Combat Healer Ch. 27 (Patreon)

January 1, 2023

NOTE: Happy New Years!

<< Chapter 26 | Ch 1 (Book 1) | Ch 15 (Book 2)

- CHAPTER 27: Tragedy - 

Many Years Ago

A very young elf girl, with black hair, tan skin, and brown eyes, smiled brightly at her mother as the woman cradled the child in her arms, singing to her softly before bed. Her voice full of love and tenderness, the little girl the light of her world, her tone taking on the cadence of the lullaby.

“Mama loves you,” she sang. “My sweet darling, mama will always keep you safe. Sleep well now, my sweet darling, close those beautiful little eyes. I will always be here, my sweet little darling, I will be here when you rise. No matter what, my sweet little darling, I won’t let anything ever hurt you. No matter what, my sweet little darling, I will always keep you safe. You are the light in my world, my sweet darling…” Her voice trailed off when the door abruptly opened.

A tall man’s voice sounded frustrated. “She’s still not in bed?”

“Papa!” the little girl complained. “I was almost asleep!” she lied.

The older man frowned, ignoring the child. “Put her to bed,” he demanded, only to close the door.

The woman sighed heavily, leaning down to plant an affectionate kiss on her little girl’s forehead.

“Bedtime, sweetie. My wonderful little Alyssa.”

“But mama! I’m not tired yet,” she complained.

The woman smiled warmly. “If only you could see your eyes right now. You are very tired, my sweet baby.”

The little girl uncontrollably yawned. “Nuh-uh,” she complained, even as her mother stood up with her in the woman’s arms and set her down in bed, beginning to tuck her in. “Mama, I’m scared of the dark,” she attempted.

The woman made an amused noise. “Well then, if you ever feel afraid, honey, just sing our lullaby. Mama loves you, my sweet darling, mama…”

“Will always keep you safe!” the girl continued cheerfully, following the lullaby’s tune.

“That’s right,” she replied affectionately, giving her another kiss on the forehead, continuing softly. “Sleep well, honey. I’ll be here when you wake up. Always.”

“Love you, mama,” the girl yawned, her heavy eyelids closing.

“Love you, my sweet darling. More than anything,” she whispered, gently stroking the child’s face for a brief moment, before slipping out of the room.

It was then very quiet…

And very dark…

For a long time.

Quite a long time.

A little girl shivered against a stone floor, her blankets and bedding gone.

Cold.

Why was it so cold?

Why was it so quiet?

Her small silver eyes unexpectedly flashed open in alarm and confusion when a sound frightened her.

“Mama?” she whispered, confused as to where she was, only for her eyes to widen even more when a pair of red eyes stared back at her from across an unfamiliar room. “Mama!” she shrieked, scrambling to her small feet and turning to run, only to smack into an unyielding stone wall.

The girl screamed in pain from hitting her face, beginning to sob and panic as blood streamed from her nose, only to shriek when something grabbed her by the ankle and started roughly dragging her away.

“MAMA!” she shrieked. “MAMA SAVE ME!”

The creature dragging her unexpectedly screeched as another monster pounced on it, this one just like the first, the sounds of ferocious growls shattering her ears as two monsters fought for the small prey, the little girl frantically crawling aimlessly away, but having nowhere to go.

“MAMA!” she screamed. “MAMA HELP!”

But her mother was nowhere to be found.

“Mama!” she pleaded, something grabbing her leg this time, tugging on her so violently that she was tossed into the air, slamming onto her side, coughing violently.

The fighting demons finally returned their attention to the small prey.

The little girl covered her face as she started shrieking in terror, her panicked mind going to the last thing she could remember before she had two demons hovering over her, their fangs and claws about to tear her to shreds.

“Mama loves you!” she screamed. “My sweet darling, mama will always keep you safe!” she cried out, her words turning into a whine as the growling drew closer. “S-Sleep well now,” she sobbed. “My sweet darling, close those beautiful little e-eyes. I will always be h-here,” she whimpered, her words quickly becoming incoherent as she sobbed harder, lying alone on a cold stone floor, surrounded by darkness and death.

Yet, she continued the lullaby, continued whimpering incoherently.

Continued the tune.

And her death was thus delayed, if only for a moment in time.

If only temporarily…

So long as she sang…

And so she sang…

“You are the light of my world, my sweet darling,” she sobbed. “Mama…will always keep you safe…my sweet little darling…” she whimpered.

All alone.

Completely alone.

* * *

I suspected that Alyssa was very good on putting on a facade of confidence, considering she’d lived the last five or six years as a performer and entertainer, but she was definitely not trying to feign such things now, with it being obvious that Eliza’s reaction earlier had sincerely rattled her.

No doubt she’d intended on everything going differently when we met, likely hoping that she could make friends with us, but now I felt like she was worried about that ever happening. I had to remember her age too, with her only being a little older than me at the age of twenty-five, which was very young compared to all the other elves. Even Astaer and Celestine, who very much acted like they were my age, were actually twice as old, making Alyssa young in their eyes.

Really, she was barely an adult as an elf, much like an eighteen-year-old human would be considered. One who was now clearly regretful that things hadn’t gone as planned.

Perhaps she overheard how the Queen interacted with me, Sylvia, Astaer, and Celestine, prior to us leaving the capital, and came to view the Queen, a woman who was a century older than her, as someone who was down to earth. Someone who Alyssa could be friendly with as a normal person.

Now, the purple woman, who probably already felt self-conscious about her unusual appearance, was very much acting like she was in the presence of the Ruler of the kingdom, seeming nervous and uncertain of herself as she waited on us like a servant.

