Chapter 26: Chapter 21 - Awakening
"He's awake!"
He turned his gaze, onto the stranger that stood at his bedside.
They had allowed a stranger to stand watch over his unconscious form.
He turned his sight back to the ceiling. The sensation of flesh, reached him from his left hand. The girl had stayed by his side, and was awake now, staring at him closely.
He mentally corrected himself.
Constance, had left him with strangers. The girl, had stayed.
He raised his hand, and pet her head. She had shed blood for him. And now, she had stayed with him, when she could have easily chosen to go.
Perhaps it was because he had just woken up, or because of the nightmare, that was still lingering, his heart was a small bit more open to her.
He tried to sit up, but his body was wrecked. It felt as if a horse had crashed into him at full speed, wearing plate armor.
A man entered the room. He was as tall of Awick, and his form filled the room. Magic curled around him, like a lover would around their beloved.
Argo felt the pain in his body lessening, and accepted it.
The problem with healing someone, with Magic or Holy Power, was if they practiced any of the Three Disciplines, it would fight back back automatically, while unconscious, to the foreign power.
He recognized the giant mage.
Lunston, seemed to recognize him, as well. He recognized him quite well. He glanced at the man in the room, and he bowed, before quickly making himself scarce.
He turned his sight on the girl next, but she didn't budge.
She hadn't moved an inch, no matter what anyone told her, and she would strike out with her dagger, against anyone that tried to be forceful.
Naturally, if he truly wanted her out, there were simple ways. But he didn't fancy doing that on a child, who was so clearly worried.
Holding his wooden staff, he looked down at Argo, as the last of the healing was completed.
Argo sat up in bed. There were still residual aches and pains, but that would mostly be physiological remnants, since the body was not meant to heal at such an insane speed.
Phantom pains, most called it.
He spoke briefly, while adjusting himself, "Where is the hero?"
The girl got onto the bed, and he raised his arm, to allow her to snuggle in. She had earned it, after staying with him despite a Master Mage's stare, like that.
Lunston looked at them, and shook his head, like a defeated old man, "...She went into the Giant Roads, alongside Awick, and your Knights, our Warriors, to clear the way for your people to leave."
"It's not ideal, is it," Argo looked at the thing that Lunston was raising to his mouth, it was a pipe of sorts, the old mage tossed him a rolled leaf, which he caught, "Avancia can't be hidden forever. She argued heavily, against this plan."
"I didn't think she had the character, to propose such a thing. So it was you," Lunston leaned his staff less than an inch forward, and the leaf lit on the end, he took a puff of his pipe, "They say it's good for the soul."
Argo put it to his mouth, and took a slow drag, it was smooth, and had a sort of fruity taste to it, almost sweet.
And to Lunston's credit, he did feel refreshed. He had been around drugs most of his adult life, so he knew that something like this could be addictive, but, in the moment, he set aside his worry for later.
"The people here won't know the way back. I'll see to it." Argo set aside the leaf, once he felt like he was starting to feel floaty, he knew that was a stage to getting addicted to it.
Lunston drew on his pipe, and let out a short breath, the smooth smoke that he exhaled, became a cloud of shapes and figures, "Awick is very young. His blood is thick. He will make an excellent Chieftain, in time. But he is too noble. You have a similar affliction."
"She doesn't know better. Her faith and her reason collide in too many places, where if she was raised right, they would mix instead." Argo naturally knew he wasn't referring to himself, but Constance, as the affliction, "It's difficult. But, you didn't want to talk about any of this."
Lunston shook his head lamentfully, "If only that boy had half a much brains as you. I could die in peace, instead of being angry all day and night."
Argo didn't say a word.
He waited for Lunston to finish his fake lamenting.
Lunston spoke again, after he raised his head, "Your the Fourth Prince of Karlan, is that right?"
Argo remained quiet. The girl looked up at him, she didn't look any different, but he could tell she was searching him for the answer.
