Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 164: Nine Minus One Part 1

"Daniel! Daniel what's wrong!?" calls out Treia. She shakes Daniel's shoulder, shouting, "I need some help over here! Something's wrong with Daniel!"

Neith whirls and flashes towards them with frightening speed, but he drops to a kneel to check on the mechanic. As Treia said, Daniel is on his hands and knees, wheezing. He also sounds like he's retching under his helmet, and the dragon reacts quickly.

Neith pulls Daniel's helmet off, placing his fingers against Daniel's neck. "My Liege! Can you hear me?"

The mechanic is struggling to keep his composure, and everyone can see it.

"The spell!" calls out Veiranoei. "It started with the spell! Senn!"

"I am committed," replies the elven archmage. "If I drop the spell now, I won't be able to restore it."

"It's killing him!" shouts the gatonine knight.

Gwenesphia runs to Daniel, also calling his name as she drops to his other side. "Daniel! Someone get the shuttle over here. O-Or,... Where's Hekate!? Hekate!"

"She's back at the Citadel!" replies Treia. The young gatonine woman feels a deep pain in her chest as Daniel struggles against pain that he isn't letting out. Given how erratic his breathing is, though, it's possible he can't even muster a scream.

Treia was there when the greatest tragedy of her family hit them. She held her youngest brother through the last night. He was a pitiful mess, unable to keep food down and weak, but in constant pain.

And yet, his last words to her were barely audible as she was half asleep from exhaustion.

"Thank you,... Big Sis Treia..."

Without thinking, the gatonine woman drops her knees. She pulls Daniel by the shoulders to lay against her, hugging his chest and head with his back against her knees and belly. He doesn't have the strength or presence of mind to resist her if he wanted to, and she says quickly, "Senn, are you able to protect us in Neith's absence?"

"Very few monsters will be able to enter the hallowed ground," replies the elven mage as she approaches, keeping her staff upright to maintain the dome. She crouches to study Daniel for a moment.

Gwenesphia asks, "Is he dying?"

"I'm not sure. He shouldn't be affected by the spell. I didn't exclude humans because he was the only one, but even so, the reaction should be far less than this."

"This spell... must exclude races?" asks Vaergraes, studying the golden glow surrounding them all.

"Yes. I developed this spell to allow myself to sleep during my adventurous youth. To exclude races or species, I have to attune it with the additional spells I was casting. We're... certain Daniel is human, yes?"

"Yes!" snaps Treia, her ears folding back as she continues to hold Daniel. They shift to a slightly more docile angle, though. "I guess... He's not from this world..."

Suddenly, Daniel's right hand starts to move, flopping against his belly briefly. He gasps and groans, and Treia quickly asks, "What is it, Daniel? Please, say something."

Gwenesphia somewhat instinctively takes his head to try to comfort him, but he tries to pull away, shaking his head ever so slightly.

Luceniel, the small pixie-like elemental is darting around Daniel in a panic. In middling daylight, such as the shady forest they're in, she doesn't have a strong role because the present elemental effect is very weak, with her in her light form until now.

With Senn's Hallowed Ground spell, she has taken a new form that has dual-tone violet and orange hair like a sunset, with an even more ethereal loftiness to her clothing than usual. Suddenly, she seems to perk up and become more composed, and she flies down near Daniel's left hip, trying to tug on the pommel of the sword there.