Mara woke up and found herself in a small building which resembled a house. She noticed that she had been lying on a sofa and noticed a mysterious figure cooking something. It was the same mysterious figure she saw before she blacked out.
"I reckon you're awake now," the figure mumbled in a deep, raspy voice. "Y'all coulda died if I hadn't saved ya."
Mara's head was still hurting from the tornado attack, and she remained confused about her surroundings. "Who are you?" she asked. "Where did you take me?"
The man turned around to reveal his face, which bore a 5 o'clock shadow, and began to approach the dazed water mage with a bowl of stew in his hands. "My name is Peter Rust," he answered, "and this is my humble abode." He placed the bowl next to where the girl was resting. "Y'all must be hungry," he continued. "This stew should help a bit."
"You're not eating?" asked Mara, unsure of whether she should wait for the man to prepare his bowl before digging in.
"Ma'am, I already ate before I found you lyin' on the ground," Peter responded. "Y'all need to focus on gettin' better."
Mara bowed her head and proceeded to eat the stew in front of her. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she saw an empty bowl in front of her a few minutes later. She also noticed that her arm and leg had been wrapped in bandages.
"Y'all ain't like most o' the other girls I've ever seen," Peter commented. "Would ya mind tellin' me your name?"
"Mara Stone," the water mage replied.
Peter nodded with an expressionless countenance. He then looked at where he patched up his patient and back at her face. "I reckon y'all tried to fight the Minotaur?" he questioned.
"Actually, I was traveling with a few novice wizards like myself," answered Mara. "We were attacked by a tornado and got separated from each other."
"I see," sighed Peter. "Well, I'm afraid ya can't go back out there 'til yer all better."
"You can't use healing spells?" Mara inquired with a worried expression.
"I'm just a mercenary, ma'am," replied Peter. "I can't use magic like y'all wizard folks."
Mara tried to move her right leg, but she could only feel pain. She had no choice but to stay with this man for a few days. The days went by as Peter took care of the injured water mage, until she was finally able to walk normally again. Mara thanked the kind man for his hospitality and set off to continue her journey.
It wasn't long before Mara happened upon Lake Argestes, a beautiful lake that expanded for hundreds of meters with a large island in the canter. She took some time to meditate and clear her mind.
After her meditation, Mara began praying for assistance. "If anyone up there can hear me," she began, "I have but one specific request. If I were to encounter the Minotaur, I wish for you to give me the strength and agility to take him down. I don't know how strong he is, since I've never seen him before, but I hope to bring this brute to justice."
Mara realized that the Magic Council might have advice about the Minotaur. She gathered her belongings and began to head east toward the Silent Tower. This may not have been the best option, but she knew that she had to ask anyway.
