The fight had gone horribly, especially since they were all berating themselves for being stupid and traveling without Alfyn. Ophelia was trying to keep up but the potent venom of the giant white tiger just kept eating away their strength.

Then Tressa said, "Oh no! That can't have been our last healing herb!" This was the last thing Ophelia, Therion, and Cyrus wanted to hear. Cyrus flipped open his battle spellbook to a new page. He'd drawn up this spell as an idea to run past Alephan, if they ever got back to the shrine for another review. Cyrus knew the logic in this spell was sound and should work, but balked at experimenting directly with the living body. This was a blood magic spell, after all. He had drawn up and received the approval for emergency use by more than the minimum three-person requirement if there was an emergency like this one.

Ophelia tried desperately to keep up with the peerless poison. Cyrus could tell they were not going to make it as things were going. He called an order to start his backup plan. "Tressa! Just don't get hit!" He stepped back and swiftly scratched a runic circle on the ground. His skill at writing notes in a hurry came in handy sometimes. A swipe of deadly claws caught his elbow as he cast the last part of the spell.

Cyrus felt his strength and vitality leave him as the poison was cleaned out of Ophelia's bloodstream. The scholar gave a little prayer of gratitude to the gods that this spell worked and that the rune circle remained for repeated casting.

Between Ophelia casting healing magic and Therion sharing as much energy with Cyrus as he could, they eventually came out as the victors. Cyrus sat down and smiled as Tressa and Therion got the chest opened.

Ophelia cast Cyrus a sideways glance as they watched. "Cyrus? I cannot believe I am saying this again, but blood magic is coming in handy. Are you quite all right?" Then, because Ophelia had been listening to Cyrus while he talked about his research, she asked, "What did it cost you?"

"...We may need to impose upon our companions to lend me a helping hand standing up. I admit, I feel a bit faint." This proved to be an understatement. It wasn't until they were halfway back to town that Cyrus could actually stand with the help of his staff. Therion complained loudly about having to help drag the man.

"One-on-one fair combat my _," griped Alfyn, "That's low. How do they get away with that blatant cheating?" Primrose shrugged in reply. She and H'aanit had focused exclusively on the extra people at Olberic's request. He had still been determined to try for a fair fight. H'aanit's beasts had not been called as she was uncertain what effect the large and cheering crowd would have on them. Olberic was still with Ned and Cecily. Alfyn looked around the place. He'd had a great time chatting with the arena apothecaries today until the fight.

H'aanit's voice murmured from behind Alfyn. "Mayhaps I shoulds't have switched places with Cyrus. His analytical mind would have been welcome for finden the weak pointes of the unexpected company. I would like to have seen the beasts of the caves. Where art they?"

"I thought they would be back by now, those fights took all day," said Primrose. She was unable to keep the tinge of worry from her tone. "Should we go check on them?" they had agreed to wait here for the other group after they finished. They didn't see the group chatting with Leon at the table.

Just then the door to the tavern slammed open. Alfyn found himself being slammed with a tackle hug by Tressa. "We are never ever traveling anywhere ever again without you. EVER."

Alfyn wheezed to catch his breath. Given his strength, it was difficult for him to get knocked down like Tressa just managed with her enthusiasm. "Whoa! Shucks, Tressa! What happened?!"

Tressa flopped down on a chair. "Sooo turns out that the treasure wasn't unguarded. There was this big old poisonous tiger and since we didn't have enough healing herbs... OH! Mr. Leon!" She perked up immediately to make a beeline for the merchant. It took a lot to keep her down for long. Primrose saw Ophelia and Therion trudge in behind Cyrus who was leaning heavily on his staff. While Ophelia and Therion looked ready to trudge upstairs for their rooms, Cyrus looked like he would drop down and start snoring right there in the doorway.

Alfyn found that Cyrus perked right back up once given a good meal and a foul-tasting energy medicine. Olberic returned to the inn with Ned and Cecily, who had decided to join them for dinner. Naturally the topic turned to what Cyrus did to save the day and soon found that they were getting more of an education than they bargained for. Olberic was used to Cyrus' topics of research but remembered how it had been when they first got him talking about the subject of blood magic. Cecily was just fine with discussion of medical and necromancy stuff, no matter how gruesome. She kept eating with no problem even as Ned quietly pushed aside his rare steak.

"...So on the way here I was discussing the original cleaning spell and making a device with the spell permanently active. If I had a rune painted onto the board, all anyone would need to do is wave it over their clothing and body to just pick up the bodily fluids spilled. I did have to set that plan aside."

Cecily had to ask, "Why?"

"Therion pointed out that a way to instantly clean up blood would inevitably become popular amongst the more unsavory elements of Osterra..." Cyrus took another sip of the medicine and grimaced. "Alfyn, are you sure I'm not allowed alcohol tonight?" Alfyn grinned and shook his head before drinking more ale. "It would taste better. The other problem was getting the spell to distinguish between the blood on a person and the blood inside a person. If they had an open wound, their blood would have been sucked out of the cut or scrape. An open wound touching the floor would be a death sentence. I think I will focus my work on trying to get the tourniquet improvements worked out first. Alfyn suggested it when I told him there was some mention of being able to stop blood flows in parts of the body. If you would be able to stop bleeding entirely, that would leave you free to clean the wound without the blood getting in the way."

Cecily nodded. "Oh yeah, that would be great. The arena apothecaries had a rotten time getting all the splinters outta that spearman's arm."

Alfyn said, "I know many fellas who would love to have a quick way to stop blood loss. That's how that traveling guy from Boulderfall died last summer. We patched him up as soon as we got to him, but he'd been bleeding out all the way to town. I wrote a big old list of things that annoy us apothecaries the most." He made sure to compare notes with other doctors to find what annoyed them. (Besides patient behavior, that is.)

Olberic had been pretty quiet as he had heard the account from Therion, Ophelia, and Cyrus. Before Tressa came along with the party, Mr. and Mrs. Colzione had both immediately pegged Olberic as substitute dad material and had been greatly relieved to know that a knight, an apothecary, and a dignified-looking hunter would be accompanying Tressa. Mrs. Colzione had been a bit wary of Therion and Primrose until they'd proven themselves helpful when fighting the pirates. Mr. Colzione had asked for letters and Olberic did not look forward to explaining that he had not been along when Tressa went to fight the venomtooth tiger. Maybe Cyrus could help compose the letter tomorrow.

H'aanit had many similar thoughts and also was waiting for Leon to hear some of Tressa's stories. He was bound to return to yell at her and Olberic any minute now if he heard word of what Tressa had to witness in Yvon's cellar. "That doth seem more helpful to study than the cleaning spells then. By the way, I hath not seen thou use that stun spell again, Cyrus." Cyrus mentioned it was simple, could be cast when silenced, and could be cast with the blood normally shed if Cyrus took a hit. It wasn't like he wasn't routinely relying on healing magic and grapes.

"Oh that spell? Alephan marked it for review. Turns out I shorten the lifespan of whoever the blood comes from when I cast it. I lost a few months off the end of my lifespan." Cyrus said casually. Ned choked on his potatoes. "It is fortunate I used my own blood." The rest of the table stared incredulously at the scholar and Ned subtly moved his chair a little further from Cyrus.

"...Let's not tell that to Ophelia..." said Alfyn.

"Are you sure Alephan didn't give him an F in safety?" Cecily said.

Temporary max HP drain seems like it would be a side effect if blood magic were an actual mechanic in the game. That or a spell that would be more powerful depending on the HP you have already lost in the battle, something like the last stand attack? You may also notice that the party approval requirement was increased.

Readers have such great ideas for me to steal!