The flesh of her body filled out as vitality flowed into her.
Emaciated, skeletal limbs grew healthy and whole. The sunken areas of her face filled in, vanishing right before my eyes. Her hair and eyes shimmered with renewed vitality as magic, not quite of this world, ran rampant through her. More Mana was taken from me, sapping my strength and vitality. Far more than was normal for the spell, and my Mana dipped into the single digits. More worryingly, my Stamina, alongside my Mana, was being drained at a prodigious rate.
Time itself seemed to halt and then rewind, smoothing out the traces of its passage. Yet, where her illness had marked her, an unusual phenomenon occurred. The sores and cankers seared into her skin, forming intricate patterns that shifted with each pulse of Entropy.
Eventually, like all things must, the spell reached its conclusion, The woman before me gave a gasp of renewed breath as surprise and wonder filled the hollow places of her soul.
"That was the healing of the great temples… only those sanctified by the gods themselves can perform such acts after being supplied with sufficient offerings…” she uttered in a tone now that was a surprisingly deep and pleasant timbre. Her next words sounded hollow, the echo of spent emotion. “Only those sanctified by the gods themselves can perform such acts...,” she said, her voice imbued with disbelief. “I would not have expected it... especially not here, of all places. To think that hesitation and cowardice saved my life.”
The woman’s gaze wandered, searching, until a decision was reached. With a nod to herself, she cast aside the rags serving as her bed and rose, clad only in her scant undergarments.
Despite regaining her health, Elenora's figure was slightly thinner than I preferred. However, even with the smudges of dirt on her skin, her attractiveness was undeniable. Her doe eyes met mine, challenging, as she asked for her clothes with a commanding yet unfazed tone. “Could you pass me those?” she requested archly, smiling knowingly at me and pointing at the pile of only slightly better attire.
Blushing, I found myself caught in her momentum and I complied. After passing her the clothes, I turned around. Shortly after, Theophania burst into the room, radiating joy, and leaped into her mother's arms. They embraced, breaking the spell Elenora had cast over me with her presence.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“You're walking again! You look nice! Everything can be like it was before! I just knew it!!” the happy girl said, bouncing in her mother’s arms. “No bad men this time, of course!” she added as an afterthought.
“Oh, Theo, I'm so, so sorry,” she whispered over and over, tenderly stroking her daughter's hair. Tears welled in her eyes, a tumultuous blend of guilt, happiness, joy, and sorrow stirring within her.
“Why are you sorry, Ele? I did just fine, right?" Theo asked, confusion evident in her eyes.
“You did more than fine,” she paused, her voice almost breaking. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me,” she replied, embracing Theo fiercely.
A cynical part of me had the feeling that those words were for more to her own doubts than anything else.
“And you, Master Gilgamesh…” she paused, sampling the unfamiliar sound. “You, you have my heartfelt thanks. I will always be indebted to you,” she stated bluntly, disentangling herself from her daughter and wiping away her tears. She looked away, hissing almost through her teeth before shaking her head. Looking at me imploringly she added, “I have nothing to offer you. Yet, I must ask for more help, shamelessly so.”
“Please, help me and my daughter. We cannot stay here any longer. I prayed for only death, and you appeared. There must be some meaning in that. Perhaps, I am being rewarded for a past life more virtuously lived than this one,' she half-mused, looking away momentarily before her gaze returned, filled with steely resolve. 'If you leave us now, we will only die here. Your gracious actions will have been nothing more than a stay of execution. Please, help us. I beg of you. I feel that there is a link between you and I,” she begged, bowing deeply and guiding her daughter to do the same with her free hand.
I did not need this responsibility. There was no benefit for me.
Silent, I waited, almost expecting the world to signal a new quest to provide justification for what my conscience impelled me to do. No such sign came.
Yet, despite all of this, my mouth formed the next words as naturally as breathing, “Very well.” The answer had with it an air of finality that served to irk me no end.
“A thousand thanks, samasa,” came Elenora’s reply, which was echoed shortly after by her daughter.
“You are also too trusting… what if I am some kind of monster seeking to take advantage of you?”
“Take advantage of someone who has nothing? I do not think that would be the question a monster would be asking. Besides, if you wanted to kill us or have your way with us there was, and is, nothing stopping you,” she replied blithely.
Joy beamed about Theo’s face for salvation found, a path out of this mire.