A coolness passed over Bert, drawing him up from unconsciousness. It felt like his body was on fire, but the chill was fighting it. The feeling passed over him again as he fought his way toward consciousness.

He had to get out of the fire; he was burning. HE WAS BURNING!

His mind filled with images of teeth snapping at his flesh, and he thrashed about, trying to free himself.

“Shhhh!” Bell’s voice. “It’s okay; it’s okay.” He felt a hand on his chest, too big to be hers. “It’s me. You’re okay.”

Bert’s eyes flew open as fire erupted on his skin. The woman scooted backward, scrambling away.

“Bert!” She snapped, “Stop it!”

“You’re not her!” He snarled. “I’ll kill you! Where is she!?”

“Huh?” She laughed then. It was her laugh. “I changed form, you asshole! I had to drag your dumb ass up here!”

“Oh,” Bert swayed and passed out again.

He was drawn awake again, sometime later, by that cooling feeling. His mind was a bit clearer now, and he heard Bell talking to someone. Eckhart was here. That was good.

“He needs to heal himself,” Eckhart whispered. “This is beyond me.”

“He can’t use mana right now,” Bell hissed. “He burnt himself out!”

“I can’t heal him any more than this,” Eckhart sounded frustrated. “I have no mana left!”

“I will give you mana!” Bell had that irritated tone Bert had learned to fear.

“You will burn my mana pool!” Eckhart complained. “I’ll be unable to heal anyone for weeks!”

“If you don’t do it,” Bud’s voice came from a little distance away. “You’ll die in this tower.”

“Slowly,” Bell added in the sweet innocent voice she used at her worst.

A feeling of warmth and comfort began to pass over him, and he slipped back into the peaceful darkness of unconsciousness.

When he swam up once more from the darkness, he felt a familiar bed underneath him. He was in his room in the Waystation; that was good. His head was pounding, and he couldn’t seem to open his eyes yet.

Someone was shouting outside the door, and his head swam with the pain of it.

“What do you mean he left!” Bell’s voice trembled with fury.

“The old bastard snuck away overnight,” He thought it was May’s voice.

“Bud!” Bell yelled.

“He’s already gone after him,” May said. “He won’t get far.”

“Good,” Bell said. Her voice held a flat tenseness Bert had never heard before.

“He will die if you make him do it again,” Bruno’s voice boomed even when he was hesitant.

“So fucking what?” Bert assumed it had been Bell talking, but it was May, he realized.

“Wife!” Bruno snapped.

“Husband?” She snapped back.

“He has done his best,” Bruno said calmly.

“No,” May said with finality. “Bert did his best; he walked through fire and undead alike. THAT is doing your best.”

The next time Bert woke, he was almost able to open his eyes. He managed one eye, feeling relief at even that much.

“Bert?” A figure in the corner shuffled forward.

There was not much left of Eckhart. He looked like one of the undead himself. Pale, shaking, and as frail as Bert had ever seen anyone look.

“Thank the Gods,” The old man blubbered and shuffled out of the room.

“He’s awake!” Bell’s voice rang loudly through the Barn before a glowing figure flew into the room. “Bert?”

He tried to speak, but his voice wouldn’t work.

“Shh! Don’t try to talk.” Bell landed gently on his chest. “You’re going to be okay.”

“He will live,” Eckhart said from the doorway. “Now, let me rest!”

“Of course, go rest. Anything you need, we will provide.” Bell said, her face pale.

“Getting as far from here as possible is all I require,” Eckhart spat and shuffled away.

“Sorry about him,” Bell said, blushing. “We kind of had to force him to help.”

Bert tried to lift a hand to comfort her, finding his body uncooperative.

“Don’t try to move, not yet,” Bell said brightly. “It will take a while to get over this, Bert.”

The door burst open, and Bud ran in and took Bert’s hand.

“Hey, Boss.” He said. “Had us worried for a bit there.”

It took all his will and energy, but he managed to squeeze Bud’s hand before he passed out again.

