Tess yawned; the exhaustion finally caught up to her.

The giant pushed himself up from the chair. "Alright, that's enough for now. Finish your food. Ennu will bring out some meat for the two of you."

He turned, paused, and added, "I'll have the bounty ready tomorrow."

As he lumbered away, he threw one more line over his shoulder.

"Would've been more if you'd dragged those corpses back. Ha, ha."

Tess froze mid-bite.

He could go get the corpses himself.

Gabriel rose, checking that the book was still hidden beneath his robes.

Tess lowered her hands. "Where are you going?"

"To the apothecary," he replied.

Fine. Go see the crazy bitch. I'll figure everything out myself.

"Don't forget we need to talk," she called after him.

Gabriel didn't turn. He simply nodded and continued toward the door.

Tess watched him leave, her fingers tightening around the edge of the table.

What am I supposed to do now?

Gabriel turned "You did well." Leaving before Tess could reply

Tess's brows furrowed as her face began turning red.

"I'm a higher rank than you!"

She shouted, causing Ennu to knock over all the paperwork on the guild counter.

Gabriel stepped out of the guildhall and let the door close behind him, the morning air biting at his face. Eldenreach was fully awake now. Merchants were rearranging crates in the market, and horses were drawing carriages.

The sun glinted off the frost coating the ground. The typical Northern weather he was accustomed to.

He adjusted his hood as he walked through.

A butcher hacked at a slab of meat; children hurried past with a basket of onions; merchants argued over stall space.

All the noise overlapping.

He continued.

Two hunters passed with fresh game slung over their shoulders, whispering as their eyes lingered on Gabriel before they moved on.

He gripped the book under his robe, feeling its weight more with every step.

The rest of the trip to Mera's was quiet, the kind of quiet that let his body remember how tired it was. The cold bit deeper, the road felt longer, and the smell of herbs drifting from the apothecary was the first familiar thing he'd sensed since leaving Eldenreach days ago.

He reached her door and steadied himself before knocking.

Knock, Knock, Knock.

The strikes were faint, dulled by exhaustion. Even the wood seemed to swallow the sound.

The door opened.

"Gabriel," Mera greeted, a smile plastered across her face.

"I've come to get—"

Her smile faltered.

"Are you injured?" she cut in, eyes narrowing at the dried blood smeared over his clothes.

"No, I've—"

"Go to the tub around the back," she ordered sharply. "Light the fire underneath to warm the water. You're not coming in like that."

Gabriel blinked once.

"I only need—"

"I don't care what you need. You're filthy."Her smile returned, thin and scolding. "Either wash or stay outside."

She shut the door in his face.

For a moment, Gabriel simply stood there, staring at the wood as if debating whether to knock again or walk away entirely. Then he released a slow breath and stepped off the porch.

Around the back, the cold morning air bit at the exposed skin where his tunic had torn.

The wooden bath sat beneath an awning, frost clinging stubbornly to its edges. He crouched, gathering the kindling she kept stacked in a neat bundle. His fingers ached as he arranged the wood, striking flint until sparks kissed the tinder.

A small flame ignited beneath the furnace plate, warming the wooden belly of the tub.

Placed far enough away not to burn, but close enough to heat the water.

Gabriel straightened, watching smoke curl upward.

He didn't particularly want to wash.

He only wanted to rest.

But this was Mera.

And Mera did not make requests.

She issued commands.

His eyes narrowed toward the patch of grass beside the tub, the one that still hadn't recovered its colour.

A circular scar on the earth.

Grey and brittle, the blades refused to lift even now.

The place where he had almost lost control.

Where he forced the red smoke out of his body, pushing it to its limit.

Gabriel's jaw tightened.

It hadn't rained in days, and still the mark remained.

Even the earth remembers.

He lowered his gaze, the memory of hand-shaped smoke flickering in the back of his mind. The warmth of the fire beneath the tub spread slowly, but the air around him felt colder.

He stepped back from the furnace, shoulders rising and falling with a faint breath.

Mera's voice coming back to him. "You're not ready yet"

He turned his head.

Using that thing in me whilst injured was reckless.

I can barely control it at full strength

He reached up, loosening the clasp of his robe as the tub began to steam.

He slipped his robe off and wrapped the book in it, placing it neatly down on the ground.

His trousers, boots, and tunic followed. He rested his swords and breastplate beside them, each piece laid with deliberate precision.

Gabriel stood there for a moment, lifting his head toward the sky, allowing the freezing wind to whip across his scarred body.

He bent over, closing the furnace plate, stifling the fire.

The heat from the water sent pains from his feet all the way up his legs, it was as though the cold and heat were fighting against.

Gabriel ignored the pain and sat down, soaking away the events of the past three days.

He closed his eyes, resting his arms over the side of the tub, exhaling a deep breath he had held.

…

"Gabriel… Gabriel."

His eyes opened, and an ominous red glow burst from them.

A low growl crawled out from the back of his throat.

He stood up, water splashing from the tub as he turned to face the noise.

Mera was standing there, her lips curling up, almost reaching her ear.

"Cover yourself. I'm too old for you," she chuckled.

This is twice now! First Tess, now Mera Gabriel shouted inwardly.

Gabriel sat down, submerging his body deeper in the water.

Mera walked towards the edge "Although I could teach you a thing," She winked before turning away.

"I've put some fresh clothes for you to put on, burn your old ones." She said as she was disappearing behind the wooden building.

His face was now matching his irises.

He looked over at the fresh clothes on the ground, glancing over at the robe to make sure it hadn't been disturbed.

He finished his time in the bath, eyes wide, focusing on the opening next to the side of the apothecary, making sure no other intruders caught him indisposed.

I need to go through that book and find out if that really was The Eighth Divine One.

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