Laying on the bare ground was Agnar, who was still unconscious, and his two sons. Next to them was the healer, Levi.
"You are positive he is okay, right?" Kiyan asked breathing heavily.
"Yes, I am positive. He should be fine." Levi responded.
"Thank you. For saving our father, thank you so much." Raten said sitting up.
"Just doing my job. Besides, Agnar is a friend of mine." Levi gave a smile. "Let's head back inside." He stood to leave, Agnar's body levitated and followed.
Dragging their bodies off the ground, the twins looked around the place. The once beautiful garden was dead. The flowers and leaves withered, the trees were now rot.
Kiyan sighed and walked in the direction of the healer's house. Raten followed.
They got into the house and sat on the bed their father laid. They seemed unwilling to move as they watched over him.
"How long will he stay this way?" Kiyan asked.
"Not long." Levi replied placing a tray on the floor and sat next to it. "Why don't we eat while we wait."
"Thank you, but we would decline." Raten said.
"Why? Remember I said your father and I are friends. I am sure he wouldn't want you two to go without eating." He smiled at them. "You boys got here early. Pulling that cart would have taken some time, I believe you haven't had breakfast yet. So, why don't you join me ?" He insisted taking out two plates from the tray handing it to them.
They were hesitant, and just stared at him. They couldn't believe someone would be nice to them. Returning his smile, Kiyan took the plate of food from him, and so did Raten. They thanked him still staring at the food, not sure they should eat.
Levi had already begun eating from the plate left on the tray. Soon after, they ate as well.
"The meal was pretty tasty, thank you." Said Kiyan. They offered to wash the plates but Levi refused it. So they remained with their father.
"Raten, I wonder if we are cursed as well. Is it just father?" Kiyan said to his brother.
"I don't know. The best person to ask would be father, but he still hasn't woken up." Raten sighed.
Levi had left them in his home when he was called by a woman. She claimed her husband and son were ill and needed treatment. Hurriedly, he left with her.
"If we knew he wasn't like everyone else, we wouldn't have bothered dragging father up here. To think we brought him here to plead for help, or rather force him to if he doesn't agree to help us." Said Kiyan.
"He probably would have come if one of us came to get him." Raten added. Looking at his father, he mumbled. "Wake up soon."
*******
"Thank you so much sir." A lady in a purple flowing dress thanked the healer.
"Just doing my job." Levi replied with a smile and left. With what he had earned, he decided to head to the market. He needed to get a few things.
"If it isn't Levi, the great one." The owner of the store greeted him.
"I'm just a healer." Levi responded. "It's been a while we saw, hasn't it, Malum ?"
"It has indeed." Said Malum. "What brings you here ?"
"What would bring me to your shop if not vegetables." Levi answered his friend.
"It was silly of me to ask." Malum sighed. "So, which ones do you need."
Looking at the vegetables on display, Levi bought some carrots, lettuce and tomatoes.
"Anything else ?" Malum asked Handing him a bag of his purchase.
"This is all I need." He replied handing a single silver coin over to Malum. "Have a nice day." He left the market and returned home.
*******
"I thought the healer would have helpers around, but this place is empty. He lives away from the people and is all alone. I wonder if he gets lonely." Kiyan aired his thoughts.
"He must have moved for a reason. Perhaps, he finds it peaceful." Raten responded. They stood cautiously when they heard the sound of pots falling.
"Who could that be ?" They wondered.
Surreptitiously, they walked in the direction of the noise. It sounded like someone was moving things.
"Wait, what if it's the healer ?" Kiyan whispered.
"You might be right. But, let's check to be safe." Raten replied, speaking softly as they neared the kitchen.
Standing close to the walls, Raten was the first to look.
"Sir, you're back." He sighed in relief, seeing it was Levi in the kitchen. He looked to be preparing something. "We thought it was an intruder."
"Thankfully, it's you." Kiyan said standing by his brother's side.
"I made a lot of noise coming in, I am surprised you didn't hear that." Levi said tilting his head. His gaze made the boys shift uncomfortably.
"We will leave you be now." Raten said grabbing hold of his brother's arm, taking a step back.
"You don't have to be scared of me, I don't plan on hurting you." Levi spoke stopping them in their tracks. "Go check on your father."
"Thank you, Sir." Raten gave an inclination of the head.
"For what?" He asked.
"For not treating us with scorn like the people do." Kiyan answered with a smile. Knowing his brother and feeling the same way, he decided to reply.
Levi smiled and said nothing as they left him in the kitchen, and returned to the room their father laid.
When he was done cooking, he stepped out to his backyard. Looking around, he was a bit saddened.
"Agnar, you owe me for this." He sighed.
Sitting on the floor next to their father's bed, were the twins. Having done nothing all day besides watch him, they were beginning to feel sleepy.
"We are not used to staying this idle. It does not feel right." Kiyan chuckled. "When do you think father will wake up, Raten?" He asked but got no response. Turning to look at his brother, he could see he was fast asleep.
