AO 7 Ch 3

"Come on, let's stop here for the night," I said to the group as we rolled up on a small town just as the sun was beginning to dip below the treeline, painting the sky a beautiful orange.

"Well, I guess that's it for us," Ditzy said, starting to get up. 

"Hey now," I stopped her. "You guys don't have to disappear, you know that, right? Don't you want to live maybe like us mortals, and stay in an inn?" 

Ditzy looked at me as if I'd hit my head before turning to Missy. "Is this your kink?" 

"Oh, shut up and just do it." Missy tried to smack her on the head, however, the goddess of war was fast enough to dodge. 

"Fine, fine, but won't it look funny with how many of us are getting out of the wagon?" Ditzy asked. 

I could only shrug. "I doubt anyone's actually going to be paying that much attention. We'll just bring it over to the stables and get out there so we're at least not getting out in the middle of the street." 

Ditzy narrowed her eyes before realizing that she was outnumbered and just flipped her blonde hair. "Fine, but when my beauty drives men insane, I'll remind you that this was your suggestion." 

I chuckled. "Sure, I'll have to do my best to make sure no one gets the wrong idea." 

"That would be preferred," Ditzy said as we rolled up to the small wooden wall. It was enough to keep out some smaller monsters, but certainly not the kind of things that anchors and mages were sent out to deal with. 

"Hello," one of the guards said, waving and adjusting his helmet as we rolled up. 

"Just travelers looking to stay for the night." Of course, I was wearing my mage's attire and there were anchors sitting next to me in the carriage. The guard's eyes went wide as he realized what he was dealing with. 

"Of course, Sir Mage," he said with a slight question in his tone. 

"Arden Aldis of House Aldis," I said, giving him a smile and a small wave. "We're coming from Chillwind with a message for the capital." 

"Oh?" He asked, his brow lifting ever so slightly. "You wouldn’t happen to have any interest in sharing the state of the war? I'm too old for the front lines, but I've got a boy out there, and…” He gave a sad shake of his head. “I’m starving for news.”

I flashed him a big smile. "Well, then I have some good news. The king of Garrish and the chancellors are dead." 

The guard's eyes went wide. "Truly?" 

"I've seen it myself. Now, what remains of the rest of the leadership in Garrish and their views," I shrugged, "that's to be seen, but the king was always the driving force behind the war. Hopefully, things will settle down." 

The guard smiled. "The tavern with the blue wheel, straight down the main drag, is the best we have to offer. If you're still up when I get off my shift, I'll buy you a drink." He grinned and turned back to his fellow guard, already spreading the news, unable to keep quiet about it for a minute longer. 

As we rolled in, I let a giant smile grace my lips. 

"Why did you do that?" Emlyn asked, glancing back at the guard behind us. 

"Well... First, it clearly made him happy," I gestured behind me. "And two, if I start the rumor now, it'll spread all the way to the capital ahead of us," I said, with a proud smile at my brilliant idea.

"Now, I'm not a mortal," Ditzy said, "but I'm fairly certain that the military news is supposed to go ahead of the rumors. But what do I know? I’m just a goddess of war, not messengers" She shrugged.

"No clue. I'm just a lowly mage.” I scowled. “You know, in all of this, I never even got a single promotion." I crossed my arms and sat back in the carriage. "You'd think they'd be a little more thankful.” 

“Well, I'm glad you didn't get one. I can only imagine how large your head would be then." Emlyn pursed her lips and spared a moment of vigilance to give me a glare before her eyes returned to the windows.

Uncle Valken was steering again, and we slowly rolled down the main drag until we passed the inn with a bright blue wheel above the front door. Uncle Valken paused for a moment to talk with someone before wheeling us around back. He slid the window open between the driver's seat and the interior. "They said they had room, plenty for us, especially if you guys make your own space." He glanced at the interior before shaking his head. "I asked how many rooms, and I said four, to be safe.”

“If they've got a suite. We'll just take that," Missy said, answering for the rest of our group. 

"Understood. If you lively folks don't mind, I will take my own normal room. I assume Eva will be safe wherever you are, Ard?" he asked, giving me a long look. 

"Of course. Emlyn might sleep like a log, but Maribelle and Zuri are pretty alert." 

Emlyn's eye twitched, and she turned away from me rather than giving me the satisfaction of a reaction. Maribelle, on the other hand, looked entirely too smug for herself. 

"It won't be a problem at all," Missy said. "And I would recommend you don't try and force your way into the room either." The goddess stared down the Vel'Shae, and very quickly the Vel'Shae lost that standoff, turning away to mind his own business. 

"Oh, I should learn that look from you," Emlyn said, before striking a comically overly done expression. 

"A touch too much," Missy coached her. "It needs to be a little more natural, exude the confidence and power of a goddess." 

"I'll have to work on that," Emlyn chuckled. Her eyes shifted back to the window, and I stared out as well.

