She had just been coming into conciseness when she heard the flap of what must have been the tent’s entrance.

“... Are you awake?...” Called the gentle voice of her caring Athena.

A slow smile spread across her face as she heard her voice.

“Yes!—“ She squawked out. Her own voice dry from resting for a while. She was embarrassed at having to be heard and seen this weak by Athena; despite the fact that she enjoyed her caring of her.

But this was actually okay in a way. Because this caused Athena to start to giggling.

“You should really stop trying to talk. Just a nodding your head will do... Or maybe just opening your eyes.

This time, instead of answering Athena right away. She coughed to clear her throat. Making sure she didn’t embarrass herself again.

“This one cant...” Her voice still sounded a little weak and dry. But not that squeaking embarrassment it had been before.

“... You? can’t?... *AGH*” She heard Athena groan in frustration. “Has no one given you a massage yet?”

“... What is a massage?...”

“I’ll take that as a no.” Athena said in an answer to her return question.

She heard Athena walk closer to her then place something down next to her before the sound of something being dragged across the room.

“There we go.” Athena’s voice said close to her right. Her heart racing at the sudden close proximity.

“A massage is a bodily relaxing rub of your muscles, that another person gives you by hand, to any muscles that are achy or in pain.” Athena informed her.

“O-oh!... T-This one sees...” Despite the fact that she couldn’t see or remember how to move some parts of her body. She could feel her heart thunder in her ears, her face also felt a little hot.

“Yeah. So as soon as we get you hydrated and fed. We’ll see about getting someone in here to massage you.”

Someone?

“This one isn’t going to be the one to give me a massage?” She asked disappointedly.

“That... might be a little difficult... and wouldn’t you rather have your Shaman give you a massage?”

“Oranak Flannik?!” She couldn’t believe her ears. Had uncle really survived the magical backflow?!

“Is it true? Is this one’s unc- This one means Shaman still alive?!”

“Yes, yes!” She assured with a small laugh. “Your uncle is just fine... So? Now that you know your uncle; your Shaman is okay, wouldn’t you rather get a massage from him?” Athena asked her again.

As she thought about it. It would be good to see her; or at the least hear. Her uncles voice and know that he was okay. And she knew that she was probably troubling Athena in someway by asking her. But as she thought of letting this opportunity go and getting Athena to rub her body.

She used as much of her strength as she could to just nod her head once.

“Would this one please? This one would prefer if Athena did it.” She asked her selfishly.

She heard Athena give a small sigh.

“Alright... but first,” She interjected. “Let’s get you fed.” Athena then picked up something from off to the side of her. “All right, open your mouth please. And get ready to eat. This will be different from yesterday.” Athena warned her.

As she heard this, she wondered to herself what it could be. But she complied nonetheless and opened her mouth.

Soon something hard passed through her lips as it spilled its contents into her mouth. It was a soup! She realized. I am being hand fed soup by Athena. While it probably wasn’t the best soup she had ever eaten. She couldn’t help but think that it was something more delicious than it actually was. Her stomach came to life just then and growled at the thought of obtaining sustenance.

She felt herself getting embarrassed as Athena started laughing at the sound.

“Is it good?” She asked her, sounding very coy, as she took the spoon from her.

She didn’t wish to answer her as she felt that if she did. Any remaining dignity she had that she might be able to salvage later wouldn’t stand up in-front of Athena.

But the thought of not answering her was also equally deplorable. So with those thoughts being equal.

“...Yes...” She answered her after swallowing. “It’s delicious.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Athena said to her, with a smile playing at her lips. “I will tell the Demon Lord you approve of her cooking.”

She stiffened at hearing this for multiple reasons.

“Sorry. Athena- I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just trying to tease you a bit.” She said to her with a bit of melancholy in her voice.

Not wanting her to feel to badly for what she said, she decided to joke herself.

“This one just couldn’t leave this one with an once of pride left, could they?” She said lightly with a smile on her face. Even while her heart felt heavy at hearing the news, in a round about way, that her father had been killed.

"I'm sorry." Athena apology seemed almost directed for what she had just thought, rather than what she had just said.

But I am sure I am imaging that. She thought to herself.

With great difficulty, she shook her head again. trying to reassure Athena.

