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Rise of the Archon- Book 2, Chapter 39
🕑 Added 2024-12-10 13:52:54 +0000 UTCI arrived the following morning, fully rested for the first time in a long while. Lysandra wore a new set of robes, darker this time, and looked over from the shelves with a smile and wave.
"Good morning, Vayne. And how are we feeling on this fine day? You took my advice, I hope?"
I nodded, "Yes, master Lysandra. I made sure to get a full night's sleep, as you commanded."
"As I advised," Lysandra corrected with a raised finger, "Did you do anything else with your evening?"
"I...yes, I did," I replied, pulling out a book from one pocket, "I finished your book, master. Quite enjoyable, in all honesty."
Lysandra blinked and then broke into a smile, "Really? I was so worried you'd hate it. What was your favorite part of this one?"
Again, there was her strange test. I had thought long about how to answer and decided I must have made a mistake last time. Maybe I was too sparse on details, or maybe my phrasing sounded too clinical. Either way, I had reconsidered my approach.
So, I returned her smile and responded, "I liked the action, mostly. The hero's sword was a fascinating idea, and I enjoyed watching him use it with his swordplay. Also, his...journey? Growth? His growth was endearing to follow."
I was only half-lying. The hero in the story started as an ordinary guard until he stumbled onto an unbreakable sword imbued with the spirit of a long-dead knight. Ancient magics granted the blade further powers, and as he journeyed, he grew more skillful with these powerful and strange abilities.
The climactic battle near the end of the story between the hero and the dark lord was the culmination of his growth. He and the sword merged into a singular being for a time, their spirits communing and becoming greater than the sum of their parts. It was such that he sliced not through flesh and blood but reality, parting the invincible foe with a single, mighty cut.
Reading the battles gave me some ideas and raised questions about the limits of magic, not the least of which was an "intelligent" enchantment. I knew golems—semi-independent magical servitors existed, but they were primitive enough to be useless. By contrast, the Tinkerers used automatons that could move and act on their own for a time if the stories were true.
Was it possible to replicate that capability with a weapon? And if so, was it worth it? Could I craft swords enchanted to move and fight for me? What about a wand? If I could apply that strange puzzle cube's magic, I might be able to fight with the fury of a dozen men, cutting down small armies by myself.
However, admitting all of that felt like the wrong thing to tell Lysandra. She was a healer, and I doubted she would appreciate that her fun, fictional book had led me to theorize how to become a more effective killer.
Lysandra cleared her throat, and I returned my attention to her.
"Now, ordinarily, I would have you study for today, but I'm sure you'd find that boring, and, as luck would have it, I have something more interesting than sitting around reading. Selene?"
Her voice rose at the end, and Selene stepped out from the back room a moment later.
"Yes, master?"
"I want you to go to run a few errands. Mister Lon, down the road, needs his medicine, and Arrissa's children could use a follow-up visit. Do you feel comfortable handling those without my assistance?"
"Yes, master."
"Excellent. They are to be given the healer's due. After that, I'd like for you to pick up my order from the herbalist. We're running low on a few things, and I'd rather have too much than run out. Oh, and bring Vayne with you."
Selene glanced at me, then returned her gaze to her master and nodded.
I got the feeling the darkness mage disliked me, though for what reasons I could not say—and did not care, truthfully. My time in Aranth was not a social visit. If she did not like me, that was her prerogative.
So, I folded my arms and waited as the other apprentice slipped into the backroom. She was gone for a minute, maybe two, then reappeared with a few pouches hanging on her belt and a backpack.
"Follow me," Selene said in that feather-soft voice, then walked past me to the door.
We left, making our way roughly northeast through the city streets. I had walked through the residential area a few times, but it was always on my way to other parts of the city, so this proved to be a novel experience. The homes looked like actual homes, with large windows, wooden doors, laundry hanging from windows, and the smell of breakfast in the air.
As we walked, I made a few weak attempts to break the silence, usually by asking about something I had read over the past couple of days. Selene had the decency to hum in response but did not give any answers. I took a hint after the third try, and the two of us fell silent.
After about a half-hour, we stopped before a one-story home shaped like a square. It was small enough that I doubted it was more than three rooms total, with a few front-facing windows and a simple wooden door.
Selene walked forward and rapped on the door with one hand, then took a few steps back and waited.
A man answered the door just seconds later. He looked to be in his fifties, wiry, and wearing simple, loose clothes designed for the humid, temperate Aranth climate. His face was deeply tanned and covered in lines, but the stern expression on his face melted into a smile upon seeing Selene.
"Good morning, young healer," the man said brightly.
"Good morning to you as well, Lon," Selene replied with a faint smile, "How are you?"
"I've been worse," Lon joked, "And you?"
"Perfectly fine, thank you. I wanted to see how your injury is faring. Do you mind if we come in?"
Lon stepped to one side and waved his arm in a broad, inviting gesture. Selene walked past him, but I saw him move to block me as I tried to follow.
"Sorry, I don't think we've met," Lon said.
"No, we have not," I shook my head and put on a friendly smile, "My name is Vayne. Master Lysandra's junior student."
"Junior?" Lon looked me up and down, and then his smile returned, "Fantastic. We could always use more healers. Name's Lon. Nice to meet you."
He stuck out his left hand, and I shook it, noting the hard calluses and the faint scars marring his skin. Lon stepped to one side again, and did not stop me as I walked into his home.
It was larger than I expected but still small. The main space was simple, with a small kitchen area tucked into the corner and a table with several chairs pushed up against one wall.
