Ashes Remain

It doesn’t seem real. It seems like it should hurt a lot more despite being impossibly painful. Maybe it’s not as bad as it looks?

I hear Toross calling for medics as he pushes me towards the slums. Or he’s carrying me? Can this heal? Can I still grab things? I try to grasp my hands, but I can’t seem to move them properly. Before I’m able to move them, someone wraps bandages
around them. Coarse wraps that absorb some of the blood leaking out.

Suddenly I’m aware of my surroundings. And the blinding pain in my hands. I scream out into the air. I’m barely conscious when Toross drags me into one of the medical buildings with the other captains being carried by elven archers. We’re sat on cots
and humans in blood-soaked aprons spread a type of goo on my burn marks and
wrapped more coarse bandages around me. In what seems like an eternity of
endless pain before they were done. And on to the next batch of injured.

The goo was soothing but I was still in a blinding pain. I let out constant groans as I
tried to get comfortable in my cot. Naz spoke up first. “You a wizard kid?”

I spoke through gritted teeth. “First spell.”

“And it created a new river.” Wal was stiff on his cot being careful not to move at all,
less his burnt skin gets torn off. He was barely conscious, but he still managed to
talk like normal. I think he may be even more of a monster than he looks.

Still very aware of my own pain, I said “And it cost me my hands.”

His eyes drifted down towards me from his sideways position across the room. They were burning with fatigue and ready to close but he forced them open. Normally, all I see when I look into his eyes is an unshaken resolve, like he’s ready to do anything
to achieve some goal. That resolve was still there, but now it shone for a different
purpose. Like he was actually trying to speak with me for the first time. “If not for it,
I would’ve died. Thank you, Kar’Desh. Thank you.”

His mission competed, his eyes slid closed and he drifted off into a sleep. Naz and
Maheed were just a shocked as I was. “I thought the stones would turn to sand
before I heard that lizard speak so true.”

Maheed’s hissing rose up behind Wal. “Agreed. I didn’t know he had a heart.”

Naz returned to his questioning. “That aside. Kid. Where’d you learn to use magic at all?”

Could I tell them about my meeting with Aroura? That wasn’t supposed to be a
secret, was it? I’ll just answer a different question until I find out. Except I would, but
my whole body aches and burns in ways I never knew possible. I grunt as I force
out the words. “I was told that anyone could use magic.”
A groan and a few deep breaths later, I said “Just envision your spirit and what you
need.”

That seemed to throw him off track. “You mean I could wash away a town like that
too?”

I hold up my hand. “Wouldn’t recommend it.”

At that moment, Aroura burst into the room, breathing heavily and muddy. She
wasn’t wearing her normal dress, but instead a normal foot solder’s attire. Except it
was a little more royal with embellishments on any open plates of armour and
chainmail wrapping around her head. It was strange to see a women wearing men’s
clothing. She spoke with heavy breaths. “I heard the captains-oh. You’re quite
injured.”

Naz sat up “Lass, what’re ya doing wearing something like that out here? Someone
could mistake ya for a-“
She walked right past him and to me. “Oi!”
Naz blabbered on.

Her voice was quiet. It’s like she’s a completely different person. “What happened to you?”

I tell her about the fight with the wizard with a few embellishments. I may be blinded by pain but I can still see an opportunity as bright as the princess’s favour. All the
while she inspects my wounds. Naz keeps yelling at us… “Kid, you know this lass?
Tell ‘er this is a warzone.”

I tell her about Wal and that I cast a spell to douse him. Naz’s voice overrules the
chorus of groans in the building. “I know I told you to find a busty lass, but now is the wrong time! I meant after the war!”

She stares into my eyes with worry before touching my stomach again. When she
does, her eyes widen and then dart to my hands. She begins unwrapping the
bandages. “Oi! Are ya even listening!? Youngins! Listen! To their elders!”

Alright, that’s it. “Naz!”
I glare at him with pained, tear-stained eyes and his face softens, if only for a
moment. Maheed manages to stand up and begin talking him down.

Aroura realizes what she’s doing and stops. “My apologies! May I look?”
I’d rather not see the gaping hole in my hands again. But maybe….

