Konrad let Hattie weep. Knowing that some wounds required tears to be shed before they could be healed. Nara should have made for a sour pillow, but he saw the eternally bitter half elf bend, comforting Hattie. Something had changed within her, a fundamental shift in her mentality that Konrad failed to grasp. She was no longer the prickly harpy he was used to. A change he welcomed, despite the befuddlement it brought with it.
After a few moments Lord Tuxford nudged Dorian forward. The sergeant silently accepted the order, grinding his teeth as he moved to separate the mourning women. Kendra’s hand caught his shoulder. A gentle hand of fate from an overly direct Diviner.
Seconds stretched into minutes and the minutes crawled by. With Piper stroking Hattie’s hair, whispering into her ear. An overzealous Lord Tuxford was the first to break the silence, irascible at the failure of his new sergeant, he spluttered. Straightening his yellow tunic before he cleared his throat.
“Ahem, adventurer Piper. You went into the dungeon with our kingdom’s greatest hero and multiple artifacts. Only to return with nothing. Our rare low level dungeon is now a level 90 monstrosity. I will not be the one the high king holds responsible for this calamity.” Sneered Lord Tuxford.
Hattie sat bolt upright at his words.
“You- You stup- hmmmph!” Began Hattie, her words cut off by Piper’s nimble hand clamping down on her mouth.
Piper leaned close, whispering in her ear. Hattie’s fury fled, weakened by her despair, she folded easily. Harumphing in annoyance but acquiescing to Piper’s instructions all the same. Rising from Piper’s lap she hooked Dorian by the arm.
“Escort me to the dungeon.” She ordered, her imperious tone brooking no arguments.
His eyebrows shot into his helmet. Battle hardened Dorian took her by the arm, escorting her from the room after an almost imperceptible delay stemming from his need for Kendra’s approval. She nodded, and Dorian whisked Hattie away, his padded gambeson warm and comforting in Hattie’s fingers. Konrad waited until the tent flap flipped shut, making sure she was out of earshot before speaking. He would not pick at Hattie’s wounds.
“Lord Tuxford, I sympathize with your grief, as does the granddaughter of our sword savior. Nestor Quade was a dear friend of mine. In fact, we were so close that when he was away on King Agamemnon’s orders the High King filled in for him at our wedding.” Said Konrad in a meaningful tone.
Color drained from the noble’s face increasing the contrast between his sorry ring of brown hair and his bald head. Lord Tuxford wrung his hands, choosing his next words carefully.
“Guildmaster, I only wish to give the High King a worthy explanation. Recent events could not have played out in a more dire way. A recovery party must be sent into the dungeon to retrieve Lord Quade’s remains.” Sniveled Lord Tuxford.
Konrad sighed. Turning to a man who had remained silent until now.
“I have no adventurers to send, Piper is my head adventurer, an archer without a dominant eye. Lord Crowell, I had hoped your expertise would be unnecessary, but it seems that I must pay for one of your miracles. If you could examine her eye, heal it if possible, I would consider it a personal favor.” Implored Konrad.
Lord Crowell was a thick man, as wide in the face as he was in the gut. Finely woven patterns adorned an expensive purple tunic, the dark fabric did an excellent job of hiding the occasional stain, though if it was from blood or food, Konrad couldn’t tell. He swallowed the piece of cheese he had been nibbling on, and set down his plate.
“Tis no trouble at all Guildmaster!” He cried, striding towards Piper with a broad smile.
Walking past her, he turned and stood behind her. Pulling up his sleeves in preparation for the work he was about to perform. A ball of pure white light appeared in his hand, levitating an inch above his hand until he placed it where he needed.
“Eyes are tricky things to mend, this will be unpleasant, even if I am able to heal you. Now, Lean back and do not open your eye or move it. Is that okay?” He asked.
“Yes lord. I would endure ten thousand irritations to have my eye back.” Answered Piper, relaxing her neck and shoulders so Lord Crowell could position her how he wished.
His gluttonous eyes drifted towards Piper’s chest, lingering on her archer’s chest guard a second too long.
“Haha! Ten thousand eh? Good, at worst this should only be a few dozen.” Teased Lord Crowell, draping a cloth over her shoulders and neck.
Piper did as she was told, allowing the lord to guide her head with his free hand. His brown eyes peered into her damaged orb, connecting them in a deeply familial way. His fingers awkwardly encountered her ears, ineptly stroking them as if they were hair ornaments that could be brushed aside. On the third stroke he paused his examination of her eye to see what his fingers were encountering.