"Worry not. This one doesn't mind."

"..." Athena was quiet for a long moment.

She thought to distract her from, whatever it was that she was thinking about so quietly; so she said to Athena.

"So? when does this one get that, "Massage", Athena told this one about?"

A light groan of regret came from Athena at the mention of the "massage".

"A-Are you sure you wouldn't rather have someone you are familiar with help you?" Athena asked her again. Seeming to want to not give her a massage.

She gave her a jerky nod in response.

"This one is sure..." She hesitated before adding. "...Does?... Athena not want? to give this one a "Massage"?" She asked her opinion. Not really wanting her to refuse.

"......" Athena said nothing for a moment before speaking. "It is not that Athena-... Not that I don't want to..." She corrected herself in the middle of her speech. "It is just that... It might be difficult for me to massage you, and it can make you uncomfortable if you don't trust the other person: They; I, will be touching you for a few minutes all over different parts of your body." Athena told her informatively.

But she simply replied to Athena.

"This one trusts you."

She heard a sharp intake of breath, followed by a long release of a breath.

"...Okay then..." Athena said, sounding like she was giving into something. "I'll do it." As she heard this she couldn't help be smile. "But just so you know! This might take me a while." She warned her.

She attempted to shrug her shoulders but couldn't seem to find the right muscles. So she just said instead.

"This one has no place to be."

This got Athena laughing pretty heartily.

"Athena supposes that is true." She said, forgetting to correct herself.

She smiled when Athena said her own name. She liked hearing her say her own name.

"...Okay..." Athena announced. "I'm starting." She warned.

After which, Athena's hand slipped into hers hand started to press down on the center of her palm.

"Ah!"

Athena gave a giggle.

"You can feel it now, yes?" She asked her a question that echoed her thoughts.

"Yes!... How?"

"This is the unfortunate side-effect that the restoration magic has that your Shaman and the Demon Lord have used and created."

"......" Athena just threw around words that left her mind a buzz and confused.

The Demon Lord and Uncle are working together?! "Restoration" magic?! What in the Dark God does Restoration mean?!

As she was thinking all these things, her confusion must have shown on her face, because Athena laughed again suddenly.

"After the battle ended. Everyone was treated and given aide. After which, And this is only something I was told later: That your uncle taught the Demon Lord how to use magic, and she... Well?... Had a better first attempt then others after her... But... Let us just say she wasn't satisfied with the results."

She was more confused now than she had been a moment ago, before Athena answered her non-verbal question.

Athena then continued her explanation.

"She then used magic after that to restore your Shaman's wounds. But the magic she used at the time and since, has the unfortunate side-effect of making people forget basic muscle memory." Athena said as she started moving her hand from her hand, to her wrist, up to her arm.

"This one sees..." She really didn't. But she decided to let it go, to just relax and enjoy Athena's "Massage".

The palm of her hand felt so good on her arm. It was both soft and firm. The callous of her fingers and the top of her palm felt rough from some sort of repetitive training. Yet the inside of her palm was supple and yielding.

"Mmm..." She moaned out in pleasure at this "Massage". She now knew what this was in her own language: "Tenderizing". Making the Muscles relax that were to stiff after a long battle, or a hard days hunt.

"*TSK*" Athena clicked her tongue in a chiding way. "Don't start enjoying this to much. You will only get this kind of treatment from me once." She told her.

This made her heart ache a little at hearing Athena say such a thing. But she managed to keep a smile on her face despite that.

"This one is sure they can convince Athena for another around of haksu'ual if necessary."

"........." Athena was once again silent after she had spoken. But her hand still remained busy as to continued to tenderize her arm.

"Has this one misspoken?" She asked Athena worriedly.

Athena gave a soft chortle, which slightly alleviated some her worries that she upset her.

"You haven't... it was just surprising that is all." Athena said in reassurance.

Does she not hate the idea?! She thought excitedly.

She decided to not push her luck and go back to a safer topic.

"This one can feel her arm and hand again!" She said relieved that the effects of the magic were not permanent.

