Lys kept his arm tight around Sara's waist, half-carrying her toward the nearest wagon parked off the side of the road. The wooden bed creaked under the weight of a few scattered supplies left behind in the rush. He eased her down onto the edge, careful not to jostle her too much. Sara's body felt heavy against him, like all the strength had drained out through her feet. Blood and dirt smeared her clothes, and her face looked pale under the streaks of sweat.
His mind still raced. Those smiles between her and Maya kept replaying. What the hell had happened out here while he was running? Thoughts like this kept coming back to him, still didn't ask till he found a place for her to sit down first.
"Sit here for a second," he said with a low voice after taking her to the wagon. "Catch your breath. Then you're telling me everything."
Sara leaned back against the wagon side, eyes half-closed. She gave a small nod but didn't speak. Her fingers twitched like they were still searching for a wand to cast magic.
Before Lys could push again, footsteps pounded closer from down the road.
Selene appeared, breathing hard. She didn't stop to ask questions. Her eyes swept over the scene: blood on the ground, exhausted hunters. Then her eyes locked on Maya first.
"Her arm's bleeding worse," Selene muttered to herself. She dropped to one knee right in front of Maya, who stood leaning against the wagon wheel.
"Hold still," Selene said to Maya.
Maya grunted but didn't pull away. The claw marks on her left arm looked ugly, deep punctures with dirt and bits of creature filth caked in. Blood kept oozing out in slow pulses.
Selene's hands moved quickly but carefully. She tore a strip from a clean cloth she carried in her pouch and pressed it against the wound first, wiping away the worst of the surface mess. "This isn't like the training cuts I usually see back at the temple. Dirt's deep in there. If I just close it now, it'll fester." Her voice stayed steady as she told Maya her situation, but Lys caught the slight furrow in her brow. She was thinking through each step, not just rushing to heal.
She poured a little water over the wounds, found inside the wagon, flushing them as best she could on the spot. Maya hissed through her teeth but kept her jaw locked. Even through pain, she still kept her game face on somehow.
"You're quick with that," Maya said, voice rough.
"Has to be," Selene replied. She placed her palms over the cleaned gashes. Then a soft yellow glow lit up under her hands. The light pulsed gently, knitting the edges of the skin together.
It wasn't perfect; some redness stayed, and the deepest parts still looked tender, but the bleeding slowed to almost nothing.
Selene let out a slow breath, shoulders relaxing a fraction. "That should hold until we get you proper rest and herbs."
She didn't wait long. Turning to Sara, Selene moved closer, kneeling beside the wagon. "And now your turn. Let me see."
Sara shifted with a wince. "It's not as bad as it looks. I'm just… drained of mana."
Lys crouched next to them, one hand still supporting Sara's back. He watched Selene work, impressed at how focused she stayed even after running all this way. He had never seen Selene work like this. It was as if she had turned into a completely new person now.
Not noticing Lys look at her, Selene's fingers brushed Sara's wrist, checking her pulse. "Yeah, just as I guessed, your mana's all over the place. That hollow shake in your arms, the way your eyes keep unfocusing… it must be the backlash. I've only heard about it, but seeing it up close is something else. Just how much did you push yourself back there? You could've died, you know?!"
She hesitated for half a second, then pressed both hands to Sara's shoulders. The yellow glow returned, much softer this time, flowing into Sara's body. "As you know, I'm only a tier-2 priestess. So, I can only ease the worst of it. Push too hard, and I might make it worse, though."
Sara let out a long sigh as the light seeped through her. Within seconds, some color crept back into her cheeks. Her hands stopped trembling quite so badly. "Yeah, I got it. Still, for tier-2 priestess, this feels better already."
"Of course, it feels better. I'm doing the most advanced magic that I know. And even if I'm tier-2, I'm far more better than your average tier-2 priestess, I'll let you know. If only I had studied properly, then I'd have crossed tier-3 years ago."
While Selene kept working and talking to Sara, Lys leaned in closer and interrupted them. "Now, someone want to tell me what the hell that explosion was? I heard it from halfway back to the gates. Was that your work, Sara? And what happened out here? Maya and you look like you went through a meat grinder."
"And what is a meat grinder?" Sara asked back, ignoring Lys's question.
"Don't change the subject, Sara," Lys said with his brow tensed up.
"Not now," Sara said right after that, voice tired but firm. "Too many ears still around, and I'm barely keeping my thoughts straight. Let's do this some other time, okay?"
Maya nodded right away, like they had rehearsed it. "She's right, Lys. Focus on getting everyone inside first. The creatures might be down, but more could come. We need to move first before that happens."
Lys blinked. The way they synced up felt off. Like they had shared something out there that didn't include him yet. He opened his mouth to push again, but Sara squeezed his arm lightly.
"Please, Lys," she added softly. "Later. When we're not standing in the middle of this."
He exhaled through his nose, frustration bubbling but held back. "Fine. But you're both explaining everything once we're safe."
Drosha walked over then, wiping blood from her spear with a rag. She gave Maya a respectful nod. "Sister, the last of the evacuees are ready. We'll take point and flank on the way back."
"Yeah, Drosha. Do that kindly." Maya said to the tough woman.
-----
With Maya's order, the Fiora hunters moved with purpose. Some carried the few injured on makeshift litters. Others kept their weapons ready, scanning the trees.
It struck Lys how different this felt from before.
Just some hours ago, getting this tribe to even consider moving back inside the village walls with the rest of the settlers had been a fight for the adventurers sent by Vessa and Rhuvia. But now they walked in as allies, weapons still bloody from saving everyone, carrying bits of the dead creatures like trophies from a successful hunt.
It was all too different from what Lys thought it would be like.
Maya pushed off the wagon, testing her leg. She still limped a little, but the determination on her face hadn't faded. She fell in step beside Sara, who leaned on Lys for support. Selene stayed close, checking on both women every few paces. Most of the other hunters were not wounded at all anyway.
The procession started back toward the village gate. Feet shuffled on the dirt road. The sound of wheels creaked, mixing with quiet murmurs from the evacuees. Hunters called out short commands in their tongue now and then, keeping everyone tight together. From what he saw by now, Lys guessed most people from the outside settlements understood more or less the tongue of the Fiora tribe.
As the walls came into view, a small crowd had already gathered near the entrance. People pointed and whispered. Some people from the previous group of evacuees waved at the returning group. But most people had a shocking look on their faces seeing how bloodied a mess Sara and Maya were.
Sara's grip tightened slightly on Lys's arm. She kept her head up, but inside, Lys could tell how her thoughts were spinning. But what she was worrying so much about was still a mystery to Lys.
The group kept moving forward, deeper into the safety of the walls. And when the whole group had entered the gate, Sara saw Bertha, waiting for her among the crowd of people with a worried face.
And when she finally saw Sara, safe, she looked like she had released a big breath that she was holding on for a while.