Novels2Search

11-15

11

“Woof! Get a load of this guy’s smell,” the guard told his patrol mates.

“Ugh! I can smell him from here,” a different guard said.

“Thankfully, I can’t smell,” the third member of the patrol said. “Is the dirty bum alive?

“Let’s find out,” the first one said. He poked the bum laying in the alley mouth with the butt of his spear. The bum moved a little and moaned.

“Looks like he’s alive,” the second guard said. “Is the bum a man or woman?”

“You’d have a go with that, if it’s a woman?” the third guard asked.

“Depends on what it looks like cleaned up,” the second answered. The other two shook their heads. The second shrugged.

“It’s a guy,” the first said after poking the body again.

“We should beat the stuffing out of him for smelling so bad,” the second said.

“That’s a lot of effort for a bum,” the first replied.

“But it would warm us up,” the third pointed out. “It’s cold as a witch’s tit out here.”

“How do you know a witch’s tit is cold? The second guard asked. He grinned. “You know some witches?”

“Bah! It’s just an expression!” the third retorted. “Pick up the bum and I’ll start the beating.”

“Look at how nasty he is. It’s not just the smell,” the first guard said. “I’m not touching him.”

“We have to touch him to get him out of town,” the third guard pointed out.

“Good point,” the second said. “I’ll go get some extra gloves and a cart.”

“And what are we supposed to do while you’re gone?” the first asked looking at his gloves and shrugging. Different gloves that he could throw away would be nice.

“Light a fire in a barrel like the bums do,” the second guard suggested. He turned and ran off, sparks bouncing from his torch while he ran.

“That fool is going to catch himself on fire,” the first guard said. The third laughed.

“We could just leave the bum. He’ll probably die tonight with how cold it is,” the third guard said.

“Then we’d hear it from the commander tomorrow,” the first guard countered.

“True. I’ll see if I can find some wood or something to burn,” the third guard said. He walked down the alley, taking more torchlight with him.

“This freaking sucks!” the first guard complained. He sat his torch down and walked in a circle around it rubbing his arms.

*

“Bayen, what does your patrol have there?” the gate sergeant asked the first member of the patrol that had found the bum.

“Some stinking wretch that we’re going to toss out of town,” Bayen replied. The sergeant started to step towards the wagon. “Careful Benwick. This boy smells something awful.”

“He must be wasting away too,” the second patrol guard said. “He weighs next to nothing.”

“That happens Corbett,” Benwick said. “It usually means that they’re starving, having a wasting disease, or both.”

“Thank the heavens that I got extra gloves from the barracks along with this cart,” Corbett said.

“Ho the gate!” a voice shouted from outside the walls.

“Derian, who’s out there?” Benwick shouted up at the wall.

“Osric, Tara, and a few more Ravens,” the wall guard shouted back. “They’re all on horseback.”

“Faran, help Denys open the gate,” Benwick ordered the third patrol guard. “Jeremy hasn’t gotten back from the outhouse yet.”

“Aye sergeant,” Faran said. “What about the bum?”

“Bayen and Corbett can take him out once the Ravens are through the gate,” Benwick answered. Faran nodded and helped the other guard crank the gearwheel that opened and shut the gate.

“I wish this thing was enchanted,” Denys complained.

“Hush. You know the town council won’t pay for that. They barely agree to pay our salaries,” Benwick said. The other guards laughed.

The gate opened enough to let the mounted mercenaries through and the cart out. Greetings were exchanged between the mercenaries and the guards.

“Here Benwick,” Osric said as he tossed his fellow dwarf a wineskin. “Something to keep you warm tonight.”

“Ah, Osric. It’s good to see you still remember your old comrades,” Benwick said happily. He took a sip and smacked his lips before making the wineskin disappear in his inventory. “That’s good stuff!”

The mercenaries and guards laughed.

“What’s in the cart?” Tara asked.

“Some bum we found in the mouth of an alley near the market that we’re tossing out. He can die and rot beyond the walls,” Bayen answered. Tara and Osric urged their horses a bit closer so they could get a closer look at the bum.

“Damn, he stinks,” Tara remarked. She rode a few steps away.

“This bum is Kenric!” Osric exclaimed.

“What?” Tara asked. “Are you sure?”

