Page 44 of Alien Hunter's Prize

A memory surfaced through the haze of pain—the harmony stones, Mateha's gift, Jen's insight in the Crystal Depths. "The crystals..." I managed, the words costing effort. "On my lifelines... might stabilize... the flow..."

Understanding dawned instantly in her eyes. She retrieved the small pouch Nirako must have returned to me, selecting several of the smooth, gently pulsing stones. Following my faint gestures, indicating the points along my arms and chest where the burning sensation was most intense, where the energy felt most erratic, she placed them carefully against my skin.

The effect was immediate. A cool, soothing resonance flowed from the crystals, sinking deep, countering the fiery ache, smoothing the jagged, uncontrolled pulses within my lifelines.

It wasn't true mending—that would take time and Mateha's skill—but it was a cessation of the worst agony, a calming influence that allowed my own depleted energy reserves a chance to begin the slow work of recovery.

I sensed Jen's own tension ease as she perceived the shift, the lessening of my pain.

"Better," I breathed, the single word utterly inadequate.

Nirako and Pravoka approached with the finished stretcher. "We must move quickly," Nirako stated, his gaze assessing my condition with a warrior's practicality, though the grudging respect earned in the caves lingered in his eyes. "Night falls fast in these peaks, and predators hunt at dusk."

Gently, carefully, they lifted me onto the stretcher. The movement sent fresh waves of pain jarring through my system, but the harmony stones Jen had placed acted as buffers, dampening the worst shocks.

Jen walked beside the stretcher as they lifted it, her hand resting lightly on my arm. Her presence, felt through both the physical contact and the steady, reassuring warmth flowing through our connection, became my anchor against the sea of pain and exhaustion.

The journey back towards the Aerie passed in a blur of sensation and fragmented awareness. The rhythmic sway of the stretcher, carried by the steady, powerful strides of Nirako and Pravoka. The shifting light as the twin suns dipped lower, painting the sky in streaks of orange, red, and deep violet.

The clean, cold scent of the mountain air, blessedly free of the metallic taint of the ruins. And always, Jen's presence beside me—her low voice murmuring quiet encouragement when I surfaced briefly from the haze, her touch a groundingpoint against the pain, her concern a tangible flow through our connection, a silent promise that I was not alone.

I drifted, conserving all energy for the slow work of mending the frayed pathways of my lifelines. During brief moments of lucidity, I observed the landscape we passed through.

The change was palpable, even to my weakened senses. Plants that had looked stressed and brittle on our journey out now showed healthier color, new growth unfurling tentatively. Small animals—ridge-whiskers darting between rocks, stone-voles peering from burrows—moved with less fear, their usual patterns returning now that the dissonant pressure had lifted.

The very air felt lighter, cleaner, as if the mountain itself had taken a deep breath of relief. Harmony was returning.

And the Shardwings... their calls, once painful shrieks of confusion, now echoed across the valleys, clear, complex, intricate songs that resonated with the restored balance of the peaks.

Hearing them, truly hearing their harmony, brought a profound sense of rightness, a satisfaction that eased the physical suffering. We had paid a price. I had paid a price. But listening to the mountain breathe again, listening to the Shardwings sing, I knew it had been necessary.

As twilight deepened, casting long, doubled shadows, I sensed approaching figures before they became visible—the familiar energy signatures of Aerie Kin. Jen confirmed it moments later.

"Look," she said softly, her hand tightening briefly on my arm in reassurance. "A search party. Nirako must have sent word ahead somehow."

Relief washed through me, loosening a knot of tension I hadn't realized I held. Safety. Healing. Rest. They were close.

The Aerie hunters, led by Nirako who had indeed scouted ahead, reached us quickly. Their faces showed concern as theysaw my condition, but their eyes, when they looked at Jen, held open awe and gratitude. Word of our success, of the restored harmony, had clearly spread through the settlement.

"The mountain sings again," one weathered hunter said, his voice thick with emotion, his gaze fixed on Jen. "The Sound-Seer has healed its voice."

"We healed it together," Jen corrected gently, though I felt a flush of warmth rise in her cheeks at the reverence in his tone.

Fresh hands took over carrying the stretcher, allowing Nirako and Pravoka a much-needed respite. The pace quickened. I forced myself to remain conscious now, drawing strength from the proximity of these mountain Nyxari, from the tangible hope that radiated from them like warmth from a hearth fire.

The Aerie came into view, lights twinkling like captured stars against the darkening mountainside. A crowd waited near the entrance, hushed and expectant.

Elders Vairangi and Zaltana stood at the forefront, Mateha beside them, her healer's bag already open, her expression intensely focused.

"You have returned," Vairangi stated, her voice carrying clearly across the gathered Kin as the hunters carefully lowered my stretcher before her. Her ancient eyes took in my state in a single, swift assessment, then moved to Jen, lingering there with respect that transcended species. "And you bring balance back with you."

"The core is stabilized, Elder," Jen reported, her voice clear and steady despite her own visible fatigue. "But Iros absorbed the energy backlash during the final sequence. He requires healing."

Vairangi nodded solemnly to Mateha, who immediately knelt beside me, her hands moving swiftly but gently over my chest and arms, assessing the damage to my lifelines. Her touch wascool, professional, yet carried an underlying warmth of deep concern that resonated with Nyxari healing traditions.

"Energy trauma," she confirmed Vairangi's unspoken question, her fingers tracing the weakened pulse points along my arm. "Severe depletion and pathway damage." Her gaze flickered briefly towards Jen, a deep understanding in her eyes. "The ancestors warned of sacrifice near the core. He shielded you, Sound-Seer, took the brunt of the chaotic wave."

She glanced up at Jen. "The harmony stones you applied were a wise measure, Sound-Seer. They prevented catastrophic cascade failure within his lifelines, stabilized the worst of the erratic flow." She carefully removed the now-dimmed crystals I'd worn since the mountain ledge. "Take him to the healing chamber. Immediately."

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