The Promise

After the whole fight at the Finrow’s estate, I didn’t consider it a wise idea to stay around. I knew that Eri would find me when she finished. She knew where I would be staying. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind anymore. It was strange to not have that feeling. I would have to get used to it. It had been too long.

The healer at the Markets told me that all of my bones around my wrists had been completely crushed. I didn’t even know how it didn’t hurt more. But damn Eri’s mother was insanely strong. She had to be a smith just like her father. Unless cat people naturally were strong. I didn’t know. But that definitely put some fear into me.

With a day to spend, Ala Pena was open to me. Hoyra looked into the potion ingredients for the curse removal, but as I expected they had none. And only knew of one of them. Elega Root could be found in the northern part of the Bhern Forest to the west, but she emphatically warned me it was dangerous. That gave me a future goal and direction.

However, I stayed in town doing odd jobs that the Markets had posted. I really needed something a little slower pace after all of my excitement this week. My heart needed a break. If the monsters didn’t kill me, the high intensity work just might.

By the late afternoon of the next day, I returned from some errands when I heard the familiar voice of Eri in the distance. I turned before entering the Markets. She was all cleaned up and back in her armor and sword. The wild energy bounded towards me in flame and smiles.

I grinned back, seeing her return. “Eri! Finished up your work?”

“Yup! Not really a surprise anymore, but here!” She pulled out a box that fit neatly in her hand. For being a family of metal workers, it was actually a wooden box. Polished black wood like found all around the town. I could nearly see myself on its surface.

Accepting the gift, I looked inside to see what she had made. It was a pair of ornately designed spheres. One looked like it was bronze having a burnish orange tone and the other almost white but reflective still like metal. Unlike the set I had that were plain, these had etching along the surface in the native language almost looking like a magic array. It even had a small attached pole with a set of stylized clouds hovering on the white orb.

I looked up to Eri. “They’re so detailed. It’s beautiful, Eri!”

“I never made a Stellar Well before! So I had a lot of trial and error to get it to work.”

I picked up the metal pair feeling the weight in my hand. There was a little more heft to it and with the extra design and detail they wouldn’t roll around anymore. “They look great! I imagine they’ll work perfectly.”

She dug into the box pulling out a thin leather strap with some clasps. “I saw how you’re always digging it out of your pack or carrying them in your hand. So I made this so that you can put it on your belt and just tap them free when you need!” Eri went to demonstrate without even checking. I had sort of missed the brazen attitude. But when she finished I could see how helpful it would be. I didn’t realize she noticed how annoying it had been for me.

I smiled to her. “Thanks! I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

“That’s a relief. It’s been a while since I made anything! It was exciting!” She was nearly glowing. After how much I had seen her troubled over her parents and tradition, it was encouraging to see that weight lifted from her. I was happy to see that she found an answer.

Eri looked over to the Markets. “Did I interrupt you?”

“Just returning for some completed requests.” The clock tower above thrummed as it hit five. “You ready to rejoin my party?” She nodded and stepped alongside me as we entered the Markets together. I grinned having her back.

This was a strange and new world for me. It wasn’t Earth or Japan anymore. I needed to leave behind my preconceptions and assumptions. A new start was ahead of me now. I left just intent on proving someone wrong. But I think I could find something here. I was the Cursed Healer, but that didn’t mean I needed to be alone.

We would travel this world together. That was my promise.