And seeming very wary of the knowledge that a demonic twin of the Queen was lurking in the shadows.

For, without a doubt, she’d seen the resemblance.

Granted, the top team was also uneasy as well, for similar reasons.

Especially when Wren made a reappearance, cheerfully wanting praise from me for the deer she’d snagged, considering the food Alyssa had prepared truly wasn’t enough for all of us with the top team included. Of course, the beast never stood a chance, but unfortunately Wren hadn’t been kind enough to actually kill it.

She’d just broken its bones in enough places that it was unable to even try escaping.

From what I could tell, Astaer and Celestine were not opposed to eating meat, even though they could communicate with animals, but they seemed extremely distressed by the creature’s predicament, with the older sister pulling out her knife and walking over to end its suffering, a grimace on her face as she did so.

Of course, I gave Wren the praise she desired, but uneasily so, knowing how the situation affected the mood of everyone else.

So much for the little demon being nervous about the outside world.

And so much for being tired.

“Can I explore, master?” she wondered cheerfully.

“Just please don’t…hurt…anything,” I requested, since I’d just seen what happened when I requested her not kill anything unnecessarily.

She’d crush things to the point they’d wish they were dead.

“Okay!” she responded cheerfully, before disappearing back into the darkness.

I could tell pretty quickly that she was very much enjoying scaring the shit out of every poor creature she came across, occasionally chasing them down until they nearly died of exhaustion and panic, but at least they were all surviving unharmed. Still, it was very obvious that she could easily decimate the entire wildlife population in an area within a single night if she wanted to.

Probably a good thing she stayed in the Dungeon until I came to find her, rather than venturing out on her own. Kept the Arakna’cabra population in-check, at least. Which was likely the reason why it had taken six years for Flesh Collectors to appear in our world – really, three years for them.

Even though Alyssa hadn’t traveled with a cart, her horse was saddled with several bags that allowed her to haul quite a bit of cargo. She claimed to have arrived half a day ago, and that it was currently about midnight, instead of early morning like how it felt for the rest of us, with it being obvious she’d used the opportunity to truly make camp.

She’d set up three tents plenty large enough for those of us a more ‘normal’ size.

However, the top team claimed they were used to going without most of the time.

Under normal circumstances, they slept under the open sky, unless it was raining, in which they did set up tents designed for larger Oni, the supplies of which had been lost when they were attacked by Wren in the Dungeon.

The weather was holding up fine though, the moon peeking out of the clouds regularly, no signs of it raining anytime soon. And the air was unsurprisingly nice and warm, as it basically always was in the Atacama valley, no matter the time of year, due to the desert air from the west keeping the valley heated.

Though the area did frequently get heavy storms.

Storms bad enough that there weren’t too many people who chose to live here, lest they have everything destroyed by intense winds that could suck up anything and pull it into the sky.

The big Red Oni, Ruhmul, took it upon himself to butcher the deer Wren caught, while Shevra focused on cooking the meat over the roaring fire. In the meantime, Muneg was more focused on discussions with the Queen, since Alyssa admitted that she had news to share with us that she’d learned of in her two-day trip to this location in the Atacama valley.

“Two Dungeon Breaks,” Eliza repeated evenly, in response to Alyssa’s words.

Of course, a Dungeon Break itself, where the monsters began venturing outside of the Dungeon, wasn’t entirely uncommon, but there was already at least one Dungeon Break in the north, and more than one at a time was a bit unusual.

Three of them, so far apart, was very unusual.

Likely indicating that the Northern Invasion was either already in full force…

Or that it was going to be far worse this year than it had been in a long time…

“I swear it the truth, my Queen,” Alyssa said sincerely, her now pink eyes almost mesmerizing to look at. “One to the north of the Atacama valley, and one to the south just past it, more toward northwestern Ryfle. Near the Oni village named Aranthar. The people there are actually where I heard this news.”

I tensed at that, my entire body rigid.

Because Aranthar was the location of my greatest failure.

The location where an entire village of Oni died when I attempted to save them from the worst curse produced by the Scourge.

Decay.

Val noticed my tension on my left side, but Mel seemed oblivious, the three of us sitting on a log together, Eliza and Sylvia sitting separately near the elf sisters, since they had an appearance to maintain at least in front of the top team.

“Oh hey!” Mel said cheerfully on my right. “Those folks are a really fun group! That’s unfortunate that they had a Dungeon appear so close. Were they holding up alright when you passed through?”

I looked at Mel in alarm, unable to believe what I was hearing.

“What do you mean they’re a fun group?” I said in disbelief.

Mel gave me a confused look. “Just that I enjoyed visiting them,” she said uncertainly, everyone seeming surprised by my reaction. “I didn’t sleep with anyone, Allie,” she added playfully. “They aren’t that kind of fun. I mean, I’m sure they could be, but…you know…” She grinned.

“No, I…” I struggled for words. “W-Who…Who is the chief?” I demanded.

“Allister,” Eliza said in surprise, her facade dropping briefly, only for her to straighten, her tone growing more formal. “Is something wrong, Mr. Rosengard?”

“Who is the chief?” I repeated.

Mel’s gold eyes were wide, realizing I was sincerely distressed. “Umm, well it’s a she. And I believe her first name was Tuka’rarnsl’takin.”

“Tukar,” I whispered in disbelief.

She gave me a confused look. “Yeah, that’s probably what she tells outsiders. Why? Have you met her?”

My gut felt wrenched.

I felt like I was going to be sick.

I wasn’t trying to be dramatic, but…

I felt like I was going to be sick.

