Sometime later I sat on a cot in the medical tent, with Roq hanging from my belt, and Doctor Katherine sitting in front of me while frowning at my leg. A few guards with less serious wounds were splayed out across the other cots, waiting for their turn.

  With the death of the siege monster and the arrival of the unwanted reinforcements, the battle had turned to a 'normal' attack, if monsters crawling up our walls to tear our guts out could be called that. But as far as I knew, there had been no further casualties and the adventurers and guards had methodically, and as safely as possible, put down the rest of the monsters. Despite that piece of news, my guts churned at all those that had died because we’d been undermanned. How many people back in Dawnwatch would cry for their fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons?

  "Stop moving," Doctor Ridley ordered, not even bothering to look as she examined my leg. "Your kneecap is broken in two. It is a somewhat clean-ish break. Nasty stuff, but nothing life threatening."

  Eryn stood beside her, eyes focused intently on Ridley's hands as the doctor worked. Her expression was a mixture of concern and professional curiosity. There was definitely more of the second than the former, I could see it clearly. She was wondering how to go about fixing a broken knee.

  "Sounds bad," I said, trying to fill the awkwardness with random banter as I glanced over at Eryn.

  "Could be worse," Doctor Ridley replied matter-of-factly. "You're lucky it isn't shattered. It's nearly impossible to align all the pieces then. But two pieces? I can work with that."

  "You could just let me fix it," Roq said with a drawn-out groan.

  "It's too suspicious if I never have any injuries. Besides, I really need the rest. I’m tired as hell, Roq."

  "I don't care. My head hurts, Ash. For once I want you to store me and you REFUSE to do so. Do you know how annoying that is?"

  "You'll just have to be patient."

  "Fine. Suffer like a mortal. But at least be quiet. Did I mention that my head hurts? Besides, you do know that you can store me even if you don’t want me to heal you?"

  "Yeah, I do. I’ll store you in a bit, hold on."

  He'd been in a huff even since we managed to use Forge Anchor despite the Hive Mind's mental pressure on Roq’s mind, complaining about the steelhusk of his hammer being too tight for his being. To be honest, he just sounded like a grumpy and hungover soldier.

  The piece of cloak which had wrapped around my leg lay inert on the cot next to me. Once the fighting was done and over with, and I had managed to sit down, the magical cast had fallen away, and my broken knee was useless once more. With the battle finished, I figured this was as good an opportunity to let Doctor Katherine know I could be wounded as well as anyone else. I'd shown up without scratches a bit too often for her taste, and she’d told me as much. Now she would be less suspicious.

  “I will count to five and then you need to--”

  She never finished her sentence, and instead her hands snapped to opposite sides as she adjusted my leg. I felt a stab of pain rolling up from my knee to my skull. "Jumping onto a siege monster? Really?" Eryn muttered, her eyes focusing on mine. "That's both the stupidest and bravest thing I've heard. Well, since you jumped on top of that Titanfang. Which was also very stupid. And brave. You need to stop doing stupid stuff, Ash."

  "It… umm… worked, didn't it?" I replied more as a question to Eryn than a statement.

  "From what I hear, it is only due to Alex, Ming, and Isaac that I still have a boyfriend. A living one, I mean, not a heap of flesh and bone" she replied, but I could see the pride behind her exasperation.

  Knut sat on a nearby stool, resting and watching Doctor Ridley work.

  "Boy has heart of northern berserker," he said proudly. "No sense in head, but much courage. Makes up for being dumb."

  "Courage and stupidity often look remarkably similar," Nabeeh said from where she stood by the tent entrance. "Though I wish I could have seen the explosion myself. Isaac told me it was quite decent. The whole jumping down on the monster and blowing it up part. I’m proud of you, boss."

  Doctor Ridley cleared her throat.

  "If you're all quite finished critiquing my patient's battle tactics, I'd like to concentrate on getting him better so you all can get the hell out of here."

  "Yes, beautiful mountain rose," Knut said, making a zipping motion over his lips.

  Doctor Ridley ignored him, turning back to Eryn.

  "And you are to watch carefully. It is not every day we get to realign a split patella."

  As the doctor worked, she narrated each step to Eryn, almost like Roq had done with my breakthrough, though this was far less painful.

  "First, we clean the area thoroughly to prevent infection. As healers it is tempting to use magic as a crutch, but just like veteran warriors pace themselves, so does a healer. I don't want to see you waste mana on what can be done easily by hand, or you might run out in the worst possible moment. Next, we apply a numbing agent. This one is derived from Bromavine sap, very effective but expensive." She glanced at me. "You're getting the good stuff because you got wounded saving people. Don’t get used to it, though."

