A Learning Curve - Etrian Odyssey 4 - Boyxboy

Chapter 11

AN: This month has officially sucked! Why won't it end already?!?!

Ahem...sorry.

Anyway, thanks so much Ame_Tasogare for commenting on the previous chapter! Hope you'll enjoy reading!

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Chapter 11:

After their near fatal ambush in the Lush Woodlands by Imperials, a thick and pained tension hung over Tharsis and the Phaedron Guild themselves.

The three 'munchkins' of the guild, as Isiah liked to call them, were utterly shocked to see them in such a state when they had returned. Roxbury barely conscious on Logre's back, Nitish pale and drained against Achyuta's chest and Varuna unconscious in Bryce's arms. The sight of them was a shock to everyone.

Immediately, everyone went into a strange form of controlled panic mode. Isiah was barking out orders to everyone and every single person did as they were asked without any hesitation.

Roxbury had been moved from the patient room to Isiah's personal bedroom, allowing the leader of the Phaedron guild to rest in a more comfortable setting. Varuna had been unconscious during the entire flight back to Tharsis and was currently being watched over by Bryce. Nitish was suffering from what Isiah called emotional and psychic fatigue and ordered rest. He had Achyuta with him.

As everyone else from the guild fussed about, Baldur was ushered into the seating area, where he had sat silently the entire time, resting the Monster Codex on his lap. When the party that investigated the Dense Bushland demanded to know the details of what happened, Falkner sat them down in the seating area and explained to the best of his ability.

"Dammit! I knew we should have gone, too!" Blayden's indignant voice seemed to echo throughout the Researchers' Clinic.

"Don't get all pouty on us," Isiah scolded only lightly as he eased himself down onto a couch, slouching back into the cushions in a slightly haggard manner. "We didn't know the bastard was there."

"Still..." Fletcher murmured as he chewed on his bottom lip, lost in his own thoughts before turning his focus back to Isiah. "Is Roxbury ok?"

"He's going to be fine," Isiah stated in a firm manner, lifting his head up enough so that he could glance in the younger brothers' direction with a firm, yet honest expression. "He'll be out of commission for a while, but he'll live. So I'm going to need your help ensuring that he doesn't try to take on the selfless leader role again."

Blayden forced a small grin to his lips. "You're going to need all the help you can get," he added, seemingly trying to break the tension that was starting to become rather suffocating.

Baldur felt an unexpected prang of guilt in his chest. Roxbury was hurt because he had protected him from the Sand Leviathan. He had willingly and purposely put himself in his place, pushing him to safety while taking on the full wraith of that deranged dragon himself.

Was that something all Fortresses did? Or something that he did?

"So you used a Burst Skill?" Blayden unexpectedly commented, pulling Baldur from his thoughts. "Looks like that spell will come in handy."

Baldur glanced at the blond sitting next to him for a moment and nodded his head idly. "Hm...."

Monsters, maybe. But not people.

...Not Imperials.

"Something on your mind?" Isiah unexpectedly asked him.

And equally unexpectedly, Baldur answered. "They did it on purpose."