I shrugged. “The stupid teacher figured I needed to learn lower mobility from her.”
She glowered at me. “And I’m only learning of this now? Why didn’t you mention it last night?”
I laughed to ease the tension. It didn’t work. “Honestly, I didn’t think about it again till it was brought up in class there. Don’t you ever suppress unpleasant things?”
Apparently not, by the hands-on-hips gesture I was receiving.
“Hell, you can come and train if you want. You probably have better lower body agility than Aeloria anyway.”
For some reason, those words didn’t appease her either. Then Torma walked past and made it ten times worse. “Don’t worry about, Adam. He’s quite the fighter. He’s got some lovely grappling holds I doubt even Aeloria will be able to wriggle out of.”
Her eyes bulged, but if Torma noticed, he didn’t show it. “Honestly, Ressa, despite the lack of levels, he had Aeloria on the ropes for most of their sparing session. Yoshun said she could learn a lot from Adam’s unorthodox fighting style and how he reacts to adversity.”
“Whatever,” she snapped, wafting hand like she was batting a fly away. “But be careful with her, Adam. She’s dangerous.”
“Yeah, most people with a superiority complex usually are. She’s been borderline racist to me, twice now.”
“What’s racist?” Torma asked.
“It’s when one race of people don’t like another race of people and oppress them if possible.”
“Ah, right. How may sentient races live on Earth?”
“Just one.”
He frowned. “Now I’m really confused.”
“Yeah. You’re probably applying logic.”
Ressa huffed loudly to enter the conversation. “You can’t just go off track like that! We were talking.”
“Quite right,” I agreed. “And yes, I am having to train with Aeloria, and no, I am not in any way looking forward to it. I’d rather stick rusty pins in my eyes than spend a minute in her company. Like I said, if it wasn’t mentioned, it was because I didn’t want to think about it myself.”
“If I didn’t mention it,” Torma added, “it’s because I’ll have been thinking about dinner. Then sleep.”
“We all have Healing next. One big class again.”
I felt a surge of excitement, and Ressa noticed. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I just really want to be able to heal. It was the first thing I tried to do to myself. That’s how I got Spirit Burst.”
“What?” Ressa asked curiously.
“Yeah. I was getting the shit kicked out of me by the Archon Overseer of the mine, and I tried to heal myself as he was busy putting the boot in. Somehow, my mind and my body took that as a signal to create a Spirit Burst. I mean, it worked. It pushed him and a few others away and caused damage. Luckily, they were all assholes.”
“That is how you opened your mage path? No wonder they shuffled you in here early!”
“Aye,” Torma agreed. “But if you could avoid accidentally using Spirit Burst in here, I’d be grateful. We’ll all be healed quickly enough, but it’s one of the nicer classrooms, and I don’t want you wrecking the place.”
As odd a response as that was from the Grunir, we’d already reached the Healing classroom, and filtered into single file so that we could enter. Inside a large, domed room, I received my answer.
A peaceful, blue glow provided most of the illumination in the room, which was otherwise dark. Around a hundred basins of shimmering water sat on ornate stone pedestals, and even the Archon students seemed to be much calmer, more subdued as they navigated the wide dome to their chosen spot.
As always, the four of us ended up at the back of the hall. They all came to a stop in front of a pedestal. Ressa was on one end, and Ellaazi the other. It was no choice at all which side of them I would stand, even if Ressa was still irritated about my training session with Aeloria.
“Lovely room,” I whispered to Ressa.
She smiled, but nodded to the front of the room as the Master of Healing entered.
He was a stern-faced Archon named Siladris, and had a sour expression as he ran his eyes over the room’s occupants. If an expression could speak a thousand words, it told me that I wasn’t going to get on with him. That expression deepened to pure disdain as his eyes landed on us.
“Good day, students. I hope you’re ready and mentally prepared for today’s lesson.”
I whispered across to Ressa again. “Doesn’t really suite the ambiance, in here, does he?”
She let out a gentle snort followed swiftly by a groan. Master Siladris was staring right at us.
“Would you care to enlighten us all as to what is so funny?”
“Nothing at all, Master Siladris. Just an irritant in my nose. Time of year, I expect.”
His gaze left us as he addressed the whole class again. “At the side of your pedestals, you will find your blade as always. We will begin with the basic healing cut. If anyone is low on mana, speak now.”
No one spoke. I barely knew what was going on, so I just kept my mouth shut as well.
“Then let us begin. As always, pain focuses the mind and bring you fully into this sacred lesson. So if you would all create a small wound on your palm, then heal it.”
I picked up the knife reluctantly, then cast a glance over towards Ressa. In one fluid movement, she drew it across her palm. The knife created a shallow cut, a thin line of crimson slowly highlighting the injury.
She placed the knife in the bowl of water, blade first, before focusing on her hand. It flared in a more intense version of the blue glow that illuminated the room. The wound stopped bleeding immediately. She dipped it in the water to wash the blood off, and when she pulled it out, there was nothing to see but a perfect, uninjured palm.
“First as always, Ressa,” the Master noted from the front of the class. “And of course, second goes to Aeloria. Come on, class, I expect to see some pressure on these two. You must all improve!”