“Aye. That’s him despite the grime, stink, and unkempt appearance,” Osric replied. “I always wondered what happened to him.”

“You two know this bum?” Benwick asked.

“Aye. He was a Raven once,” Tara answered. “Pascal said he had lost his fighting spirit, so we assigned him to guard duty at our compound. He disappeared four, no, five years ago.”

“Living at the Chicken Licker isn’t exactly disappearing,” Osric countered. “We just let him drink and wench himself until Beorn threw him out. And we shouldn’t have done that.”

“True,” Tara admitted. “But Bogdana said he had made his choice.”

“Do you two want to claim him?” Benwick asked.

“No,” Tara said. “But we will take him to the clinic and pay for the healers to heal him. After that, he’s on his own.”

“I can agree with that,” Osric said.

“You two are far kinder than I am,” Benwick said. “But so be it.”

12

“Where, where am I?” Kenric asked after waking up. I’m in a bed. I haven’t slept in a clean bed in years! He opened his eyes. I can’t see anything! “Why can’t I see?”

He heard rapidly approaching footsteps. He tried to sit up.

“Don’t try to move yet,” a gentle voice said, pushing him back down. “We’ve healed the worst of your wounds and diseases, but you have a long way to go before you’re fully mended.”

“Diseases?” Kenric asked. “What about my vision?”

“Yes,” the woman answered. “You had three different poxes, bronchitis, a failing liver, and scrapie! I’m not sure how you got that wasting disease since I’ve only ever heard of it being found in animals.”

“Just lucky I guess.” I think I got it from the gutter rats a week ago when they attacked me while I slept. No wait. She said it was a wasting disease. That means I got it months ago.

“That’s misfortune alright,” the healer agreed. “But you had some good luck too. Some kind people found you two weeks ago and brought you here instead of letting the city guard toss you out to die a horrible death in the wilderness.”

“I’ve been here two weeks?” Kenric asked in disbelief. “I’ve been asleep that long?”

“Yes. Do you remember your name? Sometimes people forget things thanks to those diseases,” the healer said.

“Kenric. My name is Kenric,” Kenric answered.

“Just Kenric?”

“Yeah. My father stripped my family name away from me a decade ago when he disinherited me. What about my vision?”

“Well met Kenric. My name is Elisaria and I’m a healer,” the healer said. “You can’t see because we wrapped a cloth around your eyes to help you sleep.”

“Oh. Can you remove it??”

“Give me a moment,” Elisaria replied. He felt soft, gentle hands brush his face and head as the healer removed the cloth wrapping. “There! Give it a moment for your eyes to adjust to the light.”

“Alright,” Kenric said. He blinked a few times and waited as his eyes adjusted to the dim light in the room. A pretty, older elf was sitting on the edge of his bed. Her dark hair was just starting to gray. Still, Kenric felt a part of him stir that hadn’t in a long time.

Elisaria laughed. “Well, something is working.”

“I apologize,” Kenric said. I’ve never felt so embarrassed!

“Think nothing of it. It’s a natural reaction to someone you find attractive. I’m flattered by the way,” Elisaria said. “That said, you don’t stand a chance with me.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. For one, I’d kill you,” Elisaria laughed. Kenric liked her laugh. “And for two, my wife would kill you if I didn’t.”

“Ah. Then in that case, I doubly apologize,” Kenric said. Huh. My manners have returned for the first time in years.

“Again, think nothing of it. We can’t control who we’re attracted to or our reactions. As Catalina, my wife, says, the heart wants what the heart wants. In your case, your little friend wants what he wants.”

“Ha!” Kenric laughed. He started coughing.

“Here,” Elisaria said, helping him drink from a cup of water. She pulled it away as he tried to gulp it down. “Not so fast. You haven’t had much more than some porridge and water poured down your throat since you’ve been here.”

Kenric’s stomach grumbled.

“Uh…”

“If you need to go, just go. You don’t have the strength to walk yet, and we’ve been cleaning you,” Elisaria said. “It’s nothing I haven’t done before.”

“Now I feel even more embarrassed,” Kenric said.

“Every healer here at the clinic has given you a bath and cleaned you at least once,” Elisaria laughed. “Even the men!”

“I think I could have done without knowing that!”

“Maybe, but it’s always funny when to see people’s reactions to finding out that sort of thing. Do you think you want to try to eat something?”

