Author's Note: Finally, an update! Sorry, I managed to catch the flu during the interim. Anyway, this is the final chapter, though I may or may not throw in an epilogue. Fear not, because if you liked this story, a Book 2 of Slayers Ultimate will be coming sometime soon, I just need a slight break from writing for now.
Chapter 13 – A Time to Heal
"Six…seven…eight…nine. How come there are only nine?" Lucia Moore muttered softly to herself. The swordswoman felt as if she had counted the support beams in the ceiling over her bed a thousand times already, and having an odd number made the room feel unbalanced somehow. She hated being confined to a bed even if it had only been for one day of treatment plus another day of observation. When she and Naga had limped their way into Willowgate, they had immediately engaged in a frantic search for a healer that could treat Lucia's blindness. The two were eventually lead to the doorstep of a wild-eyed old man with frazzled gray hair that possessed energy that belied his age. The man had introduced himself as Gestalf, and while he was quite skilled as far as healers went, he had an aversion to magic and had insisted on treating Lucia's numerous wounds as well as her blindness using herbs, salves, and bandages. With Naga's powers still weakened, they had little choice.
She had been very irritated at first as the old man dabbed a dark amber-colored salve that smelled like sweet, rotten fruit into her eyes. It had stung badly, and her discomfort had only been amplified by the fact that she had to forcefully keep her eyes open for several minutes to keep the compound in contact with her eyes. The cure, however, as miserable as it had made her through repeated applications, had worked like a charm. Her eyesight was still a bit fuzzy, but Gestalf has assured her that it would be good as new in the next day or two.
"Well, it's about time you woke up!" Naga said from the doorway, pulling Lucia out of her boredom-induced counting exercise. She sat up on the side of the bed, wincing slightly at the throb of pain from the wound in her side. She was dressed only in her tunic and plain pants, the former of which still carried a series of bloodstained slashes from the vampire's claws that had torn into her side. She smiled weakly at the sorceress as she approached the bed.
"Been awake for hours now. I'm going stir crazy here!" Lucia complained, swinging her feet on the side of the bed. The sorceress pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Lucia, and the swordswoman saw a slightly pained expression on her face. "What's wrong?"
"Hangover." Naga replied. "The price I pay for a good night's sleep." The sorceress said with a slight hint of sheepishness.
"My eyes are almost good as new, but things are still a little fuzzy." Lucia said as she held her hand up and peered at it, flexing and curling her fingers and watching the light dance off of the hazy, faint fog-like film over her vision. "I was afraid it might never come back after you talked about me getting a concentrated dose."
"Well, from what the old man said, you were lucky it was the concentrated liquid." Naga explained. "He said that because it was a liquid, your tears were able to wash it out more completely, so even though it was a more concentrated amount of poison, less of it got into your eyes." Naga said. She, too, had been very worried for the swordswoman, something she seldom felt for anyone including herself. In fact, the only person she'd ever worried about since leaving home had been her younger sister, but after word got out that she had started traveling with Lina Inverse, Naga knew deep down that she would be safer for it.
"So, when will you be able to heal these wounds?" Lucia said, and her tone made it clear that she was less than happy about the solution Gestalf had chosen for her. The old healer might have had a problem with magical healing, but she sure didn't.
"Probably tomorrow." Naga replied, putting her hand to her temple for a moment in an attempt to stave off the throbbing pain. One thing she hated about this time of the month was that she couldn't use her magic to subdue the painful results of a night spent in a drunken stupor. Lucia gave a short nod to the sorceress' statement, then tilted her head and gave the woman a curious look.
"So, where do you want to go once we're out of this place? Maybe we can go thrash some bandits and steal their loot!" The swordswoman said excitedly. She preferred exploring long-forgotten ruins or deep caverns, but she knew that the sorceress enjoyed a good bandit thrashing from time to time, and relieving such unsavory individuals of their ill-gotten gains always made both of them feel a little better. Naga, however, had other plans.
"Oh, no! I know exactly where we're going!" She said, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. "We're going to the Kuro Valley Hot Springs!" The sorceress said excitedly. "After all the bumps and bruises we've been forced to put up with, it's only fair that we spend time in a high quality hot spring to recuperate."
"Kuro Valley?" Lucia asked curiously, having never heard of the place herself.
"Why of course!" Naga said, pulling a strange looking book out of one of the folds in her cape. The sorceress flipped through several pages before plopping back down in the chair and clearing her throat. "The Kuro Valley hot springs are rated at five stars. The springs themselves are part of an exclusive resort that caters only to the most wealthy citizens from far and wide, and even members of royalty are commonly known to spend vacation retreats there." Naga said gleefully. "Oh! It also says that the Kuro Valley resort is famous for its exotic dishes that are famed for large portions as well as exceptional quality!" Lucia smiled brightly. It touched her to see the sorceress so openly excited about getting to do something. It was honest, genuine giddiness that was an unusual but quite welcome change to the woman's usual demeanor. Naga put the guide away and looked up at Lucia with a wide grin on her face. "Well?"
