Lem who had ran nearly full tilt all the way back, was slowly coming to a stop beside the house. Hunched over and breathing raggedly, the Capyban had one hand on his knees and the other on the side of the house to steady himself as he fought to catch his breath.
“Father!” Kano shouted as he came running, bare feet from the back courtyard.
Beside the flushed and tired Lem was the Kaholin who was in equally bad shape, having carried such a heavy burden whilst also galloping on the trip home. Hork hissed in annoyance instead of his usual deep chirping when he got home, wanting to be rid of his load.
Xerneg who sat atop the monster was the image of a person having a leisurely afternoon ride, albeit in quite the awkward fashion. He was currently enjoying a slice of pink cake as his ride also came to a halt. This was achieved with the impressive feat of balancing his picnic basket in one hand and using the same elbow to hold up his spectacles. This left his other hand free to hold the reins and eat a slice of cake once he got a handle on the jostling motion of his ride.
“Dittat’s not looking so good father, and he’s not talking at all!” protested the boy with worry as he ran up to Lem.
“Lem if you would be so kind?” asked the Hebdican as he sprayed cake all over the Koholin he sat atop. Wit labored breath, Lem obliged as he took slow steps towards the equally drained Kaholin. He then offered a large hand to the Hebdican with the other bracing behind the seated healer.
“Tsssk now this will not do,” fussed Xerneg as he grabbed onto the proffered hand. He once again used a small portion of his powers to refresh Lem through the clasp they shared. This easy display of power once again surprised the large Capyban with his beady black eyes open wide in surprise, but only briefly as readied himself for the large Hepdican had hefted himself off the saddle.
Lem took on the weight of the Hebdican on his hand and the arm that he had waiting for the healer as he dismounted. But even with his monstrous strength, the Rancher was left surprised at the enormous weight of the Hebdican as he grunted under the heavy strain. The healer was then able to safely dismount with a heavy thud.
The Kaholin that he was just recently astride bounced back up as the strain on his back and six legs lifted. Hork then gave out a low chirp as he took slow and unsteady steps back towards the docking stables, having finished his work.
“Kano go see to Hork and take off his gear, you don’t need to bother checking the stuff, just hang them up and I’ll tend to the leathers tomorrow morning,” commanded Lem as he lead the Hebdican towards the back courtyard.
“Yes father,” answered Kano with worry and anxiety, with how the task would possibly cost him the chance to see his friend’s recovery. The boy rushed on over after the Bull and started undressing the Kaholin before he even got to the stables.
“This way Xerneg,” Lem advised the healer as he turned back towards to address the healer whilst gesturing to the back courtyard with one hand.
“Right behind you, oh my what a great assistant!” Xerneg absentmindedly replied whilst he was busy fishing out a large hock of cured meat from his picnic basket as he trailed behind the Capyban.
Lem entered the kitchen and gestured towards the small prone monster in it’s cot.
Xerneg squinted all four of his eyes as he crouched down to inspect his patient. The image of professionalism was ruined by the large piece of cured meat that was barely fitting in in his mouth, amongst his messy green beard.
With a monumental effort, the Hebdican gave a few got chomps on his large morsel with the veins on his forehead bugling out alarmingly. He swallowed the impressively sized hock whole without having finished chewing it and slavering all over the kitchen floor and his robes. Lem tried to ignore the horrible display as he waited for the Healer to practice his craft.
“Well I see signs of blunt trauma that is in circular pattern all around the victim, possibly suffered from constriction or binding by an entity that is of a whole rank higher judging by the heavy hematoma and vitality failing to mitigate the injuries,” Xerneg diagnosed as he gentle ran a large pudgy grey hand over the sleeping form of Dittat, as if he had not just previously displayed some horrific feat of gluttony.
“The patient also seems to have suffered from circular bite marks and the face and lower back of the abdomen, judging by the circular crushing wounds that seems to have punctured the tissue deeply, but these seems to have been healed only recently,” continued the healer as he ran his forefinger that could have been mistaken for a sausage over the marks. The healer then pressed the bite mark on Dittat’s face gently before injecting a small portion of his magic to probe the inside.
“I detect a green tinted mana… possibly Nature?” Xerneg queried to himself as he mulled over the traces of magic left inside the bite marks. The healer then wiped off a large pillar of drool that huge off the corner of his lips, with the hem of his robe.
