Healer

The weather was particularly good on this day. Strange how the world around them did not change even with such tragedy. It was merely a warm sunny day. It would have been all too easy to assume that nothing was amiss in the world if not for the anguished cries just beyond the tree line.

From here the village was not visible and yet Ahna knew exactly the scene she would witness as soon as they moved into view. Even though this thought should have scared or even disgusted her she felt very little for the village that had most likely lost a significant portion of its populace. Once again she questioned whether or not something was wrong with her as a person or if this was all the doing of her new body.

While the wraith pondered this, Demiurge looked around, taking in every detail to ensure that his lady was safe. The male was keenly aware of how vulnerable she was in her new body. He still wasn't pleased that she had left the tomb, since they had not yet ascertained how dangerous the outside world was for his masters. Though he couldn't say much as she had not only himself but Albedo and Lord Momonga to rely on out here. The four of them would be a great challenge to beat even if the group was high level.

Regardless, he would prefer that neither Supreme Being need sully themselves with the scum of this world.

"Let us go, Demiurge." His lady's voice summoned him to her side as she began her path towards the harrowing cries of the villagers. She was about to step through the brush whn the devil swiftly moved forward and with a single flick of his long sharp claws he sliced the offending vegetation from his lady's path. He held out his hand to help her over the now destroyed plants.

Her dulled eyes looked to the outstretched hand and she gave him a soft chuckle before grasping it in her own. He was proud to be able to assist her even in this small way. He was well aware that she did not need help crossing twigs but he did so out of respect. It gave him a great sense of pleasure to know that she trusted him the most in the tomb, as she must since she had asked him to escort her into this new and yet to be known world. Not to mention, she gave him her weakness to guard against.

After carefully guiding her through the defeated brush, he fell back into a position behind her. They were on the outskirts of the village now. The rather simply built houses had large stains of blood coloring the weather-worn wood and large pools of blood indicating where bodies used to be. She could easily tell that the bodies were moved from the bloody drag marks and footprints mucking up the puddles.

Ahna tilted her head looking at the gore in front of her. Many would probably be horrified by it or describe it in gruesome details. However, the wraith felt no such feelings, as if this was just a puddle of red colored water upon the ground. She felt nothing more than that. Red water. She was getting over the lack of reaction better than she should have. But if she wasn't feeling anything she couldn't very well make herself react.

Her eyes trailed through the village unable to spot the large skeleton, perhaps he had moved from this side of the village, or maybe even into one of the quaint little huts that dotted the streets. Regardless it was rather unfortunate that he was not in view, it would make finding him all the more tedious.

"Who are you?" A tentative voice sounded from her left. She snapped her head over to see a little girl sticking her head out of a defiled home. It must have been her own home as she clung to the doorframe fearfully. Nothing. She felt no pity for the trembling child. No, in fact she felt something akin to disgust. The girl was sooty and dirty. The grime was only broken by trails of tears and snot running down her lips and bubbling from her nostrils.

The wraith tried very hard not to pull a face of disgust. She was never quite fond of children but this was a whole nother level of disdain.

Pushing aside her initial reaction she braced her hands on her thighs and leaned down slightly towards the child. "Hello, little one." She cooed at the frightened child. "I'm looking for my friend. He wears a purple robe and is very tall. Have you seen him?"

The black haired girl bobbed her head. "That man went with the chief that way." She pointed towards a watch tower type thing with one of her dirty hands while the other gripped the edge of her skirt nervously.

"Thank you." She straightened and dusted the nonexistent filth from her clothes before walking towards the tower. "Demiurge, follow." She did not give a glance back to either devil nor child. However she could hear footsteps as her fellow devil trailed behind her.

"My lady." Demiurge's voice rang from behind. "You did not need to talk to that…child. I could have ascertained where my lord is without you having to interact with the villagers."

"She was scared and would react better to me than a man, especially since it was a group of men she watched murder the villagers around her." She spoke with nothing but confidence. "I just took the quickest path to my answer."

"Yes, my lady." He could concede that it was the quickest path but he also did not like the fact that she had to do something that had made her uncomfortable. He could see it in the lines of her posture that she did not want to speak to the child. He would have preferred to have dealt with it for her so she had no need to make such a look.

Her eyes caught a tall figure the closer they got to the watchtower. He was speaking to another man, who looked rather elderly, she assumed this was the town chief. She sped up her pace just enough that she would make it to him sooner but still able to walk. To everyone around her she looked like a woman who was on a specific mission.

"Hello," She called, causing all four individuals to turn towards her. Momonga was one of them and she found that he had not gone for a disguise ring rather metal gauntlets and a mask. Rather smart but much more effort than she had exerted. Beside him was Albedo who was clad from head to toe in black armor. Both were effectively hiding the fact they were monsters without the use of magic.

The older man stepped forward to greet her with an equally old woman. "Greetings My lady." He lowered his head respectfully. Odd of him to instantly bow his head to someone he did not know. "Lord Momonga has already informed us of your arrival. We are pleased that you and your compariates have helped us on this day, Lady..." The man seemed to draw short and looked slightly behind him as if Momonga would somehow just give him hername.

"Hello, Village Chief. My name is Ahna. This is my bodyguard, Demiurge." She gestured to the man behind her.

The lich moved up beside her. "We were just about to discuss the fee for saving the village if you wish to join us."

"Oh, really. Well, I would be more than happy to engage. I would also like to see if the chief would like to hire my own services as well. You see, I'm a bit of a healer. Looking around, I can see that you might be in quite the need of medical services. I don't use any herbs so the cost will be a bit cheaper than standard healers. Well, I could also trade information and dinner for the service if you don't have the currency."