"Yes... It tends to go away once someone touches and restores feeling into another's body. From what both our Shamans' and the Demon Lord think that is happening, is that instead of a your Shaman's healing spell and method, which heals and forces the body to heal naturally, very quickly. The spell the Demon Lord has... accidentally made, actually restores and repairs the body to it's proper way of being......" As Athena thought about it for a moment, she thought of a better way to put it. "I guess in other words: it returns the body to it's natural form, but the mind isn't caught up to it. So your mind thinks it should be hurt and since the hurt parts are like new, it makes you forget where the muscles are located."

"Ah... So this would be as if this one has been stuck in bed for a long time."

"Yes!" Athena exclaimed. "The Demon Lord said something similar, she called it muscle... attifi... or something like that... She tends to use words we're unfamiliar with."

This got her to laugh a little.

"She does?! Nothing goblins have been saying is same of what was taught to us in the past."

This time, it was Athena's turn to give a chortle at what she had said.

"That is true. When the Demon Lord showed up from our Crystal, She brought with her names for all of our villagers, and the many new things, along with many new ways of thinking." She explained to her.

"........." This time, it was she that had to go quiet after hearing this.

"... Something wrong?" Athena asked her.

She jerked her head from side to side quickly.

"Nothing... Just thinking that your Demon Lord is a great leader. If she wasn't she wouldn't have ever stopped us." She said matter of fact and a little reverently.

"You and everyone else thinks and says that... She has a very hard time believing it though."

This surprised her to hear this about the Demon Lord. She meant to ask Athena more, but got interrupted by Athena's hand stopping at her shoulder, and her sudden announcement.

"Okay. Now I will help you restore your sight... Even though you could probably do it yourself now."

"Myself?" She questioned.

"Yes. Try moving your right hand and arm now. You probably should be able to." Athena told her.

She did as she was instructed, and sure enough, as she flexed her hand, curling it into a fist. A tingling sensation ran through her arm, all the way up to her head in a chilling feeling. She then flexed her arm muscles that had the tingle run through them, and they too, sent tingles of their own up and down her arm, to the crown of her head.

"WOW!" She exclaimed. "This one's arm feels so light now."

"Stronger right?" Athena said as if she knew the answer.

"Yes!"

"That is good. Now all you have to do it just finish touching and rubbing the rest of anything that you think you can't move and that should help get them moving again."

This made her pause in her inspection of moving her arm.

"...Does that mean, Athena doesn't wish to finish healing this one?" She asked petulantly.

"*SIGH*" Athena almost growled instead of sighing. "You have your arm, now yes? why do you need me?!" She asked her.

She then let her arm drop back onto her sleeping mat.

"Oh no!" She said dramatically. "This one's arm has stopped working. This one is needing help Athena... Please?!" She said with as much pouting as she could while trying to fight off smiling.

"..............." From her quietness, she could guess that Athena was giving her a glare. In fact, she was sure of it. The heat of her stare was penetrating her in such a way that she felt both her shoulders twitch. Allowing her to try and pull back from the glare that was being sent her way.

"A-A-Athena... if this one has a problem with it. This one will be fine by themselves. Athena does not need to be-" And as she was speaking, a wet thing hit her face and landed across both of her eyelids.

"*EEP*" She squeaked in surprise, at the sudden cold wet cloth touching her.

Athena burst out laughing at her response to the wet cloth hitting her.

"HAHAHAHA! You should have seen this one's face! HAHAHA!"

"..................................." She was mortified at having been played so foolishly. Especially at the one she was trying to seduce. "That is it... This one has no pride lift in her body and nothing to live for... finish this one off..." She said in an over dramatic fashion.

"Ahh ha ha... Sorry!" Athena said coyly. "Has Athena taken it to far?" She asked her knowing very well she actually didn't. "And sorry, I can't finish you off... not yet at least. Demon Lord's orders. She wishes to speak to you." Athena informed her as she felt Athena grab at the cloth and start to gently rub it across her eyes and face. Restoring her muscle memory to her.

The news that the Demon Lord wanted to speak to her caused her to stiffen.

"And why is that?" She asked Athena with trepidation.

"...Cause.." She said coyly as she pulled the cloth away. Then dropped it with a plop into where she got it from. As Athena finished and pulled the cloth away from her face. She was then able to slowly, and very cautiously opening her eyes. Everything started off blurry, but then went dark again as another cloth was put over her face and was roughly wiped, clearing the excess water.

