"Fucking hell, A---AA-aa-aA--aaah.... THA-that, feels better" I said as i adjusted my self over the bed. I was in...an office? of some kind? I don't know, too hazy, the pain.
It burned, throughout, everywhere, it burned.
"Why does it hurt like this?" I said as i adjusted to feel a bit more comfortable.
A new voice echoed in the room.
"Because you've overdrawn on your mana-"
"AACK-AAAARRGGHH"
And I got startled, or rather i jumped. And everything hurt like a bitch, no like 2. Unperturbed the voice continued.
"Your mana probably ran through your mana-veins too quickly, injuring them in the process."
"Fatal?" I groaned. I didn't know much about magic, nor about how they worked. Only a sense of how to use them.
"Seeing as you aren't bleeding from all your known orifices, if you ARE human, haven't exploded into a shower of magic and guts, or burnt from inside out, no, it's not. It'll heal in a while, about a week, maybe faster considering you're a traveler"
"I see...aurugh....shit...."
"The first time's rough, everyone goes through it at least once. I'm assuming it's your first time using magic?"
He seriously sounded like such a know-it-all prick
"Yeah"
"Had a feeling. Well, now, you know your limit, and you'll know better than to exceed it. Though, for a first timer, your limit is really extraordinary. Maybe it's got something to do with the fac-"
"Fact that I'm a traveler, I get your point, you figured out who I am, you really don't have to rub it in my face"
He smirked-no, he smiled, wryly.
"I don't intend to show any hostility."
"Sure..how long was I out?"
"2 days"
"Wow"
"Again, it happens to everyone, I was expecting longer honestly"
"Hm. When...argh," I shifted in place again. "When are they coming back?"
"Who?"
"The beasts, those...monsters"
He put on a face for a bit, before he lit up in recognition.
"Ah! You mean the Fyrraths?
"Yeah, those...Fyrraths," I grunted, still feeling the lingering pain coursing through my veins. "When are they coming back?"
The man leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. "Hard to say. They tend to attack in waves, but there's no set pattern to their movements. Could be days, could be weeks."
"Great," I muttered sarcastically, running a hand through my hair. "So we just sit here and wait for them to come back?"
"Well, we could try to fortify the defenses, gather more supplies, maybe even mount a preemptive strike if we're feeling bold."
I shook my head, wincing as the movement sent a jolt of pain through my body. "Preemptive strike? Against those things? Are you out of your mind?"
He shrugged. "Just a suggestion. But I suppose we could focus on fortifying the defenses for now. Make sure we're ready for whatever comes our way."
I nodded, feeling the weight of the situation settling over me. We were trapped in a fortress besieged by monsters, with no way out and no end in sight.
"Well, I guess we better get started then," I said, steeling myself for the task ahead.
The man nodded in agreement, standing up from his chair. "I'll gather the others and we'll start fortifying the perimeter. You should rest and recover your strength. We'll need you at full power when the next wave hits."
With that, he left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the lingering pain of my overdrawn mana.
As I lay there, I couldn't help but wonder how we had ended up in this mess. And more importantly, if we would ever find a way out of it.
[POV - VARRIC]
Standing in a small, dimly lit room were 4 people. Me, Le'ahna, Baerof and Bob.
"Varric, how is she?" asked Le'ahna.
She put on a worried face...and a worried tone. Everything about her emanated stress and worry. Though, I know only one of them is actually a facade.
"Enough with the act vixen, you won't fool us the third time."
And so her facade broke down as she sneered at me.
"She needs to live in order for us to get through the next wave you fucking lowborn. I NEED HER TO LIVE IF WE HAVE ANY-"
A voice boomed in the small room, and it was enough to cause disorientation. Like an amped-up flashbang.
"ENOUGH"
I grimaced, troublesome old man. Le'ahna wanted to explode, and I wanted to dish out some well earned pounding, but we both knew better than to poke a sleeping bear. And then he spoke, with a softer countenance.
"The Siege will only get worse with time. And we are severely short of manpower. The noble children are mere academy recruits, untrained, unchristened to the battlefield." He said as he looked at Le'ahna evenly
Then he turned to Bob.
"The civilians will not buy our promises of safety much longer, sooner or later, something drastic WILL happen. You can only hold them down with rations and mild comfort for so long."
Then me.
"And finally us guards. Guards or the nobles, important figures among the civilians or just agents from the Union seeking to leave. The frontline. 4 waves. there have been 4 waves as of yet."
"We were once more than 200. Now?"
Internally, everyone braced themselves for the result.
"We have a mere 80 remaining. We've lost 120 men and women in total with each successive wave"
Yet nothing would prepare us for such a grim statistic. Heh. Maybe we'd end up as a statistic after all.
"We should've been eradicated with the last one. Yet that changed. With the appearance of one figure" he said as he looked to me as if to continue for him.
"Right" I said awkwardly. "Miyu"
He nodded.
Le'ahna's raised an eyebrow.
"The fledgling traveler, the same one who had relented from offering her help from the beginning?"
"As if you were any better" I said in disdain.
"What did you say yo-" before she finished that, her mouth clamped down shut as a chilly feeling spread throughout the room, engulfing the both of us. We turned to a Bearof with a dangerous glint in his eye.
He blinked, and it was gone.
"She helped us once, but I doubt she'll stand with us again. Even if not of choice but condition. Drawn on her mana?"
"Yes"
"Then it means we really cannot rely on her." He closed his eyes as if to come to terms with something.
"We need to flee. Evacuate everyone and get to a safe as possible distance before the next wave arrives. Not enough combatants and not enough resources to stay here any longer."
"Girl, what is the nearest outpost from here, don't try to pretend, I know you've looked."
She visibly cringed under his harsh words as she answered.
"305 kilometers, at the very least. Even with the rovers, with all these people, it'd take 5 days"
Bob's face tightened with concern as he processed Le'ahna's words. "Five days... That's too long. We can't risk being caught out in the open for that long, especially with the Fyrraths on our tail."
"Then we'll have to make do," I interjected, trying to inject some semblance of determination into our dire situation. "We'll gather what supplies we can, ration them out, and move as quickly as possible. We'll have to be vigilant, but we can't afford to stay here any longer."
Bearof nodded in agreement, his expression grim. "Agreed. We'll need to organize teams to gather supplies and prepare the rovers for the journey. We'll leave as soon as we're ready."
Le'ahna hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "And what about Miyu? Do we leave her behind?"
I clenched my fists, feeling a surge of frustration. "We don't have a choice. If she's unable to fight, she'll only slow us down. We can't afford to risk the lives of everyone else for one person."
Bearof's gaze softened slightly, but his resolve remained firm. "We'll leave her with enough supplies to last until help arrives. It's the best we can do."
With a heavy heart, we set about our tasks, knowing that our time was running out. The next wave could strike at any moment, and we had to be ready to flee at a moment's notice.
As we worked, the sense of urgency hung heavy in the air, driving us forward despite our exhaustion and fear. We knew that our survival depended on our ability to move quickly and decisively, and we were determined to do whatever it took to make it to safety.
But even as we prepared to leave, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at me. Leaving Miyu behind felt wrong, but we had no other choice. We could only hope that she would understand our decision, and forgive us for leaving her behind in this forsaken place.