The Gift of Life

After their dinner at the tavern, whose clients couldn’t have been happier about Yohan leaving, the two reached a line of simple, rectangular buildings in the yard of a fortress enclosed by a staggering wall. It seemed to be a casual setting, since Guardians were seen without their armor – not including Roe, that’d go against nature – and some even laughed, albeit stifled.

“These are the barracks,” Roe whispered. “Oftentimes, it is also where we are put to rest, some Guardians preferring to die with a sense of being ‘at home.’”

“This seems like the least likely place anyone would let me heal them…”

“From an outsider, yes. But I’ve seen quite a few who strongly want to hold onto life, fearing their service to the Nexus was insufficient.”

“Oooh! Enough to break the law over?”

“That’s what we’re going to find out. And keep your voice down, would you?”

Yohan followed her into the barracks, trying to his best to be “unsuspecting” as he strutted with hands in his pockets and nodded to various soldiers. Down the stone staircase was a hall of doors, some with small squares of white linen hung over the doorknob – meaning that, as Roe explained to him, a dying Guardian was inside.

She creaked open a door, Yohan eagerly behind and keeping in a giggle. On the bed was a wounded Guardian, his body bandaged with bloody cloth. He was awake – either too weak or too indifferent to react much to their presence. Roe silently closed the door and pressed her back against it. The rest was left to the Mender.

The Guardian’s eyes squinted as Yohan giddily approached. “You sure aren’t looking too good, my friend,” he said. “Let me guess, an anomaly?”

“Several of them…”

“And it seems like you’ve fought very hard.”

The man coughed. “Not… Hard enough,” he grunted in pain as he shifted upward, “Many… Civilian deaths. These anomalies – are not the usual.”

As expected. Spawned as destructive, threadless “errors” whenever the Nexus expanded, the creatures had always possessed alarming, freakish qualities. How much worse would they be if appearing outside their own parameters?

“I killed as many as I could… Yet for what use? The land is a hazard, thanks to our ineptness…”

“Hey, now. You should be easier on yourself—” but remembering his purpose, he switched to a different tune. “Oh, but alas! What’s done can’t be changed. If only you could go back in time, do things differently.”

“Ah, indeed… If I had the chance,” he coughed again, his voice then feebler, “I’d make sure every anomaly was slain.”

That was Yohan’s opening.

“Aha! But what if I were to say that such a chance exists?”

“I fail to understand…”

“Your life. I can preserve it.”

“You are a Mender? Well, my healing was already denied by another of your tribe… There isn’t anything you can do.”

“Of course there is!” Yohan rose, sticking a finger in the air, his other hand on his hip. Excessive, but to him, it only added to the… “Epicness” of the moment. “You said you wanted to live, brave warrior. So, why not? Why should we be able to dictate your life?”

“It’s a standard as old as time… For the supply of Limbo’s sake, it is a necessity.”

“Yeah, yeah, Limbo, Shimbo. We are simply clinging onto regulations we no longer need, all out of fear!” he formed both his hands into obstinate fists, “And in these days, there’s already enough fear – we don’t need more. No, what we need is to make the most out of our time, not let the people suffer unnecessarily!”

“As a Guardian, it is my job to abide by—”

“Silly talk. Take her for example,” he pointed to Roe, “she gets it. Choosing to follow her own will, rather than being a mindless puppet.”

“Don’t tell people about my personal affairs.”

“Oh, sorry… But anyway! That’s what you should be doing, good sir. You say you want to give those pesky anomalies a lesson? Then do it! What do you have to lose? Nothing at all.”

The Guardian didn’t speak as he thoughtfully considered his passionate words. Yohan was a spring of energy on the inside, anxious yet hopeful thoughts ricocheting in his brain as his heart beat fast.

“Say yes, say yes!” he thought.

And finally, he said what Yohan craved,

“Alright…”

“R-Really? You mean it?”

“Actually, on second thought, it is quite indecent—”

“Too late!”

He cracked his knuckles with a giant grin, then the mending commenced. Wandering threads hovered aimlessly over bones and organs no more as they were attached again to the body. The Guardian looked guilty, yet just as undeniably, there was relief as his health was given back to him. When his life was replenished, Yohan stepped back – watching as the man evaluated his condition by slow movements, checking for pain or frailness.

Then he smiled – faintly, but still, it was a smile. For Yohan, cuddled by warm and fuzzy feelings at the sight, it was more than enough.

“I sincerely thank you,” he said with renewed vigor, and while clutching a dagger, “Tomorrow, I shall head out again. This time, I won’t fail.”

“Haha! That’s right you won’t!”

“There are other warriors like me, who deserve another attempt at the battlefield. You’ll find them all along the hall, though some will require more convincing… I don’t know why you chose to heal me, but if you extend the favor to them, you’ll have my utmost gratitude.”

“God bless you, you wonderful man!”

Dashing to the door, Yohan grabbed Roe’s hand to drag her along. “Come, there are lives to save!”

“I wasn’t intending to be involved further than this—”

“Too late!”

The remainder of Yohan’s night was consumed with diligent persuasions and admonishments from those more resolute. But by sunrise, over half of those near-death were standing upright and ready to serve another day, each driven by the desire to rectify their defeats. Yohan beamed brighter with every healing, while Roe was baffled, having not expected this much success.

“I’ll slaughter them all, until none remain!” claimed his last patient, swinging her sword.

“Yes..!” he cheered on the edge of collapse.

“And after that, I’ll find that useless soldier who failed to report this news sooner, getting us into this mess. Roe Darcy, they said her name was. If I ever see her, I’ll—”

Roe stepped closer. Unintimidated, she leaned right into her face and said, “You called?”

“It’s you?” she growled, taking in her appearance. “Hmph! You certainly don’t look like a coward, but I guess that’s why they say to not judge a book by its cover.”

“What’s this about me being a ‘coward?’”

“Um, ladies, ladies…”

They both shot Yohan a look, making him shut up. Darting back to Roe, she said, “Don’t you dare act ignorant. Word is you chose some man over the safety of civilians. You should feel nothing but ashamed.”

“That ‘man’ happened to be another soldier, or is that not important?”

“You know where our priorities must lie, and besides, I doubt that mattered to you anyway. You’re probably just some dumb, desperate woman who drools over the guy, and can’t get a grip on your pathetic emotions.”

The girl was slapped so hard she sprawled out on the floor.

“Roe! I just healed her!”

“She’ll be fine,” she said collectedly. “By the way, you wield your sword like an amateur. You getting almost killed is your own fault, not mine.”

The door was kicked open before the other could retaliate, a trio of Guardians entering the room. Immediately, their view was on Yohan, and just as swiftly did they snatch his arms and restrain him with shackles around his wrists. There was no question for what the reason was – illegal healings, which clearly offended someone so much that they snitched to their comrades.

“Oh, come on! Can’t we talk this out?”

“You can ‘talk it out’ in court. Get to moving.”