"So, from now on, we advise bed rest and not putting too much strain on your body." the doctor tells me as she looks through some information on a stone tablet.
"Okay." I simply said as I did not really have the know-how to complain. Besides, the bed was very comfortable.
"We are sorry, Student Einervaene. But, given what has just ended, we just don't have the resources to focus on everyone. I hope you understand." she repeats in apology one more time before she walks out the door.
"That's fine..." I quietly say, too late for her to hear as the door had closed behind her long before I said anything. Then, as there wasn't really much else to do, I turned and faced the window before looking outside it. I could not see much as the Orbital-Halo was nearly coming through the glass. Yet, I could still make out large gatherings of people.
Perhaps they were preparing a party out there? I have heard that there are quite impressive celebrations for the winning House. And, as a participant in the event, I was invited by proxy. Yet, I probably would not go unless they others went.
I wasn't particularly interested in being surrounded by those high on their victory. Yet, I was curious as to see what Baltanthan had been up to during it. He was training for that event for far longer than we ever were... And, it was his House that won.
So, who knows, maybe I would go on my own if it came to that. I should at least offer congratulations where it was due. But, I can see it being quite funny if he admits that he had been removed long before victory was assured. I, however, chose to presume that he had held on to the end.
"Hey! Hey!" a muffled voice then began to say as the door to my room began to get thudded on. It was Larishazza and she was as cheerful as ever.
"You can come in!" I tell her, slightly annoyed and confused by her constant knocking. Yet, it was Vadei who eventually opened the door and I smiled at the pair of them. I even kept my smile when Rossie-chira of all people stepped in with them.
"I've made a new friend!" Larishazza chirps as she tries to play with Rossie-chira's tail.
Then, I briefly frowned, "Will you introduce them?" I ask as it seems odd that I kept on using that old nickname. I had grown used to using their actual names so just having Rossie-chira being referred to in that manner was odd.
"Rose'lhia!" Larishazza answers while Rose'lhia just raises a brow.
"I would think I would have had a greater impact on you, no?" she asks me as she approaches. And all I could was smile nervously as it was easier to do that than just ask for her actual name.
"S-So, how have you been?" I then asked her nervously as I had not seen her in a long time. She sort of disappeared once she stopped being around Nin.
"I have been very happy, as of late." she tells me with a dreamy sigh before she straightens her expression.
"We're going to go find Nin. You well enough to follow?" Vadei explains after she rolls her eyes at Rose'lhia.
"I don't know. The doctor says I should stay in bed and rest."
"They said that to me to- OW!" Larishazza began to say before her jumping upset the injured arm and side.
"Point proven." I joke as she pouts at me.
"How bad is it, then?" Vadei asks as she moves closer and shows off her slightly bandaged fingertips.
"Does it look bad?" I ask nervously as I start to feel a painful outline around my body. Whatever happened when I was caught, it was relatively clean, I guess. The precision kind as I very much still remembered all the blood...
"You aren't dying, so no." Vadei tells me with a smirk and shrug.
"That's quite an extreme point to work with." I tell her before I look down at where all the stitches and bandages were. All along where my frame was... I guess that meant I would have to make a new outfit. Or part of one, I guess.
It was only along my torso where the pain was, my injuries from the other fight were dealt with. Maybe as far back as before the fight against that woman to begin with. And, as I was going to give Baltanthan congratulations. I should at least offer thanks to that fire-user as well.
"So, will you be coming or not, Dear?" Rose'lhia asks me as she rests a hand on me. Some magic even started to pass into me but I don't think it did anything.
"I will need to see if I can..." I answered with some worry before I slowly exposed my legs. Yet, when I did, I hid them back under the quilt as my legs were bare.
"You aren't naked, Redface." Vadei scoffs in bemusement as I glare back at her.
"I'm the only one dressed like this!" I squeak while Larishazza and Rose'lhia both laughed at me. And, I whined as they did so... This wasn't funny...
"We're both dressed far more appropriately than you, Dear." Rose'lhia comments before she just pulls the quilt from me.
"PUT IT BACK!" I scream before Larishazza spins away with my only protection. Yet, she invoked the God of Justice and provoked her injury for the act.
"See, no problem at all." Rose'lhia then teases as she runs a hand up to where it shouldn't have been.
"S-Sorry!" I then squeak as she suckles her finger after I shocked it in response. Yet, the look she was giving me only made me turn redder.
"Maybe learn a different way to do that?" she asks me with wet lips before she backs away giggling.
"I hate you all..." I then let out as I slowly get out of bed before I snatch up a dressing gown to further cover myself with. However, I could still feel a draft come in from under me. And, as I walked about to make sure my injuries were fine with it. I took on a stiff posture with my legs barely moving at all.
Outside of that, though, I was fine and everyone was ready to go. Well, everyone but Larishazza who had trapped herself between my quilt and her injury. So, I sighed before we helped her up. And, she did not learn her lesson at all and still kept on dancing about.