He could only let out a small sigh, "Is that how she convinced you to heal me?"
"Among other things." Lunston chuckled a bit, but his eyes were sharp, "She swore to come when called once."
He frowned, and Lunston smiled behind those slit eyes.
If she had given her word, it would take nothing short of the Goddess descending, to stop her from keeping it, which meant if Karlan got aggressive with them, or any nation did, they could call her, and capture her, or force her to help them, effectively gaining a hero.
It was insurance.
"A fool might mistake you for a giant, and not a fox." Argo took another drag of that leaf, deciding to let it be damned.
It was tasty and refreshing.
One vice, wouldn't sink a ship.
"Your secret is important to us."
There it was.
He knew it was coming.
A man like Lunston, who was effectively Awick's shadow, would not cast their net so shallow, to only catch the upright Hero.
He knew Argo's identity, and he knew he had Aura, as well as the fact that he was more competent than he let on.
He wanted to weasel his way out of owing him a favor, but he was certain that Lunston was petty enough and strong enough, to make sure he couldn't.
To make a Master lose at anything, was a feat that only other Master's could carry out.
"If you find yourself in need, ask for the Black Lotus in Durleigh. Tell them, 'The Sun Sets in the West. Lost to the East.', they'll help you, with whatever is your need, once."
It was unfortunate, to have to show one of his hands here, but he refused to give Lunston the chance to even guess at his involvement in Sin. Or openly advertise that he lived in Loch, too much.
The Black Lotus was one of the sleeper branches of Sin, that operated in the area of influence, infiltrating Merchant Groups, Noble Retinues, Standing Armies, other Spy Networks, and even the inner walls of the Palace.
He had eyes, and ears, everywhere.
With a Waystone in their stomach, it would be easy to track them down, if they tried to run.
Though, none of them ever tried to run.
"It's comforting to know, that the Hero has a reliable hand, like you by her side. Honestly. If the Hero was a lowlife, I would do everything in my power, to kill them."
An uncomfortable truth, appearing from nowhere.
Not all Heroes, were righteous.
"I'll leave you then. You've quite a bit of catching up to do."
He felt strange, at the comment, and as Lunston left, he called out after him, "How long?"
Lunston half looked back, "Six days."
Argo's heart fell.
He was way off schedule.
He had planned to cross the mountains in four or five days, and then return back by sea. The whole trip was meant to take less than a month.
But now, nearly two weeks had passed, and he had not yet met the Old Treant.
He looked at the stone ceiling. The girl shifted in his arms. He looked down at her, and pet her head, before throwing his legs over the side of the bed, and getting up.
He put on his boots, tucked in his pants, and put on a fresh white dress up shirt, buttoning it to the top and rolling back the sleeves, he tied up his hair, and wrapped the sash around his waist, putting a few things inside.
He needed time to think, before going on with his day. And when the smell coming off the girl, who had very likely not bathed in days, hit his nose, he knew the perfect use of his time.
She looked up at him. He snatched her up into his arms, before she could run off.
If Constance had entered the Giant Roads five days ago alongside Awick, then that meant that the exploration was going poorly.
The distance between the edge of the mountains, from Karlan to Hacury, was only three days. Which meant if she was down there for five days, that, they had run into some roadblocks.
It was impossible for them to be lost, since Awick would have very likely brought something to lead them back.
He entered the bathroom, and the girl was trying to escape his arms.
"You must take care of your appearance. If you don't, then, you'll become a slug, and I can't bring slugs with me." Argo turned on the water.
Magical tools.
He understood the basics of magic, but couldn't perform it to save his life. Only a Hero, could perform more than one of the three disciplines.
Despite this, he could see how ingenious the engravings were. Those ancient people who built this stronghold, had poured their hearts into its every stone.
Water filled the tub. He turned around, to find the girl standing with a pale face, staring at the water.
He was certain that she had some sort of a lingering trauma, about bathing, but, she did not want to talk about it, and bathing was an essential part of living, or else once would get sick and die quickly.
