[Omen of the Witchblade] Chapter 128 – Good Deeds

“Can breathe right again?” Zuvak asked, his eyes very wide, a thick hand pressed to his chest.

“Yes, you’ll be able to go more than two steps without being winded now,” Charlie told him gently. “Your lungs were…blackened with [Squall Rot].”

While healing one of these people came across as altruistic, Mel understood it wasn’t that simple. Gwen had offered health potions that she desperately needed in battle. She gave them away at great cost to herself. Since their group didn’t have a healer, health potions had saved Gwen’s life multiple times during the Convocation trial.

I’m going to need to stock up. Or find a way to make some.

Charlie could heal all manner of injuries without sacrificing anything. Wielding aspect skills improved their grade, and therefore one’s rank of power.

It was an essential, crucial step to advancement.

Going around healing people would give Charlie popularity and goodwill, but would ultimately serve her progression. Mel had already observed the Necromancer using multiple aspect skills in combination in order to get the job done, which was even better than using just the one.

She was a bit curious what exactly [Premonition of the Reaper] did. Or what specific aspect it came from. The Shardscript never declared which aspect was being used, though the name was often a hint. [Premonition of the Reaper] sounded sinister, like some kind of debilitating attack, but never resulted in harm.

As Mel, Lavo, and Wrug discussed the particulars of their arrangement, more and more people came out from tents and side alleys to watch Charlie’s healing.

The more people that gathered, the bolder they got.

Curing people, despite being a well-known avenue of progression for healers, was viewed differently.

Giving somebody a potion was a transaction. It was charity, no matter how you colored it. To people who had so little, their honor and pride were worth more than life itself.

Though Gwen had been more altruistic with her gifts, it was Charlie that the people flocked to. They told her what ailed them, and Charlie fixed them with a gentle touch and a glow of warmth.

A large mondoceros with a small child in his arms came up to Charlie. The others who had lined up to receive healing parted for him. Mel watched as the older man set the child down at Charlie’s feet without a word. The pain and fear in his eyes were clear.

Charlie let out a sob. Overcome by grief and sorrow, the healer knelt before the terminally ill child.

She spent significantly longer healing this one. It seemed to strain Charlie to her limits.

A pall was lifted over the gathered mondoceros when the child began to cry with renewed vitality.

Lavo looked on curiously, then whispered more quietly than Mel would have ever guessed possible. “You want us protect you from this woman?”

Mel shrugged. “It could be any of them.”

It clearly pained Lavo, but she firmed her jaw and nodded. Her loyalty was to Mel, though Mel couldn’t fathom why. If Charlie really was Other Mel’s killer, she should be able to easily turn these people with her generosity.

She possessed a gift that Mel couldn’t match, even if the upcoming tavern would do just as much good.

Maybe I screwed up not being a healer, Mel thought. Helping people while progressing along your path of power seemed cracked.

How could she ever compete with something like that?

Granted, Mel could go toe-to-toe with a monster ten times her size and slice it to ribbons. It was a small consolation, but one Mel would just have to live with. Oh, the humanity, Mel thought dryly, however will I live with myself!

It took a few hours, mostly for Charlie’s healing. Mel felt a little guilty leaving Heath and the others out there, but she wasn’t too bothered. Heath would keep them occupied, and there was so much of the Seabrim Crater to see.

There was a ton to do in the city, anyway. Heath was a First Champion, with a pocket full of coins. He could take them to do whatever they wanted.

This was more important.

When Charlie was done, she looked like a wrung-out dishrag. Mel helped her up, though she was having trouble standing. Using the staff would clearly be out of the question now, but that was fine. Lavo had already picked out three locations.

Mel kept one of Charlie’s arms around her shoulders to help her walk. “At least I’m not the only one who doesn’t know when to stop. You did good, Princess.”

“Thanks,” Charlie said tiredly. “I only did it for your praise.” The dryness in her tone was impressive. Mel didn’t know if she could rival it.

Not that I’m going to tell her that.

“Yeah, I am pretty great,” Mel said, ignoring her tone.

“Wrug carry?” the hulking mondoceros asked.

Mel looked at Charlie. “You want to be carried like a tiny sack of flour in his massive arms? Feel like tiny bebe.”

“Not his,” Charlie admitted.

Wrug shrugged and motioned to an alleyway Mel hadn’t seen before. “Wrug show way.”

“Lead on, noble Wrug.”

Mel helped Charlie limp through the alleys. They were cramped and dark, but every so often there were lanterns set out against the gloom despite it being mid-afternoon.

No light ever seemed to reach this far down unless the sun was directly overhead.

Of the three locations, there was only one that Charlie and Mel both agreed on. It was situated on a terrace with its back facing the staggeringly large and complex warren of back alleys. There were clear sightlines to the Starling Tower down below and the crater lake beyond.

While the area didn’t look pristine, like the space around the Starling Tower, it was far cleaner than Mel would have expected. The shops and homes nearby looked a little rundown, but otherwise were cozy.

This was just the sort of place she would have spent her first few days looking for materials and spell scrolls in bargain bins with no sorting methodology.

Mel breathed in deeply. She was home.

“If a Challenger attacks us,” Charlie whispered. “I’ll be next to useless.”

“Oh, Debbie Downer is here,” Mel said. “I really figured that this entire time you were helping me walk. No? The other way around you say? Gasp!”

“...did you just say ‘gasp’?” Charlie asked. She tried to pull away from Mel.

“I really wanted to make sure you grasped the ridiculousness of your statement.” Mel didn’t let her go. “Yeah, no. You either get helped by me, or carried by Wrug. I’m not picking you up. My back hurts enough from carrying all the Magi.”

