The Glitch IV - Inversion (Ch. 1)

[Rukia]

"Leah, Hey....Wake up! Snap out of it.... Yea he's bleeding but you can stop it... Please try...." She was being harsh and loud but everyone was freaking.

Rory's hands were covered with blood. She looked at Matthew wipping one of her hands on her pants before grabbing his face. "Look at me... Listen. You have to stay awake you hear me? I need you to keep talking to me ok? Just keep awake. What's your name? How old are you? When's your birthday?"

-Keep calm.. you can do this. You've been trianed to do this... keep him talking.-

[Agent Fisher]

As soon as Jack saw Matthew, he jumped off his horse. He tossed his pack to Leah. Inside where his potions. He drew his sword and started looking around. It wouldn't do to be ambushed from out of nowhere.

[Charon]

Matthew looked around, "I don't really feel like staying awake though. Talking didn't do me much good against those... goblin... thingies. I got 'em though." Matthew's eyes un-focused for a few seconds before focusing in on Rory. "Wow, your face is changing shape, then again, that might just be me."

[Rukia]

"Matt! Focus... You don't want to die here do you? Of course not. You've got a home to go back too. A life, right? You have a family that's going to miss you if you die here. Now I need you to be strong ok? Just talk to me..." Rory looked around "El, get me my bag. He's losing too much blood."

She tried to keep constant pressure on the wound, but blood was going everywhere. "Keep talking to me, hon. You can sleep when We get you stable ok? When I'm sure you'll wake up. What was you're life like back home huh? What did you do?"

[SirNitram]

Leah in shock and no other healing in sight, Albert dug into his bag. "I figure if there are still thingies in here which are going to mess with us, it can't get worse.." He said simply, pulling out a healing potion that Leah had given him at the start of the trip.

"It'll probably taste like shit." He warned Matthew, then uncorked it and pushed it to his lips. "Now drink it down."

[Comrade Tortoise]

Just as the potion was pressed to Matthew's lips Justin finished his incantation and the warm healing magics washed over Matthew's body in a flash of blue light. They flowed between Justin's fingers and through the wound like soothing spring water and began healing his wounds. Flesh knitted itself back together and the bleeding from the biggest of the wounds stopped.

It was not as effective as a CUre Critical should have been, being about as effective as CUre serious, there was still a lot of bruising around the largest wound, and the smaller ones had only partially healed, but Matthew would live. And the potion should heal him the rest of the way.

Justin on the other hand was exhausted. The spell took a lot out of a body that was simply not used to casting them, and he felt like his heart was being constricted, like there was something missing. That, he figured, was his bodies way of telling him he had used mana.

[Rukia]

"That was too fucking real." Rory said cradling Matt's head in her lap. Someone had handed her a water jug and she was using it to clean Matt up. The biggest wound was still trickling blood but it was good enough. "If someone could get my bag I have some thread and a needle, I can stitch him up the rest of the way. I don't think that he has any broken bones so that's a blessing. And someone make sure that Le's alright. There's no way we can leave right now, Matt and Leah need to rest. I vote we leave first thing tomorrow." She sighed and brushed the hair out of her face with the back of her arm. A bit of blood smearing on her face, she took the rest of the water and rinsed her hands but they were still a bit stained. "But that's just me. Either that or I can stay here with Matt tonight with a couple of Ted's skeletons and meet up with you tomorrow when you bunk down for the night. But there's no way in hell he's traveling today." She looked at Matt who had passed out.

"Oh and thanks El, Albert. God I wish I could do spells."

[Comrade Tortoise]

"Indeed, we should wait. We dont have much chance unless we know how to use our abilities anyway. So, Ted. Leah, we have spells to actually... you know, learn how to cast"

[Charon]

Matthew's eyes opened wide as he felt an intense heat flash through his body. For a few moments after his wounds felt as though they were burning and he clenched his teeth, then the liquid poured down his mouth, the cool taste rushing down his throat for a few precious moments before the taste reached his tongue. Matthew kept from coughing the potion back up, ingesting what was left before laying back down and taking a number of deep breaths. His eyes closed for a few moments before openning again as the vision of those goblins returned to him. Gasping as he sat up he clutched the closed wound on his gut.

"No, we don't have the time." Matthew struggled to his feet, grasping Rory's shoulder to steady himself. Healing hurt like hell but damn if it didn't work wonders. "At the very least," Matthew looked around the forest. "We need to get out of this forest and onto flat terrain. Less places for those riders and their minions to sneak up on us."

Matthew took a step forward, trying to reach his horse which was now sitting on the ground, it would survive but the wounds would slow her for awhile. Almost falling he used his sword as a cane to support himself as he looked back at the others.

"We don't have time to figure things out. Our enemy won't give us that time, they want our bodies or they want us dead." Matthew looked out into the forest again. "I can't run anymore, none of us can. We just need to keep putting one step forward until we get out of the mess that we've been unjustly put in." Matthew glanced back at the group and smiled. "I for one, refuse to be someone else's puppet."

[Comrade Tortoise]

Justin thought for a moment, considering their options. Before he agreed with the Paladin.

