The Mythos Trials

Chapter Two, Part Two

Two hours had come and gone, and Forneus still hadn't returned.

The first hour had passed unnoticed. As soon as he left, Gwen had divided her time between clearing off the coffee table, cleaning what few cups and dishes had been used, and taking a long, relaxing shower. By the time she'd changed into the flannel pajamas Cybele had given her, she'd begun to worry.

She wasn't the only one. Phenex paced the sitting room from end to end for a full twenty minutes, growing more agitated by the second, hands clenching and unclenching whenever he stopped to look out the small, circular window opposite from the flat's entrance.

Whether he had grown tired of watching him or was just as worried about Forneus himself—or both—Asclepius finally told Phenex to go and look for him.

"Gwen will be safe here with us," he said. "Just make sure Forneus returns in one piece."

It hadn't taken much convincing. Phenex only hesitated a moment, uncertainty flickering across his face when his gaze met hers, and then he had gone. After that, Lyka had suggested Gwen practice her linguistic skills as a means to keep herself preoccupied, though she tried to be subtle about it.

They had just started poring over their second book from Cybele's modest collection of Mythosian languages when Phenex returned, supporting Forneus's weight and stumbling through the door.

"Forneus!"

The book dropped from Gwen's lap when she jumped to her feet, landing on the floor with a loud thud.

"What happened?" Lyka moved forward, taking some of Forneus's weight on her own shoulders.

"Attacked from behind," Forneus answered, wincing when Lyka snaked an arm around his waist. "Didn't see it coming until it was too late..."

"Get him on the couch," Asclepius told them, heading toward the kitchenette. ""I'll brew the tonic."

Phenex and Lyka did as instructed. Gwen crouched next to Forneus after they'd laid him down on the couch, propping his head up on one of the many cushions littering the sitting room. A pale shaft of moonlight fell across his face from the window, his pale skin almost luminescent.

"I'm all right," Forneus insisted, managing a weak smile in Gwen's direction. "I guess I was wrong. Looks like I should have taken an escort after all."

Gwen rested a hand on his forearm, the firmness of muscle beneath the sleeve reassuring. "Who did this to you?" The fear crept into her voice in spite of her efforts to remain calm, the words coming out a squeak.

Forneus shook his head. "I don't know. I didn't see his face." He shifted, propping himself up on one elbow. "By the time I came to, Phenex had already found me."

"Me, and about two dozen villagers." Phenex gently pressed a hand to Forneus's chest, pushing him back down. "You need to rest. Asclepius won't be long with the tonic."

Asclepius emerged from the kitchenette as if on cue, a bottle filled with bubbly golden liquid in hand. Gwen moved aside so that he could tend to Forneus, the guardian taking the bottle from him and finishing it in three long swallows. He released a hiss of breath once it was done, a subtle glow starting from beneath the skin of his face and moving downward. Even through the thick layer of clothing, the glow could be seen, peeking out between the pores of his cotton dress shirt.

With the ether in Geminus being of thinner quality compared to the Spectrum and even Earth, neither Phenex nor Asclepius could utilize their healing arts in full. So instead they had created a tonic with the Inari's guidance, using a mixture of Geminus's local plant life and Phenex's own feathers as a substitute.