The Judgement Of Divinity (TMOE #2)

Chapter 15: While compassion remains

And Anthony definitely died under that ice.

He carefully placed his ear against Ivan's chest to confirm his breathing. It was an alarmingly slow heartbeat, but it was there, and Lucius let out a trembling breath in return.

Then he finally felt it. The excruciating pain in his arm where the garm had grabbed him. It was joined by a sting blooming around his ribs from when he'd fallen to the ground, and he had to gasp for air. The danger had forced his body to forget about pain and allow him to move, but now that it was all over, bodily restrictions applied again.

"Lucius!" Tom called out, and to Lucius' further relief both he and Richard were on their way towards them, the latter looking about as roughed up as one would expect from a fight with a garm, but still alive.

"What happened?" Richard asked, a frown forming on his face as he looked from Lucius and Ivan to the unconscious werewolf. "... How?"

"Rocks." Lucius used his good arm to point upwards. "From the ceiling."

Richard looked pleasantly surprised.

"Wow, that's some luck right there."

"Not really," Lucius muttered, not so sure luck deserved credit for his near-death sacrifice. "I guess it was the one way for me to take her down though, so... A little luck, I suppose, that it was an option."

"How is he?" Tom sat down next to Ivan and inspected his wounds, arching his eyebrows at the speedy process. "... You gave him the potion?"

"Yeah, I..." Lucius shrugged. "... He was gonna take it anyway, right? Seemed like the natural solution."

"I assumed he would save it though." Tom lowered his glasses to get a better look up close. "For potential injuries in the future, not that he didn't need it now."

"I dunno, I figured he wanted it for his leg, so he would've taken it soon enough anyway." Lucius pointed at the man's cane. "Should have the same result."

Tom pinched his lips together, and he picked up the empty bottle.

"It wouldn't have worked on his leg anyway," he said. "This should only have about the same effect as a werewolf's ability to recover. It can heal your body at an astounding rate, but it can't fix injuries from before."

Lucius let out a disappointed, and rather remorseful, sigh.

"So... What? They tricked him?"

"I don't know," Tom admitted. "I'm surprised it worked to begin with, but they should have known better than to promise something like that."

The group perked up as a pained groan escaped Ivan's mouth, and Tom placed two fingers against his wrist.

"Pulse is decent," he declared. "He must have recovered most of his blood."

"Oh good." Lucius exhaled, throwing a glance at the garm. He'd be very happy to get out of there as quickly as possible. "Should be safe to move him then, right?"

Richard sneered.

"Alright, you go ahead and carry him then."

Lucius scrunched up his nose. Mocked for his stature? Now?

"... The garm injured my arm. I don't know how much." He gestured over the rest of his body. "And I've fallen off her back twice."

Both Tom and Richard sighed.

"So there are two people to drag out of here?"

"If you revert back you could probably carry them both in one go," Tom suggested, and Richard gave him an exasperated look, upset Tom had forgotten that he was injured as well.

"I still think I can walk," Lucius protested and stood up from the ground with some effort. "How about you just support me, Tom, and Richard can get Ivan out of here whichever way he wants."

He glared at Richard.

"Except throwing him in the water."

"Why would you even think that?" Richard was yet again offended. "Because I'm a werewolf? Because you think I'm a scary monster? That's discrimination."

"Can't believe... Someone like you..." Ivan suddenly whispered, voice hoarse and weak. "... Is a werewolf."

Clearly there were no limits to the insults currently flying around the tunnels, but Lucius was relieved the man was awake and talking, and that he wasn't too disturbed by the werewolf revelation even after the shock had died down.

"It's all right now, Ivan." Lucius kneeled down next to him again. "Your idea with the ceiling worked, and we'll get you out of here right now before the garm wakes up."

"I'm..." Ivan shook his head. "I can't possibly survive this. You just tell Milica to..."

He frowned, finally noticing his surprising lack of pain despite what the werewolf had done to him, and he slowly sat up to stare down at his stomach.

"You—" He traced a hand against his newly formed scars, eyes widening. "What... How?"

"You were dying," Lucius informed him as if the man hadn't come to terms with the fact yet. "So I gave you the potion."

Ivan looked over at the empty bottle Tom was holding.

"... The potion... Worked?" He stared down at his stomach again. "It—It actually healed all this so quickly?"

"It's remarkable," Lucius agreed with a nod, but then he grimaced. How was he supposed to tell the man that it likely hadn't affected his leg? With his luck he'd get punched in the face.

Ivan couldn't stop staring at his recent wound.

"And it was just one dose?"

"Well, yes, as that Larkspur man said." Lucius gestured at the empty bottle. "Would've been daft to half-ass it with a wound like that."

Then Ivan punched him in the face.