The stress from exams makes me unwind through writing, hence, I present to you:

Chapter 14: Comfort

For a second, Yami and Nova stared at each other. The girl's eyes grew wider the longer she took to comprehend her situation. Then, she shut her mouth which had dropped open at some point and tried to recollect herself.

"Ah, sir, nothing, I, um, I didn't mean to bother-" she bowed and turned to leave, but Yami's deep voice cut through the night like a knife.

"Get in," he didn't leave any room for arguments. Nova obeyed.

The inside of the Bulls' base was illuminated in soft yellow lighting from the lanterns on the walls, all lit. The stone bricks which the house was made out of, much similar to the ones at the Tower, didn't seem as unwelcoming as her home had been. Instead, they exuded some kind of a warm, protective feeling, like the base itself was alive and wrapping its arms around her, safely cocooning her in, protecting her from her fears.

"Coffee, tea?" Yami asked, walking behind the bar and rummaging. Even the noise he was making, something nobody at the Tower would do in the middle of the night, provided her with comfort. "Food?"

"Ah, you needn't trouble yourself, Captain Yami," Nova's head hung low. She was bothering a Captain at his own base in the middle of the night without an explanation, after all. She felt awkward, standing there in the middle of the living quarters in her thin nightdress. "I was just hoping to see Magna or Luck." The man paused, straightened and turned to look at her. She felt incredibly awkward under his gaze. The long drag he took from his cigarette and the time he took in blowing the smoke out of his lungs seemed to last hours.

"They're on a mission," he told her. "Sit." He, once again, didn't leave any room for arguments. Nova did as she was told, leaving her broom leaning against the bar and standing on her tiptoes to slide onto a stool. Yami turned back around and then laid a plate and a cup in front of her. Another mug sat on his side and he slid onto a stool, as well, much more gracefully that she had.

"I'm sorry for intru-"

"Eat." Another order. The man was clearly used to simply making people do as they were told, not allowing backtalk. Nova didn't want to cause any more awkwardness or intrude further on the Captain at the odd hours of the morning, so she chose to be as accommodating as possible. Even though she felt as if one bite from the food would make her hurl, she cut into the piece of something resembling lasagna and put it into her mouth. The food was warm and the meat inside it tender and it made her sigh in pleasure. Suddenly, her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten anything since her quick lunch of vegetables and fruit with Mary at the Tower that afternoon. Yami patiently waited until she was done with her plate and the coffee in her mug, a sweet beverage with more milk than caffeine, before giving her another plate with a pastry on it. As she dug into that, too, he put out his cigarette and lit another one. Nova couldn't help but watch his calloused, large fingers go through the routine motions.

"Will you take the Knights' Exam again?" he asked suddenly, making her rush to swallow and answer him.

"I haven't decided yet," Nova chose to be honest. "I want to serve the Kingdom in the best way I can, but I'm not sure anymore if that would mean finding a place in the Knights." Yami nodded.

"The Squads aren't accommodating to healers yet," he said. "It ought to change." Nova pondered for a moment. It was true. While Magic Knights did take healers into their ranks, they weren't priority recruitment. The average ratio was one healer per twenty Knights, which was horribly low. While their use on the battlefield seemed insignificant, with a good support of a healer, a mage could fight more recklessly, earning a win easier. Also, the mortality rate of the Knights would surely be lower.

"It takes time for the old practices to be amended," Nova agreed.

"But it happens," Yami told her. "Have you heard the tale of a foreigner who became a Magic Knight?" he asked.

"N-no?"

"There was once a fisherman boy from land far away beyond the sea at the south," Yami's deep voice somehow lulled her into a dreamlike state as he told the story. "He lived happily with his mother and father, learning to fish and aiming to continue the family legacy, until one day he was caught in a storm. His little boat sunk and he washed up at a beach of a foreign country. He didn't even speak the language. Then, some men tried to bully him so he beat them up. Then, some more men tried to rob him and he beat them up, too. Finally, he met someone who taught him how to speak the local tongue and told him to become a Magic Knight. So, the boy did," Yami paused and took a long drag from his cigarette. "Even in the Knights, he was faced with a lot of rumors and whispers. Men tried to oust him, but he beat them up, too. Then, he was allowed to make his own Squad and he became a Captain. The end." Nova stared at the man in front of her, an impassive look on his face, doing her best to contain her laughter. His story, while she was certain served a point, was told in such a way that it made her want to crack up.