The village chief looked at her in awe. "You would truly help us for mere knowledge?"

"Mere knowledge?" A smile twisted the girl's face. "My dear chief, knowledge is the most powerful currency in the world. Nothing is more valuable. Any books that will help me learn the language would be especially helpful." The leader stared at the woman agape. She spoke so frankly as if this were a lesson that the man needed to learn.

It was clear to Ahna that they spoke the same language, for some reason, but that did not mean that they could read it.

"My lady, we have many who are injured. Are you sure this would be worth it for you? I mean we really need the assistance but…"

"Don't worry. I will take care of it and if I find that the items you have provided me are not up to par…well I will return for dinner and lodging. Or perhaps even a lesson or two on…something." the woman trailed off leaving the words to hang in the air

The townspeople cheered, glad that the woman had been so gracious as to extend any additional payments to return visits.

Ahna's companions however looked at one another while she followed the elder. She had handled the man like a professional business woman…which shouldn't have been a surprise as that was once her title. But it filled Momonga with a relief that was more than he could ask for. He knew that they would be able to take on this world if they stuck together. "Demiurge." The skeleton called the devil's attention to him. "Give her whatever support she needs."

The devil nodded with a slight bow, not drawing too much attention but still giving the overlord his respect. Demiurge moved through the village trailing behind his lady and ensuring that she stayed safe. He didn't trust these humans, weak as they were. No, time and time again humans and their like had shown that they would turn on them with little to no thought. So he would not allow that to happen to his lady. Not this day or any other.

Ahna smirked to herself. It had really been too easy to get the deal she wanted. She was so prepared to give up some things in order to test out her magic, but she had not only gotten a field in which to test her divine powers. No, she got the chance to check and see if the written language was the same as the spoken language.

It puzzled her that they could coincidentally speak the same language as the inhabitants of this world. There must be a reason…perhaps there were players who had slipped through before the two of them, unlikely as it was. Maybe that's how this world's language started.

Still she would find out why. But first, a test of her magic. She was hoping that her spells would work but just in case they didn't she had a plan. Obviously it would be too odd if she suddenly were unable to heal when she said she could. So she planned to tell the leader if she was unable to heal them that the weapons must have been cursed so she would not be strong enough to break such a strong curse. They would need to heal naturally, unfortunate but nothing she could do.

It wasn't the most thought out excuse but somehow she guessed that the man would just accept the excuse if she said it with enough confidence.

"This is where the severely injured are. We…we aren't sure if they will make it." The chief spoke from outside what seemed to be a longhouse.

She gave a nod of her head. "I will take care of them if they are able to be healed." Ahna gave the vaguest answer possible. While Demiurge was not sure why the woman had answered so vaguely. She was immensely powerful, so healing some weakling humans should not be difficult for her. Perhaps this was a mental reservation. Afterall who would want to heal someone who had repeatedly attacked her and her subordinates?

The village chief merely looked uncertain. "It might take more mana than you have to heal all of the injured. Please if you could just focus on the critically injured." He bowed deeply to the healer. "We are incredibly grateful even if you only save just one life." The old man glanced behind him at the villagers who were collecting more and more bodies. They were crying as they lifted those that were once friends and family into a dirty hand wagon. Bodies piling on top of other bodies like sacks of rice. There were too many bodies and not enough time to collect them all before the decay and disease befalls those who were left more or less uninjured.

"Very well." Her reply cut off further discussion. "It will be best if I treat them as fast as possible. So I will take my leave." She spoke politely but Demiurge had noticed nothing about her posture seemed at ease. No, not even the little smiles, that she so willingly gave to Nazarick denizens, did not reach her eyes nor were they as natural. He found that he hated these fake smiles. She should not have to cater to these disgusting humans who were not aware just how blessed they were to have her personally take care of them. They should bow upon the ground and swear their undying loyalty to her and his lord.

Her hand pushed the longhouse door open to the smell of blood and sweat. Horror crossed her face. No not from the injuries that had been brought to the townsfolk nor the gore. No, what had the woman cringing was the way they were laid out. Dirty cloths were wrapped around wounds while laying on the ground with nothing protecting the wounds from being smeared with dirt. Each injured person was laid side by side, some laying even in the blood of their comrades.

"It seems that they know nothing about basic first aid." She grimaced, moving one of the unconscious patient's legs with her leg. "I should get this done quickly, I don't wanna stay here any longer than I need to."

As a player who has had her same character for close to a decade, Ahna was acutely aware of what spells she had. However, these villagers were not all that high level and she didn't want to waste too much mana in case the unforeseen would occur. So a lower spell would work good enough for them.

"[Mass Cure Wounds]" She extended one pale hand towards the huddled group of both critically injured and not so critically injured. She felt a sensation sweep from her chest down her arms, past her fingers and manifested into a swirling white light that laid out like a blanket over the area. As it gently fell upon the injured she gave a genuine smile. Their wounds even the little ones stitched themselves together. A pleased feeling spread through her chest as she stared down at her hand.

She could use her magic…She would be able to keep her people safe. "Let's meet back up with Lord Momonga, shall we?"

Demiurge watched from the side of the room, close enough to protect her but also to be out of her way. He had seen the brilliant white light that had engulfed her person and the golden glow to her eyes. The self pleased smile on her face was more than he could have asked for. Despite the unworthy creatures, he was happy that he was chosen to come with her just to see that look. He was the only one to have experienced this moment. His one precious moment to see her this way. No other guardian would be able to have this moment. It was his.

Her words signaled the end of the moment. He obediently moved to the door to hold it open for her. It was time to rejoin the tomb's residents, no longer just the two of them. It was time for the Supreme Ones to take hold of the village once and for all.