“Oh my! I forgot you were a halfie- ahem. A half elf, your kind are so rarely wounded or sick that I rarely see you in my healing temples. I am terribly sorry Miss Piper.” He said, adjusting his hand so he could support her head without touching her sensitive ears.
Piper waved it off. She was no blushing virgin, and felt no lust in his accidental groping.
“I’ve taken no offense, mine might be a bit longer than yours, but they are still just ears.” She said with a shrug.
Piper never understood why the humans obsessed over her ears, they were nothing more than flaps of skin. Besides, if her body was the price of a new eye, she would allow the human to do as he pleased.
Kendra and Konrad looked at each other, surprised at her immediate forgiveness. The Piper they knew would have lashed out, Lord or not, they expected her to snark or berate the lord of healers.
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Lord Crowell turned her head this way and that way. Oblivious to their surprise as he concentrated on his trade, moving the light closer to her face until he placed it a foot away from her head. Suspended in the air with his magic.
Fingers gently prodded her face, stretching her skin this way and that as he nimbly worked her face. His breath reeked of cheese and wine. Making Piper’s empty stomach grumble sickly.
“How rude of us! Benedict! Prepare a plate for her at once. She can eat her fill once I finish my healing.” Ordered Lord Crowell, never taking his eyes off Piper.
“Yes sir.” Answered the last figure in the room, deftly moving to heed his lord.
“I would allow you to eat sooner, but too many patients have vomited during eye surgery. Hold still, it’s time for one of those ‘irritations’ you were prepared for.”
Crowell covered Piper’s wounded eye with his hand, channeling his mana from his heart into her eyeball as gently as he could. He chanted softly, and Piper recognized the spell as a purification, though that did nothing to numb the sensation of a hundred ants crawling out of her eye.
“Ah! Eugh!” Groaned Piper.
“I beg your forgiveness. Please do not touch your eye, or move. There are more impurities in your eye than I suspected. Endure it as best you can. I fear this will only get worse, please let us know if you need to be restrained.” Offered Lord Crowell apologetically.
“Dungeons have done far worse to me. Go on.” Answered Piper.
A second purification filled her eye, making the metaphorical ants balloon into a thousand wriggling caterpillars. Crowell smiled a genuine smile.
“You are fortunate, the ball of the eye is still intact. Many of my similar patients have regained full use of their eye. Though I will require follow up examinations over the next few weeks. Somehow, it seems as though no foreign debris made it into your eye, only your own blood and pus.” Said Crowell.
Piper took a deep breath, clenching the arms of her chair with all her strength. Wood creaked under her mid leveled strength.
“Hold me down! Magic feels like ants crawling in my eye.” Speaking through gritted teeth.
Guildmaster and wife moved quickly, pinning her to the chair with a hand on each shoulder. Kendra slipped her free hand into Piper’s as Lord Crowell continued his work. Chanting and groaning filled the tent, as patient and doctor struggled to mend the “stubbed toe curse”.
With each healing spell, Piper’s suffering doubled, the creeping insects growing muscles and claws, piercing her eye and biting at the sclera, wiggling in fervor until it felt like her eye was squelching in and out of its socket.
Then it was over. Fading with the same rapidity it had started with. Lord Crowell used a handkerchief to dab around her eye. Cleaning the area of red puss and freshly expunged ichor. He brought her head forward, brushing past Konrad so he could look into her eye.
“Open your eye, don’t force it. Let me know if anything hurts or feels like it’s catching.” Directed Crowell.
Piper opened her eye as directed, blinking as flakes of hardened eye jelly broke free. At first all she could see were blurry outlines, objects that refused to focus in her damaged eye.
“Hmm, Konrad, do you-” Began Lord Crowell.
“Yes I see it. How did you…” Answered Konrad.
“Might be an elven thing, their senses are keener than ours. Piper, how is your vision?” Questioned Lord Crowell.
Piper blinked for a moment, unsure how to answer him. She fluttered both eyes, trying to get them to focus on the same thing, closing her good eye she squinted at the white orb.
“That’s really bright.”
Crowell stepped back, a smug grin visible. Piper tried to focus on it, closing both eyes, then alternating between her two eyes. For each time she played peek-a-boo, her vision improved.
“I can see. It’s blurry, but I can see!” Cried Piper, voice growing louder with excitement.
A sandwich seemed to appear out of nowhere. Offered to Piper by a butler who embodied the servant’s credo, appearing when he was needed and vanishing without a sound. Her stomach rumbled, and her teeth bit into the sandwich so quickly that Crowell was concerned she might eat the plate along with it.
“Mmph. manhk you!” Said Piper, speaking with her mouth full.
