The next morning everyone except for Bishop gathered to eat breakfast. The table was set, the food was hot, and everyone was hungry. Clammy excused herself to wake Bishop up, after she finished her serving. She quickly rushed down the stairs bright red after knocking on his door. She refused to make eye contact with the others, obviously embarrassed.

“Did you see him naked or something?” Chided Vel.

Clammy let out a small eep. Bishop came down a few minutes later, Belopi in tow. Bishop was wearing fresh, clean clothes but Belopi wore what she had on last night. Everyone looked from Clammy to the entering pair and back. A collective oooohhh, sounded in each of their minds.

Bishop sat with a goofy smirk while Belopi hid her face in shame and embarrassment. Max never understood the culture around sex on Nava. Does Bishop have to marry her now? How does inter racial mating work? He simply didn’t know.

“Fun night?” Jested Vel.

“Very.” Bishop said completely serious before his facade broke and he bellowed loudly.

Belopi grew even more red. Clammy also.

“Told you kid, one day.” Vel whispered to Max.

The pleasant mood continued long after breakfast and into their team meeting. They were currently trying to figure out what to do.

“The guard is handling looking for sacrifices, the soldiers have the undead on lock down, and Buzluc is no more… There really isn’t much for us to do without Mallor showing his face.” Vel said.

“What have you all been doing when I was asleep?”

“Not much. Training or resting, primarily. The occasional meeting or briefing.” Reep answered.

“Well… I guess I would search the city with Emi? Look for more clues into the sacrifices?” Max volunteered.

“No, that would be a waste of your time.” Vel shook her head. “The black dots are easy enough to spot. No, what you should be doing is either practicing magic or working on fighting with one arm.”

Max glanced at his missing arm. “Right… I was pretty off balance when I first woke up… But what about the others?”

Max regretted Clammy and Reep’s role in their time in Esmel. Max felt like he, Emi and Vel were the only ones really doing anything. Vel had her leadership role, while Max had his connection with the Divine, allowing him to see things others couldn’t. But then again, his direct involvement had made him a target for Buzluc.

“We have our own training, and we can help with the undead. Good, safe, and relatively easy experience for defending the city.” Reep shrugged.

“You’ve already fought the undead?”

Reep nodded. “A few times. They really aren't much of a challenge unless there is a specialty undead, which are rare now-a-days. We normally only stay for an hour or two, the smell gets hard to handle.”

“I would like to see the undead before I start working on single armed combat.”

Vel snorted and the others smiled at his choice of words.

Nothing like some dark humor to carry the mood. Max thought.

It smelled, something Max never really thought about. Every zombie movie he’d ever seen the characters would travel around killing and hiding from zombies… But never once had he seen one mention the smell. But then again, those were works of fiction where certain things were simply too hard or inconvenient to film.

The first blockade was about 15 minutes outside of the city proper. Another 10 would be blockade two and so on. The first line of defense was blockade four. Wooden spikes and hastily constructed fortifications. Some classes specialized in the creation of traps, such as [Master Trapper]. Runic pressure plates and pitfalls were the most widely used in the area. It amazed Max the level of defense the city was able to create in a mere week.

He stood, with the rest of his group, on the raised archer platform. The platform wasn’t only used for [Archers] however, many mages and other long ranged classes stood atop raining spells and projectiles at the mass horde. Unless everyone became complacent, the “small” number of undead would never break their defenses. They simply were too weak.

Skeletons were among the most prevalent. They looked exactly like how Max would have always imagined. White-grey bones connected at their joints, slowly moving around. Some held swords or maces, others had glowing eyes. Max wasn’t sure what the eye-glow meant, but it hardly mattered because they would quickly get dispatched by an arrow or fireball. Every now and then a , what Vel called, Grim Skeleton would appear. They looked much the same, but their bones were covered in deep carvings. They would quickly be singled out, often shrugging off a few attacks before ultimately falling.

The group had been standing along the platform for around fifteen minutes. Reep and Clammy were actively destroying undead, while Max and the others observed. Reep had grown significantly stronger since he had last seen her. She was able to create a lightning bow construct and fire a volley of electrified arrows. The arrows flew with exact precision, piercing skulls of dozens of skeletons within a few moments.