At least, this time, she didn't run away, but she looked about as unwilling as a cat before a sink.
He put out his hand, and she slowly raised her own, he brought her forward. His head had lingering pain.
"No one can hurt you, while I'm here. And you need to bath. You stink like monster feces." Argo lifted her over the water, staring into her eyes.
She still looked unwilling, but she wasn't squirming anymore.
Her legs dipped into the water, and they raised instantly, to escape it, but he kept lowering her. He was determined to have her get over this fear of water, today.
Her toes touched the water, she couldn't escape it anymore, no matter how much she shrivelled her body up. He dipped her into the water, but, at that point, it was too much for her to bear, and she couldn't stay still anymore.
Her legs stretched as she tried to shoot out of the tub, causing water to fly everywhere! Argo's jaw tightened, and he held her there, in the tub, she looked around panicking madly, until she saw Argo staring straight at her, with a calm gaze.
Her very bones, were trembling. But, she was not afraid.
She stared at him with her own round eyes.
"The water isn't evil. It can't hurt you."
Argo slowly took his hands back, and she didn't immediately spring out of the water. She kept staring at him, like a shivering dog, all of a sudden, she had puppy eyes while she hugged herself.
He grabbed the hair cleaner from the bucket next to the stone tub, and went to lather it on her head, "Close your eyes."
Seeing her comply, he allowed his mind to wander to the issue of Constance's disappearance below.
If Awick had chosen to assist, and sent warriors down in to the Giant Roads, and Lunston had chosen to stay, that meant that they had judged that it wasnt' impossible to conquer.
It was highly likely, that in a few days, they would be back, which meant, before she returned, it would be important for him to leave.
She had been tracking him, and following him from Loch, making it impossible for him to leverage his own resources unless he wanted to let her in on that too.
But, that was the one thing, she could never, ever, know.
If she knew what he did, no matter to who it was, she would instantly become his greatest enemy.
As the hair cleaner fell out of her short hair, he felt her jolt and kick to escape the tub, his face changed, and as he tried to grab her, his hand slipped, and he fell back.
The girl grabbed the towel off the counter, and ran right past him.
He cursed under his breath, he was wet, cold, and full of haircleaner on his nice, clean clothes. It was all good smelling, natural products, and it wasn't sticky, so he didn't care too much.
But, it looks like, he had failed to get her to overcome her fear of water.
Having her eyes closed there, had been the limit.
Laughing at himself a bit, he shook his head, and stood up, some hair cleaner had gotten in his eye, he ambled over to the sink, and got some water, to clean his eye.
He felt a pull on his pants, and looked down with his good eye. The girl was looking up at him. Though she didn't show much emotion, he could feel she was apologetic.
His lip raised on one side, and his eyebrow raised. He picked her up, and sat her on the sink, having rinsed his eye out.
He stared at her, "Is it all out?"
She continued to look at him.
"Then it's fine. Forget it," Argo kept the sink on, and had her wrap the towel around her body, while he got a handful of water, to rinse her hair from the sink, it would be messy, but, the tub looked like it had had it's chance, "I understand your fear. I was once afraid of the dark, in much the same way. But, running won't make it better. The dark comes every night, and we need to drink water every day. Yet we are still alive. It's not right to fear it."
He rubbed her head, getting as much as he could out, with the handful of water, before grabbing another handful.
"Fear is necessary, towards the right things. But, that doesn't mean we should avoid it. Do you think the Heroes were not afraid of the Lich King even more than you are of the water?"
Argo grabbed a part of the towel, and raised it, to clean the girls face, before realizing it was soaked, and instead choosing to take another towel, and start drying her hair.
"Fear measures Bravery. And we must be brave, to live in times like these, where water is everywhere." He slightly smiled.
He gentled wrapped the girls hair in the towel, and then went about using a smaller hand cloth, to wipe down what was left.
Her body would naturally dry over time, and the clothes she was wearing would be dry and smelling like hair cleaner, soon enough, like his own.
