Excruciating pain, that was all he could remember. As the storm lessened above him, Eric faded in and out of consciousness as the night marched on. No longer was he only afflicted with the pain from his injuries, but as soon as the hour reached midnight, the pain of his body awakening to his class flooded his system. He could feel his entire body, no, his entire being changing as the hours after midnight passed. In his delirium, Eric could feel his bones strengthening, his mind becoming sharper, and his senses growing stronger.
By time dawn came, the storm had passed but in the following calm, a new storm was forming, preparing to be released upon the entirety of the world, for a forest left unchecked to grow will eventually grow until it strangles itself causing only rot to remain.
Benedict quickly led a team of the village's guards as he rushed back to where his brother had been left the night before. Guilt bore a hole into his heart, but he did not let it weigh him down, though his brother may be classless for the rest of his life, at least he wouldn't have to partake in any fights against the monsters, especially against the ones he witnessed last night. Had his class not awakened as that of the Divine Battle Mage, Benedict feared that he would not have had the strength to defend the village from the ungodly monsters that had attacked during the storm, nor would he have been able to return to bring his brother to safety.
Reaching the crest of the ravine, Benedict looked down, glad to see that his brother was still there, though panic filled his heart as he noticed that Eric's eyes were unfocused as they stared up towards the heavens.
"Eric!" Calling out, Benedict quickly turned towards a town guard who quickly handed him the end of a long rope which he used to tie around his waist before he began scaling down the cliff face.
Arriving at the bottom of the ravine, Benedict rushed to his brother before kneeling on the ground as he grabbed him and pulled him into a deep hug. After letting him go, Benedict quickly began looking over his brother, making sure that his brother wasn't severely harmed from his fall. Upon seeing the large injury on the back of his brother's head, Benedict's heart panged as he realized that his brother had suffered the entire night in pain, unable to get any help with the injury.
Turning up towards the edge of the ravine Benedict called out. "Otto, I need you to come down here!"
A few minutes later, a scrawny, elderly man had finally finished scaling the cliffside before touching down and rushing over to the two brothers. Otto had spent the last five decades as a healer in Hothal Aldu's Guild Hall after he had awakened his class as you guessed it, a healer.
Kneeling over the two boys, Otto quickly reached out his hand towards the back of Eric's head, and as he closed his eyes to focus, he began to cast a weak healing spell that caused his hands to glow in a gentle, warm light before the light washed over the back of Eric's head.
As the light washed over the injury, Benedict watched as the wound began to properly close, leaving nothing more than matted hair as an indication of its existence. With a contented sigh, Benedict looked lovingly at his brother before turning and bowing his head in gratitude. "Thank you master Otto."
"It's my job, boy, no need to be thanking me." Otto responded sharply as he got up before assisting Benedict in raising Eric up from the ground. Though Eric had now been healed, his gaze still held a listless, unfocused appearance as he was jostled back and forth as the two men assisted in lifting him.
"Master Otto, do you think my brother will be okay?" Benedict looked worriedly towards his brother after having thought that Eric would regain his awareness after Otto had healed him.
"He's most probably still in shock, after all he suffered from a head injury for the entire night, along with the fact that he missed his time of awakening and will be stuck forever as a classless. It would probably be best to take him back to the guild hall where I can properly treat him before you take him back to your family." Otto responded while hoisting Eric as he began securing the rope around his waist before tugging the rope to let the town guard up top know that they were good to begin pulling Eric up.
Once they had gotten him up and out of the ravine, the guards then pulled Otto and Benedict out as well before they laid Eric on a wagon they had brought before making their way back towards Hothal Aldu. After a few hours, the party was able to finally walk through the open gates surrounded by the wooden palisade.
Entering the village, one could see the many two story wooden houses and taverns, a stone steeple close to the center of the village, along with what appeared to be a large stone mansion resting on the top of a hill towards the Eastern part of the village.
Having returned to the village, the guards quickly dispersed, returning to their original posts or going home to rest. Benedict and Otto quickly guided the wagon to the large mansion on the hill, with Benedict checking up on Eric every now and then, especially when they passed the village's market place.
After arriving at the mansion, the two passed through a smaller stone wall that was guarded by two knights, before they parked the wagon off to the side.
"Carry your brother to my medical room in the West wing, I'll be there shortly." Otto glanced at Benedict before he began making his way into the mansion, heading off to look for the guildmaster to report back to him.
Thanks to his increased strength after awakening as a Divine Battle Mage, Benedict easily picked up his vegetative brother before making his way up the marble steps of the manor. Entering through the main doors, he quickly made his way towards the West wing of the building on the first floor, and eventually arrived at a set of double doors that led to a room filled with several beds, and multiple cabinets with different herbs and medicines.
Setting Eric on the first open bed, Benedict quickly grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it up next to his brother, intending to wait until Otto returned and his brother regained his awareness. As he waited, the ticking of the mechanical clock on a desk near the back of the room helped him pass the time as he recalled the nightmare that he had faced just the night before.
After half an hour, Otto entered the room as he quickly made his way towards several cabinets and began pulling out different herbs. After pulling nearly thirty herbs, he then began grounding the herbs together before he compacted it into a pipe. Once this was done, he brought the pipe over and propped the open end beneath Eric's nose.
"This mixture of herbs creates a hypnotic scent that makes one think they are smelling their most favored memories. Most of the people who I've surveyed on this concoction have said that they usually smell their home, or a specific loved one that tends to bring them many joyous memories." Otto patted Benedict's shoulder as he walked off back towards his desk as he went to begin writing a record of Eric's case, documenting everything known that had occurred to him until now.
"By the way, Neara was looking for you." Otto looked over his shoulder to give a quick glance towards Benedict before he turned and continued writing down his diagnosis and completing Eric's record.
"I'll pay her a visit after my brother wakes up." Benedict responded curtly, not taking his eyes off of Eric as he watched him take in several slow breaths, absorbing the herbal smoke, and hoping that his brother would become aware once more.
"She made it clear that she wanted to see you immediately. Son, this may be your only chance of having a future that allows you to still be with your family. Most nobles are self centered, egotistical pigs who will do anything and everything to get you as one of theirs, including dealing with your family. Neara has made it clear that she will give your family a better life if you accept her offer."
Benedict sighed as he listened to Otto. "Fine, I'll go and see her, please keep an eye on my brother and I'll be back shortly."
Otto nodded as Benedict stood up and left the room, making his way deeper into the manor towards the central waiting room where he figured both the guildmaster and Neara would most likely be located.
While Benedict left, Otto got up from his chair and walked over to check up on Eric's situation now that several minutes had passed with him breathing in the herbal smoke. Removing the pipe, Otto found that there appeared to be no change in Eric's condition, and the only thought that could come to his mind was that the boy had become so devastatingly broken after being forced to stay classless for the rest of his life that he had lost the will to live. If this was the case, it would be drastically harder for him to help Benedict, since Eric may never willingly return to the land of consciousness.