Disclaimer: KingsIsle owns everything presented here. Obviously.

Worldview Explanation: My characters, for the purposes of this story, are around college age. I view Ravenwood as more of a high school/college sort of institution, even though the game constantly calls the students 'kids' and 'children'. This view is because I try to bring game worlds I write about to life, and having Ravenwood as a college nicely covers many things. Such as why everyone can read and do math without taking such classes. It also nullifies the slightly disturbing notion that the faculty and staff of Ravenwood, Pigswick, and probably Dragonspyre once, are all more than willing to put children into dangerous situations, rather than handle the dangers themselves. I am also of the opinion that taking on Malistaire took a few years, not a few weeks. These views make the subject matter of this fanfic a little more appropriate for the characters than if I was using 14 year old wizards. I realized some folks might like to know this, and I couldn't think of how to present this in-story without it seeming terribly contrived and out of place.

Author's Intro: This story is a continuation of The Fire Within, detailing the aftermath of what will come to be known as the Incident. Once more, there will be no explicit Wizard nooky in this work, although it will be alluded to and possibly glossed over at some point as the story progresses, as it plays a major role in the plot. However, this story is rated M for more than just its saucy side. There will be blood, gore, and death. But there will also be life, humor, and growth.

This is the story of how one traumatic event can open one's eyes and change a life. A story of rebirth and renewal.

The rising of a phoenix...

From The Ashes

The Healer Within (Prelude)

Alia sat at her shell table, brown hair disheveled and eyes sunken. She was weary and worrisome, constantly looking into the hallway that led to her room.

"Ah-lee-ah," her name was drawn out from her sister's lips like a mother trying to get the attention of a child, and the diviner turned her head quickly to direct a narrowed gaze at her sister. "This is supposed to be a break, remember? Don't make me have to tie you to that chair."

"But…" Alia gripped the edges of her clamshell chair and glanced towards her room again. "But he still needs-"

"Whatever he needs, mi cuñada," Miguel interrupted with that characteristic, soothingly accented voice of his while reaching out to hold Alia's shoulder, "you cannot provide if you collapse from exhaustion." Alia sighed, looking at the plate of food laid out for her. Her company had already begun to enjoy their meal, cooked by them in her kitchen. "Now eat."

There was good intention in their actions and Alia knew it, but part of her ached at leaving Talon's bedside, where she had spent the last two days trying to reduce the swelling around his broken bones and get said bones properly aligned. Based on her magical analysis Rowan had cracked his jaw in at least two places and completely fractured it just behind his teeth, with fragments everywhere. His cheekbone was also cracked, but she had already filled it with rejuvenating energy and it was healing. The ribs were proving most difficult as they moved with his breathing so she had to work in time with his breaths.

And all of this was with a minor in the healing arts. Alia was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the task, doubting her ability to heal all his wounds before he succumbed to them. If he did, it wouldn't be due to a lack of effort on Alia's part, as she had been working for hours at a time ever since she woke up that first day to Talon screaming in pain, having regained consciousness.

In fact, this was the first time she could remember eating a proper meal since bringing Talon into her home. She had canceled the meet-up for dinner because Talon had needed her. Until now, she'd only taken breaks when she was too tired to go on, or too hungry to concentrate enough for her spells. Right now was neither one, though her stomach did rumble in protest of the recent neglect.

Just as she picked up her fork to try Miguel's latest fish filet, however, a low moan came from her room. Tasha and Miguel both looked uncertain of the sound, until it became a gurgling growl. By the time it reached screaming levels, Alia had reached the hallway.

"Just relieve the pain, then get back here and eat!" Tasha yelled over Talon. The couple exchanged worried looks.

The cries subsided as a soft song filtered out into the dining room, a wordless lullaby of comforting tones that even made the two of them feel at ease. Intermittent sobs could be heard over the singing, but eventually they too subsided. A moment later, Alia emerged, more grim and fatigued than ever. She inhaled deeply, then walked slowly back to her chair.

"Have we heard anything from them?" Alia spat, stabbing her fork into the fish with such violence it bounced of the plate and the fish fell apart. She didn't need to clarify; her sister answered that no, they hadn't heard from Kane or Rowan in the last two days. Alia began muttering under her breath, her anger raising her voice. "… absolutely heartless as he is, no surprise there. Bet the two of them are fuc-"

"Let us worry about them, cuñada," Miguel interrupted for Tasha's sake, predicting her line of thinking. "You focus on healing Talon and then on getting him… well, emotionally stable again. We'll handle the rest."

"It still isn't right," she muttered, now trying a little more calmly to spear her fish. "They should at least be checking on him. I don't see Kane with agonizing injuries."

"Well, the unicorn healed him," Tasha answered. "Why hasn't that unicorn healed Talon like he –she, it- healed us?"

"All the unicorn's energy had been used up healing all you guys," Alia answered while she ate. "And the next morning, it was gone. I guess it had to return to its grove to rejuvenate, but I haven't had the time to go looking for it." She sighed heavily, slumping on the table. "I could really use its help though… I don't have the energy to keep this up."

"Well, that I can assist with," Miguel stated, bringing his hands together as if in prayer and closing his eyes. Orange light sparked and sizzled in front of him, churning through the air to form a Balance symbol. Upon completion the symbol sank into his body, which began to shine with light. A cloud of sparkling dust rose from his body, floating over to Alia and raining down on her.

The surge of magical energy did indeed help with one of the many problems she faced right now, but it was only minor. However, she did have an idea. "Miguel, do you think you could help me get a cast on Talon's leg? It's broken, but I don't have the energy for it as well, so I figure I'll just put a cast on it and let that heal naturally. He'll be bedridden for at least a month so it's not a high priority."

"Seguro," Miguel replied.

"I'll take that as a yes," Alia ran a hand through her hair, the only combing it had received for a while. She hit a knot and groaned. Along with hygiene, a laundry list of other non-healing duties flooded her mind; for example, the upcoming examinations this month. Talon would undoubtedly not be healed by that time, and she needed to study. "Talon's little incident is going to wreck my semester, I'm sure of it."

"Should be good for your Theurgy grades though," Tasha provided to cheer Alia up, and got a small chuckle in return.

"If this doesn't, I don't know what will."