31 Hena

Hena ran towards Nico, eyes wide as she saw the shape he was in. Nico was splattered against the stone wall. Both his hands were bent and broken, with a leg totally destroyed from the impact. Blood was flowing out from everywhere, pooling to a messy puddle on the ground.

Hena bit her lip, leaving blood oozing out. This was her fault. It really was. If only she didn't go out looking for the mushrooms, they would've left early and didn't encounter the giant.

No. It wasn't just that.

If only she managed to get her potion timing right in the first place, they could have actually cleared the dungeon without an issue. They could have gotten the reward. They could have finally moved out from the poor condition they were in. But no, she had to screw it up.

She went on this adventure with Nico and the rest to find herself, to get away from her problems. But the only thing she did was pile on problems to her team.

Hena felt her legs lose strength, falling to the stone floor in defeat. She clutched at anything she could- dust, rocks, pebbles. Anything she could grasp at. Cold tears streamed down her face, dripping to the ground. Nico was in front of her, his body to the point of death, but all she could do was cry and whimper.

A tremor.

Hena turned to where it came from, seeing the giant now up on its own two feet. There was nowhere to go. In the dead zone of this part of the cavern, with the giant closing the rest of the cavern maze behind it, there was nowhere to run to.

The giant staggered closer and closer, its face a mix of broken mess and anger. It eyed Nico. It wanted to finish him off, along with anyone who got in its way. It was clear Nico did a number on the giant with its slow and staggered walk, but in the end he couldn't finish it.

This was it; Hena's dreams of adventuring with the rest finally ended here. It was a short one, but she really did have fun.

"Fuck."

A boulder smashed against the giant's head. Hena was caught agape. She turned to where the rock came from, seeing Root behind the giant on top of piles of rock debris.

The giant staggered a step back before eventually falling over itself on the ground, a loud quake accompanying the crash as dust and ashes and rocks were sent flying all around. It was dead. Hopefully.

Hena wiped the tears streaming down her face, picking up a rock to her side before starting towards the giant. She stared at it. Emotions swirled inside her. Sadness. Regret. Anger. Everything inside her culminated to a rock by her hand striking the giant's head. She raised her hand to strike again, then another followed, then another. She kept going until the rock in her hand eventually crumbled with a final strike.

"Fuck you!" Hena shouted to the top of her lungs. Her voice trembled, her body racing with blood boiling under her skin. She glanced back to where Nico was, her eyes starting to water again. "I can't-"

Hena choked on her own words. "Killing you can't bring Nico back."

. . .

Hena covered Nico's body with her tattered robe, leaving her with nothing but simple underwear. Nico was still breathing and alive, but it was clear what was in store for him. Hena couldn't bear to see it happen.

She curled her body to herself and bright her head in. Root was beside her, sitting beside Nico with nothing better to do. Root was a summon- a magic summon from Nico. If Nico died, Root would disappear along with him. Hena shuddered at the thought. If she would turn now and find Root gone, that would spell the end of Nico.

Hena cursed to herself. Her magic was still gone from the mana poisoning, and no matter how much she tried calling for her mote it didn't come. She was completely helpless in helping Nico. 

Hena gave in to curiosity and turned to where Root was, only to find the treant gone. She turned left and right, not finding her anywhere. 

Hena's heart sank. 

She turned to Nico blanketed by her robes. She stared for a short while, scared of what was underneath. Is Nico alive? Is he dead? Hena still held a faint hope within her that that was the case, but her reasoning denied that comfort. She hoped that even for a few more seconds Nico would stay with her, but hope was different from logic. Hena hesitated before unfurling the robe.

Nico was still alive.

Hena breathed a slight sigh. Nico was still there- his chest rising and falling.

A touch from behind then startled her forward, making her fall over Nico's body. Nico let out a grunt.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Nico-" Hena pushed herself back, turning to what that touch was. It was Root, carrying with her a leather bag.

"I thought you were gone." Hena said. Root nodded, giving her the leather bag. Inside were the blue mushrooms Hena had picked up earlier. She had dropped the bag early on when they were chased by the giant, and Root went out to find it.

An idea then popped inside Hena's head, staring at the bag of glowing mushrooms then back to Nico. She took out the mushrooms then crushed and ground them with a stone on the stone floor. She didn't waste a second. Thereafter she took away the robes covering Nico, then tore off his clothes to reveal his bare body.

"I know this is weird." Hena took the grounded mushrooms to her hand. "Saira would kill me for this, but bear with me Nico." 

Hena rubbed the grounded herb all over Nico's skin, from the top of his messy face down to his toes, leaving nothing untouched. She could feel the broken bones and bruises all over his body as her fingers brushed against his skin and tattoos, applying more and more grounded shrooms to Nico's skin.

"Root, lend me a splint." Hena said. Root followed, breaking a part of herself and gave wooden branches to Hena.

Hena tore some fabric from her robe then stared back to Nico. "This is gonna hurt Nico."

Hena forced Nico's broken limbs straight, earning a grunt from Nico for each arm and leg. She then wrapped the torn fabric with Root's branches, making a makeshift cast for Nico's two arms and a leg.

"I really hope this works."