Combat Healer Ch. 26 (Patreon)

December 31, 2022

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<< Chapter 25 | Ch 1 (Book 1) | Ch 15 (Book 2)

- CHAPTER 26: Desperation -

Present Day

In the capital of the Ryfle Kingdom, a petite human girl with red hair and excessive freckles cried out in pain in the middle of the night, holding her gut as she writhed in torment, agonized and terrified of the illness beginning to plague her.

The same ‘illness’ that killed all her older sisters.

All of them.

One by one, until there was only her left.

Only her…

And her older brother.

The king…

“Princess!” her shy maidservant cried out, having just roused from her cries.

The redhead couldn’t respond, her gut wrenching and twisting, barely making it to the edge of the bed before she vomited blood all over the floor.

The maidservant girl screamed, and ran out of the room.

“Help! Someone help!”

The knight on guard rushed into the room, the maidservant not accompanying him as she no doubt ran to wake the head maid, a stern older woman who’d served the royal family for over half a century.

The eighteen-year-old princess looked up at the similarly young man with blonde hair and blue eyes, seeing the distress in his gaze.

Distress…

And then anger…

She knew why.

After the untimely passing of his own father, he had been elevated to the status of Count, and shouldn’t be wasting his time guarding her, especially at nighttime. Yet, it was especially at nighttime that he guarded her.

The guilt for what her other sisters had endured at the hands of vile men, incidents far worse than she even dared imagine – incidents that shouldn’t have been allowed to happen in the royal palace, of all places, to members of the royal family, of all people – had led him to ensure she didn’t meet a similar fate.

A fate the girl he loved, the redhead’s older sister, had already long since suffered, prior to her excruciating death.

Not that it mattered now.

The death that the last living princess would endure would be far worse than anything mere men could do to her.

After watching her last sister suffer a horrible agonizing death from this, the last princess knew there was nothing worse that could be done to her than this slow tortuous slaughter.

Hand on his sword hilt, as if ready to draw it with his nondominant hand, the young man stared at the blood, his blue eyes full of anger, hate, rage…and helplessness.

For, even though there was something that could be killed, he couldn’t kill it without killing her.

And even though he knew the culprit, the person who had inflicted this ‘illness’ on her, he was helpless to even so much as exact revenge.

An older woman barged into the room then, a shy servant girl just behind her, immediately taking charge of the situation when she saw all the blood on the floor, speaking to the girl.

“Wake the others,” she demanded urgently. “Begin heating some water and bring a bucket.”

The servant girl immediately spun around to do as requested.

The older woman ignored the blood as her feet splashed in it, her long nightgown soaking in it, even as she rested her hand on the tormented redhead’s head, using the only spell she knew.

Just a single spell.

“Heal!” she demanded.

The princess felt relief sweep over her body…

Relief that was short-lived.

Like a knife stabbing into her flat stomach, another wave of agony wrenched her gut, and she vomited a second time, less blood this time, more bile, all over the floor at the older woman’s feet.

The head maid wasn’t fazed by the mess.

“Heal!” she repeated, knowing it was only a temporary fix.

Knowing there wasn’t a known spell in the world that could cure this ailment.

For, this ‘illness’ wasn’t an ailment.

The princess collapsed back on the bed, gasping for breath as she held her stomach, the head maid grabbing at the girl’s nightgown and lifting it up, not even concerned about the young man seeing the redhead’s exposed pale body. Being well aware that the torment he suffered, having already lost the princess he loved, would push any impure thoughts from his mind.

Focusing on her flat stomach, the woman watched with disgust and hatred as she witnessed it bulge in a spot between the girl’s hands, before slowly flattening out again, the horrid creature within her appearing to have settled for now…

No doubt focused on its bloodmeal.

A meal that would soon cause it to reproduce and multiply…

Until there were dozens eating the princess alive…from within…

Extreme measures had been taken to try to save her older sisters…

Very extreme measures…

All of them unsuccessful.

All of them now dead.

A secret only known to those who resided within the prison of the palace walls.

“Bastard,” the woman hissed under her breath, knowing she’d just committed a crime punishable by death with that single curse.

The young man standing near her didn’t react to her treachery.

