Chapter 26 – Rest
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was pain. Everything hurt. Every joint, muscle, bone, down to the very fibers of my being. Even light hurt. Also, I noticed I could only see out one side of my head. That wasn't good.
I couldn't figure out where I was. It wasn't my room in the manor, and none of my maids were around. Memory returned to me in a flash.
No maids were coming. The manor wasn't a place I could be anymore. I am a student now. Dungeon School is my home now. That said, this also wasn't my dorm. I stiffly turned my head at the unfamiliar, sterile-smelling surroundings.
I looked down and saw a variety of bandages sticking out from an incredibly unflattering gown of some flimsy material. I must've hurt myself.
I saw the soft glow of my dungeon core in the pouch around my neck. Good. No one removed it.
Ah right. Another memory flowed into my brain. The duel. I plopped my head onto the soft pillow, my neck suddenly too tired to hold up my head.
I had overdone it. I burned out my mana, nearly destroyed my arm, and likely had a concussion from all the blows to the head. That would likely explain the vision issue. I had bandages over that part of my head. My arm was immobilized as well. My butt itched too, but I couldn't move enough to deal with that minor torment.
I won, though. Victory was worth it, I supposed, even if it was something over stupid like an honor duel. I had shown that stuck-up Knight that I, a so-called serving wench, was worth more than he was. Smugness was a pure anesthetic, but I would take what I could get. I started to laugh and winced instead. I guess I had a few broken ribs.
"Hello? I'm awake now." I called out to the empty room. A door quickly opened, and a familiar face peaked in, followed by another. Myth and Eira. Good, I wanted friendly faces right now. A doctor or nurse could wait.
"Are you alive?" Myth said, concern clear on her face.
"No, I've become a lich, and I hunger for souls, and I decided yours was best. Yes, I'm alive! Get in here, you!" I snarked at them.
"At least your humor is intact! Can't say much for the rest of you." Eira stifled a laugh as they both entered and gently closed the door behind them. I was grateful as I found my ears still feeling decidedly sensitive right now.
The two dark-haired elves, well, one likely high wood elf and one very attractive half-elf, sat down next to my bed.
"How are you feeling?" Myth asked, gently putting her hand on mine.
"I feel like I picked a fight with a solid steel wall, and it fell on me and then insulted my taste in outfits." I groaned, another wave of pain washing over me.
"That wouldn't be entirely incorrect, when one looked at it." Eira nodded. "That fight against Cavendish was brutal! You sure kicked his ass though, and he and the other Knights are in some hot water over the whole affair too!"
I was confused. "Why, what happened? Something after the fight?"
"That 'Herald of Speed' armor and sword nonsense. That kind of equipment wasn't allowed in the fight. Supposedly, it was to be bound and unusable for the fight; the Grey Balance did the enchantment too, but it turns out the Knight Captain had given him some kind of key to undo it. So now the Obsidian Gauntlet is being kicked out of the city and has been given a Black Mark on their record with the Grey Balance, and the Revenstahd City Lord is going to openly condemn them at the council of Mortal Kingdom Free Cities. They’ve been gathering evidence for a while of misdeeds by the Order, and having one of them cheat at a sacred honor duel was the last bit they needed."
"Oh. Wow that’s a lot." I croaked. My throat was intensely dry. "Thirsty. Water?"
Myth got up and grabbed a glass of water with a straw. She even held it for me as I drank. It was delightfully cold and felt amazing on my raw throat.
"You haven't really been able to drink on your own for a few days now. They've been keeping you hydrated through magic, but it’s never quite the same as proper water." She explained as I drained it.
"Days? I've been here for days?" I was startled, but trying to sit up in alarm hurt too much, so I just lay there. In alarm. It wasn't as effective at conveying my emotions.
"Yeah. It’s been about three days. The teachers decided to give you a pass on assignments till you're better. I've been taking notes for you." Myth said with a hint of embarrassment. "Sorry for the handwriting in advance."
There was a gentle knock, and I saw Cori and the furry bulk that was Smitty behind her.
"Oh good! Friend Alta is awake, yes yes!" Smitty wuffed with a delighted sound, and I could practically hear her tail wagging for how fast it went back and forth.
"It was awesome seeing you take it to that asshole noble!" Cori added excitedly.
We all chatted for a while, before I felt myself get tired. A nurse soon joined us, and checked on me, asked me some questions, before urging everyone to leave the room. Eira stayed behind just a bit.
"You did good, Alta. But please promise me you won't do anything quite that stupid again. Shatter is probably the strongest spell poem, but the risks are too great. I can't even believe you knew it; much less were able to pull it off!" She was holding back on yelling at me; I could see it. Her lips quavered a bit, too. I felt a pang of shame.
"I didn't think I could win without it. He was too strong, too fast. It was all or nothing, and I just couldn't allow myself to lose." I explained gently.
