It took what felt like hours to wash and treat the wound. Blood formed a small, stagnant pool under his leg. It wasn’t shocking that whoever had killed the companions had guessed this man would bleed out. He would’ve been past any chance of saving if it had been mere hours later. His odds were still uncertain as the color steadily drained from his face. With the last clump of dried algae placed, she wrapped the tattered fabric tightly around the wound. Lucia didn’t have fresh bandages. She had never really had bandages. What few items Lucia did have were gifts given to her by Father, and dressings had never been one of them. She had taken the cleanest fabric from his companion's thin jacket. Blood continued slowly seeping through the taut fabric but at a much slower pace.

“That’s gonna have to do,” she said. There was no reply.

She had periodically asked him questions to see if he stirred. To her comfort, there had never been an answer. She felt both fear and, much to her surprise, curiosity. She’d never spoken to anyone other than Father. The possibility of talking to another person slightly intrigued her.

With a heavy heart, she turned to the two lifeless bodies. She’d had this job for years at this point. When bodies needed to be disposed of from the castle, they were dumped into the catacombs for her to send to the ocean. She would search for anything Father found of value first. When she saw something particularly valuable, it always seemed to put Father in a good mood.

She walked the short distance to the first man. His face was scarred and worn from years of hard living. His pack, which she had gone through earlier, was still open and at his side. She reluctantly picked it up and started searching. She set a small pouch of gold coins to the side. Father will be happy with this.

Next, she pulled out a small gold heart fastened to a thin chain. Lucia paused. The surface of the heart was engraved with fine swirling details that caught the soft glow of the purple-glowing algae. There was a small catch that held the two halves together. With little effort, she unfastened the clasp, and the halves separated. Inside was a miniature painting of a man and woman smiling happily. Looking back at the man she saw under the blood and dirt, it was definitely a much younger version of him. Her eyes prickled as tears welled up and ran down her cheeks. Was this woman waiting for him to come home? Had she been worried and praying for his safe return? Or was she long passed from this world, and this was a long-treasured trinket? Lucia gently closed the heart and placed it back in the pack.

She knew the young man, if he survived, would return to wherever he came from. It would not be hard for him to take these back to the families of the two men. The small pouch of gold coins would satisfy Father. He’d never guess she’d withheld items. She quickly searched both men for anything of sentimentality: an engraved pocket watch, a half-carved horse, and the locket. She also decided to leave everything else as it was, except for the gold. Gold would give little solace to the families left behind. If she could provide any comfort in the mementos she found, she would.

Lucia looked at the man fastened to the stalactite. He frightened her too much to search him. It’d already been a nerve-racking experience treating him. If he had gold, he could take it with him.

With the valuables stashed on the far side of the wall, Lucia pulled the men, one by one, to the wooden door that led straight down to the ocean below. She knelt beside them, attempting to wipe as much dirt off their faces with a wet rag as possible. She opened the heavy door, releasing the soft sound of saltwater below. The soothing slosh of water, as it caressed the sides of the tunnel, echoed up to them. Lucia turned to the first man, the one she found the half-finished carving. His face seemed less callused than the man with the locket. Clasping her hands together, she recited the old prayer of Calos. The dead words rolled off her tongue with choppy, stuttering sounds. She could only guess how the ancient words were pronounced. The only item she had ever requested of Father was a book on each god's burial rites. There was no definitive way of knowing what god these men prayed to, if any, but she had the slight inclination with the young man's eyes. She guessed they came from the nearby mountains. With as much respect as she could, she pulled the heavy body to the doors’ opening. Silently, he fell, followed by a distant splash. She recited the same prayer for the man with the locket. His face seemed more peaceful, with the grime washed away. With the prayer complete, she pushed him through the opening. With a final attempt at pronunciation, the burial ritual was complete. As softly as she could, she closed and latched the wooden door.

She stood from her kneeling position, tears running down her cheeks again, “May your souls finally have rest and find those you love.”

Every soul was precious. She wasn't the one to judge if these men needed to die. All she could do was trust in Father's final ruling. She hoped these men would truly find peace.

She turned to check on the man and was greeted by a silent stare searching the cavern. Frozen blue eyes surveyed the almost empty room. His eyes darted and shifted, trying to see anything in the darkness. The wooden door above muffled the little light that trickled down the catacomb shaft. Lucia drew some comfort that she could see when he couldn’t. Though chills still ran down her skin as her hair stood on end. Even though the temperature in the small room was usually warm, she started to shake.

“Untie me, now,” His voice was as cold as his eyes.

Lucia silently backed up until she was the furthest she could possibly be from him. She sat without making a sound. He continued to search the dark room.

“I know you're here,” he said.

“No,” Lucia’s voice was shaky. “You need… to heal.”

His eyes snapped to her location. For a split second, she could’ve sworn he could see her.

“Release me!” His voice echoed off the wet walls.

Lucia flinched as the sound hit her ears. His eyes started to fade to red again. This time, they didn’t have the same vibrancy as before. He’d already lost a lot of blood. There must’ve not been a lot to go around.

“I can't do that,” Lucia said. She tried to muster up as much courage as possible, which still wasn’t much. “Trust me. It's for your best interest.”

“Why would I trust a monster like you!” He said. “Someone who won’t show their face.”

He started to struggle against the ropes. His muscles writhed and stretched against the tied restraint. Lucia’s heart pounded in her ears as she watched. The ropes held fast, keeping the raging man in place. She breathed a sigh of relief when he gave up, his head resting on the wall behind him and panting from the effort.

“Y-you’ll want to stay still,” She tried to sound confident. “That way, you can heal faster.”

“Did you take these from Kalin?”

Lucia was startled by the question, “What?”

“Did you take these ropes from the man I was with?” He looked up again, eyes searching the darkness. The blue and red were fighting for dominance as they swirled half blue and half red.

“I needed something to restrain you with,” Lucia said. “You attacked me before.”

“Only because you attacked first,” He said. “A dark creature lurking in the shadows.”

The man started to mutter to himself in low, angry words. The stone walls made it hard for her not to hear him. He ranted about how the craftsmanship of his people was used against him and how there was no better rope in any kingdom.

Lucia stifled a laugh at his comical commentary. Of all the things to be angry about, she wouldn't have guessed that.

“What’s your name?” She asked. It was weird to keep referring to him as the man.

“Why would I tell you?” His voice was cold and harsh. “You who tied me to this rock?”

“Well, my name’s Lucia,” She kept her tone soft. “I don’t care if you know it, and just so you know, I wasn’t planning to attack you. I simply wanted to help.”

The man didn’t reply. He simply continued to search the dark room for any signs of movement.

“Are you hungry?”

Her question was greeted again with silence.

“Well,” Lucia stood. He wasn’t planning on answering her. “I think I’ll go get some food.”