Bronson tried to wipe his eyes but he yelped in pain before his arm could even escape the starchy embrace of the bedsheets. Why does everything hurt?

Bronson fluttered his eyes open, both resistant to the action. Salt? Was I crying? His eyes stung as some of the salt reentered his eyes.

A chair scraped against the floor.

An all too familiar scene repeated itself, only this time it was Vic and Abrax instead of Nessa and Karim. Or Aoife, or a random group of villagers before that. Bronson tallied up his bouts of unconsciousness. Five. Five times.

On Earth, he hadn’t ever been knocked out. Unless the teleportation knockout counts as a mix between Earth and Dari? Four and a hardly any better.

“The idiot’s awake,” Abrax yelled, without looking away.

A young man rushed in through the door. “Abrax don’t stab someone with a double-ended blade.”

“I’m not an idiot.” Abrax huffed. He seemed tired.

“Neither am I,” said Bronson.

The man reached down and grabbed a clipboard from the foot of the bed. “End up here less than your friend and I might someday believe you.” He looked down at the clipboard. “Though it will be an uphill battle.”

“What’s wrong with him?” asked Vic.

“That depends on whether he’s fine with you two being in the room, but first let me introduce myself. I’m Pirin Khan, second-time twelfth year first time turned dedicated healer.”

“Twelfth year?” asked Bronson. Twice?

“I keep planning to leave, but I never quite manage it,” said Pirin.”I might even stick with healing, it’s pretty rewarding. Remember, if you get hurt during a dungeon dive ask for Pirin.”

“Why?”

Abrax sighed then answered. “The empire pays for healers, but if you get hurt on a dungeon dive the empire taxes half of what you gained during it, though you can choose to pay a flat fee instead. The healer gets to take half of what’s taxed. Basically, Pirin wants you to get hurt.”

Pirin glared at Abrax then turned to Bronson. “I only wish good health on my patients.”

Abrax snorted.

“Don’t worry Bronson, I can remove these–” Pirin walked back to the door and opened it ”–interlopers.”

“No, it’s fine, they can stay.” Bronson spoke quickly before he got left alone with the mad healer. He didn’t want to get charged with a recently created healing fee.

A disappointed look fell over Pirin’s face but it was quickly replaced with a grin. “Very well then let’s go over what hapened.

“You arrived unconscious in the care of these two along with a professor, your uncle it seems. Upon arrival they informed me that they found you convulsing on the ground and frothing at the mouth. They rushed you to me, along with this bottle.” Pirin reached into a pocket and drew out the vial. “Rightfully they were concerned about your safety, multiple muscles were ruptured but fortunately the frothing was just a result of saliva and clenched teeth, rather than anything more concerning like bleeding in the lungs.”

Bronson gulped. Well, that’s not scary at all.

“Fortunately I recognised the potion, and it’s usually safe. But it should absolutely not be used with other body-focused magic.” Pirin walked around to the side of the bed and picked up Bronson’s brooch. “This is mostly conjecture, but it seems to me that the two magics were similar enough in purpose that the intent became confused and a destructive resonance formed. This is a rare case, but it is more common when different schools of magic are used.

“I’ve healed your concussion and the damage to your muscles and organs, but you shouldn’t use this again–” Pirin held the brooch aloft ”–until the potion wears off. In truth I wouldn’t recommend using it at all, as it doesn’t seem tailored to you.”

“I need it.”

Abrax scoffed. “I hardly see why you need a magic tool just to give you bigger muscles.”

“I don’t want bigger muscles.” Bronson glared at Abrax. “I want muscles that let me move and live my life.” To illustrate his point Bronson manoeuvred his hand out from under the bedsheets and lifted it. Pain tore into his muscles but It remained aloft for a few seconds before it started to shake.

Bronson let out a shaky breath, a smile on his face. “That’s better than it was.”

“Well you did just drink a muscle growth potion,” said Abrax, sardonically.

Vic unfroze and jabbed a finger into Abrax’s side. “That is not nice.”

“After the message he sent me he deserves–”

Pirin coughed, drawing everyone else’s attention. “Bronson you really shouldn’t be attending if you can’t even move around properly. More than anything else it’s a safety concern. Maybe you should consider pushing back your enrollment until the next term?”

“NO.” Bronson cleared his throat. “I mean no. I’m fine as long as I have the brooch. I am going to attend this term.”