"H-H-He-HEY!-" Came a muffled protest from her as Athena started to manhandle her face.

This just caused Athena to start laughing again.

Then as Athena pulled the cloth away she announced.

"There, you big spoiled child. I helped you more? Happy?"

And as her vision came into focus, she was able to lay eyes on Athena for the first time.

"...................................................................."

No, She corrected. my second time.

Lirania was gobsmacked at who Athena actually was.

"*GROAN*" Lirania growled in frustration.

She reached behind herself and picked up the pillow and flipped it over her head to smother herself.

"I... nt- ie!" She muffled a shout in orcish into the pillow.

This really set Athena off. She started to hold her stomach with her arm as she bent forward to hold back her laughter.

"HAHAHAHA- You! HAHAHAhahaha! Should have seen! Hahaha the look on your face!"

Lirania flipped her pillow onto her lap. She meant to stare daggers at Athena, her rival, her savior. But her words died and choked in her throat. She just realized something she didn't notice until now.

Her eyes burned at the sight of Athena's arm.

"...... You lost it?......"

All at once, Athena's laughing died down. The sudden question made her instinctively pull her bandaged nub back, hiding it behind herself, shield it with her other arm.

"...Yes..." She said with a slight regret to her voice. But a smile still plastered on her face.

"... This one is sorry you lost a part of yourself..." Lirania told her "It is not easy to lose a part of you when you are a warrior. She has seen-"

"Look!" Athena interjected firmly. "If you are going to lament about how you could have taken it all back then, or you wish that you found another way, you can!-" Athena started to say in frustration at what Lirania had been saying.

"This one wasn't!" Lirania shouted firmly to interrupt her tirade. "This one was only saying that. She knows how hard it is on warriors... This one would not take back what had happened, even if this one could... This one welcomed our fight. Athena was graceful, beautiful and cunning. Athena fought just like any seasoned warrior in my tribe. It was an honor to have fought and lost to you." She said with her eyes look down towards her feet. "This one just wanted Athena to know that."

After she said that. It was Athena's turn to look at her own feet. Her face blushing madly at Lirania's words.

 

 

But apparently Lirania wasn't done.

"This one also would have very much, liked to have fought against you again someday.-"

"Ah haha-ha." Athena suddenly chortled. "Good going killing the mood."

"Pardon? what did this one kill-"

"Never mind! It is just something stupid that the Demon Lord says..." Athena said as a way of explaining.

"This one sees..." Even though she didn't.

"And we can fight again someday..."

"What?!"

"I mean... if that is what you want?"

"But? your arm?"

"It can be restored. Remember I told you? Their spell can restore the body to how it originally was."

This surprised Lirania to no end. She had never heard of suck a spell. Or any power able to do so.

"..." And as she thought of this, something came to mind. "Does that mean that?"

"Before you ask," Athena interrupted. "It can't bring back the dead."

"Oh... That wasn't what this one was going to ask..." Lirania explained.

"Oh... sorry then for interrupting you." Athena apologized.

"Tis fine. Think nothing of it."

"..."

"..."

An awkward silence hung over them as they both contemplated their next move and anticipating what the other might say. But Athena spoke first.

"What was your question going to be?"

"Ah! yes!... Does that spell work on old wounds?"

"OH! Yes!" She said enthusiastically. "That was something the Demon Lord had tested."

"This one sees... But then? why have you not been restored?"

"I didn't want to be yet."

"Huh?!" She couldn't understand that. In fact, that sounded extremely weird, if not down right stupid to Lirania.

"I mean, there were a lot more people badly hurt than I was. My arm was already gone by the time I woke up, or before the Demon Lord made it back up to the village..."
A dark cloud had seemed to descend over Athena's face as she thought of something. "I told them I wanted to keep it like this for a while."

"...... Why?......" Lirania asked, with an even more confused look on her face, now that Athena seemed angry for some reason.

Athena looked at Lirania, and the look on Athena's face sent a shiver down her spine. Although she was smiling, there was no joy on her face.

"Because." She said simply at first. "No one tells Athena what they must or mustn't do anymore."

Lirania made a quick note as to not do such a thing to Athena. Lirania then gave an awkward cough as she tried to think of something else to say, but then remembered something Athena had said.

