Kaede was still suffering from stomach pains as she wandered about the city in the early morning light. She hiccuped occasionally and walked in a slight zig-zag as she pretended she was drunk. However no amount of fermented grains could give her the oblivion that she craved. Alcohol was simply too mild of a toxin to overwhelm her nature as a Samaran.

I guess here on Hyperion, Russians really can drink vodka like water, the young girl reflected.

She wasn't sure how long she had been walking amidst ruins before she spotted a large, makeshift field hospital just off the main street. The healers and medics were already up and working on the many patients being treated there. One of the healers spotted the dazed Samaran girl and quickly drew the attention of others.

Soon, four of these medical personnel left the tents and accosted Kaede.

"Miss? You're a Samaran, aren't you?" A male healer asked.

Kaede only nodded in response.

"Could you please give us some blood? We've been out since yesterday. We have several critically wounded and our healing spells are barely having an effect."

"Please!" The two women pleaded.

Unsure of what she could say to respond, Kaede merely nodded again. The healers' faces brightened as though they've just been saved. They quickly ushered Kaede over to the tent and into an empty chair.

The familiar barely paid attention as they drew one syringe after another of blood from her. It wasn't until a recognizable voice called out that the young girl snapped back to reality.

"Kaede, what are you doing here!?"

"Oh..." Kaede returned a tired smile. "Hey Perceval." She greeted him casually. Her mind felt too light-headed and dizzy to ponder why the Lotharin noble was here in Nordkreuz.

"Don't hey me!" Perceval spoke with visible anger. "What are you doing here!? I heard you were seriously injured only two days ago!" He then turned to the other healers. "And what are you all doing!? Can't you tell she's already anemic!?"

Then, as Perceval spotted the odd way Kaede wore a belt, he pulled away her outer jacket. His lips thinned as he saw the heated cushion that Kaede strapped to her stomach, and immediately realized why she was doing it.

"For Father's sake, you're on your period too!" His pitch rose to a yell. "Do you have a death wish you stupid girl!? Giving out this much blood when you should be recovering!?"

"No..." Kaede felt her head lull to one side. "I just want to drop unconscious."

For a moment Perceval looked so stunned he didn't even know what to say.

His lips were still open when Kaede finally, blessedly, passed out.

 

----- * * * -----

 

"Mmmmh?"

Kaede stirred as she woke up. Her body felt like it was wrapped by heated blankets while floating atop a cool, watery mattress.

Her eyes opened and took note of her surroundings. She was lying on a giant, white blob in the sitting room of Pascal's home. The floor was no longer slanted at an incline like when she visited yesterday, which meant the spells Pascal and Gerard cast had finished pulling the keep-like structure back onto a stable foundation. Not far from her sat Pascal and Perceval in two comfy armchairs, their conversation on hold as they both stared at her.

"You are finally awake," her master met her eyes and spoke.

I... fell asleep? Kaede was confused.

She could still smell the alcohol in her breath which brought memories of last night. Her whole body felt heavy as she struggled to sit up. However her mind, while a little faint-headed, was neither aching nor throbbing.

Can't be hungover if I can't get drunk, she thought.

"What did you think you were doing, out in the city by yourself!?" Pascal's voice immediately took on an angry tone as he began to berate her. "You are a Samaran, Kaede. In the current circumstances, your blood is worth its weight in gold..."

"Much more," the healer frowned as he muttered in a barely audible voice.

"--Had Perceval not found you, who knows what could have happened!?" Pascal continued to scold. "Nordkreuz has always had its share of black market smuggling! It is not difficult to make a girl vanish in the current state of mess!"

"Calm down, Pascal," Perceval interjected with a sigh. "She's back. She's safe. Everything ended well. Besides," he then added as his gaze fixed on Pascal: "What were you doing? You're her master."

"I admit, I should have kept an eye on her better," Pascal scowled as his anger turned inwards with guilt. "I did not anticipate falling asleep at my desk after finishing my work."

