Blood in the Deser

by Sophia Schmidt

  While the others ran to his side, Phloria turned back, sprinting to the severed arm and storing it in her dimensional amulet as fast as she could.

  "According to my father, reattaching a limb is much easier than regrow it. The important thing is to preserve it in the best conditions possible. A dimensional item is the ideal solution, since it will not rot or degrade as long it's in there." ¨C

  When Quylla reached him, she thought it was already too late. Despite being only partially healed, the stump bleed too little, and she was unable to feel a pulse.

  If Lith was really dead, she would have been forced to attempt a resuscitation manoeuvre (AN: like CPR), even at the risk of further compromising his body's integrity. But if there was even just a spark of life, she knew, or better she firmly believed he would have made it.

  "Damn diagnostic magic! It's too slow!" ¨C She inwardly cursed, taking out a small mirror from her dimensional amulet, and putting it in front of his mouth and nose. The glass fogged up, giving her hope.

  "Yurial, you heal him. You have already given him too much energy, we cannot afford anyone passing away. Friya, enhance his life force, I'll keep him stable."

  Quylla's task was the hardest. She had to use diagnostic spells to find the most damaged organs, and then alternate healing and energy infusion without compromising the others' work.

  Too fast healing would kill him, he was too weak to endure more strain. Too much energy would kill him too. If the heart suddenly started pumping fast, Lith would either bleed out the countless open wounds or die due to organ failure.

  But if they acted with too much caution, his body would simply collapse. It was like a game of Jenga with cracked crystal pieces. One wrong move would mean the end, with no chance for a do over.

  First, she finished mending the severed shoulder, then she harmonized with her friends' spells, fixing whatever mistake they made in the heat of the moment. Unlike her, they had no real experience as healers.

  And to make things worse, their first patient without any Professor's supervision was a close friend. Inwardly, all the three of them just wanted to run away crying from that hellhole.

  They were already tired from the dimensional magic lesson and the nightmare born from it. They had been on the edge all the time, believing that every second would be their last. And when finally everything seemed to be over, they had been forced to stare death in the face.

  It was still morning, but it felt like a week had passed. The only things that kept them together were rage and stubbornness. Rage coming from the frustration of being constantly swept around by forces beyond their control, and the stubbornness that made them unwilling to yield at any cost.

  Alongside them, a silent but invaluable fourth player was fighting with everything she had. Solus had been constantly expending her own energies to keep light fusion active, after Lith had lost consciousness.

  When the kids had started their treatment, it had been her using Invigoration to redirect their healing spells where they were needed the most, that had allowed everything to go smoothly.

  Three young mages at their wits' end wouldn't be able to handle alone such situation.

  Especially since Quylla was tired and short on mana after having closed so many cracks fighting alongside Lith, and Yurial had already passed Lith so much of his life force that it was already a miracle for him to keep standing without help.

  When they finished, he didn't smell like barbeque anymore. Most of the burnt skin was replaced by a new one, but the overall impression was still those of an over stewed lobster.

  "Excellent job, but he is still in critical conditions. We need to bring him to the academy's hospital as soon as possible." After evacuating the training hall, Linjos had returned to offer his help.

  When he bended over Lith, attempting to grab him, Quylla welcomed him with a perfectly aimed punch on the nose, resulting in a clear breaking sound and a nosebleed.

  "Are you insane?" She yelled at him with no respect for his seniority nor status.

  "We can't move him. He could go into shock from the amputation at any moment. Light magic needs time to take full effect. Have you really studied before becoming a Headmaster or did you just win the title at a raffle?"

  Linjos wanted to reprimand her harshly, but after noticing that her fist was still held high, in the optimal position for hitting him in the groin, he took a step back instead.

  "Young miss, I can see you are very upset, so I'll overlook your lack of discipline, just this once." His voice was now nasal, until a simple healing spell stopped the bleeding and straightened his nose.

  "But for your information, now that all the protections are activated again, we can move him safely with Warp Steps. Besides being an excellent healer myself, I have already alerted the light department. Where in the gods' name is Manohar?"

  "Right here." Said the god of healing punching him in the nose too.

  "Why did you do that?" Linjos was flabbergasted.

  "Because she is right, you are wrong and didn't tell me the patient is one of my own!" Manohar formulated a quick spell that made Lith look human again, even regrowing his hair to a medium length.

  "Now it's safe to move him, you two bits healer." He said throwing a mean look at the Headmaster.

  "Did someone fetch his arm or is it lost?"

  "I did, sir." Phloria showed him her dimensional amulet.

  "Great! Thirty points to the flat beanpole for the quick thinking." Phloria didn't know if to laugh or cry at the rude remark.

  "Fifty points to each of you for saving a colleague, and another fifty to the scrawny shorty for the well executed punch."

  "First, this is not your lesson. Second, awarding points for assaulting a Headmaster is unheard of!" Linjos was fuming with anger.

  "Well, you always knew I am an innovator." Manohar shrugged, opening a Warp Steps to the Intensive Care Unit and disappearing through it with Lith's group.

  Linjos remained there, with his mouth agape, with a snarky remark still stuck in his throat while the rest of the staff was snickering at his expenses.