I abruptly stood up. “I…I need a minute.”

Mel immediately grabbed my wrist. “Allie,” she pleaded. “What’s wrong? It’s just us.”

It wasn’t just us, but I understood what she meant.

Muneg wasn’t one to care or to think negatively of me for how I might react to a situation, and it wasn’t like I was unwilling to confide in any of them. Not to mention, there was no hiding secrets from Alyssa. Obviously, I didn’t mind if Eliza, Sylvia, Astaer, or Celestine heard. And of course Val was exactly the kind of person I would willingly confide in without hesitation.

Same with Mel.

It’s just that…

I abruptly sat back down and held my face in my hands, trying to avoid becoming emotional. Feeling the pain again, as I woke up to a village full of corpses all around me.

Trying to be logical.

“How long ago did you last see her?” I barely managed.

“For me?” Mel wondered, only to quickly continue as she rubbed my back. “Not long ago. She’s actually the reason why I traveled to the capital. According to her, their entire village had been afflicted with a horrible case of the Decay curse, to the point not a single one of them had longer than a day to survive, and there was this healer who…” Her voice unexpectedly trailed off.

I was trembling.

Because what she spoke of had been my biggest failure.

An entire village lost.

I tried to save them, to save an entire village, and yet all I did was speed the Decay up.

“Oh my God,” Mel whispered. “You’re…you’re Rigeris Gru’na Tik’shular.”

“What does that mean?” I begged her.

“Savior of the Forsaken,” she replied quietly, moving her rosy hand to my shoulder and gripping it tightly. “The title of the healer who did the impossible, despite the circumstances. Who saved those already lost to the worst curse.”

My eyes were stinging.

She continued. “They knew a healer had saved them, but couldn’t remember much of what happened prior to waking up. Just vague details. Not even the gender of the person. That’s…” She hesitated. “That’s why I said they’re a lot of fun. They act like they’ve been given a second life.”

I shook my head in my hands.

“I passed out when I tried to save them,” I whispered. “And when I woke up, they’d all advanced to the final stage of Decay. Just black husks leftover. You swear she was alive? That they were all alive?”

Mel’s rosy fingers were tight on my shoulder. “I swear it, Allie. I wouldn’t lie to you.” She then directed her words to Alyssa. “Right? You passed through their village, right?”

The purple elf was hesitant. “I…didn’t meet the Chief, but there were people there. Normally, I’d ask about any interesting tales they might have to share, but I was kind of in a hurry to get here.” She hesitated, glancing at the Queen. “It was only a hunch that you might come out at this location, but I usually have a thing with hunches…”

Eliza didn’t respond.

Mel continued, her voice quieter. “But you know what that means, right Allie?”

I glanced at her from the corner of my eye briefly, my hands otherwise still hiding my face from everyone else, her gold eyes almost affectionate.

“I was looking for you all along,” she whispered.

I grimaced at that, my tone low. “Not like I was able to help you,” I mumbled, not elaborating, since most people still didn’t know her secret.

And Muneg didn’t care enough to ask.

He was much more interested in Val’s well-being than Mel.

My Red Oni girlfriend simply gave my shoulder a squeeze.

Val began rubbing my back too.

Muneg grumbled to himself and looked away, only to glance over his shoulder to see how Shevra was coming along with their food.

The blonde Sylvia spoke up hesitantly, her tone cold with a bit of a disbelieving edge to it, something I knew was ‘for show’ for our company. Her normal behavior around most.

“Sorry, but I’m not sure I understand,” she commented, only for her tone to immediately soften when I tensed. “Umm…I mean, I can understand how it would be impossible for you to heal an entire village of the Decay Curse, of all things. Normally it would take dozens of healers several days to work through an entire village. I’m assuming we’re talking about several hundred people, if not over a thousand. But I’m not grasping what you mean by you passing out when you tried to save them. Or how that would worsen their condition.”

I took a deep breath, and then focused on her.

Sylvia’s icy blue eyes softened more, visibly looking more apologetic, even though I was aware it was better if she acted cold toward me like most others.

I then glanced up at Muneg, who met my gaze, only for me to focus on Alyssa, followed by the sisters, before returning my gaze to Eliza.

“It’s a secret I have not shared with anyone,” I admitted, speaking now to my beloved. “Largely because the one and only time I tried to use the skill, I thought it had failed miserably. I’m…still not sure how this is possible. How they survived, after what I saw.”

Eliza shifted her amethyst gaze to Alyssa, who immediately looked down, as if ashamed by her abilities, before the Queen returned her gaze to me.

“I wish to know, but will not require it of you. Not if you are uncomfortable with everyone here knowing.”

I took a deep breath, focusing up at Muneg again.

His voice was deep. “I owe you our lives, and have not yet repaid this debt. I shall remain silent,” he said, raising his voice at the end, as he focused back at Ruhmul and Shevra, who were both cooking over the flames now, Ruhmul occasionally taking a bite of the meat, as if testing it’s readiness.

All it took was an exchanged gaze for Muneg to continue.

“Nor will my companions speak of it. You have our sworn word.”

I nodded, glad to hear he felt like the debt hadn’t been repaid yet, looking at Eliza again.

“I didn’t understand everything about this skill when I first used it. One that allows me to do what should be impossible. I can Mass Cast on as many people as I want, at zero essence cost, the only major limitation being that I’m inflicted with the worst kind of fatigue possible. Critical Fatigue. As well as Severe Drowsiness. It left me unconscious for at least a day, based on where the sun was when I awoke. Perhaps more than one day passed.”

Eliza’s eyes were wide.