“Can you heal them?” She puts her hand on my gut and closes her eyes as Maheed
tries to stop Naz and tell him that this is the princess.

Her eyes open after a moment and she confidently says, “I’m certain in my abilities.”
I nod and she begins unwrapping again. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Naz’s
face drain of all colour. He became even more white than his beard. He and Maheed begin franticly apologizing.

The last wraps around my hands fall to the ground and I yell through clenched teeth in pain. I didn’t expect just opening them to the air to hurt this much. Aroura pales
at the sight of bone and gags. When I open my eyes, I feel the colour leave my face.
She reluctantly and gently places her hands over the holes where my palms used to be. When she touches them, a new surge of pain spike through my entire arm, but I
tried my hardest to keep still.

She began speaking words I didn’t recognize. Another language maybe? Blood began flooding the edges and staining her tiny delicate hands. After a moment, pale
glowing green orbs began floating out of her. At first one by one, but then by the
dozen. Then by the hundred until they flowed out of her like a stream. What comes
after a hundred? A dozen hundred? Soon the entire building is filled with the magical orbs and their combined light is almost as blinding as the pain. A minute or two has passed when she finally opens her eyes. As soon as she does, the dozen hundreds of orbs begin filling my hands.

She and I watch in amazement as my pain subsides and my palms reconnect string
by string until my hands are fine! I stare at my fixed palms for a long moment before I let out a chuckle as I hold up my hands in front of me and grasp the air over and
over. Only then did I notice it wasn’t just me. The orbs were flying onto everybody
and sealing wounds, or in Wal’s case, un-burning his skin. His scales went from
charred black back to his normal blood-red. Naz swatted at the little magic orbs like
they were bugs until he realized that they were restoring his beard. Then he tried to grasp them and pull them to his beard. By the lords, what’s wrong with dwarves?
Maheed’s fur was regrowing and the burn marks underneath were disappearing.
All of the others laying in the building were restored no matter their injury.

I rip off my bandage with my newfound appreciation for hands and studied. Not a
single scratch! I don’t know what plans Aroura has for me, but they might just be
worth it! It’s never happened before, but I’m in a human’s favour. She taught me
how to save Wal and even took care of the consequences after. I tried to thank her,
but she fell forward and crashed into my chest.

This must be mana fatigue. She told me about it last night. Apparently when a mage uses too much of their magic, they grow tired and can’t use their bodies. Now that
I’m not being blinded by pain, I can notice a tiredness in my soul. I guess I used
up most of my mana when I created all that water.

She speaks softly into my chest. “Sorry. I’m just…”
She can’t continue.

I laugh at that. “Sorry? For what? You just healed everyone here.”
She doesn’t respond. “Are you resting back at the inner wall? I’ll take you there.”
She nods her head weakly. “Can you walk?”
She doesn’t respond again. It wouldn’t be comfortable, but I don’t know how else to
carry someone. I grab her hand and bring it down to her knee before scooping her
up unto my shoulders despite wearing armour, she’s surprisingly light like a… Sack
of apples. I feel like I should come up with a better comparison, but I’m too
distracted by the miracle that just happened here.

Naz almost looks see-through, he’s so pale. His mouth falls wide open and he falls to his knees. He let’s out some breathless pleas as I walk out. “What are you- That’s the prince- Put her down-“

Before I leave, I turn to the back the other captains. “Toross could use some help
cleaning up. I’ll be back.”

Maheed simply nodded and agreed. Naz’s ancient face stared at me with pure worry. Wal was still sleeping. I stepped out.

Carrying Aroura back to wherever she was sleeping was the least I could do to repay her. I didn’t like being in the favour of a human, especially one with so much power, but I can’t deny that she deserved it. I really thought that I would never be able to
use my hands again. At least for a while. But she healed them and everyone else in
the building without a second thought. I have to say. She’s truly amazing. Even if I
have to carry her back afterwards.

As I make my way to the inner gate, I see more and more destroyed buildings. Slums houses collapsed and burnt. Some wet or even frozen with a thick blanket of snow
covering them. So, she fought and defeated a phoenix and then came to heal us?
My appreciation and admiration for her continues to grow. I thought she told me
that phoenix couldn’t die. They just turned to ash, then rose again? A battle
between a magic beast and a witch. This must have truly been a spectacle.