  Chapter 129 Chaos

  Derek woke up in what was unmistakably an hospital room. Even with a fuzzy head and a blurry vision, he knew there was only one place were so much white would belong.

  The sheets, the blind, even the walls and ceiling were white. He tried to rub his eyes, but discovered his right arm was cuffed to the bedside, while the left one felt so heavy, he couldn't muster the strength to lift it.

  "Must be the morphine. That or they tied me up." He thought. The last reasonable memory he had was about him killing the b*stard who had murdered his little brother.

  "F*cking cops, couldn't just let me die? I don't know if it's because of the brain damage or because they have heavily drugged me, but that was one heck of a dream."

  He shook his head, trying to clear up his vision.

  "A little too absurd, even for a dream, though. Magic powers, a mystical sentient girl tower, talking animals and a Kingdom in danger. It only lacked a pink dressed princess kidnapped by a fire spitting turtle to be more ridicule.

  That, or me finding my happy ending with the girl in the tower. Heck, even if it was all inside my head it has been the most meaningful relationship I ever had." ¨C He scoffed.

  "Really? I would have never assumed you would think of me that way." - Solus' mind blush was so strong to overcome the boundary they usually kept to separate their innermost thoughts.

  Lith managed to avoid screaming in surprise and embarrassment only because the blind was pulled away by Professor Manohar, that had come to check his conditions.

  "How is my patient?" He asked. "Remember, the only acceptable answer is 'well and getting better'. If you die on me, you'll ruin my statistics."

  "Professor Manohar?" Lith was still recovering from the shock.

  "So, it was all real?"

  "I know how this seems, such an incident, if we want to call it that way, happening in the White Griffon acad
emy is simply unbelievable, yet it happened. Odd, I perfectly regenerated your skin, yet you are all red up to your ears.

  Are you experiencing any discomfort, or did you just have a wet dream?"

  Lith's brows furrowed, while his memory was finally returning.

  "I¡"

  "Just a yes or no. I'm not interested in your fantasies."

  Lith blushed even harder, but this time out of anger, for the complete lack of tact of his healer.

  "No discomfort and no wet dreams. Thanks for your concern. Why am I cuffed? I don't remember doing anything to deserve such treatment."

  "Do you mean the chain? That's no punishment, is just to prevent you from rolling on the wrong side. The wound is just barely closed, we still need to reattach your arm, after all. I would expect an accomplished healer like you to understand something so simple."

  Lith turned his head abruptly, trying to touch the little stump where once was his arm, but the chain stopped him again.

  At that point, Solus had regained enough of her cool to share her memories of the most recent events, bringing him up to speed.

  "How long was I unconscious?"

  "A few hours, is barely lunchtime." Manohar replied, right before casting a series of diagnostic spells that made Lith glow like a lightbulb.

  "Everything seems fine. Your body heals magnificently, young man. Keep up like this, and you'll get discharged in one piece before dinner." Manohar took out his communicator amulet, informing Linjos that the patient could receive visitors.

  "Remember to properly thank your friends. They gave it everything to save your life before Manohar arrived." Usually Lith would have objected at the abuse of the word 'friends', but after looking at Solus' memories he didn't feel so sure about it anymore.

  "Wow, Quylla really punched Linjos. Was it really so dangerous to move me at the time?"

  "No, it wasn't. But I can't blame her for being protective. I would have done the same."

  "Okay, then why Manohar punched him too? He doesn't seem the protective type."

  "According to his rants while he was finishing to heal you, Manohar has always dreamt about hitting a Headmaster and get away with it. Quylla simply gave him the inspiration he needed. He told her himself before awarding another thirty points.

  You know, I really like that girl. I would have nothing against her being your mistress until we find a proper body for myself." ¨C

  Another powerful mind blush made him understand that she wasn't joking at all, but luckily Linjos entered his room, saving him from such an awkward topic. Lith had never been so happy to see the Headmaster's long and brooding face.

  Contrary to his expectations, behind him there was no trace of his classmates. He was followed by professor Marth, instead, and thanks to his enhanced hearing, Lith could hear them repeatedly apologizing to someone.

  "We are terribly sorry for what had happened to your son, but as you'll see, he has received the best cures available in the whole Kingdom. The reason we called you here, is to help him overcome the shock of losing an arm.

  Albeit is only a temporary condition, it could severely affect his mind and future decisions. We don't want him to quit the academy, it would be too great of a loss. Please, be strong."

  Lith heard a snarl from his father, Raaz, stopped by his mother, Elina, hurrying Linjos to let them in. They rushed to Lith's bedside, doing their best to not cry or stare at his stump.

  "Professor, please, tell me he is going to be all right." Despite all their efforts, Elina's eyes were watery and her voice cracked. Raaz held her hand tightly, searching for the strength to appear calm and confident to reassure his injured son.

  "Don't worry, ma'am. We were just about to reattach his arm." Manohar said, throwing a flirtatious look at her.

  "I must say it, there must be something special in your bloodline."

  Lith started inwardly cursing non-stop. Maybe after looking at him and his parents, the genius healer Krishna Manohar had noticed some abnormality caused by him using Invigoration on all his family to remove impurities from their bodies.