Astaer spoke up in disbelief. “Zero essence cost? How is that possible?”

Celestine nodded in agreement. “It sounds like a miracle,” she whispered.

I took a deep breath, opening my folded hands briefly as a gesture while I sat up a little, Val and Mel still having their hands on my back, deciding that I would simply show them it, rather than only tell them.

For there was only a stamina cost if I simply activated the skill and nothing more.

I could feel the unique sensation beginning to form in my body, specifically in my chest, as I felt the skill’s unique power begin to flow through me, in anticipation of my intention, my body almost beginning to feel like a gate itself – one to the divine.

“It is a miracle,” I agreed. “And now, I will show all of you…”

I took a deep breath, feeling the blue energy beginning to fill my eyes.

“The DOMAIN of the Goddess.”

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SKILL: Domain of the Goddess

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DESCRIPTION

Level: 1/1

Type: Innate Active

Effect: Establish the DOMAIN of the Goddess of Life and receive blessings. Pure wishes will be granted to those who are Worthy. Healing Spells have all essence costs eliminated and have their potency strengthened. All mortal limitations are removed, allowing casting on multiple targets simultaneously (Mass Cast), and removing any distance limitations, so long as the target is also within the DOMAIN.

Focus Bonus: Always Worthy

Cast Time: Instant

Stamina Use: 5 Stamina per 1 second (Initial)

Range: Undefined (Infinitely Growing)

Limitation: Stamina cost increases at an accelerated rate as the Range of the DOMAIN grows larger. Inflicted with Fatigue (critical) and Drowsiness (severe) upon deactivation of Mass Cast if the combined total of Strength and Fortitude is under 35 (Strength: 16, Fortitude: 12, Total: 28)

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Instantly, the moment I activated Domain of the Goddess, the ground began glowing blue beneath where my feet resided, rapidly spreading outward in pulses of brilliant azure rings of light that dramatically increased the size of the surreal space encompassing us, the sky above seeming to transform into a new one, millions of unrecognizable stars glowing brilliantly in the now moonless night, not a single cloud in the sky anymore.

Eliza was the first to stand, her amethyst eyes wide as she focused on her lightly glowing body first, only for her sharp eyes to shift to the unfamiliar night sky above, as she felt the presence of the divine among our midst.

And then Alyssa was up, the blue glow making her an even darker purple, followed by Celestine, Sylvia, and Astaer.

Ruhmul dropped his roasting venison in a fire that was temporarily no longer hot, his red jaw slack as he looked up at the sky as well, unable to comprehend the sensation of coming to exist in a unique space, one that was somehow both a part of our world, and yet separated from it.

The pulses of light originating from where my feet touched the ground began to slow, the growing space becoming more taxing on my body, on the limitation of my mortal stamina. Each pulse rang outward in a slower and slower infinitely expanding circle, even as I felt my own heart grow more calm, becoming almost a lazy oscillation as if time itself were slowing down, having finally reached as far as Wren, who had grown still as she focused up at the sky as well in pure awe.

And I felt powerful.

More powerful than I could even remember the last time I activated this skill.

I could cast every single healing spell I knew, as many times as I wanted, on as many people as I wanted, all at once.

Simultaneously.

The only cost…

My own well-being…temporarily.

I couldn’t defend myself while I suffered Critical Fatigue and Severe Drowsiness.

Couldn’t stop a monster from taking my life.

Couldn’t stop a person from slitting my throat.

Couldn’t even heal myself.

Critical Fatigue was an ailment that rendered all my skills useless, including Regeneration – the automatic casting of my spells on myself, so long as I had essence for it.

The only two people who hadn’t risen to their feet, aside from me, were Val and Mel.

Instead, they were holding onto me, their eyes wide in awe and disbelief.

Looking up at the foreign sky, the stars so bright and close, as if we were at the top of the highest mountain. Perhaps even higher than that.

Both of them then staring back down at me.

Holding onto me tightly.

It was a special experience.

One I was sad to let go.

But the infinitely widening domain was truly becoming a strain, to the point that I was beginning to breathe heavily as I tried to maintain it without actually using it.

The moment I deactivated the skill, we were instantly back in our world as if nothing happened.

The blue light vanished in a literal blink of the eye.

The clouds returned, the moon just now peeking past one to greet us, the stars that we were all used to seeing at this time of year again filling the night sky. The trees and ground regained their usual color in the glow of the large campfire, the dancing orange flames again splashing their light randomly on the shadows.

The only sound now was my heavy breathing for a few long seconds, before the night sounds began to slowly resume.

Ruhmul was then fumbling with his dropped venison.

Everyone else was staring at me, including Shevra by the fire.

They were all quiet for a very long time.

No one said anything.

Feeling what they felt, seeing what they saw, experiencing what they experienced.

They were all speechless.

Even Ruhmul and Shevra had set aside what they were doing just to process what they witnessed.

Celestine was the one who finally broke the silence.

“Are…Are gods and goddesses real?” she whispered, as if she were afraid of speaking too loudly. As if we were still in a holy place.

I was honest.

“I don’t know,” I whispered in response. “But this power does not feel like my own. It exceeds what should be possible for a mortal like myself.”

No one responded.

In truth, I couldn’t help but wonder if ‘beings of great power’ did exist. Ones that would be equivalent to gods compared to our smaller, more finite, existences. Hard to say, but I knew weapons like Mel’s Judgement of the Phoenix weren’t created by normal hands. Perhaps it was simply magic that had long since been lost, methods of forging that were no longer known, but the power that resided in such artifacts made it difficult to believe hands like mine could have created such weapons.

