Orrin thought Logan was an asshole but if he was pragmatic, the city needed every [Healer] they had left. The man’s health was plummeting as spells started flying their way. Orrin saw Daniel, Madi, Brandt, and the guards moving in and pinning down some of the white-robed members of the Hospital but enough slipped through to be a threat.

  “If I heal you, are you going to be an asshole about it?” Orrin closed the distance and started casting before Logan could answer. If he can talk at all. Gross.

  Orrin flinched at the mass of scar tissue forming around the man’s throat. The shaft of the arrow was still clutched in his bloody hand. He’d yanked it out before healing himself.

  Orrin trusted his friends to subdue the attackers but more white cloaks swirled into their location. The small plaza between two intersecting streets seemed defensible with their original numbers but Orrin counted close to forty dots that blinked red and gray.

  “Why are your people fighting each other, Logan?” Orrin asked as he yanked arrows out of the man’s back and healed the bleeding wounds until they closed. He slapped on a few wards for good measure.

  “You…” Logan rasped and coughed hard. Orrin felt along the man’s throat and pushed mana into the puckered divot left along his Adam’s apple. Logan’s eyes widened a bit as he stopped choking. “You are the reason. Half want you dead and the others think you are some sort of hero for the [Healer]s to rally behind.”

  “I’m definitely not the hero,” Orrin responded between Logan’s screams. A few of the spells had left burns, frostbite, and a tacky green substance that Orrin used [Identify] on. “One of them got you with acid. I’m going to—”

  “Cut the skin quickly before it gets deeper,” Logan interrupted, pulling a dagger from his waist and holding it up.

  The battle around them was a mass of confusion. The guards were trying their best to subdue the two sets of attackers but each side was bent on killing the other. Daniel was using the flat of his blade to bash people apart.

  “I can use [Remetabolize] and decrease the efficiency. Would that work?” Orrin asked as he took the knife. “If I make it—”

  “Acid is not a toxin or poison. This is why training is essential to ah—” Logan screamed as Orrin dug the blade into his shoulder and carved.

  [Mind Bastion] kicked on.

  Orrin quickly cast [Numb] on the affected area but carving out the skin was taking up time he could be helping in the fight.

  This is taking too long. He looked around and noticed Brandt bodily throw a woman screaming and casting fire from her hands at another man holding a bow. “Brandt, get over here.”

  The knight watched to make sure the tumble of limbs wasn’t getting up and jogged over. “You don’t do things halfway, do you?”

  Orrin handed him the dagger. “His health is fine. Get the acid cut out. I’m going to end this.”

  “Orrin, as strong as you are, this is a lot of people. I’ve sent one of the men for reinforcements but this is madness.” Brandt grabbed the knife and paled at the sight of Logan’s shoulder. “I’m not a [Healer]. This looks bad.”

  “Trust me, he’s fine. Just cut the skin there. Everything else I’ve healed,” Orrin said distractedly as he pulled his [Map] up. “I only need a minute.”

  Orrin glanced at the two people that Brandt had taken down. They were starting to stand up after getting themselves untangled. He cast [Decrease Dexterity] on both and they fell like marionettes with cut strings. “Maybe less.”

  Orrin’s dexterity was at one hundred and he’d practiced with the increased stat relentlessly. He used [Gust] as he ran. A push here and a pull there knocked most of the attackers around him to the ground. A few casts of [Decrease Dexterity] on the prone bodies kept them down. He flitted around the streets, leaving anyone wearing a white robe laid out.

  A few of the quicker ones began to target Orrin but his wards kept the attacks from harming him. An arrow from a roof activated [Side Steps], which made him stumble as he regained his balance. Orrin looked up and saw five elves jumping from other buildings to subdue the lone high sniper.

  Two of the smart mages on the periphery retreated but Orrin wasn’t about to let anyone get away. He charged down the street, barely hearing Daniel shout after him.

  Slapping feet behind him turned his attention from his [Map].

  “Orrin, stop. Let them,” Daniel shouted. He was sprinting behind him but Orrin could tell he was falling back.

  “There’s only two. One is right around this corner,” Orrin yelled, turning his gaze back to his [Map]. His brain stuttered and he almost fell as he tried to stop. “Daniel, turn back.”

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  Orrin skidded along the cobblestones as he failed to arrest his momentum. He’d been ignoring the flood of white dots around town, focusing only on the fleeing red enemy spots. A crowd down the next street turned red as he cleared the building’s corner and came face to face with a dozen people wearing white robes and holding staffs, wands, and open hands pointing toward him.

  “Fire!”

  Orrin felt the heat of mana racing toward him. He knew his wards were lower, having taken a beating from the few enemies able to take a shot before he brought them down. He’d underestimated them. They’d planned a trap in their retreat.

  I can survive this, Orrin thought. He cast as many spells as he could. [Gust] combined with [Fire Sword] to explode out and stop any ice magic attacks. He summoned [Ice Sword]s and threw them at the fire before ducking down and making himself into the smallest target he could.

  Orrin closed his eyes as he waited for the pain to hit.

  And waited.

  He opened one eye and was surprised to see he was still alive. Scorch marks, pitted stones, and two arrows were scattered around him but nothing struck him. A shield of multi-colored light hung over his body. It was translucent but shimmered with an opal sheen.