“Yes!” Kenric answered as his stomach rumbled.

“Alright. I’ll have one of the others bring you something. It’ll most likely be more porridge,” Elisaria said. “Once you can hold that down. We’ll start moving you to more solid foods.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. If you need anything while I’m gone, just holler. The wards will let us know,” Elisaria replied. She smiled, patted his hand, and walked away.

I have many questions, but they can wait. Kenric wiggled his toes and smiled. That’s the first time I’ve been able to do that in months! The last time I felt them or even saw my feet they were withered, shrunken things.

*

“Feeling better this morning?” a man asked the next day. Kenric noticed he was average height and had a pretty solid build. He also noticed the dark-skinned man had kind brown eyes.

“Yes. I thank you for what you’ve done,” Kenric answered.

“You’re welcome,” the healer replied. “My name is Jakob, and this is my clinic. The others told me you had questions.”

“I do.”

“Ask away while I check on you,” Jakob said. He checked Kenric’s pulse and then started doing something that made his eyes glow. “I’m just doing a simple examination spell in case you’re wondering.”

“Who brought me here and what do I owe for all this treatment?” Kenric asked. I know I owe something even if someone else paid the money.

“Your benefactors wish to remain anonymous,” Jakob answered. “So, I won’t tell you who they are.”

“Do any of the other healers know?”

“They don’t. As for how much you owe, you owe nothing.”

“What? That doesn’t make sense. I don’t know anyone with that kind of silver to spin, especially with me needing a lengthy rehabilitation!”

“Believe it or not,” Jakob replied. “Your benefactors paid for your healing and that coin went no further. Your healing was very time consuming and took a lot of mana. The rehabilitation is something the clinic is doing for free since we don’t want to let a patient leave that isn’t fully healed.”

“It’s that… simple?”

“It is.”

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, but don’t thank me yet. It’ll take weeks, if not months to get you back to where you were physically depending on how much you put into it,” Jakob replied. Kenric asked other questions including a few variations on who paid and how much he owed. The answers were always the same. “My goodness!”

“What is it?” Kenric asked, worry clear in his voice.

“You have a large unused mana pool. It’s almost as big as mine!” Jakob explained. “Just how high are your mental and spiritual stats?”

“Good. You can teach me a spell to help me when I’m hungover. I’ll even pay silver once I acquire some more,” Kenric laughed. He frowned. “I’m not sure how high my stats are. I can’t bring up the system, but they were in the 50s or 60s the last time I looked.”

“I could teach you,” Jakob said seriously. Kenric stared at the other man. “Think about it. You could be a powerful healer.”

“I… I’ll think about it,” Kenric promised.

“Good. I’ll have one of the others bring you something to eat. Perhaps grits, toast, and some strawberries.”

“Wine too?”

“That is something I don’t recommend you ever drink again. Same for any strong spirits,” Jakob answered. “You have a… thirst that would see you right back in the gutter you were pulled from.”

“I… I see,” Kenric muttered, horrified. I can’t drink strong spirits again… ever? But I’ve done that… I mean I’ve spent most of my life in a bottle or wineskin. If Jakob and the others are correct, I’ve not just been feeding an addiction and drinking away all my coin, I’ve been poisoning and killing myself. And that put me in the gutter with several ailments. I never want to end up like that again. I really need to make some changes if I’m going to keep living.

Jakob held Kenric’s gaze for a moment, nodded, and walked away leaving Kenric to his thoughts.

13

“Kenric, you’re doing great!” Virgil, a half dwarf healer just out of his teen years, encouraged.

“Easy for you to say,” Kenric retorted as he struggled up the stairway to the staff’s quarters on the second floor. It had been a week since his talk with Jakob and he was making progress in his recovery, but not as much as he wanted. Kenric was being moved to the upstairs floor to free up a bed for others that needed the clinic’s services and because he had agreed to try to become a healer.

“Don’t be that way,” Fiora, a human healer that was the same age as Virgil, said. She was in front of Kenric while Virgil was just behind him to make sure he didn’t fall. “You’ve made a lot of progress in a week.”

These two are annoyingly chipper. Was I ever that way at their age? Kenric thought. No. No, I wasn’t ever annoyingly chipper. I was annoying to others in a different way. In fact, I was an annoying arsehole. Kenric laughed at that realization.