“I’m a mandatory reporter, but I do struggle to remember things sometimes, maybe if I had something to distract me I could be brought to forget,” said Pirin.

“Pirin don’t try to extort my roommate,” said Abrax, with a long-suffering sigh. “He’s a professor’s nephew the faculty are probably already aware.”

“Wexler called me to help Bronson with his things when he first arrived.”

Bronson felt vindicated in his assessment and resolve to not be left alone with the healer.

Pirin threw his hands up dramatically. “Fine. Fine. Bronson, you’re off the hook, but you still can’t attend classes this week, even with nepotism at hand.”

Bronson felt a coal of indignation light up in his chest. “What why?”

Pirin looked like the cat that got the canary. “Because you have to be able to walk to attend classes and I doubt you’re going anywhere without this.”

Pirin wiggled the brooch in the air.

“You can’t just steal my things.” Bronson clenched the sheets in his fists. Why am I getting deja vu?

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

“What use do I have for a first year’s trinkets? I’m not going to steal it. But you can't wear it until your potion has finished working, most of the efficacy has already been used up I expect but the change stabilising portion is almost certainly still going to interfere.”

Bronson groaned. “Well, what am I going to do?”

“Tonight you’re going to stay here in observation.”

“I wondered why your uncle brought books from your room,” said Vic.

“After that, you can go back to your rooms I suppose, it doesn’t matter much to me,” said Pirin. “ Well I’ll leave you three to it.”

Pirin put the brooch down and left Bronson in the room with Abrax and Vic. Once he was gone Abrax pulled open his jacket and released Berrioux, who flew up and landed on one Abrax’s antlers.

Bronson momentarily thought about making a joke about Abrax stripping for him and Vic but thought better of it. The last time he made a similar joke Abrax had made his displeasure known and the look he was levelling at Bronson made him want to pull the covers up over his head and forget about the world.

A smile that didn’t quite reach Abrax’s eyes fell over his face. “Bronson, would you care to enlighten me as to why you felt the need to send me such a horrendous message?”

Message, what message?

“Message?” asked Bronson.

“The one I received during a delve.” Abrax’s smile grew deeper. “The one where you asked for help?”

Victoria chided Abrax. “He should ask us for help if he needs it.”

Abrax shuddered. “Not like that.”

“What do you mean?” asked Bronson.

“Bronson, what the hell is a fucky wucky?”

“I didn’t say that in the incantation, it did that by itself.”

“Bronson, haven’t your incantations done enough damage?” Abrax reached up to rub Berrioux’s chest. “Learn a proper spell.”

“It was a proper spell.”

“Clearly you just made it up off the top of your head.”

“WELL, IT WORKED DIDN’T IT.”

“At least learn the message spell.” Abrax walked over and fell down on a chair by the bed, this jolted Berrioux eliciting a squawk of indignation from the bird. Abrax reached into a pocket and pulled out an experience chip, waving it in the air.

Vic waited for the play to play out then said, “Hey Abrax, are you going to stay with Bronson?”

“For a little while?” Abrax raised an eyebrow. “Why?

“I have things to do.” Vic shifted from foot to foot.

Abrax grinned. “I’ll tell her you said that.”

Vic’s jaw worked speechlessly, and Bronson was fairly sure she was blushing, even if he couldn’t see it.

“I– I hope you’re better soon Bronson,” sputtered Victoria. “And Abrax.”

“Yes?”

“Shut up.” Vic made for the door.

Bronson did his best to keep his face neutral but Abrax didn’t seem to care, a grin emblazoned across his face.

“See you later Victoria,” Abrax laughed.

Bronson yelled out before the door shut. “Thank you Vic.”

Abrax walked over to the door and ensured it was shut before walking back to the chair and stared at Bronson a thoughtful expression on his face.

“You have secrets.

“You could have mentioned that thing,” Abrax pointed at the brooch. “But you didn’t and since taking it off I haven’t seen you flinch once despite it being omnipresent other than when you sleep. Which means that’s what was hurting you.

“And that artifact of yours is no first years trinket.

“It’s weird. It definitely strengthens your body but it does it differently to how most body strengthening spells would do it, and that’s before we even consider your lack of magical knowledge or the fact your language is weird. You speak perfectly during the day, but when you talk in your sleep–”

“I don’t sleeptalk.”

“–but when you talk in your sleep, you speak in multiple different languages. Is it your bloodline? Something about that feels wrong to me though. What’s up with that?”