But upon noticing how the ambient mana was actively still trying to power the remnant traces of the spell, he deduced that it could not possibly be a nature spell, at least not any that he was aware of. “No its slightly off, but the effects seems to be similar in general to a Rejuvenation spell, so it can only be Wild mana that I was detecting earlier, but that’s impossible..” whispered Xerneg, recalling a certain high level druid.
The imposing image of Dawnglow the ancient Druid came to him. Xerneg had met the mighty figure when he was but a young Hebdican medical student, lost in lands far to the east in his distant past. So naïve he was back then. Out traveling the world and giving free healing to the poor and needy, whilst searching for materials to help him complete his thesis to graduate.
Those were terrible days filled with many a skipped meal, Realms I must’ve been just chubby back then, recalled Xerneg with a shiver as he briefly lost track. Wait that’s not important, what did Dawnglow say again?
….
Nearly a century in the past, deep in a lustrous and mysterious forest to the far east, two strangers shared in their passion for the healing arts.
Sitting on a dead log whilst recalling how he was unable to a save human who had fallen off his horse, a younger Xerneg wished he had such mighty spells as the Druid as they shared a cup of warm tea. Having been rescued whilst randomly trapsing through the forest, starving and lost after having lost his pack to a pack of wild creatures.
Across from him sat Dawnglow the Ancient Druid. His skin purple with deep lines and whorls running through it like a piece of old bark. His hair was green, whether naturally by design or by the moss that grew freely no one would ever know. The humongous hero that dwarfed the already large young Hebdican wore only a simply brown robe as they shared in conversation.
“My spells are all tied to the great Willder Queen, all of them coming at a great cost and requiring rites that would befuddle your mind, young one,” replied Dawnglow with low craggy voice that was similar to the sound of roots snapping from an ancient tree, uprooted by a wild summer storm. A smile creasing his tree-like face as he sipped the tea that swirled it’s pleasantly scented hot vapors in his wooden bowl. “My even the one I used on you, Rejuvenation only coming to me when I was already an accomplished Druid and under dire circumstances. Being a Wild spell in nature and originally meant only for children of the Queen, I had to perform a feat so inconceivable difficult to appease the her, just so that she would allow me to use it on humanoids such as yourself. But in the end it did was not enough.” rumbled the Druid as he turn his majestic horned head to look forlornly at the ancient sleeping Treant nearby.
….
If Dawnglow said he was already accomplished when he unlocked the skill, then he must’ve been at least Adamant or near to 120 in level considering he’s a goddamn living legend. Realms he was part of the Heroic Five that once even dared face Gehennan, Fantimal AND the Throne and THEN escaping with their lives! concluded Xerneg from his reasoning.
But then how is there anyone capable of even casting a weaker Rejuvenation, a Wild spell? Never mind, I’l leave these questions for later, let’s begin with the healing, the inquisitive thoughts resurfaced, before he brushed it aside to tend to the issues at hand.
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He rested his large fat hand grey hand that dwarfed the small green monster it sat upon, before beginning his spell. With the distortion of his Hebdican Transferal spell coming into effect, he focused his fat reserves and mana to first address the most pressing malady. It was the dire state of anemia that the Monster was currently in.
He focused inwardly on the generous amount of blubber around his waist as the loci to power the spell. Then using Hebdican Transferal spell, he transformed it into copies of the blood that he felt under the skin of the monster. He was able to make perfect copies of Dittat’s blood through the connection he made inside the monster by his concurrent application of Sympathetic Transfer spell. He slowly ran his hand around the contours of the slimy little green monster to spread the flow of the magical blood infusion as he felt a reduction in his own fat. Considering the tiny size of the infantile monster, this step was over quickly, even with Xerneg making sure to inject the new blood into the monster slowly.
Then he focused on his own shoulder fat as he addressed the internal bleeding and trauma inside the monster. His spell was greatly aided by the remnants of the previous healing performed by the mysterious novice healer from before. The remnant healing was subsumed by his own spell that was of many magnitudes more powerful. But it still wondrously aided in guiding his own spell throughout the new and unknown physiology of the monster.
