Healer of ALL

chapter1: Heresy (1)

Author: Yunzo
Update: 2012-09-25

[back] [forward] [return to top] 

Heretical ceremony.
It is usually imagined as to be held at dark, quiet scene like moonless midnight or underground. But it is completely different for them. They are going to held on the top of hill at noon.

They, called as "the en-lighter", had prayed for sun originally, but they have gradually insisted that every people are equal from all aspects under the sun. This statement caused political conflict, and was designated as heresy.

The hilltop is open for around 100 yards and surrounded by woods. Armed men are hiding themselves in woods and watching this ceremony carefully.

"Just preparing...may be we are in time."

The man wearing gorgeous surcoat says calmly. His name is Gransel, a lord of neighbouring villages. The size of ceremonious tent is around 12x12 feet, and is guarded by 7 or 8 soldiers. The printed sun on the tent and surcoats indicates they are member of "en-lighter" clearly, and this strict watch and large tent shows they are going to held ceremony with kidnapped healer.

Four days have already passed from healer Eliza was disappeared suddenly. The investigation takes so long time and much efforts, but fortunately the weather helps them. There are no shiny day for these 4 days.

"Now we are more than even, and they do not notice us."
Gransel nodded to simple analysis from a man next to him. He turns back and ordered.
"Archers, shoot their archers first. Stop them at least."
Two man with long bow nodded and prepare their bows.
"Crossbow fighters, incite swordsmen first, and kill them with secondaly shot."
Other Two man nodded and fix their crossbows.
"Sword fighters, wait for now. We will charge after their attack."
Gransel says and turn toward tent again. Then he rose his right arm and casts forward.


The attack was succeeded to defeat half members of heretics, but situation is not more than even. Because there are several soldiers in small tent.
Gransel cut down his opponent, and glances around. Since all others seems to be occupied to fight against their enemy, he stared to run towards tent. He keeps watching around on his way, but there are no interrupts. Is it because all they really can not, or trap? He feels suspicious once, but immediately re-think that there is no time to hesitate.

As he reached to the tent, he tried to cut tent wall.
But he can not. Sudden aerial impact blows his stomach, and he takes back several steps.

"You are too courageous, aren't you?"
The man with dark red armour comes out with low voice. The red hexagonal star on his chest shows what his role is, and what the "aerial impact" was.

Spell is still ongoing, so another priest is proceeding ceremony. Gransel impatienlty prepares his sword and shield, but over-bright flash attacks his eyes. Nevertheless there are no impacts this time, Gransel takes back a few steps more, and he can not open his eyes by painful glare.

The magical fighter glances around to grab current situation. It seems to be difficult to judge it is advantageous or not. Both soldiers seem to be barely stands, and too tired to fight more. And there are no free enemy archer to shoot him, it means there are no immediate danger for him.
Thus, it is enough to make minutes by keeping defence against this leader-like warrior, he thought. Ceremony will finish soon, and then it will be big advantage for their side. No need to take risk to defeat him now.

The magical fighter stops consideration, and Gransel moves suddenly.


Eliza woke up by unusual light and heat.
She gets up and gaze around. Here seems to be tent without ceiling, and there's a man in front of her. The man wears cleric cope, which has sun-like symbol.

Eliza inquire to herself who he is, and tries to recall, but she can not. Instead, she feels sudden chill in spite of unusual heat. She hugs herself and back away from him.

The priest snaps quietly.
"Stay in this circle, it is an order."
As hearing voice, even her slight might has lost and fall in.
"The ceremony has concluded just now, and you can feel the effect."
Eliza can hear this voice with confidence and satisfaction, but can not understand what he told. She drops her eyes, and find mysterious circle on the floor beneath her.

