What the hell has happened to me?
Lana stood in the hot water that nearly scalded her skin. The steam rose around her in great waves as she took in deep breathes. The night was restless and her head was still in a fog. Water dripped off her nose, little streams cascading down her cheeks and through her partially opened mouth. She felt different, but why she couldn’t place. Something wasn’t right and it left her with a pit in her stomach.
A twitch jerked her left shoulder up, startling Lana a moment. That was part of the the reason she felt unsettled. Her hands kept shaking. Tremors that wouldn’t leave. Last night was bad, but surely not the worst thing she’s experienced. The minotaurs that broke into the guild certainly did a number on her, a faint line of the ax visible near her neck. Still, pain doesn’t seem like something that would weigh upon her mind. Maybe it was because she had passed out, like she had when fighting Barut.
With shaking fingers, Lana put them to work. She was grimy from yesterday’s events. Dried blood covered her hands and torso, while her hair seemed to have been saturated in it. There was also something else, something thick and clear that she remembered waking up to after blacking out in the fight. It was like molasses had been rubbed all over her face.
Damn it! What happened!?
Lana worked aggressively at her matted and grubby hair. As the filth finally began to loosen its hold, Lana could see clumps of the blood and goo fall off in the murky brown streams.
Another deep breath and with calmer determination, Lana retraced the night’s events.
It was early morning, two or three am. Sylis and Lana had scarcely scrapped a nap when the ship had returned. Quickly dressing and joining the group as they disembarked, they were immediately approached by one of their guild representatives. They were then rushed back to the guild hall where Rasuvius, their guild leader, waited anxiously.
Lana furrowed her brow. She could hear the shrill voice of the hag from the message Rasuvius played for them. A chill ran through her as the memory replayed. They were discussing, bickering, over what the message could mean, what it was the hags could possibly want with them, when the threat broke through the guild doors. Lana tried her best to harm the minotaurs, but they were too strong for her. In two- or was it three? hits, Lana’s knees buckled as the ax tried to sever her head. That’s the part that made the pit in her belly grow heavier. That gap in time. How much time had passed?
When Lana woke, everything was in a blur. The taste of wood and blood filled her mouth. A frenzy of emotions rushed so rapidly that Lana could only feel confused by what was happening. Was she angry? Scared? Desperate? Happy? Why was she fighting against Sylis?
Lana worked the last of the debris from her hair. She then began to lather it in soap. It was like a bad dream that she couldn’t remember. Just bits and pieces that seeped into her bones and filled her with dread. It was rather silly to allow such a thing to take hold of her. With the scent of soap in her nose and the steam caressing all around her, Lana turned her thoughts to more pleasant ones.
The cruise Wendalin had taken them on wouldn’t be forgotten soon. The beautiful skies they flew among, the rich food that the wealthy abound in, her first kiss from Sylis as the day came to an end, and having her best friend, Rin, with her for the fun.
Rin!
As she rinsed her hair of the soap, Lana couldn’t help but remember how Rin had taken such good care of her. He hid her when she was running from Barut. Calmed her when she was shaken by the ghost of her mother. Washed her back with no strings attached. Rin’s quiet and simple care pierced through the walls Lana kept up, so much she now longed for him. She needed to tell him about last night and perhaps enjoy some of the tea he had made her once before.
However Rin had told Lana that he was taking up a job to pay off his debts. If she was lucky, maybe he had already finished. Quickly she wiped away the last of the dirt that covered her body. It was in that moment that Lana also noticed her hands had stopped trembling.
With a bit of excitement, she hurried back into her room, to dry off and dress. It surprised her a brief moment to see Sylis watching her from the bed. He had a curious look on his face and a few scratch marks on his left cheek. It was as though he was studying her, or admiring her nakedness. Then he said something very unexpected.
“So tell me baby girl, who’s Jessie?”
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