“Of course! It pleases me to no end that Crowell healing works on elven eyes. Though your eye seems to have changed… There is some discoloration where you were healed. Very strange, I’ve never seen anything quite like you. I’ll need to check on you over the next few days if that’s alright. Oh, and when you were younger, what shape were your pupils?” Asked Lord Crowell.
“You can examine her in the stockade. She is the only witness! There are questions that must be answered before the next expedition enters the dungeon.” Exclaimed Lord Tuxford.
Piper closed her eyes. Already growing tired of the feudal lord’s complaints, and knowing that she needed to play nice with the man who would later become known as ‘Yellow bellied Lord Tuxford’. Tuxford was the name of the farming community that surrounded the dungeon, consisting of a few hundred people. It was hardly a town, so insignificant that it was a wonder that they had a lord at all.
“Lord Tuxford, I believe my guild lent you two thousand gold last harvest. A sum you have not yet repaid. Although, that is your affair, I would not dream of infringing on your sovereignty.” Said Konrad, keeping his tone as even as the number two.
Lord Tuxford’s lips pursed into a snarl. He might be a backwater baron, but he was still intelligent enough to read Konrad’s threat. Thinking better than to test his benefactor, he took a deep breath.
“As acting Guildmaster of Tuxford I can think of no one more capable of guarding this adventurer. When our Mycenaean observers arrive, you will present your findings to them.” He ordered.
“Your lordship is most gracious.” Answered Konrad.
With that final exchange, Lord Tuxford left the tent. No doubt seeking a militiaman to vent his frustrations on. Piper munched on her sandwich as the two men fought for her supposed freedom. Tuxford was the land of communal barn buildings with few professional carpenters. Any stockade would be little more than a framed tent. With her Vanish and stealth skills she could come and go as she pleased, or level up her strength and break through the pine they were so fond of.
Not that she was going anywhere. Hattie was here, so here is where she would stay.
“Please forgive Lord Tuxford. His quiet fief has been taxed terribly in recent weeks. Refugees from Fallbrook have burdened both our lands. Straining my healers and fortune more than I care to admit. I can only imagine what Tuxford is going through. This dungeon could make him a wealthy man. While another fallen hero could force him to cede his territory to a more competent lord. If they can get here before the undead take our heads.” Said Lord Crowell apologetically.
Konrad nodded. “Understanding why he kicks a beehive does not prevent him from feeling their sting. Nor does it save the bees.”
“Haha, I knew you were a wise man Konrad. But I did not take you for a poet!” Chuckled Crowell, patting Konrad on the back with a jovial grin.
“Ugh, don’t encourage it! His poems only get worse.” Groaned Kendra.
Konrad grinned, already writing new haikus for his wife.
“Ahem, Tuxford does have a point. High King Agamenmon has been contacted, adventurers and soldiers from around the country have been summoned to deal with this dungeon and the invasion. Piper, please tell me everything about that dungeon, every detail you can remember will be important. What our diviners, what Hattie tells me of that place keeps me awake in the dark hours before dawn. I pray she is exaggerating… but…” Asked Konrad, kneeling at Piper’s side.
Piper finished her sandwich.
“You have to know the truth, from an adventurer who has see it before.” Said Piper, finishing his thought. “I doubt she understands the real terror of the dungeon. It teleported me out of the dungeon on a whim, then conjured an illusion to try and barter with me… It’s… I’ve never seen a dungeon act like that. Sixty years of adventuring and I’ve never seen a dungeon save someone it could have killed instead. I…”
Her voice trailed off, uncertainty clouding her mind.
“Piper, what could it possibly want from you that was more valuable than your life, your XP?” Exclaimed Konrad.
“Please call me Nara from now on, Guildmaster. I’ve left the name Piper behind.” Said Piper.
Konrad’s head jerked in surprise. Elven names were a mystery to most humans, but Nestor understood- had understood the sacrosanct traditions. Once hinting at the meanings behind which name a half elf chose to use.
“If that is your wish, then I shall call you Nara from now on. Does that go for everyone?” asked Konrad.
“Yes Guildmaster. I will use no other name from now on.” Answered Nara.
Kendra looked from Nara to Konrad, seeing the shock on her husband’s face without comprehending the cause.
“Nara” began Kendra. “If you inherited Nestor’s levels, how did it gain almost ninety levels itself? And what could compel the core to aid you?”
Nara looked into Kendra’s eyes. Kendra focused on her healed eye, frowning softly at the vertical slit that served as her pupil, it looked like a cat’s. Nara returned the stare, examining Kendra as she weighed her words.
Nestor trusted Konrad completely, naming him as Hattie’s godfather. He and his wife deserved her complete trust.
“Hattie.”