The Elderien Chronicles

The Healer's house

The journey had been a perilous one for Cara, dragging a man with such weight was not an easy feat. But she was not someone who could leave her friends behind. Not that she actually considered Alastair as a friend though, but he had saved her life more times than she could probably count, and that had to mean something.

The walk to the outskirts of the capital ended in a terrible shape for both of them and along the way, Cara hoped they did not encounter any more sorcerers.

How would she fight them?

She was defenseless and she would have to fight for Alastair as well. She was not sure she could do that. So when she was finally able to get to the house he'd shown her in the vision, she knocked like her life depended on it.

It took a moment before the locks of the door gave way and the hinges creaked. The door opened and standing inside was a rather large woman in a green dress, holding candlelight in her hand with sharp green eyes.

When she saw Alastair, she gasped and the candle fell from her hand.

"Bring him in, quickly!" She said as she assisted Cara in dragging in the large man.

They lay him down on the bed that was placed on the right side of the room. Then, on the left was a large table with variable amounts of herbs and leaves and potions. There were also sages burning in the place. The woman quickly tore off Alastair's shirt and Cara gasped at the magnitude of damage he'd sustained. A tear or two fell from her eyes.

That must have hurt.

The woman dashed towards the table and took a stick, a potion, and a sage which she placed before him. When Alastair perceived the smell of the sage, he seemed to awaken and grumbled,

"Alastair, listen to me. You are safe now. It is I, Elle. I will be healing you now." The woman said to him but then, he was about to fall asleep again, however she slapped him on the face.

"What did you do that for?" Cara exclaimed.

"He needs to stay awake for this to work. He might die in his sleep if I attempt to heal him while unconscious." The woman, Elle said.

"So, you're a mage?" Cara asked.

"Why don't we keep the questions for later?" Elle asked and placed the stick in her hand in between Alastair's teeth.

Cara saw Elle's Menu pop up.

Name: Elle

Status: Healer Mage

Energy level: 300

Affiliations: Nil

Animal Companion: Cat

Then, Elle took a deep breath and stretched forth her hands to him. A bright, green light shot from her hands and rested on Alastair's body. The light just persisted that way for a while, and Cara could have sworn whatever magic she was doing was not working.

But suddenly, his bones cracked.

He groaned as they did, biting down on the stick as the bones continued to move and rearrange themselves. Cara could not watch. She shut her eyes as Alastair groaned in pain, perhaps the highest form of pain she'd ever seen a man experience.

Elle, on the other hand, was beginning to bleed from her nostrils. But she persisted. Then, when the last of his broken ribs had snapped back into place, Elle stopped immediately, falling to the ground and quickly drinking the potion she had brought along with her.

Alastair, on the other hand, had fallen asleep. His breathing was normal, and the superficial wounds on his body were healing. Cara walked down towards him and slowly sat down on the bed. She looked at him and sighed. How terribly her day had taken a new turn.

"Need any help with that?" Elle asked Cara as she noticed a wound on her left arm.

"No, thanks." She replied, seeing how weak the poor woman was already.

Just then, a cat ran into the house and went to sit on Elle's lap. The cat had distinctive green eyes which seemed to match those of Elle's. Elle slowly caressed the cat's fur and it purred underneath her touch.

"He used magic, didn't he?" Elle asked Cara as she looked at Alastair. His wounds were completely healed at that point.

"Yes. He did it to save me." Cara replied and Elle arched a brow.

"You?"

Cara nodded.

"Well, you must be one special child for him to do so," Elle said. That confused Cara.

"I don't understand." She said

" I know. You see, Alastair and I met at the Elderien's keep. Do you know what that is?" Elle asked but Cara shook her head negatively. Where did Alastair find this one? She wondered.

"It is the place where mages are being trained in this kingdom."

"How are mages made?" Cara chipped in.

"They aren't made. They are born with a touch from the gods."

"But then there are sorcerers? Are they also born that way?"

"No, child. They were mages who made the decision to become eternal servants of Hades, in exchange for longevity, greater raw power, and accelerated healing. And as I was saying, Alastair and I were friends during our youth. He was such a promising student, the best amongst us, and the role model for all others to follow." She said and looked at him, smiling as she did.

"He became a Dragonlord at Twenty one; the first in a hundred years."

"Dragonlord?"

"Yes. Each mage gets a special affinity with an animal once their powers have reached the Apex. They either chose the beast or the beast chose them. Just like Rheina here..." She said and caressed her cat.

"... Alastair got a dragon. It flew right from the sky and choose Alastair to be its master. It was a glorious day. But, even he could not resist the temptations of the darkness. I had been expelled from the Keep for saving someone I should have killed. Alastair helped me settle in. So when things went sideways, I, too, helped him settle in."

"What happened?" Cara asked.

"He should probably tell you that himself. But know that he hasn't used his magic in sixteen years. For him to break that rule, you are one special child."

Cara sighed. "But, I don't feel special." She said to Elle. She was about to reply when they both heard a loud banging at the door.

The cat screeched when they heard the banging. Cara and Elle exchanged glances and as the banging came again, Elle slowly stood up.

She picked up a candlelight and walked towards the door, gently opening it as she did. She spoke to someone outside the door and then, opened it for a young man who was badly wounded in the neck. He had claw marks which made Cara shudder at the sight of him.

"Sit. Let's take a look at that." Elle said to the young man.

He looked at Cara, then at Alastair, and then at Cara again. She studied his movements. Something was not quite right. As Elle attempted to touch the wound, the young man grabbed her hand, twisted it, and quickly took out a knife which he dug into her stomach.

Cara screamed as he did. He was a sorcerer. It made complete sense!

He turned to grab her but Elle held on to his leg. She tried her best to stop him but he kicked her away. At that moment, Cara began to feel overwhelmed. Her heart rate had increased. She suddenly began to feel the energy around her and the sounds became louder.

She closed her ears with her hands as she seemed to be hearing thoughts from miles away. And then, when the young man touched her, she screamed, unleashing the massive amount of energy that had gathered within her.

She burst out in terrific flames, fixing the young man on the spot as she burned him to ash. And then, a powerful wave escaped her body and blasted the door apart, burning the other two sorcerers that were standing outside to ash as well.

Elle looked in awe as she breathed on the ground, the knife still impaled in her. As Cara settled down, she slowly looked at Elle, at the cat, and then at Alastair who was gazing at her with a satisfied yet, confused look on his face.

Who was she exactly? Alastair asked himself as Cara slowly looked away in shame.