by Za1d3
Bending the magic to his will, his mana coursed through the body and picked out any forms of irregularity within. Muscle aches, bruises, pains, broken bones, tissues, cuts, etc… anything that was out of place in a healthy state of the body. By infusing his mana into such damages, his mana is able to perfectly conform to the body, becoming a part of the person—repairing the damages.
By having his mana becoming a part of the body, it eliminates the body’s rejection. Although it costs him an excessive amount of mana, along with his complete concentration.
Yet, that was not the extent of his abilities. Through many tests and experiments on himself, he had developed something even more frightening. An ability that he never even dreamt of possible in his past life. Something that would rewrite the known laws of ‘Healing Magic’.
“Sorry mom. I did not mean to scare you.” He spoke to Adalina.
Kaidus apologized for what he did, and Adalina gave him a stern scolding for being reckless: in regards to what he did to himself, and to Mr. Heldeins.
As the Paltos waited for the room to clear before leaving, a man approached them with a girl in tow.
————-
Joral Valnur had quietly watched as everything unfolded, and he could not believe what transpired in front of his eyes. Upon seeing the small child, he had his doubts, but now it was like stepping into another realm. One that defied logic.
For such a small child to easily perform such an act of violence without batting an eye. To have smashed his own hand and reform it without as much as a cry of pain. The unanswered mystery in his daughter’s story was now clear. This young boy, had truly saved and healed her.
Joral watched in shock as the boy dislocated the detestable Kalwun Heldein’s arm out of his own shoulder, then heal it without uttering a single word of apology.
‘Could it be possible?’ He thought to himself. Without waiting for the family to leave, he took his daughter, and approached the family. The sliver of hope in him overcoming the terror of what he just witnessed.
“Please pardon my intrusion.” He spoke. The family turned to look at him. “I am Joral Valnur. I wish to thank you for what your son has done for my daughter.” Joral made a bow of gratitude as he brought forth his daughter. Celene also gave her thanks.
“I am Troyle Paltos and this is my wife Adalina. This is our son Kaidus, and daughter Anise. Please think nothing of it. Anyone would have helped in that situation.” the man who introduced himself as ‘Troyle’ replied back. “We give you our thanks for coming to our son’s defense.” Troyle gave a bow in return.
Joral was surprised. The family did not look particularly wealthy, but the man held himself with dignity.
Looking at the young boy who was staring back at him with deep dark eyes, Joral got down on his knees.
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you have done. You have brought justice to me and my family.” He bowed to the boy. “I know that this is selfish of me, but I wish to beg for a favor.” He spoke, his head bowed low.
The few remaining spectators who were leaving stopped in their tracks. The families of the other boys who were also waiting to leave, turned to watch the shameless groveling.
“What is it?” The boy replied, his voice as calm as ever.
“My son… He has been left crippled, unable to do anything for himself. I hear his screams at night. Even though he denies it, it breaks my heart to hear him begging for death… I beseech you, young healer. Please… *sob*” Joral was starting to cry. “W-With your magic, *sob* please, save my son Naran. *sob*” The man was crying now.
“H-He has done no wrong… I beg of you, please save him. *sobbing*” Tears streamed down his face.
—————–
The man in front of him was crying as he begged. Celene was also crying, along with the woman who is undoubtedly her mother.
Kaidus turned to look at the silent broken young man who was suffering the most.
The older boy met Kaidus’s eyes for a single instant, before looking away.
He was a skinny young man. His cheeks were sunken, his eyes looked as if they have forsaken the world, and was now awaiting the sweet release of everlasting sleep. A tear rolled down his depressed cheek before turning away to hide his sadness.
The young man’s arms looked as if they had been deformed. The arms dangled above the shoulders of the two men who were supporting him. His legs were wrapped in a blanket, hiding the damages to them. Without a seat, the two large men held onto the young man.
There was nothing else to be done. Kaidus stepped forward to the young man. The two men saw, and they lowered the broken boy to Kaidus’s level.
“I am sorry for your pain. This will hurt a bit, but please bear with it.” He spoke softly to the older boy. His voice infused with mana, calming the boy.
The young man turned his resigned face to look at Kaidus. Seeing him up close, Kaidus could see there were scars on the boy’s face.
Kaidus brought forth his left hand, and placed it on the young man’s chest. Without hesitation, he poured mana into the young man. Like a part of him, the mana coursed through the body, detecting anything that was wrong.
The arms were broken all the way from the elbow to the hands, and tiny bits of shattered bones had lodged themselves into the muscles.
There were twelve broken ribs that had mended, but four of them did not set properly.
The femur was broken in two places. In the middle and where it connected to the tibia.
The knee caps had also been shattered, and the tibia was in pieces. Like the arms, tiny shards of bones were also embedded within the leg muscles.
The bones were healing, but had healed incorrectly. At this rate, the boy will never walk again. There were also various cuts that were scarring the body, presumably made by the physicians who had operated on the boy.
“Please hold onto him.” Kaidus spoke. The two men tensed at his words.
Concentrating, Kaidus willed his mana to begin.
