Aaron felt a subtle tingling sensation in his hand and back. He averted his eyes from the system's screen to his palm while clenching and releasing his fist. His guess; since the wounds in his hand and back were minor, the healing process had begun.
'What a convenient skill' he thought. With a healing ability, triumph over future battles was certain. But why stop at basic healing?
He looked around, ignoring the people's appreciation. There were no more darklings to absorb and to reach Veteran, he would need to complete tasks and quests, but neither was active at the moment.
If he could reach Advanced Healing, who knows what kind of possibilities he would attain?
Aaron's thoughts dispersed the moment Subject nudged him, a cheeky smile etched on her face. "You came here? I thought you'd be too scared to follow" she teased, her smile widening.
Aaron narrowed his eyes on her, and with a thought, his system faded. Only then did he notice the people who were around him? They held eyes and weary smiles of gratitude although they maintained a distance from him —because Aaron looked scary.
Aaron looked around, amused. In all his thirty years, he had never done anything significant that was worthy of praise, but today he saved an entire forest village, doing what no one else could've done for them.
Then, his mind snapped.
Even though Eldrador was a realm of magical possibilities, absorption of darklings wasn't a thing —or rather, it hasn't been discovered yet.
Aaron's mind turned spatial with panic. Wouldn't the villagers consider his ability suspicious? He hadn't done it on purpose, it was the system's fault. He never even knew if it was possible.
Amidst the myriad of thoughts, Aaron remembered his poisonous dagger and his new ability to heal, and he no longer panicked. If need be, he would clear every obstacle that stood between him and the death of his enemies, be it one man or an entire village.
"Young savior, what is your name?" Aaron turned at the sound of a horse voice. His eyes met a pair of gray eyes. The old woman, with an arched back, holding a support stick had two little children by her side.
Aaron knew immediately she was blind and answered without thinking, "Aaron." he stopped when the words 'Ember' were getting ready to be pronounced. At the mention of his name, Subject's ears perked up.
The chief, Ama, smiled wearily, the wrinkles in her face lifting in gratitude. Her voice gnarly, she said "Young man, what you have done for my people today will forever be significant. Before the soldiers would've gotten here, we might've all perished but you saved us, Aaron"
Ama turned to face Subject, grasping her hands gently. This gesture surprised Subject, after all, she wasn't expecting to be praised like Aaron was.
Ama smiled "You too, young maiden, you saved my son. He would have been prey to those vicious creatures if you hadn't jumped in time to save him"
Subject returned Ama's smile. She never knew the man whose leg was trapped under the barrel would be a relative to the chief of the forest village.
"What is your name child?" Ama asked, her blind eyes flickering. "Subject," Subject responded, a smile plastered on her face.
Ama grinned. She let go of Subject, lifting her hand and her walking stick, addressing her people "Behold! Our saviors!" She yelled at her voice limit. The people erupted in praise.
"Aaron, Subject, please let us display our gratitude to you" Ama offered, hoping they wouldn't decline.
Even though the chants, praise, and adoration coming from the people made Aaron feel like a hero, he still didn't want anything standing in the way of his goal. This was another unnecessary obstacle in his way.
Subject studied him; the look in his eyes told her everything he was thinking. So she immediately intervened before Aaron could speak. "We gladly accept"
••••••
Hidden from the chaos of the destructive darklings behind a veil of magical force field was the imperial palace— home of the righteous king Dimitri and all who possessed the royal blood.
The air within the palace was serene, fabricated with tranquility, in contrast to the situation outside, filled with cries and sorrow.
Behind the translucent yellow curtains was the king, accompanied by women of different shapes and sizes. In the tub were all giggles, the scent of sandalwood and perfume filling the air. The perverted and smug look on the king's face told of his obliviousness to what his people were facing at the hands of the darklings.
A man graced his chambers with urgent steps. He bent over on one knee, keeping his head low as he announced himself, as well as the reason for his disturbance.
"Your Highness, I am Daneel Voldar. I plead for your forgiveness for coming in uninvited and disturbing your peace, but I have come with an urgent matter," his voice steady, Daneel prepared to give his report.
Judging by his agile stance, athletic physique, short golden hair, a scabbard wielding a Lightsword, and those crimson eyes, he was a Voldarian soldier.
The gnarled scar on his left cheek was evidence of his battles as an Eldrid soldier.
His voice laced with annoyance, King Dimitri scowled, "Why have you come?"
Daneel spoke uneasily, afraid of what the king's reaction to the news might be. "We fear… a gateway has opened"
There was a short pause before King Dimitri erupted with laughter. His bold outburst overpowered the giggles of the women who were with him.
Daneel paid no attention to their ridicule, there was much more at hand.
"Do tell me," King Dimitri says, his laugh dying down. "Have you come all this way just to please me with a joke?" he asked
The curtains, though almost transparent, hid the scowl on Daneel's face. Was the king deaf or was he just too engrossed with women that he couldn't hear the cries of his people outside?
Daneel quickly fixed his face. "I would never dare it, Your Highness. Mysterious creatures, dark and shadow-like, that appeared out of nowhere are causing havoc throughout the land"
Daneel paused, recollecting his thoughts. With a pained expression, he continued "We have recorded 25 deceased and 8 severely injured. Even though our swords stand a chance, the resulting damage is unrepairable"
He learned the hard way that they had to kill the innocent who were possessed to kill the creatures. "My Lord, we need to guarantee the safety of the people….. in case a gateway opens again"
King Dimitri scoffed "You are far more foolish than I thought. Mysterious creatures? Dark and shadow-like? Can't you see those treacherous Embers are playing us for fools?"
The king emerged from his tub, frustration etched on his face. He brushed off the desperate women clinging to him while grabbing a red robe. He swiped away the curtains, facing Daneel in full.
"The Ember clan has rebelled," his face twisted into a scowl. "They've cast their Phantoms up on us, seeking revenge for my judgment." His gaze fell spitefully upon Daneel whose head was still hung low. "You're clearly not fit to be a soldier if you couldn't anticipate something as obvious as this" the king spat in disdain.
Daneel's mind flooded with doubt. King Dimitri ordered the Ember's extinction, shouldn't they hold a grudge against him alone? Why attack his innocent subjects? But he never dared to share his thoughts out loud.
He would never oppose the king's intuition, the king's wrath would be merciless.
"I apologize for my incompetence, my Lord. What measures do you propose we take to prevent further attacks from the Ember clan?" Daneel asked
King Dimitri's expression remained stern, his voice dismissive. "See to it yourself, Captain. Ensure the safety of my lineage is your top priority"
Daneel nodded, rising from his position. He attempted to exit, but the king's voice stopped him.
King Dimitri's voice dropped to a low sound "Any news about Elena?"
Daneel hesitated, then shook his head, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, we are still searching earnestly"