The princess focused on her breathing, her freckled face twisted in agony, eyes closed.

The stern woman then shifted her gaze to the young Lord.

“Whispers reached my ears today. An impossible tale of a Healer in Delanor, who revived a dead elf bitten by a Flesh Collector. An impossible tale of a light that made the daytime as if it were night.”

His blue eyes widened in shock. “How have I not heard of this?”

“If true, it happened only three days ago. One of the maidservants overheard it from a servant boy traveling with a merchant who came to visit the king.”

The princess spoke up, her voice quiet and weak. “No healer can save me from this,” she whimpered in defeat.

The woman ignored her, gaze still trained on the young Lord.

Silently asking a simple question.

‘What will you do with this information?’

She knew her place though.

She was a servant herself, even if the head maidservant.

She let her dark eyes speak for her.

His jaw visibly tensed as determination slowly settled in his blue eyes, even despite the words escaping his lips.

“It will be impossible.”

She nodded.

He gritted his teeth. “We’ll be killed if found out.”

She nodded again.

“Tortured,” he clarified. “Our entire families. All the maidservants. Many innocents will be slaughtered heinously.”

She simply nodded again, being well aware.

His hand gripped his sword’s hilt more tightly.

They’d both been helpless to stop all the death and torment occurring within the palace. Both been helpless to stop each of the princesses from perishing from this horrible fate. Both been powerless to destroy the monster that inflicted such torment.

Both the monster within and without.

Could a healer even help?

His jaw was tight as he spoke. “Even if I find her, she’ll never agree to risk her life on a chance. Perhaps especially not for another kingdom. And if her healing is accompanied with a blinding light, we’ll never keep it secret.”

The woman held his gaze. “Supposedly, this healer is a man.”

His eyes widened at that. “A male healer?” he whispered in disbelief.

Was such a thing even possible?

They’d never heard of a male healer.

“Verily,” she replied. “A man the elves call the Queen’s Blessing. A man the Oni call Rigeris Gru’na Tik’shular – Savior of the Forsaken. Or so the rumor goes. Supposedly, this same man is responsible for saving an entire Oni village from the Scourge’s Decay.”

“Impossible,” he whispered in disbelief.

She simply nodded.

It was impossible. It all sounded impossible.

And yet.

They were both tired of being helpless.

Tired of watching those in their care suffer such horrible fates.

Sickened by what had transpired under their watch, while they were helpless to stop it from happening.

His jaw tightened more, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword firmly. “You’ll stay with her until morning?”

She nodded, her dark eyes fierce.

“I’ll send someone I trust. They’ll be here within the hour.”

She simply nodded.

He visibly bit the inside of his cheek as he focused on the grimace twisting the redhead’s face.

The tormented face of the last princess.

He’d already lost his love, this girl’s older sister, having witnessed firsthand what awaited the youngest, and now motivated by the dying wishes of his beloved.

‘Don’t let my little sister suffer this. Take her away, if you have to.’

He’d been unable to do as asked of him. Unable to sneak the princess out of the castle.

Not with that filthy marking blemishing her chest.

An evil marking that would let that filthy man find her wherever she went.

Even if this healer saved her life now, there was no freeing her of this prison shackling her to the confines of the castle. What should have been a safe place for the royal family. And what was worse, the man hadn’t inflicted such a blemish on any of the others. Had they realized sooner that this ‘illness’ was intentionally inflicted, then they could have saved the others!

But now, the last surviving princess had truly been imprisoned.

She was the only one who had this filthy blemish.

This filthy tattoo on her chest.

“It will be impossible,” he repeated, abruptly turning around and marching out of the room without another word. Marching forward despite those words.

To risk everything.

And to try to accomplish the impossible.

A scheme to save the little sister of the woman he had loved.

A scheme to save the last princess…

Before it was too late.

They didn’t have much time.

In some ways…

It was already too late.

* * *

By the time we reached the final room, running hard as a group, I was sincerely panicking as I watched the gap between the massive stone doors shrinking in the distance, the final room feeling far larger than I remembered it. There was what appeared to be a desiccated gray corpse practically in the middle of the room, almost resembling some kind of demon, right next to what looked like a shattered vase…or perhaps a long since broken midnight egg…

But I didn’t pay it any attention.

