The skies had parted over Blackhaven.
The rain was lashing down as thunder grumbled in the air.
Gabriel sat at the end of the Chief's table, breaths shallow, his left arm hanging uselessly at his side. The storm outside made the room feel smaller, tighter, like the walls were about to collapse.
Tess stood by the doorway, watching the villagers carry the Chief's body out into the rain. Their cheering still hadn't ended, grateful voices raised louder than the thunder. Not even the weather fouled their mood.
"The demon saved Blackhaven," one man shouted.
"Creator bless them!" Another cried.
Tess also felt saved. Flashes of the orange glow and the elven words that followed spilt into her mind every time she blinked.
The Chief's wife approached the table, carrying two bowls of steaming stew, her boy clutched to her hip, impeding her every step. But her smile remained ear to ear.
She placed the bowls on the table, one in front of Gabriel, another in front of an empty chair.
A light streaked through the clouds, lighting the whole village.
Tess turned away from the door, the scent from the stew had finally reached her nose.
She sat at the table, her manners abandoning her as she dug into the first meal she had had since the previous night.
Gabriel picked up his spoon slowly, each time he raised it, his jaw tightened.
"Do you want me to feed you, sir?" the Chief's wife began standing as she was finishing the question.
Tess took her face out of the bowl, "Why would you ask that? We aren't going to hurt you."
"No, no. It's just he looks in pain, and you saved us." She replied.
Gabriel didn't reply, he continued slowly bringing the spoon to his mouth.
"What was going on her?" she pushed her bowl away. "Why did everyone cheer and call us saviours?"
"The Chief-, mage had control over everyone in the village. He used his magic to force us to do what he wanted. No one was allowed to leave the village unless he had eyes on their family, all the money from the trade went to him, he sacrificed the old, killed the disobedient, and took any women that pleased him." Tears began streaming down her face.
"The vampires took someone from the village over two weeks ago. The Chief scouted and found the nest. He went to the guild in the capital and put out a contract, lying, saying there was only one monster.
For the past 10 days, we have had one or two adventurers turn up a day, being sent to the abandoned village. He said he was doing it for us, but he just didn't want his slaves to die unless he chose so."
She hugged her son as she was finishing. "So that's why we're thankful.
Tess's hand clenched into a fist under the table.
"You're safe now," she said, a forced smile on her face.
Gabriel was sitting at the end, still slowly eating the food, his eyes not moving from the woman, who was subconsciously shielding the boy from looking at the demon-eyed adventurer.
"Why didn't he just pay the guild to take out the nest?" Tess added.
"He didn't want anyone to discover what was happening here.
"He said feeding it was enough to keep us safe."
The table shook as Gabriel stood up, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. His eyes focused on the woman.
"Can you stitch up wounds?"
"There's no need," Tess frowned as she heard the words.
"He has a real healing potion."
Tess raised her eyebrows.
"How does he have a healing potion? Even the lord of Eldenreach only has one or two"
"I don't know, he had three, but two have been used over the last year. She said as she was leaving the room to fetch the vial.
She came shuffling back a few moments later, with a small vial containing an emerald green liquid, the light from the candles made it shimmer as it passed.
Tess stood up, using both hands to push off the table.
"That's not a healing potion. Why are you trying to poison him?" Her hand reached for the hilt of her sword.
The woman's hands began to shake as she took a step backwards.
"Enough." Gabriel's low voice seemed to suck all the sound out of the room. Even the crackling fire halted for the briefest of seconds.
The two women turned to him.
"It is a healing potion, I've seen it before." The former Paladin explained.
Memories of Danis forcing his broken jaw open even wider flashed in his mind. The cracking sound ringing in his ears.
"But it's green," Tess mumbled under her breath, "they are supposed to be dark blue".
Gabriel reached out his hand gently, taking the vial from the woman.
The image of Danis and the dirty man kept coming into focus, like they were in the room as he uncorked the vial.
The familiar warmth washing over him sent shivers down his spine as he consumed the liquid. The feeling that once felt like being embraced by one of the Seven now brought back nothing but painful memories.
The warmth spread through his body, concentrating in his abdomen and his arm.
The scuff marks and bruising on his face began clearing.
He blinked, which sent him right back to that room. With the giant and the other man, for a mere second.
He turned his head towards Tess, her hand was still hovering over the hilt of her sword. Waiting patiently to strike at a moment's notice if anything had happened to him.
Gabriel sat back down, he glanced his head to the side, looking at the shaken woman.
"Thank you"
Tess followed and sat back down herself staring at Gabriel in awe.
"What did it feel like? Are you healed? Will it heal your" she glanced at the woman, then turned back to the former paladin mouthing the word "scars?" without any words coming out.
He ignored all the questions, "Do you have a room we can sleep in tonight?" he said to the woman, who was still trembling.
Tess chuckled, "Yes, I don't think the tavern is open."
The woman's shaking had eased. Yes, there's a bed upstairs you can use, sir!
She turned to Tess, "You can share the bed with the Master, or you can sleep on the floor in front of the fire."
Tess's face began turning a beetroot shade. "I'm not- He can– He's not a Master. I'll sleep in the same room as him, but we are not sharing a bed."
Gabriel stood up, "Could you show me to the room?" The woman nodded with a smile on her face.
"Come on, Gert," she shouted over the boy still sitting at the table.
"Let's go show the man his bed."
Tess was still in a state of shock.
I'm not staying in the bed with him, he's a freak.
He's handsome in a lost puppy way, but the crazy witch in Eldenreach would kill me.
She stood up, a thought bursting into her mind.
Do them two share the same bed?