Coye 6.1

Chapter 1 - A Therapeutic Chain of Events

Eschal Paracellis was having a most productive day in spite of the major tremors from a few hours ago and the incessant cheering over the last half-hour. He wasn’t overly interested in finding out what was going on up there. Someone would find him if they required his expertise, as that was how it always went.

He was currently in the deepest corner of the Cransmere Adventurer's Guild in an experimentation room hidden behind a bookshelf in his office. The bookshelf led to a stone stairwell and, beneath it, his sanctuary. It looked much the same as the rooms above, with even more shelves of suspicious containers and mysterious texts, the only significant difference being the numerous operating tables for purely scientific use. Here, the temperature was as frigid as the peak of a mountain, and Eschal's pale, clammy skin was covered in goosebumps wherever the man still possessed his original flesh.

Trapped within these stone walls, Eschal put his brilliant mind toward pursuing knowledge. He toyed and played with many purposes, chief of which being his ongoing fight against finality. Today saw Eschal staring at a severed human arm kindly donated- ethically, it must be said- by one of his outpatients. It was strapped to one of the tables and a whirring and stirring device that cost a sizable chunk of gold.

It was an ArcTech lightning generator, which would deliver electrical pulses into any object hooked up to it. Absolutely fascinating technology. With innovations like these coming out of Imperalis and its famous Galloise Company, the future of Karnalle was looking brighter than ever. So long as this technology could actually spread, that is. The fact that Eschal had access to such a gadget was a miracle in and of itself. Luckily, procuring corpses wasn't the only thing his outpatients were good for.

By punching in a few numbers and playing with the machine's dials, Eschal could transmit the electricity in specific preprogrammed patterns. After much fiddling, he could re-create the results he'd read about in specific esoteric texts written by his peers. The severed arm moved and twitched, fingers trying to crawl away from the harness like little legs.

It was almost a perfect imitation of life- yet a lie remains a lie.

Though fascinating on its own merits, even if this technique were applied to a fully preserved corpse, it wouldn't lead to a complete resurrection. At best, one could construct an artificial human from a dead one. Essentially, a non-magical way of creating a flesh golem. While there was a market for that, Eschal saw no purpose in playing reanimator. He was more of the type who preferred to play at God.

The way this chamber was built made it so smells and sounds couldn't escape it, but sounds from above came in frequently. A good healer was always on call, so Eschal heard the knocking on his door as soon as it began, followed by the voice of his boss, P-Drowsy Mistress.

"Eschal? Open up, quick! Please, this is important!"

Eschal dashed upstairs, expecting the worst. He'd treated Dorothy two days prior, and while it was tough to see her wind up in such a state, it wasn't entirely unexpected. He'd very bluntly warned the poor woman many times throughout their years of working together that she was digging herself an early grave. Given how she ran herself ragged daily and never found time to recover from the accumulated stress, it was a wonder Dorothy didn't fall over sooner.

As her healer, Eschal was disappointed in himself for never finding the right balance of alchemical potions to keep P-Drowsy Mistress cheerful and anxiety-free without serious side effects. He truly hoped for the best as he made for the door, dreading that she might have relapsed somehow. Eschal worried those cheers might've had a much darker connotation than he first thought...

"You've got till the count of five until I totally blast this door open with all of Thor's fury, you basement-dwelling draugr!"

Eschal briefly paused his march. P-Thunderous Diva? What in the king's name was she doing with his employer? Dorothy had bemoaned that girl and her problematic party many times to Eschal, enough that her presence puzzled him.

He opened the door to the answer and saw a host of others following along after the woman he mistakenly believed was his current patient. P-Green Predator was here, carrying a broken-down adventurer barely recognizable as P-Soft Boy, alongside the boy's older lover Eschal met roughly a week ago. With them were the aforementioned P-Drowsy Mistress, P-Thunderous Diva, and her party member slash romantic partner, P-Wild Child.

Quite an odd mishmash of personalities, Eschal thought, but it seemed they had a common purpose.

"Back again, I see..." Eschal stroked the beak of his facial mask, causing one of the stitches holding it in place to loosen. He made a mental note to reinforce it later and hoped no one noticed. "I had hoped P-Soft Boy might refrain from injuring himself a while longer. How overly optimistic of me. I'll do better to temper my expectations in the future."