A knight on his horse and full plate armour spotted me and rode towards me. “You
there! Elf! There are medical buildings at the front line! We do not take your injured!”

I explain to him that this is princess Aroura and he almost tried to kill me! Why would I be carrying the murdered princess back here, if I killed her? I wouldn’t! I think
Aroura might be the only logical human. Eventually he calms down and lets me
explain the situation. He presumably takes Aroura back to her tent so my job here is
done.

When I return to the west gate, dusk is beginning to set. Toross spots me and
explains the situations. He must have been out of range of the healing orbs because he still has burns visible through his burnt clothes. Karvithian bodies still liter the
ground although not as severely as before.
I noticed the piles of demi-human bodies. These were all the people who had not
survived the assault. Toross continues to explain that the Karvithians retreated and have fully abandoned their attack. I listen as I walk over to the piles of corpses. So
many of us. Toross stops talking when I kneel over the countless faces. I feel a
conflicting group of emotions. Anger for the invaders, but sympathy and pity
remained. Maybe it was for our fallen troops. It’s hard to tell.

After a moment of silence, I finally said, “I recognize so many of these men. Most of
them told me their stories. About their families. About their plans for the future… I
led these men to their deaths.”

Toross puts his hand on my shoulder. “We couldn’t possibly have known they would attack so soon.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about. If I hadn’t stood with Aroura that day would these men even be here?”

He’s silent for a moment. “If you brought them here. Then send them off properly.
It’s the very least you could do. I’ll join you.”
He draws an arrow from his hip and uses the head to cut his hand. He puts the
arrow back and places his bleeding hand in the air over the heads of the fallen and
walks down the line, letting his blood drip on the grass just above their heads.
“Today, you all died as warriors. The lords shall look kindly upon your sacrifice.
Journey now onto the lord’s embrace and live on as their warriors.”

Once the last drop of blood fell, he retracted his hand and turned to me. “A tradition forgotten by our people. The humans simply see death as a thing to be mourned. As the end. They couldn’t be more wrong. Life is our opportunity to prove ourselves to
the Lords and death is merely the gateway unto their embrace where they will
determine our soul’s purpose and there is no greater honour than to fight by their
side. The blood of the living jerks their spirits awake, and the words guide
them.”
He points to the sword on my side and says “You too. Send them off.”

I wasn’t exactly thrilled about getting another injury on my palm, but I figure they
weren’t exactly thrilled about dying. I make a cut on my fresh hand and let the blood
drip above their heads. I walk down the line from the first elf to the farthest jarcoba.
“I am proud of all of you. You’ve helped push demi-humans in the right direction. I’ll make sure that your hopes for the future come to reality. That your families can lead proper lives. So, head into the Lord’s embrace where you may fight by their side
without worry of your attachments here. They’ll join you when their time is due. No
sooner.”
The last drop of blood falls from my hand so I pull my arm back.

Toross places his hand on my shoulder and nods. “A fine farewell speech. Come. Let us leave the others to say their own farewells. We’ve much to discuss.”
I just noticed the many people who surrounded us. People from all the races had
gathered and were listening intently. There’re even some humans who stopped to
listen. When Toross and I leave, they all converge and begin talking to the bodies of
their fallen comrades.

Toross and I reach the resting houses where we find the other captains giving out
orders through jarcobian messengers. Wal spots me out of one eye and marches in my direction, the resolve in his eyes returned. “I heard what happened from the
others. If you see the princess before I, please give her my sincere thanks. I have not
forgotten my debt to you. Simply call upon me whenever you wish for me to repay
it.”

Having a saurian to call upon at any time could prove useful. Very useful. “I’ll make
sure to put your favour to good work.”

He nods and gives off a truly terrifying teeth-filled smile. “I knew you would. You’re
not one to waste my gratitude.”
He reaches out his hand. “Let us fight many more battles, side by side.”

erased from his face as though he never had it. He turns to our troops and yells out orders. And with that the day was over.