"A tale of adventure and hardship," she nodded, managing only to giggle a bit.

"A tale of change in the old ways," Yami supplied, shrugging. "It's all about surpassing your limits, right now, right here. Doing what you think is right and serving your purpose."

"Every cloud has a silver lining?" Nova asked.

"Exactly," Yami agreed. "If you want the rules to change, you have to change them yourself. Nobody is going to do it for you and nothing will happen if you just sit on your ass and sigh at the cruelty of the world." Nova looked down at her half-eaten pastry.

"I… don't want to just sit on my ass."

"Good, that's the first step," Yami smirked. "What's your next one?"

"I want… I want to know more," Nova found herself replying honestly to the Captain of the Black Bulls. "I want to know about alternative healing methods, not just through magic, but through actual knowledge about the human body. I want to change the way we heal Knights, as if they're just an expendable resource."

"And how will you do that?" Yami asked, tilting his head to the side. There was a small smirk present on his face, like he was watching some kind of an art piece or a battle in progress or something. Nova couldn't exactly pinpoint it, but she was amusing him.

"I'm going to find out about the Surgeon of Death."

"The serial killer?"

"The surgeon who tried to make a change, if you ask me."

"Didn't go too well in the end. That freak's got bodies in double digits left in his bloody trail," Yami sighed, blowing out cigarette smoke.

"But, before he went mad and butchered people, he healed so many," Nova argued her point. "While his devolving into a serial killer is a fascinating thing, I'm more curious about his work before his madness. It was groundbreaking." Nova looked down to her fingers, fiddling with a loose strand of her nightgown.

"I see," Yami nodded. "As long as you're not planning on following in his footsteps, I don't see a problem. And, if you do decide to go on a murder spree, someone will surely be there to stop you." Nova laughed at that, and the Captain chuckled. "Why don't you head up, settle in for the night. I trust you already know where Luck and Magna's rooms are?"

"Ah, yes, thank you," the girl blushed under his raised eyebrow which had a teasing edge to it. She stood, taking the last piece of her pastry and stuffing it into her mouth. She washed it down with the remainder of her coffee. Picking up her broom, Nova headed for the stairs before pausing for a second. She turned to see the Captain sitting at the bar, pensively staring at the empty living quarters in front of him. "Captain Yami?"

"Mm?" He didn't turn to look at her.

"How did you find your strength?" Then, he turned to her, taking a drag from his cigarette. "How did you find the strength to look evil in the eye and fight against it? To paint a bull's-eye on your back and to still persist? To do good in face of impending doom?" Yami blew out smoke and shrugged.

"There is nothing else to do, unless you're ready to admit defeat," he told her. "And, I'm not ready to turn in yet." Somehow, Nova got the feeling that he wasn't talking about going to sleep or retiring, but rather eternal rest. "If you can't be brave on your own, you find someone to hold your fear for you. Someone to always have your back, through thick and thin. Come hell or high water."

"Like the Bulls?" Nova asked.

"In due time, I hope they will be just that," the Captain chuckled. "I handpicked them, after all. They all have tremendous potential." He looked at her then and Nova felt a tingle go down her spine. She was suddenly reminded that he wasn't just a random man she'd met, but a Captain of a Magic Knights' Squad and a seasoned warrior who'd seen many battles. "We can't pick and choose where we meet our end. But, we can hold death at bay for as long as we are capable. Me, with my sword, you, with your hands. And when our time comes, we need to face it proudly and greet it like an old friend, with a smile on our face, without any regrets. That's the difference between living and existing."

"What about the fear? How do we keep fear at bay?"

