Persepera
The 20th of Mounichion
The Year 4631 in the Era of Mortals
Arche slept much of the day and night away. He woke twice to someone opening his door. The first time, it was Helwan, bringing food as promised. The second was Tess, also carrying food some hours afterward. Both times he’d only managed a couple bites before throwing it back up. When he woke the third time, he felt incredible by comparison.
Health: 443 / 750
59%
Stamina: 580 / 580
100%
Mana: 180 / 180 (360)
100%
Strength: 41
Dexterity: 37
Agility: 33
Fortitude: 34 (29)
Endurance: 41 (36)
Intelligence: 36
Wisdom: 36
Willpower: 38
Perception: 29
Charisma: 45 (39)
Comeliness: 16 (12)
Luck: 23
Mana Scarring — Tier 1
His exhaustion was finally gone, for what it was worth. The pressure in his chest had eased considerably and breathing was no longer painful. He still couldn’t see so he kept the cloth wrapped around his eyes, but there were spacers now that kept the fabric from directly binding into his wounds. Arche curled his fingers, flexed his toes, searching for any pain and weakness. Both were there, but at manageable levels. With more than a little effort, Arche sat up and swung his feet out of bed.
As soon as he put pressure on his legs, pain seized him. His back arched, his breath caught, and a strangled, gurgled cry came from somewhere near the bottom of his throat. His legs felt like they would break at any moment. The alternative, laying in bed, helpless and blind, was not something Arche could stomach; pain was.
Arche forced himself to stand tall, forced the pain into a cage in his mind and surrounded it with impotent fury. It remained, of course, but at least he could stand. A breeze brushed past his stomach and he shivered.
“You should take things slow before you hurt yourself.”
Arche flinched and twisted. A full-body spasm nearly threw him to the floor.
“Lyssa? Why does everybody think it’s funny to sneak up on the blind guy?”
“My apologies, I did not mean to startle you.”
“What did you fucking expect?” The words came out more bitter than he meant and hearing it made him grimace. “Sorry. I’m in a lot of pain right now.”
He grabbed at the air, looking for a wall, something to orient himself. He’d already lost track of the bed and there was no telling how many steps he had left before his legs gave out completely.
“Clearly.”
Lyssa took him by the hand and led to him a chair. He held on to the back of it, trying to picture his room in his mind, but it was little use. He didn’t remember a chair being in it at all.
“Have I been out long?”
“It’s been two days since the event, if that’s what you are asking. Your recovery has progressed expectantly. By tomorrow, there should be little pain.”
“Good. When does the group leave for Ship’s Shape?”
“As soon as you are well enough to travel.”
“Then we should leave today. Within the hour, I’d say.”
“Ship’s Shape will still be there if you leave tomorrow. Give yourself more time to rest. The path to the city is not easy.”
Arche opened his mouth to argue but his right leg buckled and he leaned hard against the chair-back to keep from falling.
“Fine. But don’t let them leave without me.”
“They won’t. Tess is leading that trip, if you’ve forgotten. She’ll wait until you’re ready. Helwan as well.”
Arche nodded, somewhat mollified.
“Good. I just…don’t want to be left behind.”
“No one is going to leave you behind.”
Arche’s stomach gurgled and Lyssa made an amused noise, a smile evident in her voice.
“Though, perhaps I should arrange to have you brought dinner. They’ll be making it soon, but I’ll see if I can get you something earlier.”
“I appreciate that.” Fatigue washed over him, feeling like leaden weights trying to drag him into the floorboards. “Can you point me back to the bed? I’d go with you, but my legs are feeling rebellious.”
“Of course.”
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Lyssa’s hand took his own and led him back to the bed. He felt the covers with both hands, trying to find the pillows.
“Besides, if you were to accompany me, I would insist you put clothes on. You humans do seem overly concerned about those things, after all.”
Arche froze.
Another breeze from the window brushed past him, this time a little farther south than his stomach. With a hasty movement that caused a not inconsiderable amount of pain in his chest, Arche snatched the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around his midriff.
“You’ve got to stop doing this to me,” he said, annoyed.
“You’re the one who decided to walk around dressed in nothing but bandages, Greenstick.”
“Don’t try to logic this into being my fault!”
“Very well.” He could tell by her voice that she was smiling at him. “Human customs are so…weird.”
“You can’t tell me that it wouldn’t bother you if it was me always catching you naked.”
“Why would it? You and I are Companions.”
“That’s not the point. It’s not right.”
“I don’t see what right and wrong have to do with it. I don’t plan on undressing in front of you, if that makes you feel better. I cannot control and care little for what you do in front of me.”
“I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”
“We don’t have to.”
“It seems we do because this keeps happening.”
“Very well. What exactly is causing you so much discomfort?”
Arche hesitated, trying to find the right words to explain why it was so obviously wrong.
“I care about you a lot, but I care about you in that you are my friend. Someone who is like a sister to me.”
Lyssa was quiet for a few moments. When she answered, her voice was oddly strained.
“I admit I find a kinship with you, as well.”
“All right, common ground. When humans are naked around other humans, usually it’s because they’re doing things with each other that siblings should never be doing. So it makes me uncomfortable because it makes me consider you in a way that I don’t really want to think about you. Also, it’s about consent.”
“When humans view nudity, they think of mating?” Lyssa sounded genuinely intrigued.
“Well, yeah. Elves don’t?”
