War of Dawn

Chapter 9: The Life Left Behind

Hilda finds herself back at the room of the Prime Gate Crystal. She greets Wally with a hasty "hey" before rushing out the door. She's got more training to do and it'll be done now.

When she enters the Hall of Soldiers, however, she finds Paula waiting for her.

"Ah, here you are. Lords Ryouma and Owen already came through, so I figured I'd wait for you," she says, stepping towards Hilda. "So, how was it?"

"Complicated, is the word I'd use," Hilda sighs. "Standing up to actual undead was harder than I thought it'd be."

Paula comes in closer and takes a look at Hilda's bloodstained shirt beneath the Alterium chestplate. "I can see that... One of them got you in the shoulder?"

"Yeah; I screwed up and it bit me. Probably would've died had Owen not saved me, even."

"Oh, my! Did you just say something about him that wasn't a complaint?" Paula quips with a small grin.

"Well, turns out the guy's not a complete jerk," Hilda shrugs. "He and this mission gave me a lot to think about."

Hilda and Paula start heading out the door and over to the main corridor.

"First things first, though, I kinda feel like punching something right now. You wanna spar a bit?" she asks Paula.

"You, sparring? Not with that shoulder. You ought to visit the infirmary before anything else."

"It's just a bruise and Owen healed it up some. See?" Hilda states, tugging the neck of her shirt aside. Her shoulder is swollen and purple but the bleeding and pain have stopped. The gash is filled with a red light, left by Owen's spell.

Paula shakes her head and sets herself between Hilda and the path leading to the training grounds. "That's just temporary – a Novitiate-level spell won't actually heal the problem. If you don't get that treated right, you'll be in for a lot of pain. Get going."

"Come on, Paula, I—"

Hilda's argument is cut short when Paula quickly materializes an unknown glyph in her hands.

"This isn't a matter up for debate, Hilda. I'm going to give you to the count of three and then you're coming with me."

"Oho? Those're some big words. I reckon I can take on a kid like you," Hilda answers with a confident laugh, raising her fists.

"We'll see. One... two..."

Paula doesn't actually end her countdown, already unleashing her glyph and causing a string of dark energy to wrap around the base of Hilda's hands - as soon as they're in place, both her arms go numb.

"Hey, you cheated! The hell is this?!" Hilda exclaims, flinging her arms around in an attempt to move them.

"Just a basic Restriction spell. And it shows that you're not as healed as you say. Usually, this would only work on the common folk," Paula says, prodding Hilda on the back. "Come on or the next one's going on your legs. Do you want others to see you being hauled around like a sack of potatoes?"

"I'm gonna get you for this..." Hilda grunts.

Paula pushes Hilda eastward, following the main corridor and past the main gateway of Valarheim Keep. At the end of the corridor, where it bends north in the direction of the Hall of Generals, there is an open passage leading into a single, very large room.

Several beds are set side-by-side, isolated from each other by curtains, with pieces of medical equipment, medicine and materials organized in tall wooden shelves and cabinets. There doesn't seem to be anyone being treated right now and no staff, so Paula takes Hilda to an office in the deeper part of the infirmary. She knocks on the door.