"We don't," Yami said and Nova tightened her grip on her broom. The feeling of all alone in the dark, anticipating an enemy attack was still fresh in her mind. "If you're not afraid, you don't really value your life. It's only normal to be afraid, but it's also normal to master your fear, so it doesn't rule you."

"Through sheer willpower?"

"Through knowing why you want to live." Nova nodded, then stood for a moment, thinking, then nodded again.

"Thank you, Captain Yami," she said finally. "For everything." He waved her off with a smile on his face and she had the feeling, as she walked up the stairs, that she'd embarrassed him somehow. Finding Luck's room in the dark had proven a challenge, but Nova thought it was mostly due to her being lost in her thoughts because of Yami's words, and not because the room itself had moved.

Nova woke up to the warmth of the sun on her skin and the sound of birds chirping outside the window. She stretched, still groggy from her sleep, turning around in the soft bed and snuggling further into the pillow. It smelled so nice, of that crisp smell after the rain and fresh laundry. It was warm, comforting and lulled her back to sleep. For once within the past two weeks, she felt well-rested. She hadn't had a single nightmare during the night. A gentle knock on the door made her open her eyes.

"Miss Nova?" it was a vaguely familiar voice at the door. "Are you up?"

"Y-yes," Nova's voice cracked and she shot up in the bed, realization dawning on her. She wasn't at the Tower. She was in Luck's bed, at the Bulls' base. And Luck wasn't there. And she had come in her nightgown. And she had had a heart-to-heart with Captain Yami. Blushing profusely, Nova let herself fall back into the soft pillows. She was a mess.

"I've got some clothes here for you, since Captain said you might need them," the voice said again. Who was that again? Nova did her best to remember all the Bulls she'd met. She forced herself to get out of the inviting bed and stumble to the door.

"Thank you," the girl opened the door, finding a short girl standing on the other side. There was a smile on the Bull's face, but it wasn't accusing or invasive. Just welcoming. "Ah, um, I'm sorry, we've met before, but I can't recall-"

"I'm Charmy," the other girl said with a grin. "Charmy Pappitson. I think these should fit you alright, even though you're a bit taller than me. I'd ask Vanessa, but she's not here right now."

"I'm sorry for the trouble…" Nova accepted the small pile of neatly folded clothing with a sheepish smile.

"No trouble at all! We love having guests," Charmy told her. "Breakfast is ready downstairs whenever you're good to come down. There's cupcakes and croissants and eggs and bacon and jam and those little buns with powdered sugar and of course cake!" Nova noticed how Charmy's whole demeanor brightened as she talked about food. She smiled at the quirkiness of the short Bull, nodding.

"I'll be down in a second."

"Take your time," Charmy waved, bounding off with a spring to her step. Nova smiled in her wake, going back into Luck's room. She took off her nightdress and put on the clothes Charmy had given her. The tunic fit more like a shirt and the tights made her feel exposed with how form-fitting they were. But, at least she wasn't in her nightgown anymore. A shower would have to wait for her to get back to the Tower, too. With a frown, Nova put her hair up in a bun. She'd forgone washing her hair the previous night, because she'd been so tired, and now she regretted that decision. She could already feel the oil buildup on her scalp. At least tying it up would hide that a bit.

She tidied up Luck's bed, folded her nightgown, grabbed her broom and headed for the living area of the Bulls' Base. There, everything was busy, but not in the same way as it usually was at the Tower. At home, every morning had a sense of urgency to it if there were patients downstairs. After all, being just a bit late could mean the difference between life and death. There was always the possibility of an emergency rolling in straight from the battlefield. In sharp contrast, the Bulls seemed to be bustling with lazy joyous activity, without a care in the world. Charmy was sitting at the large dining table, her magic sheep handing her plate after plate to be emptied with gusto. Yami seemed to be dozing off in his chair, only a coffee in front of him and a cigarette in his mouth. There was also another member of the Squad there, someone she hadn't met before. It was a dark haired man sporting a hat and clothing that somehow resembled a military uniform from the old days. However, Nova did recognize Grey, a hulking man at the head of the dining room table, who silently ate his food. She suddenly wished that Magna, Luck, Vanessa or even Finral were there. Someone that she knew a bit better.

