I had lost awareness of how much time had passed but I assumed it was something in the neighborhood of several hours. The pain in my leg had become a dull ache. Every breath became more difficult. There was a stabbing in my lungs as I fought for a breath of fresh air. Keeping my eyes open was nearly impossible. I managed to call "Help!' but it came out as nothing more than a futile whimper. I laid my head down against the cold stone, ready for the end; ready to embrace death. My heartbeat slowed and I was lost to the darkness. My consciousness began to slip away.
A figure appeared beside me although I would have never known it but for the faintest brush of another presence in that tiny space. The figure was glancing over my failing body, consumed with a sense of urgency. A limb hovered over me as if inspecting my condition, followed by a sound which I had never heard before, but felt entirely familiar to me; a soft, comforting warble. I lifted my head to try and make out the shape, but whomever was there was obscured in shadow save a startling pair of crystalline eyes. I reclined against the rubble and made myself as comfortable as I could manage. With a curious frenzy of whirs and deep-throated purring noises, the figure touched my shoulder. Slowly, my wrist started to glow.... … ... ... I looked down and saw my KI was lighting up! A spark of hope lit up my eyes and I looked back to thank the figure, but it was gone. I fell unconscious again.
The next thing I remember was the waking up to the soft touch of silk under my fingertips, a blanket cast over me and the heavy smell of various herbs permeating the air. The Hall of Healers.
JP was sitting across from me, awestruck...a few moments passed before any words were said. "You were rescued by a Bahro, Miss Adelia?!" he shouted, I quietly hushed him.
"I don't want it going around."
"Why not?" he asked, "thats the coolest thing ever!" he laughed. Truth was, I agreed with him, but I was still on edge by the whole incident; I wasn't entirely sure of the repercussions of having an encounter with a Bahro. "Oh! That reminds me!" said Pantaleon, "I need your help! Can you walk?" I nodded hesitantly. I wasn't sure where he was taking me, but he shared with me what had happened in my absence: how Esto had gone to solve a mystery but when he came back, the Esto he knew was gone.
"I was able to track him down in Bevin..." he sighed.
"Where is he now?" I asked.
"Now?" Pantaleon replied, "now he's sleeping," there was a sigh of relief. Just then, we walked through the door of the little apartment where Pantaleon had been keeping Esto. It was quaint, with a desk off in the corner, a few lit candles and a minty smell in the air. Esto was sound asleep in a carved alcove on the opposite side of the room. His arms were bandaged and his hair disheveled. This was a far cry from his usually composed and put-together manner; it was difficult to see him like this.
"What do you need me to do?" I asked, turning to him.
"I need you to watch over him," Pantaleon replied, "I need to find out how this happened, but I can’t just leave him here alone. Maybe if you’re around…”
“What is it?” I asked.
“Recently, Esto's become very..." Pantaleon paused, his voice lowering, "...dangerous." Indeed, it was hard for me to believe that my best friend could be thought of as dangerous. He looked so peaceful in his sleep. “Maybe if you’re around things will change.”
"Alright," I agreed. "I'll watch over him." Pantaleon's face lit up. That night, we shared supper and managed to have a few laughs before Pantaleon departed to solve the mystery of what happened to our dear, beloved friend.
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