All I could see was the shrinking night sky, those massive stone doors relentlessly coming together, to the point I wasn’t sure if we were going to make it.

And then I realized that Muneg was passing me, Val thrown over one shoulder while Shevra was on his other, his long strong legs rapidly passing me despite the extra weight.

I started yelling without thought.

“Ruhmul! Grab the Queen!”

I felt Eliza’s hand jerk out of mine before I even finished my statement, as if he’d been of the same thought, the massive Red Oni already passing me up.

I was about to demand he grab Mel too, but then finally registered that her strong legs had her ahead of me, my tunnel vision widening enough to realize that she was actually tugging me along, both of us sprinting as hard as we could.

Mel was faster than me and dragging me to the point that each of my footsteps were landing several inches further than I intended.

All the taller elves were keeping pace just fine, Sylvia just ahead of me past Mel, Astaer and Celestine just at her sides.

Yet, it was like the doors were closing faster now.

We were too far away.

We weren’t going to make it!

Wren felt my panic.

Felt my panic, and reacted.

Her Berserk SKILL activated.

Her Berserk SPELL activated.

Unexpectedly a midnight form surrounded in crimson ethereal light flew through the air above our heads from a powerful jump, and smashed into one of the massive doors, claws finding purchase in the solid stone as she scampered to the edge and abruptly threw herself between the doors, her feet slamming against the other one.

Instantly, an intense wave of pressure slammed into us like a hurricane hitting the coast, and the sound of a hundred lightning strikes nearly shattered our ears, rattling my bones to the point that I would have fallen backward if not for Mel tugging me firmly forward.

Wren began screaming, her voice twice as deep, as the stone doors seemingly began to pulse with waves of energy against her defiance, her body beginning to uncontrollably fold, her knees starting to buckle, as she tried to keep the impossibly massive gate from sealing shut.

Muneg practically threw himself sideways through the still-shrinking opening, Val’s head smacking against the side of the stone door as he did so, almost immediately followed by Ruhmul with the Queen on his shoulder, followed sequentially by Sylvia, Astaer, and then Celestine.

Mel and I were the rear.

The gate abruptly jolted shut another foot all at once, Wren crying out in agony above us as she began using her head and arms both to try to keep it open for me, her thin yet impossible strong body just managing to keep it open a couple of feet.

She wasn’t going to make it!

I was barely going to make it! But Wren couldn’t both hold it open and escape its grasp at the same time!

Fuck!

FUCK!

I couldn’t let her die!

I couldn’t let her be crushed to death!

I spoke without thought. “Mel! Your staff!”

But the doors were already encroaching on either side far too close for her to stick her staff between them.

It was an illogical request.

Yet, having just reached barely past the edge to the outside, Mel spun her body around as hard as she could, literally tugging and tossing me down the stone steps to the outside world, even as she shoved the bulbous end back through the rapidly shrinking opening.

“Judgement of the Phoenix!” she cried out, saying her weapons name as twin ethereal orange blades shot out of either side, smashing immediately into the stone walls, unable to even reach half their normal length, doing absolutely nothing to even so much as scuff the impenetrable rock, as the ethereal blades briefly halted the closing gate.

Without hesitation, Wren used the split-second opportunity to throw herself out of death’s grasp, flying through the night sky above all our heads from the sheer force of her leap, even as Mel abruptly deactivated her weapon and yanked the bulbous end free of the smashing doors, the Dungeon exploding with another intense blast of energy that sent her tumbling backward down the steps, the gate cracking and splitting with a cascade of thunder.

No sooner had Mel smashed into me at the bottom, than we were all scrambling to avoid being crushed by the massive boulders tumbling toward us in the darkness. Boulders that had once been a part of two massive stone doors.

I didn’t even realize Eliza was at my side again until she let out a ‘Lightning Bolt’ that sent a boulder off course from smashing into me, lighting up the darkness briefly as she did so.

Yet, I couldn’t look up at her to meet her silver gaze, just staring at the dark outline of the pile of rubble above us, mentally focusing on my memory of who I’d seen escape to ensure no one had been left behind. Certainly, I could have just looked around, to try to make out the shapes in the dark to ensure everyone was present, but we’d cut it so close that I was almost frozen stiff in shock.