Reep stood almost perfectly still when she used her bow. She would only pivot her hips and move her draw hand to re-nock an arrow. She was fighting with the most efficiently possible, hoping to maximize her arrow-to-stamina cost. Of course, mana would always be a limiting factor for her. Her level was simply too low to electrify every arrow she fired. But then again, she was actively remedying that by killing undead to level up.

Clammy, on the other hand… Max didn't know what to think. She was the only one out of the countless soldiers and guards actively fighting in melee. She was past the blockade, swinging her giant hammer, dashing around, and launching projectiles at stragglers. Max was reassured she was safe, and that no, if an undead bite you, you do not turn into an undead. Everyone got a chuckle at that, even some of the soldiers.

Clammy was, by far, killing the most undead. But it was hardly a fair competition. She could easily take out 3-5 undead with a single swing of her hammer. That is not to mention the constantly orbiting mass of bone shards she had accumulated over the battle. Max was told that she took inspiration from his Center of Water domain and adopted the same concept into her magic. Once activated, the spell would grab onto loose materials and quickly revolve it around her, creating a deadly zone of bone splinters.

In all honesty, Max wasn’t sure why she was even swinging her hammer. She could simply sit in the middle of a horde and wait for them all to kill themselves on the bones she was orbiting. It wasn’t until she came particularly close that Max could see her face. Her eyes were closed.

“She… She has her eyes closed?” Max asked, unsure of what to make of her.

“Indeed.” Bishop said. “Part of her trance training. The goal with this is to put her in a state of mind where she focuses not on what she sees, but what she can feel.”

“She said something about “the flow of the battle”, and how she could “feel everything”. When we first started this.” Vel added.

“It’s… safe right?”

Vel snorted. “You think fighting with your eyes closed within a horde of undead could be safe? Hells we aren't even safe, and we are standing up here.”

“But then…”

“We are watching.” Bishop said.

“I don’t lik-”

“INCOMING!” A shout sounded from their right.

A fireball landed in a section of the archery stage, causing many soldiers to dodge out of the way. The subsequent explosion was smaller than Max had expected but the damage was more than apparent. The barricade was broken, a hole large enough for the horde to enter was open. Resting soldiers jumped into battle, fighting back the horde for repairs to be made.

“Do you see it, Reep?” Bishop asked, quietly.

“Yes.” Reep answered, drawing her bow back and aiming for the undead mage.

“Perfect chance to test out that new technique, huh?”

“Yes.” She answered again.

The undead mage was the most unique of the undead Max had seen so far. It actually wore clothing, robes to be more specific. Dark linens with red trim provided the undead far more fear factor than it should have. The undead looked very much like a normal mage, but the signature glowing eyes and decomposing flesh were enough of a giveaway.

The mage was currently engaged in battle with a few other [Archers] and [Mages], easily blocking their spells and arrows with Fire Shields and walls. A whistle sounded from Bishop and the attacking Elves quickly retreated.

Reep was gathering mana, electricity arced from her bow on to the surrounding area. Everyone took a few steps back. Her eyes glowed and her arrow emanated power and light. The contrasted light from her arrow seemed to bend shadows and elongate sunlight. It was a bizarre effect, one that Max couldn’t quite understand.

The arrow was released, and a brilliant silence fell over the blockade as everyone watched the blinding arrow fly. The undead mage reacted in time, creating its shield, but the arrow was simply too much. It broke straight through and pierced into the undead’s skull. The arrow continued, however, drilling through the horde that was behind the mage. A few more undead fell as the arrow finally found a resting place, almost a meter into the ground.

The silence stretched for a few moments longer before cheers and hollers sounded. The company was excited and more than pleased with Reep’s showing. Calls to buy her a mead sounded from the soldiers, along with a few marriage proclamations.

Reep, however, wasn’t focused on them. She was breathing heavily and sweat fell down her face. She could barely keep her eyes open and was swaying until Bishop grabbed hold of her.

“I’ve got you... I’ve got you…” He said tenderly, as he slowly sat her down.

The arrow she had just fired had taken everything from her. Bishop handed her a mana potion and she greedily drank it all. Emi left her potion on Max to climb on to Reep. She nuzzled deep in her lap, and offered her calming purrs that Max loved. A few moments later she started to regain her pigment and was reacting to her surroundings. She looked out at the clear line her arrow took. Nothing lived within its path. She smiled.