Charlie grumbled sourly. “I think I’m just used to Adam and Almace’s unique brand of obliviousness.”

Wrug chuckled. “Wrug not know why you say mean thing, but Wrug know burn when Wrug hear one.”

“Oh, that’s harsh,” Charlie said.

“My man, Wrug,” Mel said, raising her fist to him.

He looked curiously at it. Mel had to show him how to do a fist bump.

It looked like somebody driving a toy car into the side of a warehouse.

Unfortunately, Charlie’s concerns were warranted.

A pair of cloaked figures detached from a wall nearby and closed in on them.

“Well, well, well,” the first man in red said. “Look who it is! The famous serial killer. Where are your rich friends now?” He materialized a sword from frost-white ash and pointed it at Mel. “Your friend there doesn’t look so hot.”

The other figure, wearing a green hooded cloak, looked nervously at the rooftops and alleys as if expecting a counter ambush. “C’mon Willie, you said you just wanted to say your piece.”

“No!” Willie said sharply. “This bitch killed my sister. She didn’t even stop as she cut through her and five other people. She’s a monster! And what does she get for her bloody deeds? A fucking crown and a bag of money. I thought we were supposed to be above that. I thought that shit was done with Earth’s destruction.”

He shifted his sword to Wrug. “You stay out of this, you big ass freak. This doesn’t concern you.”

Mel watched with a painful squeeze of her heart as Wrug cowered and looked shamefully at Mel as he backed away, trying to look as small as possible.

Huh. Well, Mister Willie is going to lose a hand for that at least.

Truthfully, Mel didn’t mind. She’d rather Wrug stay out of it, anyway. This was her past catching up to her.

Again.

The sword moved back toward Mel and Charlie. There was no tremor in his arm. He was serious. “I say we take her friend. Just like she took my sister.”

The green cloaked man looked around once more, saw that the terrace had emptied of the last few locals, then hesitantly nodded. He didn’t like it, but that didn’t matter.

Betas gonna beta.

Mel ran through her options.

“Sorry, Charlie,” Mel said, before shoving her toward the unarmed ambusher in green.

As Charlie stumbled in surprise toward him, she understood Mel’s plan enough to go completely limp, dragging on the green cloaked man as he tried to hold her up.

While he was occupied with Charlie, Willie’s attention was diverted. Mel used [Tempest Heart’s] [Windstorm] to enhance her speed. She launched herself forward, her arm already moving as the silver and green ash flowed into the shape of her [Frostbite Stinger Twinblade].

The Blood ember caused its slash to spray scalding blood, ruining any defense that Willie might have been able to put in place. Mel realized belatedly that it hadn’t been necessary. The man was simply outclassed.

In less than a few heartbeats, Mel landed on one knee as Willie’s head flew through the air and dropped with a heavy thud to the cobbled terrace.

Charlie was still dragging on the green cloaked man’s garments when Mel lunged in his direction and brutally cleaved the bloody curved blade into his hood and the man’s skull beneath.

He didn’t go limp immediately, giving Charlie enough time to extricate herself. She was breathing hard, despite not doing any fighting. She coughed wetly into her hand. It came away with blood.

“Didn’t see you get hit,” Mel remarked. “You good?”

Charlie nodded. “I drained my mana, stamina, and some of my health to heal those poor people.”

“Healers can do that?”

“I can.”

Mel shook the twinblade once…then twice, but the blade was stuck.

She sighed, dismissed the weapon, and resummoned it in her hand again, scanning the terrace for any further threats.

You defeat the [Archer (Copper Rank)]

You gain runes of Divine, Mist, Blood, Serpent, and Omen aspect experience.

You gain Battle Points.

You defeat the [Brawler (Copper Rank)]

You gain runes of Divine, Mist, Blood, Serpent, and Omen aspect experience.

You gain Battle Points.

Mel stared. “Holy shit, we get Battle Points for killing people outside of combat? That’s awesome!”

“And I was nothing other than bait,” Charlie said hoarsely.

Mel looked over. “Hey, you were useful. You kept the other guy occupied.” Mel went over to her, helping her up again. “You psychic or something? I was sure we weren’t being followed.”

Charlie shook her head. “Wrong place, wrong time. I felt vulnerable. Little vital resources left and competitors love targeting healers.”

Mel looked at the bodies. “Good thing you’re with a certified badass then, huh?” She called over her shoulder. “Hey, Wrug! The coast’s clear. You can come on out. Nobody’s going to hurt you.”

Wrug shuffled out. Despite being large enough to crush both of the attackers flat, and at least as strong as they were, he was clearly terrified of them.

“You can kick ‘em if you want. They’re dead.”

The mondoceros looked at Mel in a new light. “You…kill?”

“Both of ‘em,” Mel agreed. “With a bit of help from Charlie here.” She shook her companion.

Charlie grumbled something unladylike.

“I think this is a good omen,” Mel said, looking around. “Not even a day later, and I’m already killing idiots who don’t know when to back off.”

Mel tried to keep the bravado and bluster up. She felt bad for both of them, truly.

If she wasn’t a Magi, perhaps she would have tried to reason with them. Her restraint for violence as a Magi was non-existent. Just because she felt bad for them didn’t mean she would hesitate in the slightest to kill them.

They had not only threatened her, but Charlie. Somebody who was clearly vulnerable. The moment Green Cloak had gone along with the plan, he had signed his own death certificate.

More’s the pity.

“Well, their loot isn’t going anywhere.” Mel touched one body with the toe of her boot, then the other to receive her spoils of war.