At first, the voices were far away and came as if through a filter. They were fuzzy and intangible. Then they started to clear up. Mila heard her love call her name. These voices were safe.

Then came the pain. Mila winced. Wasn’t she healed? Why was everything hurting? She had expected some pain, but this was ridiculous.

Forcing her eyes open, Mila tried to find her girl. Isabel was just a blur. “...hey.” She had to clear her vision as it refused to focus. After rubbing her eyes, she finally could see Isabel sitting on the edge of the bed.

Mila moved her heavy tongue. “Hey, sorry. I made you cry.” Her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Only now, she noticed Isabel was holding her hand. She flexed her fingers and grabbed Isabel’s.

“You are alright.” Isabel sobbed. “I knew you would be, but…” She hiccuped.

“Hug.” It was so hard to speak. She needed water, but that came second. Isabel looked at her in surprise. “Hug,” Mila repeated. Unfortunately, she couldn’t do it herself. She still felt too weak. Her fingers moved, but lifting an arm felt like an insurmountable task.

“I am so glad you are awake.” Isabel fell on Mila, pushing her hands underneath the smaller girl and hugging her tightly against her chest. She kept whispering in Mila’s ears how glad she was.

“Sorry…” Mila let the calming scent of Isabel soothe her pain. She rubbed the tip of her nose against Isabel’s shoulder. The skin contact did a lot to relieve the tension still left in her body from the terrible night.

It hadn’t been easy. Mila didn’t have the luxury of a dreamless sleep. Her time was spent senselessly forcing her astral body to move and train. She had sparred with her uninvited guest in her mind countless times during these days.

All just to keep herself sane. Mila had been so worried. The clarity had returned right after she had opened her eyes on the same hillock as every night. She had treated her condition after the fight too lightly. The realisation of just how bad it was kept her driving herself with force.

And Mila had shown that pathetic sight to Isabel. She was regretting it immensely. And yet, now in Isabel’s embrace, Mila finally could relax and let her anxieties wash away with the warmth she received.

Someone coughed. Mila ignored it. It was probably just Andrew. She kept breathing in the scent of her lover. It was so sweet and made her mind float.

The coughing repeated. Then again, this time, it was joined by a lighter cough and a caw.

So it was Andrew. But who else? Mila didn’t particularly care. Sure, she was stiff, thirsty and hungry, but the hug filled something more important than just physical needs.

While the coughing continued, Mila received a gentle kiss on her cheek. She licked her dry lips and returned the treat. It felt so comfortable. She landed another kiss on Isabel’s cheek and then followed up with one on her earlobe.

“W-water?” Suddenly, Kanna interjected, startling Isabel, who luckily didn’t drop Mila.

But the moment was over. Isabel slowly placed Mila back in the bed. “How are you? Can you move?”

“I can.” Mila was overstating her ability to move. She could. It simply hurt to do so, and Mila would rather not wince and cringe in front of Isabel. And maybe she was overstating how much she could. The weakness didn’t want to subside.

Not that Isabel believed Mila. She lifted her girlfriend’s arm, luckily not the one with the cut, and watched Mila try to keep her face still. “The healers already told me you likely wouldn’t be able to. Their concoctions weren’t the best, and I suspect their skill wasn’t either. You still have to spend some time on the bed.” She poked Mila’s cheek. “So, no downplaying your condition.” She kept pressing the cheek. “Pouting won’t help you, young lady!”

“Water!” Kanna rushed to offer a cup to Mila.

“Yes, thank you. But first, I am feeling peckish.” Mila moved her head a bit back and bit Isabel’s finger. She let her tongue run over the tip of it, and Isabel hurried to pull it out.

“No teasing!” Isabel flicked Mila’s nose with the wet finger.

“You can’t stop me!” Mila comfortably fell into their usual dynamic. She belonged here like this. “But yes, water, please. There is a terrible taste of greenery in my mouth.”

“It’s the potion they kept feeding you.” Isabel helpfully explained. “It smelled like a meadow.”

“The water!” Kanna pushed between the two and helped Mila to drink.

It helped. It seemed Kanna had lost some of the fear now that Mila was bedridden. The water felt cool and refreshing. It washed away the terrible taste of medicine.

After drinking the whole cup, Mila sighed in relief. She resumed her tries to move her limbs without hurting. The worst was her left arm. There was unnatural stiffness to it. She studied the bandage around the upper part of the arm.

Mila couldn’t help but let her mood slip a little. The loss was still fresh in her mind.

“Who was it?” Isabel suddenly asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Did you get them?” Isabel pressed on.

Mila looked at her girl. There was an intense expression on her face. Her strong features promised violence and righteous punishment. “I did not.”

Isabel clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. Her nostrils flared in poorly controlled anger. “Who? Where? How do I find them?”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Isabel,” Mila tried her best calming voice. “I don’t know. The man… He wasn’t from here, I don’t think. He wasn’t from Stilag.”

“Just a single man?” Andrew finally spoke. “He must have been what? On Inquisitor level?”

Kanna flinched from the mention of the Temple Dogs, but Isabel’s eyes bore into Mila’s. She was waiting for the answer.

“Far from it.” Mila lightly shook her head. Doing it properly was too strenuous. “It wasn’t the power of his mana.” She gathered her shattered pride. “I…” It was hard to admit. “I…” She didn’t want to. “I lost in skill.”