Clammy appeared, not so much as a drop of sweat on her. She had her eyes open, and she quickly levitated herself up the wall. She smiled largely as she looked between Reep and the path of her arrow. Her gaze lingered on the mage for a few moments before she spoke.

“You did it?”

Reep nodded.

“AND I MISSED IT?” She started cursing.

Reep smiled again.

“You’ve spent the last, what? Two weeks trying to get to a point where you can cast it, and I missed the first successful attempt? Typical.” Clammy huffed. Reep giggled.

An actual giggle.

Golden light appeared around Reep, filling her and the surrounding area with Bliss. Cheers sounded again from the soldiers. Max’s eyes widened, he turned to the soldiers who now had constructed a temporary wall of rock in the broken section.

“Anyone need healing?” He yelled, remembering the diving soldiers who barely escaped the fireball.

“Aye!” A deep voice replied.

Max hopped down from the stage and made his way through the crowd, Vel followed. Everyone had a job to do, a place to be, and an enemy to kill. But they made room for him, and Vel. Soldiers knew not to fuck with the healers. They were simply too powerful if you suffered an injury. Piss them off and your recovery time would skyrocket. The few healers who remained on the front line were also a different breed.

Normally, healers only heal. For example, [Priests]: They had Divine powered healing spells, but rarely had any more than basic attack spells. None of which would have the Divine aspect. Similar story to healing with nature. The spells simply took too long to learn, forcing healers to be, oftentimes, completely defenseless on battlefields. For a healer to be this close to the action, they were either crazy, had attack spells, or were immensely powerful. All of which the soldiers did not screw around with.

The downed soldier was currently being given Nava’s equivalent to first aid. It was magical in nature, of course, and made use of low-cost healing spell scrolls to stop the bleeding. From there a bandage would be wrapped over the open wound and they would be rushed to a healer.

“I’m a healer, please give me room.” Max commanded.

The man, an Elf, was very pale and unconscious. He was losing a lot of blood, and quickly too. His entire right side was torn up. Chunks of missing muscle and flesh signified he was hit, badly, by the explosion. He wasn’t going to make it. Not at this rate anyways. Max got to work, summoning his gourd and manipulating the water within to flow over the man.

Blood quickly turned his water red. The man’s breathing slowed almost to a stop, but Max continued working. Vel also stepped in, working in tandem with Max to cover the most ground. As they worked, Vel’s experience told her the man was not going to make it. Healing, even for her, took time. Something this man didn’t have. Sensing the same thing, Max looked to Vel. His eyes were red and overcome with guilt.

“Vel put up a privacy screen. One they can’t see through.”

“Max… I don’t thi-”

“Please.” Max added.

She sighed, creating a wall of black mist blocking all eyes from seeing in.

“Max, he’s too far gone.”

“Not yet.”

Max activated the Divine portion of his healing spell. Something that Vel hadn’t seen. Something that he wants to keep secret. As soon as she felt the power coming from Max, her breath hitched. Vel didn’t like the Divine. Through her life, the Divine had proven themselves to be untrustworthy or evil. She’d fought Demigods and Divine Spawn. She stood in front of [Champions] and those with blessing. But she had never felt anything like the Divine power she felt from Max.

It felt like him. But not. It had the same characteristic of Divine, but normally you could feel where the power originated from. You could feel the casters patron. You could tell which of the Gods gave them their power. Not with Max, however. His power felt like his. Like he was creating it.

The empowered waters quickly reconstructed the man's broken skin and muscles. Blood was rerouted into more efficient paths. Pigment returned. But it was too late. The man’s breathing had stopped, along with his heart. Max sat back, feeling the effects of using his own Divine power as fuel. He was exhausted, but the overwhelming feeling that he had failed prevented him from thinking of himself. Max had more medical knowledge than anyone on this planet. He didn’t know that much about magic, but he knew things from Earth. He knew how to save the man.

“Drop the spell!” He yelled to Vel, as he positioned himself to start chest compressions. It was difficult with one hand, but he pushed through.

The mist fell, receiving a large crowd. Everyone was interested in knowing if their comrade was going to make it. Only the people currently on shift were away. Max looked around the crowd for Reep or Bishop. He first found Bishop, but he and Clammy were standing in the very back of the crowd. Too far, too many people to move through.

She here! Emi sounded in his mind, understanding what he needed.