"Yeah, yeah," Byng rolled her eyes and burst into Eschal's office. "If you hadn't noticed, he's in pretty rough shape. Can you fix him up, or what?"

"Of course I can. I'm a professional." Eschal followed after her, and the group did as well. "Bring him into the private examination room."

Byng continued storming ahead, kicking open the door and gently laying Coye on the bed to avoid disturbing his wounds.

Rough shape was putting it mildly. Even at a surface-level glance, Eschal could tell Coye's bones were broken in dozens of places, that he'd suffered some internal wounds, was heavily swollen, and more. If Coye weren't a warrior trained in defensive Arts, there wouldn't have been a patient for Eschal to treat. The steps to heal Coye were already being plotted in his mind, but he'd need even more information before he had everything fully determined.

"Before I ask you all to leave the room, would P-Soft Boy's condition have any correlation to the raucous cheering I've heard over the last half-hour or so?"

"Yes," Dorothy admitted in a low mumble, suggesting she felt responsible to some degree. "It's a bit of a long story..."

Eschal noticed P-Drowsy Mistress regarded the boy on the table with fondness in her eyes. How interesting. It wasn't the look of a Guild Mistress worried for one of their adventurers, but something much more meaningful. He decided he'd need to pay attention in case both of their respective files required updating in the sexual history section.

The group then filled Eschal in regarding today's events. Coye and Auguris's battle, the confrontations leading up to it- including the spat with Britni- everything. Aside from concern for his patients, the main takeaway Eschal got from the explanation was a solitary thought that wouldn't leave his mind.

"Perhaps I should leave my basement more often," Eschal mused, feeling left out of the fun.

"There's always next time," Byng shrugged. Eschal noticed she was wearing Coye's hat. This seemed cute, but he couldn't shake his suspicions.

"Will there be a next time?" Eschal wondered aloud while taking a closer look at Coye.

"Well, it's not like the arena was harmed..." Suzette rubbed her chin, her nose for profit barely winning out over her worry for Coye long enough to imagine the possibilities.

"If there is a next time, ensure that I'm alerted beforehand. That way, I will offer on-site treatment."

"Yes, that... that certainly sounds reasonable..." Dorothy's guilt cropped up in her voice again. She was evasive, refusing to look at Eschal.

"Who cares?" P-Wild Child raised her voice and snapped at the healer, her tail bristling with mistrust. "Heal monster needs to heal Coye already! Make better! Wasting time!!"

Even on a good day, Coco never cared much for Eschal. She was bearing her fangs at him, her primal instincts knowing full well that his off-putting, undead-adjacent appearance belied secrets so strange and unnatural her simple mind couldn't hope to comprehend them.

Eschal never faulted her for that, but a quick dog treat he carried in his pocket was always enough to simmer her down. He threw it toward her, and Coco predictably swallowed it whole. It was enough to temporarily earn her trust and get her to lower her voice.

"I'm planning to. Now, if the rest of you would be so kind as to leave me to my work-"

"You sure you're good for this, creep? Because I'll beat up one of the Guild's magic healers until they agree to help if your medicine isn't up to snuff." Britni crossed her arms and shot him a threatening glare. Her face said she was looking for any excuse to whip out that axe of hers and put it to use. It was possibly her most common expression.

"After a point, innovation becomes indistinguishable from magic- medicine included. I maintain this coveted, high-paying Association job where magic-oriented healers are typically preferred over their alchemical counterparts for a reason, P-Thunderous Diva. That reason is results."

Britni's temper sparked up. She didn't like it when people spoke to her in such a tone, more so when it put her in her place, but it wasn't in her interest to make an enemy of the man even she relied on for healing when Tiph and her potions couldn't cut it. Really, she already knew Eschal had this under control. Britni just needed to act out, as she always did.

"Does anyone else have any objections, or may I get to work?" Eschal asked, and from the sleeves of his sweater, he brandished a set of pristine scalpels, scissors, forceps, and a magical, glowing spool of suture thread. The gesture proved convincing.

