Soon, however, time had passed Lukas and it was now a few hours after noon. He heard the door swing open and saw Skyla walking in.
"I'm going to leave in a few moments, are you feeling any better?"
Lukas looked down and tried to move his legs. They still struggled to shift and squirm the way Lukas tried, but at least he could move them a little more.
"A little... but I think I still want to go with you. I don't want to waste any more time."
Skyla smiled and chuckled lightly to herself.
"Alright then, I will wait outside the room for you. Hurry and get ready."
After Skyla left, Lukas dragged his legs so that he sat on the edge of the bed. He changed out of the plain temporary recovery clothes he was given, and into his uniform. Then, with the aid of his crutches, gathered his belongings and left the room.
Skyla said no words, instead, she smiled lightly before the two of them continued down the hall. But her eyes betrayed her warm persona. No, Lukas could see it clearly, she was conflicted and was hurt looking at Lukas.
Maybe she had some sense of guilt or regret. But Lukas could not parse that much out of her, not through a single glance at least. So they walked in silence, down the halls. Before Skyla broke the silence.
"What were you drawing earlier?"
Lukas looked over in surprise, not knowing she had seen him drawing.
"I was just drawing my family. I... don't want to forget them."
Skyla returned to silence, but now the air was awkward. Thankfully, it was only a few brief moments before they made it to their destination.
As they stepped into a small room facing out along the river, immediately the sun shone in Lukas' eyes. On the other end of the room was a small riverboat suspended above a drop with rope. Lukas followed Skyla into the boat and slowly they were lowered onto the river.
When they were less than a metre above the water, Skyla undid the rope that held them. Then with a slight crash, they were on the water, travelling downstream.
The crash was painful, as it shook Lukas' legs. But, once the river began to carry them on and on, down the river, the pain vanished.
As the two of them rowed south, making sure they kept steady, Lukas' mind wandered as the mundanity of rowing got to him.
He thought about how calm and peaceful the last week had been. Relatively speaking of course, as just recently he had run until he passed out. But at least he could take a break now and then. At least his life wasn't in danger.
"We should reach Mistfell just after dusk if we continue like this."
It was slightly difficult to hear Skyla above the sound of the river. But her voice still rang loud and clear in Lukas' head.
Why was that in these moments, he was at peace? Now of all times, he was calm and the future didn't seem as daunting as it had before.
What if it wasn't that the future was daunting, and now it wasn't? But instead, it was in these moments Lukas became enthralled by everything around him and forgot the past.
Once the river became a little calmer, Lukas got the idea to ask Skyla a few questions that had been bothering him in the back of his mind.
"Skyla, do you ever feel useless?"
The world grew silent around them. With no answer from Skyla, as she blankly stared out into the river.
"Sorry if I said that wrong, but sometimes I feel like I can't do anything. I couldn't look at a single ghast without breaking down. My frequency only affects 5 seconds and I barely use it. I can't keep up with people like you or Vesa. I-"
"Stop... You're not useless... and stop talking like that."
Skyla spoke slowly and with a cold, flat tone. She hadn't spoken this... distantly before. It sent a shiver up Lukas' spine. Those last words even sounded like a light threat.
"Right... sorry..."
'Maybe I shouldn't have said that.'
A few moments passed by, and soon the sun had left the sky dark and filled with stars. Then Lukas could see it, a town drenched in darkness, sparsely lit with lanterns haphazardly placed on only a few street corners.
Lukas and Skyla finally reached Mistfell.