He continued to reel off name after name as they healed themselves, while I still hadn’t put the blade to my hand.
“What’s wrong, Adam? Cut your hand,” Ressa whispered over.
“Someone needs to teach me how to heal before I start slashing myself to bits.”
There was a hint of urgency in her reply. “It doesn’t matter if you can’t heal it, just make the cut before he notices. He starts every class like this.”
“Then he’s a sick bastard.”
“Still, do it quickly.”
I wasn’t sure why she was so worried about the act, but I trusted her as much as I trusted anyone here, and made the cut.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Shit,” I hissed as the knife cut in.
Ressa winced. “In all the dark halls! You didn’t have to do it that deep.”
I looked at the cut, and frowned. “Bloody knife was way sharper than I expected. Should’ve checked,” I lamented.
She snorted again, then checked to see if the Master had noticed. I was trying to stop all of my blood pouring out of my hand.
“So what now? You gonna take me through healing myself, or is this where I die?”
“So dramatic,” she said, laying a hand on my forearm.
I shivered at the touch and hoped to god that she didn’t notice. What the hell is wrong with me! A bone-deep cut in my hand and I’m reduced to melting butter with just one touch from an alien woman I barely know.
“Still your mind,” she said.
It’d be easier if you took your soft hand off my bloody arm!
“Close your eyes if you must, and focus on the wound and the wound only. Allow it to fill your mind. Feel each nerve firing with pain.”
I closed my eyes, hoping that if I couldn’t see her, I wouldn’t be distracted. The nerves in my hand were certainly firing on all cylinders, screaming for my attention.
“Now draw your attention inward to the mana in your core. Direct the energy into the area of the cut and imagine it speeding up the natural healing processes.”
I felt the energy in my core, and I even felt as if I was getting somewhere with the instructions. Energy flooded my arm, flowing downward slowly. Unfortunately, Ressa removed her hand, and the mental tower of cards I’d built came crashing down.”
“What are you doing, Henshaw?” It was the teacher’s voice.
I hadn’t even heard him approach, but now he was looming over me, frowning at my hand. Ressa had already backed off.
“I’m trying to heal myself!” I snapped and regretted it immediately. That wasn’t how to keep a low profile, but his attitude, mixed with the pain, and Ressa’s touch had shaved off a little of my patience.
His face twisted into a scowl. When his reply came, it was laced sarcasm. “Well it doesn’t seem to be working. So I’ll ask again, what are you doing?”
Through gritted teeth, I shelved the reply I wanted to give, and took the path of least resistance. “I think I was close. I felt energy from my core reach my shoulder, and it was making its way down my arm before you interrupted me.”
Okay, so not completely without some spite of my own.
“Oh, how wonderful. You were able to feel your mana! Your parents would be so proud. If you were pre-pubescent!”
Ressa opened her mouth to speak, but I beat her to it. “In terms of ascension, I probably am an infant. It’s been eighteen days, give or take. I have Spirit Burst, Flame Blast, and Flame Burst. No healing. No experience of healing, and now I’m here trying my best to heal myself. I’m lucky to have a friend in Ressa, as she had me on the right path there. I personally would have preferred to have learned the skill before cutting my hand.”
“Did you rehearse that manure? The best way to grow is through adversity.”
“If that’s the case, then what’s the point in this academy?”
He puffed up, tall and furious. “You dare undermine the importance of an education?”
“That wasn’t me,” I pointed out, calming down the more the Master grew angry. “What I said was that I wanted someone to teach me how to heal.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose as if trying to find calm when dealing with an idiot. He was, but again, it wasn’t me.
“Healing power requires focused mind. The cut is about attaining a focused mind. Now that you are focused, you must align your energy with the natural rhythm of your body.” He pointed at the wound. “That wound wants to heal. The muscle and the skin want to be rejoined. In time, they will of their own accord. For this aspect of healing, all you need to do is provide it with an abundance of focused mana.”
I wanted to scream at him. It was exactly what Ressa had just explained. It was exactly what I had been doing and would have done if the self-important windbag hadn’t interrupted. Now he would look the hero if I suddenly achieved the healing.
“Come on then. You are dripping blood all over my class floors. Use what I have told you to heal your hand.”
I glanced over at Ressa to see if she was as annoyed as I was. She was pointedly looking in the other direction. With this asshole, I couldn’t blame her for not wanting to get involved.
“So apply focused mana to the area, and my body will do the rest?”
“Exactly!” he said, clapping his hands with a fake exuberance.
“Okay. Here goes nothing.” I closed my eyes and thought a number of different thoughts, but most of them were about how much I wanted to punch this fool in front of me. After a minute or so, I sighed and let my shoulders sag.
“Worthless,” the teacher snapped. “This is the simplest of healing spells!” He shook his head. “I do not have time in my class to shoehorn a novice into being a healer.”
He grabbed my wrist roughly, and I let him. A glow sprang up around his hand and my cut healed up. Then he thrust my arm back down with unnecessary pettiness.