It wasn’t until Wren silently called out to me that I was able to focus.

‘Master, please help.’

I immediately bolted to my feet, realizing Eliza had been knelt beside me, her hand on my shoulder.

She was trembling slightly, stunned as well by how close it had been.

I didn’t say anything as I started running to where I sensed Wren.

Barely even registering that my surroundings weren’t what I was expecting.

The last time I’d exited this gate, it had been in the Atacama valley, existing within a depression of rock that was lower than the surrounding grassy fields in the distance.

That had only been six years ago.

We were definitely in the Atacama valley again, the distant mountains on seemingly all sides proof of that, visible thanks to the moon peeking out of the clouds high above, but tall trees surrounding the area hid what else might lie beyond.

Trees and thick brush.

Could so much grow in only six years?

I didn’t have time to worry about it.

I ran blindly with complete abandon, running into a few branches in the darkness, thankful when I sensed Eliza sharing her night vision with me, until I finally stumbled upon Wren crumbled on the forest floor, her body splayed awkwardly as if all her bones were broken.

I cast my spell without hesitation.

‘Greater Healing!’

As I expected, it was sufficient to heal her – the exact reason why most healers were competent with the basic spells. Heal and Greater Healing could do almost anything to help a person recover to full health.

Wren immediately pulled herself into a more normal position on the ground as she took a deep breath. I realized she actually wasn’t as injured as I assumed, and was just splayed awkwardly because she was extremely flexible and also in a lot of pain, not wanting to exacerbate the discomfort by moving.

‘Thank you, master,’ she thought in her thoughts.

I immediately bent down and threw my arms around her thin form, causing her to stiffen in shock at the unexpected display of affection.

“No, thank you, Wren,” I whispered, holding her as tight as I could manage. “We only made it out because of you. Not a single one of us would have escaped without you.”

I could feel the joy in this unique bond we shared, with her immediately hugging me back tightly.

Almost too tight.

Her legs wrapped around me too, almost to the point of being suffocating, her body conforming to mine.

Damn, she was strong.

I had almost forgotten about everyone else when I heard Eliza unexpectedly call out to me.

“Allister!”

I pulled away from Wren, focusing on her slightly glowing slitted crimson eyes. “Probably best if you hide for now. I might want to claim you died, just so the others don’t know you’ve escaped. Not sure if they’ll even believe it though, but hide for now, okay?”

She nodded. “Okay, master. Love you.”

My jaw tightened at that, my gut tensing, and I forced myself to stand.

The things I felt from that simple admission of her feelings for me sincerely shocked me.

Mel called out this time. “Allie! Val won’t wake up!”

Oh fuck.

I quickly turned around and bolted back the way I’d come.

Astaer must have already been coming to find me, because we abruptly encountered each other in the brush, her eyes silver, only for her to turn right around and lead the way as we ran back to the group.

They had a Light Crystal lit now, illuminating the immediate area.

Sure enough, Val was thoroughly unconscious from hitting her head, but a simple ‘Heal’ spell was all it took for her to rouse, otherwise being perfectly fine. Despite her juicy proportions, she was the shortest of the group, and also clearly the slowest when it came to running, even if she was very fit and toned, having lived and worked on a farm all her life.

I truly had half-Minotaur Muneg to thank for getting her out in time, especially since I barely made it myself, but when I focused on him to voice my appreciation, I decided to hold my tongue. The look of concern for her well-being that I saw in his eyes was far too tender for my preferences, and so I silently decided that we’d ‘call it even’ for me saving their lives.

No thanks required when he was simply returning the favor that he owed me.

Especially since expressing appreciation could have different cultural meanings for someone like him. It would be different if he were human, or even an elf, but not as a half-Oni.

Even if he owed me one, if I thanked him, especially vehemently, then it might be viewed as him returning a favor that was worth more than what was first owed, thereby putting me in his debt instead.

So no, I wouldn’t be thanking him.

He only did what he ought have done to repay me.