"If you hadn't had those rings, you could have died from the mana use. As it was, you barely had enough to keep your heart going. You're also lucky you did it just right, so you didn't kill Cavendish. Who knows what would have started? But worst of all, I could've lost you, and I know we've only really known you for about a week or less, I do care about you!" A tear rolled down her cheek.
"But you didn't! Nothing can stop Alta the Great!" I smiled my best smiled and winced as I tried to raise my arm and flex it. Muscles were not going to let me look cool. Got it.
She laughed and sniffed.
"You idiot. You point ears, flame-headed idiot." She leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. "Get some sleep. We can talk more tomorrow."
"Before you go, tell me. Did you win anything betting on me?"
"Let's just say, I'll be covering our dates for a while, okay?" She ginned and kissed my head again and left.
It was still daylight, but I felt heavy again. I drifted off into sleep.
-
The next week was a trial for me. I finally healed enough to walk on my own, thanks to the healers the school employed, but it would be some time before I was in fighting shape. I regained the use of my injured eye, and I could move my arm again, but stiffly. They said I was healing faster than I normally would, and during a visit with Calderon, he suggested the dungeon core might be helping me heal.
He wasn't sure if this was part of a survival instinct to keep the one that was its source of mana alive, but it was fascinating nonetheless.
Other than doctor's poking and prodding me, and helping me gain more and more strength, all I did was eat, do homework, chat with visitors when they came to visit, and so on and so forth.
After another two weeks of this repetition, they finally let me go. I still had some stiffness to deal with, but I was assured that with training, I would be back to fighting shape in no time. In fact, they scheduled some physical therapy with Kugarth, the orc who ran the Simulated Dungeons. Joy of joys, I thought sarcastically. He was an absolute task master, but I had to admit that if I wanted to get back in shape, he was my best bet.
The first thing I did once I was able to get out and about was find Mariana Togalli. I went to her dorm room and pounded on the door with my fist.
"Keep your shirt on, just a moment!" I heard some rustling, and a few muttered curse words. The door flew open, "Hello, can I help yo- no absolutely not. Not today."
I stuck my foot in the door as she tried to close it. Thankfully I wore my dungeoneering boots today, and they ignored the assault the edge of the door tried to inflict on my feet.
"You and I are going to talk, Togalli. Now." I glared at her with the kind of daggers that assassins could only dream of. I reached out and pushed her into the room and entered, closing the door behind me and locking it with a click that sounded like a dungeon door sealing.
"Please, Alta, you have to understand, I saw an opportunity to make some extra money, and betting is so lucrative, and I had connections, and it would be a crime not to use them, and-" She sputtered as I backed her into a corner.
I put my hand firmly on the wall by her head and leaned close.
"I want my cut," I growled.
"Pardon?" She blinked, like her brain had frozen.
"I. Want. My. Cut." I said, punctuating each word slowly and clearly as not to be misunderstood.
"Of the betting money? Surely you can't imagine I got that much? What with the odds being against you, which meant my payouts were insane, and then the whole kerfuffle with the Knights cheating and-" She blanched as I leaned in closer.
"I don't care what your excuses are, Togalli. You made money off me damn near dying, and I want part of it. You and I are a lot more alike than I'm willing to admit, and because of that, I know you have more hiding somewhere, and I want part of it." My eyes narrowed.
She sighed.
"Fine. Since we are going to be, ugh, sisters-in-law soon, I shall grace you with some of my windfall, of which, I SUPPOSE, you are somewhat entitled to." She tried her best to make a brave face. She slipped under my arm, and after some digging under her mattress, she produced a small, yet bulging, coin purse. Without hesitating, I grabbed it from her and dumped it onto her small table.
Without saying a word, I reached out and picked out three gold coins, a few silver, and a handful of coppers. I made sure she still had a majority of the money, as much as I hate to admit it, she did come up with the whole thing, and her making it into such a spectacle made really kicking the Knights' metaphorical teeth in that much more satisfying.
"Thank you, future sister. Pleasure doing business with you." I sneered at her. I hated the idea that I would be related to Mariana, even if by marriage, despite us both being exiled and disowned.
I opened the door and went to leave.
"Before you leave. I have this for you." She held out a letter, the look of hatred clear on her face.
"Another challenge letter?" I eyed it suspiciously.
"As much as I would love to see the ever-loving snot beaten out of you again, no. Despite our current relationship with our families, we've been invited to the wedding. In Burgotova." She sighed.
I took it and opened it. The seals were all correct, and I recognized my sister's writing.
I then saw the date. Winter Solstice.
I had time then. A few months at least. Time to heal and train. I didn't trust my family anymore. Especially since not only was this wedding suspicious, but they had also denounced the king and had declared a rebellion. I had no word of what was happening exactly, but it couldn't be good.
"Very well. I hopefully won't see your face again till then, Mariana." I slammed the door behind me.
I walked out into the cold and cloudy outdoors and noted that I could see my breath against the freezing air.
Then I saw a flash of white, another, and another. Snow had begun to fall. The very first snow of the year.
Winter had begun. The seasons turned, and I had to be ready for the changes it would bring.