"No, you're right," Kaede quickly added, feeling like a child who had just been scolded by her parents for running off. "I should've been more careful. Sorry."

If I let Pascal shoulder the blame he'll feel like he needs to keep me on a leash, the familiar thought.

She then winced and bent over as her stomach cramped up again. It was only then that she realized that the soft and cool 'bed' she had been lying on was in fact Perceval's tofu familiar.

"Here," Pascal's expression softened as he reached behind Kaede and gave her the heated cushion again.

"That reminds me," Perceval spoke as he reached into a belt pouch and retrieved a small bag. "I had asked the medics, since they're commoners, on what they suggest to help with menstrual cramps. This is chamomile, lavender, and fennel. They suggest making tea from it, which helps with the inflammation, stress, and stomach problems. Should also help her sleep."

"Does it work on Samarans?" Pascal asked.

The Samaran 'fluid of life' was yet another example that nothing in nature happened without consequence. Their crystal-clear red blood offered countless immunities to diseases and poisons, but it also complicated any medicinal aid to regulate chemical imbalances within the mind and body.

"I don't know." Perceval admitted. "But herbal remedies are usually more accepted by the body than alchemical concoctions. I think it's worth a try."

"I'll try anything at this stage," Kaede groaned. "Thanks Perceval."

"You're welcome," the healer smiled. "And the girls say drinking it with honey can help with the taste. That might be expensive for commoners but shouldn't be a problem for your master."

"I will have the maids take care of it," Pascal noted at once. "Though for sleep issues, would a Slumber spell not work better?"

"Mind-affecting spells are best not used unless necessary," Perceval frowned. "Compulsion magic has a high tendency to cause unintended side-effects upon our complex and sensitive brains. Plus it's not like she hasn't been able to sleep at all."

So they're comparable to heavy-duty prescription drugs then, Kaede concluded.

"Does that include Mental Clarity?" Pascal asked next with concern. It was one of the spells in Kaede's set of defensive and support spells, and one that both of them used during combat.

"Yes." Perceval stressed without any doubt. "Mental Clarity actively suppresses undesirable feedback from the nerves. Not only is that psychologically addictive, but prolonged use may even cause permanent imbalance in the nervous system. I realize it's popular among officers and that being alert and steady is always better than being dead. But try to use it sparingly."

The healer's well-reasoned warning left both Pascal and Kaede with deep, thoughtful nods.

"Now, I've stayed long enough as it is," Perceval commented next. "Sorry Kaede, but could you lounge on something other than my familiar now? I need to go back to the field hospital, and Putty is a really good surgical assistant."

I bet, the Samaran girl thought with a smile. She could just imagine the tofu familiar serving as a sentient bed, one that could change the patient's posture to whichever way he needed.

"Sure," the young girl reluctantly agreed before she stood up with a groan and relocated to a nearby lounge chair. Meanwhile Putty wobbled energetically as though it was waving her goodbye.

Kaede then watched as Perceval unbuckled a large and rigid belt pouch which looked more like a fanny pack. She was puzzled over what he was doing as he knelt down and allowed the white pudding familiar to climb onto his legs and into said pouch.

Her eyes swelled into saucers as the silken tofu familiar that held more volume than a King-sized mattress somehow disappeared into a belt pouch.

"W-w-what is that!?" The snowy-haired girl exclaimed.

"Extradimensional familiar pocket," Perceval answered as though it was completely natural, harmless compared to a Slumber spell.

"They make those for living beings too?" She muttered in disbelief, never even realizing how she easily classified the energetic tofu as a living entity.

"Those are designed for familiars," Pascal explained from beside her. "The enchantment required is more complex. But many people use these, since it makes it easier to bring their familiars along on journeys."

'Many' people...

It was no wonder why Kaede rarely saw familiars out in the open.

What is this, Pokémon!?

Perceval suppressed a chuckle as the familiar girl slowly turned on her master with an ominous glare. However Pascal wasn't fazed as he stared at Kaede with a warning:

"Behave or I will have you put inside one."

"Only if you want free broken ribs again," the familiar countered.