Chapter 12) Recovery

With quite a bit of luck, barely short of a 'miracle', we managed to assist in curing the plague that had devastated Rados. Our days are spent recovering, assisting others in their recovery, and cleaning the city. Funerals are held by the hour for the dead, and the cemetery has been expanded many times over. It's heartbreaking, watching people mourn so, especially when I remember my own Chalphy had been ravaged by a plague as well.

Scenes like this are tragically common in the empire. We must change this. We will change this. Somehow.

My recovery took on a pattern. In the morning, I'd train with my staff and magic to try and improve my skills. Then, after lunch, I would walk around the town with Salamander. Evenings were spent resting and socializing. Then it was to sleep to begin the cycle anew the next day. Part of me liked having the routine, but the rest of me wished I could at least recover a little faster. I felt rather… useless.

"You shouldn't scowl so much, Gwyneth," Salamander chided, helping me over a hole in the ground. While the city had more or less been cleaned, finally, everything from the streets to the buildings was still in dire need of repair. "You will scare away the songbirds with such a dark look."

"There are songbirds near?" I asked with a touch of dryness. After all, we hadn't seen a single animal, bird or otherwise, in the past couple of days. Most pets had been accidentally abandoned in the chaos, and the cattle and chickens had scattered. People were trying to find and round up all of them, but it was slow progress. "I believe the death frightens them more than any dark look."

"Yet that dark look doesn't inspire them to venture forward anyway." Salamander shook his head. "Healing requires its own strength, child. You should not hate your body and mind for healing."

"That is…" I wanted to protest, but I bit my tongue. Salamander had a way of just knowing things, but not in the same creepy way the Loptyr priests did. It felt more like a 'parent knows all' sort of thing. "Mmm…"

"Healing gives its period of weakness, but it also leads to greater strength. Much as a ruined building is rebuilt stronger." He gestured to one as we passed. "Do you know what happens when you continue fighting with injuries?"

"You run the risk of worsening them, possibly to the point of crippling yourself?"

"Correct." He tapped his temple. "You can be injured here, you know."

"I am aware one can suffer head injuries, yes?"

"Ah, not quite…" He laughed a bit, amused, while I just continued to frown. "No, I meant your mind. Your heart. Your spirit. They can carry injuries. Pushing yourself too much while you heal from old and deep wounds inflicted on your very soul… why, that is just setting yourself up for a horrendous fall."

"That makes no sense to me." It truly didn't. "What if there is no time? What if you have to keep going forward?"

"You focus on what you can do. Like now, you are regaining your strength, because you continued working even when you were hurting and got yourself sick." He smiled softly. "There is merit to pushing forward and yes, there will be times where even when you are bleeding in your spirit, you must push forward. But now is not that time. You still have time to grow, to heal, to find your footing. You won't once the rebellion starts in full. Once it starts, you won't be able to stop for anything."

"You speak as if you have fought a rebellion before." I wondered if he was from the western lands, where fighting was the norm. "Have you?"

"Oh, not a rebellion, no!" He laughed, the sound bouncing off the empty buildings. There wasn't a soul near us. The cleaners were on break. "But I was quite hot headed when I was younger. The typical fiery redhead. Always charging forward. Always getting into a fight." His eyes darkened and his voice got softer. "But I went too far. My little sister fell ill with a terrible disease, one that stole her very mind and sanity, and I raced off to find some sort of cure. Despite the fact that I was suffering from the very same illness. I didn't care, though. I ran and ran, picking up all sorts of injuries and pushing forward. And then I nearly lost everything."

"What happened?"

"As I said, the disease steals your sanity. Everyone became an enemy and, in my reckless stupidity, I never stopped. I never treated my injuries and the pain made my mind deteriorate even faster." He winced, the memory paining him. "I almost killed innocent children."

"That is…" It was hard to imagine. "What stopped you?"

"Getting my ass handed to me on a silver platter." Now, however, he smiled. "A young woman… let's call her 'Nagi' for right now." That reminded me of Naga. I hoped she was well. I hoped everyone was well. "She kicked my ass. Almost killed me, in fact, though given my condition, that wasn't especially hard. But she instead helped me get treatment and, in time, I managed a full recovery, as did my sister, thankfully." He laughed, grinning. "Ended up marrying the healer actually. Ah, I miss my husband so. I've been away too long."

"I see." My eyes darted down to his hands, but I saw no wedding ring. Perhaps they did such things differently where he was from. But that thought reminded me of a question I had been wondering for a while. "Salamander, why are you here?"

"I'm helping you regain your strength."

