Life in a new Kingdom

"Cal.....Cal...!" Rising awake suddenly, Lukia frantically looks around her surroundings. Her last memories before blacking out remained.

"Lukia, it's okay! Calm down. You're both safe." His voice slightly eases her worries. Lukia continues to struggle until Gale grips her shoulders to hold her still. She searches frantically for Caleb.

"Where is he?!"

"Calm down. Your hands haven't been healed yet. We don't want them to get infected if you are going to damage them further. Herk is tending to him right now. He's not awake right now, but can you tell me what happened in those woods? What the hell did you guys kill?" Probing for answers, Gale hands Lukia some water to help ease her into talking. The warm campfire wraps her body in its glow. Hearing that Caleb was okay brought her worries down, and she took a deep breath.

"Caleb said it was a Stalker... Some creature born from a Hag using witchcraft. I don't know how we survived, but somehow, we did. Caleb saved me over and over again..." Disappointment and self-reflection stirred in her heart. Thoughts of how she could have done better or relied on him too much that he got hurt or nearly killed for her sake. She promised not to reveal his secret to the rest of the group, but seeing the wounds he caused himself would gain attention. Gale noticed the distraught on her face.

"I've never heard of a creature like that. No wonder it nearly got you guys. We're lucky to have a living monster guide with Caleb. Don't blame yourself for what happened. None of us would have known what to do in that situation for the first time. The fact you're alive to tell the tale is nothing short but a miracle. Take your time. When you are well enough, you can see him." The words came smooth off his lips and into her ears. Lukia leans back and drinks from the canteen. Her hands shook from the burns. Gale took a second to lift the bandages to examine their state.

"I'm fine... Caleb should be the one you take care of."

"I know, he's being looked after like I said. Stop being so selfless and think about yourself for once. The burns on your hands aren't minor, but with several days of Herk's healing spells and proper bandaging, you'll have some new scars; otherwise, there will be no extensive damage. Do you feel feverish at all? No symptoms of a fever?"

"I'm fine. My body is fine." Gale presses his hand on her forehead. The skin of his hand is rough. Unlike Caleb's soft and gentle hands, Gales tells a long history of wear. It was oddly comforting with each press of his hand on her head. She gently closed her eyes from the exhaustion she still endured from expanding and pushing past her limits.

"Hey, is she awake?" Ivian approaches them. The rogue holds some used bandages that are stained with a dark green color. Wearing gloves to protect himself, he disposes of them in the fire. Gale takes notices with Lukia about the distinctive color.

"She is. Did you guys change his bandages again?"

"The wounds are slowing, yet Herk is reaching his limit today, and we can't waste through all our medical supplies in one night. Herk says it is some kind of curse." The mere mention of a curse causes Lukia to react. Gale grips her arm and turns to Ivian. His face grew cold, and thoughts began to enter his mind.

"Will he need help for it?"

"Herk isn't sure. His abilities alone should halt the effects until we can reach the cleric temple in Barou and have their clerics perform the proper ritual to erase the curse. Our best bet is to push forward with his current state. It won't be easy, but it isn't like we had to trudge along with people out of commission. Heistorm isn't like Detroia, we don't have any of their fancy medicine or clinics to treat these things."

"We have bigger problems than worrying about a continent and its counties, which are an ocean away right now. You're not wrong that we could get something to fix. Caleb could be over there."

"The wealthy aristocrats over there would rather seal themselves in their walls instead of openly share their knowledge and technology with the rest of the world." Ivian kicks a rock and places his hands in his pockets.

"No use in talking about it now. Have you ever heard of any of their stuff leaving their walls before?"

"Not particularly."

"Exactly. It doesn't matter. We make do with what we have. That's how we survive in this place." With a tap on his shoulder, Gale motions for Ivian to rest up. Lukia hugs her knees and looks over to where Herk and Yann sit, watching after Caleb.

"Is that all you wanted to say to me? Or are you going to tell me more about what is wrong with him?"

"Oh, sorry. Like I said, it's a curse. Whatever did that to him really wanted to make him suffer. Touching the bruise, the curse left starts to burn. Each pair of bandages we place on them soaks the curse up but taints them in the process."

"Can I see him?" Impatient, Lukia stands up and faces Gale.

"I don't see why not. Follow me and mind your hands, please."

Taking her arm, Gale lets her lean against him and helps carry her toward Caleb and the others. Herk sits up and turns away, rubbing his tired eyes. Upon seeing the pair approaching, he lets out a sigh and motions them to come closer.

"What is the news, Herk?" Gale allows Lukia to move on her own as he speaks to him.

"At the very least, he'll live. If Lukia didn't stop it from spreading like she did before we arrived, it would be hard to say if he would live the night. You did the right thing, Lukia; you probably saved his life."

"He's saved mine more than I can remember; it isn't good enough."

"Lukia-" Gale stops himself from speaking and just drops it. He turns back to Herk and sees Yann watching over Caleb. "Anything else we should know?"

"He's stable and probably will wake up in the morning, but his body is continuously hot from fighting against the curse. He won't be comfortable until we can get to the temple. I'll have to repeat the same healing process to mitigate the effects. After tonight, it should be more manageable."

"That's good enough for me."

"Did Lukia tell you what caused this?"

"She did, something called a 'Stalker', born from witchcraft."

"A witches curse isn't something we should look over. The temple studies to repel such curses as long as we arrive in one piece."

Lukia slowly limps toward Caleb and kneels next to him. Gale and Herk continue their conversation and give her space. With a sad look in her eyes, she grabs his hand in hers; the pain doesn't stop her from pressing the hand to her cheek.

"Why did you protect me like you did... You stupid kid..." A few tears run down her cheek and onto his hand. There is a slight twitch in reaction, and the feeling of his fingers bend to grip her hand softly.

"Lukia..." A soft moan in his sleep, but he recognizes her presence while resting. Even if it is a murmur in his sleep, she caresses his hand until she lays next to him and falls asleep with her hands wrapped around his...