Elysi smiled up at Phaedra as she finished putting on her coat, they were about to leave for the arena when Alden burst through the front door.

  Elysi immediately noticed the small specks of blood on his clothes and hands, the orc was crying.

  “Alden?” Phaedra asked hesitantly.

  An elf with orange hair came up behind him, breathing hard.

  Alden opened his mouth but no words came and so the elf took it upon himself to convey the message Alden wanted to deliver.

  “It’s Isran, there’s something wrong.”

  “What’s wrong?” Elysi asked, her voice steely and her heart heavy.

  The elf took in several more gulps of air before continuing.

  “We—we don’t really know, she was bleeding in her sleep. She’s at the temple right now, the cursed knight asked us to come get you three.”

  They were silent as they filled out of the house, a carriage waited for them, and as they sat in tense silence—only broken by Alden’s hiccups—Elysi hopped to the gods that Isran was okay.

  The temple was busy, as it usually was, several people in lines waiting for healing in the only temple in Kestin, it was not the best but healing potions were sold in several other parts of the city, some maledictions required a healing touch though.

  Elysi spotted Morgana waiting for them with a pensive look on her face. When she spotted them she nodded at the guards standing with her and then nodded at them.

  The guards led them through the building with Morgana a few feet ahead.

  They walked silently through several hallways, passing several temple staff before finally stopping at a wing Elysi recognized.

  The doors that lined the walls were a bit thinner than usual and the ck of staff outside was almost chilling.

  Morgana stopped at one of the only doors in the hallway and opened the door.

  A foxkin was standing over Isran, chanting softly as she cast several spells on the sleeping woman.

  Isran looked so… broken.

  Elysi didn’t think she had ever seen someone look fine and destroyed at the same time.

  Her skin was almost paler than the sheepfolk’s and her golden hair looked somewhat less vibrant.

  Her form seemed to sink into the small bed she was in and Elysi couldn’t shake the feeling that she looked dead.

  The foxkin sighed and straightened up with a smile. “She’s in and out, it is no malediction and we are doing the best we can to keep her in this pne.”

  Elysi heard Phaedra take a huge shaky breath beside her and turned around to exit the room. She needed air.

  When she finally got out of the temple, she gently brushed her fingers against her horns, her heartbeat erratic and breath quivering.

  The thought of how it had happened was not important. She didn’t care. All that mattered was that Isran was not dead.

  But she looked so dead.

  A week ter guards came knocking on their door, they had reason to suspect Calliope resembled a missing person thought to have been taken by a smuggling ring. The mousefolk let them take her and Elysi followed.

  It was a simple expnation, the guards were understanding and paperwork was filled.

  “Once your partner is avaible she will have to present her reasoning to a judge. Since you are of sound mind we have no reason to suspect foul py, thank you for your cooperation.”

  It stung to hear that and that night Elysi cried herself to sleep, clutching the covers of their rge bed as she took in deep breaths, Phaedra had long since cried herself to sleep and Calliope was lying a ways away from Elysi her body moving softly.

  Red would not listen. It had been a month since Isran had been asleep and the temple staff had brought her home. They had spent some money on making the room more comfortable for a sleeping Isran and although Red had not been aggressive while the woman was gone it seemed seeing her destroyed the cape’s restraint.

  After almost killing one of the temple staff Red was immobilized by a spell from Morgana—who had just then arrived— and Isran was finally settled.

  Elysi did much of nothing while the woman was gone. Cry, eat, and sleep.

  Adrianna did come over from time to time and she convinced Elysi to see Desmarcus and Marcus on some days.

  Being near a constantly running whore house made her even more depressed about her girlfriend’s state and Elysi tried her best to stay away as much as she could.

  Alden came over a lot once Isran was moved, together with his boyfriend, the elf… Elowin he had said his name was.

  Calliope and Phaedra had drawn closer to her. Since they all shared in their grief.

  Calliope appeared the least affected, but Elysi could see the worry in her face all the time, the barely held tears she prevented from falling.

  It was nice to see the mousefolk coming out of whatever mindset being smuggled had put her in. She was a lot more mature than she originally seemed when they met. Elysi just hated the growth was at a time when Isran’s fate was uncertain.

  Morgana handed her a small sketchbook and pencils. “I know you used to draw a lot when you first arrived in Kestin. I hope it can help you…”

  Elysi nodded and gently took the books from the woman.

  Morgana had been a very distant constant in her life. They barely interacted. When Elysi first arrived in Kestin the whore house she was in had a human woman of simir css to her. Her level number so very high that she was more or less irresistible.

  She had a little affair with Morgana, and from the way they interacted, Elysi knew among all her customers the woman loved Morgana as Morgana loved her. It was never meant to be though.

  She spent the remaining days till Isran had woken up drawing.

  Drawing the house.

  Drawing the bed… with and without Isran.

  Drawing Isran when she smiled, when she ughed, when she had a light confused expression.

  Drawing Calliope when she talked about her new friends.

  Drawing Phaedra when she came back from the temple where she was offering her services in exchange for staff exclusive text.

  Drawing Leopold when he got sick, when he y to rest. His small grave.

  Drawing Red, its twisting fabric, it’s—new—rge imposing form.

  Drawing Isran’s armor, and her sword.

  Drawing dishes Phaedra made, when she became even quieter after a night of tears and hiccups, clutching Isran’s limp body.

  She leveled up once during that time. A surprise since she was not having sex of any kind.

  Though when she expressed her surprise to Phaedra, the healer told her drawing was in both Sephia and Wilner’s domains. It could be a means of expining context and also a recreational activity.

  Phaedra had also leveled up. Not surprising at all since she had been spending most of her days healing people.

  And Calliope as well. She sang a lot during the two months and had leveled two levels.

  Discussing the details of their csses and the like was a very intimate thing and they all timidly agreed to wait for Isran to wake up to discuss with her present.

  It was a bit tense being reminded of their situation, but considering it had a hopeful connotation to it that night there were no tears as they went to sleep.

  The next day after being stressed about news of dungeon breaks and the temple staff not thinking Isran was waking up anytime soon Elysi had buried her head in her hands only to lift them to the sound of Adrianna saying Isran’s name and see her girlfriend being unsteadily lead to the couch opposite her.

  Awake

  Alive.

  Isran was alive.