DAKU
The scenery before me was indescribable not even the word "chaos" could suffice the condition I was witnessing. This was beyond human comprehension but I knew for myself that this view would someday happen.
The air was filled with a mixture of smoke, blood, and soil. The atmosphere felt thick and hot because of the nearby fires caused by fire magic perhaps. Dead, immobile bodies of both adventurers and knights decorated the clearing and I knew for a fact that this bloodshed was not created by these two groups. So who were their enemies?
I searched and scanned the entire area for any sign of the identity of the nemesis but it was fruitless. I was hoping to see monsters of some sort or maybe cavaliers of the opposing kingdom but there was nothing. Whatever, or whoever caused this mass genocide was undoubtedly powerful.
"HELP!" a voice echoed and I could feel the anguish and agony within it. "PLEASE, HELP!"
I tried to respond, to let myself known but no voice escaped my mouth. That was when I realized that this was indeed a dream. Only in a dream, you could lose your voice.
I looked at my right, just ahead of me, was a woman. She was looking straight at me as she sobbed. She held in her arms a child, a girl to be exact, but it was lifeless.
"Please," the words came out gently but full of sincerity. "Save my daughter," she continued. I wanted to go to her. To fulfill her request. To save her daughter. But I couldn't move my feet as if I lost my control over it. Even my hands were hopeless.
"You're a Healer, right? Please, heal my daughter," she pleaded and as much as I wanted to respond to her words, my throat failed to produce a sound. I could my vocal chords vibrating but no sound was emitting out of it. "PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU! HEAL MY CHILD!"
I jumped out of bed as I gasped for air as if I was chased by something. My throat felt dry and beads of sweat were present on my forehead. I looked at my hand which was trembling probably out of fear. I had nightmares before but this time was the worst. The dream felt so real that it didn't seem like a dream. Was it a premonition of something in the future? I hope not.
"DAKU!" Grosi called out to me, intensifying my anxiety after being surprised by his shout.
"What is it, Grosi!" I replied as I began to get out of my bed.
"Your suitor is here again! You better come down here because he doesn't seem like leaving unless he sees you!" Grosi reasoned and I rolled my eyes.
"Come on! He's here again?" I cried as my hands washed over my face. "When will he stop!"
If I was not mistaken, today marked the seventh day of Kenshi's plan to convince me to join in his quest to lift the curse. According to him, having me by his side would make his quest easier since I could heal him whenever he got injured. If he thought he could sway me by that reason alone, then he was wrong. The statement would only benefit him and not me. What will I get in return? Glory? Compliments? Praises? His terms were one-sided and it was not definitely mine.
After fixing my bed and myself, I went downstairs to the shop to do the same thing that I had been doing for six days now. Upon reaching the shop itself, I found him silently and meticulously examining the whole store, as usual. He wore the same armor he wore the night he trespassed this store. But I could tell that it had been mended and reforged because the scratches and the dents were already gone.
"You're persistent, aren't you," I stated as soon as I reached the counter. Kenshi located the source of my voice until our eyes met and for some unknown reason, I saw a hint of sparkles in it. What was that? "For the seventh, Kenshi, n-"
"I'm not actually here to convince you," Kenshi interjected and that caught me off guard.
"Oh! O-Okay. That was... unexpected," I said, and somehow that stirred a strange feeling inside me. "So, what's brings you here then?"
Kenshi approached the counter and that was when I noticed the book he was holding. "I come to give you this." Kenshi handed the book to me and wanted me to have it.
Perplexed by his actions, all I could was stare back and forth from the book to him. It took me a minute to process what was going on and that was when I slowly received the book from his hand. I thought he would leave afterward but instead, he pursed his hands into his pockets and looked at me as if waiting for me to do something
"Are you expecting me to read this?" I asked.
"That's what books are for," Kenshi replied sarcastically.
Insulted by his sarcasm, I slammed the book on the countertop and faced him with a stern look. "No. So, if you have no more business here or you don't intend to buy anything, you may leave."
"At least read the book's name."
"I don't care what's the name of this book and what this is all about. All I care is you leaving this store and nothing else. Oh, and in case you forgot about it, don't you ever come back again if you don't want me to test run those Tazer Potions on you," I threatened. That was, by far, the most threatening threat I could do and yet the man in front of me seemed unfazed about it.
I heard no words from Kenshi until he turned his back against me and strutted to leave. I watched him walk to the door and opened it.
But before he could exit fully, he tilted his head to his right and uttered, "It's not just me who needs you, Daku. Read the book."
The storefront's door slammed shut and that was my cue to relax. I heaved a sigh and was about to leave the counter to start my daily routine when the book brushed my fingertips as if telling me to give it a chance. Brows furrowing, I properly oriented the book to read its name and the words were:
"A Beginner's Guide for Healers"
Curious about its contents, I skimmed through the pages containing various healing spells and magic a Healer could use. Some of it could be used by other classes but there were some that only a Healer could do. I was so captivated by it that I didn't notice Grosi's presence beside me. It surprised me causing me to close the book and act as if nothing interesting happened.