Max traced the connection, finding Reep standing much closer amongst the crowd. She held Emi in a tight hug. Emi must have nudged her closer than the others, feeling Max’s emotions.

“Reep! Come here, I need you!” His call sounded out into the silent audience. Murmurs quickly broke about the man being dead. It was too late.

Reep quickly kneeled before the man, confused. Emi scampered to Max, giving her enough room.

“This is going to sound crazy, but I need you to trust me.”

Reep looked into Max’s eyes, seeing determination and hope. She nodded.

“Shock him right here and here.” He pointed to two spots on his chest. “Enough to cause his muscles to spasm, but not wildly. Wait for my signal.”

He turned to Vel. “Vel do what I’m doing. Don’t worry about breaking his ribs. Keep the rhythm.”

Vel nodded, not understanding, but trusting. Max moved the man’s head. He tilted it back and lifted his chin. He pinched his nose and leaned in with a deep breath. Max could hear the shocked gasps but ignored them. He held his ear to the man’s mouth, listening. He tried again.

Nothing.

“Vel, stop for a second. Reep, go ahead.”

Her hands shocked the man, slightly burning his skin. His chest arched with the current and fell back into a lying position. Max felt for a pulse. Max motioned for Vel to continue, and he breathed into his mouth again. He felt for a pulse. Nothing.

“Again.” He said quietly. Reep shocked, again the man contorted with the current. Max felt for a pulse. It was there. He smiled. It worked. The man softly coughed up blood and bile. He was still unconscious, but he was stable enough for magic.

“He’s breathing.” Max said. “I don’t think I can keep going.” The wave of exhaustion had finally hit him. He was sweating, his muscles were weak, and he didn’t think he could cast any spells. Vel nodded.

“I’ve got it, kid. You did good.” Vel said, her water already flowing around the man.

Max watched as the man’s chest raised and lowered slowly. He listened to the crowd cheer, and the occasional question about just how Max had saved him. CPR and other life-restarting techniques were obviously unknown on Nava. They had only ever known healing magic. Magic saved enough lives, no one ever thought to look into other means of preventing death.

A notification suddenly appeared.

The God of Healing, Subuntu, has taken notice of you.

“Oh no.” Max said, causing Vel and Reep to look at him.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just got a notic-”

The God of Healing, Subuntu, wishes to speak with you.

Accept [Yes/No]

Warning: This will temporarily take you to the Realm of the Gods.

“Oh fuck.”

“Max?”

“Put up the privacy screen.” He spoke. And she did.

“I got a notification saying that Subuntu the God of Healing wishes to speak with me. I will be temporarily taken to the Realm of the Gods.”

Vel and Reep’s eyes widened. Max was completely blanking on what to do. He knew that Goddess Ofes put something on him purposely to hide him from the other Gods. But Subuntu was the God of healing. He had to be friendly right? Unless he experiments on people to find the best way to heal! Max’s anxiety flared.

“Can you say no?” Vel asked.

“I can.” He said choosing his words carefully, not to activate the system.

Vel thought for a moment.

“I think you should talk with him.” She held up her hand, stopping Max’s rebuttal. “I don’t know everything that has happened with you and the Divine, but Subuntu is one of the most trusted Gods. He is literally the God of Healing. He provides miracles and spreads his healers wide.”

“I was told to remain hidden from the Gods for as long as possible.”

“I think Subuntu is one of the few that I would place my trust in.”

As if sensing his hesitance, a notification appeared.

Accept it, Max.

-Goddess Ofes

“Oh fuck.” Max said

“What is it now?” Vel asked.

“Goddess Ofes sent me a notification to accept it.”

Vel and Reep’s eyes widened at the implications. Max took a second to drop into the infinite beach. The water was calm, the feeling of bliss was everywhere. This, to Max, was a better confirmation that everything was going to be fine, if he accepted.

“Guess… Guess I’ll be back?” He said, giving Emi a reassuring scratch. He selected Yes.

The world turned white, and the overwhelming feeling of falling ripped through Max’s gut. Colors shifted within the endless white, signifying movement. Without the occasional streak of color, Max would have assumed he was staying in the same place. The white suddenly ended, bringing Max to a world of color and objects.

