{What is holiness if not power?}
….
The door creaked open after Narene knocked twice. A young man peeked out, observing Sharen and Narene with a questioning gaze.
"Are you Perci, the healer?" Narene asked, reading the name from the small slip that Goramel had given to Sharen.
The young man nodded, his guard still raised. "Yes. How can I help you?"
"I'm badly wounded," Sharen gasped, the pain flooding his body, making him wince with every word he said. "Goramel directed us here."
Perci hesitated before stepping aside, ushering them in. "Please, come in. Any friend of Goramel's is a friend of mine as well."
With Narene's help, Sharen limped into the house. His senses were clouded by the pain that he felt nothing when her cold, soft hands touch him, helping him to walk. The man closed the door behind them, gesturing for Narene to make him sit on the large bench that was placed by the side. Sharen—despite his pains—noted that the man was still wary, not intending to let them go deep into his house.
Sharen sat with a wince. Perci smiled and squatted before him, the light in the house—which came from lamps—cast a brilliant light over his smiling face. "Let me see the wound."
Sharen lifted his shirt and removed the bandage that Shar had put over the wound. The bandage fell off, revealing the ghastly wound by his side. The wound had opened again, looking so deep that Sharen felt dizzy looking down on it. Yet, the wound wasn't bleeding.
"Can you fix it?" Narene asked, her eyes squinted as she stood by Sharen's side, her hands pressing into his shoulder.
The man nodded then looked up at Sharen. "How did you get such a wound?"
"It's not a matter of importance," Sharen said through gritted teeth. "We're paying you money."
"It is often not an issue of money for me," Perci shook his head, hovering his hand over the wound. "But I will overlook your case since Goramel recommended you."
The man began to chant magical words that were unfamiliar to Sharen. It came as a surprise to him—though not so much—to find out that Perci was actually a mage. However, Sharen was curious. Even with his mind buzzing, he was curious to know what his level of strength was.
'System,' Sharen thought, biting his lips to suppress the pains. 'What's his power level?'
**Power level is at blue core**
Perci's eyes glowed blue, his lips moving rapidly as he muttered the healing spells. Sharen felt his body stiffen, the pain increasing like something was biting into his ribs and he held his breath, waiting for it to become unbearable but it never happened. Rather, relief came, washing over him so soothingly.
In an instant, the pain which had threatened to break his mind and body, eased to a bare throb. Sharen opened his eyes, surprised that he'd shut it in the first place. Sweat dotted his forehead and for the first time in a long while—since Dulhe was destroyed—he didn't feel like a mage.
He was helpless, cowering before the pain. Only a single blow from the Shattered Knight and he had become like that. It made Sharen feel inadequate in a sense. If he couldn't have confidence in defeating the Knights then how could he possibly hope to fight Khlatus—if it really existed?
"You're a really strong man. Most people would've passed out from that sort of pain." Perci said, wiping his hand with a small cloth.
"He's stubborn, too." Narene said, looking down at him with profound admiration in her gaze.
Sharen sighed inwardly. Despite feeling more like a failure than a hero, he'd still managed to instil that feeling in Narene. She still looked up to him as a hero—the hero she'd known in Samak. Sharen wanted to tell her that he was no hero and that they were no longer in Samak yet something held him back.
He didn't know why but at that moment, he felt that seeing her faith in him also gave him boldness. Yet, he knew that it was that kind of feeling that kept him down, put him in a cage of his own. How long had it been? Too long to recall. Being worshipped by the people of Samak made him have a greater burden on his shoulder.
"I can really see that in his eyes." Perci chuckled.
"Thank you," Sharen found his voice, his emotional urges flooding back in full force. Narene's hand was still on his shoulder and he tried as much as possible not to shrug it off or act on the impulses that rushed through his soul.
"How much do we owe you?" Narene asked, removing her hand from Sharen's shoulder, giving him the needed reprieve he desired.
"You don't need to pay," Perci shook his head, smiling brightly. "If Goramel sent you then you're my friends as well."
"You've known him for long?" Sharen asked, studying the healer carefully.
"Oh, yes," Perci nodded, pulling another chair from the centre of the room. "He and Shar had been a tough nut to crack."
"I can imagine," Sharen felt the urge to probe the man to get information but held back, feeling that it would lead to complications if he did so. His mission was to capture Goramel and he intended to do that without tipping the man off.
"Can I, at least, know your names?" Perci asked, folding his arms across his chest.
"I'm Sharen and she's my…assistant—Narene." Sharen replied, glancing at Narene. He felt odd referring to her as his apprentice. He still hadn't come to terms with his identity as her teacher and hadn't taught her a thing. He didn't deserve to be a teacher. He was just an ordinary green cored mage who wouldn't even exist if not for the system.
"We need to get going, though." Narene said, looking out the shutter and towards the dark street.
"Of course," Perci stood, walking towards a compartment by the corner. He came back with a small pouch in his hand. "Here, it's an energy potion. It will keep you energized for the night."
Sharen took the pouch. "Thank you for your help, Perci."
"Any time," the man nodded with a solemn face yet Sharen felt odd. He felt like he owed the man and he hated feeling that way.
They didn't stay further. The cold air brushed against Sharen's face when they stepped out of the healer's house. Sharen heaved a sigh, feeling comfort for the first time in over five days.