Chapter Text
Nefer’s eyes were searing in pain as she tried to catch her breath. She could keep her bleeding eyes open any longer.
It was a fool’s decision to join in this plan, especially without proper compensation… but then she’s the fool because that’s what happened in the end.
She was thankful to the Traveler, he was the only reason she was standing somewhat upright despite his much shorter stature and based on his positioning and body language, he was trying to keep himself between her and Rerir.
What a fool…
Based on Rerir’s shock, their plan was working. Good. That means this should be over soon.
She wouldn’t admit she had a spike of worry and fear when the Traveler tense beside her right before the attack was drawn away.
“That power!” Rerir’s strangled grunt of pain where like music to her ears, shame she couldn’t see it, “I’ve seen it before..!”
What!? That wasn’t good, how? … and did Rerir know how to counter it?
The Sinner let out a laugh mixed with familiarity and anger
“So…” Nefer didn’t like that tone in Rerir’s voice, the scathing of it, “We have a student of ‘Gold’ Rhinedottir in our midst!"
“How about that!”
A student of another Sinner! No wait, the Traveler wasn’t reacting to this reveal. So he knew who and he trusted them… Good enough for her plus this was valuable information.
Very valuable information indeed.
She heard Rerir moving just as the sounds of something breaking reached her ears. Hearing a grunt from their enemies she felt the Traveler react, suddenly pushing her away. She smirked in what she thinks is Rerir’s face as his attack fails, the final part of the plan about to happen.
…
Except it didn’t fail.
Not as a scream of pain sounded in her ears from the Traveler, much closer than he should have been to her now…
“Your slowness will cost you.” Rerir taunts with the sound of him pulling his weapon back, the Traveler making a pained muffled sound like he was trying not to scream again “Even if you survived the injury, the abyssal corruption will fester.”
Then an attack lands, Rerir was now engaged with Columbina but Nefer was blind to it all. She needed to find the Traveler and help get him away from the fighting.
Feeling around she tried to find him, he couldn’t have been too far from her. The shaking of the earth from the fighting made it hard for Nefer to orient herself but turns out she didn’t need to look very hard as a hand grabbed hers.
“Traveler!?”
“Let’s move!”
Some relief filled Nefer at the sound of the Traveler’s voice but it was clear he was hurting badly.
With strength she was sure surprise him as much as it did her, the Traveler hooked her arm around his shoulders, keeping hold with one hand while the other supported her side as they made their way to safety.
“Are you okay?” The Traveler asks once he stops when he deemed it safe, “Your eyes-“
“It is what it is at the moment.” Nefer cuts him off, “What about you? I heard you take a hit.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Nefer couldn’t help but scoff, she can feel the stickiness of blood on her side. She shifted her arm holding his shoulders to try and feel for the wound herself.
“Don’t!” The Traveler's stern but wavering warning almost startled her, “Don’t touch it, it’s tainted.”
“What can I do?”
“Wait for Albedo.” The Traveler’s voice was tense, “He can handle the corruption…”
Nefer frowns, not at the fact that she can’t return the favors he’s stacked up, but at the Traveler’s voice going breathy, like he’s trying to catch his breath or something.
It worries her greatly. Yet he stands strong, supporting her weight with near ease.
“And…” the Traveler hesitates, tense presumably at wanting to jump in and help fight, “Don’t… Don’t let Aino see it…”
That would explain why he seemed to be pressing against her, he’s hiding the injury from the youngest in the group. It was admirable but foolish. Plus his blood was beginning to soak through her clothes, she’ll probably have to burn them now.
Surely someone else had noticed his injuries right?
Eventually the sounds of the fight faded, she could feel the Traveler relax a bit next to her.
“We won.” Came Columbina’s soft and eerie voice.
“I say we celebrate this occasion, after some rest of course.” Flins sounded, stepping up next to her other side, “Miss Aino, why don’t you run up ahead and inform the others of our success.”
“Do you think Ineffa let me have extra sweets?!” Aino asks, “After all I was a big help against Mr. Bad Guy!”
“That you were Aino.” Flins agreed, “Tell Mr. Albedo to meet up with us as well and I will personally bring you something sweet.”
“You got it!”
Once the clanky steps of the young mechanic faded away the strength of the Traveler stopped holding her up, if it wasn’t for Flins being right next to her she probably would have fallen along with the golden haired hero.
“Traveler!”
“Don’t!” The Traveler’s words stopped the rush of people moving to help him, “I’ll be fine, how are Nefer’s eyes?”
Nefer would have rolls her eyes if they didn’t hurt so much, her eyes were the least of everyone’s concerns right now.
“It’s not too late.” Columbina said cryptically
“Let me handle it.” She heard Lauma says,
She heard Laumu step closer, Nefer didn’t complain when her head was tilted back and heard the sounds of her magic flair to life.
The pain in her eyes started to fade, she could at least stand without support now. She got the feeling that the Moon Chanter wanted to say something, but was thankful when she stayed quiet.
“Don’t try and open your eyes yet. We’ll see how you’re doing in a couple of days.” Lauma tells her, “Until then, please follow your recovery plan to the letter.”
“What recovery plan.”
“The one I’ll send through Jahoda.” Lauma matches her snark with wit, “For now, just get yourself home, relax and rest.”
“How’s the Traveler?”
“…” she was met with silence before Lauma sighs, “He’s in rough shape, Flins is trying to at least gauge the severity of the injury but the abyssal corruption makes it so we can’t touch it directly.”
“Him being a Ratnik, he would be the most familiar with those kinds of injuries.”
“Yes. Most fortunate he’s agreed to help us.”
“Indeed.” Nefer agrees, “and what if the other man, Dainsleif?”
“He made his retreat as well.” Lauma says calmly despite Paimon’s whimpers of concern in the background, “As soon as the fighting was finished.”
“Hmm…”
He didn’t even stay to check if the Traveler was alright? Weren’t they ‘companions’ of sorts?
“Boss!” It was Jahoda. She sounded ok as ran up to them. “Oh no! You hurt! What happened!?”
“What have I told you, Jahoda.” Nefer scolds her employee despite the relief of hearing her worried voice, “Don’t let others know what you care about, I am fine. Relatively speaking.”
“Sorry, boss…”
“We have persevered in the fight and Rerir is no longer an issue.” Nefer informed her, leaning her weight against her, her employee taking her weight with no question or complaint. “We have other things to be worried about at the moment, did the Chief Alchemist come with you?”
“He did.” Jahoda tells her, “He’s by the Ratnik and the Traveler.”
“Good."