The next few days passed slowly, in a series of half-remembered, half-dreamed moments as his mana channels slowly fixed themselves. It was going to take a long time to be able to use them properly again.

That was one of the things Bell came in to tell him. He still had a pretty hazy memory, but he was sure it had been her who told him. He got a visitor on the first night he could sit up in bed.

“Hello again,” The woman said. “I thought I might drop by and offer some help.”

Bert stared at the naked figure of the defiant woman. It was the same as in the former City of the Sun.

“Goddess of the Moons.” He said, his voice croaky and hoarse.

“I can heal you,” She nodded graciously.

“In exchange for?” He said, each word a trial.

“Worship me, and be healed.” She sat on the bed, looking at him with her strange eyes.

“No.” Bert shook his head.

“Your gods can’t help you here,” She said.

“No.” He agreed.

“So worship me.” She tried again.

“No.” He said, smiling as much as he could.

She simply huffed and faded away.

He slept well that night without nightmares.

He awoke the following day, finding the unexpected waiting for him.

You consumed the flesh, bone, and even mana of the undead in the use of your Reclaim Flesh class skill.

Class Has Undergone Forced Evolution!

Class: Garbage Man has changed to Garbage Man - Recycling Specialist.

New skill obtained!

Upcycle -

Allows transmutation in the use of your Class skills.

WARNING: Mana channels have been damaged.

Seek healing immediately.

“Okay,” Bert said to himself. “Calm down.” The idea of being cut off from the Mana Tides, even a little, was not an attractive idea. It left him feeling weak in a way he had not in a long time.

Closing his eyes, he focused his attention inward. He could still feel the mana in the channels, but it moved sluggishly, catching and blocking up here and there. He tried to, very gently, cycle the tides… but the pain made him stop.

Next, he tried to activate an ability, finding nothing happened as the mana just would not flow to support it.

He was beginning to panic.

Forcing himself to lay back and breathe slowly, he tried again.

Nothing.

Instead of trying to force it, Bert instead started to focus on the channels one at a time. He started with his hand, the real one. Focusing on it, he tried to massage the channels and get the mana to flow easier.

Very slowly, it started to move. It was barely noticeable at first, but it was there. After ten minutes, he was exhausted but elated.

He could do this.

By the time Bell came in to check on him a few hours later, he was drenched in sweat, gasping for breath.

“Bert!” She stopped hovering, dropping like a stone as she increased in size. In moments her human form had pulled him from the bed and was drenching his body in ice-cold air.

“Keep doing that,” He smiled grimly as he closed his eyes.

For a day and a half, he worked while Bell held him.

He was just over halfway through the repairs when the speed suddenly increased. He could feel his mana channels changing ahead of him, repairing and strengthening.

The changes kept going, rebounding onto the areas he had already repaired.

Bert screamed as the channels grew with new pathways growing through him as his skin seemed to itch and move.

Bell held him tighter. “What are you doing!” She yelled.

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Mana Channels Repaired!

Mana Channels Tempered!

Mana Channels Complete!

Well Done!

Bert felt the tides roar into him again and let out a wild laugh. The tides were stronger than ever, and they moved faster. He experimented, finding he could control the tides so much better now. He pulled an Ebb tide into one hand as he channeled a Surge tide in the other.

Winds whipped around the room as the imbalance in the mana caused a mini hurricane in the small room.

Reaching out to Way Way, he requested a carcass to use.

A whole Armored Bison appeared, and he eagerly cast Reclaim Flesh.

A pain so all-consuming he hadn’t even been able to fully comprehend it finally faded away.

Strength returned to his muscles, and he watched his skin regrow as burnt, blackened flesh turned pink and healthy once more.

He was finally able to open the other eye!

Bert chuckled, realizing it was more that the eye had regrown. He hadn’t even realized how bad off he was with all the pain fogging his mind.

For the first time in over a week, he took a long, deep breath as he stretched.