“Something funny?” Virgil asked.

“Just thinking of the differences between you two and me when I was your age,” Kenric answered after sitting on the top stair. He sucked in a long breath and exhaled it.

“Are we that different?” Fiora asked, giving the two men a smile.

“Very,’ Kenric replied, pulling a waterskin out of his inventory.

“Sip it,” Virgil said.

“I know,” Kenric replied. “I will.”

“So, what kind of differences do you see between us?” Fiora asked. Kenric sipped his water as Virgil frowned. “What? I’m curious.”

“Curiosity killed the cat,” Kenric said.

“What?” Virgil laughed. Fiora laughed as well.

“It’s an old saying,” Kenric replied with a smile on his face. “Anyway, I was much more of an arsehole at your age than you two are.”

“You still are,” Virgil said.

“Virgil!” Fiora hissed.

“It’s alright because it’s true,” Kenric laughed. “I’ve promised to myself and the heavens to try to do better, but fear that it will be a long process.”

“You can always pretend,” Fiora said. “We all do that sometime.”

“Yeah,” Virgil agreed, grinning. “Anyway, let’s get you up to your new room. You then get to tackle the stairs again so you can start your lessons with Catalina.”

“Oh joy,” Kenric sarcastically replied as he got to his feet.

“She’s not that bad once you get to know her,” Fiora said. “But she can be grumpy.”

“Maybe I’ll give her a run for her money in the grumpy healer department,” Kenric said. The two youngsters laughed.

*

“Hello Catalina,” Kenric said in greeting, giving the elven woman his best smile even if it was hidden by his growing beard. The healers had shaved him, but the facial hair was growing back quickly.

“Hello Kenric. You can cut that crap out right now,” Catalina said.

Catalina is attractive and looks to be about the same age as Elisaria, but she’s not quite as pretty as her wife. She’s the more powerful healer though. And from what I’ve seen, they mesh well and are truly in love. Must be nice.

“What crap?” Kenric asked, dismissing his thoughts.

“The flirting and smiling,” the older healer answered. “You’re not my type, too young, and I’m happily married.”

“I wasn’t trying to flirt. I was merely being friendly.”

“Well, that’s alright,” Catalina said. “Take a seat. We’ve got quite a bit of information to cover and we’re starting with the basics.”

“Sure,” Kenric replied, sitting in the chair closest to her.

“What do you know about magic?”

“Only that it’s rare and mostly used for healing and enchanting things like water purifiers. Combat magic is ultra rare and almost nonexistent.”

“Anything else?”

“Like what?” Kenric asked.

“Like the different types of healing magic,” Catalina answered.

“No.”

“So, you know the bare minimum despite being a noble’s brat.”

“How do you know that?” I don’t think I ever told anyone here that I came from a noble family.

“Your speech, you can read, and you do show you have a couple more brain cells than the common person on occasion,” Catalina replied.

“Very observant of you,” Kenric said.

“It’s part of the job. You’ll get there in time,” she said. “Do you know what mana is and how it empowers magic?”

“Yes. Mana is a… force that is in everything and every being. Miners find crystals that can store it and even find crystals that are full of mana once in a while,” Kenric answered. “Mana provides the force needed to perform magic. So, it’s sort of like a waterwheel moving a wheat grinder.”

“Crude analogy, but close enough,” Catalina said. “It’s good to see that you didn’t totally waste the education you were no doubt provided.”

“Ah… yeah.”

“Anyway, let’s go over the two main forms of healing magic,” Catalina said. The first is regenerative magic. It uses the body’s energy or an outside source, such as mana crystals, to accelerate the body’s natural healing. This is simple healing and cannot cure diseases, regrow missing limbs, and do other great healing feats.”

“So, the Lesser Heal spell is an example of regenerative magic?” Kenric asked.

“Yes,” the older healer said. “The spell heals wounds and can be cast from a distance. The amount of healing is based off the level of the spell.”

“Spells can be leveled?” Kenric asked. I didn’t know that.

“Indeed. Think of spells as skills for mages,” Catalina replied.

“I get that. Thank you,” Kenric said.

