Behind Vaela, Timura coughed weakly, a gurgling sound that brought Vaela back to her senses. She spun and raced to Timura’s side. “HEALERS!” She looked up at the announcer and waved her hands. “Please. We need the healers.”

Sound ebbed back into the arena, like water seeping up from the ground. Murmurs that rose to a trickle then a current. All around, it seemed as everyone shook off the strange sensation they’d collectively experienced. They cast it aside and were soon back to excitedly discussing the match. A pair of men dropped down the ladders on both sides of the arena. Beside each ladder, a stretcher was lowered down on ropes. One team grabbed their stretcher and sprinted over to the Meteor. The other team rushed to Timura. They eased her onto the stretcher and she wheezed when they put her down, though her eyes didn’t open. Her body jostled with every step, limp and at the mercy of their movements, no strength left.

Another pair of men descended and ran up to Vaela. One of them peered into her eyes. “Can you get up the ladder?”

Fatigue washed through her body, as if a drain had been pulled and all of her energy swirled away into the blood-flecked dirt. In its place, pain settled in–aching through her bones, jabs from her broken rib with each breath, a deep throbbing from her right arm.

The man signaled his partner and they brought another stretcher over. She looked into the crowd for Hermit. So much she needed to know. Why had she been able to use Shadow this time? What happened with the mace? And especially…

That tilting sensation. What had it been?

He knew the answers. To every one of her questions. She had to find out.

The transporters guided her down to the stretcher and she shook her head. “I have to talk to someone first.” Her voice came out a mumble. They pushed her down and she could do little to resist as they carried her off.

Once at the wall, a pair of ropes were looped around the ends of the stretcher and carried her out of the pit. Almost immediately after she arrived at the top, the transporters lifted her again and hurried her up the stairs. Members of the crowd cheered as she went past, a blur of unfamiliar faces. Her body felt so heavy, only the pain kept her awake.

Had to find Hermit. Get answers.

The transporters carried her away from the arena and into a large tent. Strong hands lifted her up and laid her onto a firm cot. A woman arrived and stood over Vaela. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, flecks of blood dotted her tunic, and her eyes burned with intelligence. She rubbed her hands together and extended them over Vaela, suspended a few inches from actually touching her. “Charmer, I’m your Healer. I hear you’ve won quite a sum for this fight. Do you agree to pay the expenses of Healing from your prize?”

Vaela tried to sit up, but sharp pain stabbed through her chest. She gasped and braced her left arm against the table. The Healer put a hand on her chest, keeping her from sitting up again. Vaela pushed at the woman’s hand, but barely had the strength to swat it away. “My friend. She needs Healing more than me.”

The pressure of the Healer’s hand eased and she pointed across the room. “The Shadow Spinner? Yes, she’s in bad condition, but they’re working on her now. They’ll do what they can to save her, though no more until we can establish payment. This isn’t a charity.”

Vaela looked in the direction the woman pointed. A team of Healers huddled around another cot, blocking her view of Timura. She grabbed the woman’s arm. “I’ll pay. Whatever my prize’ll cover, Heal her as much as possible.”

The woman examined her for a moment and then nodded. She walked away and held a quick conversation with another man. When she returned, she placed her hands on Vaela’s temples and closed her eyes. A warmth emanated from her fingers. Vaela tried to look at Timura again and the woman’s eyes opened. “Don’t move.”

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“Is she okay? Will they Heal her?”

The woman adjusted Vaela’s head to look straight up and slid her hands down to Vaela’s neck. “Yes, they’ve agreed to take it from your prize. It should cover both of your treatments. Now stop moving, I need to assess your body.”

Vaela held still as the woman worked her way down her torso, then her arms, and legs. At last, the woman opened her eyes. “Cracked rib and both the bones in your right forearm are broken. I should b–”

A commotion broke out near the entrance of the tent. Hermit’s familiar voice, thick with disapproval, rang out. “Now, I say, let me in, my good man! I’m the Charmer’s trainer–taught her everything she knows.”

The Healer glanced back at the entrance and cocked an eyebrow at Vaela. “Do you know that man?”

Vaela waved her left hand. “Unfortunately. Let him in.”