Selene walked over to the chairs, pulling one out and gesturing towards it.
"Please take a seat and remove your shirt."
Lon nodded, following her command without a word as he walked over, sat down, and pulled off his shirt. Beneath it, he was impressively fit with lean, whipcord muscles underneath darkly tanned skin. His right arm looked a little smaller than his left, though that might have been my imagination or the result of my vantage point.
Selene began giving him simple commands, spoken with that soft yet firm voice as she poked and prodded at his shoulder. She had him raise his arm, twist it this way and that, and stretch to try and touch different sections of his back. He was asked to hold his arm at shoulder height, then move it overhead and reach up as high as possible. After each movement, she would note something in a booklet she had pulled from some pocket on her person.
My hands itched to take some notes of my own, but I had forgotten to bring it today. After all, I had assumed my day would be the same plodding reading as always. However, there was a benefit in not having my nose in a book. I got to catch every minor wince and flinch as Lon's arm tugged at some lingering injury.
Finally, Selene stepped away and gestured for him to put his shirt on as she dug into the pouches on her belt. It took her a few seconds to retrieve two objects, which she held in one hand. The first was a small clay container with a wooden cap, while the second was a corked glass vial. I could not sense any mana from either of them but knew they must be medicinal in some regard.
"You aggravated your injury," Selene said, gesturing towards Lon's shoulder, "I want you to get some rest. Apply this ointment to the joint every evening before bed. That should help limit soreness and speed recovery. Perform the basic exercises Master Lysandra showed you two to three times a day, and if the soreness is too much, you may add five drops of this vial to a glass of water and drink it every eight hours. Do you have any questions?"
Lon looked almost uncertain. His eyes dropped to the objects in Selene's hands, then back up to the young woman's face.
"Thank you, young healer, but I cannot—"
"Master Lysandra wanted me to assure you that your treatments are, and will remain, free," Selene interrupted this time with a gentle smile.
Lon swallowed hard, his eyes turning a little watery, and he bowed his head, "Thank you. Thank you both."
I looked away as he took Selene's hands in his own, repeating it a few times. The young woman accepted his thanks, answered a few more questions, and then we were on our way to the next destination.
The next home was directly to the south of the first. It was larger and rectangular, though still single-story and relatively small. This time, the person who answered the door was a woman in her mid-thirties with dark hair, dark eyes, and a round, freckled face. She smiled when she saw Selene and introduced herself to me as Arrissa.
The woman led us to a room at the back of her home, opening the door to reveal two children sitting on the floor. The two, one boy and one girl, looked no older than five or six. We caught the former in the middle of a coughing fit, but both practically jumped up when they saw Selene.
"Auntie!" the boy said as he ran across the short distance, throwing his arms around Selene's legs. The girl was a little shyer insofar as she walked over before doing the same.
I tried not to stare as the apprentice healer smiled widely and bent over, patting both children's heads as she said, "Good afternoon, you two. How are you feeling?"
"Fine," the girl said, and the boy tried to reply, but his words were lost in a coughing fit.
Selene's face grew concerned, and she knelt beside the two, "That's quite a bad cough, Jakob. And you, Marilla. You look feverish."
Arrissa spoke up from behind us, "They're doing better, but it's hard getting them to sit still. Neither can quite shake off the worst of it."
Selene looked back at the older woman, then turned to the children and smiled softly, "Why don't we take a look at you too, okay? And if you behave, I'll give you a surprise. How does that sound?"
Both children had slumped at first, but the mention of a surprise perked them up. Selene moved into what I recognized as an examination for superficial signs of illness. She felt their foreheads for a fever, checked their pulse, and glanced over their bodies for any rashes. She listened to their breathing and had them open their mouths to examine their throats, using a small globe of violet mana for light.
Finally, she straightened up and smiled, "Perfect. Now, why don't you two go lie down and get some more rest?"
Neither child moved, and Selene snapped one hand, "Oh, right, the surprise. Just one moment...ah, here."
She had pulled out two paper-covered bars, maybe half a hand length. The first went to the boy and the second to the girl. They peeled back the paper, and I saw that they held bars of chocolate, likely expensive and produced right here in Aranth.
Without a word and in near-perfect unison, they took a nibble from one corner. Both had delighted smiles on their faces and despite myself, I could not help but mirror the expression.
Arrissa cleared her throat, "Now, children. Selene just told you that you need to get some rest. And what do we say when someone gives us a gift?"
Both children lowered their candy and repeated multiple thank yous. They put up a bit of a fuss as their mother led them over to their beds, which I realized were pushed against the far wall, and both only laid down after giving Selene one final hug.
Once we were alone, Selene began pulling out a few things from her pack, much as she had with Lon. This time, they looked to be small, paper-wrapped packets about half as long as my thumb.
"Medicinal tea," Selene said, "The ones with the purple marking will help with Jacob's cough, while the blue ones should bring down Marilla's fever. And here, add this honey to their drinks as well. It should help strengthen their bodies further and help them fight off their illness."
Arrissa accepted them with the same hesitance as Lon, and once again, Selene assured her that there would be no charge. The woman engulfed my senior in a hug and then proceeded to hug me as well. I had done precisely nothing, but I suspected worry for her children and gratitude towards Selene had overtaken anything else.
Finally, we left Arrissa with assurances to come by Lysandra's shop if she needed further assistance. And with that, we set off further into Aranth, one final stop to be made before the day was out.
