Chapter 32. Hexed

’m so excited,” Lemony whispered conspiratorially to Brigit as they trudged along from the second row of their column.  There was still a fair distance to go before they reached the imperial compound and once they had started filing down the narrow streets, most of the members had begun to relax and were talking quietly to one another out of earshot of their guild leader.

“Have you been to one of these before?” Brigit asked, feeling out of place in her ragged Ascalon armor.  She self-consciously stroked the tattered fur trim to flatten it against her body.  Amid the highly polished plates of scale, metal and flowing robes of silk she looked scruffy and out of place, possibly barbaric.  The horns protruding from her monstrous helm only served to emphasize the image of a savage foreigner.

“No, I’ve only heard about it.  I’ve never been inside of the palace and I can’t wait to see it.”

“Why didn’t I pack my parade armor?” Brigit sighed, “They’re pointing at me and laughing behind my back, I just know it.”

“Only a few of them,” quipped Lemony.

Brigit burned with embarrassment.

“Do you have to be so honest all the time, Lem?”

Lemony glanced at Brigit wondering what she was supposed to have lied about, then shrugged.

“Your helmet looks… pretty,” she lied obligingly.

Brigit rolled her eyes.

“Forget it.  How is Pen holding up?”

“He looks tired.  Pity he couldn’t recover for another week or two.  He looks so pale and drawn.  He got mad at me for trying to make him eat liver,” Lemony said, forging onward, “but Teleri convinced him to eat his greens at least.”

“Fascinating.  I love hearing about the care and feeding of mesmers,” Brigit grumbled, “How long does the party last?”

Lemony frowned, uncharacteristically aware that she was being mocked.

“Some time after midnight, I think.  That’s what Zhou told me.  He assured me there were places for people to rest.”

“At least I wore my most comfortable armor then,” Brigit replied.

Lemony waved enthusiastically at some children as they marched past a crowd of onlookers much to the amusement of their temporary guild mates.  Brigit snorted, her guffaws drawing horrified looks from her neighbors.

“Sheesh, what’s wrong with them?”

“Ladies generally don’t bray like mules while laughing,” Lemony whispered.

Pendaran collapsed.  The procession came to an abrupt halt. 

Lemony gasped and dashed past the milling warriors and officers as they closed to form a protective circle around his crumpled form.  Zhou was already kneeling at his side when she arrived, instinctively focusing her prayers upon him and surrounding his body in a healing enchantment.  A sheen of sweat clung to his pale flesh and he was mumbling the word ‘no’ under his breath.

“I have removed the hex,” Zhou said harshly, rising and scanning the crowd.  An aura of chaos shimmered around his shoulders as his keen gaze sought the assailant, his visage taut with rage.

“Pen,” Lemony murmured, relieved when color returned to his cheeks.  His eyelids fluttered but did not open.  He was locked in a nightmare.

“Get out of my mind!” he shouted, his body shuddering as he blindly swept the air before him with his cane.

Zhou was scowling as he returned to Pendaran’s side and laid a hand upon his brow, chanting softly.

“Come back, my brother, it is safe now.”

Pendaran opened his eyes, blinking frantically as he met Zhou’s gaze.  Lemony chanted another healing prayer and squeezed his shoulder tenderly, sensing they conversed mentally.  Finally Pendaran allowed Zhou to help him back to his feet.  He stood still for a moment, his hand still trembling over the handle of the cane.

“What happened, Pen?” Lemony whispered, “Are you alright?”

“I don’t know.  I was fine one minute and then something hit me from the inside.  And I was using a mantra, I should have been able to ward myself… but it cut through my defenses as if they weren’t there.”

Zhou scowled as Lemony helped dust Pendaran off and restore some semblance of decorum.

“I fear there may be people who resent that I chose you to be my student over them,” Zhou said to Pendaran, “I was wrong to draw attention to you in such a weakened state.”

“But Master, I am not that weakened.  I told you, I was focused and I was maintaining a mantra.  I should not have been subject to such an attack.”

Lemony did not release the enchantment, sensing Pendaran had been severely weakened by the onslaught.  He needed to lie down, her keen instincts as a healer told her that much.

“Master Bei, he should not be walking.”

Zhou’s expression softened and he looked upon Pendaran, nodding in agreement.

“I’ll be fine,” Pendaran said, embarrassed even as he trembled.

“Lying no longer suits you, my friend,” Zhou replied, gesturing to the warriors in the front rank so that two of them linked arms to bear Pendaran in the most dignified manner possible.  Without further protest, he accepted the offer, his face lowered in humiliation and possibly grief.  Lemony felt bad for him.  He had been doing so well up until that moment.