"The Kuro Valley Hot Springs Resort it is, then!" Lucia replied, giggling. "I've never been to a hot spring before."
"What?!" Naga said, her tone so incredulous that Lucia might have well claimed to have never seen the sky or eaten bread. "Oh, Lucia, you have not lived until you've felt the rejuvenating, relaxing sensation of a high quality hot spring. The warm water, the slightly metallic yet spicy scent of the natural minerals…you'll never experience anything quite like it." The sorceress said, getting a somewhat far-away look in her eyes. Lucia suppressed the urge to laugh at how utterly enchanted Naga seemed with the prospect, and she now knew for sure she'd be going to Kuro Valley the second they left Gestalf's house.
"Naga." Lucia started, her tone suddenly softer. The sorceress snapped back to reality and met the shorter woman's gaze. "Thank you. For saving me, for helping me out of that place." The swordswoman said softly.
"Well of course I helped you!" Naga replied, trying to keep herself from blushing at the sheer sincerity and genuine, emotional gratitude that was evident in her companion's voice. "After all, you are my sidekick! It's only fitting that I protect you from danger, isn't it?" The sorceress' reply made her companion smile brightly.
"That's right!" Lucia said gleefully. "And…right now, your sidekick wants breakfast!" The swordswoman exclaimed.
"But isn't it the sidekick's duty to serve the beautiful and powerful heroine?" Naga asked with a pout. Lucia tilted her head thoughtfully.
"I guess so, but I'm bedridden, remember?" The swordswoman replied slyly.
"Oh, you are not bedridden, Lucia, and you know it!" Naga replied, picking a pillow up off the bed and hitting the swordswoman with it. Lucia giggled and threw it right back at the sorceress. This continued on for several moments, dissolving into what eventually became a short-lived, one-pillow pillow fight.
"Fine, fine!" Lucia cried between fits of giggling. "Fine, we'll both go get breakfast, then!" The swordswoman relented, tossing the pillow aside. Her gaze lingered on the smiling visage of her sorceress companion for a moment as she watched the smile turn to a more serious expression. Naga cleared her throat.
"Lucia, there's something I want to tell you, and I want you to let me finish, because I'm sure I won't have the courage to say it again if I stop." Naga said suddenly, her tone dripping with seriousness. Lucia offered a short nod in response. "Other than my family, whom I haven't seen in a very long time, I've never really cared about anyone before. I've kept people at a distance, I've avoided talking about my past, and I've done my best not to grow attached to anyone." The sorceress said at length. Lucia could see her wringing her hands together out of the edge of her vision, and she could tell that the woman was not used to sharing her feelings like this. She elected to remain quiet as requested so Naga could continue.
"You're the first person I've ever revealed my past to, Lucia. The first person I've ever felt comfortable opening up to, and I don't know why. I've only known you for a few weeks. I just want to make sure you're not going to vanish one night like Lina did. No warnings, no notice." The sorceress asked, and even to her it felt as if the words were coming from someone else. She never spoke to other people this way, and she knew she was starting to ramble. Heartfelt words such as these usually only occurred during internal dialogue. She thought things like this, about friends, about caring for others, but she never spoke of them to other people. She started to worry that she might have gone too far, that she might have completely misinterpreted things between herself and the swordswoman until Lucia smiled, filling her with a sense of relief.
"I'm not going to run off on you, Naga." Lucia replied softly, reaching out and taking the sorceress' gloved hand in her own. "I'm glad I met you. I think if I had to start traveling by myself again I'd go out of my mind with loneliness." The swordswoman said with a little giggle. Naga smiled back at the woman, and the two were content to simply share a silent moment before Lucia's stomach decided to rudely interrupt their reverie by growling rather insistently.
"It sounds like your appetite is getting impatient." Naga said much to Lucia's sheepishness. The swordswoman hopped out of bed eagerly.
"Well, then! Let's get some breakfast! There must be an inn nearby." Lucia said as she started collecting her equipment. Naga laughed in anticipation and quickly headed for the door.
"I'll save you a seat, but make it fast. I'm starving too!" The sorceress said as she rounded the corner. Lucia hastily bounced around the room as she tugged one boot on. She knew Naga would probably start eating whether she was there or not, and if she finished her own food first she'd like start in on Lucia's. As she finished with her boots and fastened her cloak, she grabbed the pack she'd stowed her armor in, deciding she'd wait until after breakfast to put it on. As she finished getting dressed and trotted out of the room carrying her armor and sword over her shoulder, Lucia Moore, treasure hunter extraordinaire, realized that whatever adventures were waiting for her around the next corner, she wouldn't be facing them alone. From now on, those that stood in her way would no longer face just a perky girl with an enchanted sword. From now on, they would face Naga the White Serpent, and her sidekick, Lucia the swordswoman. She wouldn't be the face, she wouldn't be the one whose name was whispered in fear or spoken of in awe, and she wouldn't be the one getting the fame or the fortune, but one realization brought a smile to the young adventurer's face.
She wouldn't have it any other way.