"My apologies. That was not what I meant." I paused to better consider my words. "You don't seem to be from anywhere near. The way you speak, one could almost say you were from another continent." Though that was a preposterous thought. Yes, you had the stories of the First Emperor, but... "So, what brought you to Rados?"

"Ah, I see." He smiled and laughed to himself, as if I said something funny. "But you are right. I am not from this province. Nagi requested help for something. I owed her, and she's a good friend, so I agreed. I am here, in particular, because another friend, Herja, suggested it. She believed I would find what I was looking for here."

"Did you?"

"I might have, but I will wait a while to make sure." He shrugged and continued to smile. The smile told me he wouldn't explain just what he was looking for. "Jarl is the same. A friend to Nagi who went to Miletos on Herja's suggestion."

"Why?"

"To help the people of this land, as best as we are able, much as you are." He offered his hand and I took it without thinking. He then helped me past some rubble I hadn't even noticed. "Come. Let's walk back."

"...Thank you kindly." I had more I wanted to ask, but somehow, I knew this was the most he would say. "It is truly appreciated."

A couple days later, Salamander was called off to handle something during our normal afternoon walk. I'd been instructed to not leave the castle, but to walk around inside to continue building my strength. Noba accompanied me, since her chores for the afternoon involved delivering things to various parts of the castle. She refused to let me carry a thing, sadly, but at least I could walk around.

"You're not as shaky as you used to be," Noba observed, watching me walk. She giggled and switched her basket of papers and items to her other hand. "I'm glad."

"It is nice to be able to walk about almost as freely," I agreed, clasping my hands in front of me. I wasn't permitted to walk alone yet, but it was still nice to not be specifically confined to my bed. "Though, I could-"

"Healers' orders. No chores for you!" She laughed and I fought the urge to sigh and sulk. "I'm glad you're not rambling anymore. It was rather funny, but in a dark and morbid way, so it was hard to take any actual enjoyment from it."

"I am sure." It had taken quite a while to make Vala promise to not mention anything about what I had babbled during the worst bit of my delirium. I was honestly surprised by what all I said; I hadn't even told Hezul about the urge to jump from the roof. "Ah…" Desperate to find some sort of change in topic, I looked around for inspiration and looked out the open window to find Baldur and Sabia in the overgrown courtyard, chatting as they carefully weeded to see if any of the gardens could be salvaged. I thought about calling out, but then I noticed Sabia's faint blush, one that didn't seem to be from exertion. "Ah, Noba…" I poked her arm to get her attention and, when I had it, pointed to Sabia. "What is…?"

"Oh, I think she's got a crush on Baldur, probably because he's the one who's been working alongside her the most." Noba pitched her voice into a conspiratorial whisper, but then she sighed and shook her head. "Of course, Baldur is totally oblivious."

"I see." I wondered if it had anything to do with what Baldur had told me, back in Chalphy. Yes, you could be with someone without having a child, but considering his reason, it seemed… I wasn't sure. My mind wanted to make the connection, but at the same time, my logic pointed out the implications behind said connection. I didn't like said implications. "So, we shouldn't disturb them, then?"

"Absolutely and, thankfully, we've a route that avoids the courtyard entirely." Noba winked and began walking again. "Follow me!"

"Of course." I watched Baldur and Sabia for a moment longer, just to make sure Noba's shout didn't disturb them, before catching up. She linked her arm with mine to help me keep up and slowed her pace a little.

So, we continued with her deliveries and eventually made our way outside to head to take the long way around the courtyard. While we did, we ended up passing by the practice yards and came across a curious sight, Dain watching something closely. With a look and a shrug, Noba and I silently decided to head over to him and determine the cause. The eventual sounds of wood clacking made it clear he was distracted by a sparring match, but then we wondered why that would hold his attention so. By the time we reached him, we had only one question. 'Why were Hezul and Jarl sparring?'

"Okay, I'm far too curious," Noba said after a moment of watching. Hezul and Jarl were fiercely going after each other, to the point that I swore the practice swords would break. "How did this happen? Hezul rarely spars unless we disguise it as a lesson."

"From what I understand, Hezul finally had enough of Jarl just staring at him and asked if he wanted a spar or something," Dain answered. He carried his own basket, filled with herbs and things, hinting he had recently returned from foraging. "They've been at it ever since."

"And how long has that been?"

"Considering this started before I went out?" Dain glanced up at the sky, noting the sun's position. "I think it's two hours. Could be three, though."

