Huzzah! I'm hoping for a day off school tommorow. In the mean time, here's some more slash for my friends out there. And update speedy Wicked. Now! Hurry!

Warning: Graphic violence. Queasy stomachs beware!

The storm had let up, but Albert was still feverish. I couldn't just leave him there but I didn't know how far I'd get carrying him. I needed a body purifier or healing magic and I had neither.

-That's not true!- cried my conscience. -You just gave up on it. You know you could save him.-

"Quiet brain." I said out loud. I must be losing it...

I went outside the mouth of the cave. Five different creatures yeilded no body purifier so I gave up on that. I tried to think of where there might be something reasonably like a town, but knew no such place existed anymore in Gloriano. I stoked the fire and leaned against one of the cavern walls to think.

**************************************

It had been so long ago, when the Dragon Campaign started. I had been a lot younger, and in higher spirits. Winglies, even from the poorest to the richest, were like gods. Everyone had a human to do their menial tasks, even me. She said her name was Lise. I didn't know if that was the truth or not, but she answered to it and that was good enough.

In retrospect, I should have treated her better, but at the time everything was perfect and nothing could stand against us.

When she disappeared, I was devastated. Not heartbroken, more like I'd lost my prize possession. I found out later that she had become part of the resistance with the humans.

After the campaign finished, I left with my family and my beloved. For a long time we hid in forests, or in newly created towns. Then the day came.

We had been run out of a newly created town, the name of which I neither know nor care about, into a forest. I hid in the trees as I was told when they came.

They were well equiped with bows and daggers. The bows allowed them to stay just out of reach of my parents failing magic. The archers struck them down with ease and searched the area. It was a miracle, or a curse, that I wasn't found.

The archers found my beloved. He was struck with an arrow to the throat and one to the heart.

They reconvened in the clearing and threw the bodies down like animals. They took everything and then commited the final injustice.

They gutted the naked bodies like common creatures and rifiled through the entrails like sick children with play dough.

Crowing with great delight they lopped off scalps and went back to the town.

**************************************

Albert had woken me. I hadn't been aware I was sleeping, but he certainly wasn't. His eyes were open but glazed with fever. He was as close to the fire as he could be with out being burnt and was getting ever closer. He was saying something to himself, but I wasn't sure what, considering I tackled him before he could burn himself to death.

"C-c-cold..." he chattered out faintly.

I decided enough was enough and just as I was about to leave a pair of merchants ducked in out of the cold.

"Soa!" exclaimed one.

"I told you we'd find customers out here! Didn't I say we would brother?" The other replied.

"As always, I'm astonished. What can we do for you?" he asked.

"You wouldn't happen to have a body purifier on hand would you?" I asked.

"Wingly heal thyself, or so the phrase goes," he said. He rummaged about in his nap sack and retrieved a bottle of green liquid.

"I've got this one. But it leaves me wondering, why does a Wingly fresh out of fairy stories need a body purifier when he can heal wounds all by himself?" The merchant was playing at something already. I should have known.

"If I could heal things, I would have by now." I said. "If it's gold you're worried about, I've got plenty. He really needs a body purifier."

"He? You mean there's someone else here?" he asked. Of course! Albert was obscured by the fire!

I took them around the fire silently. Their eyes and mouths gaped open.

"It's the king of North Serdio!" The item merchant's brother exclaimed. "Hurry up and get him the body purifier!"

The item merchant did as he was told and Albert lay back asleep. I could feel his fever start to go down already.

"He's king of all Serdio now by the way." I said as the merchants left. They thanked me and went off.

-And maybe of my heart...- I thought as I looked outside one last time.

*gasp* Sappy and cliched last line... Oh well! It's another chapter, and I have an idea for the next one!