Silently following after Neia, Lee thinks about the upcoming battle and the things he will probably bear witness to.

She said I would see people die. I hope I’m not one of them. I hope nobody I protect will die. I don’t know what I would do if that happened.

Looking at Neia’s back, Lee thinks about how life must have been growing up here on Pallesia.

Several hundred years old, and she’s never left this forest. There’s so much more out there for these people, but some will never see it…

Lost in his thought, Lee walks right into Neia’s back. He stumbles backward and is brought back into the moment. Looking up, he spots Neia looking at him with a slight smile but eyes full of understanding. “Better not lose your focus when the fighting starts.” She turns her gaze to the stairs surrounding the inner city. “We fight at the entrance. If the monsters make it here we failed.”

She removes her gaze from the stairs and tilts her head back, looking to the entrance that leads to the soon-to-be battlefield. “All those people you taught today, all the patients you’ve had, all the relationships you’ve built. They’re all gone if we fail.” She turns to Lee, her glowing green eyes filled with calm resolve. “So we won’t fail.”

Encouraged by her speech, Lee takes a deep breath and leads the way. “One of the main goals of a healer is to stop people from dying, even if I have to bloody my own hands. I just thought that the blood would be from a patient I was trying to save.”

Neia scoffs slightly and follows Lee’s lead. “In some twisted way, you’re doing just that. Trying to save your patients.”

Lee gives a laugh. “I suppose you’re right.”

After a few minutes of traversing the stairs, Lee reaches the overhanging platform that signifies the entrance. Upon it, hundreds, if not thousands, of people are preparing. Bows, arrows, swords, shields, halberds, maces, staves, and much more are being counted, sorted, and given to those who require them.

As Lee takes in the area, Neia walks past him, heading straight for an older elf, which to Lee, is in their mid-thirties. Neia, wearing a warm smile, raises a hand to catch his attention and raises her voice. “Ravoor, where is Ruven?”

Ravoor, just finishing attaching a bowstring to a bow, looks in her direction, nonplussed. “He’s around here somewhere, helped me bring all this up here.” He waves to the bows, arrows, and fletching supplies gathered around.

Looking up once more, Ravoor spots Lee trailing after Neia. He then proceeds to talk in the most condescending of tones. “Well, well, if it isn’t the Human healer. I’ve heard a lot about you. Ruven said you’re from some other world, along with some other stuff I forgot about. It’s nice to meet you.” Finishing his statement, he waggles his hand in Lee’s general direction.

Taking in Ravoor’s appearance, Lee can immediately tell that this is Ruven’s father. They look nearly identical.

Well, I’ll be damned.

Lee decides to throw Neia under the bus. “Is this that, and I quote, ‘Old man who can barely run a store’ you mentioned while we were talking about Ruven’s father?”

Neia slowly turns her head to Lee, showing a face full of bafflement. Ravoor laughs loudly. “Now Neia, is that a way to talk about me when i’m not there to defend myself? Who was it that taught you all those bow skills you never use?”

Neia quickly turns to Ravoor and begins pleading her case. “I in fact, did NOT.” She turns to glare at Lee, “Say that. Ruven can surely attest to this.”

Ravoor continues his guffawing laugh, then places the completed bow onto a table. He turns to face Lee directly. “Oh, I’ll like this one. I’m Ravoor Helroc, Ruven’s dad.” Ravoor extends a friendly hand toward Lee.

Lee smirks and reaches out for a handshake. “I don’t know why you said all those bad things about him, Neia. He seems alright to me.”

Neia nearly has steam flowing out of her ears when she suddenly replaces her face of anger with a small smile. “I think Ruven and I forgot to tell Ravoor about the condition we found you in. What were you wearing again? Ahh, that’s right, a simple cloth gown, nothing else.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Ravoor explodes into laughter once more. “Oh? Neia, do tell!”

Lee’s face turns a scarlet red, and he slumps his shoulders. “Okay. You win.”

“She always wins.” Lee turns around at the sound of a familiar voice, spotting Ruven in his standard monster-hunting attire.

Giving Ruven a wide smile, Lee motions to his father, Ravoor. “I think I’ve found a new friend.”

