Death & Discovery

Hiro remained in the hospital wing, his eyes carved with concern and apprehension; his witch, or his mother, Hiro had decided to call her, was left lying on the floor, neither dead nor alive.

It was a horrendous moment for Hiro; he had lingered for 8 hours around the hospital and questioned nearly every hour whether his mother was fine. The receptionist would sometimes tell him yes, and sometimes she would bob her head in a concerned technique.

"Hiro Himura, you may go visit Patient 142 in Room 26 upstairs." The receptionist beamed at Hiro, wishing him good luck, but as Hiro trod up the stairs, he sensed that his mother...was long gone.

He knocked on the door, but there was no response; Hiro could hear the edgy physician and nurse conversing about her.

"She's in a crucial state, nurse. She fractured her femur and almost harmed her cranium, but there's a little crack situated near her brain...She also had a stab with a spear through her stomach, which could cause death..but I..." Hiro darted his eyes through the keyhole and eyed the nurse who was handling letters.

"She may survive, according to the analysis. There is a 3% chance she will survive, but have a long-term influence, or she may die. But, as she is a necromancer, she likely can heal herself, but we cannot take action yet, Doc." The nurse swiftly spoke, her voice more confident and warm, than the Doctor's deep voice.

"Ahh...I hear our visitor is here at the door...Let them in, Nurse Iyo.." The doctor chuckled as he witnessed Hiro stride inside.

"Hiro? The Hiro? Oh my, doc! It is but our youthful fellow companion that had confronted in the war!" The nurse gabbed on about the war; she imitated with her hands the mighty blades and the unctuous blood from the enemy wounds.

"Ahh..yes.Hiro Himura! Great to finally meet our little hero.." The doctor told though his words were considerate and welcoming, the cold embrace he was about to provide didn't seem authentic that he was actually satisfied to see Hiro.

"Well, your witch, she'll survive...but she requires about a full consecutive three weeks of retrieval according to our data.." The nurse articulated she displayed Hiro the forms, and put a hand on his shoulder to console him.

Hiro paced to the infirmary bed and shivered as he watched his mother, a once thriving lady now nearly destroyed; it was unduly disturbing and eccentric to Hiro.

"Hiro dear, oh so great to see your alive..but I have to tell you something..." The witch spoke; she was pleased to see Hiro, who had nearly shattered into tears.

"Take this amulet..a gift from since I was young.." The witch opened a draw with a trembling hand and passed him an amulet.

"You know how i have this? It is because your mother was one of my siblings; she was a witch as well but died in battle. My other sister, the crooked crone, and is still out there; the only possession I had from your mother or my sister was this charm. She swore that if she died, I would take care of you, and I would act as a mother. I hope I fulfilled that Hiro, I hope I never made you feel angry with me.." The witch muttered in a soft voice; Hiro's eyes widened, and the nurse observed awkwardness and humiliation.

"Your mother was an amazing necromancer, Hiro. She was superb, her and my other sister would pretend to play games of fairy tales and use cardboard wands. Oh..it was fun!" 

"You need to know now, I'm not going to survive, but you have to keep strong because I will make sure, with all my strength, to keep you secure...Hiro, do not venture to find your lost mother, she is gone I assure, and if you would want to go...you will see the Sign! "

The witch chanted and waved goodbye to Hiro; she perished but was smiling; how? How could someone beam in their own death? Knowing that they were going to go, was she going to stay alive? Hiro rested on the hospital bed, left to ponder about the amulet and her mother.

There must be a connection...

The forest! There was a diamond-shaped boulder with a gap; could it..be?

He could recall the amiable hands carrying him to an enclosure; her actual mother was wearing an amulet, the same as he was holding 15 years later, her mother positioned the amulet in the gap, and they both marched into a lighted room, then darkness...

He had no courage to venture...it was no point...the witch had commanded...