The world was a lush and vibrant garden, full of scrubs, flowers, and trees. The grass was trimmed and maintained with paths made of stone expertly woven through the area. Within the center was a cathedral. The building was made of white chiseled marble, with two large spires reaching high into the deep blue sky. Windows and balconies were cut into the foundation and structure, revealing a wooden grain interior. Patterns and statues created textures along the outside of its grand staircase. The building was perfectly symmetric. Eerily so.

Something called out for Max to enter. He followed the calling up the stairs, past the grand double doors and found himself at a statue-fountain. A man was depicted healing the weak. He stood tall, a beacon for the ill. The man’s palms glowed with a deep white light, it was being directed into a sickly man. The statue shifted, replaying the scene much like a memory globe.

The sickly man accepted the Divine healing, and quickly knelt before the God. The sense switched, this time a woman stood emanating the white Divine light. She stood before a battlefield, the battle had just ended, and the victors were gathering their dead and injured. The woman raised her hand over the battlefield, light began to rain down. The dying slowly raised up, surprised with their newfound life. The scene switched again, but Max felt a presence to his side. A man slowly walked in.

“Curious magic, isn’t it?” The man said.

“Yes. I know of memory globes, but not memory statues.” Max replied.

The man softly chuckled. “No, no. This isn’t a memory. No, it is much, much more. Try something for me Max. Reach out using your Divine affinity. Feel the statue.”

Max looked between the man and the statue hesitantly, but he did as he was asked. Max forced his Divine Aura out into the statue. Suddenly he understood. Memories that weren't his leaped into his mind. A small boy laid alone in a cold street. It was snowing. The boy shivered in between his constant coughing. Splatters of blood were frozen near the boy’s head. He was dying.

Max wanted to help. He needed to help. And he did. Max moved within the memory. A body that was not his own moved to the boy. Max tried to use his healing waters but instead a gentle white light surrounded the boy. His coughing slowed; his body temperature raised. It was a bittersweet moment. The boy was now healthy, but he still remained homeless. He still remained on the frozen street.

Max wanted to take the boy with him. He wanted the boy to have a life. But how? Max wasn’t a parent. He didn’t know how to take care of a small child. But still, he did. Max carried the boy to his home. He knew where his home was, even though he had never been there. Hells he had never even been to this city.

Max watched over the boy for many years. He trained him in medicine and magic, opting to pass down his gift of healing. The boy accepted his father’s legacy with pride. Max died within his memory, with a smile and his grown son sitting by his side.

The memory cut, and Max found himself crying. Tears streamed faster than he had ever thought possible. Max had an overwhelming feeling of love, of security, and of happiness. He had just viewed someone’s life, and he accepted it as his own.

“Wha-” Max began.

“Do not worry. This is a completely normal response for those who pass.” The man said, calmly. His glowing eyes intently watching Max.

The man, Subuntu, stood straight and tall. He held his hands behind his back revealing a deep green tabard. A greying beard wrapped around his face, covering his pointed chin. Short, receding brown hair sat atop his head, perfectly symmetrical and trimmed. The man wore nothing flashy, opting for cheap but well-made clothes. He looked comfortable. The only thing to note, other than his glowing eyes, was his necklace. An ethereal white chain cascaded down his neck and shoulders. At the center was a small blue bottle with a cork stopper. The bottle glowed with every breath.

“God Subuntu.” Max bowed, finally understanding the situation.

“Please, just Subuntu. I still remember my mortal days.”

“Subuntu then.” Max affirmed. “What did I just pass?”

“I often test the purity of the hearts of my visitors. It allows me to give a measure of trust to our conversation.”

“I passed?”

“Indeed. With flying colors, might I add.” He nodded. “You’d be surprised how many leave the boy after healing him.”

“Wait. I was in control? But that wasn’t my memory.”

“That is quite right. Many outcomes come from the statue. Especially the one of the boy. But to answer your question, yes. You did control the memory, and you did splendidly.”

Max hesitated with his next question. He didn’t know what to think, and it appeared on his face.

“Come, Max. Let us sit. We have a lot to discuss.”

They moved into the main room of the cathedral. Max was expecting pews and places of worship, but instead the doors opened to a tavern. A hearth lit the room, and patrons stumbled around in drunken swoon. A young woman ran from table to table serving drinks and taking orders. A small 3-man band played in the corner. The tune was melodic and engaging. Max felt the warmth of the room along with the pleasant, homely atmosphere. Max looked at Subuntu. His eyes were not glowing anymore.

