Chapter 16:

I Swear It!

The Wind Calls the Flowers


The crystal on my ring started to glow brightly. I quickly summoned forth a massive fireball and shot it at light speed towards the creature. At the same time, I quickly conjured a fire wall which sprouted in the middle of its torso. As the fireball and wall connected with the target, the aforementioned target raised its heads, releasing a cacophony of pain as its body started to melt. It tried looking back in my direction, only to have most of its eyes be met by thin icicles.

As the icicles connected with the eyes of the creature, it finally fell, eternally defeated. I dropped the wall of light and heat and made my way as fast as possible towards the girl. Grabbing the tattered arm from the Chimera’s now lifeless mouth, I approached the girl.

I held the arm to an empty area where it had once been connected and began healing. While I was healing it, the villagers all came towards us seeing the Chimera defeated. The cries of the little girl in front of me did not interrupt the concentration I had while healing her this time. I couldn’t allow myself to become unconcentrated and have her feel the pain again.

“What the hell were you doing!” Scolded the mother of the girl.

“I’m sorry.” I replied, trying to shrug her off before I got distracted.

“I’m not asking for your half-hearted apology. I want to know why you didn’t shoot the monster when you had the chance!”

All the people in the horde were starting to get angry at her words. Not because they felt like defending me but because they agreed with her. It would only make sense, as I felt the exact same way she did. Why didn’t I take the shot when I could’ve?

“Hey, will you be able to fix her injury?” Another villager called out with an annoyed tone.

“It’ll heal, but she won’t be able to use the arm anymore.” I responded, this time in a lower tone, hoping no one would hear me.

“What do you mean?” Asked the village elder, hearing what I had said.

“Healing magic doesn’t bring back the ability to use a lost limb, it only reconnects it. At least it’ll stop infections.” I explained aloud, hoping they would understand.

This explanation only caused more anger from the crowd, causing the whispers they had been having to turn to angered screaming.

“I told you, leader! Bringing an unknown into the village was a bad idea!” Called one voice in the crowd.

“We need to have justice for this!” Another voice demanded.

The voices made me want to cover up my ears as they grew more and more distracting. They were starting to make me feel more and more depressed. I know I should have shot, but I couldn’t. I was scared of hitting the girl and killing her. At least with this, I could heal her. If she was dead that wouldn’t even be a possibility.

All these thoughts were words I wanted to speak but I couldn’t choke them out, as a part of me knew it wouldn’t really help, nor would it make me feel better. The crowd, seeing my silence at the situation, only became more and more erratic.

The horde was starting to push me, until they eventually pushed me with enough force that it caused my hand, which was healing the girl's arms, to move. This caused the healing I had done to start undoing quickly. The girl cried in more agony. Hearing it, I quickly rebalanced myself and restarted the healing.

A little bit of my progress was undone, but I was able to salvage most of it with my quick reactions. It should only take three more minutes at this rate, but if the crowd kept getting more violent, I would most likely not be able to finish in time. It seemed the crowd had become mute, however.

Peeking back to see what was happening, all I saw were grim expressions on their faces. Seeing the terrifying sight, I swiftly turned back to the girl and focused on healing her quicker. If I use more power I should be able to get it done even faster. Why? Why did they have that expression on their face?

“How could you?” The mother cried.

The colour I had seen in front of me had begun to fade, becoming a sad monochrome instead of the lively colours which once inhabited the girl in front of me. The words echoed through my head, starting with the woman's voice, but quickly turning into Fae's. The words haunted me like a ghost, tethered to the location it had died.

I tried looking towards the old lady for some sense of sympathy. But rather than what I had hoped, she had an expression of terror. When I made eye contact with her, her expression changed into a great anger.

“You dare hold us hostage with your healing power!” She hollered aloud, getting everyone's attention.

“What?” I replied wondering what was happening.

“It’s obvious you weren't happy with everyone's tone. You think you’re so great and powerful that you can get us to be silent by holding this girl's health hostage?”

