Chapter 12

Jamie squinted at Tony and pulled out a notebook bound in sheepskin and a luxurious golden quill. "Describe what you're feeling." She said, making a show of jotting down notes.

Tony stared at the items in her hand, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. "Am I some kind of test subject to you?"

"Come on, don't be so harsh. Just tell me how you're feeling so I can figure out the best way to relieve your pain." Jamie said, flashing a standard ladylike smile. Tony couldn't help but feel there was a tail wagging behind her.

Tony took a deep breath and began to describe what he felt. He did not leave out any details for fear of Jamie missing out on anything. The pain was excruciating, like someone had set his chest on fire and was simultaneously hammering it with a sledgehammer. Every heartbeat sent waves of agony radiating through his body, and he could hardly catch his breath.

Jamie listened intently, her quill dancing across the parchment as she noted down his symptoms. She occasionally muttered incantations and waved her wand, seemingly checking his condition magically.

"My estimation was slightly off. Muggles and wizards have different resistance to magical potions. For a wizard, it will take four hours with the pain multiplied by fifteen, while a muggle would only need half a bottle with a minimal increase in pain. Since you drank the whole bottle, I believe your ribs will heal in two hours, but the pain will be three times worse." Jamie explained.

Tony slumped onto the sandy ground, his hand pressed against his chest in despair. "That's great to hear, but I just want to know if you can stop the pain!"

"Ahem, first, burn the paper." Jamie coughed awkwardly, feeling somewhat guilty about testing her modified potion on a human for the first time.

Tony quickly set fire to the parchment, and then his expression changed dramatically when he saw Jamie produce an identical potion that he drank earlier. "Do I have to drink that again?!"

Jamie rolled her eyes and dangled the bottle under his nose. Tony instinctively inhaled, but he didn't detect any particular scent.

"What is this? Can it help—" Tony's sentence was cut short as he collapsed to the ground, and moments later, his snores filled the air.

"What did you do to him?" Yinsen asked worriedly.

"I just put him to sleep. It's better for him to be unconscious rather than awake." Jamie said matter-of-factly.

"So, what do we do now?" Yinsen shifted his position, trying to shield Tony's face from the sun.

"Koby, is the tent still up? If so, then please take us back." Jamie asked into empty air, knowing that the house-elf could hear her.

"The tent is still up, only the protective spells have been removed, Mistress." Koby's squeaky voice rang out as he appeared in front of her.

Jamie nodded and rested her hand on Koby's shoulder. Yinsen looked down at Koby's outstretched arm and also went to grab it while his other hand held onto Tony's arm.

After experiencing what Yinsen could only describe as a brief sensation of being squeezed through a tight tube, they found themselves inside the tent. It was dimly lit, and the air was cooler compared to the scorching desert outside.

Jamie gently laid Tony down on a makeshift bed while Yinsen fetched a glass of water from a small table. Tony was still deeply asleep, completely unaware of his surroundings.

"Will he be okay?" Yinsen asked, concern etched across his face.

Jamie examined Tony briefly, checking his pulse and breathing. "He should be fine. I just needed to make him sleep to alleviate the pain. Now, I can work on healing his injuries without him writhing in agony."

Jamie reached for her magical bag and started rummaging through it, pulling out various vials and herbs. She began to mix a potion with careful precision, her concentration evident. Yinsen watched in fascination as she worked, her expertise in magical healing becoming increasingly apparent.

As Jamie finished preparing the potion, she approached Tony and gently administered it. Almost immediately, Tony's expression relaxed, and his breathing became steady. The pain seemed to melt away, leaving only a serene expression on his face.

"He'll sleep through most of the healing process," Jamie explained to Yinsen. "But by the time he wakes up, his ribs should be on the mend, and he'll be feeling much better."

Yinsen nodded in relief. "Thank you, Jamie."

Jamie smiled and said, "It's part of the job. Now, we just have to wait until our ride arrives."

* * *

About two hundred kilometers away from the campsite, stood a towering US military base. American soldiers could be seen scurrying around, going about their tasks. In the central building's conference room, Pepper paced anxiously.

"Listen, Pepper, it's imperative that you go back. This place is too dangerous," Colonel Rhodes stood at the door, addressing Pepper. "You're Tony's most trusted person, and we can't afford any more mishaps. I'll take responsibility for finding Tony. You need to go back and watch over him."

"No, Rhodes, I know he's here. I don't have the exact address, but he's definitely nearby. He's alive, I have information, and I must wait for a signal here." Pepper said firmly.

Rhodes wiped the sweat off his face. "So, your source of information is that unreliable store?"

"Rhodes, you have to understand, that's no ordinary store! I-" Pepper's words were interrupted by a knock on the door. Rhodes turned and opened the door to see a soldier waiting outside.

"Sir, we've picked up a significant explosion in the western area. It happened about ten minutes ago." The soldier raised his hand in salute and gave a quick explanation.

Rhodes questioned, "How far is it? Did you manage to spot anything?"

The soldier responded, "We've identified it roughly 200 kilometers away through the satellite. It appears to be a terrorist stronghold that was destroyed."

"Keep monitoring it for now." Rhodes ordered. The soldier saluted again and left.

As the door closed, Pepper, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, turned to Rhodes and anxiously asked, "What if it's Tony?!"

Rhodes approached the table. "Can we trust your information? Who are the people you brought with you? The situation is unclear right now. Wait, what's that?" Rhodes widened his eyes, staring at the bag Pepper had placed on the table. The bag was flickering with light.

"Step back!" Rhodes quickly pulled Pepper behind him, and cautiously approached the bag. "What's inside your bag?"

Pepper looked bewildered. "I have my phone, keys, cosmetics, and... the paper from the store!?"

Realizing what was happening, Pepper ignored Rhodes' attempts to stop her, stepped forward, and grabbed the bag, overturning it. The contents of the bag spilled onto the table, and parchment paper shimmered and floated down. Pepper quickly picked it up, examining the parchment closely.

Various lines started appearing on the parchment, forming a simple map. It was clear that the map depicted the current base, with a set of footprints inside. And on top of those footprints was Pepper Potts' name. A dotted line, made of ink, slowly connected to footprints in the distance, bearing the name of Tony Stark.