Everyone moved back into Eschal's office and settled in to wait for as long as it took. There was now a general feeling of anxious relief spreading through the room full of worried women, even the one having the worst time.

Shayla had given up clinging to the roof of Coye's hat and was now uncomfortably sitting crosslegged atop Byng's head. It was the first time she'd ever touched another one of the big folk beyond Coye. She hoped it would've been of her own volition whenever it happened, but the circumstances left little alternatives.

It wasn't as bad as it could've been. Shayla was grateful this happened after Byng started washing her hair semi-regularly, for one. After getting used to the near supernatural softness of Coye's silky strands, Byng's messy locks were almost comparable to sitting in a bramble patch.

To distract herself from her anxious mind, Shayla looked toward the only person in the room was seemed utterly devoid of anxiety. Britni was leaning against the wall opposite the couch Byng, Suzette, and Dorothy had sat down on, and Coco was kneeling at her feet. Her arms were crossed, and she never looked at anyone else for more than a few seconds before glancing straight back at the examination room's door.

Coco fit in with the rest of them much better than her Mistress, as the poor pup seemed wholeheartedly concerned with Coye's condition. If it weren't for Britni holding her back, Shayla got the distinct feeling Coco would be trying to scratch open the door. She'd never seen Coco look so down before, even when she unintentionally bemoaned her relationship.

No one minded Coco, but Britni's presence still didn't sit right with everyone. Byng still remembered the vile shit she said that morning which escalated things until she'd backed down to Coye like a coward. She was never one to turn down an opportunity to start trouble with those who got on her nerves, but Byng held back longer than most would've expected her capable of.

That only made it more surprising that Suzette was the one who couldn't hold her tongue. After several minutes of relative silence, the older woman spoke.

"You know, these sorts of things are usually limited to the patient's family and close friends. You'd think someone who threatened Darling only a few hours prior would be self-aware enough to realize she was out of place..." Suzette spoke. She chided herself for not acting mature, but when it came to the boy she loved, Suzette could be rather petty.

"Suzette...?" Dorothy was surprised by the sudden pettiness, but it made sense when she looked at it from Suzette's perspective. She loved Coye, and she saw the way Britni treated him. It was a hard ask for her to hold her tongue- especially when things were still so tense.

Britni's polished and painted fingernails dug into her forearm just below her silver armlet. That was fair, she allowed, but she was trying to behave and didn't appreciate being called out. "If you think I'm so out of place, maybe you should come over and make me leave? No? Oh, that's right... none of you are strong enough for that. Guess I'm staying, then."

Shayla sighed at the pattern, which was becoming dreadfully obvious by now. It always came down to strength with Britni, didn't it? This was an incredibly childish worldview, Shayla thought- and that was coming from a Pixie.

"I really don't fucking get your game plan," Byng leaned forward in her seat and held her chin up with her fist. "You know you aren't gonna earn any points with him by treating Suz like that, don't you? I mean, for fuck's sake, you dumb fargahrk... way to threaten a powerless woman in her thirties. Betcha feel really strong now, don't you?"

Britni did not respond well, but she forced herself to see Byng's point and tempered her fury enough so that it didn't show the full extent of her volatile emotions. "Fuck you. I always feel strong..." she mumbled.

"Britni is the strongest!" Coco gave thoughtless praise, hoping it would make Britni feel better. It went unnoticed.

"Everyone, can we please just-" Dorothy felt her brain seize up as she shut her eyes in frustration. "I-I'm not strong enough to take another confrontation today. I'm so tired, exhausted, emotional, and absolutely done with this. Suzette, as much as it pains me to say this, your comment was unnecessary... Britni isn't starting any trouble- she and Coco are minding their own business..."

'She's right, you know. I'm all for giving Britni what she deserves, but this isn't the time.' Shayla advised, which felt strange given that it was aimed at Suzette of all people.

Although disappointed over failing to consider how her words might affect the Guild Mistress, Suzette's feelings on Britni didn't change. It was only when she thought of how Darling would want Dorothy's mental well-being prioritized over calling the bully out that Suzette started to calm down.

"You're right," she admitted with a heavy sigh. "The stress of today got to me, and I said something uncalled for. I won't apologize, but I will refrain from making similar remarks."