“I felt like this would be a good place to talk. Don’t you think so?” He motioned for Max to sit at a table. “Would you like something to eat? I recommend the battered hen.”

“Uh, um- Sure.” Max sputtered still in awe over the sensory change.

“Janlin, two hen and a pitcher of the mixed hop mead!” Subuntu yelled to the girl.

“This...This is a real place? We are back on Nava?”

Subuntu nodded. “This is the Flying Dove. My favorite establishment in the city of Winter’s Gap.”

“Winter’s Gap? I’ve never heard of it.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised, it's on the other side of the world from Lesterwood.”

Max raised an eyebrow. “That’s pretty far.”

He reached out for Emi, finding their connection. It was faint but it was definitely there.

Emi, I’m okay. Subuntu is taking me to dinner?

What eat?

Hen.

Fish better.

Max smiled.

“Indeed, but I expect you will be traveling those distances with your party in tow, sooner rather than later.”

“Me?” Max asked as Janlin set the pitcher of mead down.

“Indeed. Not many have access to dimensions, let alone the Astral. I expect you to do wonders.”

“You know about the dimension?”

“Of course.” He gestured around. “I may not look like a God, but I am. We have a certain understanding of the world around us. But we’ll come back to that in a moment.”

Janlin set down two hens. They smelled and looked delicious. Crispy fried exterior and a load of veggies to go with. Max’s mouth watered.

“Please, enjoy.” Subuntu said. “Good food is one of the few mortal pleasures I’ve kept over the years.”

Max tore into his food. He hadn’t had fried chicken in so long. Something he’d missed from Earth. He savored every bite.

“That technique you did to the fallen soldier. Does it have a name?”

Max looked up from the fatty hen. “Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. CPR for short.”

“Interesting. I take it this a means of healing on Earth?”

Max nodded, already figuring that Subuntu knew he was a Lost One.

“Less as healing and more as a way to restart someone’s heart. It doesn’t always work, but with the supplement healing from magic, it seemed to work pretty well.”

Subuntu ripped a chunk of hen off the bone.

“Resurrection.”

“You could call it that.”

“That is typically frowned upon.”

Max looked up. “It's completely magic free if that's what you mean. When a person’s heart stops, there is a short window where it can be restarted.”

“And breaking a person's ribs?”

Max nodded. “One of the down sides. But then again, the heart has to pump in order for blood to flow, which transfers oxygen around the body. Meaning the brain is still ali….”

Subuntu was smiling.

“Something wrong?” Max asked.

“No, it’s nothing.” He moved back to his food. “Max, the reason I asked you to join me was so that I could ask you to teach my followers. And in essence, me.”

“You want me to teach CPR to the Church of Healing?”

“Along with any other Earthen medical knowledge.”

“I… Don’t know... I already have a lot of enemies. Teaching would just add more fuel to the fire.”

Subuntu shook his head. “You already have lessons scheduled with Head Priestess Burk on your return to Lesterwood, do you not?”

Max nodded.

“Instead of going home or to the library when you are finished, you could simply teach my followers for an hour or two. You’d have the privacy of the church, and I will make sure my followers know to keep you a secret.”

Max nodded as he took a bite of carrot.

“Of course, you will be compensated for your time.” Subuntu added.

Max raised an eyebrow.

“I have already prepared an item to help you with your studies of dimensions. I also am prepared to accept a request.”

Max went back to eating. He thought about things he could ask a God for.

“I have a question and depending on the answer I will have my request.”

Max took his silence as a go ahead.

“My healing spell changed to Divine in nature. Can I train myself to have a large pool of Divine resources?”

“Your spell is indeed interesting… But yes, you should be able to. As you and your aura grow stronger, your resource pool will also. That reminds me. One of your future students may be able to give you some points about your… arm.”

“It can’t be healed, can it?”

“No, I’m afraid not. The forced healing removed any chance of regrowth. One of the downsides of emergency Divine healing.”

Max nodded, already figuring as much.

“For the request I would like one of your dedicated followers to help Esmel. Their recent [Arbor] of healing is no more, and they are without leadership. If one of yours could helm the healers of Esmel, until a new leader is appointed, then that would be much appreciated.”

Subuntu laughed. “That is what you want? A favor from a god? And you ask to help a city?”