Once everyone slowly began recovering from their shock, Eliza was the one who finally got everyone talking again, though this time returning to the more serious subject of the two Dungeon Breaks. Astaer and Celestine had already sent word to the capital, via a variety of animals, of our successful conquering of the Dungeon, but that didn’t mean the Flesh Collector problem was resolved just yet, since at least one had escaped.

Eliza would need to return to the capital with haste to assess the state of affairs, leaving as the sun rose. Alyssa offered her horse for the task, Sylvia intending on going with her, simply asking that the steed be returned to her once she returned to the capital as well.

Eliza assured her it wouldn’t be a problem, and even thanked her.

In the meantime, there was the rest of us to consider.

Normally, I’d think it important to go with the Queen, since I was the only healer who could help with an Arakna’cabra bite, but the problem was the two Dungeons.

Left unattended, a Dungeon Break could turn into a full-blown Scourge Outbreak, one in which both the monster and curses of the Scourge began running rampant over the region. Including the more common Plague, the flesh-eating disease that caused painful boils, and the even worse Decay that rapidly began withering the body away into a solid desiccated husk.

Sometimes into something much worse, the corpse turning to soot.

Literally, just a pile of black dirt.

We knew what had to be done.

I volunteered when I could see the hesitation in Eliza’s eyes.

But Dungeon Diving was my life now.

Because I was a Scourge Suppressor.

It was what I lived for.

“With your permission, my Queen, I will travel to the southern Dungeon. I wish to see the Oni village of Aranthar for myself. For, what I thought happened there has haunted me for several years now.”

She simply nodded, visibly distressed but doing her best to hide the pain in her amethyst eyes.

But…we knew this was our fate now.

It would be some time before we could truly be together, and while I knew she desired to keep me safe, she couldn’t hide me away in the castle indefinitely. Not if she wanted to elevate me to a position I was worthy of, so that she could put her plan in action.

To have me as her partner.

Her equal.

Separation and danger would be a part of our future, whether we liked it or not.

There was too much at risk.

Muneg volunteered his team of three for the northern Dungeon, asking Alyssa for clarification on where it was supposed to be, the half-Minotaur half-Oni man intending on asking around once they got closer, since most were more than happy to divulge such information to a team of Scourge Suppressors.

Afterward, we established shifts for watch, considering we’d just exited a gate that once contained Flesh Collectors within, not wanting to risk being attacked by one that had escaped, with everyone taking a shift as pairs, except for the Queen and her blonde companion.

Mel and Val were volunteered to go first, since the first shift was generally considered to be easiest.

The two of them would then wake me, so that I could wake Muneg.

Ruhmul and Shevra would then keep watch.

Followed by Astaer and Celestine, who would then pretty much be up for the morning.

As the leaders of our respective teams, Muneg and I pretty much had the hardest shift.

The one that involved only a little bit of sleep before being roused, though it was nothing compared to what I’d endured when I survived in that Dungeon with Eliza for three months.

After wishing Mel and Val goodnight, I crawled into the tent – alone, if only for a brief moment.

A certain little demon elf silently made an appearance and crawled right up into my arms, snuggling her gray face against my chest as she promptly fell asleep with surprising speed. And despite my exhaustion and stress, I was stunned by the intense sensation of contentment that filled my heart as I held her in my arms.

Her resting like this was a…nostalgic sensation.

As if my body was remembering her sleeping in my arms every single day for the fifteen years that I was stuck unconscious in that Dungeon. As if my body itself was recalling that experience, filling me with warmth and contentment of a familiarity that went way beyond anything I’d experienced before.

The world suddenly felt ‘right’ to me.

And I couldn’t help but feel at peace.

The most peace I’d experienced in all my life, happening in this very moment.

Honestly, it was bizarre to think that, technically, I’d spent more time with Wren than anyone else in my entire life. Of course, I’d grown really close to Eliza when we were younger, but the three months in hell was nothing like the fifteen years that Wren took care of me.

If anything, the demon girl deserved my affections and love more than anyone else.

Selflessly and tirelessly keeping me alive for most of my second life.

Never abandoning me, not even once.

And forgiving me, even though I’d accidentally abandoned her and repaid her deeds with pain.

Repaid her efforts with agony and sadness.

It made my heart hurt, thinking about it from her perspective.

Realizing how she must feel to know that women who hadn’t tirelessly cared for me, day-after-day, without fail for fifteen years, had earned my affections before she did. But I was going to change that. One way or another, I would give Wren what she deserved from me. Monster or not, servant or not, she would be rewarded for saving my life. For keeping me alive. For tirelessly loving me.

And with that, I held her more tightly as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

A peace I’d never known before enveloping me in its presence.

Unfortunately, I was extremely exhausted.

Which meant, my body reacted like I was back in that first Dungeon.

Feeling like I’d been unconscious for hours, I knew from Mel and Val’s low voices that it probably hadn’t even been half an hour. Yet, that wasn’t what I focused on as my mind became aware of my surroundings, because I heard another voice, one very close by, speaking softly to the creature in my arms.

“Promise?” Eliza whispered on the outside of the tent, her voice almost inaudible.

“Promise,” Wren replied just as quietly, saying nothing more.

Eliza crept away before I could say anything, and while I knew the risk was low of us getting found out, I also knew tomorrow would be a long ride to the capital for her, possibly taking two days by horse, depending on how hard she could run the steed without it fatiguing, and that I should let her get some sleep. Of course, I wanted to know what they were talking about, but Wren had fallen back asleep just as fast as when she first crawled into my arms.