"Is that good enough, Britni? I really don't want trouble, so..." Dorothy gave the bully a troubled expression, making Britni look away and frown upon remembering that rousing speech the Guild Mistress gave a few hours ago.

"It's, like, whatever... I probably deserved it-"

'Probably, this bitch says...' Shayla rolled her eyes.

"But I really am here for the same reason you guys are. I want to be there for him when he pulls through."

"When?" Coco looked up at her Mistress, a little relieved by her confidence. "Not if?"

"Of course not," Britni laughed a self-assured laugh. "If Coye was the sort of man who'd perish after getting punched in the head a few times with stone gauntlets, I wouldn't waste my time with him."

"You don't say?" Byng raised an eyebrow, then tacked on another comment under her breath. "You sure talk like you know Coye... even though you're nothing more than a thorn in his side, I mean..."

"Byng-" Suzette tried to de-escalate but could not fully commit. Not when she still agreed with what Byng was saying.

It was then that Britni stared straight at Byng, and it felt like someone sucked all the air straight out of the room, leaving the atmosphere tense and prickly. Byng didn't back down, which earned a measure of Britni's respect. She clenched her fists and shut her eyes before speaking.

"I... I may have made a lot of stupid decisions, especially toward Coye. I was wrong, alright? Is that what you want to hear? Because I'm not just saying it, I mean it. I don't want to make excuses for myself, but... the way my people do things in Midgard differs from Karnalle. I have different values- ones beaten into me harder than a hammer on steel. I'm-"

"Midgard ain't shit compared to Grurguhrohk," Byng growled, flashing her sharp teeth purposefully at the bully. "Coming from a shitty realm doesn't give you an excuse to be a total bitch, y'know."

'Byng. Seriously, girl. Back off.' Shayla pulled on Byng's most prominent hair curl, hoping it would act as a controller, but it did little to distract her.

Everyone in that room was lucky that Britni chose to be the better man and admit fully to her wrongdoing for the first time in her life.

"Fuck it... I'm... I'm sorry, damn you!" Britni announced with dramatic flair, sparks raging along her body so fiercely that Coco's fur started pointing toward her. "Are you happy now? Huh? Is that what you wanted to hear? I sure fucking hope so- because it's true. I shouldn't have started shit with Dorothy, I shouldn't have messed with Coye, and I'm seriously reconsidering a lot of the stupid shit I was taught, gods be damned! All I want right now is to be here for him. I'm not gonna beat him up, bully him, fuck with Dorothy, or even you, for that matter. I get that after everything I've done, that might be a lot to ask, but... please... just fucking pretend I'm not here if you have to, alright?"

The room went quiet as all eyes were on the mighty Viking warrior experiencing emotional turmoil. No one needed to be told that Britni was genuine- the small tears threatening to stream down her face and ruin her makeup were evidence enough. Her words swayed even Byng, who looked away in shame after the point was made.

Shayla gulped, having been rendered speechless by all that was said. Britni's emotions seemed so strong that they might swallow her whole. Passion... love... devotion... regret... but standing atop everything else was... fear? Odd. Shayla couldn't figure out what there was to be so afraid of, but Britni was downright terrified and was fighting to express herself despite that.

Dorothy kept quiet while Suzette felt terrible for kicking all of this off, but someone else was eager to help.

"It's okay, Britni! Everything's okay! Coco will help!" Coco rose to her feet and comforted her Mistress as she often did whenever she got like this. She hugged Britni despite the sparks zapping her intermittently, wincing every time they stung her. It helped Britni a lot, calming her down with a heavy sigh while her hand found Coco's head and started petting her as the sparks settled down.

"Sorry... I... I shouldn't have made this about me..." Britni expressed, breaking the long silence that took hold after her outburst.

"No, you're, uh... you're fine, I guess..." Byng shook her head. It hurt her pride to back off, but she couldn't let it go without getting Britni to apologize to the person it mattered most to. "But if you really care so much, tell her you're sorry. Not me." She said, pointing at Dorothy with her thumb.

'Okay, Byng. As your temporary advice pixie, I need to remind you to stop playing with fire.' Shayla bopped her ride on the head. Suzette also shot Byng a quick look of disapproval, which hurt more than the bop.

