Chapter 24 - The Journey Back

The Elf didn't talk much as they walked back.

He wondered if it was out of tiredness or embarrassment. He figured it was both. Either way, he wasn't going to bother her. She went through a lot during the fight at the cabin, she deserved to rest. Probably needed to, too. Earlier, he proposed the idea of visiting a high-ranked healer when they got back, just to heal her completely of her black veins. He'd ask her more about where to find one when they reached the forest wall.

"Peter?" Maya asked.

"Yes?"

"What you did back there. That was blood magic, right?"

Oh, right. He never told her. Thoughts of her angry at him ran through his mind, but at this point, he couldn't lie about it. "Yeah."

"And you knew this magic for how long?"

"For a long time."

"Huh. So you know blood magic, but not how to use a regeneration spell?"

"Nope. Is that strange?"

"Yes. That regeneration spell I showed you is much easier than what you pulled back there. How did you become a blood mage while skipping the basics?"

"It's a long story."

"I bet it is. You have to tell me one of these days."

"...Are you not angry?"

"Angry at what?"

"My blood magic. I thought you'd be super scared of me, or at least pissed at me. Why're you so calm?"

"Well... truth be told, I was frightened when you did that, but I realized that even though you're a blood mage, but you're not a blood mage, if that makes sense."

Peter looked at her, a confused expression on her face.

"Like, you use blood magic, but you don't use it in the way a blood mage uses it. You used it to get rid of the poison in her body. A blood mage would never do that. A blood mage is never concerned with the wellbeing of their companions, only themselves."

"Speaking of poison, should we pick up the pace?"

She shook her head. "Taykaw's poison infects blood and corrupts the veins, starting from the wound. As long as the poisoned blood remains in the body, the veins will keep corrupting until it reaches the heart, where it completely shuts it down from working. No antivenoms work on it, so the only way to remove it is to get rid of the blood itself. That's why only the top healers in each Kingdom can cure it. They're the only ones trusted with blood magic." She glanced at the Elf, who was currently sleeping. "Since you removed the blood, the veins won't corrupt anymore. She's still weakened, but we can take our time now."

"How does that work? Do the veins not corrupt the blood itself?"

She shrugged. "I just know how his poison works. If you want the technical mechanics of it, you'd need to ask someone else."

He decided to chalk it up to magic and leave it at that.

Soon, they reached the forest wall, their knapsacks still sitting against the trees. He sighed with relief, leaning the Elf against a tree as he put on his gear. He wondered how they would carry three sacks with two people, until Maya picked up the Elf's gear. She seemed to struggle a bit, but indicated that she was fine. With that, they squeezed everything through the forest wall, until they were back squarely in Arkalo. Unable to carry her on his back, he resorted to the bridal carry, holding her tight to his chest. Admittedly, it was quite embarrassing, especially as Maya shot him slightly judgmental looks, but he told himself this was necessary.

A little while later, the Elf woke up and started giving them directions on where to head next. She spoke of a large city named Elkinare where they'd be able to find someone able to cure her veins. Not the best healer, but good enough. It was a good thing she woke up; they'd been heading in the wrong direction for about thirty minutes.

. . .

"I would've said something about entering the lottery but, I'll be honest, you already won it."

After arriving in Elkinare, they went straight into the office of a healer named Martin. Originally, he was born in Hylokans, but moved to Arkalo to pursue his passion for magic. At least, that's what it said on a plaque inside. He definitely seemed to know his stuff; he figured out quick that it was poison magic, and not just any poison magic.

"I don't know what you were doing outside, or how you crossed paths with Taykaw, or even how the poison managed to get extracted from the blood, but it's a good thing you came to me." He laid the Elf down on an operating table, strapping her down. "Any other low-rank doctor wouldn't have the know-how to treat these veins of hers. To be honest, you should've gone down to Fartown to ask for Teach instead, but considering the type of poison we're talking about here, she might've just died on the way there. If the poison was still inside, of course. How did you do it?"

Peter shrugged. "Uhh... we got some help from a passing blood mage?" 

Maya shot an angry look at Peter.

"A blood mage? Hah! You should be a comedian. Heard they're hiring at the local tavern." He picked up a flask containing a bright blue liquid and took a quick swig. "A helpful blood mage, let alone one doing it for free... that'll be the day."

A moment of silence passed.

"Well, if you don't want to tell me, then you don't need to. I'm a doctor, not an investigator. Now, let's do this quickly." He put on some goggles, put the same type of goggles on her, and rubbed his hands together. "You two should leave. It gets particularly bright in this room."

Maya nodded. "He's right. Let's go."

Peter followed her out of the room and into the lobby, where the two waited.

"That was a terrible joke, by the way." She said.

"That wasn't really a joke."

"I know. It was still a bad joke."

After five minutes, the doctor came into the lobby with the Elf, fully healed of her black veins. She stumbled around the room, her legs struggling to hold her up, but it was a definite improvement over not walking at all.

"Now, I do fully recommend resting for a couple of days before you do any more traveling, but she should be as good as new! Or at least, as good as she was before Taykaw came into the picture." He held out his hand to the Elf. "Nice doing business with you, Mrs...?"

She shook his hand, but responded with silence.

"Alright, not the talking type. Got it. Well, you three have a good rest of your day."

The three thanked him for his service, and especially the discount he gave them, and headed out, wondering what to do next.