I was confident she’d tell me later when I asked, so I let her rest for now.

Part of me wanted to get up and socialize with Mel and Val for a while, but I also decided against that, specifically due to the very commitment I’d made prior to falling asleep myself.

For, just as I was now holding Wren while she rested unconscious…

So she had done for me…

For fifteen years.

Holding her a little longer was the least I could do.

Until it was time for me to keep watch.

So ‘hold her’ was exactly what I did.

The unique girl who was the entire reason I even existed right now.

The only reason why I was alive in this very moment.

Wren roused once more in that time, smiling affectionately and squirming in my arms to give me a kiss on the lips when she sensed the affection coming from me, only to pass out just as fast. Falling right back asleep as if she’d never woken in the first place. The only difference was that a deep purring sound was coming from her chest for a few minutes as she slept, before she grew fully quiet again.

Resting contently in my arms, a smile now touching her lips as she slept peacefully.

I could feel her happiness.

Literally feel it, just like I could hear her thoughts.

And it made me happy too.

After a couple of hours, it was finally time for my shift with Muneg.

Wren was a little too cheerful to get to snuggle between Mel and Val, the half-Holstaur surprisingly much more receptive to the idea than my Oni girlfriend was at first. But before long, they were all snuggling together as they slept for the rest of the night.

I felt Wren’s mind resurface to consciousness a few times, seemingly every hour, as if she was silently checking for danger, before promptly falling right back asleep.

Muneg wasn’t a man of many words, and we wordlessly poked and stoked the fire, both of us taking turns to collect more sticks and branches to keep the flames going all night. A couple of hours later and he then woke Ruhmul and Shevra for the third shift, allowing me to squeeze into the tent with Mel, Wren, and Val all squished together.

Only Wren roused in response to my presence, reaching out to touch my arm over Mel as she fell right back asleep.

However, I was still stressed.

I passed out and awoke within thirty minutes, just like last time.

And I knew I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep again.

I got up and socialized with the two Oni, with Ruhmul deciding to take the opportunity to haul Shevra off to fuck her in the darkness, before the two returned with content smiles as they resumed speaking to me quietly as if they’d done nothing abnormal.

Truly, it wasn’t abnormal for Oni.

Many a times, Turg and Dagru together fucked Shel in the middle of the night while we were in a Dungeon. As Turg like to put it, the activity was a great way to stay awake. Except that, instead of glistening green and blue bodies, it was glistening red and blue this time.

Shevra was sincere in thanking me for saving their lives.

Very vehement in her appreciation.

She even offered to fuck.

I politely declined, despite her being very attractive.

Ruhmul insisted.

I definitely had to decline.

I knew how sharing worked with their type, and I wasn’t interested in sharing Mel or Val.

Shevra promised nothing would be expected in return, saying she’d been with a few humans and knew how to make me feel really good, promising me that I’d love her firm massive tits.

I had zero doubts that her confidence was merited.

I changed the subject.

They let it go.

The conversation was more relaxed after that, and before long it was Astaer and Celestine’s turns to be awake for the rest of the morning. I woke them up, only to find myself briefly tugged down by both of them in the darkness of their tent, earning some silent passionate kisses between the two of them, before we all made an appearance by the campfire.

My face was extremely flushed, but Ruhmul didn’t seem to notice as he tossed a pile of sticks on the fire and headed to join Shevra as she snuggled with Muneg.

Celestine used the opportunity to climb into my lap, her long legs straddling me as she sat her tight ass down firmly on my thighs, bending over me with my face in her hands to kiss me passionately, and thus ensuring I wasn’t going back to sleep anytime soon, not that I had planned on it anyway. Astaer knelt behind me and joined her, planting tender kisses on the back of my neck, working me up with their charms without actually doing anything overly inappropriate, until I was gasping for air between them.

They paused briefly when Eliza made an unexpected appearance but then resumed their torment for a little while longer, before each giving me one last kiss and moving to sit normally around the fire.

My face was thoroughly flushed, my body feeling extremely warm.

I wasn’t sure how to read Eliza’s expression at first when we made eye contact, but after she looked toward the three Oni to ensure they were passed out, she got up and sat down next to me, just barely leaning into my shoulder as she took a slow deep breath.

The physical contact was extremely comforting for us both.

“My beloved,” she whispered simply.

“My love,” I echoed just as quietly.

“We will be together,” she promised. “I will find a suitable position for you in my court, perhaps as an Advisor or even an Ambassador, especially with your working knowledge of politics and the economy. It will not be difficult to prove your suitability for such a position.” She sighed. “Either way, I will find a reason for us to meet with some regularity.”

“I’m not sure how adept I am with politics,” I admitted. “But I can be taught. And I would definitely like that,” I agreed.

“So it will be,” she promised.

We were both quiet for a few seconds.

“What did you ask of Wren?” I unexpectedly wondered.

Eliza hesitated at that, glancing at the elf sisters, before taking a deep breath as she stared at the roaring fire. “I asked her how she felt about you. Asked her if she loved you at least as much as I do. It was a foolish question to ask, since she of course has no idea how I feel about you. But when I gave her comparisons, she made it very clear that you are the center of her entire world. The very reason why she lives, a love that is far deeper than I can even claim.”

I frowned at that. “Eliza, that comparison isn’t fair at all. She’s a bound monster. Literally my servant, even if her feelings are sincere.”

“I know, my love,” she said quietly. “Still, I couldn’t help but ask.”

“And what did she promise you?” I wondered.

She sighed. “Just to keep you safe, as I undoubtedly won’t be able to, like how I once did when we were lost in hell together.”