"Athena said that the spell can't revive the dead?"

"Ah! yes..." She said with a scratch to the back of her head. "That was one of the first things the Demon Lord tried."

"She tried to defile our fallen-!"

"She already got an ear full from our Chieftain and your Shaman. So if you would please let that part go..." Athena asked of Lirania.

but She just shook her head.

"This one is not so sure she can! How dare she try and disgrace the honor of the fallen!"

"Because she would have killed herself if she could switch places with the dead." Athena told her flatly.

"What?!" Lirania questioned what she just heard.

"The Demon Lord... She is... complicated... Difficult to explain... She is not like us. Not like any of the other people of this world. She sees battle as abhorrent. She hates death and dying. She wanted nothing more than to fix what, she thinks, as a mistake that shouldn't have happened." Athena looked at her in the eyes with a sadness that was something akin to regret. "She is a complete advocate for peace and would have rather talked it out with you orcs, rather than to have fought." Athena explained.

"*KHAH*" Lirania scoffs. "If that is true, then who was it that came up with that dishonorable plan to bury us under stone?" Lirania accused.

"..." Athena didn't answer at first. "The Demon Lord."

"That is right. And do you wish to know how this one knows this?"

"... How?" Athena actually did.

"It is because your Demon Lord is a coward." She said resolutely.

Athena looked away from Lirania.

"What?" Lirania asked. "Does this one think differently?"

"... No..." Athena said honestly.

"Then there is sense and honor within Athena... Why did the goblins go with such a plan?" Lirania questioned.

"Because, like our Demon Lord. We are also cowards." She told her. "We just wanted to kill as many orcs as we could. to drive you off and back to where you came from." She said the partial truth to her. But Lirania picked up on that.

"That is not all. Tell this one everything!"

"What is there to tell?!" Athena shouted, looking back up at Lirania with fire in her eyes. "That we saw a leader who wanted to avoid fighting like a coward?! That many of the different goblin clans welcomed it? because it was going to save many?! Or maybe, for that fact that out of everything, the Demon Lord was so scared of her own shadow, That she would rather try and talk to you all! That she would let us die fighting! that she didn't want to do anything to actually help save us?!  Even if that meant killing you ALL!" Athena yelled at her with a flourish at the end. Her breath coming in-and-out quickly.

Lirania nodded.

"Is this one better?"

"*HAAAH*" Athena gave a big huff of air from her mouth."No." She told her. "This one is not." Her eyes shimmering. She blinked and wiped them away with her arm.
She then looked back at Lirania with a fierce look in her eyes, that made Lirania go still.

"And just because I say things about her. Does not mean I disagree with her... Not really. This one... I mean, I-..." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to get herself back under control. When she opened her eyes, she focused into Lirania's.
"I think it is a noble thing to want peace. I think what the Demon Lord has done for our village is amazing!" She said with genuine delight. "And she is a caring and wonderful person! These are only some, of the many great things about the Demon Lord!"

Lirania felt that they had somehow switched from talking about the battle, to something else entirely without her noticing.

"And the reason I can say those things about her, is because I know her very well!" She said angrily at Lirania. Who went wide eyed at the fact that it was now her that was being yelled at.
"I know what she did was wrong and cowardly. But I also know she did what she did, was because she would rather stop the violence before it starts. Even if that means a cowardly act, versus an honorable one."

"...Sounds like you know her well..." She said lamentingly.

"I do... Or I would like to say I do." She told Lirania. "Athena thinks that Crystaria, is unlike anyone she has ever known or heard of..." She was quiet for a moment before she spoke again.
"But she is not from our world." She told Lirania. "She doesn't understand how violent this place is yet."

"Then this world, is going to be a very cruel teacher for her." Lirania said matter of fact.

"It is... and it will..." Athena said, agreeing with her. She then gave a sigh before saying. "This is why she tried to bring back the dead." She said in returning back to their original topic.
"She just wanted to make right, the wrong she knew in her heart that she committed, by not doing her part."

Lirania was quiet at first before speaking.

"This one speaks as if this one knows what is in the Demon Lord's heart; why she did that. Are..." Lirania hesitated to ask. "Are the two of these one's mates?" She couldn't help wanting to know.

