The day had finally come.

Theo stretched, pops cracking up his back. It took him a moment to realize, but the day had come. His eyes widened.

Picking up his sleepy zilant, Theo spun Tirr around in a circle. The zilant shifted to a pale red, grumbling.

“Tirr!” Theo said, holding the zilant out at arms-length. The groggy dragon glared at him. “Vidalia will be here today! She’s going to fix Adam!” He hugged Tirr close, eliciting an annoyed hiss from his companion.

When the zilant swiped at him, Theo set him back down. “Sorry, Tirr. I’m excited.”

“Nice day,” Tirr said, meeting Theo’s eyes. He curled back up on the vest pile, snuffed once, and closed his eyes.

Chuckling, Theo turned to the subject of today’s excitement. He frowned for a moment. It… wouldn’t be a perfect process, he’d been told. Adam had lost considerable muscle mass laying in a bed so long. And even with as hard as Theo had tried, bed sores had been inevitable. At least a healing poultice could help with those.

A smile broke out on his face again, though. Regardless of the negatives, Theo wanted to stay positive today. He didn’t want Adam waking up to a frown, after all.

Boundless energy filled Theo today. He hopped and skipped around his shop, humming a tune. With a cast of Broomgust, Theo pulled in all the dirt and dust from around his shop, leaving the shelves and their displays sparkling clean.

Theo didn’t even attempt to go in his room and pick up the vest pile, though. Tirr was kind enough to let him take a single vest a day, provided he returned it to the pile. The next step would be finding the owners of all the stolen vests - if Tirr let him take them.

Glancing through the windows, Theo kept an eye out for Arlon. The past few days had been… suspiciously silent. He’d neither seen nor heard anyone outside his shop - aside from actual customers.

The closed sign stayed where it was today, though. No customer, even if they knocked very politely, would be allowed inside today. No distractions.

With every passing minute, Theo realized how much time he had left to burn. He’d thought cleaning up would take longer. Maybe he could unpack? He still hadn’t done so since moving in.

...Not today. Tomorrow, for sure. He could unpack while him and Adam chatted.

The excitement of such a prospect made his heart swell. What would he say to Adam first, anyway?

Somehow, “hey, you’ve been in a coma for several weeks,” didn’t have much of a ring to it.

Spur of the moment, then. He’d think of something to say. Agonizing over it would probably make whatever he said fall flat in the moment.

A knock on the door brought him out of his head. How long had someone been knocking? It wasn’t even a particularly polite knock, either. Insistent, he’d call it.

Turning around, Theo spotted teal hair. He slapped his forehead. “Oh dear. Right. Telsa said she’d be over early. Coming!”

Theo rushed to the door, pulsing a specific quantity of Primordial and Infusion mana into the lock. The thought occurred to him as he opened the door that he’d need to set up the door to accommodate some of his friends in case he needed them to check on the shop.

Nils would need access for sure if the guild idea came to fruition. The man had given him a tentative “yes” on the idea, but they both decided it’d be best to wait until after Adam was awake to focus their energy elsewhere.

“Good morning, Telsa,” Theo said, smiling at the adventurer. “Oh, and… everyone else!” He peered over Telsa’s shoulder at the collection of people on his steps.

Deskan followed Telsa through the door. She nodded at Theo. “Morning.”

Ah, progress. It wasn’t an annoyed grunt. He’d take it.

Nils stepped through after the archer. “Good morning, Theo.” He gave a small wave.

Returning the wave, Theo let in the last of the people on his steps.

Pina bounded into the room, smiling wide. “It’s the day!” She pulled Theo into a tight hug.

Theo laughed, wrapping his arms around the messenger. “It is.”

When the two broke their embrace, Theo faced the room. “So um, I closed the shop for the day. You’re all… very early.”

Telsa scratched the back of her head. “Yeah, sorry. We were all pretty excited. We found Pina on our way here.”

“I brought food!” Pina said, opening her bag. The pungent scents of her father’s cooking filled the room.

“Oh um, thank you,” Theo said, his eyes starting to water. “I still need to meet your father, Pina.”

“You’ll love him,” Pina said, setting a platter on Theo’s counter. “I heard about your little ceremony at the Adventurer’s Guild, by the way. Sorry I couldn’t make it, I was working.”