"Please ignore her, Britni..." Dorothy rubbed her temples. "I appreciate the intent, Byng, but you're causing me more of a headache than she is right now. I'm honored so many people suddenly want to stand up for me today, but... I'm weak. I can't handle this. For my sake, let it go? Please?"

"Shit..." Byng's heart grew heavy. She had the best of intentions, but often, that's never enough. "You're right... I'll shut up now. Sorry, Dotty."

Britni closed her eyes.

The strong don't apologize- having strength is enough justification for all their actions. Those unable to defend themselves deserve to be trampled on, stolen from, exploited, and used. The weak aren't people. They're resources, and apologizing to someone more vulnerable than yourself would be like apologizing to meat before the slaughter... laughable... pathetic... worthy of ridicule, or worse.

Of correction.

A black eye, perhaps. You love makeup, don't you? Think of this as Midgardian eyeshadow. Give her two, and remember, Brigit... we do this because we love you- it's what your mother would've wanted- this is for your own good- you don't want to upset Grandfather, do you?

She'd already said sorry twice.

What's one more?

"I'm sorry," Britni stared straight at Dorothy, straight at the self-admitted weakling. "I know that doesn't make up for everything I've done-"

"Britni," Dorothy interrupted and found it in herself to give her most troublesome adventurer a weary, exhausted smile. "It doesn't. If you really care all of a sudden, then you need to say it with your actions. Not, um... not with your words..."

Her confidence might've wavered there at the end, but Britni respected the inner strength it took for Dorothy to tell her off like that. Especially after how much she tried to simmer down Byng and Suzette. Guess she couldn't hold back her true feelings after being given a chance to express them. Britni nodded and looked away.

Sensing that Britni was doing slightly better, Coco pulled away and made a declaration of her own. "Coco is staying, and she's not apologizing! Didn't do anything bad today yet!"

"You got up on a table and were gonna attack me," Byng casually smirked.

"Threw a knife at Tiph! Always protect pack mates!"

"I mean, fair."

"Come now, dear. I don't believe anyone here has a problem with you." Suzette giggled in amusement, finding the dogfolk girl just the cutest thing and a pleasant distraction from how heavy things were getting. She lowered her hand, beckoning for Coco to come closer.

Hands were one of Coco's favorite things. They fascinated her for whatever reason, and she loved to nibble on them gently or lick them. Fingers were salty more often than not and even shaped like sausages-

forbidden sausages.

Coco looked up to her Mistress for permission, and Britni responded by nodding her head and then nudging Coco's heel with the tip of her shoe. Pleased with the go-ahead, Coco went forward and stood before Suzette. Squatting down in front of her, she sniffed the offered hand and gave it an approving lick.

"Goodness, you're just so cute I can't handle it!" Suzette giggled.

"Coco hears that a lot," she grumbled between further sniffs and licks. Suzette tried moving her hand to Coco's head, but the girl reflexively nipped at it. It didn't hurt, but it was surprising enough for Suzette to let out a tiny yelp.

"Coco," Britni's voice took on a hard and stern tone. "Play nice!"

"Ngh..." Coco hated suppressing her instincts but licked Suzette again as an apology.

"Sorry, that was on me. May I?" Suzette was patient and wouldn't let a single nip freak her out. She showcased her intent, bringing her hand more cautiously up to Coco's head the second time.

"Store mommy may," Coco confirmed and closed her eyes, allowing the new person to scratch behind her ears for the first time. Suzette must have been good at it as Coco's wary expression changed to a smile, and her tongue drooped out the side of her mouth in no time.

Wanting to make amends for worsening the discourse, Byng tentatively reached toward Coco with her own hand. She hid it well, but Byng was slightly nervous about it. She'd never say it out loud, but beastfolk weren't much better than actual beasts in Byng's eyes. It wasn't that Byng didn't recognize Coco as a person, more so than it was her own internalized distrust of beasts coloring the way she saw her.

Truly, Kuhrkakk couldn't have asked for better a better representative.

That being said, Byng took a bath. She rode both a woodtreader and later a horse- twice! Seeing how profoundly this little pup suddenly seemed to care about Coye, Byng reckoned it might be good to get a head start toward working on her biases before she wound up lying with dogs.

