Bellara hunched over, unsteady on her feet, and Kendrick ran to support her before she fell. “Bell!” he gasped. “You’re awake! What are you doing out of bed?!” A small patch of pink blood soaked faintly through her off-white bandages and she clutched at her abdomen, grimacing.

“We should... get out of here,” Bellara groaned. “Leave while we can. We might... still live...”

This is unlike her, Kendrick thought. What happened to her eagerness for battle? He flashed back to the moment he watched Zorgen stab her through the stomach. Oh, right. Well... That’s understandable. We’ve been hurt before, sure, but she almost died. Sahni, too. I have to give her time.

The thing is, we don’t have much...

“Trust me, we’ll be shipping off as soon as you’re roadworthy, young lady,” said Tanathil, supporting her other arm. “Until then, we should get you back to bed. The more you disturb that injury, the longer we’ll stay here. Not to worry—the eclipse is still a few days away, and the Rift is a long, long way from here.”

“No, you don’t... understand... ugh,” Bellara grunted as they led her through the doorway. “Urobius... already—”

“Easy now, Bell, easy,” Kendrick soothed and talked over her at the same time. It might be hard to keep a lid on the whole ‘the god of the Underworld is already in the Ecumene and inbound’ thing. They helped her back into bed, and she grunted, groaned, and winced with the resurfacing pain until she finally settled back into a restful position, panting from the effort.

Sahni was now awake as well, but she lay on her straw bed in silence, motionless except for the slow blinking of her half-lit eyes. Kendrick tried not to stare at the bandaging wrapped around her elbow where the rest of her arm should have been.

One of my friends got a hole blasted through her, and the other one is missing 25% of the total arms she had at the start of yesterday... Okay, this isn’t really a ‘pick yourself up, dust yourself off’ kind of situation. Got it... But I need to do something to encourage them to rejoin the battle. The Ecumene will need every spellcaster it can get. And as much progress as I’ve made, I was no match for Zorgen alone, let alone the god he summoned here... What do I do?

“I need... to move,” Bellara grunted through gritted teeth.

“I know, child, I know,” Tanathil assured her, “and you will. But for right now, we just need to take it one day at a time, all right?” Bellara relented. “Let me get you both some water. I think I’ve regained a good bit of my aura now, so let’s have another healing session as well. I’ll be right back.”

One day at a time, I guess, Kendrick ultimately decided.

But how many days does the Ecumene have left?

***

“Bhisalva,” Tanathil chanted quietly. “Bhisalva... Yes, that’s coming along nicely. See the accelerated scarification here?”

They’d spent two days in Sylcourt, meaning the solar eclipse was slated to begin in four days’ time. Kendrick had managed to preserve his lies between his friends and their host, leading the elf to believe that nothing was yet amiss in Kanthos, but Kendrick’s house of dishonesty showed signs of cracking at its foundation.

“Will the scar be permanent?” Bellara asked.

“For the time being. Healing finer details like that takes a lot more than just sealing up a hole. But I think we should prioritize your friend’s arm from here. Do you feel okay?”

“Of course, of course, I feel much better. Please, do whatever you can for Sahni.”

Tanathil smiled warmly as he approached the blue-haired witch in her bed. “Sahni should be feeling mostly normal soon enough. You don’t heal people for over a century without learning a few advanced spells here and there.” When he unwrapped the bandages, Kendrick tried not to stare at the exposed bone and partial musculature glowing with white aura. Her right arm was back to about 70% of its original length now, still missing a hand entirely. “Ah, yes, the regrowth spell is coming along just as I’d hoped. No signs of illness or putrefaction either. It needs another maintenance spell today, and then when we next revisit it, we should be ready to start rebuilding your hand!”

“Thank you so much, sir,” Sahni murmured sincerely.

“Oh, it’s the least I can do for you three.” The elf flourished his fingers and held all ten of them out over Sahni’s injury. "Bhisalva recreskialus... Bhisalva recreskialus... Yes, you’ve certainly earned this and then some, the way Kendrick singlehandedly slew a small Underworld army the other night. Bhisalva recreskialus... And I’ve been told all three of you are quite brave. That you got these injuries at the Rift trying to fight Zorgen himself. That monster... At least it wasn’t you-know-who that did this to you, or else you wouldn’t have lived to tell about it. Bhisalva recreskialus...”

“Urobius could very well come to finish the job any day now,” Bellara sighed. “That’s why I’m glad we’re leaving soon.”

“Oh, perish the thought! We’ll be long gone before he enters the Ecumene through that accursed portal. Bhisalva recreskialus...”