“It was um, a lot of attention,” Theo said, glancing to the side.

“And he messed up our na-”

Telsa elbowed Deskan in the side. “Thanks for the food, Pina. You have anything that won’t kill humans?”

“Theo didn’t do well with the spicy or sour, so I brought some of my dad’s milder dishes,” Pina announced, unwrapping some less colorful sandwiches and wraps. “Still brought some for myself, though.” She popped strips of meat coated in some kind of red sauce into her mouth.

Even across the room, Theo’s eyes watered from the scent. “Thank you for the consideration, Pina. Your other food had um, flavor for sure. We’re unfortunately just not as hardy as the perren.” He grabbed a sandwich, taking a whiff. It smelled earthy, but not in a suspicious way.

“Yeah, didn’t realize how… melty your mouths get,” Pina said, cringing at the memory. “Gross.”

Theo nodded, and took his first bite. His tongue just about shriveled up inside his mouth. Bitter! He’d never tasted something that so well encompassed a single flavor. He was sure he’d taste-tested magic roots less harsh than this.

Forcing the single bite he’d taken down, Theo gave Pina a weak smile. “It’s-”

“Gods, it’s like I’m eating grass,” Deskan said, spitting out a lump of food.

To Theo’s surprise, Pina didn’t frown. She laughed. “Did you really think all my dad’s cooking only caters to perrens? I just wanted to see the looks on your faces!”

“So did you bring something else?” Nils asked, setting his wrap down.

“Better,” Pina said, grinning. She flicked her wrist, mana flowing across the room. “Sorry I don’t have a fancy trigger-word for the spell. Theo helped me with my manual casting, though.”

Theo felt the mana enter his food. He eyed it.

“Try it now,” Pina encouraged, eating more of her dish. “My dad just wanted to prank you all, promise.”

Against his better judgement, Theo took a bite. His eyes widened. Savory mixed with a hint of sweet, and the flavors exploded in his mouth. It was delicious! He took another bite. And another.

A crash from Theo’s counter made everyone’s head snap to the source of the sound. On the floor, Tirr tore through the wrappings on the remaining food, stuffing himself in seconds.

“Hey, Tirr!” Theo said, moving to grab the zilant.

Pina waved a hand. “It’s okay, I brought more. We’ll see if he can handle perren food, anyway.”

The zilant gave Pina a challenging glare, and continued to claw food into his mouth.

To the surprise of everyone but Theo, the dragon ate everything. He even tried to eat the wax paper before Theo stopped him.

Afterward, a plump Tirr dragged himself across the floor back into Theo’s room.

Pina glanced around the room. “So, dessert, anyone?”

Time dragged on. Theo busied himself talking about the guild with Nils, but he couldn’t focus. Neither could the phrenic mage.

The time came, though. At last, a knock on the door caught everyone’s attention.

Maraz stood in the door’s window, staring inside. Theo bolted for the door, giddy with excitement.

At first, he wrenched his arm yanking on the door. Oops. He pulsed mana into the door, releasing the enchantment.

Maraz stepped in, eyeing the room. It might have been the light, but Theo could have sworn he saw a smile flash across the man’s face for a split second. “It’s time.”

“Yes, yes,” Vidalia said, the invigorating energy of her aura filling the room. Her eyes scanned across the shop. “How… quaint.”

Orchim followed in after her, fussing with a bag that clattered with every step.

“Lady Vidalia of the blue hue, it’s an honor to meet you again,” Pina said from her kneeling position on the ground.

“You may stand again, yellow-petal,” Vidalia said, gesturing with a finger. “Lady Vidalia is sufficient.” She sniffed the air. “Is that cinderpepper I smell?”

Pina stared at the blue-petaled healer. She swallowed. “It is, Lady Vidalia. I um- I brought food for everyone from my dad’s restaurant.”

“Have something prepared for me after I’m finished with my healing,” Vidalia said, gliding farther into the shop. “I’ll be ravenous, after.”

“O-Of course,” Pina said, bowing deeply.

Vidalia smiled, looking to Telsa. “Oh, hello… Telma.” She grinned, walking past the adventurer.

Telsa glared at the healer’s back.

