Elizabeth sighed, her final strength giving up on her. Arabella too had gone unconscious; her state didn't help ease her mind. Her pale yet blood-stricken body had gone significantly cold.
She seemed to be at rest, but if they didn't find any way to rest soon and tend to her, she'd die.
It was dusk when they managed to leave the cursed forest and hear the streams of rivers and micro-streams that led to the lake by the waterfall.
Stones became their guide as they navigated through the steep hill, supporting Arabella, who had gone limp.
Elizabeth's mind wandered on how she could create a tent — a makeshift one with bushes and branches. Light them up using Arabella's fire magic and perhaps tend to her needs.
If possible, she could catch some fish and eat to replenish their energy. Arabella seemed to be in urgent need of that.
But as her mind wandered into the abyss, she found a cabin right below the hill, just beside the river. She frowned at the sheer stupidity of someone constructing a cabin in a low place prone to flooding.
But the person who created this suggested otherwise. The cabin was simple, but the way it was constructed felt off.
The wood used by the door and the terrace was burnished. The cobblestone tightly sealed the cabin, making it seem more like hastily put bricks.
And glass... in the middle of nowhere? Refined glass even.
That kind of thing made Elizabeth hesitate to approach the mysteriously well-constructed cabin — the kind one finds in horror stories she reads at the imperial library.
Often when a place is so well-maintained yet mysteriously empty, it ends with murder or kidnapping. Perhaps she had read too much; perhaps she was just cautious due to their special circumstances.
But all thoughts of hers went to the bin when she saw a wolf's silhouette from up the hill. It was howling, and its eyes struck them like an arrow.
They had been found. A troublesome position.
Without further ado, Elizabeth made up her mind and crossed the mysterious threshold — pillars that looked strangely well-built — and went to the doors.
She opened it hastily, turning the knobs. However, it was locked, and the wolves' laugh soon made their way near the place.
"I'm sorry for the intrusion." Elizabeth settled Arabella temporarily on the terrace and cast a spell, "Fire Touch," which caused the doorknob to melt from its position. She carefully heated the knob to avoid burning the door itself.
Now that the knob had been destroyed, she pushed the door. But another lock was in place — a chain from inside. Elizabeth grew frustrated as she gazed behind her, the laughing wolves nearing the place.
Without hesitation, she used enhanced magic to strengthen herself and pushed the door's left side, destroying the chain lock along with it.
Now that she had full access to the house, she gazed once more. Her eyes widened when she saw the wolves by the river, walking slowly, surrounding the place.
Then, she looked at the door. The door was practically useless unless she barricaded it.
But then, an earful of echo resounded throughout the vicinity — a violent sound so sharp that, if it persisted, could damage her ears.
Then, it stopped. Elizabeth looked toward the source — to wherever the strongest came from — but she didn't see anything, just the strange pillars and the flowing rivers.
She nodded.
The sound must've scared the wolves off.
At least for now, they were safe, so she immediately grabbed Arabella by the arm and rested it upon her shoulder. She heaved a sigh to prepare herself for the weight, then pulled them inside, closing the door in the process.
---
Darkness loomed around them. With no sight to see, except for the window by the room, nothing was quite visible except her body. So, she gently rested Arabella on the ground, confirming it safe prior, then cast, "Summon Fire."
A fire flickered in her hand, illuminating a few feet from her. She scanned the area, but it wasn't enough to illuminate the place. However, it was enough to know that she was currently standing above a wooden floor.
She glanced at Arabella, who was sweating profusely, heaving air oh-so gravely. She decided to give her care.
She saw a fireplace on the right side of the room. It was well built. It even had firewood by the side.
Perfect. She ignited the fireplace and pulled Arabella gently close to it. She was sweating but extremely cold. She needed warmth, and Elizabeth needed light to tend to her needs.
She removed her clothes to inspect the wound. Her porcelain skin was beautiful, evident that it was well taken care of. Her light nipples slightly erect, perhaps due to the cold she was feeling. But the otherwise untainted front contrasted an ugly back.
The back of Arabella blistered in wounds. The sizzling had subsided, but now it was replaced by a foul stench and a gory picture of visible tissue, muscle, and a little bit of bone.
She laid Arabella down on her stomach. She wanted to attempt to heal her using magic she once learned when she was young, but she couldn't guarantee its success. She, after all, wasn't deemed proficient in nature magic.
First, she cleaned the gravely wounded area using water magic, pouring it steadily to rinse off any cause for infection. But the slight touch made Arabella flinch and scream in pain.
"It's okay, Arabella. It's okay." Elizabeth smiled, to comfort the patient. But the smile wasn't hollow. She was glad Arabella still had an ounce of strength to react.
She continued to pour the water, trying to ignore her painful screams. When she was satisfied with how clean it was, she went ahead and used her healing magic.
In magical elements, nature is one of the most complex forms to cast. It requires deep concentration, high affinity to nature itself, and, of course, creative thoughts.
Just as the Goddess of Creation utters in the ancient book of Codex: will embodies creation, manifests life.
The creation of life requires deep concentration, creativity... and will.
But to her, who found it hard to even glimpse at her surroundings and appreciate nature, it was harder to cast it. Even just a simple puppetry spell left her mentally exhausted.
But this was Arabella — her companion, her partner, her best of friends. She was the single most important person in her life.
At least if she had the will to do it, then with enough effort, she could see results.
She cast a spell, "Healing" — simple yet precise. Enough to access the thought of healing. However, what required mental strength lay in the next: visual.
She had had studies. She perfected the art of the body once when she was young. But the will was not there. It could not be done without the prerequisites. Plus, she had no deep affinity with nature itself, seeing that her mother viewed the garden as sadness that filled her heart too.
She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the objective. Reattach the bones, rematch the muscles, reconnect the tissue, and recreate the skin. She visualized the process and concentrated fully on the idea of healing Arabella.
But...
To no avail.
Arabella's wound remained, and her complexity seemed to worsen. Elizabeth couldn't help but cry. She hugged the pale body of her servant, limping from the lack of strength.
"I'm sorry," she grieved, as she recognized the future she now held — alone. Worse, she'd be bearing the pain and agony of someone who lost her love.
She remained still for a long duration, praying to the goddess, hoping that she could at least survive long enough for dawn to come. At least by that time, she could tend to her needs far better.
Then...
Bang
The door opened with a loud thud. The light from the fireplace didn't reach the figure, but it was enough to create the perception of dark clothing. The moonlight shone outside, casting a shadow that formed the figure's silhouette.
Enemy? Elizabeth tried to clear her mind, glaring at the figure, with her hands open — enough room for a fireball to appear.
The figure approached, revealing a far more sinister appearance. The figure's supposed face was covered with dark cloth, with another cloth hanging around it, covering its entire head to the shoulder.
No visual confirmation that this figure was human, but Elizabeth sensed no hostility. Still, she was wary. Her fighting stance remained, prepared to throw the fireball in her hands.
The figure tilted its head, seemingly focused on the fire by her hands. Then, the person closed the door and removed what seemed to be a helmet, revealing a manly face.
"A human?" The man, confused, uttered impulsively.