Obligatory Chapter Heading:
Chapter 29:
"I'm okay, I'm okay." Elreid waved her hands, fending off the others' ministrations.
"What happened? You both just... collapsed." Dawn was frowning, the worry clear on her face. On everyone's faces.
"I- I'm not even sure I can describe it. But!" The Lancea smiled at me. "Ana helped me gain control, and that's all that matters."
"I'm a Black Mara now." Our Sorceress said, staring intently at her.
"Vena Plaga."
Had Death told her that, when she'd made the deal? Or was it innate, just a knowledge that she'd gained after the transformation?
"What does that all mean?" Merritt was looking between the two, frowning a little.
"Names for specializations that can only be gained through making a deal with the Spirit of Death, according to all the research I've done."
"Are there others?"
"Yeah, that's why I asked, because I wanted to make sure she knew what she was now." She held up a hand, putting a finger down for each. "Black Mara for a Sorceress, Vena Plaga for a Lancea, Bleed Phantom for an Assassin, Oracle Elder for a Kali, Arch Heretic for a Cleric, Silver Hunter for an Archer, and Dark Avenger for a Warrior." A pause, hesitation. Eyes flitting to Alina. "And the Ray Mechanic for a Tinkerer." Which was what Alina was.
"Weren't you supposed to be training with Marsala?" Dawn's face was pinched, like she was thinking hard. "How did you make a deal, with her around?"
"Well, actually, I went around to a lot of different Sorceresses and when I reached Mana Ridge, I used Zethial's name to get myself access to their libraries. After I'd read up on everything, I sought Death out. There was a ritual in one of the books, that was for summoning her. Well, it ended up making me go to her, instead. After I'd made the deal, I was a little... Kayleen called it reckless, and she insisted I tell her what demon I'd absorbed. Yeah, absorbed. That's how it works. You don't work with the demon, you get possessed, basically. Anyway, I told her I'd made the deal, and she trained me on how to control and use it. But she also said "fuck it" and taught me both of the specializations a Force User can learn, so I'm also a Majesty and a Smasher. Stupid name, Majesty. So dumb, to call it that."
Everyone gaped at her. Because of which piece of that, I couldn't say, but I knew I was more thrown by the possession part.
Wait.
I gasped, sitting up straight suddenly, startling Liam and Merritt, who were by my side.
"When Zofya comes back, she'll be an Elder Oracle. Aedethali will be a Silver Hunter, and Zethial will be an Arch Heretic. Because they're all going to make deals with Death."
That was when Illaria started acting dodgy. Her eyes darting away, refusing to look at any of us, started playing nervously with her hair.
"What is it?" I frowned, touching her arm.
The force of the vision knocked me back down. I was still aware of-still see-what was happening around me, watching the others immediately rushing to see what was wrong. I murmured I was fine, just in a vision, and for them to quiet down.
I was in a well-kept library, people in white outfits-Clerics, by the looks of it-bustling around, arms full of books. At one of the tables, Illaria was pouring over several books at once, her attention moving between them every few seconds. Making soft noises every once in a while, nodding to herself.
Eventually, after an unknown time passed, she shot up, stumbling away from the table. From the book she'd just glanced a few lines of. Curious, I willed myself closer, wanting to see what had spooked her that much.
And felt my stomach plummet. Black Mara, Vena Plaga, Arch Heretic, Bleed Phantom, Dark Avenger-they were all classified as evil incarnate. While the Oracle Elder and Silver Hunter were both "from the Goddess herself." The Ray Mechanic was a class that, having been passed down through spoken lore over what was almost a century, had been listed as a work of fiction. Because no one had seen one. But it was, however, still put down as a neutral class. One that didn't seem to care one way or another, so long as their personal missions and wishes were fulfilled.
Evil incarnate, huh?
Wait.
Zethial... This would... It would be so hard for him, having devoted his life to Altea, and then...
Why had-would-he... Why make the deal? Why would he do- Dawn? Did he want to be with her that much, that he would possibly cut himself off from his Goddess? If I was Altea, I wouldn't turn my back on someone like him. Someone who was so devoted, who worshiped her with everything he was. I wouldn't have the heart to do it.
Illaria took a deep breath, steadying herself, before returning to the same book. Finding the ritual after several more pages, copying it down, word for word, even drawing the little images. She was a decent artist, actually.
The vision ended, and I blinked a few times, momentarily distracted by the fact I'd been able to still see, during it. That had never happened, as far as I could recall. Had it, and I'd just forgotten? Altea had told me Death wasn't holding anymore of my memories, but I could've just forgotten on my own. But I didn't think so-
Focus.
The Well was right, as usual. I needed to focus, or I would continue spiraling down that rabbit hole, and I didn't have the time. And I didn't really want to, either.