Athena gave a soft snort of air through her nostrils.

"No. Athena and the Demon Lord are not mates."

"Oh...- ... Then is Athena in love with her? the Demon Lord?" She asked. Still needing to know the answer to such a question. To know her chances.

"......" Athena was quiet for a moment. She then looks up towards the top of the tent they were inside. "Athena once believed she was."

"Now?"

"Now?!" Athena scoffs at the question. "Athena is unsure if she even knows if she can even trust her heart."

This made Lirania sad to hear, in many ways. She then bit her lower lip. Struggling with asking a question, she has never in her life ask another person.

But before she could say anything. Athena stepped aside from the stool she was in-front of and walked over to start picking up the stuff she brought with her.

"I should let you rest and get yourself ready. The Demon Lord wants to talk to you once you are awake and able to move on your own. I bet you'll want some privacy to start rubbing yourself down, Yes?" After she said this, she headed for the entrance of the tent. "It was nice talking to you. I am glad you're getting better."

"Wait!" Lirania almost shouted.

"Yes?" Athena stopped. "what is it?" She asked with a curious expression.

Lirania looked down at her lap. Biting her lip again. Her face going deep brown at what she was thinking. All the thoughts that were swirling around in her head. All her thoughts of Athena as well.

"..." Athena wait for a moment before saying. "Well if there is nothing~" She said teasingly.

"NO! This one means YES! This one means...!-" Lirania look up at Athena's beautiful face and worried her lip again before looking down. She took a deep breath and then just blurted her request.

"Will this one go hunting with me?!" She ask Athena. Her ears feeling hot. I can't believe I am the one asking someone now. A goblin at that! If I were to have told myself a day ago! I swear to the Dark God that I would have-

"Huh?!-" Lirania questioned Athena. Because she was so stuck in her head she didn't hear her answer.

"*HAHH*" Athena huffed annoyed at Lirania's lack of attention span. "Yes." She retold Lirania her previous answer.

"T-T-This one will?!" Lirania couldn't believe her ears.

"..." Athena didn't understand why she was so excited or what she was acting so strange all of a sudden. But she decided it must be an orc thing and shrugged mentally. "Yes, This one does not see why not. I am a hunter and a scout of my village after all. I go hunting all the time." She told Lirania.

"R-Really?!" Lirania asked her excitedly.

"Yes, really..." She answered her with a slightly bored expression, that quickly morphed in to a sly smile. "But if you want to go hunting, you're going to have to get yourself recovered.

Lirania started to nod her head vigorously.

"This one will! this one definitely will!"

Athena couldn't help but laugh at this strange Warchief to be getting all excited over going hunting.

Definitely an orc thing! Athena commented to herself.

"Well! Until next time..." She trailed off, hoping she would get the gist.

She didn't.

"Yes! Until we meet again!"

Athena made a weird sound with her mouth as she tried to snort, scoff and laugh all at the same time.

"Name?"

"Huh?!"

"You; this one, has never told me your name." Athena reminded her.

"OH! Yes!" She coughed to clear her throat so she wouldn't mess it up. "This one is Lirania, First born of Gargneuok, Warchief of the United Orcish Tribes of the Graggoremire Plains."

Athena giggled at her boasting titles.

"Well then! As you know! My name is Athena, my name was given to me by the Demon Lord and I am the fourth best fighter in our village." She told her teasingly, knowing it would provoke a reaction out of Lirania.

"F-F-Fourth best fighter?!" She questioned with a look of horror crossing her face. This was exactly what Athena was hoping for.

"Yes! There is the Demon Lord above us all, obviously. My grandmother who is only under her, because she can do nothing to actually harm the Demon Lord, Breeze, my grandmother’s Lieutenant of the scouts, and me, underneath them... Is something wrong?~" She asked sweetly as she saw Lirania pick up her pillow again and cover her face.

"N-hing!" Came the muffled reply. "Ust th ast of my pride dyin-."

Athena laughed at this, the. walked out of the tent through the flap.

After she was gone, Lirania smiled to herself from underneath the pillow. She flipped it off of herself again to just smile like a fool up at the ceiling of the tent.

"I can't believe I got a date!" She said smugly. "I need to get up and find uncle!" She said excitedly.