“If only that were true. That’s what we thought, but—”

“Hey, um,” Kendrick interjected, “this, uh... How—how are you doing this? Because this right here is... pretty incredible!” I just need to keep everyone distracted, he thought. “Pretty incredible, right, Sahni? Almost makes you want to jump right back in the fight, doesn’t it?”

Sahni blinked slowly and expelled air through her nose in what might have been a laugh if she were feeling well. “Oh, I’m... not sure...”

Bellara shook her head resolutely. “There’s no sense in fighting now anyway, Kendrick. Our only hope is to get to the continent of Varyngard. Urobius is leveling villages as we speak. If the Ecumene is to stand any chance—”

“What in Aldiel’s name do you mean, young lady?” Tanathil interrupted. “The eclipse is still days away. We still have time before the Dark Lord even sets foot in this realm!”

“No, Urobius is already here... Right, Kendrick? That’s what you told us. I thought I remembered seeing him, too, but maybe that was a dream...”

Kendrick chuckled nervously. “Well, hang on—”

“I saw him,” Sahni agreed. “He was there. You said you told Tanathil everything, right, Kendrick?”

The elf eyed him suspiciously. “Yes, Kendrick, why don’t you remind me of what you told me a couple of days ago? Weren’t you saying how you fought Zorgen and were forced to retreat?”

“Well, I mean...” Kendrick recoiled inside under the pressure of three gazes all staring accusatorily at him. “...yes, technically. That is true. But the big guy... may have, uh... He may be... but definitely is... um, already here.”

Tanathil’s eyes widened. His concentration broken, the white aura of the healing spell dissipated from his hands. “He what?!”

“Let’s everyone just take a breather—”

“Did you not tell Tanathil the truth already, Kendrick?” said Bellara. “Why would you hide something like that from him? We’re his only link to the world outside this village!”

Tanathil grabbed a crystal from the windowsill and flitted anxiously around the house. “The reconstitution will have to wait, dear Sahni, at least until we’re on the road. Bellara, are you feeling strong enough to carry a bag to our cart? Oh, there’s only one horse left alive—I don’t know how well he’ll do hauling all of us, but we’ll have to see.”

“Listen, Tanathil—”

“You! You, young man...” The elf’s kind eyes flashed with a moment of anger. “Look, I am grateful for your help, Kendrick, but I am quite unhappy with you at the moment. You’ve put all of our lives in danger! Now, excuse me as I get us ready to make our escape!” Tanathil brushed past him as he hurried out of the house to make preparations elsewhere.

Kendrick threw up his hands in frustration. “‘Gee, Kendrick, thanks for saving my whole village even though I’m the only one who lives here. Gee, thanks for finding the waymaker to help us escape. Thanks for saving our lives.’ Nothing?” More silence. “Yeah, I know you already said it, but come on—I'm trying to buy us some time to stay put. We need to get back out there and fight again!” Still no response from either of the witches. Sahni, however, got up from her bed and staggered out of the house, balancing with her good arm against the walls. “You really just want to run away and let Urobius flatten the entire continent of Kanthos and hope that they have a better strategy in Varyngard? What about all the people who can’t leave Kanthos in time? What about everything you brought me here to do?”

“We failed, Kendrick,” Bellara answered. “Don’t you see that? We rescued towns and villages, we crossed all of Kanthos, we trained you to be the best warrior you could be—and you surpassed us both! And it still wasn’t enough to do what we brought you here to do...” She wore a look of utter defeat on her face. “It’s over. All we can do now is try to enjoy whatever time we have left.”

“Do you really believe that, Bell?” Kendrick asked. She said nothing at first. “Well? Do you?”

“I was a fool to think I could do anything,” she says. “I just saw the despair in Sahni’s eyes and I had to do something, anything, to make her believe in a brighter tomorrow. I’m so sorry I failed you both. And I’m especially sorry for dragging you into this. More sorry than I’ve ever been this whole time. I’m nothing but a worthless—”

“Will you just shut up already?!” Kendrick cut her off. She flinched with the impact of his words, looking up at him in shock. She sat up on her bed. Kendrick, meanwhile, sat down on Sahni’s empty bed and stared at Bellara intently. “You brought me here from another universe—”

“I know, and I can’t tell you how deeply sorry—”

“Uh-uh, let me finish,” he jumped back in calmly. “You brought me here from another universe—not another continent or even another realm, but another universe entirely. You’ve already done something Zorgen could never do. Something most people think is impossible.” She looked down and shook her head silently but dismissively. “I know I’m no god, but bringing me here from... wherever I’m from—that’s amazing! And on top of that, you taught me to believe in myself, to have the heart of a warrior. Not because I enjoy fighting—fuckin’ hate that shit! Well, unless I get a sweet kill, that’s pretty fun...

