- "I swear that if I get back home alive, I'll start calling Orion 'dad'."– Friya thought, realizing the depth of care and love her adoptive father held.
"Please, I need a healer! My friends have been hurt!" Realizing what was affecting her friends, Friya's worry increased tenfold.
Professor Wanemyre nodded, activating her communication earpiece.
"There isn't a second to lose, tell me where to find them."
It took less than a second for Professor Marth to join them and open a Warp Steps back to Lith's room.
"How long ago have they been struck?" Marth knew that, once the dark energy entered the bloodstream, it was only a matter of minutes before the victim died, almost instantly resurrecting as a lesser undead.
"I don't know." Friya pointed to him the two youths lying on their beds.
Marth cursed their bad luck, casting a diagnostic spell to see how severe their condition was, only to discover that their system was completely cleansed. The two students were simply exhausted beyond reason like they had fought and won the battle of a lifetime.
Marth had no idea what could have possibly happened, and he was simply too happy to care. His joy was short lived though. As soon as he saw Lith, sadness gripped Marth's heart.
Lith seemed exhausted too, he barely had the strength to eat the medical provisions Quylla was handing him. Marth didn't want to burden him further, but time was of the essence.
"Lith, I'm really sorry." Marth placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him.
"One of your friends has been gravely injured. He doesn't have much time left and he is asking for you."
"A friend?" Lith's sleepy eyes were suddenly wide open, checking his surroundings.
"What's wrong with Yurial?" He couldn't help but be surprised by the worry he recognized in his own voice.
"Yurial is fine. Whatever you did, it worked. You don't know how proud I am of you." Marth smiled gently, he would have liked to ask him many things, but questions had to wait.
"I'm talking about Protector. He has something to say to you. I've never seen someone with such strong willpower. He is literally refusing to die before speaking with you one last time. Please follow me."
Something inside Lith snapped, making all of his exhaustion disappear. Solus knew it was only a placebo effect, caused by Lith's desire to cry clashing with his firm denial that something might have happened to his old friend.
"Take me to him."
Marth opened a Warp Steps, seeing ill concealed pain in Lith's eyes.
Protector's body was too big to fit in the field hospital and his condition was too severe to move him from the spot he had fallen. Lith's heart ached to see the flaming red fur blackened all over, the flames that made up the tails were reduced to embers. Protector's chest raised and lowered slowly, accompanied by heavy pants.
Manohar had done his best, arriving as soon as he had been summoned. He had used all his expertise to cleanse the toxin, close the wounds, and defuse the lethal effects that such a prolonged exposure to the Dark Star spell would induce.
He was called the god of healing, but he was no god. Just a gifted man that loved his job. There were things even he was helpless against.
"It's all your fault!" Manohar roared to Ironhelm.
"You should have called me earlier! I could have saved him. I never, ever fail!"
Manohar didn't care much for the Skoll's fate, nevertheless, he had done the best that he could. His work was his life, it defined what and who he was.
Lith pushed Manohar away, touching Protector to use Invigoration and check his condition. What he saw made his heart skip a beat. Protector's core was deeply cracked, his mana was slowly seeping out. It had already turned back to green and was losing strength with each passing second.
"Glad to see you before the end, Lith." Protector's voice was still calm and serene like the first time they had met.
"Don't be sad for me. I had a great life, a loving mate and many offspring. If it wasn't for Scarlett, I would already be dead. I was living on borrowed time. I am really happy to get the opportunity to return her favor."
Every one of his words was supposed to console Lith, to make him feel better. Yet every time he spoke, Lith felt a dagger piercing his heart. Tears started to stream from his eyes, but his voice was stone cold.
"This is all your fault!" He roared to Scarlett and Linjos that were standing at Protector's side after trying every single spell they knew to save his life.
"You screw up everything you touch! Who the f*ck is that dumb son of a b*tch that made you Headmaster?" Linjos could expel him for all he cared.
If something happened to Protector, Balkor would have to get in line to get his turn with the Headmaster.