The only thing she got was bit.

"Agh! Fucking fargarhk!" Byng snapped her hand back and rubbed it. The bite wasn't deep, but it wasn't weak either.

"Oh, dear..." Dorothy sighed, hoping this wouldn't set off another round of discourse that would surely end in a headache.

"Hand stinky! Also, goblins bad! Killed lots of goblins back home- dubious creatures! No good."

"What did I just say, Coco?" Britni admonished her pet again. "Play nice. Even with her."

'Well, at least she's trying...' Shayla thought it was nice that Britni would speak on Byng's behalf like that, but Byng was annoyed and wasn't sure she'd make a second attempt.

Suzette continued petting Coco but spoke softly at the girl as she did. "Now, now... it's alright. I know it might seem so, but Byng isn't a goblin. Isn't that right, dear?"

"Not like it matters," Byng grumbled and rubbed her hand where she was bitten. "But... no, I'm a gengaggi. And I don't smell bad anymore, either!"

"Not goblin and don't smell bad?" Coco narrowed her eyes as if solving a difficult puzzle. "Give." She demanded Byng's hand, and after reluctantly offering it up, Coco gave it a couple of curious sniffs before the treasured lick of acceptance.

"Passable. Not-goblin may pet."

Seeing how quick Coco was to move past her distrust inspired Byng. She started scratching behind the opposite ear Suzette was working on, and in no time at all, Coco was making even cuter sounds than she was before. As far as dogs went, Byng was starting to see the appeal.

Maybe beastfolk weren't so bad after all?

"People call Coco things she isn't, too!" Coco looked up to Byng, who was now her comrade in misinformation. "Not a dog and not a corgi. Coco is a direwolf!"

"Guess we have more in common than I thought, gahaha..."

Surprisingly, Coco wasn't satisfied with just this. She looked at Dorothy and gave the exhausted woman her typical feisty expression, demanding, "Petting me- uh- petting Coco is a team effort! Need more hands!"

"Oh-" Dorothy blushed and looked around awkwardly. "Me? I, ah... I'm not so sure that's appropriate, Coco. I'm your employer, so..."

"Who cares?" Britni chimed in. "People would probably like you more if you weren't so stuffy, you know."

'When Britni's the one giving you advice on your likability, you know you're doing something wrong...' Shayla shot at Byng and Suzette, earning a couple of chuckles from the former and a slight smile from the latter.

Coye told her the same thing two days ago, didn't he?

"Alright, I see your point... and it is better than sitting around lost in my thoughts, I suppose..." Dorothy smiled anxiously, extending her hand and resting it on the fluffy backside of Coco's head that had gone unattended until now.

As soon as Dorothy started petting, everything was right in the world. So soft... so unbelievably soft! Her plushies had nothing on Coco's hair- not a single one could compare. After only a minute or two, Dorothy melted harder than Coco.

Sadly, Coco was a very aloof pup who didn't like to appear as if she enjoyed anything overly much for very long. She only let the group petting session go on for ten minutes before she was returned to Britni's side, taking Dorothy's peace of mind with her.

From then on, only light conversation was had, and the two halves of the room mostly kept to themselves. There was no more bickering, only the unbearably slow passage of time. This challenged everyone's patience, Byng's most of all. She was tapping her foot ceaselessly on the stone floor, appearing on the verge of exploding from being made to wait for so long.

Before that could happen, Eschal mercifully emerged from the private room and delivered the news.

"P-Soft Boy is now stable. His condition was exactly as I imagined it to be. Countless fractures. Internal wounds. Severe bruising and swelling. Given the strength of the medications I prescribed and my flawless surgical performance, he'll be well enough to rest back at his own home in several hours. Afterward, he'll need at least another full day of bed rest. I must stress that his medication is remarkably powerful, but the bones will heal extraordinarily fast thanks to its potency."

The room let out a collective sigh, save for Shayla. She could only frown at her inability to keep this from happening. Her healing magic was only good at mending light wounds and dulling pain. Feelings of inadequacy surfaced within her, but Shayla understood her mind was working against her. Coye was safe and on the road to recovery. She convinced herself that was all that mattered.

