บท 830: Once awake

Mathias grumbles to himself as he slowly comes to, rubbing his face and flinching due to how much his body was aching... "Ah... What happened?" he mutters, rolling onto his side and groaning as a sharp pain shoots through his side.

...

Suddenly his eyes go wide, he quickly sits up as he looks around, patting himself to check that he wasn't dead... "The Black Soul Stone... Adria... Leah!" he exclaims, realising that he'd been knocked unconscious at a pivotal moment.

He throws the bed covers off of himself and gets out of bed, wincing and stumbling as his foot connects with the floor... Fortunately, it seemed that his magic was completely fine, allowing him to use his inventory to retrieve his staff. He puts most of his weight on the wooden stave with a large sapphire atop it, the magical artifact more than strong enough to hold him.

Mathias looks up as the door to his room opens, a thin-looking girl with an average face and brown hair looks at him in surprise. "Ah, you're awake!"

...

Mathias "Where... Where am I?" he asks, wondering how he was still alive.

The woman smiles, "We're a few miles off from Piana... Though, I have some questions for you before we discuss anything else. Ah, I'm Jerma by the way." she says.

Mathias slowly nods, "Thanks for assisting me Jerma, I'm Mathias, a Nephalem..." he mutters, feeling strange when speaking the title.

Jerma shrugs, "I don't know what A Nevalime is, but you can tell us after we've eaten."

Mathias "Us?"

Jerma nods, "My husband is downstairs right now, I've already prepared breakfast." she says, leading him to the stairs and assisting him down them as he's still not quite healthy yet.

The duo enter the dining room where Lennon was sitting, spooning some gruel into his mouth, his face covered in bruises. "Ah, love-He's woken up!?" he exclaims at seeing Mathias walking.

Mathias nods, "Greetings, I'm Mathias, may I make your acquaintance?"

Lennon nods, "L-Lennon sire! It's a miracle you're alive, I mean... You fell from the sky!" he shouts, gesturing upwards frantically.

Jerma "Calm yourself Dear, you'll wake up father..." she says, nodding her head at the corner of the room where a fat balding man rests on the floor, asleep? Or maybe just unconscious.

Mathias was confused at hearing he'd fell from the sky, perhaps he'd been thrown from Bastion Keep? But he'd definitely be dead if that happened, the millions of Demons would've seen to it... Perhaps he was teleported? That'd be a viable reason he'd been falling from the sky... Indeed, he should have died from that as well, but it seems his Lightning Armour was still active, cushioning his body from the impact.

He looks to Jerma and Lennon who were looking at him curiously, it seems he was lost in thought.

*Grrrrrr*

Hmm, it seems he was hungrier than he'd thought... "Perhaps we could eat? I'd rather not talk on an empty stomach." he says, causing Jerma to jump slightly and begin preparing food for the both of them.

Mathias looks down dispassionately at the bowl of gruel Jerma has slid in-front of him, putting on a fake smile in-order to not show his dissatisfaction... Even the ration packs he'd found on rotting corpses tasted better than this, perhaps even Demon flesh wasn't all that unappetising in the end? He thinks to himself.

*Cough* he coughs into his hand and looks at the duo who're trying not to stare at him, "So, I've found myself in a pradicament and I was wondering if you both could tell me about this area, and perhaps what you know about others."

Jerma nods, "Of course, what do you want to know?"

Mathias "Hmm... First, let's start with where we currently are. You said we were near Piana, but I have no idea where that is."

Jerma smiles, "Yes, I'd thought you looked foreign... Piana is a city in the state of Redania which is ruled by the Holy Empire." she says.

Mathias "Holy Empire?" he asks, wondering if the angels had a foothold here, if so he could request help to find Tyrael, Barnock, Leah, and that traitorous bitch Adria.

Lennon leans in, "Oooh? You don't know about the Holy Empire? You must've been livin' under a rock for a century!" he says in surprise.

Jerma herself was slightly put out that this stranger wasn't part of the Holy Empire, there'd be no titles of property as a reward for saving him in the end... Regardless, he was a guest in their home, even if he did inadvertently destroy their barn. "The Holy Empire took control of the continent ten years ago, the God King united all warring countries after armies of Vampires tried to enslave the human race." she recites, the sermons of the Two Gods Church still fresh in her mind.

Mathias leans his head to the side, "God King? What kind of person are they?" he inquires.

Jerma shrugs, "Well... I haven't personally met him, but from tales and rumours I've heard, he's apparently a kind, just, and empathetic person, who is not afraid to be brutal against his enemies... He's also apparently quite the womanizer." she adds, having heard that the man has a castle full of beautiful concubines that dutifully serve him.

Lennon "They even say he stopped that Elven Prophets prophecy and saved the world... I'm not quite sure about tha' one though, people like to exaggerate when telling tales."

Mathias rubs his chin, this person sounds like someone he'd get on well with... Perhaps he'd be willing to share his knowledge of magic with him?... No... He should focus on retrieves the others, Leah is likely still in danger, whatever Adria wanted to do, it definitely wasn't good. "Do you think the Holy Empire would be willing to help find my friends-"

"The... Fuck... WHAT?!?" the unconscious man in the corner suddenly wakes up and shouts, staring at their guest.