"I don't know what he did." Asher slowly sat up, reaching for one of the wounds. To his surprise, the skin felt smooth and unmarked, yet he could feel the throbbing beneath the surface beginning to return, however slight. "Whatever they did, it didn't heal my injury, just the skin. I'm not going to be fighting any battles for a while, yet."

After a few more moments, Asher slowly got his feet under him once more, straightening to his full height. Then he promptly fell against Johanna, supporting himself though his will and her help. She was a strange mix of hard and soft, and Asher was confused for a moment by the flash of emotion he felt. "Sorry," he grunted, but he was unable to make any move to stand on his own. He could walk, but only just.

He glanced over to one side, where a pair of horses stood, paralyzed with fear. Their owner lay dead at their feet: he wouldn't need them anymore. "Come on," he sighed. "We'll need to be mounted if we're going to keep up with the Magi, in my condition."

Only a half-formed plan bounced around his head. There might be a way he could use these Magi.