Inside of the temple, the walls were cold and the many people were close to each other in an attempt to keep warm. The sounds of crying babies and complaining little kids amplified the negative emotions of the people.
"Leana! My baby, where were you!? You must never leave my side without permission." an angry and relieved voice ranged through everyone's ears. Leana left Agapios' embrace and ran to the woman. She didn't look too good, her legs were wrapped by a bloodstained cloth. Agapios walked closer to Leana's mother.
"An Ephemest? What were you doing with my daughter!? Cruel man-" Leana covered her mother's mouth with her little hand, she shook her head with a visibly angered expression. Agapios smiled, he gently placed Thoman next to Leana's mother. He was happy to see a mother worry for her child, it was something too rare in this period.
"My name is Agapios, call me Ephemest if you wish. Along the streets of the city, I've catched the sight of an old man forcefully bringing little Leana to a dark alley. I could stop him from doing what he intended to do." Leana's mother gulped down, she didn't expect Agapios to be the savior of her ignorant daughter. She felt ashamed because of her sudden rage.
"Mister Agapios has incredible powers that even the mages and wizards cannot rival! I saw him heal Thoman the bony by just placing his hand over his wounds. He has been sent by the Gods, they finally answered our prayers!" the expression on the faces of most people changed to an excited one, some didn't care too much. Leana was of the same opinion as Thoman, that Agapios was sent by the Gods.
"I have not been sent by the Gods! Like many, I worship them and follow all of their teachings. I especially follow the ways of the Goddess of benevolence and hope. To all the ones who are wounded, I can appease you of your greatest pains. The little wounds I'll be able to heal but not the big ones. If you wish to be treated, please, stand in a line." Agapios placed his sword against the wall, he then reinvigorated Thoman's energy.
"Mister Agapios, you told me that you would appease my mother from her pain. Please, uphold your words and do what you promised me." Agapios was an honest man, he squatted down and looked at Leana's mother's legs. Her feet were the only thing that were visible, the rest was wrapped by the cloth.
"It was four months ago, my husband and I would do manual labor. Even though I could have worked as a prostitute, I refrained to. We worked in a mine in the outskirts of Lithen, unbeknownst to us, this mine was infested by Gunds(1). My legs started to rot slowly but surely, everyday for four months I've enormously suffered from intense pain." this sounded like real torture, Agapios gently caressed her shoulder to comfort her.
"Gunds are nefarious little beasts. Once they bite, they infuse their target of a poison unique to them. If you've been poisened, I won't be able to do much. Sometimes, it's their eggs that they infuse inside a person's flesh. If that's the case, I could perfectly help you." Agapios gently removed the cloth with extreme care, terrible smell hanged around her legs.
"Seen like that, it doesn't look too good." her legs were all purple and black, little holes were everywhere to be seen. It was a nauseating sight to behold, but one had to stay strong and help her to the greatest extent. Agapios gently ran his hands over her whole left leg to her toes. Her face changed to a painful one.
"What is your name?" Agapios wanted to know her name to make communication easier and also for her to feel more at ease, this would facilitate any incoming process.
"I'm Mirield. Mister Agapios, what have you diagnosed? Can my legs be healed or have they been poisoned by the Gunds?" at the side, Leana was letting a few tears flow. She was pained to see her mother in such a state.
"I don't think your leg is rotting because of poison. The Gunds have surely placed their eggs inside of your two legs. Those holes are the tunnels used by the maggots and surely their way of getting some air. A Gund's egg grows to an adult in the span of two years." that's exactly why Agapios explicitly used the word maggot, because that's what they were at this stage of their growth.
"The pain you were feeling for those four months were the growing maggots feasting on your flesh and this progressively made both your legs rot. I'm gonna make them come out, it'll be tickling and painful." Agapios placed his two hands over her left leg, they emanated such an impressive warmth. Mirield started grabbing her own hair, she greethed her teeth. The maggots showed themselves, one by one they came out of the many holes.
The warmth emanating from Agapios' hands penetrated deep inside Mirield's left leg. This warmth was similar to hell to these maggots, their home had been completely devoid of air. That's why they escaped as fast as possible. The maggots left a viscous kind of liquid behind them, they crawled on the ground in search of a new home and source of food.
Before the maggots could reach the right leg of Mirield, Agapios did the same thing to the right leg. The maggots escaped Mirield's right leg and joined their fellows, a total of fifty maggots were desperately crawling on the ground. With his mysterious powers, Agapios turned all of them to dust with a simple motion of his hand.
"The ones causing your pain I have successfully condemned. Mirield, I will now purify those legs of yours. Pain, you will feel none. You will only feel good and appeasement, I shall make sure that in the end of this day, your legs are fully restored." the people in the temple had witnessed how easily Agapios removed the maggots, they were looking forward to see how he would purify and restore her legs.
Mirield looked at Agapios, he suddenly grabbed both her legs and squeezed. Instead of pain, she felt good. All the Impurities brought inside by the maggots and the Gunds were completely dissappearing. The holes started to shut and heal, Agapios' hands started to turn purple whilst Mirield's legs found their initial beige color.
"He completely healed her!? I never heard of an Ephemest capable of such a feat!" the people in the temple were dumbfounded, they were looking forward to get healed themselves. Agapios was sweating, his hands had become purple and black. He had in fact drawn all of the Impurities into his own hands.
"I need to get my stomach ache healed!"
"Fuck off, I need to get my ear checked in urgence! Look at the color!"
"We don't give a damn about your ear's color, there's much urgent than that."
"My son is gonna go first before anyone else, those who won't accept this will have to handle the blade of my knife!"
The temple soon entered in a phase of chaos. They didn't care nor tried to find out about Agapios' state, they only cared about themselves. One was even threatening of killing those who won't let him go first, Leana was besides Mirield and together they looked at the scene with hopeless eyes.
"Quiet!" this voice was stronger and mightier than any voice present, the people immediately quietened down. Agapios stood up and turned around, he faced all those selfish people. His eyes showed his anger and displeasure.
"So much selfishness! So much disregard! It's been a long time since the people of Lithen became uncivilized! I understand your struggles of everyday but do not let it consume your minds, love those who are next to you. Be gentle with those who are around you. Be a good person and life shall reward you handsomely! Have the Orcs and the forces of Chaos not caused enough damage? Stick together, we Humans must be one." Agapios sat down and held his hands down, the Impurities came out drop by drop from his fingers.
"I will not go anywhere, heard me? I will not go anywhere! So please, settle down. Have more patience and forget about resorting to violence to get what you want. I promise all of you that if something like that is to happen again, I will leave the temple." if he left the temple, all of them would stay sick and in bad states. The people quietly sat down and waited for Agapios to do what he had to do.
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(1) Gunds are nefarious worm like beasts, they live in caves filled with metals for they like its smell and contents. The Gunds are originally stemming from the land of Orcs.