“Oooh, that feels good.” Bert grinned and turned to offer Bell a hand up from where she was still sitting on the floor. “Sorry about that. Did I miss much?”

“You’re really better?” She asked.

“Yup,” Bert grinned at her.

“Good!”

=================

People scrambled away as Bert exploded out through the side wall of the Barn.

He groaned as he sat up.

Even Bud ran when Bell, in human form, stepped through the hole in the wall with Bell’s Ringer in hand.

“How dare you!” She screamed as she strode across the ground towards Bert.

“How fucking dare you!” Bell’s Ringer caught him on the upswing as he got to his feet. Bert flew back, slamming through the door of the Bear’s Fall.

Bell stalked after him, kicking the door closed behind her.

Bud moved to stand in front of the door.

“Private time!” He snarled at the onlookers, who immediately remembered somewhere else they had to be.

Bert picked himself out of the remains of a table and held his hands up in defense as Bell crossed the floor toward him.

“Bell! Wait!” He called.

“What?” She snapped.

“I’m sorry, okay.” He said, and he meant it.

“What the fuck did you think you were doing?” She snapped. “Coming into that city was suicide!”

“I wasn’t thinking, okay?” He said.

“No shit!” She moved toward him again.

“I just saw you fall and…” He trailed off. “All I heard was you crying out and….”

“And what?” She demanded.

“And nothing,” Bert shrugged. “I saw you fall, heard you cry out, and… thought stopped. I don’t think I had a single thought the entire time I was in the city.” He collapsed into a chair. “I was still pretty fucked up from the thing earlier in the day, and then you fell, and I,” He looked up at Bell, “I don’t think I was even human in that city. I’ve never felt so empty. I saw you fall, and then I was this thing.” He looked away from her. “I would have done the same to anyone who got in my way.” He looked back at her. “I didn’t? Did I?”

“That’s not fair!” She snapped at him. “You can’t do that!”

“Do what?” Bert asked.

“That!” She snarled and smashed a table. “Be all… that! Not when I want to be mad at you!”

“Still a little lost here,” Bert admitted.

“Fury of the True Fae,” Bell slammed another table into matchsticks. “It is a racial gift!” She kicked a chair through a window. “We can only summon it in moments of pure rage!”

“Was that the white fire thing?” Bert asked.

“No!” She snapped. “That was something else!” She kicked a chair to bits.

“Bell?” He asked.

“What?” She smashed a shelf full of glasses.

“Bell!” He yelled.

“What?” She spun to face him.

“Thank you for saving me.” He said.

“You too!” She snarled and slapped him.

She stood there, glaring at him.

Bert stood and reached out his hand. She slapped it away but didn’t move.

“You scared me!” She hissed.

“You scared me, too.” He admitted.

“You aren’t allowed to do that again.” She said.

“Neither are you.” He smiled.

She slapped him again, “No smiling.”

“Sorry,” He tried not to smile.

“Thanks for coming to get me,” She said flatly.

“Thanks for pulling me out of there,” He replied.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

He reached for her again, and she slapped his hand.

Bert ignored it and pulled her into a hug.

He knew how this scene went. He would hug her, she would cry, he would cry… and they would both feel better.

Instead, she kneed him in the balls. Hard.

As he gasped in pain, she popped back into Pixie size and shrugged. “I’m not there yet, asshole!”

But she laughed as she flew away, which he took as a good sign.

==============

When Bert made his way out of the Waystation for the first time after a huge meal, a long hot shower, and a drink, he noticed straight away how much had changed.

Most of the tents were gone, and he could see people filing in and out of the city as they repaired the gates and walls. Even from here, he could see the barricades had been repurposed to fill the large break in the wall.

The most significant change was in the people themselves. None of them could seem to look him in the eye and would turn away only to stare after he had moved by. Bert had no idea if it was his trip into the city or what, but something had changed.

“Boss!” Bud called as he jogged over, “How did the chat with Bell go?”

“She was just worried about me,” Bert shrugged. “Smashed some things, kneed me in the balls, the usual,” He laughed.