I was glad Kenshi was not here when that happened because I could already imagine his smug look. I admitted that I found this book interesting and that I wanted to give these spells a try but that would mean Kenshi's victory and I wouldn't let that happen. At least not caused by me.
"You seem interested," Grosi guessed.
"Interested? Me? On this?," I laughed, a forced one.
"Are you not seeing it, Daku?" Grosi inquired causing me to look at him. "It may look like you have no future being a Healer but the truth is you have. There are things only a Healer could do just like what you did on Kenshi. Kenshi may sound selfish but admit it, he needs you, and you know deep inside that you need him too. Let's just accept the fact that only he can make you become a Healer that you are destined to be. He needs you, Daku."
Those words dug deep within me... because it was the truth. The night I healed Kenshi, was when I realized that I was not useless at all. That I could do things as a Healer that others couldn't. And this book made sure of that. Maybe being a Healer wasn't bad after all?
"Think about it, Daku. It's not too late after all," Grosi advised and went back to the workshop to continue his job while I was left standing, contemplating of what Grosi had said.
***
"I hope this is a good idea," I mumbled as I gazed upon the words just above the door, Adventurer's Guild. "No turning back, Daku. You got this."
I grasped the strap of my sling bag tightly and heaved a deep sigh. I took a step on the staircase until I found myself ascending toward the guild's entrance. Adventurers of various kinds and personalities crowded the lobby of the building when I stepped inside it. Parties of varying numbers conversed with one another while there were those solo adventurers as well who just silently listened and observed everyone.
I felt so small surrounded by these people. I looked like a lost person who was too shy to ask someone for directions. The guild was not the vast but my walk toward the registration desk felt miles. I had been walking for ages.
"Welcome to Adventurer's Guild! What can I do to help you?" a woman greeted me the moment I reached the registration desk. Still overwhelmed by the crowd and the pressure this woman was giving me, all I could do was stare. The woman smiled with reassurance, "I presume you want yourself registered?"
Using the remaining bits of courage, I answered, "Ye-Yes, plea-please."
"You looked tense. You want us to transfer somewhere quiet and with fewer people?" the woman suggested and I thought of agreeing but then that was unmanly to do.
"Thank you for the offer but I'll be fine just here, ma'am."
Suddenly, an arm wrapped around my shoulder so hard that it didn't only surprise me but also made me wince in pain. "That right, Delilah, he'll be fine just here, am I right?" The man looked at me just as when I looked at him. And a chilling cold ran down my spine when I identified the man.
"He's the apprentice of the apothecary, right?" someone asked and I believed he was with this man, the one who threatened Grosi back then. What was his name again? Kiero?
"Kiero, please leave the person alone," the woman, Delilah, politely favored.
"It's fine, right boy?"
To avoid further complications, I nodded and sent a forced smile to Delilah. "It's fine. Shall we proceed?"
I could see Delilah's hesitation to continue with the registration but she had no choice. Everyone here knew that causing trouble would be the last thing that would happen here. I noticed the whole room fell silent and this added more tension to the atmosphere. Citizens like me from the other desks and their clerk fixed their eyes on our direction, watching and probably waiting for the next thing that would happen.
Delilah brought out a small tray out of somewhere and placed it on the benchtop before me. On it was a silver metal card and a badge. The metal card contained nothing as well as the badge. They were like blank canvas waiting for an artist to paint something on them
"If you may, pour some magic on this card and badge," Delilah instructed and this was the time when I realized that I made a wrong choice. That I should've accepted Delilah's offer earlier. Pouring some magic would reveal my class in front of these adventurers. "Sir? You need to pour your magic so that the card and the badge can activate."
I looked at Delilah in pure horror and she sensed it. "Or if you're not ready yet, you can register some other time," she suggested.
I was about to agree when Keiro spoke first, "He doesn't need other time. He can do it now. Come on, boy, just pour some magic already." I could feel the threat in Kiero's words and opposing him would do me no good.
This is bullshit. I should've just stayed in the shop. Why did I even think this was a good idea? So much for the dream of becoming a well-known Healer.
I lowered my head as a sign of my surrender and hovered my right hand on top of the card and the badge. For one last time, I took a deep breath before pouring some magic onto the items. A green light glowed in the area and a multitude of gasps of astonishment ricocheted in the air.
The glow lasted for a minute. With my head lowered still, I grasped the strap of my sling bag and waited. I closed my eyes and the moment it closed shut, waves of laughter of different kinds echoed throughout the room. But there was one laugh that came the loudest and it was Kiero.
"You're a Healer! A worthless and useless Healer!" he mocked. He removed his hands off my shoulder and even though I couldn't see him, I knew he was holding his stomach as he laughed hard. "A freakin' Healer?"
"AND WHAT ABOUT IT?" a voice exclaimed, shutting everyone from laughing except for Keiro who seemed too amused of me as a Healer. The voice struck familiarity within it and there was only one person who could make that voice.