“So bright…” Aura muttered aloud, staring at the glowing sheets lining the ceiling.

Immediately, she went to her first thought, her arm. Or rather her shoulder. The human gleaned her shattered shoulder. She half expected to see blood and bone along with the absence of flesh. Instead, her shoulder and forearm had been entirely wrapped in cloth bandages, not dissimilar to the ones Eitisan used.

Along with her shoulder, her chest and neck were wrapped. Aura remembered the fight against the taran. Scenes of her scratching at her neck, clawing for a way in resurfaced.

‘I truly dissolve into pure lunacy after over utilizing my bond. The infection is much too problematic. Yes… I should search for a suitable anathema once I return, one that can extend the length before infection arises.’ Aura resolved within.

Her next thought was to assess the exact damage of her arm. She did not want to look below the bandages, that would inevitably cause further damage. Instead, she opted for a simpler approach.

‘Nope… I can’t move it.’

Aura hit her hand against the side of the bed.

Murmurs still rang out within her mind. They spoke incoherently and in broken sentences. Most were not even words of the same language. The voices were foreign and obtuse.

The human woman merely grumbled in response to them. They were not a wonderful side effect of using her bond. But she had mostly gotten used to them by now.

Besides, it was not like these murmurs were of unknown origin. Aura had long known these ‘voices’ were the denizens of Faran-Vaul. Both of her anathema stemmed from the same town from the Fable of the Fallen Faran-Vaul. So, in a way, they were familiar to her.

Aura tried to rub her eyes but only managed to run the left one. Once again her right arm had refused to move. She had not even tried to move it again, it was merely a habit. It made her sad, watching her arm remain limp. She could not even wiggle her fingers.

She then rubbed her other eye with her left hand. They were watery and dry simultaneously, bizarre, but what was not in a fable rift? Especially one such as theirs?

Then, she silently invoked her bond. It was impossible for her to forget the invocation, it was ingrained in her head.

‘Serfurm, the devourer of worlds and envoy of the lower realm. The ephemeral glow in the night and deacon of negativity. Forged in ghastly peril and woken by perpetual sorrow.’

Two rifts manifested. Though, they were unable to be seen. Both of these slight, ephemeral, spacial rends had been opened behind her eyes. That trick had taken her many years. Then, a couple minute maggots were forcefully willed from the rends and sat behind her eyes. These would allow her to see with perfect clarity.

The glow-sheets lit up the room, but not every part. The walls were still shrouded in mystery and the undulating waves could not be seen with the enhanced vision. Aura deemed it necessary.

‘It is peculiar though…’ Aura thought, scratching at her collarbone. ‘Why does my vision allow me to see through this abyss while Korman’s does not? Is it because of Serfurm’s affinity with the lower realm, does that extend to me as well? In a way, could I be considered another advocate for negativity, perhaps a priest?’

Aura scanned the room with her eyes and noted the larger bed and shifted blanket overtop her. ‘Someone else was laying down here.’

The wall was pulled out to the right of her. It served as a nightstand—which was her most prized piece of furniture in Asanoch. Atop it was clothing. Aura had been wearing pants but her upper body was solely covered by the cloth bandages. It was cold, so naturally she put on the shirt.

Aura could not help but feel slightly inferior once she put on the shirt. It was as if the taran had taken her nobility away and reduced her to a mere commoner. Then again, she had learned to respect the common-folk—well, one commoner.

“What good—do you think—repent!”

Aura only heard bits and pieces through the abyssal walls. They weren’t eerie solely because of the pitch-black color or the undulating waves that rolled over its surface. These ‘walls’ also blocked out nearly all sound. The only bit of sound that leaked through was in the cracks in the door. It was easy to tell the voice was Clyde’s though.

Clyde and Syllis would not be able to see them. But Aura, with her enhanced vision, could easily make out the slight cracks in the doorway. Maybe Korman would be able to do the same under the light of a glow-tree lantern.

Aura picked herself up out of the bed. She stumbled slightly due to sheer exhaustion but otherwise the lower half of her body was entirely healthy.

‘Thank Serfurm. My shattered shoulder is enough of a problem. I don’t even know if it will heal before the conclusion of our fable. It might have lost too much bone, or the nerves could be severed.’ Aura sighed.

More yelling could be heard through the cracks of the door, irritating Aura. With heavy footsteps, she made her way to the door without any problems. Then, she reached out and pushed the door open, calmly.

In the center of the wide room was a table. The roof was lined with glow-tree sheets and the wall had them spread out sparsely. There was a glow-tree lantern sitting on the table, illuminating the three figures that each sat around it.

There were two humans and a nymph. Each of them turned towards the opened door and therefore Aura with guilty expressions.

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“No pity,” Aura said, tiredly. She had not gotten much rest or at least it had not felt like it. Pity was the last thing she wanted to see. What she wanted was normalcy. To be treated like a normal person. She did not want the pity cast down at her shattered shoulder.

“Got it,” Clyde said, tersely.

“Did we wake you?” Syllis asked.

“Yes,” Aura answered. So what if they had not really woken her up? She deserved an apology of sorts for the pity they cast down at her. She was not inferior without the use of her right arm.

“Sorry.”

“Sorry.”

Syllis and Clyde both answered, nearly simultaneously. An outsider would look at the both of them and glean a deep friendship, but right now, only hatred burned between them.

Aura made her way to one of the three remaining chairs. She had chosen one next to Syllis. The both of them sat entirely across from Clyde and half the length of the table from Korman.

