Shadow Temple of Zeal Chapter 9
A Brief Repose
By Demi-God
When Marle awoke, she was wet with sweat. Why was it so hot? Then she remembered where she was. She looked over to see Lucca out cold on the floor. "Wait, how is it so bright?" She looked over toward the door, and saw several buring support timbers inside. There was also a huge pile of collapsed rock where they had fallen. She walked over to Lucca... and stopped short. "Lucca! Oh, no..." Lucca's sleeves and shoes were scorched beyond recognition, and her hair was singed. She lay face down in the dirt, with her shattered Prism Helm laying on the floor. Marle ran to her friend and sat beside her, bringing Lucca's upper body onto her lap. "Lucca, wake up... Please..." Marle's vision was blurred by tears. "Lucca..." Marle wove a spell over Lucca's body, and Lucca stirred. "Lucca! You're alive! Thank God!" Lucca opened her eyes wearily. "M.. Marle... Thank you... Did it... work? Is the door open?" Marle nodded. You destroyed have the room behind it, too, Lucca. Just rest right now, I'll take care of everything." Lucca smiled faintly and closed her eyes. Marle lay her head down gently on the floor, stood, and cast "Cure" over Lucca's burned body. As the scorches cleared away, Marle's heart was relieved from the worry. She sat down and removed a cooking pot from her bag. She began to boil some water and Ether Herb in it.
"Drink it, Lucca, you need to recover your energy." Marle held the cup to the semi-conscious Lucca's lips and helped her drink some of her ether-broth. Marle had used much less magic, and need only a little ether to recover. Lucca sat up and woke up a little. She took hold of the cup from Marle. "Good, you are getting better. I was worried for a second." marle smiled as Lucca came back to her normal, alert self. "Thank you Marle. I needed this stuff. She drank a little more ether. Suddenly her eyes widened. "I did that? ME? How is that even possible?" She stared at the burning wreckage. "That fire is strange... What is it burning from, anyway?" Marle shrugged, she was too happy that Lucca was even alive to think about things like that. "Must just be remnants of that spell. That was amazing, Lucca." Marle, no matter how happy she was, knew that they had to start moving soon. That spell had to have attracted everything in fifty miles to thier location. She helped Lucca to her feet. "We have to get going, Lucca. I'll carry your bag for a while, untill you feel better. Do you need to change clothes? Those look a little burnt." Lucca nodded. Marle dug through Lucca's bag and handed her some new clothes. "Um, could you not look?" Marle turned around. "Still so modest, Lucca!" For this comment, she got Lucca's burned shirt thrown over her head. She giggled. "Ok, I'm done. Let's go, Marle... Oh no! My helmet! Look at this! And it's irreplaceable too!" Lucca picked up the prism shards and placed them in her hip-pouch. "Maybe Melchior can do something with it." She pulled her old cap out of her bag. "I guess that this will have to do. Let's go." The two girls continued into the burning room ahead, Marle carrying both packs, and Lucca stumbling behind her.
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