“You’re welcome,” she said. “The second major form of healing is restorative. Restorative magic uses outside energy as well as the body’s own energy to heal whatever is wrong. This type of healing can regrow limbs, cure diseases, and possibly counter aging. Greater Heal is an example of restorative magic. It can be cast from a distance and used as a faster Lesser Heal. To do great feats, Greater Heal must be done with the caster laying hands on the person they are healing. The amount of healing is once again based off the level of the spell.”

“The naming of the two forms is a bit confusing since both make me think they can be used to regrow things,” Kenric said. What great feats? Not aging?

“You’re not the first person to say that and I doubt you’ll be the last,” Catalina said. “Still, it is what it is.”

“True,” Kenric agreed. I think I’ll wait to ask about the greater feats.

“There is a third form of healing magic that is a specialized version of a general magic discipline,” the older woman said. “Wards are an area of effect form of magic. They can be used to defend against damage and heal depending on the type of ward and skill of the healer. I’ve never met a mage that can heal with a ward, so that’s probably something only a healer can do.”

“I recall seeing Pascal, the Raven’s healer, use a ward once,” Kenric said. “It helped the foes we were fighting just as much as it did us.”

“That’s the problem with area of effect spells. They do not discriminate. Did the spell heal and defend?”

“Yes.”

“Then your Pascal used Greater Ward. Lesser Ward only works as a shielding spell,” Catalina said. “We’ll teach you versions of both.”

“That’s good to know.”

“One other thing that is good to know is that if you do change your class to healer, the system will reset your stats to a certain point as a penalty for changing to a class outside of your class’s domain.”

“What? I’ve never heard of that.”

“Thinking of backing out?” Catalina asked with a smug grin on her face.

“No. I… I feel I need this,” Kenric answered.

“Good. Come with me. I feel the best way to learn is by doing,” Catalina said. “So, I’m going to teach you how to feel me doing an examination spell.”

14

“I have a question,” Kenric said as Catalina led him back to the clinic.

“Ask away,” the healer replied.

“What is to stop me from learning the healing spells, if I can learn them, and then going off to learn other forms of magic?”

“Oaths and the system,” Catalina answered.

“The system I get, but what oaths?” Kenric asked.

“You will see once we find out if you can learn.”

“Alright. But what happens to me if I can’t learn or perform the spells?”

“We finish healing you, you give an oath to not share what you have been taught, and then you go on with your life,” Catalina answered, shrugging her shoulders. “What you do after you leave here is your business. Hopefully, you won’t waste our efforts and end up back in the gutter.”

“That makes two of us,” Kenric said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to not end up back in the gutter, including giving up strong spirits.”

“We’ll see,” Catalina said noncommittedly.

I’m thankful she has walked slowly. She normally walks quickly from what I’ve seen.

“I think I’m as slow as an old man.”

“At least you’re not falling down like a babe does when they learn to walk,” Catalina replied. Kenric laughed and agreed. They stopped at the doorway leading into the main healing chamber of the clinic. Fiora and Virgil were talking to Jakob near the outside entrance while Elisaria and Gomes, another male healer, were tending to the only patients. “Hmmm. Elisaria is with a mother and child. With your looks, you’ll most likely scare the child, so we’ll see if Gomes and his patient will mind us teaching you using the man as a test subject.”

“Why not just practice on one of the others?” Kenric asked, ignoring the slight about him being ugly enough to scare the child. Is it me she has a problem with, nobles, or just men in general? And I’m not ugly! But that’s vanity talking. I don’t look like I did when I was younger.

“We will if we have to, but why do that when you can get practical experience?” Catalina countered. “Besides, you’ll need all the help you can get with your bedside manner.”

“Is it me you have a problem with, those of noble birth, men in general, or are you always like this?” Kenric asked with a smile on his face. Catalina narrowed her eyes and then barked a laugh.

“Just you nobles,” she replied. “Even with what you’ve been through you still have that haughtiness in you.”

“I…”

“Let me finish,” Catalina said. Kenric nodded. “You admitted you were kicked out of your family, then you were brought low by your own doing, and finally you were saved by healers born of peasants.” Kenric nodded as she paused. “Yet you still have that belief that you are superior to others. But know this, you are not! The accident of one’s birth does not make them better or worse than others. Only our actions and deeds do that.”

“I… I see your point,” Kenric replied. And I do. “I am trying to do better, but how does your snide comments and digs make you any better?”

