It’s been two weeks since Lee had found himself stuck in Emerson, and it was finally dawning on him that there wasn’t going to be a portal—or any easy way for him to return back to Felispar. At first, he hadn’t accepted the fact that both his uncle and Arcani left him here, but he was having to face the facts.
Either Fatalina was withholding the location of his return trip, or it didn’t exist.
For these past weeks, Lee had healed, taught, and basically done what he’d been doing for the past month, just in a different location. He’d occasionally met with Fatalina, always pestering her for information regarding those seeking the probably non-existent portal, and the conversation never went anywhere. It always deviated back to what Lee could do to fill his time during his wait—healing and teaching.
First and foremost, Lee made it clear that she was not in a position to order him around. Although it was intimidating, given her authority, he felt it necessary to make this fact clear. Thankfully, she agreed and never imposed any of the tasks he took on onto him. He had always done so willingly.
Willingly taking the task of healing and teaching wasn’t for her or the war, it was for him—for personal gain. Everyone he personally taught, who either healed or taught someone else to heal, provided him with XP. He’d seen the effects throughout the days, and sometimes he could see when the healing on his class quest increased in real time.
But on the warfront? Well, unlike back in Felispar, everyone he taught out here was putting it straight to use. His repeatable Path of the Healer class quest was filling, completing, and recycling constantly, giving him five-hundred XP every single time it completed. With ten-thousand XP needed to level once, he was leveling at an unprecedented rate.
Name: Lee Barnes
HP: 350/350
MP: 521/600
Level: 36
XP 1284/10000
Titles:
Genesis of Healing*
Miracle Worker*
Class: Miracle Worker.
Profession: Otherworldly Academic
In Magic's Favor.
STATS:
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 21
Constitution: 30
Wisdom: 30
Intelligence: 60
Luck: 10
Unused Points: 0
Skills:
Spells:
Abilities:
Skills:
Identify, Mana Sense, Stealth, Mana Manipulation, Speed Reading, Mana Dispersion, Medical Attention, Miraculous Return, Healer’s Beacon, Hidden Miracle, Alter Status, Dauntless Will, Antithesis of Healing, Life’s Guidance, Mana Infusion, Teaching, Spacial Spell.
Spells:
Basic: Earthen Strike, Gale burst, Wall of Winds, Orb of Light, Darken, Conjure Water, Blind, Swiftness, Water Wave Wall, Wall of Earth*, Aquavista, Musical Melodious Memory, Words of the Wind, Homing Light, Sonic Boom, Howling Cyclone, Depth Pressure, Water Walking, Minor Telekinesis.
Advanced: Mend Wounds, Icicle Spear, Touch of Remission, Purifying Light, Void Sphere, Bulwark of Ice, Death bolt, End of the Unwanted, Anesthesilosurge, Create Ice, Weave of Reflection, Renewal, Widespread Renewal, False Data - Life, False Data - Death, Air Conditioning, Strengthening, Reaping Field, Manual Blinking.
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Expert: Glacial Cascade, Spear of Eternity. Mortality’s Embrace, Armaments of Eternity
Master:Synthesized 3/5: Drop of Life, Sphere of Annihilation, Hailstorm Blizzard.
Abilities:
Language Comprehension, Healer’s Touch, Hidden Cache, Arcane Synthesis, Chromatic Intuition.
He’d gained six levels in the past two weeks, and the rate of XP gain only continued to rise. The effort he’d taken to teach others, who then went out into the war to heal, the faster and faster it’d become.
With his stat points, Lee had placed seventeen of the eighteen into intelligence, bringing that up to the low limit recommended for flight, and the one spare point into dexterity in the attempt to bring his last bottlenecked stat up to the required amount. In three more levels and some skill at making the spell, as Regina wasn’t around to teach him, he’d be able to fly his way back to Felispar on his own.
“Mr. Barnes, Fatalina will see you now.”
Lee blinked, knocked out of his thoughts as he stood from the cushioned chair he’d grown accustomed to. “Thanks.”
At the doorway into Fatalina’s office, Lee took a deep breath, dreading the silence and conversation to come. Entering inside, lo and behold, Fatalina sat at her desk surrounded by papers. Her eyes scanned them each with rapid movements, and Lee had to wonder how she kept up with the pace she set herself.
Like all the times before, Lee sat down across from her and waited for her to finish. The sounds of rustling paper grated his ears. In this room, and this room only, it sounded like someone held a paper up to his ear and repeatedly tore them apart.
