The Morningstar Brigade

Chapter 23

XXIII

DAKEN

Moments After Isaac's Victory

Infirmary, Morningstar Keep

"You know, this actually hurts a lot more than I thought it would," Daken muttered, examining his wound as Meddy removed the bandage on his arm. He glanced around the slightly improved medical room. "But I see you've got walls again. That's fun, right?"

Meddy sighed and began to wrap a fresh dressing around the puncture. "I don't know what you were expecting, making a move like that. Weapons made from the silverwood are stronger than steel, were you just hoping that the blades would stop cutting?"

Daken shrugged. "Would that really be so wrong to hope for?" He smiled brightly at Meddy. "Not to mention that I knew I'd get to come see you if things didn't work out."

"See, sometimes you scare me when you say things like that because I start wondering if you actually think that way," Meddy said with a frown as she put a hand on Daken's shoulder. "And for the record? This does not count as the check-up."

"Ow!" Daken yelped, quickly pulling his shoulder out from under her hand. "Sorry," Daken apologized. "I'm just a little more sore than I thought."

Meddy eyed him suspiciously. "Sore, huh? Where you didn't receive a single injury? If you say so." She quickly walked over to the medicine cabinet and pulled out a small, white pill bottle. Returning to Daken's bed, Meddy handed him two pills and a glass of water. "Here, take these."

"What are they?" Daken asked, cautiously holding the amber pills up to the light.

"Oh, don't be so paranoid," Meddy groaned, putting her hands on her hips. "I've been helping you get back on your feet for as long as we've both been here. It's a minor painkiller mixed with some Vita to speed the healing process. It isn't going to do anything but make you a little bit sleepy," she explained. "Not that it matters much, you're just going to go out break everything all over again next week," Meddy muttered.

"Have some faith in me," Daken said optimistically as he gulped the pills down and laid back in the bed. "Maybe it'll be two weeks next time."

"Maybe," Meddy replied softly, smiling as Daken's eyes slowly closed. "Or maybe the world will just end and there won't be a next week," she added with a morbid laugh.

Daken slept for a few hours before awaking to the sound of a locking door. He lazily opened his eyes and scanned the room. All the lights in the ramshackle chamber that passed as the examination section had been turned out except for a dim lamp beside his bed. Still drowsy from the medication, Daken was just barely able to make out a man in spotless white clothing approaching. Upon reaching the bed, the figure stopped and pulled over a chair, lowering his face into the light of the lamp. The only revelation the dull illumination offered, however, was that the phantom wore a black mask over his face, shrouding nearly all of his physical features save a hard, square jawline and the arched, hawklike outline of his nose. Emblazoned on the mask was one simple word: JUSTICE. "Shoot, I forgot my costume. Here, just unlock the door and I'll go grab mine too. Otherwise you'll just feel silly," Daken managed to slur with a slight chuckle.

The man sighed, shook his head and then smiled. "Hello, Daken. I see your sense of humor hasn't dulled since the last time we talked."

Coming out of his stupor, Daken's expression began to tighten. "I try not to let the job get to me," he said with a shrug. "So, what are you doing here, Accuser? Don't you have some smoking violations to chase or something? That's the kind of stuff you do when there's actual fighting to be done, isn't it?"