Chapter 46
Ryker
After Silvar made his exit, I hopped on one leg over to Amy's heaving form. I tried to ease myself down to comfort her, but when I attempted to use my right leg, it folded backward, and down I went. I landed on my right side, directly into Amy’s vomit. The squelching noise my body made when sinking into the mess and the sight of my rebroken leg pointing at an unnatural angle set Amy off again. Her whole body convulsed as she dry heaved, crawling away from me.
Having done my good deed for the day, I decided I had had enough and just laid there, trying to follow Silvar's instructions. I closed my eyes, watching as my mana bar steadily shrank, and the sharp pain in my ribs and leg lessened. I felt my muscles press on my broken ribs, slowly nudging them back into their proper place. I had been concerned that if a bone healed in the wrong position, I would be deformed or have to re-break it to allow it to heal properly, but that didn't appear to be the case.
After having that thought, I felt a dainty hand settle on my injured side and gently caress my wounds. I allowed myself to relax into Ruby's touch and gave her a silent thanks until suddenly, my suit straightened my right leg out perfectly straight, and the segment of broken ribs was compressed abruptly. My chest movement was restricted, and my eyes shot open, bulging so hard they threatened to pop out of my skull. I tried to yell but couldn't take a deep enough breath to do so. The comforting touch returned, and Ruby's sweet voice whispered directly into my ear, “Shhhh shhhh everything will be alright now, my love. I know it hurts, but your body will heal faster and more efficiently if we set the bones. Lucky for you, I can perfectly manipulate the suit to be an optimal splint while your regeneration does its work.”
My breaths were shallow and rapid as I did everything I could to not lose my composure. I knew she was probably right, but it didn't change how I felt at that moment. I closed my eyes and desperately tried to ignore the lessening agony and find any hint of the energy inside of me. I knew it was there; I could feel the ability healing me. With every cell being meticulously placed back where it belonged and my bone and tissue being knitted back together, I sensed something but the feeling was illusive and slipped through my awareness. Before I knew it, the healing was finished, and my mana was sitting just above empty at 2 MP (mana points).
The rigidity in the suit abated, and I gingerly flexed my right leg, putting it under me. I pushed myself up onto my feet and reveled in the feeling of taking a deep breath again without experiencing my ribs jabbing into my lung. While I finished giving myself a once-over for aches and pains, Amy, Jeremiah, and Luke made their way over to me, and I waved to them cheerfully.
After sidestepping Amy’s puddle, the group stood there silently, staring at me in wide-eyed wonder. Luke stroked his mustache with his left hand and poked me in the ribs where he had struck me with his hammer. When I didn't recoil in pain, he doubled down, fondling the area vigorously. I slapped his hands away and gave him a disapproving look before saying, “AY! YO! Hands off the merchandise.”
Luke was still in his own little world of introspection because he didn't react to my protest at all. He came back in with both hands grasping. This time though Amy had my back; she reached across Jeremiah and snagged Luke by his whiskers, dragging him off to the side squealing in pain like a pig being taken away to slaughter. Jeremiah stepped forward, filling the void left by the others, and dipped his head, then said, “I am really sorry. We didn't have any choice. Red told us we had to attack you, or else she would punish us the way she punished you.”
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I gave the odd man a look of confusion before asking, “What punishment?”
Jeremiah’s body shuddered as he recounted the words of the A.I. “Red told us how she used fire to punish you for being a troublemaker. She showed us the video of her forcing you to the ground and standing on top of your body as she conjured flames all over you until you begged for mercy. I am so sorry you had to endure that, but we are all shocked to see you alive and well. That healing ability is no joke.”
I glanced past Jeremiah and saw the cheeky little A.I. comically tiptoeing away then freezing in place when she saw my glare come to rest on her. She gave me a guilty smile, then threw down a handful of pellets, and a flash of light appeared, followed by a puff of smoke. Then i caught sight of her tiny form darting around the corner of the dojo. I rolled my eyes at her antics and told Jeremiah in a tired voice, “Yaaaaa. Red is a real tyrant….I definitely learned my lesson. But don't worry about it. I understand none of you had a choice in the matter. I have a feeling we will be facing one another in training a lot more frequently as time goes by. Just focus on growing stronger and preparing yourself for the Pyramid.”
Jeremiah stiffened at the mention of the Pyramid, and I could see a dangerous glint in his eye. I could tell there was more to the man, but I decided to leave it be for now. Amy made her presence known by clearing her throat. When I glanced in her direction, she walked up and poked me in the newly healed leg, sighing in relief. “Thank God. I don't think my stomach could handle seeing that thing fold in two again. My skin is still crawling just thinking about it.”
Luke piped up and said, “Ya man when I saw you hopping around on the ground with that broken leg, I started feeling lightheaded. But when you pulled your toe out of your own belly button and whipped that damned thing back into place, all I remember is the world going dark.”
I had to stifle a laugh so as not to embarrass the burly man and changed the subject to something more serious. “Moving forward I need you three to promise me something.”
The mood in the room shifted abruptly, and I felt the group's eyes zero in on mine as I continued. “None of us know for sure what awaits us at our destination, but I would be willing to bet that it will be more deadly than any of us can imagine. From what I have gathered, this Viltrix clown has been sitting atop his throne for a very long time unchallenged. If we want to have any chance of surviving long enough to take him out, I am going to need you all to stop holding back.”
Everyone looked around at one another for help, but I spoke up before they could deny the claim. “It's ok. I could tell you were pulling your punches, and I appreciate it, but every time I get hurt…it tempers me. I don't know how exactly to explain it to you guys, but every single time I heal back up, I become tougher and more resilient. I need you to stop worrying about my well-being and use every tool at your disposal to destroy my body. It is the fastest way for me to grow strong enough to finish the job.”
Amy hesitated for just a moment then pulled herself to her full height and looked from Luke to Jeremiah and nodded before settling her gaze on me again. She took a step forward and placed both hands on my shoulders, giving me a warm, comforting smile, then said, “Ryker, I consider you my friend, and I don't want to hurt you…but if that is what you need us to do…Then I am sorry.”
As I took a breath to ask her why she was sorry, she dug her talon-like nails into my shoulders and delivered a savage headbutt. Blood flowed from my flattened nose, and tears began blurring my vision as I felt the familiar sensation of weightlessness taking hold of my body. Amy swept my legs out from under me, and I crashed hard to the ground. I tried to scramble to my feet but felt a powerful kick finding its way into my solar plexus. The breath was driven out of me as I doubled over in pain. Then, all three of my new friends proceeded to stomp me mercilessly, leaving me within an inch of my life before Red’s gong could be heard ringing out in the distance. I lay there in a broken heap, barely holding onto consciousness, but managed to eke out, “With friends like these... who needs enemies.”