“But what I’m trying to say is, you taught me to fight for a place that’s not my home, and I joined the fight because I could see what was at stake if I did nothing. And the three of us, we fought so many evil spirits and saved so many lives. We never would have done any of that if it weren’t for you. You did that. And all the people we met and rescued and healed—you gave them hope, even when someone as powerful as Zorgen took it away from them. You gave it back!” Bellara stared off into the distance through the floor at her feet. “So, I'm not trying to pressure you into anything right now, I just think you should stop being so hard on yourself, okay? You were a good friend to Sahni and, after a shaky start, you’ve been a good friend to me, too. And you’ve been a hero for the Ecumene. You should be proud of what you’ve done, Bellara. No matter what happens.” A solitary tear rolled down her cheek. “Sorry for... not being honest with you two. Or Tanathil. I’ll go talk to him and track down Sahni.” He prepared to stand up. “Maybe—”

Suddenly, Bellara was on top of him, kissing him deeply. His fists clenched and his heart raced suddenly in a fight-or-flight response that gradually softened into sheer panicked excitement and confusion. He only had the presence of mind to kiss her back for a moment before she broke it.

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before standing up to leave.

What in the holy... mother of... what-the-fuckery... What just happened? Kendrick wondered. Never mind that. Focus on what’s important for now. He ran out of the house in search of Sahni and the elf—his mind only half on the task at hand.

***

“I don’t think with just the three of us,” said Sahni. “I’m sorry, Kendrick. I think it’s too dangerous...”

Kendrick sighed, running his hands through his hair. “Okay, um... Well, what if we had help? Then would you consider fighting again?”

Sahni loaded a wooden trunk into the back of their new cart using her good arm. She gave him a weak smirk. “Your heroism is admirable, Kendrick. It really is. But I don’t know if Urobius is even a being that mortals can fight in the first place. He’s more of a force of nature...”

“Well, what about all the demons and jinn coming through, huh? We have to help fight them, right? Would you practice on them?”

She started her walk back toward another building in Sylcourt where Tanathil was propping open a door. “I don’t know. Maybe. We should really focus on loading up the cart for now, though—I mean, don’t you think? Or...”

He nodded with a small sigh. “Sure. Plenty of time to talk on the road.” She rewarded him with a slightly fuller smirk this time. “Will you tell Tanathil again that I’m sorry? He’s still not speaking to me. I was just worried that if he learned the truth, he might not be willing to...” Kendrick kicked idly at the dirt. “Will you just tell him for me?” Sahni nodded back and left to help the elf load up more supplies.

Kendrick paced up and down the dirt road uselessly, practicing drawing the Psysword from its sheath without actually activating it. Did I get sucked into another universe without even knowing it? I never thought I’d be the one itching to fight while the two who summoned me are tapping out... I get it. But at the same time, I don’t. This could not have happened at a worse time... Who knows if they’ll ever be ready to fight again? Getting a limb hacked off, getting impaled—can someone even come back from something like that?

“Pyrios!” Bellara shouted nearby.

Oh shit. It’s go time! Kendrick forced his aura through the Psysword hilt and mentally shaped it into a blade. He sprinted in Bellara’s direction—she was somewhere behind the house where they’d been sleeping—and he tapped his lens to scan the area.

BELLARA {102} HUMAN WITCH

Nothing else tipped off his lens nearby. What’s going on?

“Pyrios!” she repeated. He heard the crackle of spitting flames this time and wondered what she was fighting. When he rounded the house, he skidded to a stop and observed from a distance. “Pyrios!” She punched at the air and gave life to another blazing cone of fire, and he watched it turn from yellow-orange to red before fading completely, leaving wavering lines of heat in its wake. He’d never grown tired of watching her work her magic.

Not wanting to embarrass her, he backed up again until she was out of sight, then called out loudly, “Bellara? Where are you? Are you okay?” He rounded the house again as conspicuously as possible, holding the Psysword aloft. She looked at him over her shoulder. “Bellara? Is something wrong?” She shook her head. “Oh, good. I thought I... heard something. Did you say something?”

“No,” she lied shyly. “Is the wagon ready to go or what? I’d like to get on the road soon. We’re burning daylight.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I think we’re almost ready to head out.”

You can come back from this, Bell, he thought to himself. You just need time. Just like I needed time to get used to everything. I’ll see to it that you and Sahni get the time you both need.

And I know that when we meet the Dark Lord again, you’ll be ready.