"It's been what." Noba facepalmed. I wondered why they thought it was odd. True, our battles seemed to be quicker, but I had seen Hezul duel for this long before. Though, it had been rarely and Galle had always fussed more. "Should we stop them?"

"We should, because Vala is going to kill them, but they haven't heard me." Dain glanced at me. "You try."

"Why would I have a different result?" I asked, curiously. Both Dain and Noba just smiled at each other, a sibling secret. "Fine, don't answer." I tried to wave to catch Hezul and Jarl's attention, but both were completely focused on their spar. Hezul's eyes were almost glinting in excitement and it took me a moment to realize what that expression meant. "Ah, he is having fun…" I hadn't seen him have fun while sparring in a very long time. "Must we stop them?"

"Vala is already going to kill them," Dain pointed out. He reached over to ruffle my hair with his free hand. "Best to lessen that."

"Oh, very well." I still felt bad about it, but I saw his point. "Hezul?" This time, almost immediately, Hezul jumped back to avoid Jarl's swing instead of blocking, and then looked towards me curiously. Then he frowned in confusion at Dain and Noba. "Dain says you two need to stop, as Vala is going to be very mad." I smiled teasingly, muffling a laugh. "Though perhaps he is simply envious of how much fun you were having?"

"I was not!" Dain playfully scowled, and both Noba and I laughed. "Come over here, both of you. How bruised up are you?"

"We'll answer that in a moment, once the battle-fever has passed," Hezul answered easily. He rolled his shoulders and winced a bit, but continued to smile. "What brought you three here, though?"

"I've been trying to get you two to stop so that Vala doesn't kill you," Dain answered dryly. He smirked for some reason. "Strangely, you didn't hear me, though you certainly heard Gwyneth."

"I am more used to her voice, and it is rare Gwyneth calls for me while I fight." Hezul shrugged, but then frowned with Noba facepalmed. "I… fear I missed something. Again." He looked to me and I shook my head. I had no idea either. "Jarl?"

"I do not know the intricacies of everyone's relationships," Jarl replied, walking over now. He wore the largest smile I had ever seen him with. I half-feared it would crack his face. "Ah, that was a good spar. Been a long while since someone has lasted that long against me."

"Truly?" Hezul asked. He was smiling too, a much softer smile. "I can believe it, though your guard…"

"Yes, either I win quickly or get my ass handed to me just as quickly." This was also the most freely I had ever heard Jarl talk. It seemed he greatly enjoyed sparring? "Whoever gave you your basics was good. Someone you clearly trusted and honored."

"...My brother was the one who originally taught me how to fight." Hezul smiled sadly, and I winced as I remembered. Mimir truly had been the one who first taught Hezul how to wield a blade. "He had no talent for it, but I did, so after a few years, my father took over. He had a talent for it too."

"They taught you well."

"Too well, in my brother's case." Now his smile became bitter, and I could see the rest of the sentence in his eyes. 'The talent did not save my father or my family either'. "Ah, but today is too nice to spend it wallowing in darker thoughts. Dain, Noba, do you recommend Jarl and I hide or-"

"Hey! You two!" With no time to complete the thought, Vala stormed over, her eyes flashing in quiet, but fierce, anger. "I'm told you two idiots overdid it!" she snapped, glaring right at Jarl and Hezul. I wondered who and decided it must have been one of the others, voicing concern. "What do you have to say for yourselves?! I'm already busy, you know!"

"I'm wondering which fool thought we overdid anything," Jarl instantly replied. He glanced at Hezul, who shrugged. "That was just a little bit of light exercise."

"Light exercise?!" However, that made Vala madder. "Why I ought to…!"

Vala then proceeded to give Jarl and Hezul a lecture from hell, flailing about to emphasize her words. Dain, Noba, and I left them to it, laughing at how meek Jarl and Hezul looked, considering Vala was probably half their size. There were other things to do, after all.

"So, you all will head to Chronos soon?" Sabia asked, drawing her knees to her chest. In the odd time between 'afternoon activities' and 'dinner', we all decided to meet to discuss the next step in our plan and because Sabia had wanted to tell us something. But we started with the serious things first. "Good. I've been wondering why they didn't come check on us. Magni has always been protective. It's strange he's been out of contact for so long."

"We eventually decided that he simply couldn't sneak people in safely," Salamander continued, resting against the wall. We were in an empty room, with most of us sitting on the ground. Salamander and Jarl were the only ones who stood. "But he's been out of contact with Emer? Something definitely happened, then."

"Isn't that just our luck?" Sabia scowled at some spot on the floor. "If it weren't for the fact that plagues can't be controlled, I'd swear it was on purpose."