Max nodded, slowly.

“Ofes was right about you! You are special!”

“Ofes? What did sh-”

The world turned white again. Colors steamed past Max as his journey ended. All he could think about was the half-a-hen he left sitting on the table.

The world flashed into existence. For some reason, this time, Max threw up. His perfect, fatty and crispy hen was gone. Max took a moment to reorient himself, he was in his room at the inn.

Long range teleportation feels awful. He thought.

You have been marked by the God of Healing, Subuntu.

Great, another mark…

But that made him think. Why was he fine on the first trip? Was the location a part of the aftereffects? Did arriving in the presence of the God of healing, remove his nausea? But that also brought up the question about how they arrived in the tavern. He didn’t pass through the white void.

Did he give me a hint? Max asked himself.

Emi, I’m back in Esmel. Tell me where you are, I’ll come to you.

Lunch. Long Spoon.

Alright, be there in a few minutes.

The Long Spoon was one of the restaurants they favored. It was cheap, fast, and gave large portions. Perfect for the Drake who, for some reason, decides where they eat most of the time. Emi also liked it because they had many fish dishes. After cleaning up his mess, Max left the inn, noting that Belopi was not in. Must be restocking. Max thought.

The Long Spoon was also one of the few restaurants open. It was next door to a guard station, meaning that if it closed, there would be many angry guards. Max approached the building, and he could already hear the whispers. The guards were talking about him. The Human with one arm. The human that brought the man back to life.

The small crowd parted in respect. They gave him nods of thanks and looks of pride. Most of the city knew of Max by now. The boy who speaks to the [Arbors]. The boy who inspired the city. The boy who fights for them. Max walked through the restaurant, finding the others at their normal table. By the time he sat down, he was bright red.

“Word spread quickly.” Max whispered.

“Indeed, it does. Especially with the guard. Better to learn that now, however.” Vel answered.

Emi jumped on his lap from the table, causing him to grunt.

“Are you hungry?” Belopi asked.

“Oh- Belopi, I didn’t see you there.”

Belopi sat next to Bishop, practically attached to his arm. She nodded with a smile.

“Bishy invited me along!”

“Bishy?” The table asked, causing Bishop’s green scales to darken.

“Please don’t call me that…'' He said quietly.

“Why not? I love nicknames! I have one for each of you!”

“Oh really? What might those be?” Vel asked, honestly curious.

“Starting with you, you are V. I know, I know, it's not very good, but Vel is already a nickname soooooo.” Belopi sang. “Reep is Zap! Clammy is Bed Head! Emi is Fishy! And lastly Max… I don’t know if I should say…”

“Of come on. You can’t leave us like that!” Max jested.

“Fine, fine. It’s Lefty.” She eyed his missing right arm.

Max’s eyes dropped for a moment, before he laughed loudly. The others joined after making sure it was okay to laugh.

“I like it!” Max cooed, “I think I prefer Max better, though.”

“Of course.” Belopi smiled.

The waiter came around taking Max’s order. He had already eaten, but he had also thrown up. He ordered a local dish, something called Zelpinto. Max only ordered it because he recognized the word pinto. The dish was not beans, however. It was steamed vegetables coated in a spicy rich sauce. Max regretted it.

“Well then, boy. What did the healer say?” Vel chose her words carefully. She liked Belopi, but she also knew that the less who knew about it the better.

“He took me to lunch… But I didn’t get to finish before I had to leave.”

“He… took you to lunch? That’s it?” Vel eyed him.

“Ah, no. I arrived at his… Home? And he tested me to make sure I was… the right fit? Then we went to a tavern. I explained what I did to the soldier out in the barricade, and he asked me to teach some of his followers.”

“I take it you are going to be compensated for your time?”

“He said an item that will help me in my training is on route to Lesterwood. He also reassured me that someone is coming to Esmel to assist in the healer faction until a new leader is appointed.”

“Seems like you got scammed.” Vel picked at her nail

“Well, I asked for someone to come to Esmel. He told me that he would do me a favor, and that’s what I chose.”

“WHAT!” Vel yelled, causing many eyes to look at them. “He gave you a favor and you asked for a temporary leader?”

“Yes… Esmel is going to need someone to lead the healers…”

“Max. I don’t think you understand how foolish you are. You could have just asked him to kill Mallor, or at the very least tell you where he is!”