"It looks good on you!" Charmy's absent-minded voice forced Nova to make a decision to enter the room fully, rather than to attempt to escape upstairs.

"Thank you very much for lending them to me," she told the Mage with a smile. "I'll be sure to have them washed and back to you in no time."

"No worries, no worries," Charmy waved her off. "Pull up a chair." Nova placed her nightgown and broom on the couch, walking over to the table. She decided to play it safe and sat next to Yami and across from Charmy and the dark-haired man she didn't know. He spared her a look and mumbled something under his breath. She didn't catch it.

"Feeling spiffy this morning?" Yami asked, looking down at Nova. She nodded mutely, as Charmy was pushing a large serving of scrambled eggs, bacon and fresh tomatoes over to her.

"There's pita bread in the oven, too," the Mage told her practically drooling at the idea.

"Ah, thank you," Nova took an empty plate and selected some of the delicious-smelling food. She was handed some white cheese soon enough by Charmy, and then a fresh, piping hot pita bread by a magic sheep. The dark-haired man across from her pushed a pot of fresh coffee her way. "Thank you," Nova nodded, accepting everything, her shyness returning. "I'm sorry for intruding on you all last night."

"It's no intrusion at all," Charmy giggled. "Any friend of the Squad is welcome at our table." Nova blushed profusely, but dug into her food. It was odd, being accepted into such a community of oddballs so quickly, but she didn't dislike it per se. In fact, she welcomed the new friendships with open arms.

"Where have you been?" Mary exclaimed when Nova finally walked through the doors of the Tower in the early afternoon hours. "Will and I've been worried sick!" She had a stormy look on her face and her hands were on her hips, which always told Nova that a scolding was coming.

"I'm sorry, I went to see Luck and Magna, but they weren't home, so I ended up talking to Captain Yami and it was really late, so I slept over and then Charmy insisted I had breakfast with the Bulls and then I met Gordon and he wanted to show me his doll collection and I talked to Grey, because last time I met him I was rude and he was very shy and didn't talk much, so I stayed there for-"

"High Heavens! Those Bulls really are a horrible influence, you ought to stop going there so often!" Mary interrupted, then grabbed Nova into a tight hug. "Next time, at least leave us a note."

"I promise I will," Nova mumbled into the woman's chest, the warm scent of earth surrounding her. Mary smelled of spring and new fresh flowers and aromatic herbs. The woman released her, before grabbing a checklist off the assignment board and pushing it into Nova's hands.

"Get yourself sorted upstairs and get to work. We have a full house," Mary told her, before grabbing the broom out of the girl's hands and placing it next to her and Elizabeth's. "Honestly, walking off in the middle of the night without a word. Not a peep. Not even a note. Gonna make my hair go gray before I'm thirty," she grumbled under her breath, making Nova smile. "Git!"

"I'm going, I'm going!" the girl ran, but couldn't help smiling. While she hadn't been at the Tower for long, her bond with its residents was as strong as her relationship with the villagers she'd grown up with. Will took on the roles of teacher, older brother, father and fellow mischief causer. He worried about her, guided her and took care of her in a way she hadn't known before. Nova's parents were both into a rather laisser-faire kind of parenting style, so there hadn't ever been anyone to hover over her and watch her every move. Will, on the other hand, did just that. Mary was mostly a mother figure, with her stern scoldings at the ready for both Nova and Will. She sometimes behaved in an almost grandmotherly fashion, complaining about the sudden changes in weather and the toll which they took on her body. Elizabeth was the eclectic almost neighbor kind of a person, mostly shut in her room, unless she came downstairs to help with an urgent injury or to test her newest invention. Owen was the friendly uncle, always away on some work for the Wizard King, usually all very hush hush, which meant that everyone at the Tower knew all the details and discussed it regularly. It was a kind of environment which made her forget about the nostalgia and homesickness which she felt whenever she received a letter from her mother or father.

"No getting out of bed," Nova scolded once she entered the healing area, where Remi was obviously attempting his thousandth escape.

