Amukelo: The Burdened Path

Pao and Bao ran up to Bral and Idin the moment the landwyrm disappeared beyond the rocks. Their breaths were ragged from exhaustion, but concern overtook everything as they skidded to a stop beside them. Pao's eyes flickered over Bral and Idin's burns, nothing too severe but still painful, the edges of their armor slightly scorched from the fire. Pao immediately pressed her staff to Bral's shoulder, and a warm green glow enveloped him, the light pulsing gently as his wounds began to mend.

Bral winced slightly but exhaled deeply as the pain dulled. "I'll be fine," he muttered, forcing a grin. "Just felt like I was standing too close to a bonfire for a bit too long."

Pao didn't respond, only nodded as she continued focusing on the spell. She was already drained from the previous fight, her limbs aching from holding up the shields, but she pushed through. Then, without looking away, she asked, "Idin, do you need me to—?"

Before she could finish, Idin shook his head, his breathing still heavy. He dug into his belt pouch and pulled out a small glass vial. "Don't worry about me," he grunted. "I'll take a potion." He motioned toward Amukelo, who was still on his knees some distance away, his body trembling. "Take care of him instead."

Pao's head snapped toward Amukelo.

His hand was pressed to his chest, his breathing shallow and uneven, and when he tried to inhale, he let out a deep, wet cough, a spray of blood splattering onto the dirt.

Her stomach twisted. Internal damage. His injuries were far worse than Bral or Idin's—he had taken a direct hit from the landwyrm. If left untreated, he wouldn't make it.

She turned to Bao, urgency flashing in her eyes. "Bao, do you have a healing potion? My magic won't be enough."

Bao hesitated. Her grip on her pouch tightened. "It's my last one…"

Pao's eyes hardened. "He needs it."

Bao sucked in a breath, looking at Amukelo for a brief moment before grumbling under her breath. "Damn it." She pulled the small potion vial from her belt and pressed it into Pao's hand. "Fine. But you owe me a new one."

Without another word, Pao turned and sprinted toward Amukelo.

Bral chuckled as he watched her leap over the rocky ground, completely forgetting about the pain in her ankle. His lips curled into a smirk, and he said casually, "Amazing. You'll only listen when your little sister tells you what to do."

Bao snapped her head toward him, her sharp gaze narrowing. "What's so funny?"

Bral grinned wider. "Nothing. Just that you act all tough, but the moment Pao tells you to do something, you do it without question."

Bao's cheeks tinted slightly red, and she huffed, crossing her arms. "The fact that you can joke even in this situation is beyond me." She turned away sharply, avoiding his gaze.

Meanwhile, Pao dropped to her knees beside Amukelo.

His hands were shaking, his breathing growing worse. When he tried to inhale again, his body seized up and another violent cough sent fresh blood dripping down his chin. His fingers dug into the dirt.

Pao's heart pounded. "Hold on, Amukelo," she said quickly, raising her staff.

A warm, green glow surrounded him, the magic weaving through his chest, attempting to mend the internal damage. But as the spell poured into him, she felt the strain immediately. Sweat beaded along her brow. Her body was already exhausted, and healing internal injuries was far more taxing than anything she had done today. Her breaths grew shaky, her arms weak from the effort.

Still, she didn't stop.

As the glow slowly faded, Amukelo gasped, sucking in air as if he had been drowning. His chest rose and fell rapidly, but this time, his breath wasn't as ragged. The intense pressure that had been suffocating him was gone.

Then he started coughing again. But this time, it was different.

He was clearing the blood from his lungs, not coughing up fresh wounds.

Pao sighed in relief. It had worked—but it wasn't enough.

She quickly uncorked the potion and held it out to him. "Drink this. My spell was only enough to stabilize you, but your ribs are still broken, and your lungs are still damaged."

Amukelo, still panting, his body trembling from pain, grabbed the vial without hesitation. He barely had the strength to lift it, so Pao had to help him tip it against his lips.

The cool liquid ran down his throat, the warmth of the potion spreading through his body almost instantly. He felt the pain dull, the tightness in his chest loosening. His ribs still ached, but he could breathe again.