Andrew and Mr Crow whistled in surprise. Isabel furrowed her brows while Kanna simply looked around, not understanding the strong reaction.

“How?” Isabel finally spat out. “How is it possible? I thought… I don’t know. With your…” She didn’t finish.

“Yeah.” Andrew agreed. While Isabel knew more about Mila’s dreams, he still had the general gist. “Sounds unbelievable.”

These words picked apart her pride even more. They weren’t meant to put Mila down. Isabel and Andrew were just surprised. Still, they hurt. “It is what happened.” Mila felt her voice sound strangled and wrong.

“Can you tell-”

“Not now, Andrew!” Isabel suddenly interrupted. “Don’t you have places to be? People to annoy? I heard Cecilia was looking for you.”

That elected a grunt of displeasure from Andrew. “Why?”

“You know why.” Isabel got up from the bed and began to push him out. “You too, Kanna. I need a moment with Mila. Alone.”

“I don’t want to see Cecilia,” Andrew complained. “She keeps trying to flirt with me. I don’t get it!” Mr Crow joined the protest.

“Just talk to her.” Isabel managed to push him up to the doors.

“I don’t want to hear that from you.” Andrew shot back. “I still remember you bumble-”

“Out!” Isabel hurried to push him out before he could remind Mila of how awkward she had been when she had realised Isabel liked her. She still was from time to time.

“Fine, fine. I am going. Mortimer needs a pep talk anyway.” Andrew finally left.

“Sorry about this, Kanna.” Isabel changed her tone. “I’ll see you later. You can go with Andrew. Vatim is probably with Mortimer.” She guided the unwilling girl out.

When the doors fell shut, Isabel pivoted around and hurried back to Mila. She plopped down back on her spot on the edge of the bed. “Want to talk about it?”

Mila didn’t, but she doubted Isabel would take that for an answer. “How about another hug?” She suggested.

“Oh, we can do that.” Isabel leaned closer. “Will it help with whatever is bothering you?” She asked.

“If you lie next to me and then hug, then yes.” Mila declared with confidence.

“So needy.” Isabel kicked off her shoes and raised her legs into the bed before raising the blanket and slipping under it. One of her arms slid beneath Mila while the other over her. Isabel moved her leg over her girl and snuggled close. “Better? I don’t smell, do I?”

“Not at all. Your scent is heavenly.” Mila turned her head and left a small kiss on Isabel’s lips. “I finally feel warm.” She confessed. Despite her pyjamas and blanket, she felt chilly. Not anymore. Isabel’s heat drove the cold away.

“That’s good.” Isabel played with Mila’s hair. She wrapped them around her fingers and then tied them into a knot before letting them slip through the digits. “So?”

“Do I have to?” Mila was unwilling. “I would rather cuddle.”

“We can do that.” Isabel hummed in agreement.

“Then-”

“But something is bothering you, isn’t it?” Isabel pointed out.

“It’s silly.” Mila winced. Isabel had unwittingly brushed against her wound. After receiving a quick apology kiss, she continued. “I just… I felt stronger than that. More capable. I may be boosting, but I felt superior in skill to anyone.”

“Mhm.” Isabel let her speak.

“And… Part of it is my rather unfortunate stature…”

“I like it.” Isabel didn’t let Mila to put herself down. “It’s cute.”

“I’ll take the win, I guess.” Mila regretted not being able to let her palms roam at least a little. On the plus side, her right arm was pressing against Isabel’s thigh. And if she could move her palms just a little higher… No, this wasn’t the mood for that.

“You should.” Isabel nuzzled closer.

Mila threw the useless horniness out of her mind for now. She cleared her throat. “Where was I? Yes, part of it was the physical superiority of the man. He was simply more powerful. Another part was his equipment. He was better armed. It was also an ambush situation, but…” She swallowed. “That, too, is a skill.”

“So you got ambushed by a more powerful opponent and lost. It doesn’t sound that bad.” Isabel tried to reason.

And if it was just that, Mila would agree. “And he was better than me and didn’t make mistakes. His moves were all deadly and… I am not gonna lie. I made a grave error.” She struggled to continue but felt like Isabel had to hear it.

“I started a fire. I felt desperate. My injuries were severe, and I wanted to have a chance at winning. I… I almost burnt down the building with Andrew in it.”

Isabel squeezed her tightly.

“I made a mistake. I almost killed Andrew. I almost died. I almost left you all alone.” Mila felt a tear roll down her face. That wasn’t planned. Her emotions were a mess.

“But you didn’t,” Isabel whispered. “You were brave and strong, and you got him out. Didn’t you? You did good.” She wiped the single tear from Mila’s face.

“I did. But it does not make me feel any better.” Mila was harsh on herself.

“None of that. Hey, Mila?”

“Yes?”

“Can we stay like this for a while longer?” Isabel kept holding her close. “... I almost lost you…” She murmured.

“Definitely.” Mila gave an immediate answer. While her body had different needs, she, too, needed Isabel’s warmth. “I would not mind falling asleep like this.”

“Me too.” Isabel agreed. Her breathing slowly grew more even. She rubbed her face against Mila’s as she slowly got herself more comfortable.

“Then how about a nap?” Mila suggested. She suspected Isabel hadn’t gotten any sleep for a while.

“A nap sounds good.” Isabel tickled Mila’s ear with her breath.

“It does, doesn’t it?” Mila smiled.

“Mhm…”

“Sleep well, my love.”

“You too…”