Xiao's Birthday

Part 9 (Chapters 22-23)

So, for this part, I'm going to publish the playlist I figured fits this story.

It's basically the one I was listening to while writing it!

Ricky Montgomery - She is she is a lady (Line without a hook) / Lewis Capaldi - Before You Go / Jeremy Zucker - always, I'll care / Conan Gray - Heather / Lauv - Never Not / Lewis Capaldi - Forever / I Am King - Impossible / Kodaline - All I Want / Josh Ellis - Love Me Now / James Arthur - Falling Like The Stars / Winter Aid - The Wisp Sings / HAEVN - The Sea / Cigarettes After Sex - Apocalypse 

Please enjoy!

Chapter 22

We return to the mountain opening.

"Are you sure you feel okay?," Missy asks, looking over. Her brows are pulled together.

I nod, leaning on the walking stick.

"__?"

The walking stick is leaning.

"__?!"

I clatter to the ground.

When I wake up, it's in front of the opening, with hilichurls surrounding us.

"Oh dear god."

They begin attacking almost immediately, and I stand with a large swish of my sword, all around.

They're in every direction, closing in on us.

"Missy!!"

She screams from the side, evidently out of the immediate loop I've found myself in, but petrified all the same.

I have to win.

The ones closing in bear down on me, and one hililchurl raises his shield to drop on me.

I stab up into his heart, twisting. Ice forms out, and immediately the storm rises around me.

"No!," she says, but the wind blows Missy away into the trees. I'll get her later.

Using the storm, I let the sword be guided by the wind and snow. We stab into our enemies, and the snow itself destroys many of the smaller ones.

Minutes later, I'm done, a pile of hilichurls at my feet.

But when I try to retreat back, I fall again, hitting my knees.

My entire face feels warm, and my eye is throbbing. "Infection?" I look up desperately. "Missy!!"

No answer.

"Missy??!"

No answer.

I get up, slipping on the snow. Then I run, dragging my sword through the snow, the way I said I shouldn't.

I find her in the trees, crouched low.

She's so scared.

"Missy, hey, it's okay."

"Don't do that again! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

She helps me up, and clutching my hood, hovers close. I let her lead me back to Arienne's. We don't even bother gathering loot.

The second we get in the door, Missy and Arienne are exchanging fast words.

I can't get enough air, dropping in the entryway, boots still on.

They make quick work to get me in front of the fire, but I'm burning up. Even soup doesn't help, even water doesn't cool me.

It gets to the point I encase myself in thin sheets of ice.

"__, stop!"

"Too warm." I turn over, burying my face in the couch again. "Too warm."

"She needs medicine," Missy says.

"I can only make adeptus medicine."

"Only?! Well then I'll get you human medicine."

I shake my head into the cushion.

"Why not?! __!"

"Think about it. I'm not from here."

"We need Albedo," she says.

I shake my head. "I can't get to that waypoint, and you can't take it alone."

"Then what do we do?!"

"We wait," Arienne says.

Chapter 23

Three days pass before I'm able to move easily again. Coughing, I make my way into my boots.

But instead of going to the waypoint like Missy asked, I head up the mountain.

On the way, I find a Seelie I had spotted on the trail. I lead them to a small statue, where they spawn a chest. No enemies, no allies, nothing.

I retrieve the small, broken old sword, and head back to Arienne's. Missy scolds me the second I get in.

"How could you leave me behind?!"

"I wasn't hungry."

She stomps hard.

"I missed you too," I say, setting down the sword on the table. "I got this. I'm feeling better enough to do that, so I don't need to see Albedo."

"But we could just go over and get help!"

"No, we couldn't. We could go over, get help, and get him sick. We don't know what he is either. It's not safe to put him in such a compromising position."

Missy looks thoughtful. "I guess you're right."

"Mm-hmm. How do you both feel?"

"I can't get human diseases," Arienne claims. I don't know if it's true or just said to make me feel better, but sure.

Missy nods along. "Mm-hmm, same here."

This I trust even less.

"Mm-hmm."

With those ingredients, the second vial is created.

"That leaves one more!," Missy says, bouncing in the air.

"Only one to go." Arienne offers us a smile.

I sigh deeply, sitting down. "Okay."

"What? Aren't you excited, __?" Missy hovers nearby.

I cover my eyes with my arm. "Yes, but I'm exhausted. I can't go back like this. I'm going to rest, and when I recover a bit more, I'll get the last ingredient. And then, I'll rest while it's being made."

"I should mention, it takes about 5 days to make."

"That's fine. Thank you, Arienne."

She smiles. "It's my honor to help you."

"Wow, really? You hear that, __?"

I want to answer, but sleep is tugging me. The gentle exhaustion of accomplishment.