Alchemised

by SenLinYu

Lila was seated on the edge of Helena’s bed, eyebrows knit together, studying her. No scar on her face. “Are you—” Lila looked away and seemed to be choosing her words carefully. “Are you not all right, anymore? Is that why you spoke and why there’s all the trainees now?” Helena looked sharply at Lila, but Lila was unfastening a buckle and didn’t meet her stare. “No. I’m fine. The trainees are because Matias hopes to get rid of me.” “Oh, good. I mean, not good, but that makes sense,” Lila said, and cleared her throat. “I can see why you’re not thrilled about them, then.” Helena forced a laugh. “You know, you can talk about—anything with me, if you want.” Lila looked over at her. “No.” Helena shook her head. “I don’t need to talk. There’s—no point in talking, and as I have now been reminded publicly, I’m not a fighter. I don’t know anything about what war really is. So—what would I even have to say?” Lila’s prosthetic leg clicked as she shifted and then said, “I think the hospital’s worse than the battlefield.” Helena went very still. “I realised it when I was in there for my leg.” Lila’s gaze was faraway, eyebrows furrowing. “At the front—everything’s so focused, you know. The rules are simple. We win some. We lose some. You get hit sometimes. You hit back. You get days to recover if it’s bad. But—” She looked down, her fingers tapping absently along the place where her prosthetic was joined to her thigh. “—in the hospital, every battle looks like losing. I can’t imagine w...