"So do you know where Nin is?" I ask them once I close the door behind us. And, to my disappointment, Vadei gestured down the quietest part of the hallway. I guess it was fine if he wasn't injured. But, if he was...
"At least there's no one in our way!" Vadei jokes as we make our way down the hallway. And, as we did so, Rose'lhia got some compliments while Larishazza made a point of getting smiles whenever she could. I, however.
"Hey! Come on! Open up!" some guy joked before the others near him cackled as I walked by. And, as usual, I turned red and sped up until I was out of sight.
"You need to have more confidence." Rose'lhia tells me with a slight shrug as she tugs at my clothes.
"Confidence isn't the issue..." I complain as I started to recall Mother's teachings in my head. Loose dress was unbecoming of someone like me...
"Oh, I think it is." Rose'lhia counters as she starts to prod my breasts. Much to the enjoyment of those looking at us. Or rather, her as she was barely dressed at all. The imagination was simply not needed with her!
"Stop that!"
"Yes, stop it, we're nearly there." Vadei snaps before she comes to a stop before what was likely the most hidden-away door. We didn't even have any windows now, it was just light from the lights now.
"Hurry up." Rose'lhia scoffs impatiently before Vadei snaps her glare towards her. Everything about her had taken on a threatening persona and it worried me. Vadei wasn't so thin-skinned as to just turn around like that because of impatience.
"Excuse me, I need to see..." I say to my friend before I force my way past her so I could force open the door. And, when I finally got in, I felt tears build up once a gasp finally escaped the invisible chokehold around my neck.
"Hello, Nin." Larishazza opens up with quietly as she quickly takes up a seat next to him. Rose'lhia, however, just went straight for the room on the bed. Despite Vadei's protests to the action...
"Nin?" I say as I slowly approach the end of the bed. Everything about this room was half-done. Nin wasn't even dressed in clean bandages and many of his wounds still looked fresh...
"M-Morning..." he eventually let out once he stirred from his pain-induced slumber.
"W-Why aren't you...?" I idiotically ask as I was just too focused on the state of his wounds.
"S-Scary bug..." he answers with a surprising amount of brevity before his head suddenly rolls over to Rose'lhia.
"What scary bug? All I see is my handsome lover." she says as she teases his lower jaw before he moves his head away from her.
"It hurts." Nin eventually says as his shudders set off even more painful reactions around his body.
"Is there anything we can do?" I ask while looking around at everyone.
"We could try giving him our magic..." Larishazza says before she tries to drip-feed some water to him. Yet, he could never keep his mouth open long enough to get even a fraction of what he needed.
"It will take some time, he did stand before a Valkinvar." Rose'lhia says but that term confused me. Was a Valkinvar a term for a very powerful student...? I swear I have heard that name before...
"Why would one of them be here?" Larishazza giggles awkwardly before she goes quiet. I guess even she was having trouble keeping the mood light...
"You know what they are?"
"Ancient warrior order. We went passed their home city on the way to..."
"Tobaballe?" Nin finishes, much to our shock as this was the first time he had said that word since...
"Do you remember what happened, when we went there?" I asked, something that scared us all but Rose'lhia.
"What are yo-" Vadei began to hiss before Nin started to move. An action that frightened us yet he did nothing when he stopped.
"It blew up." he answers quietly before he pulls Rose'lhia in closer. But only by a bit as his injuries were not to be understated.
"Y-Yes..." I tell him with uncertainty before he sighs and looks down.
"So, what're we going to do when I finally get out of here?" he then asks with a slight smile before he winces in pain.
Larishazza's stomach then grumbles, "I don't know about then, but, I know what I want to do now!" she says with a smile before she starts to play with one of Nin's fingers.
"Yeah, that would be nice..." Nin moans before we all seemed to face Vadei.
"Yes, yes, I know, I can smell it so I should get it..." Vadei grumbles before she gets up.
"I was going to say because you have no injuries." Nin comments before Vadei shoves her fingers in his face. He then smiles at them which in turn makes her smile.
"So, what do you all want, then?" Vadei asks as she resigns herself to being a food courier.
"Wait, Larishazza..." Nin says as he looks at her.
"Hm? Hm? Hm?" Larishazza repeats until someone makes her.
"S-Shouldn't you be checking on your sister?" Nin asks with a wince before he settles down again.
"I did, she's fine." Larishazza tells us before she starts to nod over and over again. That made me relieved, as while I did not know her all that well. It was gladdening to know my friend was not held up by her sister's injuries. And thankfully, she was not grieving.
"Ok." Nin mutters before he seems to fall asleep. An action that worried us before Rose'lhia confirmed it by trying to sleep herself.
"What do sleeping people eat?" Larishazza then jokes as we all decide to give them space. Albeit, I was reluctant to do so as I would have liked to be in Rose'lhia's place... Then again, I could only have the urge inside of me. She was far too forward with how she felt!