“GYAH!!! UGGAAAAAHH!!!!!” The young man screamed out in unbearable pain.
Destruction and Restoration.
Kaidus willed his mana to shatter the brittle bones, triggering intense pain. Without flinching at the screams, he willed his mana to begin the healing process: mending bones, fusing them back together, realigning them, and setting them properly. Within moments, all his mana in the boy’s body vanished, having completed their purpose of healing the young man.
Kaidus took a few steps back towards his family. Wiping away the tiny droplets of sweat that had formed on his face. The ordeal had taken much out of him.
This was only the third time he had healed someone, and to restore a fragmented body of this degree, there had been no margin for error. The difficulty was far from healing himself, healing a dislocated arm, or mending newly broken bones.
The precision of having to break the bones before he could heal it was the most trying part of the process. A single slip up while smashing the bones, and his mana would have crushed the body—like crumpling a piece of paper—killing the boy.
‘I need more practice…’ Kaidus thought to himself. Not because of what could have happened, but because of the exhaustion it brought forth.
—————-
The pain suddenly vanished. Naran could feel that his body had undergone a sweeping change.
Forcing his arms and legs to move, he felt strength in them both. The pain that always assaulted him whenever he tried to do so, was gone.
“Let me go!” He weakly cried out.
As the two men who supported him both withdrew their hands, they slowly placed him on the floor.
“Naran!” His father called out, coming to his side.
“STOP!” He shouted against his father’s help. He had been crippled long enough. He was going to use his own strength to ascertain what had just happened, and to see if this was indeed real, or just a cruel dream.
Naran put his arms on the ground and tried
to push himself up. The hands complied. There was no pain in them as the joints locked together, pushing himself up.
He tried standing. His legs wobbled and buckled a couple times before he was able to force himself up, but he was standing. The pain in his legs were also gone.
He tried to take a step forward, and fell back down to the ground.
In his despair, he had been wishing for death to escape the nightmare of being a burden on his family. As each day passed by in the constant care of those he loved, unable to do anything for himself, he fell into self-loathing, he felt that his life was not worth living. Wishing to die, he had started starving himself ever since the beginning of Hiso. The only thing that kept him going, was the hatred for those who had wronged him, and the pain he would cause his family if he were to have died.
Having tasted the sweet sensation of being able to move his limbs again, he attempted to walk towards the young boy who had given him another chance at life.
His weakened body gave out.
In the pitiful position, Naran cried gratefully towards the young boy.
———————-
Kaidus watched as the older boy was picked up again by the two men. This time, taking his own steps forward while being supported.
“Thank you! *sob* Thank you!” The older boy cried. The scars on his face had also been healed, along with those on his body.
The boy’s mother and father were both crying tears of happiness.
“Please, that is enough. I wish you complete recovery, and good health.” Kaidus replied.
Looking around, many people were still in the trial hall. They had been quietly watching the event.
In his concentration, he had forgotten about all of them.
Seeing that no one was leaving, there was no point in waiting anymore.
“Let’s go home?” He asked Troyle and Adalina.
“Yea.” Adalina and Troyle both replied. They were both smiling at what he had done.
The Paltos family headed towards the door. Troyle carrying Anise.
“WAIT!” A man called out. Looking back, it was Kalwun Heldeins.
“Y-you! Why?! Why our sons?! You could have done the same thing and healed them!” The man shouted at Kaidus.
“They are undeserving!” Kaidus replied, his voice filled with anger as he glared at the man. The memories of Naran’s injuries fresh on his mind. He walked away without looking back, or at those around him. Troyle and Adalina strolled after.
As they walked home through the streets of the 3rd ward, there were more stares than usual. Faces filled with wonder, fear, astonishment, hate, jealousy, admiration, all different sorts of emotions—watching them as they passed by. The most unusual of all, were the proud faces of the shop owners as they passed through the shopping district. It seems the news of the trial had traveled quickly within the market district.
“Kaidus.” Troyle spoke as they got home. “…would it be too much to ask for you to heal my left shoulder?” Troyle asked jokingly, trying not to overburden his son.
“Something’s wrong with your shoulder?” Kaidus asked, it was the first time he’s heard of it.
“Yea. An old injury. Way before you were born. I used to be quite the mercenary.” Troyle grinned proudly.
He has never really seen Troyle fight except during the tournament a couple years ago. Even then, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with his dad. Although it did look like Troyle favored his right arm more than his left, he had assumed it was a preference in Troyle’s fighting style.
Other than that, Kaidus knew that Troyle used to be a Mercenary, but that he left the mercenary life after marrying Adalina. He’s heard many stories about staying with the Droxxon mercenaries from Adalina when he was still a toddler, but never about an injury.
“Don’t lie. You always came back bleeding and half dead. I had to patch you up every time.” Adalina replied, refuting Troyle’s boast.
“Come on now, I’m already feeling useless after all that’s happened today. At least let me praise myself a little in front of my son.” Troyle scowled jovially.
Adalina laughed as she carried Anise—who had fallen asleep on their way home—up to bed.