“I’ve never claimed it does, nor will I. I am not perfect, though my darling Elisaria will probably disagree,” Catalina admitted with a grin on her face. “You do better, and I’ll try to.”

“That’s not exactly fair.”

“Neither is life. Come on.”

*

“Greetings Gomes,” Catalina said. Gomes was a very fair skinned and handsome elf.

I never thought I would admit that about another man, Kenric thought.

“Hi Catalina. Hi Kenric,” Gomes replied. Kenric returned the greeting. Gomes gestured to his patient. “This is Sven. He’s a lumberjack that thankfully has all his limbs still.”

“Hi Sven,” Catalina and Kenric said at the same time.

“Is there something I can help with?” Gomes asked.

“I was wondering if I might convince you two to allow me to perform an examination spell so Kenric can see if he can learn it,” Catalina said, not beating around the bush.

“I don’t mind as I haven’t gotten that far yet,” Gomes said. He winked. “It’ll save me some mana too. Sven do you mind?”

“It’s all the same to me,” the lumberjack said. He coughed. “So no, I don’t mind.”

Gomes stood from the chair he had been sitting in and bowed while waving towards it. Catalina laughed, nodded her head, and sat in the chair.

“Sven, have you ever been healed before?” Catalina asked the lumberjack.

“Once when I was a child back in Asheville,” Sven answered.

“The process hasn’t changed and is still painless,” Catalina assured the man with a gentle smile. Sven nodded and smiled back before breaking into a coughing fit. She patted his back. “It’s alright.”

Gomes handed the man a cup of water and sprinkled some shredded leaves in it. He urged the lumberjack to drink it slowly.

“What did you add to the water?” Kenric asked.

“A little diced peppermint. It helps with coughing and colds,” Gomes answered. Seeing Kenric’s surprised look, he laughed. “What? Did you think all healing was done with magic?”

“Yeah, I did,” Kenric answered.

“Well, it’s not. Magic is costly while herbs and other plants are free,” Gomes replied. “If you pass Catalina’s test, we’ll teach you about herbal remedies too.”

“Sven, just relax. You might feel some tingling while my mana flows through you,” Catalina told the man.

“I recall feeling a tickling feeling when it passed over my skin when I was a kid,” Sven replied, smiling. Catalina smiled and nodded.

“Kenric, come closer. I want you to focus on water or perhaps wind flowing over and through Sven starting from his right fingers up to his head and then down to his feet in a circle back to his fingers,” Catalina instructed. She glanced at Kenric and grinned. “It might help to clear your mind first, which you should find very easy to do.”

I guess it was too much to hope for her not to joke at my expense. Kenric shook his head and grinned while Sven and Gomes laughed.

“You might not feel anything to start,” Gomes said. “Don’t rush it. Sensing mana can take time.”

Kenric nodded and closed his eyes. It helped him to imagine water flowing through Sven. So did his knowing that blood flowed through the body in the same way.

At first Kenric didn’t feel anything, and he started to grow frustrated. He squashed his frustration with some effort and took a calming breath. After calming down and emptying his mind, he tried again. This time he imagined that Catalina was a mountain and that a river flowed out of her hands and into Sven, who was lowlands.

Kenric smiled at the absurdity of the image in his mind. A moment later, he felt something brush up against his mind. It felt a bit like a breeze on his skin. The breeze felt stronger the second time Catalina’s mana started flowing through Sven.

“I can feel it,” Kenric whispered, his smile becoming wider as he opened his eyes. “It’s like a cool, gentle breeze.”

Gomes and Catalina smiled. Both said,” Congratulations!”

“Thank you,” Kenric replied. A message appeared in his eyes.

You have learned how to sense mana.

15

“Very good,” Catalina praised. “Sven, you just have a common cold.”

“I’ll give him some herbal remedies to help with that,” Gomes said. “Are you going to take Kenric to Jakob to swear his oath?”

“I am,” Catalina answered. She looked at Kenric. “That’s if he’s ready to give it.”

“I…”

“Make sure you are committed to this Kenric. The oath is bound by the heavens and upheld by the system. If you break it, there will be severe consequences,” Catalina said.

“I’m glad I don’t have to take such oaths,” Sven coughed.

“It’s not that bad,” Gomes replied. “At least as long as you mean what you say and promise.”

