God I love bacon, my taste buds explode as I shove my fifth piece down my throat almost forgetting to savor the sweet and salty meat.

Oh, and I can’t move, suppose that should’ve come first. Whatever is wrong with my guts has taken its toll at last and so until my body heals some more I won’t be moving anytime soon. The good news is that these people eat ten times better than I did back home, debt kinda has that effect on your eating habits.

Prison food wasn’t bad though.

Freshly baked bread, some sort of milk-based cream stew with veggies, and of course a pile of meats including several of the golden strips. I’m chowing down like it’s my last when the hunter comes into my room, a young woman trailing behind him. Height aside she’s a very convincing gender bend of the man so that likely makes her the daughter, she’s about as tall as I am with short blond hair and bright green eyes I’d say she’s only a few years younger than me probably around twenty-ish.

Her father looks like he’s in his thirties but he’s seven feet of tanned muscle so fuck me I guess, I phrased that wrong.

White light pulls me from my shame, this time coming from the daughter although she seems to be struggling much more than he was just getting the light to circle her. He places a hand on her shoulder and the rest of the process finishes with the woman gently placing her hand on mine.

Greeting, help, healing.

I emote back.

Please.

The glow fades from around us leaving the woman panting as her father pats her back, I’m starting to question what the fuck is going on as this is the second time I’ve been mind linked with strangers. Did I just happen to find the one mountain tribe that practices hypnotism or something? The woman is coughing a lot so they leave me to the rest of my breakfast.

—{}{}{}{}{}—

“Dad I think something’s wrong, my mana’s never done that before.”

Patting her back does little to help with her coughing fit but there’s not much else I can do for her.

“It’s not you honey he’s deeply damaged right now even a healer would likely struggle with the weights on his mind.

The point is you did your best and managed to perform your task as best as you could, you even connected to him you should be proud.”

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Anna nods in between coughs and a light smile on her face shows that she’s content with her work. In truth I’m not worried even if her first use of mana was so difficult, I’m sure of it now, that man entered the Scar and came back with something wrong. Whatever it is that hampers his mana is possibly draining it entirely, I’m surprised he survived so long with next to no mana keeping him alive. Slowly we’ll heal what we can but the real challenge will be his alone.

—{}{}{}{}{}—

Anna.

A full-fledged adult for one day and I’m already using my mana, I just didn’t expect it to be so hard!

Even breathing was difficult when I touched his hand. It was like my very soul was being sucked into a deep dark pit from which there is no bottom! My coughing stops composure and my breath returning to me all at once, I can feel as my mana returns slowly covering me like a soft blanket. The feeling is pleasant and something I can’t believe I lived without just a few days ago.

Dad said that only a few people out of every thousand get any real mana but because He and Mom already had a ton me and Emma were all but guaranteed to have above-average mana. The next steps in my training are going to be more of the same, learning to control and join with other people's mana, the fact that it lets us share feelings is only a plus.

That man can’t speak common Dad said something about a foreigner who got lost but I’m unconvinced, the next time I’m with him I’ll try asking. Maybe I can even teach him our language by using some of Emma’s books!

Until then I need to relax and get my mind under control, even now my heart is beating like drums.

—{}{}{}{}{}—

Xavier.

The next time I’m graced with a visit it’s the woman by herself, she seems nervous to be in the room and I hope it's not out of fear of me. I really don’t want her impression of me to be that creepy-looking guy who never leaves his room, I can't leave. She works up some courage and walks over to the bedside chair, a faint light already around her shoulders and slowly moving down.

She’s gotten better since last time, wait was I just a practice target for her? What the hell!

She touches my wrist.

Healing.

I nod.

Teaching?

That’s, odd, I’ve never experienced a question before, does she want to teach me the language? I nod even if I am wrong. What's the worst that could happen? I'm already bedridden and at their complete mercy, assuming the internals don’t get any worse there's not much they could do that’s not already on its way.

I nod again.

From seemingly nowhere she places a small book on my covered lap, it’s in their language but the target audience is still clear. It is a children's book.

She doesn’t open it, only pointing at the cover.

Language.

She speaks and then looks at me expectantly, I repeat the word as best I can mimicking the odd clicks and abundant m’s of the language.

She nods and turning to the next page.