"Well, they could have taken advantage, but…" Salamander shrugged. "I've not left the city recently. Was there anything else odd, besides the lack of communication?"

"Well, on the way over, we noticed an unusual amount of activity between the Gate and Chronos," Jarl answered after a moment. The rest of us remained silent since we couldn't truly weigh in on what was usual or unusual, and I took the time to notice how Jarl and Salamander also were the only ones not 'grouped'. The rest of us were in a neat little circle. "I wonder if there truly is another Sorrow happening. I hope not, but…"

"Could be a way to compensate for not having the tome," Salamander mused. He looked rather thoughtful and whispered something in a language I didn't understand. "There is power in blood. Can grant humans power unimaginable."

"Though not invincible." Jarl closed his eyes, but I frowned. For some reason, I found it odd they used 'humans'. Why not 'people'? Though, that could mean nothing. "Regardless…"

"Regardless, it doesn't matter because we'll discover it soon," Baldur declared quietly. "After all, we have to push forward." We all glanced at each other and nodded, mostly because there truly was nothing else to say. We only had a few months left to fulfill Emer's request. We were running out of time. "But that's neither here nor there and, more importantly, we've more or less dried up that discussion. Sabia, you wanted to tell us something?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes!" Sabia replied. She flushed a little and hid her face behind her knees briefly. "Well, the first is that Salamander wants to come with you. He knows Magni better than Jarl."

"While I appreciate it, can he be spared?"

"Well, I expect him to come back and help me organize things to march to Darna." She shrugged and glanced at him. Salamander nodded and smiled back warmly. "The second is that we're having our Equinox festival today. I… uh… forgot to mention it earlier."

"Equinox festival?"

"It's a bit late, but when summer turns to autumn, Rados throws a festival to celebrate the season, in the hopes that the gods will bless our harvest. There's a similar one in the spring and, of course, there's a harvest festival when the crops come in." She lifted her head to smile slightly. "It'll be quieter than normal, but it's still the first festival since the plague happened. You'll get a glimpse of what Rados is supposed to be like."

"That sounds amazing!" Baldur smiled brightly and Sabia's face went even redder. "Let's go!"

With a flurry of movement, we all left to get ready for the festival, and I had to admit to some excitement. I had never attended a festival before. Galle hated them, so Belhalla didn't have any, unless one counted the ceremonies dedicated to Loptyr. Those were never cheerful, though, and involved too much blood and death for my liking. But this festival was different. I could tell that as soon as dusk fell and we were all pushed outside to enjoy everything.

There was music everywhere, fast bits of singing and flute playing that I didn't recognize but made me smile anyway. Bonfires sparked into life, climbing higher and higher, and various herbs were thrown in for whatever reason. The effect was that the area smelled wonderful, the first time Rados had not smelled of death since we had arrived. The firelight flickered off the various decorations, perhaps a little lackluster but still beautiful with reds and oranges, set up on the buildings.

Then there was the dancing. Everyone was dancing and laughing. Everyone was smiling and dancing. It was the most cheerful I had seen any of them, and I loved it.

"Looks like the healers sat out for some reason," Baldur noted. I glanced around and saw he was correct. Despite the crowd, not one of the healers were here among the dancers. "A shame. They deserve the celebration too."

"Well, there are still some ill," I pointed out. Though the plague itself had passed, there were still some suffering from it, and other illnesses that had been ignored. "So, this is a festival. It is so lively!"

"It is!" Baldur grinned and pointed to where Salamander was teaching Vala how to dance with fire. Literally. "How the hell does he not burn himself?"

"I don't know." But it was fascinating to watch Salamander twist the fire about him like ribbons. It was fun watching Vala attempt the same, especially since her eyes sparkled so. "Part of me wants to learn, but I have my hands full."

"You're still not considered skilled enough to use weapon-weaponry in combat, right? Just magic?" He smiled when I winced and nudged me. "You'll get there. You've already been improving a lot. But when you're recovered, maybe do less spells and more weapons."

"Perhaps I should." I wondered if Jarl would be willing to help me with axes. They were easily my worst weapon. If I could get better at it, I could get better at anything. "Yes, I will." Still, I did look around for a change of subject and I noticed Sabia alone and away from the crowd, watching the dancers almost enviously. After a moment, I nodded and poked Baldur in the shoulder. "Go ask Sabia to dance."

"Huh?" He blinked at me in confusion before tilting his head. "Er… why?"

"I believe she would enjoy it, and things truly have been rough for her." This time, I pushed him in her direction. "Go on!"

