Tale Of A Berserk Healer

Jonathan simply nodded in excitement however, and began to push and pull golden energy between his hands, guiding the power through him and into his own eyes, before looking at Master Benedict with the glowing eyes.

Ryth stared in shock.

(What the actual heck?! What are you doing?!)

Jonathan nodded to himself. Then he suddenly exclaimed "WAIT WHAT?!"

Ryth jumped at the sudden shout while Master Benedict smiled in satisfaction.

(The kid saw it pretty quick, he's got skill at least.)

Jonathan almost said something, before stopping himself. "Right, I must wait for the commoner."

(Oh! He learns quick too.)

Then they both turned expectantly to Ryth... only to see an expression of sheer confusion.

"Uh... you want us to sense the magic?"

"Yes."

"Ah. Right... okay."

Ryth nodded, furiously trying to think.

How would he sense an injury? Put in healing power and feel where it got absorbed.

How do you sense another's magic?

Ryth stepped forward, and pushed his power out and into the air around Master Benedict, creating a sort of golden dust that floated about him.

Ryth was focused on trying to do something he'd never really intentionally thought about, so he didn't catch the expression shift on both Master Benedict and Jonathan's faces.

(The hell?! What kind of stage 1 can divide his power that finely! Wasn't he level 3?!)

(Why is the power so pure? Mine is dim in comparison, he's not even using that much so why is it so bright?!)

Having a core does a lot more than just make evolution possible by fusing the source into yourself, or make you strong by purifying that source inside you.

It also increases the purity of your power by creating a stronger connection to the Arcane, and enhances your control in the process.

Ryth never thought about these effects in connection to himself however...

(Okay, I know that a healer reacts badly to the energy of another healer, which means healing mana interacts with other mana as if it were different or foreign.)

Based on that...

The gold mist slowly gathered as dust on the surface of the staff and master apothecary, and began to fully glow and pulse, as of light was spreading as a wave from man to staff, and back again.

Ryth could feel the magic in the staff like a rushing current, a stone walk, a movement and yet an obstruction that stopped his own magic.

He felt how the staff and Master Benedict's magic flowed, and-

He ran out of mana.

The stream of golden light cut off suddenly, the dust dying out of existence while Master Benedict frowned.

(Did he give up?)

"Sorry, gimme a minute to recharge."

"..."

"..."

Um. What?

(Recharge? Like... your mana?! Are you EMPTY?! You expect us to wait till you're full again?! That's going to take WAY too long!)

(That's... pretty severe. Does he have so little, or did he use most of it beforehand? That seems poor judgement considering his attitude thus far...)

The two stood in silence, their thoughts racing a mile a minute, before Ryth suddenly spoke again.

"Okay, I'm good now!"

"...?"

"...uh?"

Good? Good what? Give us more to go on!

Once again fine particles of light spread and gathered to the staff and it's wielder, and began to pulse in rhythm.

(It's a... heartbeat? No, not exactly... the pulse of mana is synchronized between the two!)

The mana came from both! He didn't supply the staff, it had it's own magic!

(The STAFF has it's own connection to the arcane sources?!)

Suddenly the light cut out again.

"Did you... run out of mana again? Mr Noxim?"

"Ah? Yeah, but it's fine."

(Fine?)

(Fine my ass!)

"So... who's explaining first?"

Ryth looked to Jonathan, and he hmphed.

"Well it's obvious. The staff has its own magic, somehow. It's own power source, or connection."

Master Benedict have no acknowledgement or refute, and as a few seconds passed Jonathan began to feel nervous.

Finally he simply turned to Ryth.

"It has a heartbeat, that matches yours. The staff has a connection to the sources that somehow is identical to your own, which indicates it probably grew with you right?"

Master Benedict leaned against the shelf behind him, tucking in his chin.

"Yeah," Jonathan added on, "it has its own lifeforce. Somehow the staff is alive."

Ryth nodded with a shrug, a bit nervous himself as the apothecary gave no sign of his thoughts.

"Okay." He finally said.

"You can both leave for today. Come back tomorrow and I'll render my decision then."

"..." Ryth stood still for a moment before bowing. "With your leave, Master Apothecary."

He turned and left, leaving Jonathan glancing about a bit in panic before following suit.

~ ~ ~

"Even if I don't make it... I did my best. Now, I think what my next step..."

Ryth mumbles to himself, casting his mind to his stats.

(I wonder if Harold has any books discussing traits... I want to get a better idea of what these could mean.)

He started walking, only to hear the door shut behind him.

"Commoner!"

Ryth kept walking.

"Hey! I'm talking to you peasant!"

"HEY!"

"..."

"STOP IGNORING ME!"

Ryth sighed, turning to Jonathan who'd been chasing him.

"Yes Jonny?"

"Why wouldn't you-Wait WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!"

"Look, I got things to do. If you're just here to scream in my face, could you f.u.c.k off?"

"No-I-I came to-but... AGH!"

Jonathan shook his head in frustration!

"WHY ARE YOU SO HARD TO TALK TO?!"

"Maybe you could try using my name... which you've heard. And know. And maybe you could try not supporting the blowing up an child's ARMS FOR A SICK JOKE."

Ryth was suddenly in Jonathan's face, and he took a step back in shock.

Ryth's eyes were hazel, with flecks of something else Jonathan couldn't quite notice.

Jonathan found himself stepping back, despite being taller than Ryth.

Something about the way he was set...

Ryth stared in rage. "The next time, you can try acting like a HUMAN BEING. I've seen f.u.c.k.i.n.g goblins with more compassion for their own kind. You and people like you are sick."

"I-I'm a noble!"

"Big. F.u.c.k.i.n.g. Deal."

Jonathan took another step back, and Ryth took a step forward.

"Nobles are human beings entrusted to protect commoners! That's why you get the privileges you do. To use that to oppress and hurt the commoners is to betray the ENTIRE POINT of the nobility!"

"That's bullshit! We rule because it is our divine right!"

"Oh yeah? Says who? I don't remember Ketair ever coming down. The one and only people who were ever given ANY 'divine right' were the saintesses of the past!"

"I-I am nobility! I am higher, and you are a commoner!"

"So what? You came out here to brag about your birth?"

"No, I came out here to-aaaAAAAAAAGH!"

Jonathan suddenly Tree his arms up into the air! "I GIVE UP! NEVERMIND!"

With that he turned and stomped back to his carriage, and it's speechless guards.

Ryth flipped him off and walked away, leaving a lot of very confused passerby's.