“So she didn’t mention… anything else?” Bud checked.

“No, why?” Bert asked.

“She should really be the one to tell you, Bert,” Bud said hesitantly.

“Okay,” Bert nodded. “So, how is the city going?”

“Great!” Bud seemed relieved at the change of subject. “The undead never got into the keep, apparently. It was completely undamaged.”

“Wow, they sure built his place strong,” Bert said.

“They did,” Bud nodded. “And someone had collapsed the only entrance. It was pretty bleak in there.”

When Bud and the others had finally managed to move enough of the stone to get into the keep itself, it looked pretty normal. It was when they got into the kitchens and hallways that things turned nasty.

Time had done a number on the remains, but the human body is easily recognizable, even if it has been there a while.

Even if it has been butchered.

They hadn’t needed to read the various diaries, notes, and on one occasion, bloody words on the walls to figure out what happened.

But it certainly helped to fill in the missing parts of the story of the Fortress City.

The riots had moved back and forth across the city for three more days. The number of dead mounted each day. On the night of the third day, a scuffle on the city's outskirts had been interrupted when the bodies lying in the streets began to twitch.

All through the city, the dead stood up and attacked anyone they found.

Taylor, the ruler at the time, had responded by collapsing access to the Keep. He told those inside that it was a judgment of the gods, that they had been spared, and that the dead would leave the city to attack their enemies in the larger plains.

Of course, that never happened.

When the army of a local noble attacked later that same day, they were able to make it as far as the entrance to the Keep but were driven back before anyone could get out.

One of the servants had screamed that Taylor had damned them all and been imprisoned in the dungeons. Over the next week or so, tensions continued to mount, and Taylor did his thing. The other nobles were his audience now as he railed against the treacherous servants, who were obviously agents for the refugees.

Soon all of the servants were locked in cells, and the nobles promptly held a celebration. A grand feast where most of the food was wasted. Which was a problem as it turned out to be the last of the food in the keep.

It took less than a week before they ate the first of the servants.

Eventually, they ran out of servants and ate the least popular nobles. The last few weeks were a cat-and-mouse game as the starving survivors had hunted each other through the keep.

There was just no way to tell who was the last one left.

Whoever it was, their body was found hanging from a beam in the dining hall. It was naked, covered in dried blood, and mummified.

“They ate each other,” Bert said, “Grim way to go.”

Bud just nodded.

“Bert!” Bruno ran up and grabbed him into a hug, “Thank the gods you wake!”

“Thanks, Bruno.” Bert laughed.

“We can finally end this horrid affair!” Bruno said with a booming laugh.

“He doesn’t know,” Bud said sternly.

“But how?” Bruno asked in confusion.

“I think I need to speak to Bell,” Bert sighed.

“Very much, yes!” Bruno boomed. “And then we can move on!”

Bert sighed and headed back into the Waystation. He wondered if he had time to craft a protective cup before they had another ‘conversation.’

Bell was in the Barn, muttering to herself as she flew in circles.

Bert hesitated; he had not seen her do this since the first time the Waystation moved.

“Bell?” He called.

“Who told you?” She asked quietly.

“No one told me anything,” Bert said gently, sitting at the scuffed wooden counter. “They just said I needed to talk to you.”

“Okay.” She said sadly.

“Whatever it is, I’m listening,” Bert said.

“You were really badly hurt!” Bell started. “I mean really badly. And you couldn’t heal!”

“Right, my mana channels were trashed.” Bert agreed.

“Exactly!” She said. “We only had access to one healer and a pretty shitty one at that.”

“Eckhart, right,” Bert said.

“He ran out of mana too quickly,” She whispered. “I had to give him some mana to keep going.”

“I remember something about that.” He thought. “He said it would damage his mana pool for a bit.”

“Right,” Bell said. “We had to force him to do it.” She looked away. “But it wasn’t enough.”

“Okay, well, I’m still here, so you must have come up with something.”

