461 Stone to Flesh (2/2)

He chose to say nothing, fearing he'd worsen the woman's mood.

”Right after his best friend dies in front'a him...” Aria twisted her lips to each side... ”Right after a buncha shites he trusted with his life turned out to be a buncha damn dirty heretics...

”Why... jus'... why couldn't I have saved him?” She began to cry in earnest... ”Why... why couldn't it've been me?”

Tycon inhaled deeply. He was going to take a very large risk.

”...Bannok can still be saved.”

Aria's tearful face abruptly contorted into a hateful glare, ”Don't you start with me, Mister. I know full well what it takes to save mah husband... and it's a SIXTH. CIRCLE. spell. Now *I* don't know any Sixth-Circle mages-- and even if ah did, none of 'em wouldn't walk three STEPS to piss on a human, even if he were on FIRE.”

Tycon gulped. His mouth was quite dry... ”And if I told you I had a way?”

Aria took a deep breath to calm herself... and still, she quivered in tears and rage... ”I'll... I'd do anything to get him back.”

Her voice cracked as she spoke... Tycon's chest grew tight, listening to his relatively attractive traveling companion weep. He wanted to help her. More than that, he wanted to help himself by restoring a Gold-Rank ally to relative fighting condition.

”Help him, Mister Tactician...” Aria bowed her head, her tears dripping onto the cold, green Dungeon stones. ”Anythin' you hafta do... even if Bannok hates you for it, even if his heart don't beat no more... I'll take all that hate. I'll tell him I made you do it. He can't never be mad at me-- you know that.”

”I... will do so,” Tycon grimaced... ”But I am almost certain that I will regret it.”

”Please...” Aria looked up with wide, sparkling eyes... ”I'm beggin' you... Anythin' you want that I can give-- it's yours.”

Tycon sighed again, standing up... ”Very well.”

He walked over to the Bannok statue... hatred still deeply set into the human's face.

It was somewhat of a shame. He 'died' well. Tycon was bringing him back for his and Aria's selfish purposes.

Tycon channeled his life force into his lungs... and into his breath. Shutting his eyes... he breathed.

The focused breath of a male from his bloodline had the magical power to undo magical petrification. Even if he wasn't the Ivory Prince... the offspring of Rylania, the Queen of Stone, he would have had an elevated status amongst his people, based purely on the rarity of his existence.

Flecks of stone began to fall from Bannok's form, revealing the color of his skin and armor. So, too, did blood begin to pool onto the floor from his missing arm.

After a few moments, the fully-fleshed, one-armed Bannok collapsed into Priestess Ariadne's arms.

Dazed, Tycon took in a breath through his teeth... The headache only became worse, affecting his balance and clouding his vision. He was teetering on the brink of mana exhaustion. Still... he still needed to stop the bleeding... ”Aria, allow me to--”

”Stay back, Maedar,” The Priestess warned in a hard voice. She cradled her husband in her arms... almost defensively, ”You've done enough.”

Tycon swallowed... nodding.

She knew.