13 The Art Of The Heal (1/2)

I let myself into the person's home while thinking back to the name of the requester who I was told by Isadora lived the furthest away: Amelie. I also recalled the exact details of the quest-request form.

[Quest:

Quest type: Heal

Quest Giver: Amelie

Quest Details: ”I went out into the forest a few days ago and a wild wolf got the back of my leg in a really brutal way. I am worried the wound is starting to get infected, as I have been feeling sick for the past two days. If any travelers or even any locals can help I'd be eternally grateful.”

Deadline: 13th day of Anthem

Reward: 10 escudos.]

I kept those details in mind as I peered out into the darkness. I immediately cast ”Prognosis” Amelie, relying on tremorsense to aim it.

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”Scanning target... scan complete!” The voice of my magic told me. I grinned as I walked into the home's entryway.

”I'm in the sala! Please come in.” Amelie's voice told me, beckoning me forth into the house. Her voice was also significantly weaker than before, when I was outside. There was noticeable strain in it. At that moment the voice of my magic spoke up, identifying Amelie's condition.

”The name of the target is Amelie Gutierrez. She currently has 12 hitpoints. 12 hitpoints are her current maximum, but that is due to a disease she is suffering from. You have a new spell that can identify the causes, and symptoms of diseases. Amelie's stamina point maximum is 5, also due to the aforementioned disease she is suffering from.” The voice explained.

”She has zero magical energy and like Troik is unmagical. She is suffering from a disease named Sloth's Exhaustion. It is a non-magical disease. Preparing recommendations for treatment...” The voice said to me before suddenly going silent.

I walked deeper into the house and stepped through a lit kitchen before entering a decently sized living room and even as I lay my eyes on Amelie my other senses were assailed. The living room had a thick stench of sweat and bodily waste. My ears were wracked by the sounds of a rough sort of exhausted panting which was audible in this darkened room.

Amelie herself was seated in a thick seat at a corner of the room. She was a heavyset woman and was covered in a layer of sweat. Her clothes were tattered and coming apart, and the skin visible past holes in her clothes hinted at her old, leathery skin. She looked exhausted but dragged her head up to peer at me. She had an unhealthily pale complexion, one that was clearly unnatural.

Her eyes were a strange color, an odd shade of white. It was like she was blind but I could tell from the way that she looked in my direction that she had some sort of sight.

”Hello there... I am, as you can... see very... tired.” She said, speaking slowly. Her voice was surprisingly powerful, and it carried well even if it was very slow.

”I can see that senora.” I said, speaking to her politely. Her lips turned upwards in a smile. She was direct with what she said next.

”Can you heal me? I know I am sick. I am... constantly wracked with pain, but it becomes horrifying whenever I move.” She said, aware of her sickness even if she didn't have a name for it. I looked her in her odd eyes and nodded at her.

”I can. I am more than capable of curing what ails you.” I told her, candidly. I was confident that I could handle her mundane condition.

She began to laugh. The sound was a wretched thing, more like a hacking cough than actual laughter.

”Oh good. I could feel myself... slowly atrophying here.” She said to me, relief flooding her voice. At that moment I stepped closer to her, intending to relieve her of her pain and discomfort.

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[Alert: Rejection Of Discomfort is activating for the first time. This is due to your proximity to Amelie. The power will wash over her, and become faintly visible in 3... 2... 1...] The system, or its automated cousin anyway, advised me. I chuckled and watched as a faint, pink aura suddenly emanated out of me and filled the room I was in with a gentle, pink tint.

The aura gently washed over Amelie. She was silent as it washed over her, but a few moments after it did she sighed in surprised delight as the effects of it caused some of her symptoms and pain to lessen in intensity. Her panting slowed, even if it didn't fade away entirely.

I smiled at her and spoke to explain what had just happened. ”My name is Althos. I am a healer. You'll find that I am... very good at what I do.” I told her, smiling at the woman. She smiled at me and spoke, her voice having more energy than before.

”I can see that already...” She told me. Her voice was a bit stronger than before and when she next spoke it was to deliver an apology.

”I apologize for the state of things. I sat down in this chair a week ago, had already sent the quest out, and... well each day my condition got worse.” She told me, her voice as strong as before.

”I was worried that yelling out for you earlier was the last of my strength.” She confessed. I smiled at her and pointed my staff in her general direction but not at her.

”You are stronger than you know. And now that I'm here you don't need to worry,” I told her, grinning openly as I said so. ”And now it's time for you to begin to recover your strength.” I said, happily.

I decided to test out the power of my blessing of healing. I put one hand between herself and myself and quickly asked the system how to bless someone.