"He is right, we really dont have the time. If we leave now, we will have three days to practice with our spells, barring interruptions. Leah, you up to it?"

[Shark Bait]

Two of Ted’s minions flanked Matthew offering to help him stand following somewhat subconscious commands of Theodore, a third approached holding a water skin. “Drinkâ€

[SirNitram]

Albert nodded at Matthew. "When you can't walk, I'll carry." He said simply. "In the meantime, let's get a move on. And does anyone know if there's aluminium or saltpeter around here? I'd prefer to go into this with a little more firepower than is normal.. I'm sure there's some alum in some of the healer kits.." The giant was stroking his chin thoughtfully as he gathered his things.

[LadyTevar]

Shamefully, Leah still knelt on the ground where Matthew had been. There was blood on the grass, and she reached out to touch it, as if hypnotized by it as she brought her bloodied hand up to her face.

Part of her was ranting in her head, the part that always told her how useless and worthless she was. It mocked her for not being able to move, for thinking she was a healer, a savior.

"... some cleric I am..." she muttered, still staring at the blood on her hand as tears started to fall unnoticed from her cheeks, brought on once again by the knowledge of her own failures.

[Rukia]

Rory looked at Leah who had begun to cry. "Heeey..." She said softly, moving closer to her friend. "None of that, I've seen people who have acted far worse and they were trained to handle stuff like that. You shoulda seen me on my first case out in the field. I was a mess. You did great... It's a little bit harder to deal knowing that it's a real wound and not something in a game. It'll be ok... You'll get 'em next time ok?"

She leaned over and hugged Leah close.

[LadyTevar]

Leah leaned into Rory's embrace, needing the comfort, whispering repeated apologies.

[Comrade Tortoise]

Justin walked over to her, and put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's ok. There is nothing to apologize for, or be sorry about. We are all new at this and none of us quite know what we are doing"

[LadyTevar]

Leah placed her hand over El's, drawing back from Rory and wiping her face. "Yeah..." She gives Rory a peck on the cheek. "Thank you."

With that she rose, using Elwyn's arm as guide and support, then looked over at Matthew. "Well... since you're not bleeding anymore..." she said shame-faced. "Maybe I can finish healing you..."

She crossed the distance between them, calling the words to the spell to mind, as well as sending up a small prayer for herself: please let me do this right
"Blessed Mother, rain your healing upon this man..." she chanted, touching Matthew's shoulder.

A soft glow spread from her hand into Matthew's body, and Leah shivered as she felt a warmth pass through her from somewhere outside herself: a soft, loving feeling, comforting ... like your mother kissing and making everything better.

[Rukia]

Rory stood. Even she felt better seeing the glow. "See, you're great." She smiled and hugged Leah again. "Well everyone, let's get this show on the road." She patted Leah on the shoulder and walked over to Meeka and mounted her.

[Agent Fisher]

"I still think your absolutely nuts for going to meet with this Dark Rider, but I figure I will last longer if there are healers around then not." Said Jack, as he mounted his horse, after securing his gear.

[LadyTevar]

Leah sends Jack a glare that would freeze a volcano solid. "That's why you have potions, now, isn't it?" she retorted, really getting tired of the guy. She walked over and once again managed to mount her horse with less than the usual grace. "Ok... I hope that some of the things Leandra does have become body memories, or else we're in trouble..."

[SirNitram]

"I still think your absolutely nuts for going to meet with this Dark Rider, but I figure I will last longer if there are healers around then not." Said Jack, as he mounted his horse, after securing his gear.

"Ah, because running off like a useless coward is going to work so much better when the Riders find you unprepared. Not at all like knowing when and where we'll get jumped." Albert drawled. "If you follow, you'll pitch in for once."

[Comrade Tortoise]

Justin chuckled.

"Albert is right. It is better to confron the enemy when we can see them, and have some control over the engagement. As for body memories, I hope so too. Though I have to give the HDD credit, you actually do develop the skills to use say, a staff yourself in such a fully interactive environment"

[LadyTevar]

"Then we should get moving, right?" Leah pointed out as she headed out of camp, directing her horse towards the mountains.

[Charon]

Matthew took the waterskin and drank heavily, beginning to feel a chill he took the fur as well. When Leah came up to him he smiled at her, feeling the warmth of the healing, so different from everything he'd experienced. It was truly amazing. All evidence of his wounds save for a few scars were now gone, though he still felt that empty pit in his stomach from the other adverse effects of the fight.

"Thank you."

Putting the fur over himself Matthew went over to his horse, still using his sheathed sword as a crutch. "There girl, come on, we've got to get moving. Don't worry, I won't make you carry me now. Not after what I just put you through." The horse got up slowly and Matthew led it to the cart, tying it to the side he patted her nose and then brought his things to the cart, including the armor he'd left behind when he'd gone 'scouting'.

"Is it alright for me to sleep now?"

[LadyTevar]

Leah was impressed by the fact Matthew was not going to try to ride, and not going to do anything but admit he'd been hurt and needed to rest. She reined in her horse, looking back at him. "Sounds like a great idea, Matthew. You'll probably feel like yourself again after a couple hours rest."