Still, I was glad they’d been with us. And it appeared as if we still had most of our remaining supplies despite the rush to escape, including a bag full of Essence Crystals.

Focused mostly on Val as I helped her to her feet, I didn’t realize most everyone else had grown stiff, especially the elves with sensitive ears, until an unfamiliar feminine voice spoke up.

Like the voice of an angel, a mature woman suddenly expressed her sympathies.

“My Queen, I’m so thankful to see you’ve returned safely.”

“Who are you?” Eliza demanded without hesitation, her tone hard.

I focused in the direction they were all looking, just at the edge of the trees toward the left of the stone steps, shocked to see a woman with purple skin that was a shade darker than lavender, her hair an extremely dark purple that almost looked black in the darkness, her eyes currently silver in the dim light, implying that she was at least half elf.

Most of her body was covered in a midnight cloak as she stood with a welcoming gesture, one arm outstretched in greeting.

Mel responded to Eliza’s question before the woman could answer.

“It’s the Songstress,” she said in surprise. “We saw her just before we left, the day before yesterday.”

“I was last in the capital the day before that,” the woman corrected. “This is the middle of the night on the eve of the fourth day. It’s been a full three days since I left.”

We all stiffened.

Definitely double the time had passed while in the Dungeon, if not a little more.

It could be worse though.

The purple elf then gave Mel a warm smile, before bowing as she resumed speaking directly to Eliza, seeming very confident and sure of herself. “But yes, my name is Alyssa Arckaza, my Queen. I am a traveling Songstress. My steed and I have been waiting here for about half a day. I’ve made camp and have prepared a meal, though I didn’t expect to have to feed so many,” she added, her gaze focusing on the two large Oni men.

Her silver gaze then shifted through the rest of the group, only to stop on me, an almost mischievous smile beginning to spread on her purple lips before she shifted her gaze back to the Queen.

“I don’t understand,” Eliza finally said in a hard tone, sounding still on guard. “How did you know we’d exit the Dungeon here. We are in the Atacama valley, are we not?”

She bowed again. “Correct, my Queen. This is the Atacama valley.” She paused, looking up from her bowed position. “As to how I knew…” She slowly straightened herself. “Well, it just so happens that I too…am Known by Darkness.”

Eliza immediately looked at me in surprise, and then back at her. “You’ve been trapped in the Dungeon before.”

She nodded, her expression still very polite. “When I was only a little girl, I found myself trapped in one for nearly ten years.” She paused when we all gasped in shock, before continuing. “And then, about six and a half years ago, when I finally found myself freed, I was dismayed to discover that over sixty years had passed for the rest of the world.” She grimaced. “Long enough that my elderly father had long since passed of old age, my mother having died of disease before his passing.” She paused again, her expression reserved. “This was also where I came out, even though I’d stumbled into the Cursed Dungeon at a different location.” She abruptly focused on me again. “Seems I may have escaped around the same time as you, Mr. Rosengard. Perhaps just before, though not from the same Final Room.”

We were all shocked, but Eliza was quick to realize what should have been obvious.

“How do you know that?” she demanded.

Yet again, the purple elf bowed. “There is nothing I wish to hide from you, my Queen. Come, partake in the meal I’ve prepared, and I will share all that you wish to know.” She straightened again. “Including why I’ve only recently come to find out that we are both Known by Darkness.”

I was already trying to Divine her information, seeing that her race was something unique.

A special kind of elf.

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Alyssa Arckaza

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STATUS

Race: Dark Elf (Evolved)

Gender: Female

Age: 25

Class: Support

Focus: Songstress

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ATTRIBUTES

Strength: 12 (Lv. 6)

Dexterity: 13 (Lv. 6)

Fortitude: 13 (Lv. 7)

Wisdom: 18 (Lv. 9)

Intelligence: 19 (Lv. 10)

Charisma: 22 (Lv. 9)

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Total: 97

Rank: A Tier

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Level: 47/50

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And I subsequently saw that she was more than just ‘Known’ by Darkness, also being ‘Touched’ by Darkness.

