Syn saw how the woman with the kid kneeled to help Nyk, who relaxed his hug and let the affable stranger hold her friend. The tension in the air seemed to dissipate, the crowd visibly relaxing but still surrounding her protectively.
"Could I have just a bit of the ointment you bought earlier?" asked Nyk with begging eyes at the woman. The woman blinked in surprise and immediately nodded, pulling the recipient and opening it.
Nyk worked fast. In an instant, he had prepared a bandage and was already tying it to her hand. Syn jerked in pain as the cold bandage touched her raging wound. Nyk noticed the movement and looked up to meet her gaze, smiling broadly when their eyes met. "You're lucky I don't have anything to draw on your face at hand," he said, winking and continued treating her hand.
The small pixie-cut girl turned to face Syn and the crowd and, raising and presenting her hands in a non-threatening manner, stepped toward Syn.
The crowd slowly split, letting the Cardslinger approach the kids, with everyone vigilant of her.
"Is she... A-are you okay?" Daph asked, concern evident in her voice.
Syn noticed Nyk's body tensing, anger burning in his eyes, but he paused before answering, taking a deep breath. "What do you want?" he answered without turning, his voice surprisingly calm.
The girl persisted, "Boy, "C-can you let me check her pulse? I-is she okay? " she pleaded with Nyk.
Syn didn't want the girl to go. She had questions, but her body felt numb and it took great effort to speak. "I've...-cough- been better...", she managed to say.
The people around her seemed to relax, and the girl let out a sigh, with some silent observers erupting in chatter and whispers.
Syn groaned as Nyk continued treating her hand. "I'm... -ugh- fine, I g-guess," she said, uncertain what to say.
"Do you know how dangerous that was?" she burst, her voice full of emotion. "I'm not sure how you pulled it off. You could be dead now!".
"I had n-no idea..." Syn answered, still aching. The image of the golden-haired girl flashed in her mind, "I have a q-question about your f-friend..." she said, her voice shaky.
"He's not my friend," the girl cut her. "We're stuck with him, but we're definitely not friends."
Nyk's eyebrows furrowed, his eyes filled with distrust.
"N-no, I meant..." Syn trailed off, pausing to think how to put it. The girl curiously looked at Syn, tilting her head. Her face was barely visible, with most of the light coming from the lamp posts blocked by the standing adults around them.
Syn's eyes rested on the girl's hands for a few moments. While pondering how to ask about the mysterious girl and where she had transported her, she found herself dazzled by the metallic bracelet and the soft light coming out of her still clasped hand. "Her hand..." she suddenly thought, quickly raising her eyes to meet her gaze. The girl nodded at Syn, a fleeting smile hanging on her lips.
A quick shade passed before their eyes, landing and exploding between the girl and Syn. The explosion brought chaos, and the crowd coughed and dispersed as a black cloud of smoke formed. Yells of alarm, a stinging feeling in the eyes and an acrid smell filled Syn's senses.
She heard Nyk cough loudly. In the middle of the confusion, a blurry bulky figure approached her and removed her from Nyk's hands. She tried to scream, but as soon as she opened her mouth, smoke filled her lungs, and all she could do was cough while strong arms lifted and took her away.
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Syn's eyes no longer stung, but she couldn't stop herself from violently coughing, her body demanding air. "Drink this. It'll help with the coughing," said the bulky bearded figure as he handed her a bottle.
Stolen story; please report.
"What -cough- do you want -cough- from me?"
"Don't worry. I'm simply helping a friend." He answered, his eyes looking cautiously at where they came from. Syn drank the water and poured some on her face, cleaning any remaining residues of the harmful smoke, her sight no longer blurry and slowly returning.
She checked her surroundings; she was in an alley. Looking around, she noticed a wooden board hanging at the passage entrance that read "CARD HAVEN." Her eyebrows jumped in surprise; she knew where she was. They had stopped at the alley next to the card shop. She quickly scanned the passage and noticed the bearded man blocking the only exit.
