Leif felt the attention on him, like gusts of wind constantly poking at his soul. Actually, some of the intent washing against him felt different, as if his aura was being questioned. Not understanding the difference and not having the time to consider he mentally battered them away.

The questioning intent dispersed and Leif stepped forward. He was technically an employed healer, he’d already saved lives, and this would be nothing quite as grand. He reached out and touched the shoulder of the injured nomad with an amber arm.

Vitality washed down his arm as he focused on [Willpower]. With the boost to the attribute and the improvement to all healing related skills courtesy of [Attuned: Life] golden light lit up at the point his ethereal limb met intricately detailed tribal furs.

The man gasped, and briefly shook in place. He let out a breath as if everything was right in the world and gave Leif a nod in thanks. The spriggan turned his attention to the second, younger man. Johan glowered up at him, his eyes burning with fury, pain, shame and a kaleidoscope of other emotions.

To Leif’s senses they rolled off of him as if they were a physical mantle. Johan reached up and wiped blood from his upper lip. For an instant it looked as if he would try and lash out, but even in his addled mental state the man seemed to recognise that would be a poor idea. “Piss off, I don’t need the help of a monster.” He muttered, his words slurred.

“Too bad.” Leif responded coldly. He didn’t like the man but he had been hired to heal, so he would. Not that anyone knows how much I’m being paid. He shrugged internally, refocusing on Johan.

“I need the experience.” His golden eyes met the coordinator's. For an instant neither moved. Then a flash of amber light lit up at Johan’s feet.

A etherial tendril had snaked out from under Leif’s cloak and made contact with the man's boot. After a moment his nose made a disconcerting pop as the bone mended back into shape. Johan blinked, his initial reaction similar to the nomad’s.

Leif turned and walked away as the man started a half incoherent rant. The healing had mended the wound but it had done nothing for his current state of drunkenness.

As Leif left the spotlight he caught Sieg’s eye. The large man nodded slightly, the motion conveying a surprising amount of detail. ‘He was an asshole, but you did the right thing.’ The man’s expression said.

The spriggan hoped he was right.

“Impressive.” Liv said as Leif sat back down at the edge of the party, she handed him his mostly full mug. The liquid sloshing around as she gestured.

Leif shrugged and took a sip. “I was expecting something idiotic to happen.” He admitted. While he wasn’t familiar with most of the expedition’s members, those he did know seemed to have fairly large personalities that tended to clash.

The nomad snickered. “Fun though.”

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The spriggan wasn’t so sure. He’d rather not get involved more than he had to. Leif also thought it was wrong to hope for situations where his ability to heal others would come in use. Though he did need to level his newest classes somehow.

Maybe healing myself during or after fights would be the best outcome?

After that the party remained more subdued, both groups seemed more hesitant to split away and interact with the other. A few minutes after the confrontation the purple haired man who had been punched approached Leif.

“My gratitude.” He said with a short bow and a smile. “I am Samil. Things got a little out of hand and for that I apologise. I’m afraid I cannot pay for your service, life on the frontier isn’t the most lucrative.”

“Think nothing of it.” Leif replied. Compensation outside of whatever his pay was hadn’t even crossed his mind.

“Then my sincere thanks will have to do. Perhaps I can offer a favour in return for your generosity?”

“Always so serious.” Leif heard Liv mutter under her breath. The spriggan waved the man’s offer aside with an amber arm.

“That was some impressive shielding and healing.” Samil said, looking around the camp. “With you at their side, the imperials are in good hands.” The man gestured to a nearby flat boulder as if asking to sit. Leif nodded indicating that he could do so.

“You seem… different. From the other nomads I mean?” Leif said, wincing internally at his choice of words. Though it was true, Samil lacked many of the distinct features the other nomads possessed. Liv snorted.

The man just smiled. “Indeed, we hail from different regions. Not to mention the difference in our blood. Nothing to be ashamed of, despite what some may say.”

“Samil here is a peacock.” Liv said giggling to herself. “That’s why he’s so pretty. Isn’t that right, purple boy?”

Samil’s smile flattened as he pressed his lips together. “I don’t know about pretty... Different? Certainly. Me and my family are descended from an awakened bird-like monster found to the far east. An Amethyst Lyre to be precise, not a peacock.”

Leif frowned internally. Descendant?

“Yeah, yeah. Some kind of king or something, right?” Liv asked.

“So the story goes. Hard to gauge its validity so far from home. The powers that be in the east are constantly changing, faster even than the weather during turbulence.”

“I… don’t understand.” Leif said hesitantly. At the look of confusion on the two nomad’s faces he elaborated. “I’ve been isolated… I was a hermit, of a sort. What do you mean by ‘descendant’?”

Samil nodded, considering Leif’s question. He flipped some of his long purple hair so it fell in front of his shoulder. “My hair is evidence of an awakened bloodline, the remnants of a monstrous trait or feature that has faded with each passing generation.”

“Like my horns.” Liv said, tapping the small ivory protrusions.

“Awakening is a remarkable process.” Samil said. “When a monster reaches a certain point, level fifty I think, it can choose to ‘awaken’. When they do, they gain the ability to acquire human classes.”

“And a human body.” Liv said. “But from what I know that’s considerably harder. I’ve heard stories of my revered ancestor, they said he looks like a grumpy old man, but he’s actually a high level Tempest Mountain Goat. He lives somewhere in the mountains to the north.”

Leif froze, his whole body tensed as if he had been struck by a bolt of energy. His mind raced and his thoughts spiralled.

Human body? Could it really be that easy?