"Glad I got here in time for the good news," Tammy said, revealing she'd opened the door and joined them all while Eschal delivered his results. "Thought I'd let you know I'm done taking care of everything upstairs, boss."

"Oh, is that so? Thank you, Tammy..." Dorothy smiled softly, having been so worried she forgot entirely about the betting and all of the profit it made. "I, ah, I hope it wasn't too much trouble?"

"Bout as much as you'd expect. A few unsavory characters tried to back out, said the fight was bullshit, demanded refunds. The works."

"Dear me," Suzette shook her head in disapproval. "Perhaps I should've stayed by your side to make things easier on you..."

"You're good. My assistant took care of any disputes that came up, anyway. Fun fact. People are generally much more agreeable when there's a half-demon staring them down. You learn something new every day."

Britni smirked with approval while Dorothy felt even more indebted to the people around her for helping out. Marlie might've been the most well-behaved and levelheaded of the Baddest Bitches, but she still caused her share of problems. Marlie's habit of beating up her fellow adventurers and stealing their weapons made her infamous. Still, she wasn't above reason, and Dorothy occasionally convinced her to give them back. Guess you could count on her when it mattered, Dorothy learned.

"I'll have to thank her later," Dorothy noted. "That being said, how did we do?"

Tammy responded only by making the okay sign with her fingers, winking, and clicking her tongue twice. Dorothy didn't know precisely what that meant but reckoned it was shorthand for 'a lot'. Processing that information was difficult. The Guild's financials were so rocky only hours before, and now...

"As much as it pains me to do so, on the subject of gold-" Eschal started.

"We haven't even seen how he's doing yet, and you're already trying to charge him? Gods!" Byng dramatically reclined back against the sofa, groaning in frustration while rattling off insults in both languages she knew. "Stupid... fucking... uragahak!!"

Eschal responded with a complete sentence in fluent orcish.

"Gah! Sorry, I get it... gahaha..." Byng burned bright red with embarrassment as she looked away, unused to having to watch her words around someone who spoke her native tongue.

'Translation?'

Byng looked toward Dorothy and Shayla to cover up the fact that she was answering Shayla and then mumbled, "Idiom roughly meaning... hate the war, not the warrior... I think?"

Suzette was amused- but not at the prospect of paying an exorbitant amount. She looked to the unorthodox healer and adopted an indignant tone. "How much is it going to be, hm? Give it to us straight."

"125,000G." Eschal's deadpan delivery echoed throughout the room for several moments before it settled in.

After it did, Suzette was furious.

"What?! I must admit I've had my doubts about you, but I refuse to believe such a sum-"

"Miss," Eschal closed the white voids serving as his eyes and interlocked his necrotic fingers together in front of his chest. "Have you ever experienced the pain of a broken bone?"

Suzette humored Eschal. "...Once. When I was a little girl, I bumped into someone on the street, fell over, and a horse trotted over my leg."

"And how long did it take to heal?"

"Several months..."

"Naturally?"

"No, I believe there was some alchemical medication involved... I wouldn't have been able to walk again if there weren't."

"Indeed. It must've cost your parents quite a lot for such a treatment." Suzette got really silent and started blushing, just like Byng. "Now imagine if you'd had forty-seven fractures to mend, required invasive surgery to remove countless bone fragments, and needed treatment for additional wounds elsewhere on your body. Putting aside the powerful anesthetics I added to the package as a personal liberty, do you suppose your parents would have been able to afford all of this together?"

"No," Suzette sighed. She'd clocked out long before he finished his speech, now knowing better than to argue with the expert.

"I assumed so. My treatment will erase every trace of this as if it never even happened- within two days, at that. If you don't think such service is worth the quoted sum- which is set by the Association and not myself, I might add- then I'm sorry to say-"

"Eschal," Dorothy called out like Britni did when chastising her pet. "We get the point. Please, move on..."

"...My apologies," he looked away for a moment and scratched at his beak.

"Too many words!" Coco barked in agreement.

Eschal ignored Coco's complaint and explained, "Moving on, there are payment plans with generous terms. P-Soft Boy is not on any of the Association's insurance packages, so he'll still have to pay the majority, but-"

"I thought you had him signed up for just about everything,"

Tammy shot a look at Dorothy.

