Chapter 19: Recovery and Rehabilitation

Waking up to an unfamiliar place became the norm. No matter where he closed his eyes, he always found himself in another place other than home. Then again, he knew better to start talking about ‘home.’ Wandering from place to place, meeting new people, seeing new things, and struggling to survive as a homeless molded his life into what it is now. Most people his age considered a home as the house that they and their family resided in. For him, he’s still searching for it.

This is the life I wanted… right? A long arm cast restrained his left arm from its movement. There weren’t any drawings or names signed on it to deprive it of its loneliness. It was completely blank and ordinary. All the pain in his body from the fight with the marauder was thankfully lifted. However, the absence of muscles was an odd adaption. What replaced his muscles felt like slabs of wood or concrete. Arms, legs, torso, and waist were completely numbed to the point that they felt foreign.

A large white sheet of blanket covered him from the neck below with his casted arm on top. Soft, white, fluffy pillows comfortably eased his head into a soothing position. The bed sunk just a little bit to embrace his injured body. It was all so comfortable, so heavenly that he didn’t want to leave. The warmth of the blanket, the gentle caress from the pillow, and the strings that lifted his legs was a gift that he didn’t knew was possible to experience.

A gentle white -- a completely different shade from the Church’s harsh white -- tenderly enveloped the room. Shelves of medical supplies sat across the room from his bed, with different colors and liquids of jars and vials contained in it. Clamps, scalpels, and syringes were some of the many medical tools that were cleanly stored onto a silver tray. Grey cabinets and an office desk were placed next to the only door in the room.

As he relaxed his head onto the pillow, a soft chatter came from the room next door. Despite the thick wall that separated them, their voices traveled across without hindrance. The words from their voices came freely, uninhibited by a lack of familiarity.

“Thank goodness you’re still alive.” A feminine-tone voice cried.

“I’m just glad you’ve made it back from the war in one piece, son.” A masculine-voice said blissfully.

“Mom… Dad…” A young-low-voice sobbed.

“Let me sign my name on your cast!” A girlish-voice joyfully intruded.

“Sure thing, Maria. Your big brother will be here, always.” The youngish-voice reassured.

“Get some rest, ok?” The feminine-tone voice suggested. “Take as long as you need, we’ll be here to take care of you.”

“Thank you… Mom, Dad, Maria, thank you.” The son gave a heartwarming reply.

Morr looked back at his cast. It was completely empty and devoid of any sentimental attachment. There weren’t any quills or writing utensils within his reach, so he used his right index-finger and indented the cast with his nail. For a brief time, the word ‘Friends’ were written on it before the cast erased its deformation.

He turned his eyes to the unoccupied, empty space around his bed. Hearing the voices from the other room provoked wishful thoughts. To have someone familiar at his bedside caring for him in his ill times was a reality that he thought he’d never yearn for. Time seemed to tick slower when there’s nothing to do, when there’s nothing he could do. Different thoughts of how his life could’ve turned out swarmed his mind. A civil worker, an inventor, a teacher, the possibilities were endless.

Nothing would be achievable if you don’t go extra mile for it. Working bit by bit to change his life into something he would enjoy seemed like a possibility… but he couldn’t see himself in that reality. The only reality that would allow him to be in was the reality that he’s already in.

His eyes became weak and watery.

After hearing how cheerful the next room was, he couldn’t deny that he wanted an experience similar to that. Family members may visit periodically. Through the cold, rain, and heat, they will be there to care for you. Whether your health is progressing or deteriorating, they will always be there. All for the moment of watching you energetically getting off that bed, walking through the hospital’s door, and stepping on a mat that says “Welcome home.”

But this is my life…

Facing down at the cast decorated it with droplets of water. It ran down his cheeks, gathered at the tip of his chin, and added another droplet to the cast. Memories of the times he spent with Vogh flooded his mind. All the lessons he learned and the time they spent together were the memories he cherished. Their talk about escaping the Church was always distant, but they were certain it had to happen one day.

“’Let this be the lowest of low…’” Morr recalled Vogh’s encouragement, “’From here on out no one can bring you down, not even yourself. Only look up, look far, and climb high…’ isn’t that right, Vogh?”

Priscilla entered through the door with a basket of fresh fruits. In it were oranges, apples, and bananas, warm colors to cheer someone up while they rest in bed. The basket was so big that it covered her entire vision. She lowered the basket of fruits when she heard a person sobbing, and given that there was only one patient in the room, it was clear as to who it was.

“Whoa!” Priscilla panicked. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Does it hurt?!”

She ran to Morr, not knowing what to do, then ran back to the basket and grabbed a fresh banana. She looked around the room and saw a scalpel that laid in a silver tray. The banana was quickly sliced into four pieces, and the realization of her act made her dumbfounded.

“Sorry…” Priscilla presented four sliced bananas to Morr.

“Thank you…” Morr gratefully accepted the bananas and placed two slices back onto her hand. “For being here.”

