"Mr. Ashen!"
Rossweisse called out to Ashen while he was busy taking rummaging through the pockets of one of the corpses. Rushing out the car in a panic.
"What is it Nitwit? Careful you don't slip."
Ashen callously replied while focusing on rummaging through the pockets. Not even sparing Rossweisse so much as a glance.
He could hear her feet patter through the road and when he heard her exclaim, "Ah!", his hand swung backwards and instantly grabbed a piece of cloth, and pulled it towards him.
"What did I tell you?"
He sighed and turned his head to see Rossweisse looking at him in surprise as he held her clothes.
"You're wearing white garments so blood will stain it quite badly.", after making sure that she wouldn't fall over, he let's her clothes go and resumes looting the other gunmen. Adding a, 'You should've worn the black one before we left...' grumble while he was at it.
"Um...thanks...", Rossweisse stammered for a bit before remembering the reason why she had approached him in a hurry, "Nevermind that! Mr. Ashen! Your wounds! We need it to get treated right away or you will die!"
Ashen, indifferent to her cry looked at his body to check himself;
'Hmm...bullet wounds on my abdomen and my right side. The wound on my left from last night has reopened which is bad since I'll have to stitch it up again and I don't have a needle and thread. As for the blood...it seems I've lost a bit already but nothing a good meal and sleep would not be able to fix. If I am to sum it all up...'
"I'm fine so don't mind me."
Is his self-assured diagnosis.
"You are definitely not fine!", Rossweisse immediately denied his words, "I may have spent the majority of my time inside the Church but that does not mean I am unfamiliar with healing and injuries and those wounds of yours definitely require immediate healing!", she cried out.
"Like I said. I am fine. I'll just eat a hearty meal later, go to sleep and then bam! I'm good to go again."
Ashen noticed that was still unconvinced, making him sigh.
"Even if what you say is true and I require immediate healing, then calling an ambulance should be the first thing I should've done."
"If you knew that, then why have you not done so? At this rate-"
Ashen held up his hand to stop her, "Nitwit, do you not notice what you should have noticed before the gunfight even started?", his tone suggesting that he was exasperated.
"What are you talking about?", Rossweisse however seems to not understand what Ashen is trying to imply.
"Look. We are in a highway, and a lot of cars had already passed us by."
Ashen pointed at the other side of the highway before continuing.
"The other humans are simply passing us by, not giving a damn to our situation despite this and if you look closely, they are either choosing to ignore us or outright avoiding us."
Rossweisse takes a look at the passing cars but she simply made a face of utter confusion, "But is that not because this place is currently dangerous? They would definitely lend a helping hand if this place is cleared of all dangerous elements.", Rossweisse asked.
Ashen immediately concluded Rossweisse as a person who only sees the 'good' in people, not the 'reality' of them which made him sigh even more deeply in disappointment.
"Nitwit, get this in your noggin, right now, no 'sane' human would ever lend a helping hand to us. Let alone approach us to offer help nor even call the police or an ambulance. Heck, when this side of the highway was blocked by these trigger-happy nutjobs, all the approaching vehicles immediately took a u-turn and ran away, and that's because they were 'sane' humans.", Ashen finishes looting the last of the corpses, "Those who would even try to help us would be ridiculed as being suicidal or insane and only us who were helped would view them in a positive light if ever. That is the reality of this world right now."
"But-"
Ashen sighed for the last time before facing Rossweisse, "Nitwit, we don't even have the time to worry about things like my current state. Reluctant and disgusted I might be, your safety is our priority right now. Reluctant and disgusted I might be."
"Do you really hate it that much that you have to say it twice?!"
Ignoring Rossweisse's retort, Ashen shrugs and walks past her, "Besides, look at me. I'm fine and healthy! I can still outrun you in my current state!", he laughs to emphasize his health before continuing, "Come on. We don't have all day. We won't know when more of these idiots come. We best head to the city on foot so let's-"
Suddenly, Ashen felt a tug on his sleeve making turn his head to look and sees Rossweisse grabbing his hand with both of hers.
"At least, let me heal you to relieve you of your pain even a little."
As soon as she said those words, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes to concentrate. Not long after, her body started to glow and shimmer in gold. Small balls of light started rising from the ground all around them and soon, the glow from Rossweisse's body spread and enveloped Ashen which shocked him.
"What the hell-"
Ashen was completely taken aback by the surreal scene before his very eyes. Being someone who professes to follow logic and common sense, he expected this to happen when they end up in a church or someplace where hiding SFX gear would be easy to do. But he did not expect it to happen right in the middle of the carnage he had just wrought.
He felt his body become light, and the throbbing pain in his body dissipate into nothing and his mind that was clouded due to it, become clear.
After a few more seconds, Rossweisse exhaled and let go of Ashen's hand, "This is all I can help you with as I am now...forgive me.", she apologized softly as she opened her eyes and steps back.
Ashen quickly retracted his hand and inspected it. Then he started to touch his body to check for any difference.
"No way..."
He could not believe it. His wounds had closed to the point that he could feel only scars in their place.
'Just what is this? Sorcery? It sure as hell ain't a miracle though...'
"What the hell did you just do?", he asked Rossweisse who was somehow, now tottering in place. Her head swaying to the sides showing that she was fatigued. She looked at Ashen one last time and smiled before collapsing to the road.
Before her clothes hit the floor though, Ashen instantly stepped forward and grabbed her and lifted her up,
"Oi!"
He called out to her but she did not respond.
Thinking that something may have happened to her, Ashen checked her breathing,
*Fuuuu....haaaa....*
The sound of soft breathing could be heard making Ashen heave a sigh of relief.
"Seriously...passing out just as I was asking a question. You sure are troublesome, Nitwit.", he looked at her sleeping face, "If you're gonna pass out like this, you shouldn't have done this right in the middle of the bloody road."
He can't seem to help himself from remonstrating her.
'Guess I have to setup some rules that we have to follow from now on when she wakes up.'
He then looked to the distance in the direction of the city and from somewhere in that direction, he could hear sirens echo in the air.
"Hm...if the gunmen's capabilities and gear are in any indication, any organization that has at least the organizational power equal to law enforcement would be a red flag for us right now...", Ashen then sets Rossweisse down on a nearby car then heads to another and grabs a bag, a bulletproof vest and then a rifle and some extra ammunition. He also grabs a couple of grenades and a knife.
"Why did those idiots not use this high-powered rifle or chuck these grenades at me when they were trying to kill me earlier?"
He questions the actions of the gunmen from earlier as he inspected the firearm and the grenades. With a headshake of disappointment, he stows away the grenades inside the vest pockets along with the extra ammunition then slings the rifle over his right shoulder before heading back to Rossweisse.
"Hmm...It can't be helped. I'll carry you on my back...", sparing no moment to think of other solutions, he straps the bag on Rossweisse's back then puts her unconscious body on his back with a grunt, "Damn...You're heavier than you look..."
This is the part where in stories, women would actually reprimand men for mentioning it or outright slap them.
"Heh! This is reality though so don't expect things to go that way!", he smugly declares as he adjusted Rossweisse over his back.
"Well then...off to Lothargien!"
And so began anew their journey.