" How is he?!"
Philomel demanded as she placed a hand on Amon's head just to realize that he has a terrible fever.
" His right leg has a terrible infection that's what's causing the fever as for the seizures and the sudden blood loss. It's a side effect from the little shadow breaking the seals. Your friend isn't strong enough to handle that and yet did he all he could to keep the little shadow in. He used half of his soul mana, which are reserves meant to keep his soul from leaving the body. Right now his body is doing all it can to produce mana instead of blood.
Unfortunately, blood is needed to create mana and mana is required in order to create blood. Your friend needs mana and blood badly, he also needs anti-poison for the infection. He needs it within 3 hours before his body overworks its constant compensation and fails to produce or the infection takes over his whole spine. "
Felicia the middle age woman explained as she squeezes a wet cloth and places it back on Amon's forehead.
" Darzirak! What the heck?! How could you do this to your own contract holder?! Why didn't you stop? You were in his body! Surely you should have known!"
Philomel screamed at Darzirak with an accusing finger, causing Darzirak to shiver in pure delight and started having short breaths even though he doesn't even need to breathe.
" Mel... Can you please... *Moans* not do that... you're making it hard for me to focus."
Darzirak struggled to admit as he melted on the ground. Philomel lets out an angry frustrated growl as she turned her back to him, taking in deep breaths and trying to calm herself down.
" Miss Philomel, maybe it's best if I answer on behalf of Little Shadow. Since it was a question my daughter-in-law asked as well. Little Shadow, knew that his bond with your friend was weak but even his weakest bond could handle a seal break like it was nothing more than a bleeding finger. It seems that Little Shadow bonded with your friend more than your friend bonded with him. This unbalance is what causes your friend to take Little Shadow attacks so hard."
Percy explain as the old man slowly took a sit on the wooden chair that was close to the window. He struggled to sit down and even need to extract support from the nearby coffee table to be able to accomplish it.
" On top of that, your friend chose to sacrifice much to keep little shadow trapped within as long as possible. With each attack little shadow did, your friend suffered 6 times the damage. It's a miracle that your friend has the ability to use his soul mana reserve. If he didn't have that skill he would have died near the end."
Felicia softly added as she tucked a strand of her long light brown hair, behind her ear. Philomel covers her mouth with her hand in shock as she holds back the urge to cry. Little One felt Philomel's feelings and immediately hugs her neck, patting her back as he babbled, trying to console her. Unable to remember that it doesn't work or that he had done it before and it has failed.
" Miss Philomel, please do not despair. There is still a way to save your friend. The east part of this village belongs to the upper-class Lord that controls the military protection around this village against the dangerous creatures of Mountmend. They will have the potion required to save your friend but unfortunately, the Lord is greedy and the prices have skyrocketed. No one in the village is strong enough to oppose him and his army.
Go to his healer, find out the price of the potions, then head over to the tavern, and to the best of your abilities, do any quest. The knights in the Lord's army have grown lazy since they are paid on a monthly base through taxes of this village. Regards if they do their duty or not. Since that is how the Lord has paid them all off to keep quiet about the consistent increase in tax.
Because of this, they are allowing anyone to do their task but the pay is quite bad. I wish I could offer you my help but I'm old and no longer as strong as I once was. My gear has been sold to feed our hungry bellies. Every man in this village is weak from hunger or badly injured for attempting a quest without the necessary gear or skill..."
Percy trails off, ending this tale on a sad note as he held his forehead.
" Father-in-law, what you have done was needed and best for the village, please do not second guess yourself. Why don't you get some rest? Miss Philomel must want some time alone with her friend before she embarks on her journey. Let's wait for her in the room next door."
Felicia suggested as she got up to her feet and walked up to Percy's side.
" This place was once so happy... two villages joined by profitable mines under the protection of our entrance guards and little fire dragon. All in a flash, the little dragon was killed, the greatest Paladin Soth, my father fell to the same fate, and my uncle and my son were forced to duty under the pretense of war in the kingdom Ranrion. Sealed away from the support of the next village. Where did it all go wrong?"
The old man muttered sadly to himself as he accepted Felicia's help and hobbled his way out of the room. Philomel was a distance away and didn't catch what Percy has said but Darzirak's ears perked as he heard every word. Philomel knelt down next to Amon's bedside, placing Little One on the bed next to Amon's left hand.
" I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry Amon... this is all my fault... if only... *scoffs* as if 'if only ' would change anything. I was so sure, so sure that we would be able to pull it through. We didn't know about the Death Knight and even if we did, I still would have been confident in my plan. There was no way I would have been able to anticipate Little One joining back on our team. There was no way I could have anticipated a dead baby dragon coming back from the dead."
Philomel admitted as she held Amon's cold hand, massaging his hand with both her hands, bringing his hand to her lips, using her hot breath and just doing all she can to warm his cold hand. Her eyes burned with tears but only one teardrop fell. A tear she wiped away as soon as it fell before returning to warming Amon's hand. Little One lay his little head on Amon's stomach as he looks up at Amon's chest. Hearing his slow heartbeat and uneven breath. Unable to detect that there was something wrong with Amon.
" Out of all the situations and everything that has happened. You have done extremely well. If one decision was made differently, there was no way you would have come out alive with Little One in tow."
Darzirak pointed out as he slowly pulled his body from the ground and joined her side.
" Oh really? And how would you know? You weren't there for the ending part."
Philomel scoffed as she turn away from Darzirak.
" I know because each time I join Amon, his memories flow through me. I can choose to see his memories or ignore them since I was locked in there for some time. I took a trip down his memory lane, looking for cracks in his defenses. If it was anyone else, they would have broken down at the third or fourth sight of trouble and given up. Even when Little One joined, you didn't give up. You face death situations and overcame them all to the best of your abilities. No one else is able to do that."
Darzirak declared as he leaped onto the bed, forcing Philomel to look at him right in his red ruby eyes. Philomel stared at Darzirak's eyes just to realize that he wasn't lying... he truly believe what he said...
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