“I’m ready,” Kenric said. “But I do have a question or two to ask about the oath.”

“Ask Jakob,” Catalina replied. “Come on.”

She and Kenric nodded to Sven and Gomes before walking towards the healers.

*

“You have questions about the oath,” the senior healer stated after Kenric had read the oath in the book Jakob had handed to him.

“Yes, I do,” Kenric agreed.

“Ask away,” Jakob replied.

“Why swear an oath in the first place?”

“To make sure the healer honors their life path, themselves, their customers, the needy, the heavens, and their teachers.”

Kenric raised an eyebrow at that last bit. “Really?”

“No,” Jakob laughed. “It’s really all about honesty and all always doing the best you can for those that need your services.”

“Thats more understandable.”

“Yep.”

“How does the system enforce the oath?” Kennric asked.

“In different ways but the punishment is always severe and life changing if the person that breaks the oath lives through the punishment,” Jakob answered. “And it’s good to see you’re aware of that and don’t look surprised.”

“Part of my education was spent making sure I was well aware of oaths.”

“Makes sense since you’re from a noble family,” Jakob replied dismissively. “Your upbringing is your past and should be left there.” Kenric nodded. “An oath is not something lightly made or broken. Why do you ask?”

“Because of my third question,” Kenric replied.

“Is there something in the oath that you feel you can’t do?” Jakob asked.

“Perhaps.”

“Explain,” the senior healer urged.

“As you know I was a warrior. Well, I suppose I still am,” Kenric said.

“Ah. You are afraid you won’t be able to keep the part of the oath about not harming others,” Jakob guessed.

“Yes,” Kenric admitted. “Part of me knows I’m through with fighting and violence. But part of me also understands the world we live in and knows fighting might be necessary.”

“I see what you’re saying but know that self defense is not the same as instigating a fight,” Jakob said. “We’ll show you some nonviolent ways to defend yourself and your patients. Most people are surprised with how easily a healer can put an end to a fight. Does that ease your mind?”

“It does,” Kenric answered. I wonder what he has in mind for stopping a fight. A sleep spell perhaps?

“Do you have any questions about the system penalty for changing classes?” Jakob asked, bringing Kenric’s focus back to where it belonged.

“No. I know the system will penalize me by taking some skills and stats. I’m prepared for that.”

“Good. Any more questions?”

“Just one. The part about being pure…”

“It doesn’t mean you have to be celibate for the rest of your life. We all have sex,” Jakob replied.

“Thank goodness,” Kenric said, making Jakob laugh.

“Very well. Are you ready to take the oath?”

“I am,” Kenric confirmed.

“Very well. Follow me to the chapel,” Jakob said.

“The clinic has a chapel?” Kenric asked.

“Of course,” Jakob answered with a smile. “There you’ll have some time to prepare yourself and make sure this is truly the path you want to take while I gather the others. Jakob grinned and winked. “This will be your last chance to backout without being penalized.”

*

“I swear to the heavens that I will carry out this oath to the best of my ability and judgement. I will use my skill and knowledge to heal the sick and needy. I will do no harm or injustice to others. I will keep pure and holy both my life and my art,” Kenric vowed. “In whatsoever houses I enter, I will help the sick and abstain from intentional wrongdoing. And whatsoever I shall see or hear during my profession, I will never divulge and hold such things to be secret. If I carry out this oath and not break it, may I gain reputation among all men for all my days and for my art. If I break this oath and foreswear myself, may the opposite befall me,” Kenric recited that night.

“Congratulations and welcome to the family!” Jakob and the rest of the healers shouted at the same time. Most hugged him, though Catalina and Virgil only clapped him on the back and shoulders.

“Thank you everyone,” Kenric replied. He paused as a system message popped into his vision.

Your actions and words have prompted a class change from warrior to healer.

Warning! This change will cost you all your warrior skills and two thirds of your stats. Your level will also be reset to one.

Are you sure you want to make this change?

I am, Kenric thought. He accepted the change and pulled up his class information.

Kenric

Class: Healer

Level: 1

Vitality: 250

Mana: 300

Inventory: 100 pounds

Mental: 30

Physical: 25

Spiritual: 30

Skills(spells):

Mana Sense

Then the pain hit, and he doubled over in agony as his body adjusted to the changes. Kenric slumped to the floor and passed out.