The Healer gestured to the front and a few moments later, Hermit bounced over to Vaela’s side. Surah trailed behind him and as soon as he spotted Vaela, he rushed to her, knelt, and grabbed her left hand. “By the Creator’s ass, that was the best fight I’ve ever seen!”

She groaned and squeezed his hand. “Glad I could entertain you.”

Surah jolted back to his feet. “You were all, ha! Hu-ha!” Surah punched and kicked wildly into the air. Timura’s robe flailed on his frame, doing little to cover his body with his kicks. “And then that block!” Surah waved Hermit over, his eyes bright with excitement. Hermit jumped over and Shadow wrapped around his staff, forming a large Stone at its end. He gripped the staff in the middle and brought it down in slow motion towards Surah’s head. Surah thrust his arms overhead, left hand bracing right forearm, and he and Hermit hollered as the Shadow Mace descended down.

Vaela slapped her hand to her face and did her best to shrink down. The entire tent was staring at Hermit and Surah, most in stern disapproval. Why did she let them in again?

Surah “blocked” the Mace and pushed Hermit back. Hermit dutifully fell to the ground and Surah released a high-pitched scream, swaying then sensually dancing around Hermit’s fallen body.

Vaela pounded the cot. “That is not what happened!”

Hermit jumped up and he and Surah shook hands and patted each other on the shoulder. The Healer cleared her throat and glared at them. “If you don’t mind…”

Hermit waved his fingers towards Vaela. “Yes, yes. Do your Healing, don’t know what you’re waiting for. Very unprofessional.”

The woman’s eye twitched and she spun back to Vaela. Her hands slapped over Vaela’s rib, eliciting a squawk from Vaela. Warmth flowed from the Healer’s hands and seeped through Vaela’s chest. It wrapped around the rib and the throbbing dulled to an ache. Her chest loosened and she took a deeper breath. Her eyelids grew heavy as the warmth lulled her further into comfort.

Questions. That’s right, she needed answers. She beckoned Hermit close. “Wh-what happened?” She forced her eyes open.

Hermit bent close to her left ear. “You did good, kid. You’ve got a rare talent for Forging.”

“Not a Forger.”

“Sure, Charmer, whatever.”

“What was that feeling? How’d I use Shadow?” She swallowed and blinked a few times, her eyelids only half-opening each time. Fatigue pulled her downward, as if to drag her through the cot itself. “How’d I stop the mace?”

Hermit reached across her body to her right forearm. He patted it and pain shot through her. She jolted wide awake with a hiss and whipped it away from him without thinking, holding it against her stomach. The motion resulted in another stab of pain and she gasped. The Healer pushed Hermit away. “Out.”

He held up his hands and nodded to Vaela. “We’ll have plenty of time to talk on the road. For now, to answer your last question: if you can summon enough Shadow to Flow through your entire body, you Fade from the influence of the world. That’s why it’s obviously the strongest Power.” He held out his hand, palm up. “Also you can do this.” A Shadow mouse peeked up at them. The Healer eeked and stumbled back.

She regained her footing, eyes raging, and stabbed a finger at the exit. “OUT!”

Vaela chuckled weakly. Always a trouble-maker.

Hermit saluted Vaela with his staff. “I’ve much to teach you about your Power… my student.”

She groaned and rolled her eyes. He grinned and spun towards the exit. Vaela craned her neck up after him. “Wait. What did you mean ‘on the road’?”

He called over his shoulder without looking back, “As soon as you’re up, we’re off.”

“Off where?”

“To save the world.” He ducked through the flap and disappeared from sight.

Save the world? Somehow against all of her efforts, she’d still gotten roped into one of Hermit’s scams. She’d even warned Timura about his nonsense! She glanced over at the team of Healers encircling Timura.

Surah patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll stay here. You sleep.” He grinned at her. “When you wake up, you’ll be a healthy, wealthy woman.”

The Healer guided Vaela’s right arm back to the cot and Vaela looked at it. The tissue was deeply bruised, a darkness snaking beneath the skin. Almost as if Shadow still ran within her.

She closed her eyes and the world numbed away. She’d rest for just a little bit. Then, hunt down Hermit and get her answers.

On the road…

To where?