Ruven looks to the ceiling and sighs. “Of course you did.”

Ravoor shouts. “Ruven! Get your ass over here and hand out these bows!”

Still looking toward the ceiling, Ruven slumps his shoulders. “Do your best, Lee.” Ruven walks toward his father, gathering bows and arrows to hand out to those fighting.

Neia taps Lee on his shoulder. “Come on, let's get you set up.” She then walks off towards the exit of Neldam.

Exiting Neldam and entering the vast open field that surrounds the ginormous Garbola. Lee spots fortifications being built. Wooden walls and barricades are spread out in the field. Closer to the entrance, there are shooting platforms.

Neia leads Lee to a sizable white tent. Entering the tent, Lee finds most of the clinic’s personnel going about their tasks. Cots, basins of water, and surgical instruments are placed carefully in their designated positions.

Wandering deeper within, Lee eventually finds Anya talking with a group of younger elves, who are in their late teens in appearance. She spots Lee and gives him a nod while finishing her conversation. Lee waits patiently for her to finish.

Neia speaks from behind Lee. “The injured will come here. You might be here during the fighting or out on support. Anya will sort you out. I have to go prepare myself….” She trails off. “... Remember what I said earlier, Lee, be prepared.”

Turning his head to look over his shoulder, he spots Neia’s pitying look turn into resolve as she walks away.

Anya shouts out to Lee. “Lee, come over here for a moment. We must speak in private.”

With his mind snapping back to the present, he walks to Anya. “Where to?”

Now in her clinic robes, Anya motions for Lee to enter a flapped entrance. Entering, Lee is now in a surgical room. A wooden table is in the center, surrounded by tables with metallic surgical instruments of varying types—none of which Lee knows how to use effectively.

Turning to face Lee with a severe and determined look, Anya asks. “I would like to know the specifics of what you can do, including class skills and the like. I will not share this information with any other without your permission. If I break this promise, I will lose my class. By my word.” She places her thumbs and pinkies together, then places the connected thumbs on her forehead.

Deciding that information is vital for the upcoming battle, together with the fact that he trusts Anya, he turns on his Miracle Worker Title and begins his spiel. “I have a unique legendary class named Miracle Worker. I can cast basic spells without any mana cost. I have four wall spells, a blind debuff, and a movement enhancement buff. I also have a spell called Void Sphere, which will be helpful for denying areas to enemies. My titles have effects. Genesis of Healing doubles the effects of all healing, and Miracle Worker increases my speed toward those in need. I have an ability that lets me heal on contact, and that ability can be converted to an aura around me, healing all those within a ten-meter radius. It currently heals for eight HP per second and costs nothing. I have a skill named Miraculous Return that lets me fully heal someone and teleport them next to me in the closest unoccupied location, and it has a one-day cooldown. I, of course, have some offensive spells as well. The higher the tier of the spell, the more powerful it becomes from a class bonus I have.” Thinking for a moment, Lee finishes with. “That’s probably all the information you need to know.”

Anya slumps down on the surgical table with a face the color of the tent itself. She turns her shocked eyes to Lee and stutters. “W, we, well then. That’s more than I bargained for. You’re more suited towards combat healing and support. We might call on you to return here to help if we get overrun with the injured….” She looks Lee up and down as if he was a stranger. “You’re going to do great things in the world Lee. You might just be able to accomplish your goals… both of them….”

Lee knows that she’s talking about his goal of spreading healing, as well as his goal of helping the Dark Elves leave the Shadowgrove. He nods. “I hope so. Is there somewhere, in particular, I should go for combat healing? Someone to talk to?”

Getting out of her fugue-like state. Anya speaks. “Yes. Anix will be out near the front, coordinating the defenses. He will know where you need to be. I’ll send someone to ask about your location before we start fighting.” Nodding to the flap they entered from, Anya says. “Go and prepare. The time for fighting is drawing near.”

Lee resolutely nods, “Call if you need me.” Then proceeds to exit the tent.

Anya, still sitting on the wooden surgical table, whispers. “A legendary class… He might just be able to do it.”

She stands and walks out into the main tent area, wearing a small smile and eyes radiating hope.