Mara woke up in a bed in a fairly lit room. She looked around to gain her bearings and noticed a Magic Council soldier sitting beside her. He had white hair, but his face was fairly young in appearance.
"Ah, you've finally come to," the MC soldier stated. "I wasn't sure if you'd make it."
"Where am I?" asked Mara, confused about her surroundings.
"You're at the Silent Tower," he answered. "We saw you fatally injured and decided to take you into our care."
"What...happened?" the water mage questioned. "The last thing I remember was fighting the Minotaur, and... and..."
"You both blacked out after fighting for so long," the soldier added. "You suffered serious wounds. It's a miracle you survived with a body like that."
"I've been training most of my life," Mara chuckled.
"Well, that explains a lot," the MC soldier reacted. "A regular human would stand no chance against the axe-wielding behemoth."
"Speaking of which, where is he?" asked the water mage.
"Safely locked up underground, where he can't hurt anyone."
Mara breathed a sigh of relief. She tried to get out of bed but was stopped by the Magic Council soldier. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he explained. "You're still badly damaged. I was only able to heal your major wounds. You must rest until you're fully recovered."
The water mage nodded and lied back down. The MC soldier left the room and continued his day. A few days had passed since the fight with the Minotaur, and Mara had finally made her full recovery. She gathered her belongings before marching downstairs to the reception desk.
"The Magic Council wishes to thank you for defeating the Minotaur," the commissioner declared. "Words can't describe how grateful the good people of Magius are for your heroic deed."
"Well, I had to do something about that brute," Mara responded. "There's no telling what would've happened if he continued to roam freely."
"Your name will surely go down in history as a powerful savior," the commissioner continued. "From this moment onward, Mara Stone shall be revered as a saint."
"Aww, you're making me blush," the water mage teased with a bright face and bright red cheeks.
"As a reward, we want you to have the Vastira," announced the commissioner.
Mara donned a shocked expression when the receptionist handed the Vastira to her. She held the giant axe in her hands and felt its immense weight. "I'm sorry, but I can't accept this," sighed the water mage. "I wouldn't want this to fall into the wrong hands."
"I see your point," the commissioner stated as he took back the gigantic tree-cutter. He then took out a bag of crowns to give to the water mage. "Why don't you have some crowns instead? You may use them for whatever you wish."
"Thank you," Mara responded as she humbly received the payment. "Thank you for everything." She waved goodbye to the commissioner and exited the Silent Tower. She made her way down to the ground and crossed the bridge until she was stopped once again by a somewhat familiar voice.
"Congrats on kicking the Minotaur's butt," the voice chanted. Mara turned around and noticed the two scouts who once escorted her to the Silent Tower.
"Thank you," the water mage cheered. "It was no easy task, but at least everyone else is safe."
"The people of Magius hold you in high regard now," declared the other scout. "I know you won't let them down."
Mara smiled and began to walk in the other direction. After enduring many hardships, the only thing on her mind was to return to Summer Hold. She missed her friends and her Uncle Lloyd, but the one thing she especially missed was her bed.