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Alyssa Arckaza

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ABILITIES

Skills: Nocturnal Vision, Chronosense, Pain Tolerance, Charming Vixen, Eavesdrop, Known by Darkness, Touched by Darkness, Linguist, Beast Linguist

Spells: Charm, Enthrall, Illuminate, Faerie Fireflies, Guard, Aid, Blind

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However, I immediately focused on one skill in particular.

Something I’d never heard of before.

Eavesdrop.

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SKILL: Eavesdrop

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DESCRIPTION

Level: 1/1

Type: Innate Active

Effect: Hear that which was not meant to be overheard. Divine secrets not meant to be divulged.

Bonus Effect: Secrets of important individuals are more easily overheard and divined.

Limitation: Effect potency reduced by distance.

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Fuck.

She knew.

Without a doubt, this woman knew our secrets.

Likely what I’d told Mel, including everything overheard by Sylvia, and possibly even what the Queen and I discussed in private, since this skill no doubt revealed things to her that went far beyond what she could hear with her physical ears.

Even from across the entire capital, while she played her songs in my Guild, she may have been privy to the conversations Eliza and I shared in private.

Everything.

Perhaps even overhearing the intimacy we shared in private.

And I could tell she knew when she immediately focused on me again, that smile tugging at her lips a second time, as if she was truly privy to what she considered to be highly juicy gossip, the secret relationship of the elven Queen…and her human lover.

Fuck.

“She knows all our secrets,” I whispered. “It’s a skill. Eavesdrop.”

Eliza was immediately alarmed and on the defensive, her hands rising with sparks of electricity crackling, as she went from zero to a thousand in a split second.

“Speak a word of what you know, and I’ll execute you now!” she snarled, stunning everyone else with her unexpected hostility. “I will not be blackmailed by the likes of you!”

The reaction was enough to cause the Oni men to immediately shift into defensive stances, seeing the Queen suddenly identifying this person as a threat.

Just like that, this woman had become our enemy.

And Alyssa, as she called herself, was immediately alarmed, kneeling this time as she took up a familiar position of prostration, folding her hand over her heart as she fully lowered her head, her purple hair falling to hide most of her face.

All that confidence vanished in an instant.

“My Queen,” she said pleadingly, sincerely sounding distressed now. “I would never so much as entertain the idea! I would never repeat even so much as a single word spoken from your gracious lips, and would never dare test your patience.” She focused up, her expression begging, her silver eyes pained. “I am in your service, my Queen. My skills are in your service. I didn’t come here to blackmail you!” Her expression pained more. “My Queen, I lived in that Cursed Dungeon alone for nearly a decade, since I was but a young girl. I lost everyone I loved, and almost lost myself. And I have been alone ever since! I’ve now lived in this world as a freak of nature for over six years, completely alone. I long for nothing more, than to simply be with companions who understand. To be acquainted with those who might have shared in my grief. Please,” she then added, as she lowered her head again, her voice coming out as a quiet whine. “I meant no offense. Never, my Queen.”

The mood had shifted entirely, due to the raw intensity of her disclosures.

Of course, I knew this woman had other concerning skills, including Charming Vixen and a spell actually called Charm, which I assumed only worked on unintelligent creatures, but I didn’t sense her using anything.

There was nothing coming from her, aside from sincere honesty.

She probably did find it sincerely amusing to be in on our secret, but it seemed that using that secret against us hadn’t been her intention at all. And she might have truly told us everything we wanted to know, like she claimed she would do, prior to me divining the truth on my own.

Which meant, she’d probably just been…happy…to finally be around companions who could understand her.

Who could know her.

Who might accept her, simply because of our shared experience…

Assuming we’d be willing to accept her.

This stranger.

Because she was a stranger to us, appearing out of nowhere.

Slowly, Eliza shifted her gaze to me, silently requesting my opinion.

I simply nodded in response, agreeing that she seemed sincere, thinking it was at least safe to assume she wasn’t an enemy, even if we couldn’t exactly trust her either. If for no other reason than the fact that she was undeniably Known by Darkness, making her someone who knew the horrors of the Scourge more intimately than most, and who likely hated the suffering of the Scourge more than most.

I finally spoke up then, having one thing in particular I wanted to know.

“How did you survive for ten years?” I asked seriously.

Eliza dropped her hands, everyone grew less tense, and the now humbled Alyssa raised her head hesitantly.