"Raten!" He kicked him awake.
"What?" He groaned sleepily.
"Don't fall asleep, i'll get bored."
Rubbing his eyes, he looked at Agnar. "He's still not awake?" Raten decided to go back to sleep.
"Wake up!" Kiyan yelled, kicking him again.
"Why ?! Wake me when he has woken." Raten pointed at Agnar.
"Fine! Sleep then." Kiyan pouted his lips.
After a while, Kiyan could see Agnar's fingers move.
"Father ?" He called out softly, moving closer to the bed.
Sitting up abruptly, Agnar let out some coughs. Kiyan was startled and fell back. Looking in front of him, Agnar was confused as to where he was.
"You're awake ?" He said, tears stung his eyes. Agnar turned to his right and saw one of his sons. He was relieved.
"Father." Kiyan called out, reaching in for a hug, which Agnar gave. Seeing Kiyan's reaction, he was sure something had happened, but would ask later.
Pulling away from him, Kiyan shook Raten violently.
"Wake up you! Father has awoken." He said.
Raten whose eyes were half open, now had full eyes realizing what was said to him. He pushed his brother off when he heard those words.
"Father!" He let out a shriek and hugged him as well. "I was beginning to think the healer lied to us and you wouldn't wake up again." He cried.
"Healer ?" Agnar asked.
"That was hurtful." Levi gave a slight chortle to Raten's words. Seeing the boys reactions to their father's wellness was heartwarming.
"Levi?"
"You finally woke up, old man." Levi smiled.
"What's going on ?" He asked looking at his sons sitting beside him on the bed. Returning his gaze to Levi, he asked. "Did something happen?"
"Yes, something happened." Kiyan started. "You had us scared, we thought we had lost you."
"Lost me?" Agnar was both confused and worried.
Getting out of his seat, Levi walked up to a small table with a jug filled with water. He poured some of it into a cup.
"You almost died, I saved you." Levi said with a grin handing the cup of water to him.
"Thank you." Agnar took the cup from him and drank the liquid.
"For saving you or giving you water ?" Levi sat back down.
"I would like to know what you saved me from." Agnar said putting the cup down.
"Death. I said that already." Levi squinted his eyes.
"You weren't waking up this morning, you looked pale and almost stopped breathing." Raten began. "I and Kiyan were so worried, we brought you here. The kind healer then said your life force was drained and that, that...you were cursed." He hurried the last sentence as if not wanting to hear himself say it.
"I see." Agnar said in a low tone averting his gaze from his children.
"You were lucky they brought you here on time." Said Levi.
"You didn't tell us you were cursed." Raten said reading his father's emotion. His reaction to the mention of the 'curse' made it clear he knew about it.
They wanted to ask a lot of questions, but decided to wait till they arrived home.
"Thank you." Agnar said to Levi.
"Just doing my job." Levi shrugged it off.
They chatted for a while and Levi asked that they had lunch with him, to which they accepted. All said and done, they were ready to leave.
"How much will this cost us ?" Agnar asked.
"Let's see," he began listing. "I healed you, lost my garden, fed you. It amounts to one, no TWO gold coins." He made the number with his fingers and grinned.
Agnar just stared at him. "You have always been like this." He shook his head. There was no way he would be able to pay that. He was clearly over charging them.
Reaching into a small pouch he hung on his shoulders, "Here you go." Kiyan said stretching out his arms. "Two gold coins."
Levi's eyes bulged out in surprise as he looked at the coins. But then his eyes gleamed as he hesitantly took the coins from Kiyan.
"You found a lucrative job finally, Agnar?" He asked staring at the coins in his hands.
"Uh..yes, I did." Agnar answered with an awkward smile. Of course it was a lie, but he wouldn't say his sons stole to get it.
"Okay then, leave." Levi waved them off.
"Goodbye Levi." Agnar said.
"Goodbye Sir." The twins said in unison, while they waved.
Levi smiled. "Don't forget to take your cart with you."
"Cart?" Agnar asked, as he saw Raten pulling a cart close to them. He didn't remember ever having a cart.
"Thanks for reminding us." Said Kiyan.
"It's how we got you here, we pulled you in this cart." Raten explained seeing the puzzled look on his father's face.
Lifting both his sons and placing them in the cart, he said.
"I guess I have to return the favour." He gave a warm smile and drove them home.
The people murmured like spitting vipers as they passed, wishing Agnar had not survived. The smile the three had on their faces just angered them even further.
"Just get lost, leave us be!" They yelled. But Agnar kept moving.
"Ignore them." He said to his sons and they nodded.
Soon enough, they arrived home and the boys were free to ask their questions.
"Why didn't you tell us you were cursed ? More importantly, why were you cursed?"
"Are we cursed as well?"
"You boys are not cursed." Agnar responded after a while. "As for your first question, I will only let you know, for now, I was cursed because of that 'mistake'."
"I will tell you everything as soon as we leave this village. We need to leave here and soon." He said. The twins looked at themselves and back at him.