Babel's Magic-Khadgar FanFic

No Potions, Only Swabs

Tracing the cotton swab over the bloody split above Lothar's left eyebrow earned only a slight wince when the acrid solution stung the King's wound.

"Owe owe-" Khadgar flinching each time a freshly doused cotton swab touched the nicks and cuts dotting all over his skin.

"Really?" Lothar rolled his head to look over at the man on the cot beside him.

"This isn't anything like priest magic," defending his tender hide only earned an eye roll from the King and Khadgar scowled a little in his general direction.

"You're a spellcaster boy, wasting time on minor cuts and bruises is pointless," Lothar closed his eyes when the nurse tending to his split eyebrow wiped the excess solution from his eye lids, "You'll heal up fine, maybe even get a scar from your first surprise battle."

"There you both go," both of the nurses tending to Khadgar and Lothar rejoined at their shared table and busied themselves putting the dirty tools and waste away. The older of the two who'd washed out Lothar's wound spared a look at the female slouched over in the corner who hadn't said a single word since coming in with the King and Guardian, "My King, the girl?"

In unison the men looked over at Fain. Scrunched up with her arms wrapped around her dirty legs and face hidden in her lap, she hadn't moved a muscle since coming to in the infirmary. Despite the muck that accumulated from the blood gunk on her skin, Fain sat still in soiled linen unresponsive.

"Thank you both, I'll call if we need anything. Please," Lothar nodded kindly with his dismissal, "Go send notice to my sister that we are well and cleaned up."

Accepting the King's orders both workers took their used and stained clothes with them as they dismissed themselves. Khadgar leaning on the edge of his cot starring at Fain until the women left. Out of sight the mage jumped to his feet to rush over to Fain. Lothar extended an arm halting his hustle.

"But I-" he began to protest.

Lothar shook his head and rouse slowly. A twinge of soreness sown into every inch of him Lothar thought how good his scotch sounded now. Throwing the thought away he and Khadgar approached Fain's solitary figure slowly.

Near the edge of her cot the men stopped only as Khadgar sat down on the lip of her cot. A tenative hand reached out and touched the grimy hair, "Fain..."

"You're covered in crud little monster," Lothar stood at the foot of her infirmary cot while Khadgar stroked his fingers through her clumping hair, "You need to wash up before Taria looses it."

The muscles on her shoulders twitched but that was the only response from the female. Even her head remained faceless in her lap. Khadgar uncertain about it, let his hand dip down to her back only to rub little soothing circles trying to illicit a response from her.

"You're going to freeze in that," Lothar pestered with as much care that the man mustered. Khadgar already providing the physical touch Lothar stood without much idea on how to fix the situation.

"...what were they going to do to me?" piped up from her lap, it was hard for the men to decipher what she said mumbled into her lap. Fain did not repeat it though when her head tipped back and blood shot eyes weary from too much rubbing flickered from Khadgar then to the King she knew understood their assailants motives.

Wishing for that scotch even more now, Lothar inhaled slowly and rubbed a palm along the back of his neck, "Well uh...they were going to sacrifice you, to whichever of their voodoo whatever."

"What were they going to kill me for Lothar?" Cut cold her slate eyes hovered on him even blurry and red Fain still demanding his answer.

"Uhhh," the King sighed lowly and adverted his eyes as the answer rolled quietly from his lips, "A...a fertility sacrifice...you were going to be given in honor to the children their women were carrying, to be born healthy and fit by your blood."