  "I appreciate it," I said, wincing as she manipulated my knee. Even though the pain was muted, it still felt… wrong, almost like the dull ache of a bad tooth but only amplified.

  "Mess up your knee this bad doing something stupid and all you get is a stick to bite on. Now," Doctor Ridley continued, her voice taking on a teaching cadence, "I'm going to use a basic spell. Typically you'd receive this or something similar after your first breakthrough. Not as powerful as those usually gained at a higher level, but it heals the bone to keep it from slipping." She looked at Eryn. "And why am I not using a more powerful heal?"

  "Two thoughts strike me," Eryn said, frowning. "First, it could be because you want to show me what is possible just after breakthrough, but more likely it is in case the bone is incorrectly set."

  "Excuse me?" I said. "Incorrectly set?"

  "In case she needs to break your knee apart again," Eryn said with a barely contained smirk. "Easier if its not fully healed. Then she might risk giving it a different break and making a complete mess of your knee."

  "Erh..." I said, looking at the doctor.

  "And who's the idiot now? Have fun."

  "Excellent analysis," Doctor Ridley said. "It is indeed the second. Now, the key is to visualize the bone as a whole while channeling the energy. You're not forcing it together; you're reminding it of its proper shape."

  Eryn nodded, absorbing every word, and I could even imagine her making mental notes on non-existent paper.

  "A deserter's hoard of nonsense," Knut said. "Slap on mud and walk it off. You big boy, no?"

  Knut shot me a wink.

  "Yes, because mud is known for its remarkable healing properties," Nabeeh said, rolling her eyes. "Perhaps we should just set his leg on fire? That would certainly distract from the pain."

  "If we find a way to put a soul into a weapon, like a human soul, I'd like it to be Nabeeh. I like her style. She'd be a fitting girlfriend for me. Make her an anvil. Or maybe a slightly smaller hammer. No, wait, a two-handed warhammer to go with her explosive personality."

  "I thought you had a headache and wanted me to shut up?"

  "Only when there's nothing important or useful to add. This seemed rather important, mind you. Just in case she gets in an… accident or something."

  Doctor Ridley ignored them all, focusing on her work. Finally, she seemed satisfied with how my knee was aligned and her hands glowed with a soft golden light.

  "This spell creates a framework for the body's natural healing to follow," she explained to Eryn. "Like providing a map for the body's own resources. Much simpler and less costly than trying to brute force the healing."

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  A strange tingling sensation ran through my leg, followed by a warm rush. Then the pain subsided, swept away by an invisible hand. The relief was nearly immediate and substantial, and I sighed in relief.

  "There," Doctor Ridley said, sitting back. "The bone is knitted together now, but it'll take time to set. Keep your weight off it for at least a day, and no strenuous activity for three days after." She fixed me with a stern look. "And that means no monster hunting, no heroics, and definitely no jumping onto siege monsters, no matter how tempting."

  "Yes, ma'am," I said. "Thank you, ma'am. Promise I’ll behave."

  "Good." She stood, wiping her hands on her white apron. "Eryn, you've done well assisting today. You have a natural talent for this. I can’t wait to have you among our ranks."

  Eryn's face lit up at the praise.

  "Thank you, Katherine."

  "Welcome," Doctor Ridley said, turning to address all of us. "Stay for a while and rest. You've all earned it, but once you feel rested, get the hell out of here so I can treat the others."

  "Roq, youre up! Fix my knee, please."

  "Fine."

  I swiped him in and sighed as the telltale sign of Blood Forge ran through me, sending heat down into my knee. I really should have done it right away. Just went to show I wasn’t all that smart when it came time to decide on stupid things like getting healed.

  * * *

  A few hours and a power-nap later, my knee still bandaged but completely fine, I pretended to hobble outside the medical tent, leaning on a wooden crutch Doctor Ridley had provided. With the sun already rising, it was time for us to head back. Since I’d already had my fill of Mind Gems earlier, and the level up, I felt no tiredness. But fatigue still hung over me like a blanket. It was a result of so many things having happened at once, and not having time to properly process it all.

  The aftermath of the battle was evident everywhere I looked. The gate stood half-broken, and blood marred both the walls and the courtyard. Crews were already back at work, but it would take them a lot of time. The ground outside the walls was littered with monster carcasses, which teams of scavengers were collecting one by one, sorting, and bringing them back to Dawnwatch for processing.

