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Chapter 21 - Healing Magic is Beautiful

  Healing Magic is Beautiful

  At Keyon’s insistence, there is no stopping for anything unnecessary the first few days on the road. He’s paranoid like always and focused solely on the task at hand. It’s only on the third day of traveling that he agrees to start letting the group enjoy some downtime each day. This lets everyone stretch their legs, play, exercise, cook a decent meal, and for some, practice magic.

  “Letz? Bao? We have a few hours before dinner is ready. Would you want to start going over some basics after camp is set up?” Jun throws his small bag over his shoulder and starts unsaddling some of the horses.

  Letz is admiring a strange bug in a nearby bush with Kikka, “Sure, that sounds like fun! Bao, are you in?”

  “Sorry, not this time. I’d like to help with getting camp set up for the night. You guys have fun though.”

  “Oh, ok then. Maybe next time then,” Letz is clearly disappointed. Both him and Jun have been looking forward to practicing magic ever since Keyon said they could finally take more frequent stops.

  “Hey Letz, once Kain is finished cooking dinner, he’s got guard duty first. I need to practice my magic too, so why don’t I join you and Jun this afternoon?”

  Keyon knows the boy is anxious to begin exploring his new-found magic affinity and he wants him to feel supported in that. He also understands that Bao still has his reservations about working with Jun. Letz cheers up after hearing his offer and gladly accepts.

  This becomes their routine for the next several days: after a long day of riding, Jun and Letz invite Bao to join them to practice magic, only for him to decline each time. He always comes up with some reason or excuse to avoid practicing magic with them. In truth, he can hardly stand the idea that everyone is traveling together with Jun. He’s confused, betrayed by Maria, and angry with Keyon for not putting up more resistance.

  This tension grows slowly in the group as a little more than a week passes without any major developments in their relations. They’ve left the open clearings of Tab’s surrounding farms and pastures and are following the road into a thick forest. While Tab is near the coast, following the ocean would bring them dangerously close to Strix territory. That’s a situation for Bao and the children to navigate, not Keyon, Kain, or the princess. With the route they’ve chosen, it’ll be a few more days before they arrive at another town, but the group is prepared for that.

  A storm rolls in from the ocean and heavy rains stall their progress. They camp out all day and night waiting for the rain to let up. It eventually clears, but with the conditions of the road ahead uncertain, Kain advises that they spend one more day in place and allow the roads to dry a little. This gives everyone a chance to gather a few supplies from the forest before setting off again.

  Bao decides this is a good chance to go hunting and clear his head. He’ll set up a few traps and check on them in the afternoon. Normally hunting wouldn’t be a solo venture. Back home, he’d go with his peers or his younger brother, Sua, but there is no one else here who can match his skill when it comes to hunting. At least not that he knows of anyway. Kain did seem pretty confident about waiting longer before leaving. He might be a decent hunter, but Bao knows so little about him. Maybe he is more experienced than he appears, but the chance to be alone is a welcome one, so Bao doesn't bother to ask. When he leaves, Belos follows his example and sets off to gather supplies from the forest. He can’t hunt but he has plenty of experience foraging while on the run.

  The children rush out of their modest tents as soon as Keyon gives them the OK. The smell of fresh rain in the air and the sight of the sun’s rays finally breaking through the clouds fill them with a childhood urge to explore. The ground is covered in tall, lush grass but the rain has also made many large puddles in the area. Of course, Kikka is the first one to find one as she tumbles headfirst into a shallow pool of mud. She stands up covered in mud and grass head to toe trying to wipe away the filth. She is only smearing it worse.

  “I can’t believe this! How could this happen?” she parrots a phrase she heard once before from the adults.

  She looks around for the attention she usually receives from Katz or Letz only to see that they have already run ahead of her. They are children after all, they want to expend just as much energy as Kikka. Her eyes tear up slowly as she begins to think no one saw her fall.

  “Aw, what's wrong Kikka? Did you fall in some mud?” Jun walks up behind her and lowers to one knee. The muddy water slowly soaks into his clothes.

  “I’m all dirty,” she says through her tears, “I’m ugly.”

  “What? Who said you’re ugly? A little bit of mud never hurt anyone.”

  Jun hasn’t had a chance to talk to Kikka one on one before, but he has heard about how Zultanites are very attentive to beauty.

  Is that what this is about?

  “Kikka, mud doesn’t make you ugly or less pretty,” he gently takes hold of one of her small hands and wipes the mud with his cloak. The sun’s rays dance on her polished stone skin and reflect onto both of their faces, “See? No matter how much dirt covers us up, beneath it all will always be our true beauty.”

  Kikka is comforted by Jun’s words if only a little. She examines the rest of her body, still wet and covered in filth, “It’s not just mud,” she says in protest, “I don’t like it because it looks like blood.”

  Jun knows Zultanites don’t really bleed like other humans do.

  Does mud really look like blood to a person who can’t experience it?

  He realizes she must have been exposed to significant violence in the past to be making these kinds of connections and bringing them up now.

  “You’ve seen a lot of blood haven’t you Kikka?”

  He tries speaking in a softer voice to comfort whatever trauma is surfacing in Kikka. He doesn’t know why, but she is bringing this up for a reason. If he can help this little girl process her emotions, then he should try. He continues to wipe the mud away with his cloak.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  She silently nods, “uh huh, lots and lots.”