Xerneg had never witnessed a weaker healing spell change in structure to aid another spell that had subsumed it before in his long career as a healer. To Xerneg’s Mana Sight it even looked like the Wild spell was alive.
But that’s impossible, according to the records, spells are just different forms of mana constructs or world skills, he thought whilst equally flabbergasted and amazed. Sure weak elementals are just a different form of asexual birth from their elemental parents but that’s different all together, but if this spell is alive, then the author of the spell just created a healing elemental out of nothing, albeit a dull and singular one. Xerneg thought. He was once again forced to push these incredible thoughts aside as he was losing his concentration whilst the performing surgery, at least until he was home with pen and paper. Plus I have a great idea as to how I can continue studying this “wild” healer.
This procedure was markedly longer than the blood transfusion, with him having to go over each minute injury in small patches and with great concentration. Over-healing of internal injuries by magic could result in large clumps of internal scar tissue, that could cause even more complications or become fatal. Hench why it was only to be practiced by accomplished healers whom had finished their ten year internship, after their six year stint in school. Magical, medical or physically classed doctors of all creed and races had one of the most arduous trainings for a reason, with lives being at stake.
After a long time the it was finally over, With Xerneg choosing to leave the newly healed tissue of the bite marks as they were. For in time it would heal over naturally anyways, plus he was famished.
“It’s all done, where’s my basket?” he asked Lem. The Cabyban and his son whom was watching the healer work as they sat on stools beside Xerneg both shot to their feet.
Lem grabbed the fancy picnic basket and offered it over to the healer who now sat on the dirty floor with his pudgy legs splayed out. The Hedican was slightly smaller in size with flabby skin, rather than enormous and with his skin taut like just previously. The minute healing he had to perform on the unorthodox patient was extremely taxing, and reminded him of when he had to expunge a particular virulent hex from the infant son a of the distraught Mayor of Paulflint.
Xerneg grabbed the pie inside the basket and greedily tackled the pastry whilst expertly uncorking the beer with the other hand. He then washed down the half chewed pie and before long both were finished. The Hebdican then began uncorking the wine bottle as the two Capybans waited, both happy now that the healing was over.
“Is everything going to be alright?” politely asked Lem as he rubbed his hairy hands nervously on his now dusty black shorts.
Xerneg took a huge swig of the wine and the room waited as he emptied half the bottle in one go, before belching with a huge smile.
“Oh it’s definitely all done Lem, I am a master after all,” declared the Hebdican healer as he got up. His blue robes were magically free from stains of dirt or mud, being enchanted with a minor self-cleaning spell.
“Now there’s something I need to ask you,” said the Hebdican as he walked over towards the sleeping Nosal on the table.
Lem took a large nervous gulp as Kano grabbed onto the hem of his shirt, both afraid of questions that the healer might ask in regards to Nosal.
“Do you need any healing for this dirty wee boy of yours?” asked the healer with a smile as he spun round with a flourish of his hand holding the wine bottle and now looser robes flapping about.
“Oh that would be no trouble Xerneg, he’s just out from ma-nan exhaustion, the little idiot will be up in now time, not to worry,” spoke Lem quickly as he sigh in relief and visibly deflated.
Xerneg took a second to translate Ma-nan to be mana and it gave him a slight hiccup to his next proclamation. Damn Capybans with their silly way of pronouncing mana, he thought with a frown. No matter, let’s get to the bottom of this.
“So considering I know both of your classes to not contain any healing spells, am I safe to assume that your youngest was the one to perform this extremely rare Wild attuned healing spell? Thus suffering from mana exhaustion and collapsing into the state his is now?!” Xerneg declared with more wide flourishes of his wine bottle and spilling the merlot colored drink everywhere. Seeing the wide eye of the two Capybans in front of him, he knew that he had hit the Gnome right on the head.
“Look Xerneg..” Lem began as he took strides to put himself between the healer and his sleeping son.
“Wait what?” asked a Xerneg confused as he sensed hostility in the large and imposing Capyban.
“What! No! No! No you hairy imbecile!” the Hedican began to explain with his pudgy hands gesticulating wildly. Having realized that he must’ve inadvertedly come across as threatening to the Capyban.