"Fine, fine!" Still noticeably confused, Baldur headed over to Sabia. I watched in the distance and muffled a laugh when her face immediately lit up with a smile and bright blush. She was truly adorable.

"So, here's where you're hiding!" Though I wanted to watch Sabia and Baldur dance more, Dain skipped over, noticeably more cheerful than normal. The festival air infected him with its cheer. "Hezul mentioned that neither he nor you know festival dances," Dain continued. He pointed to where Noba and Hezul were awkwardly dancing, Hezul looking almost panicked while Noba laughed and laughed. "Here. You need to learn at least one in your life."

"It does look like fun," I murmured. I shrugged and took his hand. "It is much more energetic than a ballroom dance."

"This is meant to be fun."

"Ballroom dancing can be fun. But that can be a lesson for another day." I grinned at him. "Teach me!"

Dain actually taught me three dances before Noba stole me to teach me a few more. I ended up spending the rest of the night dancing, and I didn't regret it at all. It was fun, even if my feet ached bitterly the next morning. We deserved a little bit of fun.

Our Family

Gwyneth

20 years old

Class: Shaman; Weapons: Fire - D, Thunder - D, Wind - D, Light - C, Staves - B

Delighted by the festival, and hopes to attend another one. Though the dancing was more difficult and complex than she originally thought

Though she loves her magic, she recognizes that she's ignoring her physical weaponry and is determined to do better on it.

Hezul

22 years old

Class: Paladin (dismounted); Weapons: Swords - A, Lances - C

Inherited his talent for fighting from his father, who had once been a knight of the empire prior to marrying the Duchess of Edda. His earliest memories are of learning to fight from him and Mimir.

The spar with Jarl was the most fun he's had fighting in a long while, but the bruises remind him of how much he misses having proper armor. He wonders if he might be able to acquire some, not just for him, but for all of their group

Noba

19 years old

Class: Soldier; Weapons: Lance - B

Couldn't help but laugh at how awkward and clumsy Hezul was at dancing. It amuses her that the 'big bad warrior' can't dance

Feels delighted and hopeful by all the cheer Rados has, because it feels like a small-scale version of what they hope to accomplish. It makes her believe even further that they can, in fact, make a difference

Baldur

21 years old

Class: Mercenary; Weapons: Sword - B

Rather confused why Sabia would like a dance with him in particular, but was grateful when her face lit up with a smile. She has a pretty one.

Starting to wonder if he needs to learn additional weaponry, because while he loves swordsmanship, the versatility might be needed more.

Dain

23 years old

Class: Soldier; Weapons: Lance - B

Greatly enjoys festivals, from the dancing to the cheer. They never fail to pick up his mood.

His 'students' happily cooked him a huge meal prior to the group leaving for Chronos, as a way of showing how thankful they were for the lessons. Though he denies it vehemently, he did actually shed a tear or two.

Vala; Fjalar

18 years old

Class: Fire Mage; Weapons: Fire - A

Rather surprised by the fire dancing, having never seen that sort of magic before. She loves it, though, because it makes the pixies laugh

However, she's worried about what's going on in Chronos. The pixies tremble when the name comes up, never a good sign.

Our Allies

Jarl

Unknown age; appears in his early twenties

Class: Hero; Weapons: Sword - A, Axes - C

A talented warrior in his own right, though he admits that his defensive abilities sometimes leave a lot to be desired

Is actually rather happy to help Gwyneth with her axe lessons, though they both quickly lay own that she'll never have the strength to use the heavier ones. But skill? Skill, he can teach.

Salamander

Unknown Age; appears in his early fifties

Class: Mage Fighter; Weapons: Fire - A, Thunder - D, Wind - B, Swords - C

Enjoys being the 'wise old one', dispensing wisdom and the like. Has a lot of fun with it, particularly when the young ones try to figure out if he's lying or not about the more ridiculous things (he's not, for the record)

Has a bad feeling about what's going on in Chronos, and so he leaves with the group. Feels that his calmer head might be needed.

Sabia

16 years old

Crushing hard on Baldur, due to all the help he in particular gave her, but tries to hide it. Fails miserably, but Baldur is completely oblivious

Makes each of the group a little charm to take with them before they head to Chronos, as well as a letter to Magni explaining things. She prays desperately that she'll see them all again, and hopefully repay them for all their help

Author's note: Players of FE11 and FE12 might find the name 'Nagi' familiar. 'Herja' appears in some lists of Valkyries. Other than that, have a nice, light little chapter.

Next Chapter - Galle