Tale Of A Berserk Healer

Ryth breathed in the moonlight through the open window, and focused onwards, slowly pushing his core to expand and thin the walls.

Before he'd been worried about making it lumpy by doing some sides faster and messing it up, cause then he might die of a heart attack.

But this time after some research into a LOT of random subjects(not sure he needed to know that heat can be seen in the spectrum of light if you can see past the red end of the spectrum of visible light), a solution became obvious.

He filled his core with mana, and then he forced even more in than would naturally fill it.

And as more came in, it applied even pressure to the walls containing it.

However due to the thickness of those walls, it was taking quite awhile to get them to start pushing away and getting thinner, and when it did Ryth had to be very careful not to add even more mana, cause it might make it expand too fast and rip or something.

And then he'd die.

Honestly he had no idea if any of this caution was AS necessary as he was thinking, but better safe than sorry, right?

(By tomorrow, hopefully I'll have a bit more to work with. Then I can ask what the others think this damn arrow is, get my answer for whether I passed or not, and start learning!)

~ ~ ~

"I mean, it sounds like an arrow of binding to me... but when did you get that kind of object?"

Ryth sat at the table in early morning.

"Binding? Like it's bound to me?"

Erakin scratches his head. "Well... maybe? Usually they're made using a combination of darkness and soul magic by an enchanter at a very high stage, and basically return to whatever they are made to match with."

"So... the idea is that when you shoot someone with the arrow, the arrow comes back."

"Exactly! You get a quiver of those things bound to that same quiver, and you have infinite arrows!" Branwen cut in.

"Okay, fine, but why the HECK IS IT FOLLOWING ME?"

"Calm down Ryth." Herald motioned.

"Mhhh... maybe it was bonded to you in the past? Certain noble families bind objects to their children to track them down if they go missing-"

Azolfos cut off looking at Ryth.

"Is your mother you mentioned... a noble?"

Ryth got paler.

"Ah. I see." Erakin nodded.

"Listen... she..." Ryth slowly tried to speak, then coughed.

"She's crazy. Dad took us away to protect Liv and I, and if this arrow is some way to find us..."

What then?

(I made the choice to get the blessing knowing it would make it easier for her to find us, but... for this to happen so soon after... all I can do is watch out. I can't let her find Liv...)

"Branwen, can you give a message to Joseph the carpenter for me?"

Branwen was startled by the sudden request and the tone Ryth's voice held, but nodded with a shrug.

"Yeah, sure."

Ryth looked about for some paper, and Erakin got up and grabbed a piece along with a quill and some ink.

"Thanks."

"No worries, seems like it's important."

Ryth hurriedly scrawled out a note and handed it to Branwen.

"You know Joseph the Carpenter right?"

Branwen shrugged. "Know of him I think, I can figure it out."

Ryth nodded, slumping in his chair a little.

(This is what life is. Handling one mess at a time and pushing past how tired it all makes you.)

Later that morning.

"Herald?"

"Yeah kid?"

"Thanks for letting me read and rest here. Even if I don't get the apprenticeship, I might still come by to study... but I don't think I'll stay here again."

"Does that have something to do with-"

"Yes."

Herald nodded, an odd look in his eye.

"Hey Ryth?"

Ryth turned from the door he was about to exit.

"...yeah?"

"If this doesn't work, or you are in need of an... open door of sorts, go to the church and say that you are there to apply as a grimoire candidate."

Ryth frowned in confusion, but nodded to show he heard, though not necessarily understood.

And then he left.

~ ~ ~

Both were accepted as apprentices based on a probation of 3 months, and the lessons began in a... well not very lesson-like way.

Master Benedict owned many books on the anatomy of both common monsters, and intelligent beings. Alongside these were many tomes on herbology, and other studies he had picked up, including oddly enough a shipwrights journal(?).

Study under Master Benedict seemed to go one of 3 ways near as Ryth could tell.

He set out a specific task, gave access to his library, and they had to figure out the answer, such as how to refine a herbs essence to make it more pure.

Other times a patient would come into the shop, and Master Benedict would use them as a lecture to give hands on experience and explain what each step and measure taken meant to both a physician and their patient.

Finally were the arguably easiest or most difficult tasks.

Taking what they had, and using it to create a new usage or improvement that could be used.

After 3 weeks of study and staying in the attic of the shop, Ryth had learned a lot, with many nights spent over the books, and just his practice and gaining of knowledge alone had brought him to the edge of level 3.

The fog had thinned, but still hung over the town, and the weather wizards found themselves unable to move it.

Magic seemed to have a hard time moving long distances within it, so tumors and fear ran rampant, a knifes edge the populace food on, but no panic started as simply... nothing happened.

A building tension in the background was the only sign as the silent leaders made moves and theories, and the repelling of the Spider's Nest was organized.

After 3 weeks, events once again began to move for Ryth, as he was sent to the market alongside Jonathan Dawnsbright for a herb...

"Hey! Commoner!"

"My name is still Ryth. Not commoner."

"What were we supposed to get for Master Benedict again?"

"Forget-me-nots."

"Right. That's such a weird name considering the flower has nothing to do with memory."

Ryth shrugged. "I sure wouldn't forget a flower that, when made into a tea, caused an erection that lasted days."

Jonathan shivered. "So crass."

"Oh grow up."

"I'm not imm.a.t.u.r.e! You're uncultured, rude, and practically a berserker barbarian!"

"Okay I punched you ONCE."

"IN THE FACE!"

"You have no evidence of that!" Ryth said as he picked up his pace to escape the angry noble reminded of his shame.

"Get back here you barbaric commoner!"

A stall-owner sighed.

His neighbor laughed. "What, does seeing those 2 constantly argue every day the past week make you tired?"

"Isn't it exhausting? They never stop."

"On the contrary, I find it energizing how much they trust one another."

"...trust?"

He shrugged. "It's rare you meet someone who understands where you stand, and you understand where they stand. Trust doesn't mean friendly... as evidenced by that knife."

"Should we be worried?"

"...they are healers... so maybe not?"

*slickt!*

"AAAAAAAAAH! MY ARM!"

"Shit, sorry! Was aiming for him, I'll fix that up real quick!"

"..."

"...let's close up till lunch?"

"Good idea."