Max leaned back. His eyes were wide, and he thought about the implications of a Divine favor.

“Oh.”

Vel threw her drink at him, who was able to react fast enough to catch the liquid midair. Vel muttered a few obscenities before abruptly standing.

“Come. We are starting your training.”

Max had a bad feeling, but he followed.

A blade of water flew towards Max. It was slow, but it was sent to his right side where he was missing an arm. Max reacted in time, but he reacted wrong. He tried to move his missing arm to block with a shield. The water blade stopped midair before falling to the ground with a splash.

“Come on Max. Focus. You are missing your RIGHT arm. Mana can’t flow from something that is not there!” Vel chastised from across the room.

“I know, I know.” Max muttered, reverting into a read position.

Vel’s “idea” of training Max’s handicap, was to fire projectiles of water at him. The catch was he was not allowed to dodge or blink away. He could only use his shield. It should have been easy, but Max didn’t think that his arm controlled as much mana as it did. Max was, sadly, right-handed. He was just now realizing how much he relied on his right hand.

A bolt came at his left, he easily blocked-in time. Another came from behind while a third formed in front of him. He was able to quickly block the one from behind while twisting his body to keep the shield in front of him. His idea was that if he couldn’t block with his right side, that he would never show his right side. A bolt, much faster than the others, ruined his plan. It hit his right hip making him stumble. Vel shook her head.

“Max… Are you purposefully being daft?”

“It’s hard to use mana on my right side…” He replied.

“Why?”

“...because I am missing my arm…”

“No, it's because you don’t know how mana flow work.” She sighed. “Not having any formal training is really coming back to bite you in the ass, huh?”

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“How do you imagine your mana?”

“As an infinite beach.”

“And what’s stopping that beach from coming from your hip or thigh?”

Max thought for a moment. What was stopping his mana? Was it that he simply relied heavily on his ar-

“Let me stop you right there. It was a trick question. Think about it like this. When you create a Water Bolt, where does it appear?”

“Wherever I want.”

“Exactly.” Vel snapped. “Mage Shields may use you as an anchor, but that is only for direction. Watch.”

Water moved far in front of Vel. It formed into a simple shield facing outwards.

“Did you see?”

“Not really?”

Vel sighed. “Try to copy what I did with your shield spell.”

Max didn’t see the point. He had made walls to block for Clammy and Reep before. Why would this be any different? He reached out for the water, urging it to form into a shield next to Vel’s. To his credit, the water did form. Just not how it should have. Instead of a convex half circle, the shield was a blob of stationary water. Max raised an eyebrow.

“See now?” Vel asked.

“I’m not sure I understand…”

“Using pre-created system spells has downsides, most of the time at least. Normally, simply manipulating mana to move water will be more efficient if what you are going for is different from your other spells. In this case, the shield spell becomes less efficient when it is not anchored to your body.”

“I see… So, what you are saying is that instead of using spells I should resort to manipulating water?”

Vel nodded. “Almost. You are going to have to evolve your spells if you want to use them the way you used to. You could also create new ones, ones that are especially tailored to you.”

“Why do I even need spells? Why can’t I just manipulate water to act like spells.”

“Some do.” She confirmed. “They are rare and often incredibly strong. You might be able to join their ranks actually. You have a very high level when it comes to Manipulate Water, at least for your age.”

“I do have some advantages…” He looked to Emi who tilted her head at him.

“I’m not including your bond Max. You alone have an incredibly high level of manipulation for your age.”

He thought for a second. “Ranks?”

She waved her hand dismissively. “It’s more like a club than anything. Just some weirdos in the Mage Guild.”

Max nodded and walked back to the center of the room. He readied himself. Water circled around him, and bolts randomly launched from the mass. With the idea to only manipulate water, Max noticed that the shield that formed was weaker. He needed to figure out how to reinforce his water.

“How do I reinforce my water?” Max asked during a break.

“Ah. I was waiting for you to ask.” Vel hummed. “It's rather simple actually. You are going to kick yourself after hearing this. All you need t-”

Vel was interrupted by an explosion. It was outside of Honeygreen’s trunk, but it was close. A second explosion sounded. Then a third. And a fourth. They waited for a fifth, but it never came. Instead, bells rang around the city, signaling an attack. Mallor had finally made his move.