Chapter 77.

After receiving as many details as he could from Enora, the Captain began nervously tugging on his moustache, staring into space. Everything pointed at one thing : there was a more evolved monster in the tunnels, and it had managed to assemble all its brethren into a single group. An army. And, obviously, no one needs an army if there is nothing to kill with it. The menace was real and imminent. A few minutes of deep focus later, the Agamai finished his work.

- How is he ?, asked Rose with teary eyes.

- He is alive., answered a coarse and disturbing voice. I always do my best. There will be sequelae, mainly his left tibia. It was almost severed, so pain is bound to stay for a long time. The mind has a hard time adjusting to light magic's recovery speed.

- Only pain ?, said Enora.

- He will feel like his leg is still injured, and that will make it hard to walk properly for a time. The rest is fine, all things considered.

Pronouncing this last sentence, Sanarsus raised his open hand as he always did when work was done. Before she could reach for their purse, Enora saw the Captain loosening the satchel that hung at his belt, putting a few gold coins on the Genid's palm. Once paid, this one simply turned towards the door and left without a word. This race was so weird !

Only Enora, Rose, Nick, Ischyra, Simmis and the Captain were left in the room, and none knew what to say. Until someone finally decided to leave : the burly man, followed by the Laeli. Though not before actually dropping his pouch on the table. He looked at the people around, making sure they knew this was to be considered a payment, then left.

Exhausted physically and mentally, Enora literally dropped down on the floor, her head spinning uncontrollably. She could not think further than her pained muscles and head-splitting headache, before ending up lying on the bed, next to Nick. It was Ischyra who carried her there, with Rose's help. Then they both stared at the passed out and wounded pair with complicated emotions swirling in their eyes.

- You are lucky to have survived this encounter., whispered the non-human.

- Yeah …

- But you received quite a bit of money for it !, she said, trying to cheer the blond up.

- Yeah …

Seeing as none of her attempts at relaxing her interlocutor bore any fruit, the red-skinned woman went for something more peculiar : she circled the bed, got behind Rose and hugged her. Soon enough, the little human's head wobbled around, and she fell asleep.

…

It was the piercing call of an empty stomach that brought Enora back to reality. Hers ? Not really, no. 'Call' was not a figure of speech : Nick's belly literally screamed its discontent with everything it had. He was awake, looking at the other two with a wry smile on his face. Through the Nexus, she understood that he had woken up a couple of dozen minutes earlier. Still, he did not want to bother anyone, especially such exhausted people, deserving of a good rest.

(Nick) How are you, sweetheart ?

(Enora) Like a millionaire.

Mere seconds in the mind-link were enough to bring the man up to speed with everything the trio had been through while he was out, to which he reacted by grabbing Enora, drawing her close to him. With Rose asleep just a few centimetres away, the two of them felt like everything was there, everything that should ever matter was actually so close, on this very bed. Apparently, that kind of thought only birthed after some disaster or life and death situation occurred.

(Nick) Hungry.

(Enora) Right on it.

The sun-kissed warrior trotted to the door before realising how she looked : she was still wearing the damaged armour and tattered clothes that had seen some dangerous event not too long before. Meaning she looked the furthest away from decent for public appearance. However, she quickly received some feedback in the form of a 'who gives a shit ?' from her lover. And she concurred. Few instants later she entered the dining room from the stairwell, spotting Ischyra immediately right behind the counter.

- How is everyone upstairs ?, that one asked with a slightly worried tone.

- All fine and dandy, couldn't be better !

- Do you need anything ?, continued the non-human while ignoring the sarcasm oozing from every word and intonation of this sentence.

- Yeah, some food. We haven't eaten for too long.

- I will get you something, take care of the wounded in the meantime., answered Enora's interlocutor with sympathetic eyes.

Nodding, the human prepared to leave when she wondered a few things.

- Say, what is the news from this monster tide ? Things changed since we passed out ?

- You bet., calmly said the red-skinned woman. The Captain has sent out three scout parties into the tunnels, to corroborate your report, and since only one came back, he considered it proof enough. Right now, the entire city is in high alert. Every capable fighter is urged to participate in the defence effort.

- So it is definitive : the monster's goal is Sephayis., concluded the tanned woman.

- Of course. Monsters have been shunned from proper societies for so long, the birth of a single Duluter is enough to provoke large-scale conflict.

- A Duluter ? Let me guess : it's the magical name of something., noted Enora.

- Obviously., smiled the non-human. Most of the underground savages and monsters have the same ancestors. But still, there is evolution in them, like all races in the Conjunction, and, sometimes, a more evolved is born. They are only a glimpse of what is to come, a hint of how they will eventually become, and they have a more focused hatred towards us.

- I noticed something : Magnire the Blacksmith's race looks a bit like the monsters underg …

Quickly, the inn's owner placed her hands on Enora's mouth, shutting her up on the spot.

- Don't go spouting that kind of things randomly., she said. There is indeed some blood in common between them and the Meluamers, but the subject is politically touchy.

- Do you mean to say that just talking about it might get us in trouble ?, asked the human while looking around suspiciously.

- Possibly ?, vaguely answered Ischyra. The Meluamers are very ashamed of their kinship with these disgusting beings, but they also possess significant influence all across the Conjunction. Annoying one may annoy many. Additionally, Magnire is a jerk who would definitely remember anyone 'slandering' his people.

- It's no slandering if it's true., noted Enora.

- It does not matter. Most of them have an inferiority complex and won't do anything when the matter comes up, but the most influential of them, Magnire included, will answer viciously to any mention of it in their vicinity. Be careful. Now let's stop with this useless talk and go back upstairs. You will be fed soon.