She inspected the figure standing before her. The man was a towering presence, standing over six feet tall and with a hulking build that betrayed a lifetime of adventure and combat. Thick, unruly, shaggy bits of hair sprouted from his chin and cheeks, forming a wild beard that seemed to have a life of its own. His piercing eyes, framed by bushy eyebrows, held wisdom and depth that spoke of countless years of experience and knowledge.
Despite his gruff exterior, there was a certain mystique about him; perhaps it was the way he carried himself, his every move tinted with quiet confidence and a sense of purpose.
As Syn was calculating her chances of sneaking away, Zosimos entered the alley carrying the cart with the flag in one hand and holding Nyk in the other. His face contorted, extenuated from the effort.
"There you are," exclaimed the mysterious stranger. "Would you explain what possessed you to act like this?"
Zosimos collapsed against the wall, panting for air. "Just -huff- a -huff- minute -huff-"
"Sure, sure, take your time," he answered, smiling at the panting Zosimos. He pulled another bottle out of thin air and handed it to Nyk. "There you go, boy. Drink it. It'll help with the coughing."
After Zosimos recovered his breath, he battered them with questions, and only after they explained what had happened did he calm down, constantly inspecting Syn. Zosimos eyes opened in surprise when he removed the bandage from her hand. He looked at Nyk questioningly as he revealed an already closed wound on her hand. "Belanthy?"
"Mixed with an ointment made with Sarf, salt and a few more herbs," nodded Nyk.
"Smart," He said, brushing his beard. "Why salt?"
Nyk shrugged, "It helps it all come together, but I hate that it dries the skin; I am still figuring out how Nana makes hers."
Zosimos looked closely at the bandage and nodded to himself. "Interesting..."
"May I understand what possessed you to interrupt a Stone binding?" interrupted the bearded man, looking at Syn. "And, would you care to explain how you have learned of such a method for canceling it?"
"She's Syl's," answered Zosimos while his eyebrows slowly furrowed.
The stranger's eyes widened in surprise. "Ohoho, the apple does not fall far from the tree, I see, you crazy kid," he said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. His gaze fell on Nyk, who was holding the flag in his tiny hands. "Hmm, is this your apprentice?" he trailed off, "By the beard of the Wise One, you remind me of someone I can't quite place..." His gaze lowered toward the flag Nyk held in his tiny hands, and his eyes widened again. "No way," he turned to Zosimos.
Zosimos nodded and buried his head in his hands. "She asked me to take care of them during the trip."
The stranger let out a low whistle. "Hohohoho by the gods, what a day! Val ain't kicked the bucket yet!"
Zosimos shook his head. "It's no time for reunions. We need to leave now," he said, his voice urgent.
Syn frowned. "Zosimos, don't get me wrong, but everything was under control in the auction..." she trailed off as she saw the look on Zosimos' face.
"...for the most part, anyway, now that everything's fine, we were planning to attend the festivities," she continued.
"No. You're leaving with me on the next ship." Zosimos said firmly.
Syn jumped at the answer. "What? Why?"
"It wouldn't be good for you to stay. Y-you are d-drained after using up all your mana," said Zosimos unconvincingly.
The stranger stepped forward, placing a hand on Zosimos' shoulder. "Hey mate, I gave them two bottles. They should be good for the day; why don't you let them enjo-" he stopped talking as he saw the look on Zosimos' face. "I'll... let you handle this..." he muttered.
"We need to board the next ship. In a few hours, we'll be home," declared Zosimos, turning and taking the flag and the bag off Nyk's hands.
"We want to stay here," Syn protested.
"I got an urgent message from his Nana, and I have already replied that you're both coming with me to the Village," he said, avoiding Syn's gaze.
"Oh boy, if she says you need to go, you gotta go," the stranger nodded in agreement.
Syn sensed that something was wrong. "Zosimos, what're you not telling us?"
"If we leave immediately, we'll be there in no time," he said, trying to avoid the question.
"Zosimos" Syn insisted. "What is it?"
Zosimos turned to face her, his eyes filled with worry. "Syn, I got a message concerning your father, and we need to leave NOW"