"He always said a potion subscription was enough for him..." She frowned. "I tried pushing him on it multiple times because of how often he ended up down here, but it was strangely something Coye would never budge on."

'Damn it...' Shayla bit at her nails. For once, she was annoyed Coye hadn't spent more money on the Guild.

"It's fine," Dorothy shook her head. "I'll pay for it out of our winnings. We made more than enough, didn't we?"

"Decently more than 120k, yeah," Tammy confirmed.

"No way," Britni laughed at the idea of Dorothy fronting the cost. "Think about what he'd want for a second. Do you, like, really think Coye fought that hard just so you could spend a bunch of the gold he earned for you on him? As if. Let me handle it. I'll pay."

Shayla blinked and looked straight at the boss bully, unable to believe what she'd just heard. She was far from the only one. Most of the room couldn't take their eyes off Britni, surprised at her sudden charity.

"You? Seriously?" Byng raised an eyebrow. "No bullshit?"

"Yes, me," Britni spat back and tried not to get overly annoyed. "I thought we firmly established I'm worried about him? Dorothy over there said to show I'm sorry through my actions, so shut up and let me take care of this!"

Dorothy blushed after being called out, but knowing that Britni's intentions were pure made her smile. "I... um, that's very nice of you, Britni... it's just surprising, is all."

'I say let her do it. She can't buy forgiveness, but it's a start.' Shayla approved.

"I mean, I was gonna offer to help-" Byng started.

"As was I..." Suzette agreed.

"Forget it. I've got this." Britni was as convincing as ever, and no one said a thing after she put her boot down. No one aside from Coco.

"Coco will help too! Still has allowance from Britni!" She insisted, curling her paws into fists.

While a seemingly innocuous comment, it caught Suzette off guard and made her question their power dynamic. "Coco, dear... are you saying Britni controls your finances? This isn't my place, but-"

"Well, you're right about that. It's not your place. Besides, it's not as bad as it sounds..." Britni started to rub her forehead from stress. "Me and the girls tried teaching this dumb mutt how money works, but as soon as we're not watching, she runs away and comes back with the stupidest shit-"

"Meat wagon is not stupid!" Coco was offended on a primal level. "It's a wagon full of meat! Practical!"

"It's not practical when we live in a fucking four-bed dorm and you buy enough food to fucking-" Britni seized up and then breathed through her nose, trying to calm herself. "We're not getting into this right now. Not again- it's totally beside the point. Back on track, any objections?"

Eschal looked to Byng and Suzette, who soon shook their heads.

"Winnings already burning a hole in your purse?" Tammy pondered.

Britni turned bright red, electricity sparking around her as she pointed an accusatory finger at the receptionist. "Shut it. I don't want to hear a word out of you!"

Everyone in the room understood the implications and the cause of her embarrassment. Byng and Shayla both started to smirk, the gengaggi leaning forward in her seat. "Sounds like someone made a killing on the bets today, huh?"

"Maybe, maybe not...? Who knows? Either way, I don't see how that's relevant." Britni dramatically turned her gaze elsewhere, her long, blonde hair swishing behind her.

"Britni was one of the only people who bet on Coye, and the highest total better, period." Tammy replied flatly.

"Hah. Funny, but we both know you're exaggerating. Someone must've made a bigger bet than me..."

"Nope. Not even by a long shot."

"Er..."

'Oh, this is too good...' Shayla smiled wider still.

Despite her many faults, it was hard for Shayla to say she wholly disliked Britni after all this. Knowing his biggest bully had greater faith in Coye than she did hurt a little. Shayla couldn't say she would've bet all of her gold on him the way Britni had.

"Whatever," Britni rolled her eyes before addressing Eschal, who was busying himself by filling some paperwork for Coye's file as the women talked amongst themselves. "Can we go and see him now, or what?"

Eschal paused his busy work, answering, "So long as no one disturbs him, I'll allow it. That being said, P-Soft Boy is likely still unconscious. On the off chance he isn't, I must repeat that the patient is- and please, forgive my unscientific hyperbole- comically drugged up."

"How fucked up are we talking here, exactly?" Byng asked.

"Exceedingly."