The main street had been fairly clean and well-kept, the normal people out and about that you would expect in a town of this size. However, as soon as we turned to go down the alley behind the tavern, it was evident that the town behind the scenes wasn't doing so well. There were a number of men and women huddled together for warmth in the alleys. My eyes grew hard as I noticed tell-tale limps and loose sleeves. 

"Sorry, why haven't these people been healed? Does Avente’s military look down on them so much?" I said, recoiling from my own tone which had come out a touch too sharp.

"Not everyone is an endless fountain of magic like you are, Ard," Zuri said, her voice strained as if she was holding herself back.

"I can only assume these are men who have picked up guard work when the guards were drafted. People dealing with monsters who have no training because those who did are off on the front lines. They may not necessarily have once been a part of the military." Zuri corrected me.

Our brief glimpse into the alley was cut short as Uncle Valken steered us behind the inn to a stable.

An eager stable hand jumped out to greet us. "Hello there. Are you staying at the Blue Wheel?" he asked, his tone customer service chipper.

"That we would," I replied, opening the door and stepping out. "We've been a little cramped in there, don’t mind us." One after the other, Emlyn, Aurelia, Zuri, Maribelle, Eva, Missy, Ditzy, and Bad Kitty all stepped out. 

The stable hand's eyes widened, perhaps at the string of beauties or, equally likely, at the number of us that we had fit in the carriage. "Do you have anything you need to bring in from there?" He peeked inside the door, only to see a completely normal carriage within.

"No, we've got our things and we'll just stay the night," I said, flashing him a smile and flipping him a silver. "Do me a favor and just take care of the horses and listen to this guy." I hooked a thumb at Uncle Valken before I turned back down the alley rather than to the tavern’s back door.

During that whole exchange, a small girl had been peeking at us from around the corner.

I smiled at her, noticing a beaten and battered doll in her hands. I pulled a clay doll from the ground beneath me.

The little girl's eyes shone. "Magic man," she said, her eyes full of wonder.

"Mage," Maribelle corrected her.

Only to receive a stern look from me. "She's just a little girl. Let her call me a magic man if she wants to," I said, offering her the doll.

The girl hesitated to come closer, so I sent the doll marching over to her, much to her delight as she began clapping in rhythm with its steps.

"I fix things," I told her, "including people. I noticed there were some people in the alley behind you. I don't suppose you'd give me an introduction?"

The little girl held her doll in one hand and looked down at the one on the ground. Rather than reach for it with her other hand, she struggled to get both into one.

I frowned for a moment before realizing her silhouette was a little lopsided. Stepping forward, I pulled back the edge of the rag she wore to reveal that she was missing her arm just past her elbow.

The girl winced as if the revelation caused her physical pain. The stump was not a clean cut; whatever had happened had been brutal.

"Do you want me to show you a trick?" I asked her, putting the biggest smile on my face. My quick grab for her had scared her, but I had needed to see it.

"Ard does the best tricks," Aurelia said, crouched down beside the girl. "You have to see this one," she emphasized, nodding to the girl. 

"Are you an anchor?" the little girl asked, reaching for a lock of Aurelia's hair. Her vibrant red hair was interesting to everyone. 

"I am," Aurelia said softly. "It's my job to make sure that no one gets hurt around my mage." She nodded to me, then to the others. "We all work together to make sure people don't get hurt."

The little girl frowned down at her arm. The doll that had marched up to her waved to get her attention.

I put a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder while the doll began to dance and juggle. Admittedly, I was using magic to juggle because there was no way in heck I was coordinated enough to juggle on my own, much less with a moving piece of earth. Not to mention, my focus was mostly elsewhere as I glanced at Emlyn to take over.

As soon as my other anchor was making the doll dance, worse than mine, but passable enough for the girl’s enjoyment.

A trickle of life magic poured into the little girl, stretching down her shoulder to the stump of her arm. I made several exaggerated gasps and oohs as the doll danced to distract the little girl before I pulled my hand away and picked the doll up to toss it at her. Without even thinking, she tried to catch it with both hands, only for a flash of confusion to cross her face as she stared down at her new hand. 

"But," she said, stunned, standing there bewildered. 

"I told you I was going to show you a magic trick, didn't I?" I smiled at her. "Ta-da!" I gestured at the doll. "What do you think? Do you think you could show me to the other people back in the alley? I'd like to do a few more magic tricks."

The girl began bawling and sprinted away from us. Apparently the shock was too much.

"You're really not good with kids, are you?" the Bad Kitty quipped. 

"I'm fantastic with kids. Did you see how I distracted her for that one? I mean, most of the time it tingles and burns a little, doesn't it?" I said, glancing at my anchors.

“Mostly when you’re reconnecting the skin’s nerves. This was a little different.” Maribelle said and she’d be the expert.

“Anyway,” I stood up straight and straightened my robes. "Now, shall we head back there and A. clear the air to make sure no one thinks I'm attacking little girls and B. see if I can't put a little bit of the world right?" I began heading deeper into the alleys, my anchors hurrying to stay between me and any potential dangers.

We were greeted by a number of people, crude weapons in hand, as they rounded the corner. A pair of women were comforting a young girl.