Maraz leaned down to Theo. “I’m being kept out of the loop, but, I’ve heard talk about you in the Guild. Take care, Theo.”

Theo’s eyes widened. He stared up at the man, but Maraz was staring straight ahead.

“Shopkeeper, are you going to keep me waiting or are you going to show me who I’m healing?” Vidalia said, snapping her fingers. Orchim rushed after her.

“R-Right,” Theo said, moving to open the door to his kitchen.

The rest of the room moved to follow.

Orchim turned, waving his hands. “Lady Vidalia requests minimal people in the room. She needs to focus. Only Theo will be allowed to stay.”

Deskan’s eyes flashed. “But that’s-”

“Would you prefer me to be distracted and make a mistake, girl?” Vidalia asked, pinning the archer down with a look. “Only Theo comes, and he will be quiet, right?”

Theo nodded. He stared back at his friends as he guided Vidalia into his bedroom. Mouthing a “sorry,” he walked through the doorway.

“This procedure will take more time than you or Maraz did, Theo,” Orchim said, hefting the bag onto his shoulder once more.

“Understandable,” Theo said, pointing ahead. “He’s right through here.” Noticing the zilant on the vest pile, Theo picked Tirr up, and placed him outside the room. “Sorry, buddy. Go play with Telsa and Pina, okay?”

Tirr made an annoyed noise, but slithered toward the open kitchen door to the shop.

Theo turned back to his room. Adam lay on the bed, in the same spot he’d been in. His chest rose and fell. Theo’s heart hurt every time he looked. But soon, that would all change. “W-Well, here he is.”

Vidalia’s lips firmed into a line. “He’ll need more mass for this. Orchim.”

“Yes, Lady Vidalia,” Orchim said, reaching into the bag. He pulled out a potion bottle.

“May I ask what that is, Lady Vidalia?” Theo asked, staring at the golden yellow mixture.

“A concentrate that will supplement your lover’s mass during my healing,” Vidalia said, moving closer to the bed. She took the bottle from Orchim and uncorked it. “It will be as if he’s eaten a dozen meals all at once.”

Theo felt his ears heat at the word “lover,” but he nodded. “Ah.”

Vidalia rolled her eyes. “Observe, Theo.” She brought the bottle to Adam’s lips, pouring it down in much the same way Theo had been doing with the ration potions.

Orchim tilted Adam’s head and rubbed his throat, making the man swallow the mixture.

Gemstones detached from the chains around Vidalia as she lifted her hands up. “Rapid Digestion.”

Equal parts horrified and fascinated, Theo watched as mass returned to Adam’s body. It wasn’t muscle, but he could see the loose skin fill in to some extent.

“Now,” Vidalia said, flicking several fingers to reposition the gems. “Crystalline Insight.”

Theo allowed mana to flow into his eyes. He watched as waves of mana flowed over Adam’s body, and returned to Vidalia.

“The fulvitre healer was right,” Vidalia said, cupping her chin. “There’s stasis runes on…” She peered closer, as if she could look inside him. Her eyes widened. “They’re on his heart. Nobles.” She rolled her eyes, and glanced down once more. "High Noble."

Theo took a step back. “H-High noble?”

Vidalia covered her mouth, but Theo could see the grin on her cheeks. “Oops, did I let the cat out of the bag? These runes on his body aren’t anything a commoner could afford. And inscriptions on the heart? Nobles. They’re the only ones crazy enough.”

“...Aren’t you a noble, Lady Vidalia?” Theo asked. She was from the inner ring of Romuen, after all.

“We perren aren’t so insane for power,” Vidalia said, waving a hand. “Now, I have work to do. Be silent.”

Theo shut his mouth, unwilling to interrupt the healer, even if she was rude. He just had to tolerate the woman for however long this took.

Vidalia shifted the position of her floating gems once more. “Orchim, be ready.”

“Yes, my lady,” the perren said, setting the bag on Theo’s night table.

“His body is filled with scar tissue,” Vidalia said, grimacing. “I’ll need to remove that, first. Cutting Edge.”

Theo watched in horror as sharp blades of mana flew through the air from Vidalia’s gemstones. The skin under the areas the mana entered began to redden.