“No. At least, my people don’t. I didn’t know.”
Arche opened his mouth to argue the ridiculousness of that, then he thought about it. She wasn’t human. Elf culture was predicated on being extremely long-lived and elven children were a rare occurrence. Maybe it wasn’t so far-fetched.
“I would appreciate, in the future, if you would give me some sort of warning or heads up before one of us is in a compromised situation.”
“I will. I apologize for the discomfort.”
“It’s fine. Let’s just try to have this be the last time, all right?”
“Indeed. You will need to stop exposing yourself in front of me unless you wish me to view you in that way.”
Arche’s mouth dropped as his cheeks burned.
“Now I know you’re fucking with me.”
“Perhaps, but I will remember what you said on the matter.”
“Thank you. Now that we’ve had a super uncomfortable conversation, would you mind getting me some food? I’m still hungry and now my ribs hurt.”
“I’ll be back shortly. If you wish to be dressed by then, the wardrobe is on the other side of the bed.”
“Thanks. When you get back, we can practice this other weird human concept called ‘knocking.’”
Lyssa didn’t answer. The door to Arche’s room opened and closed. He sat down on the bed, blanket still wrapped around his middle, and tried to catch his breath. He had stood for a long time and his legs were regretting the decision. At least he’d hopefully set some boundaries.
By the time Lyssa returned, a half-hour later, Arche was dressed and standing in front of the window. Thanks to whatever magic operated the inventory system, putting on his clothing had only required focused intent, rather than contorting his injured body. With the cool wind on his face, he practiced manipulating his Mana, trying to use his Psychic trait to create a field of awareness around him. The Mana was slow to respond to his demands but it was doable with enough effort. While he could still detect people around him, provided they were close enough, non-living things were beyond him. Through it, he’d be able to avoid walking into people, but walls were still a problem. Lyssa knocked on the door and Arche turned away from the window.
“Come in.”
The door opened, then shut. As per usual, Arche couldn’t hear Lyssa’s footsteps but he could follow her path around the room through his Psychic awareness. He turned toward her as she set the food down onto a table.
“Fresh bread, boar meat, a handful of olives, and a small flask of wine,” she said by way of explanation. “Do you need help eating?”
“With any luck, no. Thank you for bringing this. And for knocking.”
“Certainly. Shall I stay?”
“If you want to.”
With hands stretched out before him, he took a few unsteady steps and reached the table. Lyssa took hold of his wrist and guided him to the chair. He sat and took a breath. With careful, exploratory touches, he began to identify what was on the plate, then decided to start with the easiest thing to eat: the bread.
“What’s going on with the village?” he asked between bites. “What have I missed?”
“The insula finished construction yesterday. Most of the villagers have relocated inside. The next major project is to construct a proper forge so that the smiths can work iron into steel, but to do that they need stone and metal.”
“The mountain.”
“Indeed. We need resources, but we also need to know what’s around us. The cartography skill is not easily gained. I have instructed the scouts acquire and practice it. Once I am satisfied, or when we can no longer delay, I am sending them to Mount Hyperion to explore.”
“Sounds dangerous.”
“It will be, but it is necessary.”
“Will you be accompanying them?”
Lyssa paused before speaking, giving Arche time to move on to the meat and olives.
“I would, but Theodorous said that there are other matters here which require my attention.” Her voice was sullen and flecked with annoyance.
“I’m sorry. I’m sure it’s not what you wanted, to be couped up here.”
“No forest creature delights in a cage. They may have hung a pretty title around my neck, but it is a shackle all the same.”
“Responsibility clips all wings.”
“So it would seem. Still, it isn’t all bad. Just difficult, at times.”
“Could you get another assistant? Someone to help share the load?”
“There is no one else, currently. Not unless we’re to start working the children, which I’m not willing to do.”
“What about Ship’s Shape?”
“Have Tess and Helwan not spoken to you of the details of your trip?”
“No, I suppose they haven’t. I thought it was a mercantile venture. Sell some treasure, buy supplies, return.”
“Yes, in part. Part of Helwan’s task is to spread word. Make people aware of the village and secure transportation. The path is perilous, but more are necessary if Myriatos is to grow and thrive.”
“I see.” Arche felt around the empty plate with his fingers, searching for any food he might have missed. “Well, I don’t. Ugh, that’s going to be a hard habit to break.”
“Take your time and focus on your recovery, Arche. We’ll handle the details.”
“If you insist.” A yawn forced its way up and out of him. “I think I’m going to sleep again. I’ll be ready to leave in the morning.”
“Then I will make the arrangements. Sleep well.”
The plate scraped against wood as Lyssa lifted it.
“Hey, Lyssa.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.” He swallowed. “For everything.”
“Of course.”
A moment later, the door to his room opened and shut, leaving him alone once more. Arche stood from his chair, one hand out to balance himself as he turned toward the direction of his bed. He tried to fight the disorientation but to no avail. The world spun around him even though he couldn’t hear it. As he crawled beneath the blankets, he bit back his mounting frustration and pressed his head deep against the pillow. Despite his pains, he was excited for the day to come. He would be traveling to the city, to a place of magic and learning. He would regain his eyesight, fix his Mana Scars, and learn more about the wide world of Tartarus. If he was lucky, he might even learn more about the man he used to be.
After a long period of adjusting and turning, Arche fell asleep with thoughts of buildings that touched the sky and flashes of magic running through his mind.