  “Orrin, get back here.”

  Orrin snapped his head around and saw Madi breathing heavily next to Daniel. They stood by the corner and Madi’s outstretched hand gave him a hint at what had happened.

  She stomped her foot in agitation. “Now, I can’t hold this for another volley.”

  Even as she spoke, a few of the quicker mages were sending more magic at him. Orrin scrambled from his squat into a full sprint and only took a single glancing shot of a stone shot at incredible speed to his leg.

  “Thanks, Madi. Whatever that was… thanks,” Orrin peeked around the edge of the building but was yanked back before another missile took a chunk of the wall off.

  “Orrin, I swear that I’m going to put a leash on you,” Daniel threatened. “Why do you always run into the danger zone? Stay away from the danger zone.”

  “We should get back to the others,” Madi said breathing heavily. “Brandt is going to be pissed we left him behind.”

  Orrin reset his buffs and wards on the three of them, checking his mana. A large portion was burnt from all his casting but he could always chug a regen potion if he needed it. He’d drank his last one yesterday morning.

  “Don’t.” Daniel glared at him. “Drop it.”

  “Will you stop talking to me like I’m a dog?” Orrin asked before rolling his eyes. “Fine. I don’t use [Mind Bastion] all the time and it triggered itself when I almost threw up on Logan’s acid burns.”

  “That was Logan Viccio that you were talking with before everything went sideways, right?” Madi asked as she brushed some building dust off Orrin’s shoulder. “Never mind, you can tell me later. Cast [Camouflage] on us and let’s get out of here.”

  “There’s still a bunch of enemies, literally right there,” Orrin said. Then he realized what he’d said. “Fuck, I’m stupid. Maybe I should get a leash.”

  “Whatever you’re into,” Madi smirked. “They don’t matter. We need to get back to my house. This isn’t an isolated incident. We got reports of fighting all over the city.”

  Daniel frowned before he pushed Orrin to the side. With a big step, he lifted his other foot and kicked. A man with a sword overhead connected with the [Hero]’s boot and lifted up and back with the distinct sound of breaking bones. “We should go.”

  Orrin cast [Camouflage Ward] and they backed away from the intersection. “How did the demons get into the city? They weren’t even close to the Outer Wall, yet?”

  Madi’s voice drifted from his right. “It’s not the demons. The Hospital is fighting. [Healers] and their support. All the members that guard the buildings and accompany the [Healers] for experience raids are up in arms. We got reports right as Principal Viccio approached you.”

  Orrin thought back to what the man had been saying. He mentioned a schism and a crusade but Orrin thought it was hyperbole. I didn’t do anything that would start a civil war between healers. That makes no sense.

  Brandt orchestrated the guards as the now-prisoners were arrested and brought to jail. Fighting in the streets during a Horde attack was a major crime, no matter what side these Hospital members were on. Madi stopped to talk with some of the guards, giving orders and taking her place as the daughter of Lord Catazano.

  “I don’t get why they’re fighting,” Daniel muttered, echoing Orrin’s thoughts. He dropped the spell as they approached and Brandt sighed in relief.

  “Where did everyone go?” Orrin joked.

  “We’ve cleared most of them here, so I sent most of the other guards to reinforce elsewhere,” the knight explained. “This is terrible timing. Principal Viccio demanded to go with them. Leanthun and his elves went to find a jump back to the front. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do here.”

  Madi approached and put her hand on the tall man’s shoulder. “It’ll be fine. My father is sending more of his guards into town to help.”

  “That’s good but what should we do, Madi?”

  Madi looked at Daniel.

  “I trust your dad can get this under control. I don’t think Orrin started this fight for once,” he threw an exasperated glance at his friend, “so we can all head back to deal with the Horde. That Viccio guy didn’t want to talk with us more?”

  Brandt shrugged. “He said it was too late now and climbed on one of the wagons with the accused. By the way, Orrin. That was incredible how you knocked them all out. You’ve been going easy on me.”

  Orrin scratched at his neck. “If you guys are ready, I’ll [Teleport] us back. Brandt, are you done here?”

  Madi half-heartedly raised her hand. “Actually, if Orrin can spare an hour… I just received word that the Wellans finished collecting the ingredients needed for the [Purify] potions. I know you’ve never been to Ceraun but there is a [Locationist] that… no It’s not the same man. Will you at least hear me out?”

  Orrin and Daniel stared at each other.

  We said no more getting separated, Daniel said with a small head shake.

  You can’t leave the front line right now. Nobody else will have the storage ability to carry the amount we need. Plus, who would we trust to get the ingredients back without the Hospital fucking it up? Orrin answered with a wry smile and shoulder raise.

  It’s not up for discussion. No. Daniel straightened his spine so he stood taller than Orrin.

  “When you two are done posturing at each other,” Madi ridiculed. “I want to go with Orrin. Brandt and Daniel can return to the Outer Wall. We can be there and back in an hour or less. We need those potions for the soldiers. More now than ever with the [Healers] fighting.”

  Viccio said the ‘schism already runs deep.’ Orrin remembered the words clearly now. What does that mean?

  “Orrin?” Madi tilted her head. “Are you in there?”

  Orrin gave an apologetic grimace to Daniel. “Don’t let the demons kill everyone before we get back.”

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