Servitude: The Hydrangea Chapters

Chp 5: The Proxy of Bone

Tessa nodded in agreement, standing up. "There's no way I would let anyone in your condition back out there, that's for sure. Hurting or not. So you're sticking around until we figure out how to get your hands back. No fuss about it." Elek letting out what at first sounded like a scoff but then mixed with a chuckle, he'd shake his head with a small smile at the corner of his lip. Once Tessa made up her mind about something, there certainly wasn't much that swayed her decisions. Even so, Elek had to agree. If Marlina was what one could compare to a walking and talking suit of armor, and a hekoska managed that degree of damage, he wouldn't let her back out there either. Especially if even she doesn't know how to treat her injuries.

"There are some rooms at the tavern, but perhaps she should stay here in the infirmary so she can be monitored?" Elek suggests.

Marlina shakes her head. "Please, don't waste a bed on me, Sir Elek. Would be better for someone who requires the rest. And I would hate to impose. I may not have hands at the moment, but I am sure I can find some way to be of help around here to earn my keep for now." Certainly is insistent. There are also perhaps those construct workings that might have her behave in such a way.

Then there was a creak of the infirmary door opening more, the woman that Elek addressed as Aurea earlier stepped into the room. Unbeknownst to Marlina, a chill flowed through the room from her presence. Not of an ominous nature, but certainly one of relief to the warmth outside. "Right now, you are not expected to work in your condition." As she spoke, it showed that she had the experience of a noble and that her word had the final say in things around here. "The only work that will be happening tonight is fortifying the defenses in case any more hekoska try to come near here, which I will not demand anyone injured to stand and fight. I would rather you be where you will be safe, which is here. So please, do not push yourself. We don't wish for your condition to worsen." Aurea then looked at Tessa. "Tessa, I need your help to build the defenses. If you please."

Tessa nods, she gives Elek a quick kiss before she follows Aurea out the door. Elek turned and walked back to the other room, Marlina was left to herself for a moment. She must admit, these people certainly are an interesting conglomerate. Marlina slowly approaches the door and peeks in. The room was a bedroom, with a large bed to her left and wardrobes in the walls at the sides of the bed. Most likely the room that Elek and Tessa stay in and share. This would make sense if Tessa was the one who managed the infirmary, and Elek was her romantic partner. For the most part, it was mostly clean but seemed like it was 'half' lived in. 

Half of the bed looked used while the other side was neatly made, with women's clothing draped over some places, on the side of the room with the used bed. There didn't seem to be any male clothes strewn about on the cleaner half. On the wall to Marlina's right was a map of the continent, she saw it every time she passed through an inn when traveling across Urush. To those with knowledge of anatomy, the shape of the continent would remind someone of human lungs. There were markings, brief notes, and symbols used for a self-made legend in many areas of the Everlasting Expanse. If Marlina had a good guess, it looked like these people had explored a fair amount of the wastes, which was impressive since they were human. Would explain how her two rescuers didn't seem all that phased against that terrifying beast. 

Across from Marlina was another door, left open just a bit, where she would see Elek moving back and forth across the gap. However, what concerned Marlina a little was when she briefly saw Elek carrying what looked to be a large and dirty bone in his hands. Does he... handle dead bodies? What could have been in that coffin he was so concerned about earlier? Marlina's curiosity gets the better of her, and she quietly walks over and peeks in as well. In comparison to the infirmary and the bedroom, there would be what looked to be many large cabinets in the walls, at least a dozen. The single table in the center of the room has an almost entire skeleton arranged neatly atop it.