He exhaled heavily, taking slow, steady breaths for the first time since he was hit. His eyes lifted to meet Pao's, genuine gratitude flickering in them.

"Thank you," he murmured, his voice hoarse. "I… I would have died if not for you."

Pao, still breathing heavily from the strain of using so much magic, gave him a small, tired smile. "I'm just happy I could help."

Amukelo stared at her for a long moment.

This was the first time someone had saved him like this. Not because of duty or because of some obligation. She had done it because she wanted to.

Bao rushed up to Amukelo and Pao, her eyes flickering with concern as she immediately focused on her sister. "But what about your ankle?" she asked, her sharp tone barely masking the worry underneath.

Pao, still breathing heavily, slowly pushed herself to her feet. The moment the adrenaline began wearing off, she tried stepping forward—only for her leg to buckle beneath her. Bao was there in an instant, catching her before she collapsed.

"See?" Bao muttered, her voice laced with frustration. "You have to care more about yourself."

Pao, despite her clear exhaustion, gave a weak smile as she leaned into her sister for support. "Why? When I have you to care about me?"

Bao clicked her tongue but didn't push her away. Instead, she sighed, muttering, "Dumbass..." under her breath as she steadied her sister.

But Pao wasn't done. Gathering what little energy she had left, she placed her staff against her injured ankle, and a soft green glow pulsed from its tip. A warm sensation spread through her leg, mending the sprain within seconds. Once the glow faded, she tested her foot, stepping on it lightly.

"See?" she said with a proud smile. "It's nothing."

Then, suddenly, her vision blurred. Her legs gave out beneath her.

Bao barely had time to react before Pao slumped to the side. She lunged forward, catching her before she could hit the ground. "Pao! What happened!?" Her voice was sharp, panicked.

Bran and Idin, having been watching from a distance, approached quickly. Bral placed a reassuring hand on Bao's shoulder and said, "Relax. She probably just used too much mana."

Pao squinted up at them weakly, her breath coming in shallow gasps. "Don't worry, sis. Bral's right." She gave a weak chuckle, though it lacked any real strength. "I think... too many healing spells on top of that shield caught up to me."

Amukelo stood a few feet away, observing the scene silently. He wanted to say something, he wanted to help somehow, but he didn't know how. He had no idea what it meant to be drained of mana. He didn't understand how magic worked beyond the simple fact that it existed. But when he saw Pao lying weakly in her sister's arms, her breathing slow but steady, and everyone saying it would be fine, he forced himself to believe it.

Idin, still catching his breath from earlier, let out a long sigh and rolled his shoulders. "So… we actually survived." His voice was half disbelief, half relief. "We were so damn lucky it wasn't hungry."

Bral nodded in agreement, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. They can push much further if they're starving. But good job, everyone."

His gaze swept over the group, but then he stopped on Bao.

"Especially you." He smirked, crossing his arms. "Your last arrow was brilliant."

Bao, who was tending to Pao, barely glanced at him. But the slight tint of red in her cheeks betrayed her reaction. "Hmph."

Bral grinned wider, clearly enjoying her flustered reaction.

But there wasn't much time to relax. His expression shifted back to seriousness. "We can't stay here, though. We need to move as far from this place as possible. If there's one of them here, there might be more."

Bao nodded, then turned back to her sister. "Can you walk?"

Pao, still half-conscious, buried her face in Bao's chest. "No…" came the muffled response. "I can't..."

Bao let out a long exhale, shaking her head with a small smile. "Okay."

Idin took a step forward, stretching his arms out as he offered help. "She must be heavy for you. Let me help—"

Bao's glare cut him off instantly. She didn't say a word. Didn't need to.

Idin froze mid-motion, his hands still extended outward.

A long, silent moment passed.

Then, without a second thought, he quickly withdrew his arms and took a step back. "O-okay, okay… never mind."

Bral snorted, amused. Amukelo, despite himself, felt something strange settle in his chest. A small warmth.

He didn't quite fit in yet. Didn't quite know how to interact with them. But for the first time in a very long time, he wasn't just alone.