Chapter 35 (1/2)

My eyes finally fluttered open, and the first thing I saw was the firepit. We appeared to be in a familiar cathedral. It had the same mural involving the brother and sister. After I passed out, I reasoned that the girl must have dragged me back up to the 5th floor and barricaded us back in this room.

“Lydia… how long was I out?” I asked, my mouth feeling very dry.

“M-master, you’re awake!” An excited voice ran over to me, immediately putting a waterskin to my mouth. “It’s been a day, Master.”

I drank as much as I could and then gestured for her to help me sit up. I felt very weak.

“Food…” I said, not meaning to sound commanding.

However, Lydia didn’t mind in the slightest and immediately began cooking food. As she was cooking, I heard her own stomach growl. She blushed.

“You didn’t eat?” I asked.

Lydia shook her head. “Master couldn’t eat unconscious… so I wouldn’t eat either…”

As she turned, I noticed that her clothing was still bloody. “You’re still wounded”!

“It-it’s fine Master!” Lydia said, trying to pull away.

I grabbed her and pulled her down into a seat next to me. After cashing heal and refresh on myself, I felt a bit more energized, if not still a bit weak.

“May I?” I ask, tugging at her clothing.

Lydia blushed but then nodded. She brought her hands into her sleeves and then covered her chest. I brought the shirt up over her head. The shirt itself was barely usable, and barely covered more than her arms did now. There was a nasty gash down her side, and she hadn’t done anything about it. I could see it was cursed, and that curse had covered half her stomach now. She could have used my potions or my bandages. I even had some holy water which would have treated the curse. She used none of that.

I immediately removed the curse and then cast Weak Heal on it. It took six weak heals before all that was left was a white scar. I checked over the rest of her body, and when I got to her back, I could only hiss slightly. Her back was covered with long scars. I had watched enough afternoon specials to understand that these were the scars of someone who was whipped a lot.