Merritt had reassured everyone, after they'd ignored my attempt, Elreid fending off Dawn again. Liam and Black Opal talking amongst themselves. Illaria had been staring at me intently.
"I saw the book." Was all I said, and it was enough.
She paled and looked away.
"What book?" The Cleric glanced between us, sighing when neither of us responded. "Okay, well. Now that that's taken care of, we should go to the inn and reserve ourselves some rooms again."
"I kept ours, so at least there's that one done. Don't have to worry about one."
"And maybe we can stop in and see Eltia?" Elreid asked hesitantly, getting to her feet with the aid of Illaria and Dawn, dusting herself off.
"That sounds like a great idea! She, uh," Merritt looked embarrassed. "still has the dog, right? I, um, may have forgotten all about the pup."
Everyone's eyes widened, and I mean everyone. We'd all forgotten about the dog.
"I feel like a terrible person." Elreid covered her mouth, looking like she was about to cry.
"So do I..." The Sorceress sighed, shaking her head.
"Well, hopefully Eltia still has him." Dawn offered, her own expression stricken as well.
Merritt helped me to my feet, and we all rushed toward Lotus Marsh.
Along the way, I moved to walk beside Illaria.
"So, I have a question, and it goes back a long ways. Back to when we first met."
"I'll try to answer it, if I can." She hedged, looking uneasy. Wondering what I was going to say.
"Okay, so. When we first met, you were unconscious. After I helped Liam with the goblin problem, and you all were awake and on your feet, you healed yourself a little."
"Oh, that. I had a headache."
"But... you're a healer?"
She laughed, stopping in her tracks, bent over. Everyone looked back at us, curious. I waved for them to go on ahead.
Wiping her eyes, she straightened, shaking her head. "I'm not a healer, by any means. I can fix a headache, that's about the extent of it. Little minor inconveniences. I'm nothing like Merritt and Zethial. Or you." A knowing gleam in her eyes now. "I know what you did during the second Serpentra fight."
"I can heal, yeah. I've said that before-it's not a secret." Which was still so weird to me, that magic was a public thing.
"Oh, I'm aware." She fluttered her fingers at me. "That doesn't mean any of us know the extent of it. We were all on our last leg, Ana, until you came to join the fray. We'd be dead, without you. Both your healing and your fighting skills."
A long moment passed, where we picked back up walking and continued for a bit.
"There's something I want to try, but I need some help." I ventured.
"Lay it on me."
"I want to see if I can purify the sickness from you guys. It may also help Charti's tribe, if I can figure it out."
More silence, as she digested that.
"Don't tell the others, not until you know for sure, and, well, I'll be your test subject. If you can do it... If you can cure it, so many people will benefit from it."
"Yeah. Thanks."
"When do you want to try?"
"Maybe after you guys go see Karacule, see what she wants you guys to do. You could say you're going to help me with something and break away from the group. Or I could do a group message and ask you to help me with something?"
"I like the second option better. Makes it better than me just going "oh, duh, I forgot but bye," you know?"
I giggled. "Yeah."
An errant voice from the Well stopped me in my tracks. It was a blur, I'd accidentally caught a piece of it.
About Feder. How Feder was the first king of Saints Haven, had united Lagendia. How he was, according to Karahan, still alive. And, according to how Karahan had reacted when I'd brought him up, not a good guy. So, then... Had something happened, between when I'd met him, way back when, and now? Something that had made him switch sides? I needed to do some research, on top of this experimenting, it seemed.
Focus. One thing at a time, Ana.
A Few Hours Later
We'd gone to see Eltia, the dog running up to us and slobbering all over Elreid when she knelt to scoop him up. It had been a nice little break before the ball started rolling.
Presently, I was pacing my room at the inn, stressing over when to call the Sorceress over. How to do it. A group message, sure, but how should I word it? I knew I was focusing on the wrong thing, that I was actually anxious about whether or not it would work-not how to word that I needed her help.
"Guys," I sent across to the entire group. "could I borrow Illaria? I need her help with something magic-related. I'm at the inn."
A pause, while they were talking it out, probably.
Then, "Yeah, she's on her way right now."
It wasn't long before she was walking into the room, shutting the door behind her.
"We're not doing it here, are we?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Whether or not it works, if you pass out, I'm not carrying you back here to get you on a bed."
"...You're right. Here is good."
"That's what I thought."
We shared a quiet laugh.
"Okay." I was anxious, nervous, afraid it wouldn't work. Afraid trying would hurt her. "Sit there." I pointed to the side of the bed. She did as I said, and I crouched in front of her. "Relax. Take a few deep breaths. Try not to fight my magic, it might feel weird."
She nodded, trying to relax.
