Mira, who wanted to see one of her best friends healthy again, spent most of the day working on Horin.
After she finally fell asleep, Fay knew it would be impossible to move her away from Horin's side, so he let her sleep on his lap while remaining in the room.
The girl had handled the first round of healing well, and the fever had begun to fade. Signs of early recovery were already beginning to show.
Even so, Mira would still need to heal her at least two more times before Horin was completely out of danger—at least based on their experience with the others.
Sitting in silence, Fay watched over both girls. He glanced at the catkin, half-covered in a light blanket, and at his sister, who looked exhausted after giving her all in healing.
Somni was nearby to help Mira sleep better.
One of its tendrils lightly touched her cheek, giving her peaceful dreams while also drawing energy from them
Strangely, it wasn't draining aether directly from the girl.
It seemed emotions played a big role in that, though Fay didn't delve deeper into the topic—his head always hurt when he overthought things.
Instead, he focused on what he could do. He closed his eyes and placed a hand over Horin's.
One of the effects of the plague was a significant reduction in the amount of aether that summoners could absorb.
Fay didn't want the illness to impact Horin's summoned creatures, possibly killing them through depletion.
So, he quietly helped her by sharing his own aether.
It was tiring, especially after spending so much of it on Mira, but it was better than having the girl wake up only to find her bird or little kitten gone due to lack of aether.
About an hour in, he felt Horin's hand tremble.
"Are you awake?" Fay mumbled, opening his eyes to check.
He saw the girl looking at him weakly, her gaze drifting to their joined hands.
"Why are you…?"
She looked confused, and Fay gently pulled his hand back.
"Sorry, I was just giving you aether. Think of it like feeding your summoned creatures—you wouldn't want to lose them, right?"
"No… You can do it. I was just… curious."
Fay, however, was now too self-conscious to keep holding her hand. He coughed and tried to think of something else to say.
"Well, I think they've had enough, and I'm pretty tired too. It's been a while since I started… So, how are you feeling?"
Wanting to change the subject, Fay tried to guide her attention elsewhere, but Horin still looked a little dazed.
"Thanks, Fay. I can still feel my creatures, and they're fine… I have a headache… and feel itchy, but I'm okay…"
"Ah—don't scratch yourself. Just tell me where it feels itchy, and I'll put on more ointment. If you scratch, it could cause more problems."
Fay quickly grabbed a small flask filled with cream.
Horin, who had a stronger sense of smell, recoiled slightly, but pointed to a spot on her arm.
Fay hurried to apply a small amount, thankful it was somewhere he wouldn't need to call a nurse to assist with.
"That's… all. How long do I have to be here, Fay? How are the others?"
She was probably trying to ask about her father in a roundabout way, which made Fay chuckle softly.
"He'll be fine. You're both warriors, right? He'll be starting soon, though—so let's be a little quieter, so Mira can save enough energy to heal him."
Fay whispered the last part and pointed to his sister, who was stretched out like she was floating, snoring softly.
"She looks tired… I hope it wasn't because of me."
Fay shook his head.
"No, she's just doing her part. You just need to get better and find her a good fruit with your bird—that'll be enough payment, alright? Don't go thinking you owe her your life. We've already got enough of those kinds of patients."
Fay tried to lighten the mood.
"That's good… I'll find her the best Appa I can… after I… get… better…"
Before she could finish, Horin began to drift off, her body clearly running out of energy.
[Somni, give her a bit of that dream power of yours. Make her dream about finding the best fruit, so she won't forget.]
Fay grinned slightly and placed a hand on Mira's shoulder, channeling more aether into her. He still had about a third left, so he knew he wouldn't be able to continue for too long.
A few hours later, he gently roused Mira and quietly led her to meet Horin's father, who was seated in meditation.
The chief was doing his best to control the disease, and was surprisingly effective at it—but he looked exhausted.
As a Ravari, he didn't sweat in the areas covered with fur, but the more human parts of his body—like his back and arms—were visibly damp.
Fay still didn't fully understand the logic of it, but he handed the man a clean towel to wipe himself.
Mira, on the other hand, was still holding his hand, had Jiggz assist in the healing.
The process was nearly complete after about an hour, the sabertooth-looking leader holding up well despite being in the worst phase of the illness.
"Did Horin say anything yet?" he asked, wincing between breaths.
"She woke up a few hours ago. She's sleeping again now," Fay replied. "Give her a few days and she'll be out of here. You, however, need to sleep too, Leader Nahrin. You're slowing down the treatment by pushing through it."
The large sabertooth heaved a deep breath before nodding.
"I only wanted to prepare for the worst. Little healer, you may leave now—I'll handle the rest. You two, have everyone clear this place for a while… I'll be using some of my power."
Fay nodded, curious about what the Saber planned to do.
"Let's go, Mira. We'll just disturb him."
Mira, clearly exhausted, was gently lifted by Fay into a princess carry as he helped her out of the room.
Just before stepping outside, however, Fay paused.
The room now glowed as if a large bonfire had been lit in the center.
The massive Saber had enveloped himself in flames—a sight Fay hadn't expected.
Especially since everyone had told him that the leader's beast required more stones to recover, and that using power like this shouldn't have been possible.