"My saliva is curative," the girl said.
"That's absurd," said Rian.
"I'm serious," she replied, her expression unchanged.
Rian still had both hands over his eyes, but involuntary glimpses kept slipping through his fingers, making him press them tighter.
"Why don't you have any clothes on?" he insisted, as if repeating the question would somehow change the answer.
"I can't conjure clothes out of nowhere," the girl said, tilting her head. "Where exactly would I get them from?"
'She's got a point,' Rian admitted internally, though he had no intention of saying it out loud.
"Then why didn't you just take this form earlier and get out of here on your own?" he asked, trying to steer his mind toward something productive.
"I can only take this form when I have a contract with a human," she explained. "Without a bearer, I'm just a sword. I can't move, I can't speak, I can't do anything."
'So she really was trapped,' Rian thought.
A sharp jab of pain shot through his side, reminding him that his body was still in pieces.
"So…" Rian started, his voice strained from the pain. "You're going to lick me like I'm an ice cream cone?"
"What's an ice cream cone?" the girl asked, confused.
"…"
Rian let out a long sigh. A very long one.
'I'm getting nowhere with this,' he thought, staring up at the rock ceiling.
His body hurt. Every muscle, every joint, every inch of skin reminded him of the fall.
If she really could heal his injuries, even a little, he had to try it — he didn't have any other choice.
"Fine," Rian said, carefully pulling off his shirt.
The cold air of the crevice hit his skin, and the bruises across his torso and back were laid bare. They were ugly — purple and red patches covering a good portion of his body.
"Turn around," the girl said, stepping closer.
Rian obeyed reluctantly, giving her his back.
And then he felt it.
The girl's tongue touched his back, and Rian went rigid.
It was warm. Much warmer than he'd expected. And her saliva was thick, viscous — like it left a thin layer over the skin that slowly grew hotter.
'This is…' Rian thought, jaw tight.
Uncomfortable. It was very uncomfortable.
He could feel every movement of her tongue tracing over the bruises, slow and methodical, unhurried. The warmth spread outward from wherever she touched, and with it came something else.
Relief.
The pain began to ease. At first it was subtle — like someone slowly turning down the volume — but as the girl worked her way across his back, the difference became undeniable.
'It's working,' Rian thought, eyes opening in surprise. 'It actually works.'
The bruises didn't disappear, but the pain faded down to a minor nuisance. The tension in his muscles loosened, and for the first time since the fall, he could breathe without it hurting.
The girl finished with his back and moved toward his left arm.
"That's enough," Rian said, stopping her.
The girl went still, hand halfway to his arm. She looked at him in silence for a few seconds — those red eyes not showing anything in particular — before nodding and stepping back.
"Alright," she said.
The silence that followed was uncomfortable.
Rian put his shirt back on without looking at her, and she stayed standing a few steps away, saying nothing.
Neither of them spoke for several seconds.
"Can you help me climb this wall?" Rian finally asked, breaking the silence as he looked upward.
The girl followed his gaze to the opening far above. A smile appeared on her face.
"Easy," she said confidently.
But then her eyes measured the distance. The smile dialed back slightly.
"Although…" she began, bringing a finger to her lips. "It would be better if I fuse with you. That way I can boost your strength and endurance, and you can climb while using me as a sword to drive into the rock."
"Truth is, I'm not much of a climber," Rian admitted, scratching the back of his neck.
The girl stared at him.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"Then… how exactly were you planning to leave me here and get out on your own if you can't even climb this?" she asked, pointing at the wall with open disbelief.
Rian laughed. It was a short, dry laugh, but a real one.
"If you knew me," he said, glancing at her sideways, "and you were in my position… you'd understand why I said that."