While he hoped it would be over quick, Vidalia took her time. Every cut she made was done with the utmost precision. Orchim dabbed sweat away from the healer’s brow from time to time, and swapped out gemstones in the air before Vidalia even had to ask.

At last, Vidalia let her hands fall. She drank a potion, and brought them up once more. Her fingers twitched, and a set of orange gemstones rose into the air. “Sunstone Ablation.”

Beams of mana, the same color as the stone, shot into Adam’s body. The already-reddened skin turned brighter with every second. More gems rose into the air, firing multicolored lights. “Systemic Cleansing.”

The redness cleared away in seconds, returning Adam’s skin to its original color.

All in all, Theo had only felt like throwing up twice in the time he’d been watching. How long had it been, anyway? Twenty minutes? Thirty? An hour? He didn’t know. With the coil of anxiety in his chest right now, every minute felt like an eternity.

Tho listened as Vidalia cast spell after spell, doing… whatever it was the spells were doing. Some of the words were ones he hadn’t even heard before. Then, Vidalia turned to him.

“We are on to the final part,” Vidalia announced, taking a swig from another potion. “This will take the longest. Remain silent. Restorative Refraction.”

Energy flowed into Adam’s body, each beam as thin as thread. Under Vidalia’s careful hand, each thread of mana moved in sync with the others.

With every minute that passed, Theo felt his heart clench more. What if it didn’t work? What if Adam didn’t wake up? He shook his head, chastising himself for even having thoughts about that. This would work.

He returned his focus to the healer at work, watching as she guided every strand of mana across Adam’s body. Pure focus remained on her face as she directed the energy and her assistant.

At last, she flicked her wrist, and gemstones reattached to the silver chains hanging across her clothing. Vidalia met Theo’s eyes. “It is done. You may call in the others for his awakening.”

Theo stared, swapping between Adam and Vidalia. “It’s- he’s okay? You’re all done?”

The healer nodded. “I have repaired the damage. I have a spell keeping him unconscious but will release it soon. I suggest you retrieve your companions.”

Theo spun on his heel, tears filling his eyes. He dashed out into the shop room. Everyone stared at him. Even Maraz was still here.

A smile spread across Theo’s face. He wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. “He’s okay.”

The group, sans Maraz, collapsed onto Theo, hugging him. “We- Vidalia needs to wake him up. Hurry into my room!”

Theo didn’t need to tell any of them twice. Even Maraz followed them.

Vidalia frowned as everyone pushed against each other, trying to get through the doorway. She huffed, turning to her assistant. “Orchim.”

The assistant nodded, pulling out the familiar, slender gemstone. He handed it to the healer.

The room began to feel cramped once Theo made it in. Maraz had to stay in the kitchen.

Theo wasn’t about to miss this, though. He pushed to the front.

“Now,” Vidalia said, touching the stone to Adam’s head. “Awaken.”

A pulse of mana shot through the warrior’s body. His eyes shot open. He tried to sit up, and found it harder than he expected.

“What’s-” Adam looked around the room. His eyes locked onto Theo’s. “Theo, what- what’s going on?”

Theo forgoed words. He wrapped his arms around the man, tears streaming down his cheeks. He leaned back, looking into those steely green depths. “You’re okay, Adam. You were just- away for awhile.”

Adam glanced down at his own body. His face paled. “Gods, I- the snake.” He sat up straighter, concern winning over his surprise. “Theo, are you-”

Theo smiled, and his lips met Adam’s. “I’m fine. Had a couple good healers that patched me up.”

Vidalia rolled her eyes when Theo grinned at her.

“A-And everyone else?” Adam asked, his eyes moving from person to person. His brows rose when he saw Maraz - and then rose higher when he saw Tirr.

“We’re all fine, Adam,” Telsa said, sniffing. She dabbed tears away with Nils’ robe. The mage tugged it away from her.

“Mostly fine,” Nils said, glaring at Telsa.

Adam tried to sit up straighter. Theo helped him by propping up a pillow. “What do you mean ‘mostly fine?’”

Theo shared a look with Maraz, and turned to Adam. “We’re going to need to get you back to tip-top strength, Adam. There’s trouble brewing.”

End of Runes & Brews Book 1: Trouble Brewing