“It is free day tomorrow. I expect you here first thing in the morning to address your shortcomings. We will whip you into what shape we can, so next time you are in my class, you are not a direct hinderance. Now go, leave those who can, and think about why you can’t.”
All the eyes were fixed on us. Mocking for the most part, sympathetic from my friends, apart from Ellaazi of course.
“Okay. I know when I’m not wanted, Master Siladris, but I already have my free day fully booked out with additional martial training first, followed by enchantment training.”
His face flushed red. “We will discuss this later. Now go.” He thrust a finger at the door, and I happily left the classroom.
I didn’t even mind the looks I received. I considered this a win as any more time in the Master’s company would no doubt end up with me doing something I’d really regret.
Once outside, I checked the time and saw that I had an hour to kill before my next lesson. More than enough time to lock-in and practice my new skill.
I used my belt buckle to create a wound on the back on my forearm. I smiled to myself as a thin trickle of blood ran free. Then following Ressa’s instructions, my hand glowed, and I healed myself. That stuck-up twat wasn’t getting the victory of teaching me, though he would ultimately claim the honor.
I felt a tingle, in my core and in my mind. That could only mean one thing, so I checked my stats:
Name: Adam Henshaw
Title: —
Level: 16
Class: Warrior/Mage
Stats:
- Toughness: 19
- Mental Acuity: 13
- Harmony: 18
- Total: 50
Progress in Class:
- Warrior, Level 3: 15/40
- Tradesman, Level 0: 0/10
- Mage, Level 4: 0/40
Mage Skills:
Regenerate (Personal) Level: 1
The ability to channel focused mana, allowing you to heal your own wounds and restore your body’s vitality from within.
Spirit Burst (AoE) Level: 1
Flame Blast (Projectile) Level: 1
Flame Burst (AoE) Level: 1
I cheered the advancement, but seeing the actual script of the skill gave me an idea. After years of boxing, and more specifically enforced sparring with Earl, I had a few niggling issues. He had broken my left shoulder when I was eight, my left leg when I was ten, and my right leg when I was twelve. None of them felt as they should even though I was used to them now.
On a hopeful whim, I turned my new skill of Regenerate on those old wounds. Left shoulder first, I felt the warm energy flood the area. Nothing happened. Bastard! I knew it was too good to be true. I supposed the wounds had already healed, though. Just not the same as they’d been.
That said, my left knee was always causing me issues. It clicked sometimes when I walked, and if I did any intense exercise or fighting, it would be inflamed for days. Just as it was now after my sparing match with Aeloria.
I focused Regenerate on that knee. It glowed and grew hot. It tingled for a few moments, and then it was over. I stretched out the leg and sighed with a relief that I didn’t know I needed. The knee was so much freer. None of the resistance of inflammation or trapped nerves.
I sat there and worked around my body just for the sake of it. I had a new skill and time to experiment.
I covered my heart and my internal organs. I did my brain and my ankles. Only my lower back, my big right toe, my left lung, and my back right molar tooth grew warm and tingled in any meaningful way.
But by the time the doors to the Healing Chamber opened, I felt like a new man, and my mage path had increased again to Level 5, while Regenerate jumped to Level 2. I couldn’t see any direct benefit to the advances, but I’d still take them. It certainly sounded better.
Ressa and Torma were out of the room first. A novelty as they were at the back of the classroom. Ressa was fuming, but held up a finger to silence me as she approached. Then she pointed down the corridor and stormed off. I stood, straightened my uniform and dutifully followed.
Torma walked with me in silence. We turned a couple of corners before she finally turned and let rip.
“I’m so sorry that happened, Adam. It’s a disgrace that he kicked you out. He’s always been good to me on account of my strongest skill being healing. But today, with you, he crossed a line. I hate him for kicking you out like that, and I promise I’ll teach you what you need to know.”
She was so angry, so outraged for my benefit. And I was so happy to have someone care that much. In an act of madness, I put a hand on her shoulder. She didn’t recoil.
I noted that as I began to talk. “Don’t worry about it. It was a choice.”
She frowned.
Torma, looking equally offended by the whole thing, jumped in. “What do you mean, a choice?”
“Ressa taught me how to heal the wound, but he interrupted. He was so rude and condescending, when he basically repeated what Ressa said, I intentionally failed. Hell, I didn’t even try.”
They both stood slack jawed and confused.
I held Ressa’s eyes. “You taught me how to do it. There was no way I was giving that shithead the pleasure of taking the glory.”
“You really did that?” Ressa asked.
“You bet your ass I did. The way I see it is it’s us against them, and they made it that way.”
Torma put a hand on my chest, bushy brows furrowed. “So you can heal yourself?”
I took the rough part of my belt buckle and drew it across my hand causing a minor cut. Then I healed it.
Torma grabbed my hand and inspected it. “That was fast.”
“I leveled the skill to Level 2, so that helped.”
Torma snorted. “Level 2’s not really a brag, Adam.”
“No,” Ressa agreed. “But we’ll see how much we can raise it by next lesson. If you can keep your mouth shut, then he should leave you alone.”
I made a beckoning gesture with my hands. “Give me everything you’ve got.”