"Man, you folks do know how to enjoy life. What a luxury" Inside the treatment room, the official and unofficial members of the Silver wolves team were each soaking in separate healing springs.
"I know right. Emperors would be spitting out their tea if they knew we were using healing pools for such minor injuries" Frederick chimed in. He had a relaxed and refreshed smile on his face as he soaked in the pool.
Although their injuries could not really be referred to as light, no one refuted Frederick's words. On Zandor, no one- absolutely no one- would use healing springs for this purpose. Although prestigious royal families could afford the pools with almost no difficulty, enlisting an alchemist was the main challenge. They were rare and scarce. And those who were enlisted by royal families would feel insulted if asked to build a healing spring for a few bruises and fractures. Royal families wouldn't risk losing the service of an alchemist just because they couldn't handle a few injuries.
The injuries they had obtained in the duel weren't enough to warrant the attention of an alchemist. Any physician worth his/her salt would be able to handle such 'trivial' wounds. Hence, Frederick's words were absolutely right.
"I am baffled by one thing though. It is concerning you, Mane." Selina's lovely fingers waddled through the medicine-filled pool. The bandages and sling had been tossed aside to the corner of the room, forgotten and clearly no longer needed. Selina looked at the captain soaking in the pool at the centre of the room. The others had all picked pools close to his, causing him to literally be the middle man. It wasn't because they valued him so much. Far from that. They had questions that needed answering, and Mane had promised to do that.
"You clearly sustained no injuries. So, why are you soaking in the pool?" Upon receiving Mane's gaze of approval, Selina asked the question that seemed to draw only her curiosity, for the others- Frederick included- seemed unconcerned with Mane's 'strange' behaviour.
"This pool is different from the rest. It is the only one in this room that is meant for mental exhaustion and psychological stress. Although, I am indeed without any wounds on the outside, I am more mentally exhausted than any one of you. After all, I had to fight against five people." Mane calmly explained as he closed his eyes to properly relax.
Selina nodded in understanding at the young boy's words. They were too reasonable to be disputed. Especially after she was briefed by Jake, and had found out how Mane was uninjured, when he clearly was before she and Frederick were knocked out. She looked at Frederick, who smiled in return. Clearly, that had been the smart teen's guess.
"How did you know?" she asked in perplexity.
"Well, I assumed that it must be special since it is situated at the centre. Since the entrance is placed on a higher platform, it is pretty easy to see all the pools when one walks in. The springs are organised into three different circles. The inner circle, the outer circle, and the outermost circle. The pools in the outermost ring do not have the deep green colour of those in the outer ring. They are clearly not as potent. The inner ring springs are even deeper in colour. From afar, they almost look like large emeralds. The anomaly in all this is the solitary spring at the centre, which is even brighter than the 'fake emeralds'. Initially I assumed that with the light wounds we sustained, we would use the outermost ring. But we did not. Since Mane isn't injured, I figured it would be an issue of his psychological state. I'm sure you'd have noticed it too, if you weren't so excited to see the pools." Frederick's lengthy explanation finally came to an end.
Selina looked a bit embarrassed by Frederick's words. Though it was hard to tell if the blush on her face was from her comfort, or embarrassment. She was a beautiful lady. If she were asked to return to school looking like how she did before, she'd rather not. Hence, when she saw the healing springs, she had excitedly thrown off her bandages and sling, and rushed into one. She had to move away from that one though, when the others all picked pools close to the centre. She had ignored all that Frederick's had observed in her fervent state. As a wielder who had been on quite a number of missions- a few high profile ones too- she was a bit disappointed that she had missed all that.
"What do you think you are doing?" Abe asked his captain, effectively changing the subject and drawing attention to himself. Mane opened his eyes with a wry smile on his face.
"You aren't going to allow me to rest?" Mane asked with a pitiful smile.
"Isn't that what the pool is for?" Abe heartlessly replied.
"Please save those puppy eyes for later" He sure looked cute while trying to win their sympathy, but even Selina wasn't falling for it.
"We aren't letting you off that easy. You promised us answers. And you shall honour your promise." Abe was adamant. The Western Empire's prince wasn't going to allow Mane any rest until all his questions were answered.
Mane turned his eyes to the twins, those who always took his side even when they didn't have to. Both Jake and John turned their faces away, choosing to ignore 'brother' Mane.
"Even the twins have abandoned me. And after I took you to Kids City last vacation too. I am truly heartbroken" Mane sighed in remorse. The twins had a look of shame on their faces.
"Give the act a rest Mane, spare the twins the feeling of guilt. You are ten. Do you even know what a heartbreak is?" Selina mocked.
Mane slightly blushed at her words. The twins though, had better expressions upon hearing them. Selina stuck out her red tongue at them, an act that caused both boys to chuckle. Even Abe had a smile on his face.
"Why don't you start giving us some answers? The earlier you finish with your explanation, the better." Frederick 'kindly' suggested.
Mane smiled in resignation. He adjusted himself a bit and said, "Alright. Where do I begin?"