Resurrection…
It’s the ultimate Healer spell – magic that uses Mana to pierce the veil between life and death. To bring back what was taken by force, and by unnatural causes.
On Nisha, the essence of those who perish before old age lingers on the mortal plane for a while. Just a little while, and in that window of time between death and passing on forever, should they be willing… a Healer can project their presence into that space between the living and dead, guiding them back to the world of the living.
I’m not sure how it’ll play out, though! Far as I know... this spell and its functions are all theoretical so far. In the previous timeline, I was working on it with Lady Iris. It’s her Prophecy, after all, as the Ecclesiarch of the Order of Selene (and the Executor’s as well!) to maintain and expand the Akashic Record and its all-encompassing knowledge of Healer and Paladin spells. And as her protégé, I was helping her out!
But alas, I had to go for my own Prophecy… and the rest is history. Now, though? Lady Iris says she’s got it! Flash of inspiration after I taught her Clairvoyance, maybe? Our relationship is different now, after all. We’re equals, so she says. And so, we inspire and guide each other to greater heights. But in my heart, timelines be damned, she’s my mentor – the one who taught me everything I know as a Healer of the Order of Selene. Always.
This does get me thinking… maybe this isn’t the end for the Akashic Record’s progression, and that Resurrection isn’t the be-all and end-all of ultimate Healer spells! Perfection is an ideal to aspire to and not an actual destination or absolute outcome, right? With that in mind, I’d like very much to create another spell, something practical for my fellow healers to use in battle! Something to prevent wounds and damage altogether, perhaps? Like a Spell Ward and a Paladin’s Sanctuary combined into one – a Holy Barrier!
Heh. I’ll figure it out. But for now? One thing at a time. Speaking of which…
“I have yet to test this spell, Lady Ishii,” Lady Iris states with a wry smile. “There is not much in the way of death in this place. At least, not the kind of death this spell can undo.”
“Yeah…”
I think of Roderic’s party, and I frown ever so slightly. Because, well… if I had this spell earlier, I’d be able to… yeah. Fucking hell. I…
“You are thinking back to what happened at the Highgrove Vineyard,” Lady Iris tells me, her eyes gazing into mine as if peering into the depths of my soul. “My heart aches for the loss of life that day, but know that you and Anna did the best you could, given the circumstances.”
“If I could just bring Celia and Rae back to life…” I answer, my voice a whisper as I look away. “I feel like I…”
“Arisa…”
Tightly, warmly, Anna hugs me. She’s hurting too, just like me, knowing what we could not do… and I feel that sentiment from her as we hold each other close. It’s… comforting. And yet, I…
“Grieve. It is okay to cry, Lady Ishii…” Lady Iris states solemnly, bowing her head as Anna and I hold each other close. “These feelings you feel for others drive us to do what we do. But you must focus on the present and the future, if only for the sake of those we can yet save.”
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“Even if some days are harder than others…”
“It will never be easy.”
“But with this spell…”
“I pray you will never need to use it.”
“Me too,” I answer solemnly as Anna smiles gently at me. “Better safe than sorry, though. Shall we begin, Lady Iris?”
“We shall, Lady Ishii.”
From Lady Iris’ hands, Apocalypse opens up and rises in a radiant flash of holy light. Drawing directly from the Akashic Record, it summons directly into my hands, the Libram containing the Resurrection spell – the Libram of Divine Sacrifice. Silver like the moon, its cover has the holy runes of the Order of Selene… and the knowledge I desire.
Good grief. I can’t wait to get started! I turn over the cover of the Libram of Divine Sacrifice, and for a brief moment… the words of Enochian inscribed within its pages appear to me as nothing more than a blur of shifting, fading symbols. But I focus up, and with all of my attention and Mana fixated upon them… they begin to make sense! And as I pore through the pages, one after another… these divine words of the Gods tell a tale as old as time…
----------------------------------------
The Libram of Divine Sacrifice…
There once lived two kindred spirits deeply in love. Their names are lost forever, but their love and devotion for each other remain eternal.
How so? When the hand of fate grasped one to leave the other all alone, they refused to be separated in death. Lost in reverie, the one left behind yearned to reach into the very depths of the afterlife to save the one they loved with all their heart and soul. And so, they did just that!
The one still alive crossed the border between the living and the afterlife, bringing back their beloved to the realm of the living. But in doing so, they left a part of themselves behind as death’s due. Nothing comes from nothing, after all.
It was to be a life for a life, an equal exchange for the universe to remain in balance. But then, not exactly so! Mana is the spark of creation itself… of anything and everything. And so, that’s what a Healer needs to give up to bring back the dead. Lots and lots of Mana… more than any other spell in the world, and a fragment of their soul.
But it’s not all bad. The soul will regenerate fully, just as Mana does… but when? That remains to be seen. Nothing comes from nothing, after all…
----------------------------------------
Back in the Sepulchre of God…
I blink and refocus myself on my surroundings as I close shut the Libram of Divine Sacrifice, handing it back to Lady Iris. My head feels a little heavy as I let everything I’ve read moments prior sink in. It’s almost… overwhelming. That I…
“Arisa.”
Oh my. Good grief! I know that gentle voice calling out to me, holding me steady despite me wobbling in my fancy heels. I smile at her, and she smiles sweetly and demurely at me. It’s nothing new… but I welcome it so damn much.
“How do you feel, Lady Ishii?” Lady Iris asks me, her gaze serene. “Your eyes tell me that the spell is yours now, just as it is mine.”
“I feel a little weakened…” I say with a slight frown as I remain in Anna’s arms. “Is this the price of using this spell? Or rather… a sign of what awaits me if I do?”
“Yes. It will be far more than that, I fear.”
“Damn.”
“You are more likely than me to find out. But as I said before… I pray you will never need to use this spell. Wishful, foolish thinking as it may be to entertain such thoughts.”
“For sure,” I answer, nodding affirmatively. “If not… I’ll do what I gotta do.”
“Indeed. May this final gift aid you in the days to come. I can say with great certainty that in the months you have been here… you have honoured our traditions,” Lady Iris says warmly, bowing gracefully before stepping towards me, hands carefully reaching for the fringe of my hair. “I know we are not what we once were in your past timeline, and may never be. But you are family to me, like Anna. Always, no matter what.”
“Thank you for this…” I say solemnly, closing my eyes and bowing my head humbly, raising a gloved hand to feel the metallic sheen of my shiny new hairpin. “I’m grateful! Truly!”