I simply nodded, assuming as much.

“You too,” I whispered. “Please keep yourself safe.”

She laughed at that. “I am the Queen. There is little I need protection from, and I have an entire Guard to protect me from most of what would threaten me.”

I shrugged. “Still. Please take care of yourself.”

“I will, love,” she promised.

Neither of us said anything after that.

The last of our time together was drawing near, and when I saw she looked tired, I encouraged her to get a little more sleep. She would have a long day of travel ahead of her, perhaps two days, and we actually had a future now, so there was no reason to sacrifice her well-being at a time like this. When she would have to be alert for the tasks at hand when she returned to the capital.

For all we knew, the situation might be worse than we assumed.

Maybe the Northern Invasion was truly in full swing.

Eliza begrudgingly agreed, and slipped back in her tent to sleep beside Sylvia, leaving just me and the elf scouts again. We were all quiet for a while as the sky began to lighten just slightly, though the sunrise was still probably over an hour away. Neither of them spoke, and it felt kind of peaceful to just sit together, staring at the flames as we listened to the sounds of the night.

I figured it would just be the three of us until morning, so I was surprised when Alyssa made an appearance, climbing out of the tent the sisters had been in. Something that shocked me, considering I hadn’t realized she was in the tent when the sisters tugged me between them for a few intense minutes. Of course, I knew there were only three tents, but I hadn’t seen her pick one, realizing she must have been sleeping curled up for me not to notice her earlier.

Although, that wasn’t what I found most surprising.

What shocked me the most was when she confidently sat down right next to me, taking Eliza’s spot, her mesmerizing pink eyes intense as she focused on me. Grabbing my hand, she held it tightly as she stared intently at me, her glossy dark purple lips finally separating to speak quietly.

“I have nothing to hide from you, or the Queen, and never intended to offend either of you,” she said sincerely, only to hesitate as she glanced at the sisters, before returning her focus on me. “As a show of my goodwill, I want to share something with you. Something many are not aware of.”

My brow furrowed. “And what is that?”

“A way for you to earn the Queen’s hand sooner than you may expect.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “How?”

“It is very risky,” she said seriously. “And it may be in your best interest to follow her plan instead. But if for some reason it fails, there is one other option.”

I was all ears, wondering why Eliza hadn’t told me.

She continued. “To become the Queen, she had to endure the Trial of Resolve. Any suitor, of any race, can request to endure the same trial for the Queen’s hand in marriage. She must first accept the offer,” Alyssa quickly clarified. “Not just anyone can win her hand, but if you can endure the trial for at least three days, long enough to normally win the throne, then no one will be able to contest your strength of will. It won’t make you a Ruler, instead becoming her Prince Consort, but you will rightfully hold that position.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, seeing that both the elf sisters had pained expression.

“Is that true?” I asked in disbelief.

They exchanged a glance, only for Astaer to stand up and move closer, sitting on my other side, her voice very low.

“The Queen asked us not to say anything. Back when we arrived at the northern village where you healed that elf boy. I had asked in private, prior to us eating, and she took both me and Celestine aside to request we not mention it. Not a command from the Queen, but a humble request from a friend.”

“Why?” I said in disbelief.

“Because if you fail,” Astaer continued. “She’ll be forced to exile you, and it’ll be absolutely impossible for the two of you to be together. It’s not that she doesn’t believe in you, but rather, the Trial of Resolve is probably worse than you imagine it. I am confident I would not last very long myself, having felt the pain caused by the salve they use. It is a horrid torment, and the Queen is confident this is a situation where the risk doesn’t outweigh the benefit. Her method will take only a little longer, perhaps a few years, and is the more sure way.”

Of course, leave it to an elf to think a few years to be not that long.

But I could see the wisdom in it.

Being impatient was not worth the risk of losing Eliza forever, and as much as I wanted to prove my worth, much like she had done for me, I felt confident I’d end up wanting to take my own life if I failed in such a task. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself, taking such a huge gamble, only to come out the other end unsuccessful. And I believed Eliza when she said all sense of time was lost by the third day of the trials. Really, by the second day she claimed the mind became delirious.

Yet, all elves had the Chronosense skill.

How much more confused might I become without such an ability?

I might think I’d gone a full three days when it had barely been three hours.

And if I couldn’t even trust my own mind, then how could I be confident that I’d be successful in such an endeavor?

Alyssa spoke up again. “I agree it would be unwise to attempt it,” she whispered. “But as I said before, I have nothing to hide, and wish to tell you everything and anything you desire to know. If for no other reason than to have friends who understand my pain. Who understand real suffering and loneliness.”

I took a deep breath, simply nodding at that.

I kind of had an idea why Alyssa was being so open, but decided to point it out anyway, already anticipating her answer.

“You seem highly committed to this friendship we have,” I commented.

She grimaced at that. “Please forgive me, but I found the conversations revolving around you, in particular, quite interesting when I was in the capital. I couldn’t help but overhear them. Not when my Eavesdrop skill is more powerful with important individuals.”

I nodded, my gaze focused on the fire. “Knowing our secrets makes you feel close to us,” I assumed. “And you wish to share all your secrets as well.”

“It is my deepest wish,” she replied sincerely. “I cannot…I am unsure if I can put into words the loneliness I’ve endured all my life. The loss I have suffered because of the Scourge. Being in your service, and in the service of the Queen, would be my deepest honor. Whatever is needed of me, I wish to put my skills to use for your benefit. Please.”

I sighed. “As of now, I don’t have a problem with you. It is the Queen you’ll have to win over, though I can’t imagine her not seeing the value in your talents.”

