Shaula held out her hand to Sigvor, prompting her to provide a knife that Shaula could use to demonstrate her abilities. It was crucial for her to do so before she showed Sigvor Ajax’s head.
Sigvor looks at Shaula’s open palm, stone-faced, as she tries to comprehend what Shaula is talking about. She understands what a healing factor is. It is something possessed by several beings higher than commoner humans.
The heroic nobles, some within the hierarchy of the crawlers including the crawler gods, the dragons, and the wyvern kings were all thought to possess impressive regenerative capabilities. Even demons are said to possess the ability to restore cuts, gashes, and stab wounds with a bit of mana expenditure, not even needing expertise in healing magic to do so.
Does Shaula possess one of those kinds of healing factors? The same kind that a noble possesses? Then, is she truly a noble? A noble’s healing factor allows them to restore blood, heal stab wounds, even restore wounds to low complexity organs. However, regrowing lost body parts was not possible for even them, the use of healing magic still required.
Sigvor purses her lips, her brows creased.
“...If I’m guessing your intentions correctly, Shaula, are you going to try to cut yourself to show me that you have a healing factor? You… don’t really have to do that, I’d rather just believe you about your healing factor, you know?”
“It’s… going to be a little higher in scale than just cutting myself. I’m going to try to show you the extent of my healing factor. I was thinking that I could cut off my hand and show you how easily I can grow it back.”
That made Sigvor pause.
“It’s really a healing factor, right? How do I know that you aren’t using normal healing magic?”
“I won’t say a single incantation and my body won’t glow with the light of healing. The way my body regenerates itself is unlike how healing would be applied by a healing mage.”
“Hm. Now that… would be surprising and it would lend your claim a lot more credibility, especially if you could heal something as complex as an extremity without using incantations or healing light. I just… What would be the point exactly? What does this have to do with the head in your bag?”
Sigvor was starting to feel a bit frustrated. Why is Shaula going off on this tangent? Sigvor was already considering whether Shaula was insane and this certainly doesn’t do her case any favors. What does her healing factor have to do with anything? It couldn’t just be her showing off her abilities or strength. Intimidation?
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Shaula sighs and shakes her head in exasperation. Surely there had to be an easier way to talk about Ajax’s current state? Maybe if she had some time to think it over.
“Ok Sigvor, I can see that you’re getting annoyed. Here is the problem as I see it. If I were to simply tell you how powerful my healing factor is without any form of demonstration whatsoever, I don’t know if you would… believe me.” Shaula offers, still appearing somewhat hesitant.
Sigvor raises an eyebrow. Yet, still she doesn’t understand what that has to do with the head in the bag. She offers an easy out for Shaula.
“Just try me. Assume I believe you and let’s just take things from there! Even if it is really outrageous, I’ll just believe you, how about that? If you’re going to all the trouble to say all this then I don’t think you’re going to try and lie to me…”
I just don’t get what the relevance is to the head you’re carrying around!
Shaula paces back and forth a couple times. The sight of the red moonlight hitting her tall and imposing figure is a bit ominous. Sigvor still wonders if she’s safe out here with this human. Should she take Shaula’s hesitation as an opportunity to make a futile dash for safety?
If Shaula is telling the truth about having no intentions of malice towards him, then he should be fine to run, right? If she’s lying, then it wouldn’t matter since he was always going to die in her presence anyways…
Sigvor’s heart rate shoots up. As if understanding what he’s really thinking, Shaula pauses and turns calmly to face Sigvor, her mind resolved.
“Hmmm… Alright, fine, I’ll just say it out loud, alright? What I’m about to say is all true… and the fact is that I’ve never said any of this out loud to anyone. I wouldn’t even think of mentioning this to people I don’t have faith in. I’m not joking in the slightest… so pay attention to my words. Don’t laugh it off when you hear what I say either.”
“...What do you–”
“Sigvor, here is the full truth. My healing factor is powerful. It is so powerful that if my arm is cut off, I can regenerate it within seconds. I can bleed lakes of blood without any permanent issue. If my liver, my lungs, even my… heart, is pierced straight through and destroyed, it’s a simple, easily fixable issue, one that resolves itself within minutes, if not seconds.”
Shaula finally says her thoughts out loud, a calm and serious look on her face. A look of relief appears briefly as well. She has never before told anyone about her unbelievable abilities. Sigvor looks at her with a calm expression, as if slowly tasting her words.
“...” Sigvor doesn’t reply so Shaula clarifies her words further.
“If my head is cut off– and I must emphasize this strongly before I show you what’s in my bag… If my head is cut off, I won’t die. If my head is cut off… I will not only not die, but I will regenerate my entire lower body from my remaining head.”
“Hm… I see… Ok, I’m starting to see the point at which I would get skeptical.” Sigvor rubs her chin in doubt at Shaula’s words, not breaking eye contact.
She tries to scrutinize Shaula’s expression, but there is no uncertainty in her voice or visage. This human woman is 100% serious about this. Especially considering how clear she was trying to make herself until this point.
Sigvor does the courteous thing and considers what the truth would be if Shaula’s words are fully accurate. What can she understand about Shaula if her claims truly reflect reality?