Tipping the Scale

The Girl Genius Part 2

Warchief's head felt heavy as he dragged his body down the many steps that connected his bedroom to the exercise field below. Every time his feet hit the stonework, an echoing vibration seemed to spread through his being, causing him to curse at Crystal.

The sleeping potion had done its job, but its side effects were just as potent. Giving him a headache and making him feel weak. He partially suspected the healer of intentionally making it that way, just out of spite. Warchief could almost hear her say that he would just have to find help, so he wouldn't need her potions anymore.

The thought made him snort as he continued his way down the four levels of stairs. Careful not to slip on any of the moss-covered steps and avoiding touching the heavily engraved banisters.

Not to spare their detailed ornamentation of any damage, but because he feared they would crumble at his slightest touch. To the horror of his elven teachers, he had never cared much for history, preferring to focus his attention on the present.

When he had come to this place, Crystal had often grumbled to him about how the resistance had desecrated the shelter by adapting its structures to suit their needs. While he understood her concerns, he couldn't help but think that worrying about such things was pointless. Time would move forward and with no people to maintain the underground city, it would disappear as everything and everyone does.

As he let his hands glide over the wall, he could feel the magic crystals embedded within that once powered the spells which kept the building pristine. With no magicians to charge them, they were now nothing more than beautiful but empty husks.

Finally reaching the end of the seemingly ever-spiraling staircase, he paused to catch his breath. He felt more winded than he should have and wondered how he was going to train others in this state. Grasping for his drinking flask, he hoped to dissipate the cotton feeling in his mouth with water. Only to realize that he had forgotten to fill it before coming down the stairs.

It is going to be one of those days...

He was tempted to go back upstairs and sleep the day away, but he knew his men were waiting for him and sighed deeply before forcing himself to go outside. As he opened the door, he was greeted by the dim glow of the lueur moss around him. For once he was grateful to be beneath ground as he didn't have to suffer the bright sunlight while recovering from his headache.

Entering the exercise field, he wasn't greeted with the usual remarks on his lateness. Instead, it was unusually quiet and he noticed a slight tension in the air from the men. He frowned as he looked around until he saw the source of their discomfort. Lidea was sitting at the side of the field. Still dressed in his clothes, although they seemed to fit her better this time. Warchief presumed that Crystal had resorted to pinning or maybe even sewing the pieces to help her out. However, it was her hair that was the most noticeable change to him. Yesterday it had still been a matted mess, but now it was plaided in a long braid that reached the ground. He couldn't help but think it was a rather unpractical choice to keep her hair this long, and not one he would have expected from what he had learned of her so far.

Aside from the young woman sat Crystal, who had chosen to wear trousers for once which was peculiar as she normally only wore them while traveling. She had a grumpy look on her face and Warchief couldn't help but grin at her annoyance. It was rare to see the healer lose in a battle of stubbornness.

"I see that your guardian has allowed you to come?"

A smug smile appeared on Lidea's face as the healer's seemed to became more sour.

"We made a compromise. I don't train but I do get to attend the sessions."

She sounded complacent and Warchief had a hard time not laughing, even though Crystal was sending him a murderous glare.