"Pleasure to see you, as always, Miss Nova," the Lion replied with a strained smile on his face. He'd been bedridden ever since being brought back to the Capital, but he kept regaining more and more function in his arms, which was a promising sight. Even Owen had been impressed with the precision of Nova's surgery on-site. "Though, I wouldn't mind not seeing you for a while."

"As soon as you're out of this place, I don't want to see you for a year!" Nova reprimanded with a smile on her face. "How's the nausea today?"

"Much better, though Miss Mary insisted on feeding me herself even though I said I could hold a spoon on my own," Remi offered a small smile, sighing in relief as his back hit the pillows. He had been at the Tower for so long that him and Nova had forgone most of the formalities. After all, having bathed, fed and taken him to the bathroom on numerous occasions, Nova was at that point someone as close to him as his childhood governess. They'd both gotten quite at ease with one another.

"I heard from Will that Genevieve came to see you yesterday," Nova commented, extending her OR and inspecting Remi's incisions and taking his temperature.

"A-ah, yes, s-she was here," the Knight blushed, looking down at his lap. "The Captain sent her to check on me."

"Oh-ho," Nova grinned, waggling her eyebrows at the Knight, who turned a rather interesting shade of red.

"Please, Miss Nova, Genevieve is engaged," Remi told her rather quickly. "We're just squad mates."

"Not like she's married," Nova shrugged. Remi spluttered, attempting to deny her implications, but the girl patted his shoulder with a laugh. "I'm only teasing, don't worry. However, nothing happens if you just sit and wait. You should take charge of your own destiny, see where it leads you."

"She's… not someone I could ever be with," Remi sighed.

"How come?" Nova jotted down the information about her patient's present condition in his chart.

"Genevieve is from a family far more prestigious than mine. Also, she's engaged to a Duke," he explained. "If she broke off her engagement, firstly it would be incredibly shameful for her family and secondly, she would be marrying down if we were to be wed. It's something unheard of." Nova looked at the Knight, noticing his somber expression.

"She doesn't return your feelings?" she asked.

"I… We never talked about it…" he admitted.

"I think that, as long as two people love each other, they should have the chance to be happy together, stations and circumstances be damned," Nova honestly said. Remi looked at her for a moment, then spoke.

"Do you have a sweetheart, Miss Nova?" Luck's face appeared in her thoughts and she was painfully aware of the heat around her ears.

"Well, since we're having a heart to heart," Nova sighed with a small smile. "I do have feelings. But, it's just me. And, we're too good of friends to ruin that with my silly self having feelings. Nothing will ever come of it."

"Well, I think that if two people love each other they ought to try to be together," Remi smirked at her.

"Touché, Mr. Lion, touché," Nova shook her head with a smile, giving the man a wave before she left to make rounds on the rest of her patients. Still, that conversation played in her head as she went. Was she right? Was her affection for Luck doomed from the start to be heartbreak? Or, was it just a childish crush? And, if he did feel anything similar towards her, would that change anything? Most importantly, how would those feelings make him feel, knowing what she knew of his past? Would he resent her for having caused them at all? Nova pinched her nose, banishing the thoughts. She forced a smile onto her face before moving the curtain to another patient's bed.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Darren, how's the pain in your stomach today?"

Hope you enjoyed the update!

Reviews:

AmericanNidiot:
Hi and thanks again for the review!
Oh, gosh, I bet I did… I don't know why, but they're forever Crimson Dawn in my head, I'll make sure to roll back and fix it xD Thanks so much for pointing that out!
No adoption yeeeet, but at least he helps her out? xD
Hope you enjoyed the update!

Tora3:
Thanks so much for the review! I always planned to add more spells to Nova's arsenal, I actually tend to forget which spells she has and which she hasn't xD, and I'm glad that you liked the addition! Ooooh! I just looked it up (Elden Ring is on my to try out list, but haven't gotten to it yet) and it seems like we're on the same page :) Definitely very similar to how I imagined the spell :D
Hope you enjoyed the new chapter!