  I'd considered trying to swap out carcasses for some with gems, but with my injury and the gems going to rebuilding and strengthening Sentinel Station, I held back, feeling that since this was a team effort, I needed to let it go. At least this time. Then there were the widows and families that would need providing. They would be paid out of the guild’s coffers, too.

  I made my way to a quiet corner of the yard and leaned against a wall, pretending to take the weight off my injured leg.

  "Not bad for a day's work," Roq said, his voice unusually subdued. "Hitting level thirteen, filling your spatial storage, and tasting a plethora of new monsters. That means a lot of something, in case you were wondering."

  "I know what it means. And yes, hitting level thirteen was--"

  "Worth the risk? Proof of my superior tactical and strategic mind?"

  "You are incurable."

  "Oh, absolutely. There is no cure for genius!"

  I chuckled.

  "A genius at finding ways of being a pain in my butt, maybe." I was about to add something stupid, but decided on a different approach. “Among many other things, mind you.”

  "Speaking of pain, that was some explosion. Almost as good as the one in the fungal forest. We should try to recreate that sometime... but bigger. We’ll have to get Nabeeh on board so I can direct her how to go about blowing shit up!"

  "Yeah... I don't think so. A controlled and tactical explosion here and there, explicitly to avoid greater danger? Yes. Trying to put the world on fire because you think it looks cool? Nope. We’re not going there, Roq."

  "You need to find a way to tell Nabeeh about me. She understands the beauty of destruction, and I deserve the company of equally great minds. Unless you want to slay her and see if we can… carve a soul gem out of her."

  "All in good time, my friend…wait, no. Carve her up? Come on, stop talking nonsense, or I’ll store you for the next three days."

  The sound of approaching footsteps made me look up, only to find Knut and Nabeeh making their way over. The big northerner looked tired, while Nabeeh yawned and looked exhausted to a level where I thought she might fall over like she sometimes did due to her clumsiness.

  "Time to go home," Nabeeh said, before cracking her jaw on a yawn. "Tired now."

  "You sound like Knut," I said.

  Knut nodded approvingly.

  "True. Smart to sleep. Must look handsome for doctor."

  "How serious are you about her?" I asked Knut.

  "Very."

  "Care to expand?" I asked.

  "No."

  "Fine," I said.

  "So," Nabeeh muttered. "Benedict, eh?"

  I frowned, the name alone souring my mood.

  "Yeah. Benedict. Back like a bad rash."

  "And with friends," Knut added. "Bad friends."

  Nabeeh leaned against the wall beside me, crossing her arms.

  "That woman, Serona? She's from House Domitius, right? The one you told me wanted your smithy?"

  "Correct."

  "Well, she's seen me with you now, so it seems I've joined what my uncle would call your 'blood feud with expensive hats' with them now."

  "Thanks?" I said, not quite getting what she meant.

  She shrugged.

  "Like I said, I've found a good party. I'm in it for the long haul. Or, until I get strong enough to return home and... you know. Or until we all die. Considering how things are shaping up, that might happen, too."

  I mulled that over for a moment. She was right, and I hated it. That is why I took the risk, and that is why I would have to take greater risks: so we could get ahead and protect what we loved.

  "Yeah. You might want to rethink about staying around now. Her wind spells?" I said, remembering how effortlessly she'd torn through the flyers. "She barely moved and those monsters were just... gone."

  "Bad sign. Very bad," Knut said, nodding solemnly. "And plated warriors? Not thugs. Professionals." He tapped his chest where his own armor would normally sit. "Right stance. Eyes move fast. Either good pretending to be dangerous, or really dangerous men. I would like to fight. Maybe? No, definitely. Good brawl."

  "The latter," Nabeeh said, stifling another yawn. "I asked around about her archer. He's at least level eighteen."

  "How do you know?" I asked.

  "One of the guards sang his praises as if he'd single handedly saved the base and not arrived barely in time for the cleanup. But a quadruple shot with perfect accuracy? Level eighteen ability." She brushed a strand of hair from her face as she yawned again. "Damn it. I need my bed, Ash."

  "Soon sleep," Knut said, gently slapping her back and sending her stumbling.

  She glared at him, but continued.

  "And the bitch witch? At least around twenty-five, maybe even twenty-eight based on her spells. If they move on Pa and Ma's smithy while we’re gone?" She hesitated but we all knew what she meant.

  "It'll be ugly," I finished.