Her voice was quiet…

Almost pained.

“With song,” she whispered.

My eyes widened as I unexpectedly understood her meaning.

She must have unlocked her focus as a little girl, something that was believable as a Songstress.

It wasn’t unheard of, at least.

Not with Support classes.

And it was right there, staring back at me as I focused again on the details of her abilities.

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SKILL: Charming Vixen

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DESCRIPTION

Level: 1/1

Type: Innate Passive

Effect: Become alluring, seductive, and charming toward others.

Focus Bonus: Applies to all animals and monsters while singing.

Charisma Bonus: Applies to most people while singing.

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And then, there were her spells.

First, Enthrall…

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SPELL: Enthrall

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DESCRIPTION

Level: 5/5

Element: Dark

Cost: 1 Essence

Effect: Infuse words with Essence and enhance the effects of Charming Vixen while speaking.

Cast Time: Instant

Use Time: Variable

Cooldown: None

Limitation: None (Charisma: 22)

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Which enhanced her Charming Vixen with Essence.

And then Charm…

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SPELL: Charm

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DESCRIPTION

Level: 5/5

Element: Dark

Cost: 20 Essence

Effect: Confuse the minds of most creatures and compel them to do one’s bidding. Level of obedience is directly associated with level of intelligence.

Cast Time: Instant

Use Time: Variable

Cooldown: None

Limitation: None (Charisma: 22)

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Something that was directly useful on unintelligent creatures…

Like most monsters.

This woman survived…

No, a little elf girl survived…

With song.

By Charming and Enthralling the monsters long enough to avoid slaughter.

Living alone for ten years in their midst.

Never having any true allies.

Only enemies she could temporarily confuse into leaving their prey alone.

It must have been a hard life.

A lonely life.

Enough for me to make my own decision.

My tone was gentle. “Alyssa, right? You said you made camp? Please lead us, as we are all very exhausted.”

Her expression was still pained as she focused on the Queen, clearly distressed by how the situation had turned out, likely intending on treating us to a meal and reassuring us of her intentions, prior to being honest about what she was capable of, as well as what she already knew.

She hadn’t planned on us finding out the truth prior to befriending us.

The Queen sighed heavily. “Yes, please. While short, our venture into the Dungeon was eventful and tiring. We all could use the rest.”

Alyssa immediately stood, bowing deeply. “Of course, my Queen. As you wish,” she replied, turning around to lead us stiffly through the trees.

Things probably would have proceeded normally from there…

Unfortunately, Wren apparently found the woman very curious, and I hadn’t been paying attention to her at all.

Alyssa turned around to find an elf demon staring up at her with a grin.

The purple elf screamed in horror.

I tried not to smack myself in the face with my hand.

So much for hiding her existence.

Now that secret was definitely out too.

And no doubt Alyssa had no trouble seeing the resemblance to the Queen.

No trouble at all.

This…was going to be difficult to explain…

FEEDBACK: Tell me what you think, before you read the next chapter!

1. Okay, so big stuff happening in the italicized part. Thoughts on what’s going on in the Ryfle kingdom? The princess situation, etc. Also...

-- You now know what 'Rigeris Gru’na Tik’shular' means - Savior of the Forsaken, and you know how he got that title, implying how Mel found out about a mysterious healer who saved an Oni village -- a village he thinks he failed to save -- a village that apparently can't even remember his gender...

-- And Allister is now apparently being called 'The Queen's Blessing' by the elves.

2. Thoughts on them escaping the Dungeon? Did you feel anything? Stress, anxiety? Was it intense at all? (That was the goal.)

3. Thoughts on the dark elf Alyssa? (I'm about to make you cry next chapter, just FYI, so grab a box of tissues when you read it -- like seriously, I'm about to ugly cry just thinking about it)

If you haven't already, please don't forget to leave a rating on Combat Healer (on Amazon), even if you don't plan on buying it (just say you read it on Patreon).

Ratings on Book 1 are especially important, since Book 1 ratings determine whether or not someone will even check out the entire series. Thanks!

Chapter 27 >>

LIST OF STORIES >>

LIST OF ARTWORK >>