"Wa...What is?"
She asked in thin tone with a look to the priest, but his face looks so fearful for her. She can not keep eyes toward him, and shuts eyes firmly.
"Take it easy. I have no intention to harm you."
This declaration makes her body relax quickly. She re-opens her eyes and noticed that she can gaze at him without uncontrollable fear she felt previously.
"The power, is with you. And the mind, is with me."
"Power? mind?"
Now Eliza is able to think, but everything around her are riddle. She is wearing same cope as this priest, sitting inside of concentric circle, staying in ceiling-less tent, feeling extremely hot from inside, but no sweat nor thirsty, and facing toward unknown priest declares "power" and "mind" seriously.
"What ... what do you mean?"
Eliza asks, but priest does not reply. Instead, he gazes at the entrance. Now she can hear noises from outside, hitting swords each other.
"Battle ... is ongoing?"
"Yes."
Priest replied in low, slow voice. "You must go and help them."
Before he finished his indication, Eliza jumped up and rush to the exit.


Gransel finds a girl with black long hair running out from the tent. Although she is waring enemy's cloth, he can easily recognize that she is exactly kidnapped healer. But magical fighter do not miss the moment. He sticks his sword hardly against Gransel.
Gazz!
Gransel barely stops the lunge by his shield and left shoulder. Trying to keep his mind in agonizing pain, he draw out his dagger from waist and sting it into the slit of warrior's helmet.

"Stop!!"
Eliza shouts, but dagger does not stop. It cuts into right side of his nose 2 inches depth. Gransel draws it down and blood flows from fighter's face. Magical fighter sinks from his knee and falls.
Gransel take apart from fighter, and grab his left bleeding shoulder firmly. Facing toward running Eliza approaching, and he opens face guard. But he feels a little strange about her expression. with anger.

His anxiousness becomes reality. As she runs to nearby, suddenly she put her arms and blows him with magical force. Her massive force on unguarded position make his body fly more than 5 yard and rolls some more. And Eliza is sat down by counteraction too.
"It is your power."
Said the priest, crept up behind her.
"Ceremony has succeeded, miracle is achieved. Power of fire is with you, and makes your magical power much stronger..."
Eliza does not hear him because her arms become painfully hot. But the priest do not care about it. He points his servant and ordered.
"Heal up him. You can rescue."

She obeys his order without any doubt, because it is duty for healer like her. On the other hand, she is wondering why she used magical force on the armed man. The fallen fighter keeps bleeding, and looks so pale. Usually it is to be judged as died, but she has conviction that she can cure him. Eliza puts her hands to the wound on his face, and concentrate on her magic power.

Immediately, she feels her hands become hot like burning. The enormous heat runs up her arms and spreads into entire body. She draw away her hands reflexively, but the tremendous heat never fade away. Her body is getting hotter and hotter, even if she stops witchcraft.

Eliza is now groaning in burning pain, but the old priest is observing calmly behind her. He thinks this is because the power of fire element is too strong, and the balance of elements are being lost. There are two options to solve this unbalance: One is decreasing power of fire, and the other is increasing other three.

There is no reason to decrease to normal, he decided immediately. It means there are no achievements after such sacrifices in ceremony. Obviously it is far from acceptable result for him.
"Calm down, I can vanish your pain."
The priest says and put his hand to Eliza's shoulder. Then he starts to cast his wizardry.

The wafting, the flowing, enfolds and fills the all.
The hard, the heavy, supports and figures the all.
The invisible, but in existence, rounds and scatters the all.
The blazing, the heating, fulid and empower the all.
All the life basis on harmony of all four Elements.
Prithee keep the harmony according to the Fire.

He observes sank healer after his spelling. She do not wake, but her rhythm of breath is calm than before. It seems to be sleeping.

Then the priest watches around. His main servant lays beside, the leader-ish man at 10 yards ahead, and more. It seems that he is only one awake now. He looks to healer girl again.

She is moving, he recognizes at first. But soon he feels something strange. Actually she is sleeping and not making any action at all, but it looks like some movement...
The answer is clear, but it is difficult to believe immediately. He laugh at his own idea once, but must accept what is going on after several seconds.
From theoretical point of view, his assumption is possible enough. He extended the power of fire element in her body, and then increased other three to fix the balance. The interaction of two wizardry could lead the result.

"It is genuine miracle... more than I did."

The priest says in low voice with a smile. Eliza's body is now expanding, exactly keeping her original proportion.


[back] [forward] [return to top]