Mana was sitting on a hospital bed wearing only a blue, open backed gown, tied together with only 3 different ties; the neck, back, and butt. Her back was towards the window as she sat facing the hulking guardsman that had found her who was standing stiffly in a corner near the door.
The pain she had just experienced gave her more of a careless feel, but she still didn't feel that careless yet.
His black eyebrows that complimented his soft blue eyes remained scrunched together, wrinkling his forehead as his eyes stared at her intently, nearly unblinking. His strong body was like a board as he stood there motionless, his arms crossed in front of his chest as he tried to intimidate her with his apparent strength.
His attempt to appear as a statue was unsuccessful however, as Mana watched his metal shoulder guards rise and lower softly with each breath.
He had on a dark green, tunic-like shirt with a light green section that went down the middle, slightly overhanging the black trousers he had on. His forearms down to his wrists were protected with metal, as well as his boots up to his knees. He had a neatly mounted, well taken care of, flail at his hip, with a long, wooden and metal shield upon his back.
Across his chest hung 4 chains, clipped to either of his shoulders, indicating he had successfully rescued at least 40 people that had somehow gotten their selves into a situation like Mana and Gairma.
"I won't be a flight risk," Mana tried to joke, her voice cracking as she attempted to break the awkward moment.
The man immediately relaxed, his entire body almost shrinking as he exhaled. Mana began to laugh hysterically, sounding as if it was just a dry exhalation over and over.
"When I saw your weapons..." he pointed to the pair of brass knuckles on the small stand behind her next to her bed, "...and the girl on the ground, I figured you were dangerous." He left the corner he was standing stiffly in and made his way over to the end of her bed, his metal clinking with each step. "We hadn't really had a chance to discuss anything since the forest; you were in shock." He leaned forward, grabbing the foot of her bed with his hands, "rightfully so, though." He lowered his head, which ended up with Mana looking at the top of his spiky, black hair. "Did you break the wall?" He asked, raising his head and looking at her directly into her eyes.
"Wha- N-" she blushed, "No!"
"Had to ask," he smirked, straightening himself back up. "You mentioned, Neya Suki is back? She died 15 years ago, and our most elite guild members at the time went and put them out of their misery." He crossed his arms again, studying her demeanor as she answered him. "Even if she were alive, she would have mutated 3 times and she would be beyond recognition."
"15 years ago, I was 5," Mana began, her voice was almost like static itself with the sudden lower volume and having had lost it in the forest from screaming. "Gairma knew the name of her parents and had a picture because of her brother. The monster that did this to us, did not look anything like her, but when she killed..." Mana paused as she felt herself begin to get choked up, "...Gairma, it talked."
"Talked?" The guardsman wasn't oblivious to the possibility, but 15 years is a long time for a rotted person, especially one of Neya's ability, to go undetected. And to be originally reported as a successful eradication? "What did it say?"
"That it loved Gairma and said Gino's name; Gairma's brother." Mana shifted slightly, though quickly making sure her back didn't open, "it didn't look like her at all; she was very mutated for sure, but why would a rotted human specifically mention those two names?" She broke down crying thinking about what happened once more, the wound opening again without even a scab having formed.
"Why are you uninjured?" The man asked, ignoring Mana's emotional breakdown from her recent tragedy.
"When I destroyed her heart, those weapons spawned," she pointed at her weapons, "and when I grabbed them, a beam of light covered me, and somehow healed me entirely." She patted her back, "I had a hole in my back, and I couldn't move my legs, but afterwards..." she motioned her hands to show herself off, "...you see." The man nodded as she explained things, placing his finger and thumb upon his chin in thought.
"My name is Viktor Klora," he announced with a smile, extending his hand out to her for a shake. "I had to conduct business first before I introduced myself! Make sure you're not actually some murderous fiend!" Mana was taken off guard as she hesitantly grabbed his hand in hers and shook it.
Viktor let Mana know that he would be right back, before he slipped out the door, leaving her alone in her room.
She heard the birds chirping behind her, so she took the opportunity to twist herself around, standing up to look out her horizontally long, glass window that overlooked the marvelous city of Koro.
She had never seen the city from above, and she marveled at the sight. There were thousands of brick buildings littering the large oval the city called its barrier. Hundreds of different restaurants, shops, and anything one could think of lined the streets, while numerous neighborhoods were scattered about in small sections.
The hospital was more in the center of the city, so she was only able to see half of the wonder, but she loved every second of it.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Mana peered behind her, realizing her butt was out, and Viktor had gotten a full-eyed view of it. He immediately stopped in his tracks, dropping a small plastic bag onto the ground as he switched to covering his eyes as his other hand supported the door.
Their faces turned red simultaneously, and Mana turned around as fast as she could, before hoping back into bed and covering herself with the sheet.
Viktor scooted himself blindly through the door, closing it behind him with his eyes still covered. With his now free hand, he pointed towards the bag on the ground, "your mother had dropped some clothes off for you," he sheepishly informed. "Please get dressed quickly so I can take you to our headquarters where you can see your sister one last time."
Mana gave him a weak smile, even though he couldn't see, "thank you," she said. Gairma's body was going to be incinerated; an extra precaution to infected bodies.