Chapter 51: Keep moving
"Do you hear that?"
Zara didn’t answer, her silver hair tied in a rough tail, her massive axe thudding against her back with each step. She was sweating, visibly pale beneath her tan, the curse marks on her legs glowing brighter, spiraling up her thigh like molten tattoos. She stumbled once, then again, her jaw clenching.
"I’m fine," she growled, brushing Leon off as he stepped toward her. "Keep moving."
But a few steps later, her knee buckled, and she dropped to the forest floor with a muffled grunt, her hand clutching her thigh where the curse pulsed, her blue eyes sharp with pain. "Zara!" Leon said, dropping beside her, his pack sliding to the ground. "You’re not fine."
"I said—" Her voice broke into a hiss, her hand gripping her leg tighter. "Just... pain. Not fatal."
Terya crouched beside them, her gaze darting through the trees, her staff ready. "No time for pride," she said, her voice firm, her usual tease gone. "Leon, do something."
Leon hesitated, his fire magic nearly gone, a faint ember tied to Saria’s distant bond. His wind magic, fueled by Terya’s proximity, was stronger, but his core healing ability was all he had left. "This’ll sting," he warned, his voice steady but tight.
"Everything does," Zara muttered, her blue eyes fixed on him, unyielding despite the pain.
He pressed his palm to the curse mark on her thigh, the skin feverish, almost scalding. The curse pushed back—alive, angry, a dark energy that clawed at his senses. He focused, channeling the soft, golden flicker of his healing magic, not tied to arousal but to his will. The glow spread slowly through his fingertips, faint but steady, easing the curse’s pulse.
Zara exhaled, a short, relieved breath, the red glow dimming slightly, enough to take the edge off. Leon pulled back, his palm singed, a faint burn mark lingering, but he hid the pain, his jaw tight. "That’s... all I’ve got for now," he said, his voice low.
Zara looked at him, her breath still ragged, her blue eyes softer, her hand lingering on his arm, calloused but steady. "Thanks, kid," she said, her voice quieter, a rare warmth breaking through her mercenary grit.