't open back up." She brushed her fingers across my bandages. "At least one of us is f...i...n...e..." She reached her hand to her head and winced.

"You finally relaxed, huh?" I said, figuring she had a concussion.

"Feels like I just got hit by a fucking truck. Ow. Ow- this really fucking hurts."

"That thing hit you head-on twice. I expected you to feel it at some point."

"Ah, this really fucking- shit-shit-shit-shit... Fuuck..." She began pacing. "I better not lose any more memories from this."

I reached my arms out, careful not to move any of the rest of my body. "Just lay with me. We both need sleep after that. Then again, you're not supposed to sleep so soon after a concussion." I put my arms down and reality faded to darkness in moments.

The sound of soft snoring jostled my consciousness and I opened my eye to Penelope's head on my chest and light shone through the nearby window.

I ran my fingers through her hair, breaking up clumps of dried blood. "Why did you kiss me?"

"I don't know," She mumbled. "We're not talking about it, remember?"

"I thought you were still asleep."

"Everything wakes me up, remember?"

"Then why do you still have your head on my chest?"

"Cold metal. Feels good."

"Fair enough."

"I used up all of our first-aid supplies and my headache subsided. Thank gods." She rolled over and sat up. Her hair was clear of blood but her head was wrapped with bandages.

"You only had a headache?" I sat up to find I was also covered in bandages, but my wounds didn't hurt as badly as I thought they would. "You made it sound so much worse before."

"What can I say, I'm a tough woman." She flexed a bicep and winced. "How do you feel?"

"Well enough to go home. I don't want to stay here any longer than I need to."

"Same, it's creepy here."

Leaving the room, we didn't find the man who let us stay the night in his office so we left a note telling him of our departure since the mansion was too big to look for him.

We returned by twilight and the first thing we did was stop at the guildhall. Luckily, Emett was there even though he wasn't working at the time. He was sitting at a table with a mug in his hand while someone else was at the bar.

Penelope and I sat across from him at the same table.

"Whoa, you look like hell. What happened?" His response to seeing us was as I expected.

"Hell." Penelope moaned with her head in her hands. "I wanna punch you so bad right now..."

"The wraith was piloting a stone golem," I said.

"Oh, that's like E-rank or something." He scratched his head. "Glad you guys survived."

Silently, Penelope hopped from her seat, walked over to Emett, and landed her fist on his arm to the sound of a deafening pop.

"Aah! My elbow!" he cried. "You dislocated it."

"Good." She waltzed out of the guildhall as if she did nothing wrong while I helped her victim relocate his limb.

As soon as I was sure he was fine, I went after her.

"What was that?" I said.

"I said I was gonna punch him," she said, nonchalantly.

"Not like that. You nearly broke his arm."

"I don't give a fuck." She almost sounded offended.

"Penelope, listen to me." I placed my hand on her shoulder and stopped her. "What's going on with you?"

She turned and grabbed my wrist. "Don't you fucking dare try to lecture me. Don't even fucking touch me and don't tell me what to do." All of that was spoken between gritted teeth.

"Pen- that hurts. You're- hurting me." Her hand was like a vice crushing my bones.

"Oh-" She released me and saw that she was breaking the links in my chainmail. "I'm- I'm sorry." Tears began welling up in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" I reached out my arms to her.

"I don't know!" She turned and ran away, bawling her eyes out.

"Eh- wait!" I went after her and we ended up back at Pan's tower.

She locked herself in her room and cried for who knows how long. The room locks were rudimentary, so I could have opened it with my thumbnail, but I stayed sitting against the wall next to the door in the hall while she cried her heart out. Eventually, she stopped and the sound of footsteps accompanied by sniffling approached the door.

"Oscar?"

"Penelope?"

"I want to take a shower. Can you go somewhere?"

"Why?"

"I don't... I don't want to see you right now."

"Okay." I stood and went into my room while she traversed the halls down to the bathroom.

As soon as I was sure she got to her destination, I searched for Zeta. Eventually, I found a man with short, curly, golden hair and bright blue eyes in the garden tending to what looked like red squash on a vine.

"Master, Can we talk?"

"Yes, actually, I have some news for you, but first..." He turned to look at me. "What happened to you?"

"Well, we're officially a guild now and our first mission seemed like it should have been fine for the two of us, but uh..."

"What happened?"

"A stone golem."

"Oh, well, sometimes missions come with surprises. And sometimes those are deadly."

"Yeah." I sighed. "But it's not about that." I took a deep breath. "Penelope... She's not herself right now."

"That's to be expected. Behavioral patterns may change when things like that happen."

"Well, I guess. I just can't help but feel it's my fault, you know?"

"Whether or not it's your fault is irrelevant at this point as long as you keep looking out for her."

"I guess you're right."

I started going back up the steps when Zeta stopped me.

"Wait, I still have something to tell you."

"Oh." I came back down the few steps I went up.

"My associates have found the location of those kidnappers. I want you to come with us. This will be a raid."

I took a moment to unscramble my thoughts after hearing that. "Thank you... I... I..."

"I also want to give you this." He reached out his hand and a plain light brown quarterstaff appeared in his hand. "I've been working hard on it. Now's the perfect time to give it to you."

"A staff?"

"That choker was meant to be temporary, remember? You should be able to take it off by now."

I reached my hand toward my choker and prepared to remove it.

"Not yet." He handed me the staff. "Concentrate your energy on the staff and make sure you keep your focus while you take it off. That way, it'll attune immediately."

I nodded and took a deep breath, focusing on the object in my hand. After a second, it began to feel hot. Once that happened, I reached a hand behind my neck and pulled at the seam, breaking it. My lungs filled with a second wind and I felt power surge through me. I kept my focus and directed it into the staff which turned red and crackled in my hand as it began changing shape. It darkened to black with a red hue around sparkling white stars and a flame pattern on the ends which turned white.

"There you go. You're a full-fledged wizard now. No restraints."

"What about my choker?"

"Do whatever you want with it." He shrugged. "By the way, how does your eye feel?"

"It doesn't hurt or anything."

"Good, you can take off the bandages if you want. Given what caused it, what's underneath likely won't change at this point."

"Oh. I think I'll keep it on for now."

"Alright, just don't keep it on to punish yourself. It won't change anything."

"I'll be fine."

"I hope so."

I went back up and met Penelope in the hallway. We locked eyes for a brief second and she ran. Halfway to the stairs, she tripped and fell with all the tattered clothes and armor in her arms tumbling with her. "Ah!" I went to help her, but as soon as I moved, she screamed, "No, stay away, stay away! I don't want to look at you. I can't... My mind- I can't...I don't want to."

"Okay." I stepped back down the steps for a moment and let her go to her destination.

I took a shower and admired my new staff, but I couldn't help but wonder about Penelope. She didn't even come down for dinner. I had to put her food in front of her door and leave it there for her to eat. She avoided me for days and whenever she did see me, she hurried in another direction. The only time we'd even talk was by her door. It didn't help that using magic on as many wounds we had would just hurt more than help, so she'd hurt herself every time and it took her longer to heal.

"Penelope. Can you talk to me?"

"Sure, I can talk." She sounded so far away that I thought she was on another planet.

"What is this about? Did I do something? Is it my eyes?"

"No, no, not your eyes. They're... fine. I... I just can't... It's something else."

"Then what is it?"

"I- I don't- I don't know. I'll tell you when I figure it out, how about that?"

"Please do."

"I will."

This was the last conversation we had through her door for a long time.