"That isn't a person, you crazy woman! It's a magician! It might as well be a murderer and a demon! Don't you know that magicians live to curse those who don't use magic? My sister died of dengue fever because she was cursed by a sonofabitch magician! Who knows how many of us in this town will end up with the Scarlet Plague, or deformed children, or dead by tomorrow morning because that screwed magician came here today? That person deserves to be beaten to death, and so do all of its kind! Pah!" He spat into the dirt by Abrial's feet.
Abrial's fist curled tightly around the sheath of her dagger, imprinting the leather. She sucked in a harsh breath, then sheathed Dohyun roughly. Her face was tilted downward, so that her expression couldn't be seen clearly — it was shadowed by the strands of shining dark hair that had come loose from her ponytail as she fought. When she spoke, her voice was like ice.
"Do you really believe all that? That magicians all like to curse people and cause disease and deform your children, and all that? Who even told you that?"
"Ha!" The man's laughter made it clear that he thought Abrial was ridiculous. A murmur of unease rippled through the crowd. "You must be crazy — a real madwoman! It's common knowledge! Everyone knows magicians are sneaky demons. They act as though they want to help, but they bring suffering wherever they go. Like you! You cut up so many guards in such a cruel way! It's just like the Imperial General Magnus pointed out — you must be a magician, too!"
"I think so too!" offered a woman in agreement. "She has that evil air around her! She's nothing but bad luck!"
"Exactly right!" shrieked an old lady, looking murderous. "I knew it from when I first set eyes on her. She's vicious as a demon! She probably drinks blood for dinner!"
"Yeah!"
"That's disgusting! I think so too!"
The crowd swelled with excited exclamations of agreement. A strong, hot energy of collective agitation seemed to be radiating out from the circle of people, inwards towards Abrial.
"Let's turn her in!" roared the first older man with the sticks on his back, pumping his tanned fist in the air.
The crowd hollered in agreement, moving to close in on Abrial.
There was a small shing-ing noise as Abrial unsheathed Dohyun. It glittered obsidian black, slightly tainted with crimson blood from a few minutes ago.
The crowd jumped back in horror.
Abrial twirled the dagger dangerously, pointing Dohyun's tip at the front row of villagers the entire time. Her obsidian eyes glinted with extreme irritation and disgust.
"If any one of you takes a single step closer, you're all gonna end up dead before tomorrow for sure!"
The burning black glare in her eyes combined with the sharp glint of her dagger and her contemptful scowl turned the faces of the front-row crowd members pale as ghosts'.
"We were right! She said she'll kill us all before morning!"
"Look at her, she's crazy! A demonic magician, it's true!"
"Move, I'm getting out of here! I don't wanna die today!"
The crow dispersed in a panicked flurry of blanched faces and scurrying, mothers scooping up children and customers hurrying away, protectively clutching their sacks of goods. The man with the bundle of sticks on his back looked like he wanted to stay and keep accusing Abrial, but he was pulled away by his panicked brother.
When the street was finally empty, Abrial grumbled and sheathed her knife.
The young magician was breathing shallowly when she knelt down to check on them.
"Hey," she muttered, shaking them slightly. "Hey, you. Wake up! Can you hear me?"
The person blinked weakly — or, blinked the one eye they could move. Abrial took that as a yes.
"All right! I'm gonna carry you now."
Swiftly, Abrial hoisted the person up onto her back, careful not to touch any of their gaping, bloody wounds. They were surprisingly light. Even if they were in their mid-teens, they shouldn't be this light, should they? Like a pillow? Something was definitely not right here. Abrial poked one of the person's arms, which was hanging limply over her shoulder. She stiffened. Why was this person so freaking thin? Like a stick! Were they starving?!
Abrial jogged with them to an alley on the market street and laid them there against a shadowed wall. This young magician seemed to be fading in and out of consciousness, their pale head bobbing every now and then, and their dark eyes half-closed. Their somewhat messy mop of black, somehow bluish hair shadowed one of their eyes completely. Abrial stared at that hair for a moment — what a cool color! — and then scurried out of the alley to go look for any kind of herb to help this person.
A moment later, she returned with her jug full of water from the nearby river and a handful of grass. She squatted down by the person, examining the grass hesitantly. Finley had taught her basic, basic healing, but it was always Finley who'd provided the materials to show Abrial how to heal. She wasn't so sure she could figure out what kind of herb or grass or whatever to use to heal someone out here on her own. Just another of a million reasons she needed Finley! Just why did Finley have to separate them like this?!
For now, she'd just have to go for it. This grass looked similar enough to something in that little healing kit Finley had given Abrial on her birthday five years ago — the one she still kept under a floorboard in her room. Abrial went ahead and tore a green blade of the grass into pieces, scattering them into her jug of water. Careful not to hurt them, she lifted the young person's head and slowly poured the green liquid between their open lips.
Abrial waited for a minute.
Two minutes.
Actually, she couldn't tell how much time was passing, exactly. It just felt like a long time. She started to get antsy staring at this limp, starved figure covered in blood.
Was it possible…that she'd killed them? Abrial gulped, glancing at the grass still clutched in her right fist. She didn't know her plants all that well. Was this poisonous when you ate it? Aw, shit…
Just as she was about to grab the person by the neck to check for a pulse, their dark, bluish eyes shot open.
"AAAAAAAARGH! FUCK! SHIT! WHAT THE HELL!!! WHERE AM I?!?!"