Chapter 16: Conflict
Valens clawed clumsily at the woman’s hand and tried to jerk himself away, panting for air, cold sweat trickling down his back. Air tightened round his windpipe, breath wheezing weakly through his lips.
"You mad lass!” Nomad cursed and grabbed at the woman, wrapping an armored hand around her arm and wrenching her fingers away from Valens. He drove an elbow down into her chest to nail her back to the ground. “Show a little respect to your savior, will you?”
Valens rubbed his neck. He managed a hasty Lifesurge over his nearly crushed throat as the woman slumped back wheezing, eyes narrowing at Nomad. A defeated, pained gasp escaped her lips.
“I-Is this the Underworld?” she muttered.
Nomad tilted his head at Valens. “You just had to heal her, didn't you?”
“That’s the job.” Valens pinched the bridge of his nose and peered down at the woman, Lifesurge easing his pain. He certainly hadn’t expected such a reaction, though. He said to the woman, “I’m afraid you’re still a long life away from joining these foul creatures. Now take a deep breath. And keep those hands away from me, please. I don’t tend to respond well to sudden aggressions.”
“Eh?” the woman blinked at him.
“Take a deep breath, woman!” Nomad jabbed a finger into her face. “Haven’t they taught you to listen to your healer? You’re wasting our precious time!”
“Oh…” the woman gulped nervously, blue eyes darting back and forth between the pair of them. “Okay. Um. A deep breath. Yes. I can do that.” Then her eyes fell over her bare chest. “What… You!”
Valens massaged his temples. He could feel the promise of a headache crawling up from the nape of his neck.
“It's not a matter of taste why he’d stripped you half-naked,” Nomad growled at her, disdain stretching his rotten lips thin. “You were a mess. He pulled you out from the Lord’s claws. Be good, now!”
“I’m not dead,” the woman mumbled. She searched blindly around herself, and pulled the broken chestpiece over her bare skin the moment her fingers brushed against it, fumbling with it as her body trembled with a mixture of confusion and pain.