“You don’t have to tell me something I already know.” Priscilla smiled and fist-bumped his shoulder.

Instinctively, he clutched his numbed shoulder, but even if he felt pain it couldn’t overwhelm the gift of her tender smile. Tears that wouldn’t stop flowing became dry when it felt her warmth. The pain of loneliness subsided, and what filled that void was their friendship.

“You’re awake.” Another person walked in with a voice devoid of all possible emotions. A white-and-red collar shirt covered them from top-to-waist accompanied by short, white pants. A crate covered their head as they entered the door. It seemed heavy, judging by the lifter’s difficulty to steady it. Although Morr couldn’t see the person’s face, that voice was so distinct that only one person in the world could have it.

“Thank you, too, Pontiff.” Morr smiled.

“Are you feeling better?” Pontiff placed the crate in front of him. “How are your injuries?”

Morr’s jaw dropped when he heard more than two words coming from Pontiff’s mouth.

“You can… talk?” Morr shockingly asked.

“I’ve been able to talk.” Pontiff wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“I mean talk talk.” Morr emphasized. “You usually only say a few words at best.”

“I’ve been taking speech and language lessons at the college nearby.” Pontiff opened the crate. “But it is still much easier to just reply in a few words.”

“You’ve improved so fast for a few days of being here.” Morr encouraged.

“Few days?” Pontiff shook his head and pulled out a large bag that resembled the one Morr carried. “No, it has been a little over a month since we’ve arrived here.”

“We knew you would wake up, but we didn’t know when.” Priscilla presented a white-and-black outfit pulled from the crate to match his cape.

“Oh…” Morr accepted the outfit and set it aside. “How?”

Pontiff coughed and said, “Trust.”

“Trust? …Trust. That’s right.” Morr relaxed into the pillow and eased his mind. “By the way, is there a mirror here?”

“I’ll go get one.” Priscilla dashed out of the room and closed the door as she left.

“What do you need one for?” Pontiff asked.

“I’m a bit self-conscious about my looks.” Morr replied. “It’s been a month since I last looked in a mirror.”

“Oh. There’s something I forgot to mention.” Pontiff remembered an important peculiarity. “Did you know that black cape is attached to your shoulders?”

“I did.” Morr nodded. “It’s been there since that day.”

“I didn’t know what to do with it, so I left it there and cleaned it.” Pontiff said. “If it starts hurting, then let me know. I’ll cut it off."

Pontiff and Morr continued their small talk. Apparently Pontiff had been working at the Temple of Glioca as a temporary doctor. Doctors who were originally stationed here were moved towards the area that had the most activity of war. Other than that, he’s been patiently waiting for his citizenship so that he can become an adventurer.

“The war again…” Morr sighed. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to bring the soldiers and doctors here?”

“I don’t know.” Pontiff assured. “But, so far from what I’ve experienced, Mileth City is a really safe place.”

“You should check out Mileth Crypt,” Morr suggested, “It’s not as safe as you think--”

Morr suddenly caught his tongue and interrupted himself.

Was Mileth City really safe? Mileth Crypt as its own is incredibly unsafe. The black scorpion killed an adventurer, and the marauder proved to be a tough enemy. If there were stronger enemies dwelling deeper inside, then calling Mileth City ‘safe’ is not even remotely appropriate.

“Huh?” Morr’s puzzled expression caught Pontiff’s eyes. “Wait…”

To call Mileth City a hazard zone wouldn’t be appropriate either. It has been roughly a month, but the memories of his first days were still fresh. Aislings slept on the streets wherever they like. Their belongings were not tightly secured as it should be. Some even dared to sleep within the first couple of floors of Mileth Crypt. It wasn’t until the 5th floor when things became threatening. Thinking about the lives of Aislings outside of Mileth Crypt, it was more pleasant than dangerous. Although the time he spent in Mileth City was short, he never saw or heard about anyone suffering from ill intentions from other Aislings.

Priscilla dashed through the doors and rested a hand-held mirror on his lap. “Didn’t take too long, did I?”

“Thanks.” Morr raised the mirror to his face, and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that his face didn’t sporadically change into different emotions.

“What’s wrong?” Pontiff asked.

“Nothing worth mentioning.” Morr replied.

“Oh! That’s right!” Priscilla took out a letter from the crate and handed it to Morr. “The guy that killed the marauder said he wanted to meet you.”

“What for?” Morr opened the letter.

Priscilla shrugged.

The letter read:

“Dear Aisling,

I wanted to tell you in person, but I didn’t know when you would wake from your slumber. I want to express my desire to teach you the ways of Chakra, and how to do more than basic body refinement. I’ve caught a glimpse of the Chakra that surrounded you. I can tell that you’re not walking the monk path, and your sense of Chakra was obtained more abruptly, rather than acquired naturally. If you’re still interested, come meet me in Suomi. I won’t be here for long, but until then, I will wait for your arrival.”

Pontiff and Priscilla looked over his shoulders and read the content of the letter.

“Suomi?” Pontiff asked. “Where is that?”

