The Hero Should've Known Better

Chapter 21: Strellson

A battered Hero and Healer trudged through mud, once again, as they gradually made their way back to New Frontierland. Their clothes were covered in mud and ripped in various places. They were also bruised and scraped up; their condition earlier had been even worse, but Junil had used most of her healing magic to tide over the worst of the injuries.

The sun was close to dipping below the horizon, casting a shadow over the side of the Fort Logger hill they were walking down. To light the path ahead of them, Junil was shining a green light from the end of her wand and pointing it directly ahead of them.

Currently, the two were in the middle of a conversation regarding the events of the past hour.

"I haven't been able to stock up on any potions," Junil grumbled. "You know why, obviously. So I can't heal us past this."

"I do know," Ronn replied. "And I am now reevaluating whether I should intervene in Fraul's plans."

The Healer stomped on the ground as she walked forward.

"Dang it, Ronn, you should've done it two days ago!" Junil exclaimed. "If you have, maybe we wouldn't be in this situation right now!"

The Hero peered down at the Healer.

"Why had you not stocked up on potions while we were at the Capital?" he asked.

"I didn't buy any at the Capital because potions in New Frontierland are usually cheap," Junil replied. "I saw the prices in the Capital and they were higher than normal! So I held out, thinking I could get them in New Frontierland for better prices. Contrary to what is actually happening right now..."

The two continued trudging through the mud.

"If you want me to, I can get the leeches," Junil said. "That might help with some of the bruising."

Ronn's response was immediate.

"I am fine."

"Really? You don't usually refuse treatment."

"What you have provided is sufficient."

Junil gave a sly grin. "You don't like the leeches, do you?"

"I simply do not find them to be an optimal form of treatment," he replied, promptly.

Junil gave a chuckle, but stopped and hunched over a little the moment she felt some aches shoot through her chest.

"...Gah, I can't even laugh. Everything hurts."

The two walked in silence. The only sound that punctuated it all was the uncomfortable squish-squish-squish of their shoes sticking to the mud with every step forward.

"We could've just... gone back down," Junil muttered. "Walked back to New Frontierland like regular people. Not going down a water slide."

"We needed to apprehend the Second Coming as soon as possible," Ronn retorted. "However, we have not succeeded in such a task."

"Yeah, and now we're—"

"It was ultimately preferable to attempt to stop her," Ronn interjected.

Junil scoffed. "Yeah, fine. It's a lot of pain for nothing."

"Not nothing. We know where she is at this very moment."

"Your goal was to try to get to her before she got into the city. Of course, that failed. She's now in the city and we're not. What do you say of that?"

"We cannot realistically expect all of our plans to work without issues," Ronn replied.

"Of all the plans that could've failed, it was the one that would've given us the most work to do after it's failed," the Healer muttered. "Tell me this, Ronn. You said we had to go down the water slide to stop her. We didn't stop her, so now we have to search for her. How do we search for her?"