  "Let them try," Roq said. "I'll show them what a REAL weapon can do. Those pampered nobles with their shiny toys have never faced ANYTHING like me. I'll crack their fancy armor like eggshells and paint the smithy with their insides!"

  "Let them try," I said, echoing Roq and looking around. "I've already taken one life to keep it safe. I'll do it again if I have to."

  Though I really didn’t want to.

  "Must be smart," Knut said, patting my shoulder. "Dumb to fight bear with bare hands. We make plan. Then catch thugs."

  "Why is Benedict with them, anyway?" Nabeeh asked. "As big of a monster crap he is, I wouldn't have taken him for a noble's lackey."

  "Nothing good," I replied, shifting my weight on the fake-injured leg. "Benedict's not the type to do something that doesn’t benefit him directly. Besides, we took it all from him, so he might as well want to pay us back. It wouldn’t surprise me."

  "Ash!" Commander Edwin called out. I turned to see him striding toward us, his armor dented and splattered with blood and guts, but he seemed fit as ever.

  Knut raised a fist in salute, and Edwin nodded at him.

  "Commander," I greeted him. "How is everyone?"

  "Nabeeh," Edwin nodded at her before addressing me. "Thanks to you and the other defenders, the base stands. But we lost good people today. It could have been much worse, but... even one is too much." Then he looked at me and grinned. "Quite a feat you pulled off. You drew a lot of monsters off my back at a critical moment, so I might even have to thank you for saving my life? Or something?"

  "Thanks," I chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that far, but if you don't mind me asking, sir. Why did it take so long for reinforcements to arrive? The alarm bells rang, but..."

  Edwin's expression darkened.

  "Guild officials arrived with a caravan not long before the attack began. They insisted on meeting the adventurers at once. Was in the middle of a useless talk on jurisdiction and protocol when the bells rang. Took us a good minute to get out there."

  "Officials same everywhere," Knut muttered. "Always bad for everything and everyone. Petty fools with much rules. Should send out to fight monsters."

  "Most mean well," Edwin said. "But you are not wrong, Knut. Enough about that. For now, anyway. I came to tell you personally, Ash, that you are to receive a third of the Juggernaut carcass as special compensation."

  My eyes widened.

  "Really? I thought all carcasses from attacks went to the guild and the bank."

  "Usually, yes," Edwin nodded. "And there'll be a mind gem with your name on it. The standard special compensation. But we can make exceptions for acts of exceptional courage. What you did saved lives and possibly the entire station. That deserves recognition. Also, when you compare the price of the gates you saved to what just a third of that monster might be worth, well…it’s not even close. The gates could buy you twenty of those."

  I felt a flush of pride wash through me, but it was quickly followed by concern.

  "I wasn't exactly laying low, was I?"

  Edwin laughed, a genuine sound that seemed to release some of the tension he'd been carrying.

  "No, you certainly weren't but when the alternative was letting the base be overrun, you chose correctly." His expression grew serious. "I promise you, Ash, I will do everything in my power not to let anything happen to you or your friends. Some things are worth the risk. I perceive you chose well."

  Before I could respond, Eryn approached, her face glowing with excitement.

  "Ash! You won't believe what just happened!"

  "What is it?" I asked, caught off guard by her enthusiasm.

  "Doctor Ridley offered me a healer gem!" she exclaimed. "She said she keeps one handy for when she finds someone with talent. She means me! I've got talent!"

  "That's wonderful!" I said, genuinely happy for her.

  "Good doctor," Knut said.

  "There's a condition, though," Eryn continued. "I need to work shifts at the medical tent to pay it back, plus a payment in mind gems, but, it's still worth it, right?"

  "Of course," Nabeeh said. "You'll make an excellent healer, Eryn. And God knows we need your heals more than ever. These two are just insane. It’s as if they’re trying to outdo one another with stupid things."

  "Great! Then we can fight even more monsters, stay in the field longer, and gain more mind gems! And do crazier things!" Roq said cheerfully.

  Edwin smiled.

  "Congratulations, Eryn. Doctor Ridley doesn't offer that to just anyone. She must see great potential in you."

  Eryn's cheeks flushed with pride.

  "Thank you, Commander. I’ll finally be one of you guys."

  I pulled her into a one-armed hug, careful to keep up my ruse.

  "You always were, love. I'm proud of you," I whispered. “And from now on, you’ll be one of us in name, too.”

  She squeezed me back.

  "And I'm proud of you, too, even if you are a reckless idiot sometimes. Now, Commander, think you could tell us anything about Benedict and his entourage?"