She raised her arms, and he put his hands them, lifting her up into his arms, before walking out of the messed up bathroom. She closed the door from his neck, as he passed the frame.
"Where is your dagger? You haven't lost it, have you?" Argo arrived in the living room, there was a stack of books there, on the table.
The girl reached into her clothes, and took it out, to show him. He spared it a glance, as he put her down, near the fireplace, grabbing the flint from beside it, to start lighting it.
He wondered why it was, that a fireplace would exist in an enclosed space. Did the smoke filter out from the roof of the mountain? Perhaps through the cracks.
If all the fireplaces were turned on at once, would the top of the mountain look like it was smoking?
He shook the thought from his head, as the first sparks lit the fireplace. The wood had been prepared by someone else it seemed, "Sit here and dry up. Don't burn yourself."
He stood up, and walked over to the table.
Lunston had said that he had brought the books he had asked for, but he didn't recall asking for anything of the sort, especially not from him.
Was it a test?
Or was Lunston lied to by Constance, for some reason that these books would reveal?
He spared the covers a few glances, before walking into the kitchen, and getting some food put together.
Five days unconscious, was a feat he had not managed, in quite some time, and he was starving.
He heard the girl sneeze, from the kitchen. If she caught a cold, then it would delay them further, since travelling with a sick girl, wasn't viable.
Stephan would be sending out search parties by now. If he stayed in Avancia for much longer, it was likely someone from Sin would end up being saved, and appearing here.
He couldn't afford his connection to them to be known, implied, or make it possible to even guess at.
Sin was his insurance policy, and it wouldn't work, if it leaked anywhere, who he was.
Rodrick would have arrived back at Loch by now, as well. Stephan would know that the first place to check, would be Durleigh, and he was certain that given time, he would find out about the carriage dealer.
Before the end of the month, Stephan would find him. He was certain of that, if he stayed here in Avancia Hold.
With Constance away, there was no better chance to leave, and get to Creedon, but if the girl got sick, it would be complicated.
He chose to give her a day.
If she got sick in the morning, he would stay until she was healed. If she was fine, they would leave before nightfall.
His aura had fully recuperated as well.
He came back out. The girl was holding her hand against the fire, and slowly putting it closer. He made a point of making noise as he pulled out the tables chair to sit. She turned around like a spooked rabbit and stared at him.
He sat down, and put his food down. It was a cut of some sort of meat, that had been cooked well, though there was no seasoning, as well as a cup of water. He cut several pieces off, and had put it on a separate place.
At last, he took a look at the books that Lunston had brought over. While picking one up, and chewing on the meat, he dragged the chair next to his out, for the girl to climb up and sit to eat.
The History of the Hollow Mountains.
Why would Constance want something like this? He turned the first page. It was familiar enough, the history inside that is.
He had not actually tried to recall the history he had learned about the Hollow Mountains over a decade ago, since arriving here. He had been far too tired, to recall specifics, yet, as he read the book it started coming back to him.
The girl grabbed her utensils, but didn't know what to do with them. Argo raised his fork, and picked a piece of meat off her plate, much to her displeasure, but, she quickly picked up what the do, and stabbed a piece for herself, off his plate.
He glanced at her. She was a quick learner.
He looked back at the book, as he chewed.
His reading speed, was quick, and with the aide of his aura, which he had manifested in his eyes, he could read even faster, soaking up the information inside, reading twelve or thirteen words at a time, he wasn't really reading it, but soaking it up.
He would see the words, and interpret them at the exact same time, making it possible to grasp entire pages in a few seconds.
His chewing slowed down.
Something was trying to come up from his memory.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Wordlit_Sonata
Wordlit_Sonata Good evening.
I've come down with a cold, after I warned all of you about it.
This doesn't mean a lower quality will come out, but, I will be uploading irregularly until it subsides.
I ask for your understanding.
Thank you for your support, and as always,
Enjoy.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone