Fantasy Wherever the Wind Takes You

[ShredKnives]

Is she right? Are those high expectations, or are you better than that?

"Ehhh, is she right? Are those high expectations, or are you better than that?"

She snorted, placing her hand on Reeve's shoulder. "You're a great knight, Reeve. Never forget that. You've done all sorts of crazy things, and you took risks and...Well, I don't think I would've ever had gone out of my way to go to that graveyard without ever meeting you."

"You're...Like the shoulder of this clique we've got! And even now, despite what you might think of your sword, you used what you had and saved us. That's great! Now quit having bad thoughts, because now it's getting all up in your feelings and I'm worried it's going to start reflecting in your behavior!"

...

"Mmm. There's no magic to regenerate your blood, I think...But there are ways to...Milk it for all it's got...It's something Alina would know...Maybe you could learn a thing or two about blood from a vampire?"

 

[Gary Sue]

Despite the piercing gaze of the sword getting more intense on Laila, Reeve quietly looked at her and tried to give some room for her positive encouragement... Maybe she was right. He did what he could, and if he kept feeling the way he was, it'd drag the both of them down. The only thing he could do for the time being, especially while their assailants were free to attack them again at any point in time, was learn how to work around his newfound power and keep them safe.

"... Okay. I'll try my best.", he said rather half-heartedly, though that was more due to exhaustion rather than because he didn't believe in himself. All this back and forth was mentally taxing, but at least he finally picked a side... for now, at least. He didn't have the room to doubt himself right now, in their current predicament. Amidst her advice though, there was a single issue.

"We don't know where Alina is though. Tom-... Your mother said that they were going to be taking care of the church matter. That means they won't be stationed at the shrine for much longer, and even if they were...", it didn't take much to piece the next issue together, did it? Still, he waited for a moment before sighing and turning his head to the side. "The shrine is at the opposite direction of where we headed, and we're going to station ourselves at Sesseth right..?"

The rather hurried tone that he was speaking in left room for something more to be said, and he looked like he held something back too. Trying to decide whether to let it be momentarily or not, he didn't get much of the choice as the sword offered some insight rather than confusion for once.

So you also sense it then. Sesseth-
​

There was no real way for Reeve to put this into words, but filling in for what the sword said, it looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "... it's calling. I can't explain it, we just- have to go there.", he turned his head to look at Laila once again, with furrowed brows and a troubled frown. "I don't know how, but I know they attacked us because we're headed to Sesseth. They want to stop us because..."

Because..?

"... I don't know. But we have to go there."

 

[ShredKnives]

Laila miro a Reeve. Ella noto su urgencia, pero penso que Sesseth era una ciudad con un poco de historia. Gary parecia que Sesseth tenía algo mas que historia.

Tal vez...Quizas, Reeve tenia razon.

"Sabremos donde esta Alina en algun momento...Tal vaz. Le gusta hacer ruido."

Ella se encogio de hombros. "Deberiamos apurarnos. Conseguimos esa arma, sea lo que sea. Y solucionamos sus problemas... Tal vez haga algunos amigos."

Laila asintio emocionada. "Suena bien?"

EN INGLES:

Laila looked at Reeve. She sensed his urgency, but thought Sesseth was just a city with a bit of history. It seems Reeve and Sesseth had something more than history.

Maybe...Maybe, Reeve was right.

"We'll find out where Alina is at some point...Maybe. She likes to make noise."

She shrugged her shoulders. "We should hurry. We get that weapon, whatever it is. And we solve your problems... Maybe make some friends."

Laila nodded excitedly. "Sounds good?"

 

[Gary Sue]

Whatever 'more than history' might imply, Reeve couldn't answer that for himself... only his gut feeling could, and even then, it was just a 'need' to go there. It had to be related to the sword though, since his curse's voice sensed it too. As for Laila's mention of Alina making noise, he knew she was right. Still, the chance that the two of them would spot the vampire somewhere as far from the shrine and Ruina... The prospect wasn't all that promising.

The rest of her plans though, were sound as sound gets. He gave a nod in agreement and offered a curt smile, looking down at his hand now that he finally got the chance to calmly examine things. At least having his companion around prevented his exhaustion or stress-induced panic from acting up. He looked at the blood armor, marveling at its design and dark color. It really did feel like something a curse would produce, black with a sharp design, polished to perfection and bearing some rather intricate carvings on it to make it more regal.

"Whoever made this sword wasn't lazing around, huh?", he joked before letting out a sigh, swapping his blade from his right hand to his left and quietly touching it to feel it. The armor felt... warm. Actually, his arm under it felt warm too. "... It doesn't feel nice to touch, though.", he clarified and shook his head in disapproval, heaving a sigh. A wave of fatigue briefly washed over him, and his focus blurred for a moment. "A-Ah..."

Woman. Take care of the fool, if you will.
​

Unrelenting and rude as per usual, the voice called out to Laila before its form began to disappear, coiling into Reeve's clothes before promptly disappearing, like it was never there. The armor began to fade too as it retracted into his wound, though some trying-to-be blood still poured out. That warm sensation from Reeve's limb didn't go away, though he assumed it was part of their lucid experience. "... Is there anything else?"

 

[ShredKnives]

Reeve might've quipped about the sword maker's passion, but Laila saw it as a sign of more than that. It took real effort to have a sword do that to someone, and whether it was a malicious item was...To be determined, but its offer was no different from a Faustian bargain.

And in their own little way, they had tried a multitude of ways to break out of it, following the fairy tale method of "outsmarting the curse." Perhaps, right now, they simply weren't clever enough. Laila refused to believe the deal that had been made was from a sword fully charged to be evil. It must've existed for the Abyssals for more than just that, and it probably was...But Laila wasn't entirely sure where the facts laid. After all, Reeve technically stole the sword.

"Take care of the fool, huh."

...

Was there anything else?

"Aside from your very rude mentor of a sword, I suppose that was it...Quite interesting to have a glimpse at your sword in its purest form...It kind of feels like a science experiment!! Uh, except for that you're the guinea pig...Sorry. I suppose if we want to see this curse gone, we'd have to go directly to the source...Maybe that's why you have to go back to Sesseth. Make amends."

Laila shrugged. "Is there anything else you wanna say before we drift off?"

 

[Gary Sue]

​

The man had very little to say about his sword's statement. When it came to Laila's comments though, he couldn't help but raise a brow curiously. "... Science? Guinea pig..?", all terms unfamiliar to him, but surely they were just some animals from wherever Tomoe hailed from, his mind was too hazy at the time to remember. Perhaps the most bitter feeling he'd experienced in recent times though, came after her final note. 'Making amends' by returning to Sesseth.

The place where he entered, he fought, he looted, he killed, and then he got banished. Despite the increasing conflict on his expression, he swallowed it all down and replaced it with a fake smile he hated showing Laila. But he had to try, right? For her sake.

"Yeah. We'll... find a way.", he tried to sound as confident as he could, even though he faltered some. The same way he faltered in keeping his upright posture, his focus wavering some. Was he really that tired he was beginning to drift already? He shook his head at her, offering a quiet laugh and rubbing the back of his neck. "No, I'm feeling good. We'll talk tomorrow- or some other time."

But was that really all? He took a moment or two of looking at her in complete silence, his smile widening some.

"I'm happy y-... We're still alive.", those were his parting words as the dreamy blood dripped and splashed on the grass once again, causing the dream to fall apart rather quickly. It didn't take long after that for Reeve to realise what had happened, though he still wasn't sure exactly how. Even so, the slight nudge to Laila's body should have been enough, followed by some groans.

If she didn't open her eyes and respond, he was going to have a rather rough night trying to clean up the freshly opened wounds again. "Did bringing it out in my dream cause this? It's like it just stretched itself open ag-", feeling a sting from the cuts he grunted and propped himself up against the alcove, holding the cut rather tightly. "Agh, gods that's killing me. Fuck."

 

[ShredKnives]

"Yeah. We'll... find a way.", he tried to sound as confident as he could, even though he faltered some. The same way he faltered in keeping his upright posture, his focus wavering some. Was he really that tired he was beginning to drift already? He shook his head at her, offering a quiet laugh and rubbing the back of his neck. "No, I'm feeling good. We'll talk tomorrow- or some other time."

Laila frowned; an awfully contrasting look to her usual bright face.

"Look, Reeve, you don't need to...Try so hard. You have a path to follow. I might be...I dunno, from a different pack of wolves, but...You've got your own work to be proud of. Never forget that."

"I'm happy y-... We're still alive.", those were his parting words as the dreamy blood dripped and splashed on the grass once again, causing the dream to fall apart rather quickly.

...

Worry about yourself first.

Dreamscape turned to blackness like a spiral of hazy fire.

====

The surprise brought about from the dream ending so fast was abrupt enough to interrupt Laila's sleep...Just at the pinnacle of Reeve's awakening. Her memories of the dream were retreating from her short-term memory fast. Something, something...About Reeve's sword...It talked and...Something.

Her attention caught to his groans, her hands springing up to work.

Cure Wounds.

"Ahh, here we go, I've got you, just relax...Feeling alright?"

 

[Gary Sue]

With the wounds closing up after Laila gave him a hand, he was left trying to catch his breath, giving her a nod to signal all was well- now at least. "... I should only use this if I'm going to practice, or if I have to. Even thinking about it seems to take a toll on my body.", Reeve thought to himself rather groggily, feeling his head heavy on his shoulders due to the sudden awakening from the dream.

Now that everything was good actually, it was the best time to take their shot and rest, wasn't it? Another deep sigh, a last nod and he made his way back to his roll, giving Laila a tired smile and trying to rest himself as he laid down on his right shoulder. "My head hurts too much. Ugh.", the knight groaned as he tried to get comfortable, but even as he failed, he fell asleep all the same.

The wave of exhaustion crashing down on him was too much, and he only realised that when in a single blink, it went from dusk to dawn almost instantly. Pushing himself off the roll and sitting up, he looked around to find his bearings, as well as the fact Laila had gotten a good night's rest too... hopefully. Truth be told, he would have been on edge about another potential attack if he wasn't as worn out as he had been after the first fight. "Come think of it..?"

His hand almost instinctively went right to where his wounds used to be as soon as that thought came about, but thankfully, they were still closed. "... Okay. Then we should be able to reach the next town soon..."

Standing up as quietly as he could to not give Laila too much of a shake and wake her up immediately too, he let his cramped body stretch some as his eyes moved on to the other co-traveller of theirs, Rivera. The horse exhaled quietly, earning a wave from the mute who rubbed his eyes. "He looks to be doing alright.", with a sigh, Reeve grabbed an apple normally intended for him and the maiden, but... might as well give the one doing the heavy lifting a treat.

Immediately getting their steed's attention, he smiled and approached him, holding out the apple for Rivera who was quick to take it from the man's hand with his mouth. As gentle as the horse might have been trying to be, everything went so quickly that he worried about losing a finger or two, but after a brief check, all was still in place. Slowly raising his hand to the horse's forehead, Reeve pet him silently, though there was a bit of... tension.

And that's exactly why he stopped quickly to not overstay his welcome, turning back to look at Laila once again while she looked to be coming around. "... If she wasn't as insistent to come along as she ended up being, I would have been dead, wouldn't I?"

...

"... Thank you, Laila."

 

[ShredKnives]

Bwaaah!

Sleep happened as quick as awakening did; she sort of treated the brief lapse as just a momentary gap in their sleepy time, so once that was said and done, she was right back to bed.

They awaken! Time to resume what they were doing!

Goal! Get to town! Find a doctor! Then! Get to Sesseth! Pick up that funny weapon! Deal with those funny fish folk!

Laila mostly got the gist of it, and messing with the horse is already enough to get her morale up. She gave Rivera a nice pat right alongside Reeve. Things were going swimmingly! No pun intended.

As soon as Reeve looked at her, Laila smacked his shoulder and gave him a pat on the back. "Alright, Reeve, I'm ready to set out! You?"

 

[Gary Sue]

The man was almost too lost in his own thoughts to not get surprised when Laila smacked his shoulder. Though he was short of attempting to let out a yelp, he looked at her, paced his breathing real quick and waited a few seconds for his heart to stop racing before giving her a brief nod. He wasn't in any condition to handle Rivera as the lead rider, but Laila had surprisingly little trouble doing so yesterday. He gave a quick, final look around to make sure they didn't have much packing up to do, and got to gathering their makeshift sleeping roll and the rest of their gear and with that, they were good to go.

So he waited until Laila hopped on Rivera, got on right behind her, and now it was just a few hours before a town... hopefully. Whatever doctor was there would have to patch up his wounds and thankfully due to the budget Arioon blessed them with, they wouldn't have to worry about the price too much. "Still, it'd be nice to not get carried away too much."

His partner's magic and ingenuity has gone, is going and will go a long way, but no matter what she achieves they simply won't be earning any more money back. Tools and supplies they could afford to use up more, but they'd best be cautious on how they spend their expenses.

Thankfully, leaving the alcove's safe embrace didn't take too long, and they were quickly back to the thin woods they had been running through last evening. Though they were much less dense than where the two had fought with their assailants, they gave off this vibrant and almost magical sensation that it felt like Reeve hadn't experienced in ages- even if said 'ages' were only one day ago. With so much running through his mind, every day felt like years at a time and last night was no different.

That's what left him unable to think of anything when looking at Laila, except for- "... What is going through her mind, though?"

 

[ShredKnives]

Apples and oranges, Reeve...Apples and oranges.

With nearly no hesitation, Laila was just down for the ride. She looked happier than ever! The adventure itself was good enough for Laila, and it was clear that any sense of turmoil or tension was mostly mitigated by her eagerness to just go somewhere. Danger was part of the ride for her, but she was more interested in the new things to look around at.

Though...She was curious.

"Reeve, you very much are a target, aren't you? It's a bit ironic that for a bodyguard, you sure have a lot of reason to get hunted down yourself...Maybe you should hire your own bodyguard." Laila tapped her cheek, all proudly and stuff.

"Maybe we can have a special sorceress lady teach you how to make illusions! Have your own little army. Or something!"

 

[Gary Sue]

The insinuation that Laila was going to double as his own bodyguard was funny, though at this point it might as well be true. He'd already dwelled on how being there alone saved him from dying, and he wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon either, as it felt like no matter how much he thought over it, he wouldn't ever have thought about it enough. Hell, maybe now he was starting to understand why he, as a bodyguard, was such a wanted necessity for his past clients.

She managed to peel his attention off of his rambling thoughts however upon mentioning 'special sorceress ladies' and 'illusion magic'. The concept sounded appealing, and he knew taht she was joking about it... probably, but something just clicked. Using illusions would definitely be the way to go with his current abilities, though his growth was stunted at best from this point on.

Even if he were to gain full control and understanding of his sword's newfound strength, he didn't have any magic energy to expend himself, so he would have to keep fueling it with blood. Without magic, he had few ways to cast spells, especially when considering his other form of 'power' was a blood battery he'd have to keep charging every single moment spent in combat.

"Honestly, this woman...", he sighed as he shook his head, in part in jest and disappointment. Not at her, but at himself. "... I don't feel bad about my situation, but... I wish I could be of more use to both Laila and myself sometimes. Tch.", the silence was broken only by his thoughts, their breathing, and Rivera's galloping taking them closer and closer to their destination that was dead ahead and along the path they were carefully staying on.

The vanguard was sure he had asked her something of the sort before, but repetition is key... or something of that sort. Somewhat hesitantly, he moved his hand to get her attention before pretending to make motions like somatic components to a spell and snapping his fingers. If the two couldn't talk when they were not asleep, then he'd have to try and establish some form of mutual understanding through sign language and poor pantomiming.

So hopefully, Laila understood that he was trying to ask exactly what magic was like, from the perspective of someone who makes spells at least. He imagined it would be hard for her to describe it anyhow other than exactly as she perceived it.

 

[ShredKnives]

Laila's attention got caught by Reeve doing some more freaky stuff.

"Eh? What're you snapping for..."

Waving his hands in circles, doing those little up down movements, what was going on there?

"Oh. Oh, spells! Yeah, spells! They're cool!"

What's he trying to ask though? Like, teach him spells? I guess I can try explaining what magic is like.

Laila moved her hands side to side, trying to figure out what to explain first. She held up a first finger.

"Sooo...I assume your inquiry is a bit more complex than that...Sounds like you're interested in bonafide magic! Tomoe, Alina and I all sort of dive into different kinds of magic. Tomoe's the one who taught me how to inscribe talismans, which is an ART form of attuning mana into interpreted language! These little pieces of paper are basically just charges for concentrated storages of magic. There's plenty of other ways to do it, it works the same way as if you were feeding magic into an mana-efficient object like a gemstone...But we're not rich so we can't afford to inject mana into valuable crystals and gems. It's actually pretty simple, because writing is the easiest way to learn magic. In Alina's words: 'Magic isn't just about being understood as a science, it should be understood in every single way.' Studying and writing keeps your brain locked on to whatever you're doing, and it's an easy way to expand your skills in very simple magic like telekinesis or Light. It's definitely the hardest in terms of mastering because writing spells means you have to...Channel a lot of magic into very small movements.

Then she held up a second finger.

"Uhm. But if you're trying to do something like that, you'd be closer to Tomoe. Yes, what she does is blood magic, but she's really just doing what I do but in body language. Magic attracts nature to a certain extent, but nature repels magic once it gets to that point, so you won't accidentally cause an explosion everytime you decide to go blood blazing. It's an instinctive thing, both in us and in nature to keep magic regulated...I attract magic through the bridge of ink and paper, I guess? Tomoe is doing it much more actively, with dance and movements. It's kinda hard to explain, but you have to picture it like...Attracting magic through movement, and narrowing the control through what movement you're following. So...Like, think of fire and imagine how it moves, and try to move like it, that kind of thing. It's a bit more flexible...Bit easier...But it's very destructive, too. Gotta be careful so magic doesn't do the wrong thing."

Laila pursed her lips, fiddling with her thumbs as she held up a third finger.

"Alina is a lot more verbal with it. She was a wind sorceress when I first met her, so she climbed mountains and be at high altitudes where it was harder to move and speak for training...It improves the ability to attract magic through verbality, since my voice is just the act of moving air between my throat and tongue and...Whatever, something like that. So when she speaks, a lot of magic gets amplified since air is a natural bridge for a lot of other magic! It pushes water further, spreads fire around, sends rocks up in the air...That kind of stuff requires air a lot of the time. Alina is probably diving into dark magic, at this rate...Air technically supports both ways, light and dark, but for Alina, it makes more sense if she wants to be a blood mage, but I'm not sure how she's gonna be able to do that since she's not much of a somatic mage...Verbal incantation is something that seems impossible to me in general unless you want to use wind magic."

 

[Gary Sue]

With Laila's explanation, it sounded like there was many different ways to execute magic, although Reeve could more probably than not replicate none of them. He didn't have any magic 'reserves' for lack of a better word, so it was entirely futile to know this, past understanding how to deal with users like the group of bandits that attacked them before. Hearing all of this though, got his curiosity going for an entirely different question.

"Then if all of that is magic, 'blood magic' included, how did I..?", his gaze slowly slid down all the way to his hilt as he stared at his cursed sword. Recently began to talk to him, it could shoot out light before and now it can even use his blood whenever it's exposed to it, even though it wears him out until everything begins to blur and his vision goes hazy. That wasn't magic, that was something not even in his control. Could the sword, given its sentience, be the one in control of things..?

"I can't remember when it first spoke. Though it probably always did.", the knight's eyes were lifted once again as he gave a look to the road further up ahead. It must have always been there, quietly observing and helping him out, though from a long, quiet distance. Due to the two being soulbound together, it became even more frustrating that he couldn't decipher what its motivations were for acting the way it had so far, mentoring Reeve but never to the point of actually providing guidance.

. . .​

It took a minute or two of silence from his end before he finally responded to Laila's explanation, though it came in the form of a heavy sigh and slight grumbling while he nodded his head. At least at the pace they were going, it would seem that they had almost arrived to the town. Rivera moved quickly, and his pace wasn't slowing down any. Of all the things to be thankful to Tomoe for, he chose the fast steed she'd thankfully provided for the two.

And much like their previous stop, from the distance he could see a very plain village with dirt roads going in one way and though with some twists and turns around stalls set up, it led right out to the exit on the other end. There was even a tent near the outskirts of the village that was rather large, sticking out due to its white color contrasting heavily with the darker shades of brown and gray that the wood and stones used for the houses bore. He was certain she'd noticed it, but he squeezed her waist that he was holding onto some and gestured forwards with his head for Laila to notice.

... and shortly after he overcame his excitement and instead felt a good amount of embarrassment, clearing his throat and scuttling ever so slightly further behind on the horse to give her some more space.

 

[ShredKnives]

She yawned. Finally, town. Patience truly was a virtue.

Reeve didn't seem so happy about her explanation...Maybe he felt like he couldn't control his magic? Maybe he didn't quite have the reserves for it? He's a big guy, it's not like he can't hold his magic; he probably just needs to figure out how the magic thing works, and it's hard to teach someone who can't give feedback.

Besides, there were other ways to use magic that didn't require channeling from the inner body.

...But martial artists do that thing where they train in their sleep, right? Mom used to do it, but then stopped after she hit a barrier. Maybe Laila can show Reeve a trick or two...Not that she's ever trained in her sleep. She preferred sleeping, after all.

"Hurray, tow- hah?"

Reeve had grabbed her for...Some reason. The tent? Was that where he wanted to go?

"Um."

...

"Okay."

And they moved towards that direction.

 

[Gary Sue]

Especially with the two's only 'real discussions' being held when they slept, it'd be hard to flatout train in their rest. Approaching closer and closer to the village, a cross could be seen at the top of the white tent that stuck out as a sore thumb as was- Reeve grinned, and for once he was happy to see that some things just never change. He gestured towards it once more with a finger by Laila's side, before placing his hands on her waist again to hold on.

And in no more than a few minutes, they had arrived. First he got off, with a hop off Rivera and a wince at the slight tug he felt on his arm... And then came of Laila. He sighed and placed a hand over his wound, rubbing it quietly and then turning to inspect the tent. "... It's always been like this, around Eastern Ceril. Any doctors around here usually have tents like these set up, since they're in high demand when emergencies occur, like that dragon me and Laila fought off when we met."

But judging by the little amounts of people running around and the few that were, going about their days as per usual... it was a low traffic day today. Considering they didn't intend on dwelling all day long, that was good. Waiting until they were both properly dismounted and 'prepared', with money ready to pay for the doctor's services, he began taking some confident steps towards the tend, coughing before he drew the fabric blocking the entrance to the side and smiled slightly.

"Oh? Come on in, can I help you?", the older man with a scribe's glasses asked, though he quickly answered his own question when he saw the marks of wounds closed through magics. "I-... Hm. Sit down, let me examine your arm. That didn't open just once, right? As it also didn't 'close' just once- your wound."

 

[ShredKnives]

A cross. Must be a medical ward...Of a more portable kind, anyway. They were lucky to find themselves free to enter and walk-in; she'd hate to have to get some kind of appointment or something.

She actually never saw these, mostly because most wounds she had tended to in her own expense. Being a tree dweller meant that exploration was limited to whatever was within the boundaries of her shrine. Tomoe would mention it offhandedly but Laila just...Well, wasn't interested. Until 25 seconds ago.

Neat... It really is just a tent.
She wondered how far the injuries could go before a tent wouldn't be enough. Probably if one of her limbs gets removed? Unless the tent had some kind of freaky dark arts creature willing to cut a deal...Alina was doing just fine with half of an arm...Then again, Laila didn't completely go insane.

"I-... Hm. Sit down, let me examine your arm. That didn't open just once, right? As it also didn't 'close' just once- your wound."

Old man.

Laila smiled politely, commenting, "Hi, mister. My friend here is mute, he can't speak too well..But yes-"

Of course, Laila went ahead and gave him the gist of it all; the little kerfuffle they had on the way here, Reeve being all injured...Her routine maintenance of casting Cure Wounds...

But she did cut out the part of him getting all demon-swordified. That felt a little too personal and she'd rather Reeve decide on whether or not that information can be disclosed.

 

[Gary Sue]

Thankfully, Laila chimed in and said what Reeve wouldn't, because he couldn't have. With a curt smile on his face, he nodded along with her explanations and though he wasn't ashamed of his newfound abilities, he definitely didn't intend on making them public quite yet. The act of 'thievery' he'd been forced into to steal a royal treasure was already enough of a stigma, now for it to be known he's dabbling in the dark arts too would be less than ideal. The old man listened in full to the two's tale, looking thoughtfully and crossing both of his arms.

He appeared somewhat skeptical of the whole predicament for reasons he didn't make quite clear until he got to working on Reeve's wound, giving him a forewarning as he placed a finger over the closed wound. "This will sting some, so do hang in there.", and with that he trailed from where the cut had started to where it ended, before it opened up once more, earning a grunt out of him as the knight gripped his knee rather firmly. "I take it your adversaries then used some form of dark arts to draw... life? Blood? Something, from you lot. But they only got the boy."

Although inquisitive, he didn't appear judgmental with whatever answer Laila was going to give him. "... My goal is not to judge, but only to help. The reason the man's wounds aren't closing is because they're caused by dark arts. Like a curse, but much less potent. I can heal the area, but ordinary magic won't do much but stitch it before it 'comes undone' later on again. You tried to patch him up yourself, yes?"

 

[ShredKnives]

. "I take it your adversaries then used some form of dark arts to draw... life? Blood? Something, from you lot. But they only got the boy."

Laila nodded. "Yes...Um, they seemed to have a target for him. Must be his very threatening presence."

Heh.

"... My goal is not to judge, but only to help. The reason the man's wounds aren't closing is because they're caused by dark arts. Like a curse, but much less potent. I can heal the area, but ordinary magic won't do much but stitch it before it 'comes undone' later on again. You tried to patch him up yourself, yes?"

That's not good news at all.

Laila nodded once more. It didn't really raise her suspicions that much, the wound not healing; she had chalked it up to the constant movement she and Reeve would constantly be under riding an uncomfortable horse.

"So how often do I need to handle it myself and how can we dispel this...Hex or whatever you might call it?"

 

[Gary Sue]

Threatening presence..? It wasn't just Laila laughing with that. The old man gave her a raised eyebrow, and Reeve looked at her curiously and almost confused before he caught on. He sighed and shook his head in joking disapproval, though he really got to thinking why they wanted him... Not that it would get anywhere now either, so he gave up on it. The next question that she asked got Reeve on edge, as much as it did the medic though. "... Come again?", he seemed almost perplexed, as a soft green glow began to emanate from his hand and he placed it gently over the wound.

"You're saying that as if they'll keep inflicting it onto you.", he grumbled, though after a moment more of thought he understood the concern. They were travelling on their own after all, and they didn't manage to get rid of their assailants last time. Fighting an unknown enemy that they know nothing about... hm. "It's not something you can get rid of yourself. You can heal, but not 'mend'. You've got blood on your hands, after all.", the doctor elaborated as a mist of sorts seemed to be coming out of the wound, cleansing it bit by bit of the hex it had been afflicted with by the cursed weapon.

"Though most humans who can use magic can take advantage of healing spells, they can't remove curses or hexes without the use of immensely strong spells. Do you know of the doctor's oath- to do no harm?", the man glanced at her and smiled some, though it wasn't out of happiness... nostalgia? Bitterness? It was something for sure. "Taking anyone's life, even if it's only once, changes the flow of magic in one's body. Healing becomes much less potent, and they have been permanently 'stigmatized' by their actions. Doctors have that oath so they never run into that phenomenon. There are exceptions... but they're rare. And given your friend's condition-"

Before he could even finish his words, the knight winced and looked up at the old man with some slight annoyance, mixed with relief. "- apologies. It might sting a little."

"As I was saying... you do not appear to be an exception yourself in that regard. So if it happens again, you can only prolong its effects and turn to a doctor as soon as possible, like myself. Is that clear?"

 

[ShredKnives]

"Do no harm..."

Laila blinked.

Harm was all around them. Death in every corner, that usual poetic hogwash. It was most certainly a fact that Laila was had seen death in life before, even if not human life. Could she become a doctor in that sense?

And being a doctor requires time and knowledge. Something she'd have to start from zero. A long commitment.

It may be best to find a more experienced doctor that can assist their efforts. Still. Perhaps if she learns enough, she could potentially figure something out.

"You've made yourself crystal clear, Doctor!" Laila said. "Thanks for your help."

Chipper than ever. Laila saw this as no more an obstacle as any other curse. If traditional shrine maiden tactics won't do, then she will adapt! Or solve it in some other way.

"How much do we owe you?"

