Moon Glaive

Chapter 17: Indu

"Indu!"

"Big sister!"

A multitude of shouts assaulted her delicate eardrums. She instinctively covered her ears, dizzy from the sudden outburst of noise.

"All of you, stop!" The voice of a man shouted. It hurt, but the other voices quieted down. "She only just woke up; her body is still recovering."

A man with a cleanly trimmed beard and shoulder-length brown hair wearing white robes rose from his seat. He tossed the cloth lying across his face, walking towards her with narrowed eyes. Grabbing the foot peeking out of the blanket, he scrutinized it as he muttered incomprehensible words. A moment later, a cool sensation ran from where the man was, grabbing her foot to the tip of her head. It was pleasant.

"You fainted due to sudden shock, and fortunately, there are no side effects. All you need to do is take off your legs, and in a few days, you'll be as good as new."

It was then that Indu noticed the faint sting coming from her legs. The shards must have sliced me when the glass broke.

"Ah...thank you, then, sir..." Indu paused, trying to remember his name.

"Whittlee. Camdyn Whittlee, archmage of the Lunar Knights." He stretched his hand out.

"Archmage!" Indu's eyes widened. Such a high-ranking figure diagnosed me? Shouldn't he have been put in a place where he's more needed? She gingerly accepted his outstretched hand, in awe of being able to meet someone of such legendary status.

"Camdyn..." A low growl came from behind the archmage. Deep and gruff, containing thinly veiled anger devoid of the friendliness he had spoken to Indu with, Axer spoke.

"If you're done, release her hand."

"....right." Camdyn awkwardly released Indu's hand and shuffled back, his expression tense.

"Big sister!" Aniya, who had been sitting in their father's lap, dove into her stomach.

"I'm sorry; did I scare you?" Indu tenderly stroked the back of Aniya's head. A wet patch grew on the blanket – Aniya was crying. "I'm okay now; you don't have to worry."

"Are you truly okay." Her father approached her and gently squeezed her other hand. Warmth filled his exhausted eyes. Despite the eye bags and messy hair, he had a bright smile as if trying to cheer her up.

Indu hugged her sister and father in response. Her father stroked her head like she had done Aniya. He said nothing, but his faintly trembling arms and rather rough stroking told her of his fear. She bit her lip as she hugged him harder.

"I'm okay now. I'm really okay."

The comforting embrace seemingly lasted for an eternity, but her father eventually and quite reluctantly pulled away. He winced.

"How are your wounds?" Indu tenderly poked his bandaged arms.

"I've had better days." He smiled gently.

"...the count promised you wouldn't get hurt, but you returned like this." Indu bit her lip, to which her father awkwardly chuckled. His lips were twisted in a wry smile, and she frowned. "Why are you looking at me like that."

"Big sister, how could you not see them!" Aniya had finally managed to dig her head out from Indu's and her father's stomach fat.

"Hmm?" Indu tilted her head in confusion, but only then did she see two men seated next to each, each dressed in dirty but sparkling armor. One had particularly striking, long black hair, light brown skin bu, and dark brown eyes.

"A-Axer..." Indu stuttered as she realized who the man was. Despite the dirt and grime covering his armor and the unpleasant smell radiating from him, the man was still beautiful, like a perfect sculpture.