  "Otherwise I can't explain why your son is so talented, you are so gorgeous, and even Lith's dear grandfather is so well preserved despite his age."

  At those Marth, Raaz and Linjos became pale as ghost, while fury tinged Lith's cheeks of red while his eyes where reduced to fiery slits. He couldn't believe his esteemed Professor was actually hitting on his mother right in front of him.

  Despite the situation, Elina and Solus couldn't stop giggling.

  "He is actually my father." Lith's voice was stone cold, causing Manohar to gasp in surprise.

  "You are very lucky, good sir." He said shaking Raaz's hand, limp from the surprise.

  "Your son is a brave kid, and your wife could have got much, much better."

  If Lith's arm didn't had yet to be reattached, Raaz would have probably strangled him for the repeated insults.

  "See, old man?" Manohar said patting Linjos on the shoulder.

  "That's why I tell you to never lose hope. In this world there are still women that don't care much about looks."

  Before the situation became even more humiliating, Professor Marth dragged Manohar away.

  ***

  In the city of Kandria, all the hospitals and the healers' home offices were full to the brim, while the city guard was arresting lots of citizens for gruesome crimes. The two things had only one thing in common: all those involved would tell unbelievable stories to justify what had happened.

  A man claimed that his wife had caught fire while cooking lunch, a woman told them how his brother had turned into a piece of ice while conjuring some water to wash the dishes.

  An otherwise beyond suspicion healer was trying to explain how he never meant to amputate his patient's leg, it just had turned into a lump of meat after he attempted to heal a fracture.

  But the real cause was ensuing inside the local branch of the Mage Association, where many magicians were reporting how they had inexplicably lost their powers.

  Chapter 130 Chaos 2

  Despite Professor Marth intervention, the situation degenerated as soon Raaz and Linjos managed to recover from the vicious verbal beating they just endured.

  "Who is that raving lunatic and why is he allowed to have any contact with the students? He has no shame nor regard for the feelings of others!" Normally Raaz would have been humble and submissive.

  For someone that had never left the small village of Lutia in over thirty years, the White Griffon academy was intimidating. Raaz was well aware that even a single brick of the castle was worth more money than he could earn in his whole life.

  Raaz still couldn't believe one of his children had managed to get admitted in a place like that. He suspected that behind all his brave talk, Lith was actually having a hard life, surrounded by rich, spoiled kids.

  In any other circumstance, he would have never stepped inside, fearing that his presence alone was enough to put Lith in embarrassment.

  But now after his son had been severely hurt because of the incompetence of the so called 'Professors', not only he had been forced to listen to Linjos' rants about the academy's prestige, but also had to suffer a young, handsome dandy trying to seduce his wife in front of his eyes.

  That was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. He didn't care anymore if the man in front of him was the Headmaster or the King himself, Raaz was determined to give him a piece of his mind.

  On the other hand, Linjos wanted nothing more than join him and tear Manohar apart limb from limb. That man had always been a nightmare for the public relationships, either avoiding social events or making a mess the rare times he deigned to attend them.

  And now, in less than a day Linjos had been assaulted and humiliated by him twice, both times in front of students and staff alike, destroying whatever pride and dignity his role was supposed to have.

  "I wish I could tell him that if the previous Headmistress that recruited Manohar wasn't already dea
d, I would kill her myself. Right after throwing Manohar from the academy's highest tower. But when I accepted this job, I knew there was an elephant in the room." ¨C

  "Despite his many, many flaws, I can assure you that Professor Manohar is that kind of genius that appears only once in one hundred years. He is an invaluable asset for the academy and the Kingdom, whom has already saved countless lives, probably even your son's."

  Raaz wasn't satisfied by the answer, but Elina squeezed his hand tight, stopping him in his tracks.

  "Are you in much pain, dear?" She asked Lith, ruffling his hair.

  "No, mom. On the contrary, I feel groggy but relaxed." He replied, quite surprised to have hair again. He had yet to have an occasion to look at himself in a mirror.

  "That's because we injected you with several potions to help you sleep and recover." Linjos explained.

  Marth returned, bringing along five members of the medical staff and Lith's missing arm. Usually for such a simple case a single Professor was enough, but they wanted to show to both Lith and his parents how much they cared.

  The arm was completely wrapped in pure white linen gauze, not leaving even the fingertips exposed. Being detached from a living body, it couldn't be healed, so it was bound to be bloody and burned.

  Lith imagined that covering it was another form of courtesy towards his parents, since no healer would have blinked at the sight of it.

  The moment the arm was within five meters (16 feet) from him, Lith felt that something odd was happening. His mana core started stirring inside of him, trying to release mana.

  Lith was too tired to put up a fight without a good reason, so he stopped resisting.

  "Solus, can you describe to me what's happening? I can't activate Life Vision without flooding my eyes with mana."

  "Tendrils of energy are going out of your body and connecting to the arm. It is¡ alive?" ¨C

  When Lith felt the itchy pain from the burns, he was so surprised to unintentionally wriggle his left hand's fingers. Luckily Marth was still walking, so the sudden movement went unnoticed.