I placed my hands on top of hers, closing my eyes, and reached out with a thread of magic. It wound its way from the center of my palm in my left hand around the fingers of her right hand, moving toward the center of her palm. I felt, saw behind my eyes, it slither through her body, to her heart, eventually making its way out through her left hand to my right.
And then, it got weird.
A strange, tugging sensation in my left hand. Waves of pain in my right. Sending and receiving. Oh, no. I wasn't purifying her-I was taking the sickness into myself.
"Oh... Goddess, I'm starting to feel better. Whatever you're doing, it's working."
I couldn't stop. I had to see it through.
Perhaps, you can purify it once it's within you.
It's worth a try-
Especially since you refuse to stop this.
A mental response. "I can't stop. It's helping her. If I can do this for everyone... I'll gladly take all the poison into my body, if saves even one person."
I could hear the sighs, but not one voice argued with me.
The thread snapped back to my left hand when it was done. I felt woozy and weak, but she looked... She was glowing. She looked like she was feeling a million times better.
"Ana, I-I can feel that it's no longer in my body. I can feel it." The Sorceress leaned down and pulled me to her in a tight hug, her tears making my shoulder wet.
I didn't regret it, at all. I couldn't, not when she was so happy. So healthy.
"Can Clerics feel the poison?"
"Once we knew what it was, Merritt checked us out herself-checked us all out, actually." Everyone but me. "She did you while you were asleep, like she did with Dawn and Black Opal." Oh. "She said she could feel it, like a dark stain in the image she gets in her head."
"Oh, wow. That's cool, actually. You should have her check you out, then. See if she still sees that or not."
Her eyes went out of focus, and it took a moment for her to come back to herself. "She's on her way over. They were just getting to Karacule's to turn in some herbs, so she's good to leave them."
She pulled back, smoothing her clothes and giving me a smile. She was just so happy.
A quick glance out the window told me that a few of hours had passed, the sun lower in the sky than it had been when we'd started. I hadn't realized it would take so long.
Merritt walked in, a curious expression on her face, several minutes later.
"So, what did you need me for?"
"Can you check me out again?" Illaria wasted no time.
"Sure." She sat beside the Sorceress, hand on her shoulder.
As the seconds ticked by, her expression shifted, strained. Concerned. Disbelief.
"Illaria... You... What did you do? Was it the deal with Death?"
"Say it. Please."
"You don't have a single trace of the poison in your system."
"YES!" Illaria jumped to her feet, pulling me with her, and spun us in a circle.
The Cleric sat there, confused. Waiting for us to come down from whatever cloud we were on.
"Ana can cure us! She can purify the poison! We need to get Elreid and Liam over here, asap!"
"Actually." I held up a hand, all but collapsing as I sat on the bed. "I think I'll need a day or two to rest, after that. After each, probably."
"Oh, of course! I just want to tell them as soon as possible."
"Why don't you go find them and tell them right now?" Merritt gestured toward the door. "I'll stay here with Ana and see what I can do to help her exhaustion."
She darted out the door, like an arrow let loose, the door drifting shut in her wake.
Without saying anything else, the Cleric laid a hand on my arm. Her eyes widened, and she jerked back.
"ANA! Wha-How..." She took a moment to collect herself. "What did you do?"
"I was trying to purify it. I thought I'd be able to, since I can heal dragons and, apparently, the Goddess made it so they couldn't be healed. So, I thought, since I'm so special, maybe I could purify it."
"Why did you think you could purify it, though? Have you done that before?"
"I can purify-wow, that doesn't even sound like a word anymore-demons. Make them into spirits." I shrugged. "They're not the same things, but I thought I might as well try."
"And, instead, you took it into yourself?" Exasperated.
"I-Listen, you saw how happy she was. Once I started, once I realized what I was actually doing, there was no way I could stop. She said she could feel it leaving her. She was so happy, Merr. I couldn't stop. I couldn't bring myself to do that to her."
She rubbed her forehead, struggling. "Ana... You got her hopes up that you could heal Elreid and Liam."
"I can, though. I can do it. I know I can."
"I don't want you to get deathly ill, because you can do it, though!" Throwing her hands in the air, she shouted. "What's going to happen to you, when you take in too much? You're going to die, Ana! Unless you make a deal with Death, too, you're not going to come back!"
"That's okay. They won't be poisoned anymore."
"Are you even listening to yourself? Do you really think either of them would want someone dead, for their sakes? Do you really think your friends want you to die?"
"I'm more than willing to." I said solemnly.
It gave her pause, her eyes searching mine.
Just then, the door burst open, Elreid at the head of the group, running over to me as soon as she saw me.
"You can cure us?!"
A fond smile stretched across my face. "I can."
Merritt didn't say anything.