Why? She felt Syllis’ gaze. It was not pity, instead, it was an apology. Aura did not know the reason for this ‘apology’ but she appreciated it nonetheless.

“So,” Aura said, setting her legs up onto the table, “why were you two arguing again, same reason?”

“Only the two of us,” Syllis said. “Right, I guess Korman was too afraid to share his thoughts on the matter.”

“Quit it, Syllis,” Clyde said. He then turned towards Aura. “Same reason.”

“Both of you have to get over this,” Aura said, disappointment in her voice.

“I’m not going to quit until this guy sees what he did.”

“I’m telling you, I understand what I did. There was nothing wrong with my decision.”

“Seriously?” Aura asked. “You really think there was nothing wrong with your, mine and Korman’s decision?”

Clyde stood up and walked over to a nearby countertop. Obviously, he had taken the lantern with him. There was another area where the wall had been pulled outwards. On top of it was a similarly glowing—yet somewhat faded—jar. Inside, more than a half-dozen root-like objects. They floated in the water.

These were called after their most obvious quality—thick roots. Similarly named ‘thick trees’ on the surface absorb water. They adapted to need little water in a world where it could grow so scarce. The rest of the water pooled in thick-roots that dipped into the abyss.

Every other week, the high priest and priestess would send gatherers onto willed pathways to cleave the thick-roots. These roots took one week to grow back, the second was to accumulate water. Although the thick trees evolved to not need water, that was compared to other, thirstier trees. The water in their roots was abundant and did not warrant any worrying among the elmannise.

Clyde reached in and lifted up one such thick-root, scooping it full of water. He then gulped it down in one breath before tossing the thick-root aside.

Korman and Clyde had purchased the jar of water and thick-roots with their contribution points from the battle. Along with this was food and a glow-tree lantern. Their housing had been provided by Vernim who had also contracted sculptors to add glow-tree sheets. It was the least he could do, Aura and her companions had possibly saved the wall.

“What’s that?” Aura asked.

“Water,” Clyde answered.

“Really?” Syllis asked.

“Really,” Korman answered.

Syllis scrutinized the man under her gaze.

“Come on, Syllis,” Aura said. “This would be a weird thing to lie about. Let’s try it.”

Aura stood up and began walking to the counter. ‘Hmm?’ She spun around. Syllis had not followed her.

The secare nymph shot her an awkward smile and shifted slightly.

“I’m gonna need a little help,” Syllis said, pushing herself up with the help of the table.

“Oh,” Aura said. She stepped to Syllis’ side and wrapped her arm around her.

The both of them approached the jug of water that Clyde was still loitering around. Aura was eager and Syllis… she was likely eager but showed refrain.

Aura helped her onto the countertop. She could not just prop her up until they all sat down again.

Aura picked up a thick root and brought it to her mouth. The earthy and rich water reinvigorated her in an instant. ‘This is a lot better than the water in asanoch! Ironically enough…’

“Syllis,” Aura said. “Take a sip.”

Syllis did not speak. She looked to her feet back up.

“What?” Aura asked. “You don’t need me to hold the water to your mouth, do you?”

“Try Korman,” Syllis said, a large grin spread across her face.

Then, she reached her hand into the bowl from on top of the counter. She pulled out a thick-root with scooped water. The nymph held it to her mouth and let out a pleased expression which she promptly hid.

“Is that so…” Aura said, somewhat distantly. “You need that, Korman?”

Aura looked at the tall man, his face was flushed a deep red. Normally it would have been unnoticeable under the purple-blue lights, they were somewhat distasteful in this way. But Aura—with her enhanced eyesight—could easily distinguish this fact.

“Hmm?” Aura sounded aloud.

Korman rose, heading towards the counter. He picked up a thick-root and drank from it.

“There,” Korman said.

Aura smiled and reached for Korman’s shoulder. Her hand met it and she gave it a couple pats.

“Good job,” Aura said. “I’m proud of you.” She nearly started instantly laughing after saying this. It was somewhat stifled.

Then, she felt somewhat sad though. ‘His shoulder…’ Aura sighed, shaking her head slightly.

Korman was stunned for a few seconds before his face turned even hotter and he went to sit back down.

“Come now, Syllis,” Aura said, wrapping her arm around the secare nymph’s back.

The both of them moved back into their seats, Clyde followed suit. With a conflicted expression Aura then looked at Clyde and Korman across the table. She had neglected to look at Syllis, she had similarly recently awoke.

“So,” Aura said, “how are my wounds, really. I don’t want any awkwardness. So cut straight to the point.”

“They’re bad,” Korman answered. “You won’t be able to use your right arm again until Edward takes a look at it.” After he finished speaking, he looked at her with his same, pitiful eyes.

“I see,” Aura said, looking down at her arm dejectedly. The side of the bandages were beginning to loosen. “Think about what kind of anathema I’ll get for it though. Surely this is tragic enough for fate.

“Also, could I be directed to whoever did my bandages? I’ve got to tear them a new one…”

“Ah,” Clyde said. “That would be… Korman.”

He gestured towards the tall man who was currently covering his face.

‘Huh?’ Aura’s face turned red and she began to stumble over her words.

“O-oh, so you… T-that it…” Aura shook her head and looked down at her wrapped arm and figure, through the loose neckline of her shirt. Her mind began to spin with thoughts and scenarios, but she merely dismissed them. ‘This isn’t the time for…’

“Thank you, Korman,” Aura said in a warm tone with an equally welcoming smile. “We’ll work on your bandaging prowess.”