"Pleasure to meet all of you," I said, bowing and rolling my hand. "The name's Ard and I'm a traveling healer." I introduced myself, while Emlyn and Maribelle flanked me protectively. "Try not to mind them," I said, raising my hand as if whispering to the group and hooking a thumb at my anchors. "They can be a little protective, especially when I've decided to walk into the back alleys of an unfamiliar town. But I saw the little girl and I couldn't help myself."

A large man stood and put himself between me and the group. "I don't know who you are, but the joke isn't funny," he said. He had a broken nose and a slash that had blinded one of his eyes.

I smiled and held a hand out to him. "Not a joke. And I'd love it if you let me prove it to you."

"Oh, and how's that?" he asked, reaching forward and grabbing my hand with an uncomfortably tight grip, squeezing enough to make my knuckles grind together.

"Usually this part is pretty simple. I just heal you and we let that be that," I said.

This time, I didn't try to be subtle. Quite the opposite, I let a little bit of a light show come out. I used my raven sphere to put on a light show while I healed him.

Magic wrapped around the man, cloaking him in light that cascaded brilliantly through the alleyway, lighting it up like midday before it disappeared, leaving him changed.

His blinded eye was healed and nose fixed. Even some of the teeth he'd lost were restored. Not to mention, I'd done a little work on his hairline.

I can't have my first customer getting a bad experience.

Everyone around him gasped, and he looked confused. Only for the man to touch his head and find it full of rich, luscious hair. "Oh.” He said, running another hand through it before pulling his hair down to get a better look.

“And your eye, don't forget your eye. Nose too." I said. Geez who would know the hair was more popular than getting an eye back and nose fixed.

He covered one, then the other, realizing he could see out of both.

"You... you really healed me," he said, still dumbfounded.

"Of course," I said, throwing my hands wide. "For I am Ard, the Traveling Healer." This time, when I bowed, I got an appropriate response. Clapping, cheering, and most importantly, jostling of the crowd, eager to be next.

"You know, I'm not sure if he's doing it out of the goodness of his heart, or simply because he wants the attention," Emlyn said.

"Why not both?" I replied, standing up with a shrug. "After all, you are all clearly evidence I'm not great at choosing one thing. I tend to just go for a bite of everything at the table, don't I?"

Emlyn rolled her eyes but stepped forward. "If you would like healing, please make an orderly line. Children first," she glared at a haggard woman who had been pushing her way to the front. 

"I've got two little ones," she insisted.

Only for one of the rough-looking men to snort. "No, she doesn't. She's a thief and a liar," another said. 

"Does bring up the point, you could be healing, never do wells," Ditzy said. 

I only shrugged, "Because I might heal one thief. Does that mean I shouldn't heal all of the children? That doesn't make a lick of sense to me.” I turned back to the crowd. “Alright lady, they're all saying you're a thief, so get to the back of the line. Doesn't mean I won't put your fingers back. Maybe this time, try not to lose them, eh?” 

Several of the people who had started waiting snorted at that. And with far less resistance this time, she was pushed out of the front. While a few teenagers were brought before me. 

The girl whose arm I healed wavered by the side of one of them.

So, I decided it was time to gambit up. "Come one, come all, Ard the traveling healer is ready for work." 

Before getting to work, I rolled up my sleeves and summoned a stone stool for me to sit on. But then it was on as I started pumping life magic out, healing one after another.

Emlyn was controlling the flow letting them come up to me one at a time, while Maribelle stuck close to my side glaring at each through it all. Aurelia disappeared only to come back with sandwiches while Eva and Zuri began to organize and comb the line, keeping it flowing and with every new person that stepped into it, repeating the same tired rules, occasionally ushering a child to the front or settling down someone who was insistent that their issue was more urgent than others. 

I enjoyed the ham sandwich I'd been served, while perhaps I could have gotten better food in the inn. By far, this was a more fulfilling evening for me.

Ditzy ended up standing close and watching. Though I wasn’t sure where the other two goddesses had gone. "You just gonna heal each and every one of them one by one?" 

"Well," I said, "Yeah, there's really no better way to do it. And besides, what else were we gonna do? Sit around and drink?" I shrugged. "I think if we do this for tonight and maybe a little tomorrow morning, the atmosphere for drinks will be far better." After a pause, I looked at her out of the corner of my eye.

“You know, it's not that I'm cold-hearted. Just realistic.”

“Of course." I smiled at her. "But part of my reality, if I'm being realistic," I said, "is that I'm never going to be king and make the scale of changes that might be so broad as to fix everything," not believing that was a true possibility for anyone. 

"Instead, the best I can do is this." I gestured to the people who walked up one by one. "And even though I can do this, I know not everyone can. Which only makes me taking the time to do it that much more important." 

Ditzy let out a soft snort before she made a stool next to mine. "You and you, come here." She hooked fingers at two people a little further back in line. "I can't regrow lost limbs, but I can fix those burns." She held her hands out and joined me in healing the people of the back alley.