At the statement, any warmth I had hoped to see from her faded quickly. It was as though the colour from her body had disappeared, only leaving black and white. That traitor! She knew better than anyone else here why I couldn’t shoot before. She’s an experienced mage, so what the hell!

“That’s why you looked at me. You were warning me that if everyone kept talking, you would kill them all!” The elder continued.

A loud gasp could be heard coming from everyone in the village. They continually kept voicing their disappointment at my actions. Just thirty more seconds and then I could leave. The constant ridicule was starting to get to me more than I expected it would. The sense of community I was amazed at seeing only hours ago had made me its new victim.

I wish I could fix it properly. This mistake I made. The regret I’m feeling. The sorrow and rage of the villagers. I wish I could fix it all properly. But this girl won’t be able to use her arm ever again and it’s all my fault. I’ve doomed her to a life of pain and suffering. It’s all my fault.

“Once you heal her, get out of here. I never want to see you again!” The leader called to me.

“I’ll come back. But when I do, I’ll be able to heal her properly. I’ll make sure I can get her arm working.” I responded hoping to lessen the edge of her words.

“Ha, like you would even try to find something like that. All you do is destroy. But sure, if you can find something, come back. I’d loooooove to see it.” She mocked.

Realizing her mocking tone, I stopped talking and finished up the process on the little girl. Quickly getting up, I did a quick pivot and made my way through the crowd. The crowd of anger and fear made a pathway for me to walk through, but I could only hear things which I wish I did not as I passed.

“The old woman’s right. There’s no way you can find something like that.”

“You’re just a destroyer and nothing more!”

“Maybe the Chimera wasn’t the only monster around here!”

“Stupid girl, leaving without giving an apology.”

“I can’t believe we’re just letting you go without any reprimand. Consider yourself lucky!”

“I’ve always hated you!”

“Monster! Monster! Monster!”

Eventually, their comments had been replaced with chants of “Monster”. I wanted to defend myself but instead bit my lip and endured through it. I tried increasing my pace to get through the crowd faster but the villagers only started clearing the way slower at the sight.

I hate this!

Finally reaching the end of the crowd, I burst off into a sprint, trying to get away from the mob as fast as I could. Having made some distance, I saw as the crowd began turning away from me and started to return to their village. I could make out the mother carrying her child with her, both of them crying as the mother held the little girl in her arms and the father tried to comfort her.

“Hey! Wait!” A voice called, stopping me where I was.

The voice was that of the grandson. Did I need to be ridiculed more? After all, I never did see him say anything. He must have something to say for his friend. Resigned to the fact that I needed to just accept what he was about to say, I turned around to look at him. The sight of him being right behind me made me worry about what he was about to say.

“I’m sorry!” He cried aloud.

“What?” I responded, taken aback with surprise.

“It’s all my fault! Sally getting hurt. Them forcing you out of the village. The ridicule you had to go through. Everything is my fault!” He exclaimed, sobbing.

I quickly dropped down and wrapped my hands around the boy. He was short and had a very thin build. The fear and regret showing on his face caused me to stop him from saying more, as I didn’t want him to go through the same thing that I had.

“No, it’s not your fault. It’s mine.” I whispered to him in an attempt to comfort him.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” He cried back hysterically.

“Stop. They were right, I had a shot and didn’t take it. So it’s not your fault. Say it again and I’ll slap you.”

“O-o-okay.”

“Thank you.” I let go of him, starting to turn back the direction I was walking.

“Wait!”

“Huh?”

“I know you couldn’t shoot since you didn’t want to hit Sally. It was obvious for me to see.”

“So what?”

“I know this, and somewhere in their hearts I think the others do also, but they’re just so angry they won’t acknowledge it.”

“Well… Thanks for that.”

“Please take this map! It’ll help you get around to other places from here. Also, please, if you do find something to help Sally, come back as soon as you can.”

“I promise I will.”

As I turned to leave, I waved to him with the back of my hand. This was the best goodbye I could give him for now. It won’t be a goodbye though. I’ll make sure it'll be a see you soon instead.

“I swear I’ll find out how to push healing magic further.” I spoke to myself.