“Really, really far away from here.” Priscilla answered. “I don’t know how long he will be waiting, but it’ll take at least two months of travel… I think.”

“On… foot?” Pontiff inquired.

“On horse.” Priscilla said.

“Two months by horse…” Pontiff shook his head. “Recovery and rehabilitation would take at least two months. One month, if there was a miracle.”

“Do you remember what Soldier May told us?” Priscilla asked Morr. “The Church can’t touch us within Mileth border, but when we leave… it could become dangerous.”

“I won’t do something so risky.” Morr nodded. “There’s the risk that he’ll be gone and the trip will be all for nothing. Pontiff, Priscilla, what do you two want to do?”

“Well… I want to see my family again.” Priscilla smiled. “Then… earn more money so I don’t have to live at the inn.”

“Dr. Mav told me to solve my illness on my own, and I want to do that.” Pontiff resolutely answered. “Loures Library should point me in the right direction.”

Hearing that they each have their own goals was reassuring. Being brought here and taken care of was more than he could’ve asked from anyone. The hesitation to ask them to venture into danger together was hard to shake off.

“Do you two want to travel together… for a bit longer?” Morr asked. “At least until we’re strong enough to travel outside on our own.”

“Pontiff?” Priscilla confidently looked at Pontiff as if she knew what he would say.

“It’s like he heard our conversation when he was asleep.” Pontiff said. “I may not look or sound like it, but I’ve been wanting to hunt with you guys ever since Priscilla told me about her adventures.”

“Did you?” Morr laughed. “Then let’s do it.”

Weeks passed by spent on recovering his body. There wasn’t much he could do other than rest, but when he recalled the letter from Roen, he acquired a struck of inspiration. The chakra that passively laid in his body was utilized as body refinement from observing Logan. It proved to be useful and certainly had saved his life more than a couple of times, but if there was another way to use it other than as a body refinement technique, then he definitely wanted to gain insight.

Rather than refine his body, as in reinforcing its durability like reinforcing walls with steel, he tried to bend the chakra at his will. Bend, as in flexibility while maintaining durability. The first few tries of infusing his muscles with chakra and bending it resulted in dislocated shoulders and misaligned bones. Pontiff had been performing daily check-ups and noticed the sudden, and shocking occurrence within Morr’s body. Pontiff found it unfathomable how Morr was able to stumbled upon these injuries because he’s been bedridden the entire time. After informing Pontiff of his objective, they combined his will over his chakra and Pontiff’s anatomical knowledge; the bones in his body were gradually mended into its rightful place.

Pontiff and Priscilla visited every day until his body became better. Priscilla occasionally brought wholesome foods with every visit. Piping hot bakeries, fresh fruits, and handmade sandwiches were some of her arsenals. She constantly told him how cheap they were and to not have high expectations for the taste, but Morr didn’t care about any of that. He was just grateful that she was kind enough to go out of her way for him.

Once his body was fully recovered, the first thing he did was step off his bed and fell down, face flat on the floor. The muscles in his body were incredibly stiffed and they felt awkward, like his mind was in a different body. Pontiff assisted him in recovering his movements, but it was also a learning experience for him as well. They first started with a simple hand-rail guidance, and he used Pontiff’s and Priscilla’s shoulder as the ‘rail.’ The excruciating feeling of having your body not listen to you deeply aggravated Morr. But when he applied his chakra to bend his body, his movements became cleaner and smoother.

After many daily check-ups and times spent on hand-rail exercises, they moved on to more difficult activities such as hopping and jogging. Gradually, he eased into his body and took ownership. The previous exercises that seemed out of reach were now accomplishable thanks to the progression he made over a month of work. During most of these exercises and his day-to-day life, he flexed his muscles with his chakra, rather than involuntarily move them. Pontiff and Priscilla were amazed at his progress, but he knew that his body was far from a complete recovery.

Two-months-and-a-half had passed since the marauder incident. Priscilla and Pontiff were waiting outside of the Temple of Glioca on a sunny, beautiful day. The birds happily chirped and the clouds in the sky provided shade from the sun’s gentle touch. Adventurers and merchant walked back and forth from the college campus like any other day. Everything seemed ordinary from a day-to-day basis.

But to them, this was the beginning. Pontiff finally acquired his citizenship and Priscilla couldn’t wait to experience an adventure as three.

A young man descended from the steps of the temple. Short, black-ink hair flowed back from a sudden breeze. The darkest cape -- the color of vantablack -- swayed left and right from the breeze. The young man fittingly wore a good-quality white shirt complimented by a light-shade black pants. The clothes themselves weren’t as protective as one would expect for an adventurer, but to him, these were enough to start their adventure together.

“Looking good.” Priscilla complimented.

“I’ve already chose my path as a priest. I’m ready whenever.” Pontiff announced.

“Our next goal: be the strongest trio ever.” Morr shouted.

The three of them departed from the temple, looking forward to helping each other out and accomplishing their own goals.