The woman got a nervous look to her when she saw me sitting up but stepped forward to help me when a fourth person stepped forward from the shadows and stopped her. This fourth person was wrapped in robes so thick that I couldn't tell what gender they were, and their hood covered their face as they whispered to the elderly woman. The cloaked figure spoke in a clear, yet also somehow genderless voice, "You can understand me right? The circle that you must have noticed by now will keep you there if you are a demon or some other monstrous beast that can take the form of man. If you are not a monster or demon, step out of that circle."
Shocked I stood up and then immediately fell back over onto the bed. I saw my staff off to the side and looked at it longingly before the cloaked figure sighed and tossed it to me. I caught it, albeit barely, and stood up with it's help. I was nervous because I didn't think I was a demon or a monster but I definitely wasn't from this world so would this circle think that I was? I took a deep breath and stepped forward and out of the circle as if it wasn't there at all.I smiled at the group of them and the woman and two guards visibly relaxed while the cloaked figure seemed slightly disappointed.
The guards and the cloaked figure were about to turn and leave when a sharp pain wracked through my whole body starting at my wounds and coursing through me, causing me to collapse to the floor. That burning sensation that I felt on the hill returned and I saw a blinding yellow light for a second and then a felt like my back and arm had fallen asleep. When I looked at my arm the bandage had been disintegrated, and in its place was a wound rapidly closing and lightning coursing back and forth inside it.
Now the cloaked figure stepped forward and removed her hood and looked at my wound before moving behind me and looking at my back. Within a minute both wounds were fully closed and the cloaked woman, who seemed to be around 20 to 25 at the oldest, sat on the bed staring at me in slight excitement. I was confused and looked around at the startled elderly woman and the superstitious looks of the young guards.
I spoke hesitantly to the cloaked woman, as she was the only one who had spoken to me, "What just happened? I don't understand what I just saw. I had wounds that should take months to heal, and yet they healed in just over a minute. Please explain this to me, you seem to know what's going on and don't seem to be surprised, nor do you seem superstitious." I just blurted it out without thinking, and one of the guards looked upset before turning away, while the cloaked woman just chuckled at the guards.
"Don't worry about them, they aren't used to seeing a mage at work, although the fact that you healed yourself without even knowing what you were doing is impressive. So far you have proven to be quite the interesting stranger. Come, we need to speak with the Magi Conclave about the existence of a rare mage." She responded and got up and started walking away without even seeing if I would follow.
Of course, I DID follow her, considering that she was the only person who seemed to know what was going on with me so far. From time to time she would step into a shadow and if I hadn't been following her intently I would have completely lost sight of her, but my eyes never left her for more than a second. When we got to what seemed to be the destination I realized that the burning sensation had returned again for the third time but each time it seemed to be less and less painful, this time just being mildly uncomfortable.
We got to the door, and right as we did the doors opened and a voice came from within, "Welcome back, Shadow-walker. Who is this that you bring to the Magi Conclave without invitation?" I was surprised, not only could whoever was inside detect me and the woman, 'Shadow-walker?' I thought to myself, but they also were able to open the door without coming to it, and right at the correct time. Shadow-walker spoke calmly as if this was normal here, "My apologies Grand Magus, I have brought someone whom I believe to be a rare mage. If now is not a good time, I can return later with him."
I looked back and forth between this 'Shadow-walker' and the darkness within the Magi Conclave before the voice returned, "Enter, Shadow-walker and new mage. Enter, and explain yourselves." I was thankful that I was about to get some sort of explanation and that I would be able to give one of my own. Although I was grateful I still waited for Shadow-walker to enter first in case this was some sort of test.