Bronson mulled over what Abrax said. It felt like an intervention, the sort m&m might pull if he didn’t attend lectures for a few days. But also Abrax was hardly an open book either.

“You have secrets too.”

Abrax stared on for a while longer but shook his head. “I do, but that’s not what I wanted to talk about. Bronson, you seem driven, but you’re also–” Abrax gestured with his hands “–impulsive.”

Berioux squawked, “Like a bomb.”

“Did he just talk?” Bronson’s attention locked onto the bird. “I didn’t know he could do that.”

“It’s not like you made an effort to try.”

“Can familiars usually talk?”

“Also this.” Abrax pointed at Bronson. “For some reason, you can get stupid incantations to work, but you don’t even know about things everyone knows.”

“I am sorry oh great one, I suppose I do not live up to your standards.”

Abrax rolled his eyes. “Finally he sees it, but no. Bronson you’re all over the place. Most people don’t actually need see a healer before their classes start. And you’re a bit liberal with your spell usage. You need to slow down and think.”

“I don’t have time to slow down, anyway, from the sound of it you end up here plenty.”

Abrax shook his head. “No Bronson, you don’t understand. When I do it, it’s fine.”

Abrax sighed. His eyes looking tired. “But no, I just wanted to say be careful. You come across as a bit wreckless, and when magic users do that they often end up getting themselves killed. I don’t want you to get yourself killed Bronson. If you’re unsure about something, at least run it by me before doing it.

“Anyway, that’s enough serious talk. I’ll come by tomorrow and collect you before Pirin tacks on a fee for outstaying your welcome.”

“Thanks Abrax.”

Abrax stood up and shut the door gently on his way out, leaving Bronson alone with his thoughts.

Two voices came in through the door:

“Stop bringing Berrioux into the medical ward.”

“Shut up Pirin.”

– – – – –

I think I hate it when he’s right. Bronson knew that the choice to take the alchemical tincture was a little rash but he was tired of being in pain, but looking past even that Abrax was right. Bronson needed a plan. It was well and good to try to catch up, but was he doing it as efficiently as he could be?

Bronson pushed his eight unallocated stats into Intelligence bringing it to a total of 72. As he did he felt his brain speed up slightly, only truly noticiable due to the multiplier of [Thought Management]. If he understood it correctly it would also improve his memory somewhat.

He also had a pair of skill slots available, one for his class and the other general. He knew that he could push his Kol manipulation into a true class skill, but after what Ayo said he was less sure. The general skills were less concerning and e wanted to look at the book on skills, but he only had two more books from the induction exam left to read and he really wanted to finish those first.

The only question was how to reach the books in the first place. The two he was looking for were there, but it did raise the question how Tyrus had known to take those two along with his new pile, while ignoring the ones he’d already finished. Is he watching me?

It didn’t matter.

Just one short incantation wouldn’t hurt.

– – – – – –

In the end Bronson did get the books he wanted, and despite them smashing him in the face it seemed that toughness came through and muted the damage that they’d have otherwise caused.

He finished reading the first and got through three quarters of the second, when Pirin came in with a tray of food. He gave Bronson some instructions about when it would be safe to start wearing the brooch again and confirmed that he wouldn’t be attending classes for the next week.

At least I have my books. Maybe Abrax has some fun suggestions? No I need to spend time practicing magic and runes.

Bronson finished the second book. It discussed trade and the differing goods to be sold to different groups of people. It also answered a question he hadn’t quite finished formulating. Adventurers, nobility and merchants were a fairly diverse bunch, but most without a combat class, or the means to hire people with them tended to stick to the region of their birth. Monsters were plentiful and teleportation expensive.

Bronson fell asleep pondering the social mobility of the empire.

In the morning Abrax picked up Bronson. Literally and carried him back to their room in a princess carry. Thankfully most people were still asleep at the time, as Bronson wasn’t quite sure he was hiding his embarassment.

When they got back to their rooms he asked a question that had been on his mind.

“Abrax if I had the option for a class skill focused on Kol manipulation, should I go for that, or work on my manual control?”

Abrax laid Bronson down on the bed and answered. “You’re in a rush, so I would take the class skill for now, then replace it later. Otherwise you’d fall further behind.”

“Ahh okay.”

“Well talk to you later. I’ve got to get to class.”

Abrax left Bronson alone in the room leaving Bronson with a rather concerning question. Just how am I going to get to the bathroom?