"I..." Fran finally wheezed out, his voice cracking like dry wood. He pressed a trembling hand against his forehead. "I don't... Flinn... what happened in those woods?"
"I told you," Lexel smirked, leaning forward slightly. "I found a really good workout routine out in the wilderness. And maybe a very convenient potion."
A workout routine?!
What kind of push-ups make a Trickster break a Warrior's femurs with a single stomp?!
What kind of diet turns a slim rogue into an eight-foot-tall siege weapon?!
A long, slow breath escaped Fran's lips. He didn't understand the magic. He didn't understand the artifact. But as he looked into Lexel's calm, confident eyes, the lingering shadow of shame that had weighed on his shoulders for a decade finally began to dissolve into the cold winter air.
---