“Look here! I don’t give a flying hoot that he’s got some special class or whatever, Realms I’ve got more money than I could ever spend and I have no care for power! Why in the name of the Harvestking would I retire in some quiet village like this if I was after fortune or power?” continued Xerneg with a flush coming over his face as he managed to halt the Capyban with his words.
“What I’m saying is that your son, has a healing spell and regardless of his class, him being untrained as he is, he he might misuse it or accidentally hurt a beast! Seeing as it’s a Wild attuned spell and they are intended his intended patients in all. Wait I’m losing track here!” he shouted with annoyance.
“So what are you saying?” Lem asked with confusion to the dramatic elderly Hebdican.
“What I’m saying is that your son needs training, and seeing as I am an accomplished Master healer, I can provide him with all the theoretical know-how of the Union Healer’s Hospital if you would let me take him on as an apprentice,” offered the Hebdican as he began wiping his lower spectacles. Having the instrument fog over during his heated speech before.
“Wait what? Xerneg I can never afford such a thing!..... So I would have to decline your generous offer,” excused Lem with a musk of fear, not wanting his son to be exposed any further.
“Nonsense Lem! I admit that it would be a challenge to teach and instruct a Healer whom is focused on monsters and beasts, actually I do admit that this would be a first even for me but I would relish the task.” Spoke the Hebdican as he turned towards the sleeping boy as he nodded to himself.
“Furthermore! In regards to payment…. I could, NO! I Would never beggar a poor Rancher like yourself! It would be a shameful misconduct from such a rich and powerful master of the healing arts such as myself!” continued the Hebdican as he paced about the kitchen dramatically.
“But…… a Chitpulka egg every week should suffice and I do hope to see him at least twice a week. That will be non-negotiable. So let’s say at the beginning of the week on Paek? And on midweek on Molemp.. yes, yes, on my other apprentice’s day off! Realms she has been getting uppity as of late.” Xerneg continued with his lengthy monologue as he wandered over to inspect the Chitpulka eggs that nestle in its crate.
“Oh my these look absolutely fantastic! I can’t wait to have the biggest omelet ever tomorrow!” said the Hebdican as he started to uncontrollably salivate all over his green beard.
Lem and Kano only stood there with their mouths hanging open, not fully understanding what was happening. The Hebdican then went to retrieve his picnic basket before walking back over to the crate. He then placed the basket inside the crate and lifted the whole thing and left the kitchen whilst whistling to himself.
“ Oh and I’ll take the whole batch as payment for the healing of the critter, and don’t worry I’ll send someone back with the box in a few days or so,” Xerneg stated with a curt nod over his shoulder as he halted on the threshold.
“Oh and I will be expecting to see the boy next week first thing at dawn, and tell him not to be tardy, Flowing-reed starts cooking very early and he will need to be there to learn as much as he can!” shouted the healer jovially as he disappeared from sight.
“Father what just happened?” asked a confused Kano with a bemused expression as he twitched his whiskered nose.
“Boy If I’m correct, I think we just sold your brother off to become a cook twice a week for an egg,” Lem answered with a hint of laughter in his deep voice. He had had enough and was finally crashing after the strenuous events of the day, as he began chuckling at the absurdity of it all.
“Wait what’s so funny?” asked Kano as he began to join in with the laughter, still unsure as to what was going on.
“HAHAHA, I don’t know about you, HAHA but if the great stories about legendary Unsung heroes are true, HAHAHA!” Lem struggled as he laughed merrily with tears in his eyes.
“What father?! Haha?! What?” asked the boy with a musk for joy, not having seen his father like this outside of few rare moments drinking with Lok-Tars.
“I WOULD MAKE SURE! AHAHA! I WOULD MAKE SURE NOBODY EVER PUT MY FIRST DAY AS A HERO WHO WAS SOLD FOR AN EGG IN A SONG IF I WAS NOSAL!! AHAHAHAHA!” laughed Lem with abandon as he began to slap his thigh, not being able to contain himself.
Kano finally realized that today has been quite the weird day after all, and relished at the opportunity it offered to tease his brother for the rest of his life. The boy and his father continued to laugh merrily together until Lem was once again out of breath.
But his laughter was reignited at the sight of his son running out the kitchen, for Kano nearly peed himself laughing when Nosal woke up and asked what was going on.
Lem wondered how long it was since he has had such a good laugh as he was having now.