“No, she didn’t,” Eckhart said as he stood in the doorway. “And I won’t let her hide what she did!”

“I’m not.” She said, not looking him in the eye.

“Yeah, right!” He scoffed. “You made me heal him over and over again for days.” He spread his emaciated arms, “Look at me!”

Bell just looked away.

“Would I have made it if you didn’t heal me?” Bert asked.

“I just don’t know.” Eckhart glared at him. “You should have been dead a hundred times over.” He coughed and leaned against the wall. “Over and over, she burned my mana pool. I won’t be better for a year at least.”

“I didn’t have a choice!” Bell snarled at him, and he flinched.

“You did; you could have let him die!” Eckhart spat. “No one should have been able to survive what he did.”

“We’re Fae,” Bert shrugged. “Things work differently for us.”

“I tried to leave, to run!” Eckhart waved his comment away. “That bloody skeleton of yours dragged me back here.”

“Some of the refugees tried to stop us,” Bell said distantly. “I-I threw them out.”

“In one piece?” Bert asked.

“Yes!” Bell wailed.

“Must have caught you on a good day,” Bert laughed.

She gaped at him as Eckhart spluttered.

“She forced me to heal you until there was nothing left of me.” He snarled. “And she would not let me use any mana to heal myself.”

“I can heal you now,” Bert offered.

“No!” He stepped back. “Not until you punish her!” He crossed his arms. “Only then will the stain on your honor be removed.”

“Bert, I’m so so-” Bell stopped as Bert laughed. “What?”

“Listen, Eckhart,” Bert stood. “I’m sorry keeping me alive was such a chore. And after all, all we did was save the lives of you and your people!” He chuckled. “Oh, and risk our lives trying to take that fucking hellscape of a city for your people!”

Bert saw they had attracted an audience but was beyond caring.

“None of that changes that I should not have been forced!” Eckhart once more showed off his frail form. “Look at what it did to me!”

“Who gives a flying fuck?” Bert yelled at him. “I almost lost Bell!” He roared in the man’s face. “If she had been injured and you had so much as fucking hesitated to heal her, I would have skinned you alive!”

“Bert?” Bell asked hesitatingly. “You aren’t angry?”

“Oh, I’m fucking furious!” Bert snarled, “But not at you.” He stormed out of the Barn, dragging the feebly struggling Eckhart by the neck.

The crowd gasped and backed away.

“Bell almost died! I almost died!” He glared around. “We risked everything for you and yours.” He held up Eckhart in one hand. “This fucker refuses healing, which I CAN do until I punish Bell.”

“What?” May pushed forward.

“Who agrees?” He held up a hand, “Just so you know, I’ll kill any fucking one of you that raises their hand.”

More gasps.

“Bert?” Bell called.

“Yes, Bell?” Bert said brightly.

“He’s going blue?” She pointed out.

Bert dropped Eckhart, pinning him to the ground with one foot. He summoned a deer carcass they had gathered recently and used it to heal the man. In seconds he was back to full vigor. Next, he focused, checking the man’s mana pool. It was burnt all right. He used the same method he used on his mana channels, repairing it.

“What?” Eckhart squirmed, feeling his mana return. “My mana, how?”

“You wanted to go?” Bert snarled. “You better move fast.”

“But?”

“FUCK! OFF!” Bert snarled in his face.

He watched the man scramble to his feet and push through the crowd.

“Anyone else got something they want to say?” He stared down the muttering crowd.

May stepped forward.

“I’m glad to see you are feeling better.” She almost smiled.

“And thank you for helping out while I was ill,” Bert said sincerely.

“My pleasure,” She turned and shooed the crowd away.

“Bert?” Bell said behind him.

“Yes, Bell?” Bert asked, turning to find her in human form.

She hugged him tightly as she wept silent tears.

He hugged her back with one hand.

“I’m not going to knee you again,” She laughed, and he hugged her properly.

She, of course, kneed him again.

“Still a pixie, jackass!” She giggled as she flew away in her true form once more.