The Lost Super-Hero
Chapter 12 - Burning Land
Nolen looked at her. She seemed in need of medical assistance.
"Romy, I need your help here," Nolen said as he looked at the female orc.
"Let me scan her. She looks like she will die if she doesn't get medical help. Her wounds are severe from the look of things, and she will not make it if I do not get her help soon. Let me finish my scan so we can know for certain."
Romy came out of Nolen's hand and started to scan the female orc.
"Is there something we can do about her wounds?"
"Yes, we can. It will take time. But I believe a few items from the cave would be useful."
After a quick scan of the female orc, Romy was already able to get the biology and anatomy of the orc and began to instruct Nolen on how to help heal her. Luckily for them, the emergency kits on Andromeda were made to cater to all species.
"Please remember that all the medical supplies stored here are from Andromeda. Although we may need these supplies in the future, we have to conserve their use as we don't have much left. Unfortunately, the rest of the supplies are located in an area that is currently under repair and inaccessible. Therefore, we must be careful with their use for now," Romy reminded Nolen.
Romy then transported emergency supplies and medical kits from Andromeda to the cave, along with things they gathered along the way that she thought would be useful.
"Next shelter, we can use this to create a temporary shelter to help heal her." Romy handed Nolen a sheet of animal hide.
Nolen quickly went to work, remembering the Mongolians from Earth and how they made yurts from hide and other natural materials.
"This is very well done, Nolen," Romy mentioned.
Nolen used the animal hide to create a shelter around the female orc. He then wrapped her in some fur and other hides.
Just like how his artisan skills enabled him to create his weapons and armor with unique abilities, he was also able to create a tent with remarkable features. The tent provided a boost in comfort and rest and even accelerated the healing of wounds. Despite being a rushed job, he unknowingly created a low-level artifact.
Nolen then walked away and got some materials to start a fire. Nolen placed wood he could find near the shelter to burn to provide warmth.
All they could do now was wait for the female orc to regain her consciousness.
Nolen was sitting on top of a nearby boulder.
"How long until she wakes up?"
"It depends; the worst-case scenario is that she doesn't wake up. Even with my scans, we need to learn more about her biology. I'll continue to observe her and gather more data."
A few hours passed, and the female orc regained consciousness. Nolen went back and checked on her. She opened her eyes.
"What do you want? Are you going to kill me?" she asked.
Thanks to Romy's universal translator function, Nolen could understand the orc language as soon as the female orc started talking. The translator also has a passive feature that helps you learn the language over time the longer you are exposed to it. When Nolen first arrived on Earth, he used this feature to learn the language. Romy was designed as an adaptive AI tool for individuals like Nolen.
After a couple of minutes of pause, Nolen responded.
"No, you don't need to worry about that."
She started to sit up, and a look of pain appeared on her face.
"Let me check your wounds and see what I can do for you."
Nolen then approached the female orc.
She was reluctant but understood her situation and that if he meant her harm, he would have already done so when she was unconscious.
He started to unwrap her bandages and checked her wounds.
"It will take some time for your wounds to heal. Fortunately, your race appears to be very resilient and durable. I can create potions that will accelerate the healing process, but they will require some time to prepare and will cost me a few items. The only way to recover faster is to wait until your body can naturally regenerate itself. In addition, if you can create a poultice for your wounds, it will assist in expediting the healing process."
Nolen gathered the necessary supplies to clean the wound and wrap it with fresh bandages.
Here, take this potion and healing materials. They should help with the pain and ensure that your wounds heal slowly. Don't worry about running out of supplies; we should have enough for the time being.
Nolen then gave her medication, which was a combination of recovery medication and painkillers from the emergency kit.
The female orc reluctantly drank the things handed to her, then looked around, realizing where she was and growing suspicious.
"Who are you? And why did you do this?" She asked.
"I am Nolen, an artificer who saved your life," he replied.
"You're the one who saved me? Why? And why do you seem different from others I've met? Your skin and eyes look strange to me; you must be what they call human." She asked.
Not wanting to confuse her, Nolen just nodded and responded.
"My name is Nolen. I am not from here. I am from a far-off land. I have come here after being summoned in some ritual. I have been told I am from another world. I'm just trying to survive and find my way back," he explained.
"I don't understand. So, you're from some far-off land? What do you want with me?"
"I require some information but cannot leave this location alone. If you can answer a few questions, I will offer my help in return for your assistance. Do we have a deal?" Nolen asked.
She was hesitant at first. It seemed like she was trying to decide in her head.
"All right, you have my word. I will answer any questions you have. What is it that you want to know?" she said.
"I have a few questions and would like to know more about this world. I've learned a few things from my journey, but I want to ensure they are correct. Can you help me?" he asked.
"I can do that," she responded.
Nolen sat down beside the female orc and asked her some questions about the world they were in.
"First, let me ask what you call this world. I was told it was called Gaia."
Nolen got this information from the ancient civilization but was unsure if the current natives still call it that. He wanted to confirm some information he got from the ancient civilization.
"That's right, Gaia is the name of our world. My name is Draga, and I am from the Bloodfang tribe; what is yours?
"My name is Nolen."
"Your name isn’t like any name I have heard before, but your skin and hair are different colors, and even your eyes and skin look different. Do all humans look like you?" She asked.
"Yes, all humans do look like me. We share more or less the same features. The only difference is that some of us have more or less hair, different eye colors, and skin tones. However, I am curious about the other tribes and races. Can you tell me more about them?" Nolen asked.
"Ok, first of all, this is not just one tribe but many tribes for us Orcs. You have different races, for example, the dark elves, the lizardmen, the beastmen, and the beastkin. Those are the races I know of." Draga responded.
"This is a different world," Nolen muttered to himself, observing the earth-like planet with its unique ecosystem and inhabitants.
"What do you call this place we are currently at?"
"The Burning Lands."
"Do you live in this area?"
"No, this is a forbidden zone for my people. We leave just beyond the edge of this place."
"Why did you come here then?"
"It's a long story, but to make it short, I must prove myself."
Nolen remained silent for a bit to think, which caused Draga to wonder.
"What else do you want to know?"
"That's it for now. Please get some rest and tend to your wounds. I'll prepare something to eat for us."
Nolen had much to think about as he prepared the food for them.
It was a simple meal consisting of a stew made of blood from a creature he had killed earlier and roasted meat. Water was precious here, and Romy could only access the emergency rations that included water for now.
After the food was cooked, Nolen gave some to Draga and took the rest. They ate in silence.
Nolen ensured his armor was in good shape and repaired his sword and axe. After everything was done, they talked briefly and went to sleep.