“If you would like.” Kaidus replied, grin on his face.
—————–
Riding back home were: Alzin Varath, his wife Reanne, and their two daughters Jillian and Sylvia.
“… I wonder who that young girl was.” Lord Varath spoke his mind.
“I’m not sure myself. But it looks like she knows Kaidus.” Reanne replied.
They all saw the otherworldly spectacle and were truly enthralled, but the Varath family were thinking about other priorities.
“How old are you this year Jillian?” Alzin asked his daughter.
“I’ll be fourteen, father.” The girl replied.
“Guh! Already?” He joked.
“What does that mean?!” The girl retorted, her face pouting at her father’s response.
“I guess we’ll have to leave this to Sylvia.” Lord Varath replied, grinning. “It looks like you may have a rival, Sylvia. Work hard.” Lord Varath told his youngest daughter.
“Y-Yes Father!” Sylvia replied, her voice was full of spirit. The meek little girl at the beginning of the Rjus was barely recognizable. In her place was a determined girl, giving it her all to attain what she wants.
—————
“GAHAHAHAH! Incredible! He’s even able to use healing magic!” An old man laughed cheerfully in a carriage that was taking him and two of his companions back to the Academy.
“Headmaster… is it safe to allow the child to do as he please? Shouldn’t we monitor the boy?” one of the masters spoke.
“Zaele, the boy’s been with us in the academy for a whole term. He took my arm, stopped three intermediate spells from you all without so much as revealing his true strength, and you’re asking me this now?” Nylen tilted his head into a quirky stare of curiosity.
“I understand that, but while he is in the academy, he is within our sights. Outside of the academy, I fear many more of these situations may arise.” Zaele countered, explaining himself.
The four of them: Headmaster Nylen, master Zaele, master Hamin, and master Nion had all wanted to come to watch the trial, but master Hamin was left with the charge of the academy. Zaele got the information about the trial from his friends at the Mystiks guild, and after disclosing it to the headmaster, this was the result.
“Well, I don’t think there is anything to fear. You saw for yourself the reasons why the boy took action. Even our little skirmish with the boy had been because of us provoking him.” Headmaster Nylen threw in his thoughts about the boy. “And do you two really think a monitor will be able to stop him?” Nylen asked the two sitting on the opposite side of the carriage.
“…” they did not give a reply, remembering that night and what the Headmaster had called the boy.
With what they just witnessed at the trial: a healing ability that far outstripped that of headmaster Nylen’s own healing magic. There was only one answer to that question. They knew it, and the headmaster knew it.
——————-
At the same time,
‘I am not mistaken.’ thought Lord Knight Commander Ravon.
He was sitting in a carriage accompanied by his son Huin, and two of his most loyal knights. The knights did not known about the true purpose of the outing, but now they sat across from him. Speechless.
“Well?” Lord Ravon spoke to the three around him.
“… I am still trying to wrap my head around it. Was that really a child?” One of the knights spoke, not trusting what he had seen.
“That was THE child. The very one from a year ago.” Lord Ravon replied.
“Father… did you know about all this?” Huin asked, having finally glimpsed a fraction of the boy’s abilities.
“I had an inkling, but this is the first time I’ve seen the boy using healing magic. I had no idea
he was hiding such a thing.” Lord Ravon replied.
When the boy revealed that he healed a young girl, there was no doubt in his mind that it was the truth. It was too late to doubt the boy who has exceeded his every expectations so far. Even more shocking, was when the boy had smashed his own hand, and proved himself to everyone.
In that instant, he felt every action he had taken for the boy was correct.
He was looking at something that had not walked the mortal realm for eons. A true mage, unparalleled and untethered by the laws of men. After untold centuries, a Dvitus has finally appeared.
He shuddered at the unknown destiny awaiting the child.
The only thing he was sure of: is that there WILL be change. His only regret is the possibility of not living long enough to see it.
Chapter 30 – Peaceful days
*swoosh* *swoosh* *Whoosh!* A familiar sound of metal slicing through air.
Kaidus went downstairs to find Troyle in the living room, swinging his sword with his left hand. Anise was still asleep, and Adalina was busy preparing breakfast.
Troyle was smiling heartily as he moved into different stances, swinging the sword in all range of motions—testing his arm.
Troyle’s injuries were severed tendons in the shoulder along with cuts into the bones. The cause of it was a slash from behind that cut deep into his shoulder blade before making its way out the left side of his shoulder.
The wounds were stitched, and Troyle’s body had repaired itself to a usable condition after 10 years. Yet, the damages have already been done, and the shoulder was never like how it used to be.
The healing process was similar to Naran’s, and Troyle had gritted his teeth through it—refusing to scream out in pain—as if trying to show his own mental fortitude to Kaidus.
“Dad. How long have you been at that?” He called out.
“You’re up early.” Troyle turned around and replied with a grin. Beads of sweat were rolling down his face. “I’ve only just started. I was going to wait until I got to Lord Varath’s place, but I never thought I would be able to use my left hand like this again. I couldn’t wait any longer.” Troyle’s grin widened.