 

[Gary Sue]

Even though she claimed he was perfectly clear, he would very much think otherwise if he knew what was going through her head. Regardless, he did not- so he simply nodded at her. "Mhm. It's my job to help people in need.", he repeated watching the mist stop pouring out of the wound and smiling as the hex had been completely cleansed out of the wound. And now, the glow around his hand became ever so slightly more intense, and the wound began to truly close up at last.

With no signs of opening again in the doctor's eyes, he lifted his hand from the man's mended flesh and the glow slowly disappeared as he exhaled deeply. "It's going to cost you nothing...", he said with a slight laugh as Reeve looked at the healed skin, placing a hand over it and feeling it up as he smiled. As surprising as it was, it actually did get fully healed. He turned back to the doctor, giving him a nod and flashing a smile for Laila as well. "... is what I'd like to say, but things are rough so I'll just give you a small discount. One and a half gold piece will do- apologies if the price is hiked some. It's rare for me to come out here, and supplies are scarce... and expensive. So it is what it is."

Expensive or not, Reeve was perfectly fine with them paying whatever they could. Though granted his words of caution, they'd hopefully be able to avoid using his power once more until they found a way to work around it themselves- so he wouldn't be left with a hex inflicted onto himself for however long it took before they made it to Sesseth.

 

[ShredKnives]

Wow...The effects of magic like this were far beyond Laila's own capabilities. She'd need a full understanding of the human anatomy to learn anything close to this...

One and a half gold piece. Laila wasn't sure just how much money that could be considered, but it's far larger than anything's she ever stockpiled...Unless Tomoe is secretly a richie. Who knows. She ended up managing to fish it out herself, thank you good friends of this world, and pay up.

For the most part, a more permanent solution would give them the time and day eventually. For now, Laila's good with what she's got. The air around them smelled sterile and antiseptic, which was already a better benefit than...Well, the smell of anything else while Laila was forcing the wounds to shut, so she'll take what she can get. In the otherwise silent tent, Laila responded.

"Thank you so much! I really appreciate your help, doctor!"

Paid!

Let's get this show on the road!

 

[Gary Sue]

After their doctorly visit and the un-hexing of the quiet warrior, they did get back to travelling. For the next few days, they kept going through the motions, travelling, feeding Rivera and having a meal themselves, avoiding trouble and taking a rest whenever possible. Soon enough, they were on their last day of travelling judging by their progress on the map. Now's when the bigger question arose in the knight's mind though, as he could see parts of Sesseth's great walls embracing the town and leaving only an entrance open on the innermost part of the city's borders on land- the gate.

"I'm banned from entering Sesseth. So where will we be staying?", the two of them had brought this up a few times in the rests in between, though they never got to a solid answer. The best choice was camping out in the woods, but then it would be unsafe and they might even get scouted out by the occasional patrols carried out by the Abyssals. That, and the foreboding feeling in Reeve's chest made him as excited as it did nervous, about being this close to where he got his cursed sword.

The end of their travel was very much in sight, but their endgoal was not. How the hell would they be adventurers if only Laila could enter and exit the town, and had to do so through the gate too..? He'd have to stick out on his own for hours in some cozy campsite until- grrr... He shook his head and put a hand on its side as he kept the other one firmly on the reins, having taken over riding Rivera once more after the doctor visit. Thankfully, they were good at maneuvering around accidents and clearly bad decisions, so he hadn't had to hex himself again to use his sword's abilities.

If he had to, actually, who would they even turn to..? The village closest to Sesseth was a good day or so of travel away, and the only other doctors would probably only operate inside of the walls to avoid getting robbed. There were quite a few holes in their plans that had to be patched up, something that admittedly, began to trouble him more and more as Rivera closed the distance one gallop at a time.

 

[ShredKnives]

Reeve was looking at her like she had a plan.

To be honest. She didn't!

"Yeah, I don't really have anything in mind!"

Smarty pants Laila strikes again to save them both! Most of Laila's ideas amounted to turning the two of them into convicted felons, and Laila didn't have any connections in Sesseth.

They're in a bit of a conundrum, long story short.

"Well. How do we get in...I guess we could always call it an emergency...Dress you up a bit different...No one would know. Maybe pay a fee or...Something. I dunno. There's not an easy way to get you in that doesn't get us arrested, is there?"