The child’s body lay in the weeds along the Royal Highway.
Internal bleeding bloated his malnourished neck.
His cracked sinuses whistled with each haggard breath.
The remains of his face broadcasted determination, but
through the abyss of unconsciousness.
“What is that?”
“B…b..b Brother Yu is that a... a body?”
“Steady yourself Brother Caloner. Ενόραση!” A golden light radiated from Brother Yu’s pupils out to the edge of each orbit. There the light danced erratically and grew in intensity.
“He’s still alive. Attend me!”
“Hhh..he? Is the scene safe?” Caloner snapped back to reality and allowed years of training to frame his mind. Yu was already beside the boy cutting away tattered rags with a jade light that extended just beyond his fingers.
“He’s still breathing, but his blood loss is significant. Keep Exhilarating Wind flowing into his lungs; I’m going to try gain control of these puncture wounds. αδειανός!” A black flame flickered around Yu’s left hand as the jade light on his right faded to a dull red.
“Παροχή οξυγόνου, οξυγόνου, οξυγόνου, οξυγόνου…” Brother Caloner chanted in a rhythmic repeat. Blue wisps gathered around Caloner’s mouth as he moved over the boy’s head. He gently held the boys temples, and brought his mouth just inches above the bloodied nose. Suddenly the child coughed blood in a violent spasm.
“Watch it,” cried Yu as he moved his black clad hand with speed and procession that defied his elderly appearance. As each droplet of blood spun into the flames it immediately disappeared into nothingness.
Caloner twitched, shut his eyes, and gathered a great breath. He chanted as he exhaled and the blue wisps spiraled into the boy’s mouth and lips.
“We will save him yet,” declared Yu in harsh undertones. The smell of burning flesh and mint seeped from the child’s lacerations as Yu arced his fingers through them. The boy’s skin rapidly gained color and his chest heaved in deeper and deeper breaths.
Yu suddenly stopped, confusion marked across his face. Pitch black fractal markings spewed from the kid’s waist. They spiraled in an eerie advance towards the boy’s neck as if to strangle or protect him.
‘Perhaps it’s both,’ though Yu. After a brief hesitation, Brother Yu violently slapped his own chest. Before the sound of flesh striking flesh hit Caloner’s ears, a sapphire bolt erupted from Yu’s chest and condensed on the child’s sternum. The sinister markings immediately retreated back to the boy’s waist.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Hmmm, lucky that we came by, or unlucky to reach such a state in first place,” mused Yu.
“I thought you didn’t believe in luck?”
Yu slapped the back of pupil’s head. “Who told you to stop administering Exhilarating Wind!?”
“Besides, you know I don’t believe in luck, that’s why I haven’t got any.”
⁂
Agatha turned towards her mother.
“Why do I need to go outside? It doesn’t change anything.”
“Action provides us the chance for change.
We need you to gather sun on your skin and light in your heart.”
“I would rather have light in my eyes.”
“Agatha Jandice Waveheart, take your knitting and go outside! I won’t have your self-indulgent moping bring down the aroma of my household.”
“Oh like this atmosphere—”
*SMACK*
“Yes mother.” Agatha bundled the fishing net she was knitting into her bag, secured her needles in the drawstring, and rose to leave.
A tear ambled down her mother’s cheek. “Don’t try me so. Your father and I care about you, and your eyes, deeply. If there was anything else we could do you know we would.”
“Mmm.” Agatha lacked the motivation to even reply with words. She grasped the dark hickory staff leaning against the wall and headed for the door. The staff held a turquoise shell along the bottom. It looked as if the staff had grown around the shell to hold it in place—as if the hickory managed moments of life if pressed.
It was sunny outside, and Agatha quietly admitted to herself that she did enjoy the caress of sunlight on her skin.
“How’s my girl,” a man called out vaguely from the right.
“Kicked out of my home, and assaulted from my blind spot,” Agatha replied in a singsongy voice.
“Wha…” Before the man could squeeze out another word, Agatha was already running along the path to the ocean.
Crack, crack, crack.
She smacked the staff against the ground every third stride. As the shell hit the dirt a turquoise glow would emerge from roughly a square meter of terrain. She quickly neared an earthen wall. While still 2 meters away, she leapt into a grand jeté, landed on point, and spun down to a seated position along the wall.
“What an odd wind today…”
⁂