She nodded, squeezing my hand.

I glanced down at it, taking a deep breath, only for my brow to furrow when I realized her hands were a darker purple than I remembered.

“May I ask about your coloring?” I unexpectedly wondered.

She focused down at her hand too, only to frown. “I have a powder I use to lighten my exposed skin. To look a little less abnormal,” she admitted, meeting my gaze.

Celestine finally moved closer, speaking up now. “Your skin is actually darker?” she wondered in surprise.

Alyssa nodded, reaching down to lift up on her robes, revealing part of her legs, which were as vivid purple as Mel was red and as Shevra was blue. Not at all a pale hue at all, but instead very richly colored. Her purple hair was still darker, but I could see why she’d want to make herself a pale lavender with the powder she mentioned.

Mel’s lips were lavender, and overall it was a bit of a less striking color. A little easier to overlook after the initial reaction.

Alternatively ,the shade of Alyssa’s natural color was impossible to ignore.

Something people would stare at.

The purple elf continued, focusing back on me. “As to how I came to look like this, I am unsure. I did notice my skin changing color while I was in the Dungeon, since I eventually learned a few light spells, but did not fully know the extent of it until I was again exposed to the sunlight. Perhaps it was something I was forced to eat.”

I nodded, shifting my gaze back to the flames.

I was about to respond, knowing I’d once seen a purple flowering vine in one dungeon, that had tubular roots in the cave walls that tasted similar to potatoes, but unexpectedly an alarming sound reached my ears from the sky.

It wasn’t as loud as the last time I’d heard it, but the sound was urgent, nonetheless.

The cry of a Gryphon.

Both of the sisters jumped up, the two speaking quickly to each other.

“He found us, but something is wrong,” Celestine hissed.

“Something has happened,” Astaer agreed almost at the same time.

The screech was loud enough to wake everyone else, Wren pouncing out of the tent on all fours and hissing at the sky like a feral cat.

I quickly commanded her to relax and act like a normal person, so as to not alarm the beast.

Eliza and Sylvia were both climbing out of their tent urgently, Mel and Val scrambling to follow after Wren, as the massive beast flapped its wings, nearly putting out the fire as it came in for an urgent landing.

“My God!” Astaer exclaimed, as the beast found its footing.

“What is it?” Eliza said in concern.

“Are you sure?” Celestine demanded, still focused on their mount.

The Gryphon puffed out its chest, hissing in response.

Astaer immediately turned to Eliza, her blue eyes wide. “My Queen, please forgive me for sharing such news! But there’s been a challenge for the throne! There are two who have already almost completed the Trial of Resolve!”

My beloved’s amethyst eyes flew open in alarm and shocked.

And then she was running, straight for the Gryphon, the sisters reacting without a single word, all three of them bolting for the beast as fast as possible. The creature lowered itself as Astaer threw herself on its back, followed by Celestine climbing on, the two of them reaching out to tug Eliza up between them, only for Astaer to cry out as Sylvia reached them.

“Only three! He can only handle three!”

“Take the steed!” Eliza commanded her blonde companion. “Run him as hard as he can handle! How long?” she then demanded to the sisters.

“From here, we’ll be in the capital in less than two hours.”

“Let’s try for one.”

Astaer didn’t respond, the beast abruptly rising and flapping its massive wings, launching itself into the sky and taking off without another word. Rapidly rising higher and higher until they could barely be seen with my normal human eyes.

Just like that, without even a goodbye, they were gone.

Sylvia was already mounting the horse, abruptly speaking to Alyssa.

“Is there anything you have need of before departing?”

The woman looked shocked. “Shall I come?”

“You want to be useful to the Queen, yes? Then come and hear all the whispers of those who have plotted against her, so that she might have her revenge after she’s reclaimed the throne.”

Without further hesitation, Alyssa immediately ran toward a tent, snagging out a leather bag from within, and then was reaching out for Sylvia’s arm and hauling herself up onto her steed’s saddle. Sylvia then focused on me, seeing that I was completely shell-shocked by this turn of events.

Her tone was firm. “Allister, I’ve listened to many speak of you over the last few years. Both your party and others in the guild, when they’ve come to sell to me. You are a worthy leader, by far the best healer, and deserving of my respect,” she said meaningfully, no doubt trying to communicate what she couldn’t say outright. “Conquer the Dungeon in the south and then meet me in the capital. I’ll be waiting for your safe return.”

And with that, she slapped the reins and they were off.

Leaving the rest of us behind.

The top team…

As well as my new team.

Left behind.

I didn’t know what to say.

I didn’t know what to think.

I didn’t know what to do…

Because there was nothing I could do.

After all…

I was only a healer.

And there was a Dungeon Break that threatened the Queen’s kingdom.

Two Dungeon Breaks, in fact…

And I’d been tasked with conquering one of them.

I knew all this, and yet…

I just stood there as I watched the horse disappear in the brush.

Stood there as I tried to process…

What this would mean…

For my beloved.

FEEDBACK: Be sure to tell me what you think, before you read the next chapter!

1. The italicized part was rough for me to write and then rough again to edit. Did you feel anything? Did it change your opinion of Alyssa at all?

2. I had to cover a lot of topics in this chapter in preparation for the next one. Did it feel too rushed, or was it fine? We learned a lot of interesting things, including about the Skill he used to save that Oni village, and the reason why he’s never used it since then. Thoughts on all that?

3. How concerned are you about Eliza? I'm not trying to make anyone upset, but there's no feasible way for her to get out of this completely unscathed, although there will be some consequences for those who put her in this situation.

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 28 >>

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