After a minute, Fatalina placed her papers down, placed her palms on her desk, then glanced up at Lee with her sharp silver eyes. “Still haven't found it.”
Lee sighed, but that wasn’t why he was here today. “That’s disappointing, but I was here for another reason today. I’m here to let you know that I’ll be leaving and heading to Felispar on foot.”
He’d done his research, and it would take a long time on foot. But, with how fast Regina had flown across Thexis to meet him in the past, he could cut down the several month trip to only a few days once he taught himself flight. Also, he wouldn’t have to get into a wagon ever again—A nice upside.
Fatalina looked unimpressed. “That’s at least a three month long trip. I think it would be best for you to sit and wait while we find your elusive portal.”
Lee shook his head as he drummed his fingers along the armrests. “I don’t think it exists any longer. I believe I was wrong. With that being the case, I think leaving as soon as possible would be best for my return. It’s been two weeks, and I only really planned to be here for a few days at most. When I wrote to Em, she was worried about her safety and asked when I’d be back. I’m no longer there to be her friendly human shield, and frankly, I do not trust Regina to protect her or those who are stupid enough to make issues for her. There’s also the Sanctum, and since I know they’ve already targeted those close to me, I need to be there for them. I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning, and I was here to let you know as a courtesy.”
Fatalina soaked in the information. “I think you’re acting with too much emotion and haste. Give it a month. If we can’t find your portal in a month, then I am more than willing to support your departure. The Healer’s Sanctum is all but ruined with what you’ve done these past two weeks. Once this war is won, then my men will return home victorious. They will go and settle down with their new healing magic, and will become the new status quo for healers. You staying here and teaching is doing more good than multiple months on the road.”
“Nope! I’m leaving tomorrow. The numbers of students I’ve received have dwindled to a third of what it was at the beginning. Those I’ve taught are more than capable of teaching the rest. You don’t have an infinite amount of mages to teach, Fatalina. I need to get back to my hospital.” Lee said, his decision already having been made way before he entered the room. There was nothing she could say that would sway him. He was leaving.
Fatalina wasn’t pleased, both from Lee’s drumming on the armrest and about the news. “I can get you a security detail and a suitable wagon in three days—”
“No. I’ll be leaving on my own. Thank you for the offer.” Lee shut down the attempts of bodyguard (Spies) or a wagon, as once he had flight, he would leave them behind anyway.
With a searching gaze, Fatalina’s eyes looked him up and down. “Have I done something to offend you, Lee?” She asked, tone questioning. “I feel like I have treated you fairly and have not pressed or demanded anything unreasonable. This feels sudden.”
Lee flashed her a smile. “You’ve done nothing wrong. I just think it’s time for me to head back. I’ve been surrounded by the military every single day for months. There has not been a waking moment since I crossed the Wall of Shadows that I’ve had a chance to explore the kingdom by myself. Also, I am more than capable of defending myself against any common threat. I would even say that I would be more effective at protecting myself than any soldier you could spare. While I appreciate you looking out for my well being, a security detail isn’t needed.”
After a brief moment of silence and with narrowed eyes, Fatalina slowly nodded. “Well then. Thank you for what you’ve done while you’ve been here. Let’s have dinner tonight as a farewell?”
Lee has had dinner with Fatalina twice in the past two weeks, and usually it was because she was too busy to talk to him during her normal work hours. So, the question wasn’t completely out of left field. It was still a little suspicious, though. “Sure. What time?”
“I’ll send someone to find you when the time comes. Around seven, if I had to guess.” Fatalina gave him a nod, her silver eyes no longer searching, just locked onto his rainbow twirls.
“Around seven it is.” Lee said as he pushed himself up from the chair and turned to leave the room.
“One last thing…” Fatalina said, as Lee reached for the doorknob.
“Yes?”
“No, nevermind.” Fatalina shook her head, as she reached over to grab for a fresh stack of papers.
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As Lee walked out of the office building and casually turned down the street, he quickly checked his timepiece, seeing that it was a little after noon. He stashed it back into his Hidden Cache, scanning all of his stored belongings as he did so, as he had cleared out his room prior to the meeting, and walked off toward the exit gates.
Trust was a hard thing to come by, and Lee’s trust in Thexis having his best interests at heart was quickly fading. He wasn’t going to stay around until tomorrow. He was leaving now.