  Jun sees that the girl is beginning to lose her composure. Her breathing quickens and her breaths are shorter. She starts to cry again.

  “My papa was bloody. His friends were bloody. Arnit is gone. All of my family is gone,” her crying turn to screaming and wailing, “People are ugly when they’re bloody! They’re ugly when they die! I don’t want to be like them! I don’t want to be ugly, and I don’t want to die!”

  Kikka’s crying is the only thing that can be heard in the forest. Jun had no idea this little girl was carrying so much inside her small heart. His own heart breaks imagining what she has experienced. He calmy takes both her hands and a warm light envelops them. Kikka stops her screaming to observe.

  “Do you know what this is Kikka? This is my healing magic. I use it whenever someone is hurting or sad. Is it helping you?” Jun knows his magic has no effect on a person’s mental state outside of whatever relief they get from treating physical pain.

  “I think so. It’s really beautiful.”

  She admires the soft light. To her, the dust caught in the light around them twinkles like starts.

  “I’m glad you like it,” he pauses for a moment, gauging when the little girl might be ready to talk more, “Kikka, I’m like you. I’m traveling with you because I don’t like people dying or getting bloody either. I have the power to save people from hurting with this magic.”

  “But how can you save people? My papa was way stronger than you...”

  “You’re right. I’m not strong and I can’t fight. That’s why I need your help, ok?”

  “My help?”

  “That's right,” Jun reaches into this pocket and pulls out an exquisite, embroidered handkerchief. He pats down the mud still left on her face and dries her tears, “Anytime you see someone hurt, I need you to come and find me. I’ll use my magic on them, and we can save them together. How does that sound?”

  The little girl is inspired by Jun’s prospect, “Can we really save people?”

  A proud smile stretches across Jun’s face, “You tell me. Did my magic help you?”

  “Yes of course!” she giggles and cheers, “We can save people! We can help them stay pretty!”

  She jumps right into Jun’s arms giving him a big hug. Jun hugs her back. Their embrace is short but just long enough for Bao to see it as he comes rushing back to camp to see why Kikka was wailing. Sees the two of them alone is enough to set him off.

  “Get your hands off her!”

  Bao doesn’t wait for an explanation or for Jun to comply. He grabs his lapels and lifts him to his toes. The magic and light quickly dissipate from around Kikka as Bao shoves Jun as far back as he can. Jun staggers briefly and lands in another pool of mud.

  Kikka starts crying again but Bao ignores her. He grabs her face, turning her head every which way, trying to look into her eyes for any hints of magic tampering. Not that would know what to look for. This only confuses her more, making the crying worse.

  By now, everyone else has gathered around as well. Keyon runs to help Jun while Maria and the kids address Kikka and Bao.

  “Quit it, Bao! Can’t you see you’re upsetting Kikka? You’re only making things worse!” Katz jumps in between him and the girl trying to separate them.

  Letz takes a gentler approach, “Bao, I’m not sure, but I don’t think that's how Zultanite eyes work. Kikka seems to be fine.”

  “Letz is right,” Jun wipes the mud from the front of his clothes, “Kikka was upset and crying about her family. I don’t know her story or what that’s about but I at least have the decency to try and cheer up a crying child.”

  Bao is a little defensive now that he realizes he may have over reacted, “Did you need to use magic for that? What if your magic got stuck in her eyes? What would you do then?”

  “Oh please! Magic has to be deliberately channeled into stones for them to take on any magical properties. Moreso than that, the stones can’t even function that way while still with a Zultanite.”

  The conversation abruptly halts. Jun knows that even if he is right, he has turned the conversation more grim.

  “In any case, I’m sorry for any misunderstandings or if I crossed a line. I was only trying to help. That’s why I’m here anyway.”

  Jun doesn’t wait for anyone to answer him. He walks back towards the tents they've been staying in and silently retreats inside. Maria picks up Kikka and cradles her in her arms. The girl is still dirty, but after these long days of traveling, so is everyone else.

  “Princess,” Kain steps forward, “I scouted a stream nearby during my watch last night. It would be a good place to freshen up.”

  “I didn’t know you went out in the rain. Thank you Kain. What do you say Kikka? Should we get you cleaned up properly?”

  Keyon urges her, “If you two go, I insist you take someone with you.”

  “And I’m sure you think you’re the most qualified person for that job, don’t you?” teasing him, Maria turns her head in fake disgust and points her nose to the sky.

  Kikka and Kain both copy her.

  “What!? No! But we need to think about safety at all times,” Keyon tries to bluff his way out of his embarrassment, but he is beet red.

  The princess doesn’t mean anything serious by it but she still doesn’t like the idea of one of the boys watching her, “Belos!” she shouts to some bushes at the edge of their camp, “You’re not hiding from anyone back there!”

  Belos slowly crawls out from under the bushes. He came back after hearing Kikka’s crying just like everyone else. The small basket he took with him is already full of berries, nuts, and mushrooms.

  “You’re the only one I can trust with this. Can you give Kain your basket and stand guard while me and Kikka get cleaned?”

  With that, the three of them head off into the direction Kain indicated. Not much time passes, and Letz feels anxious with Jun hiding in their tent. He decides to invite Jun out for some magic practice. He accepts. Jun is young but he is an adult, and not so petty that he would hide out in his room all day after a setback. His family are business professionals and Jun is a star pupil of the School of Magic. It takes a strong backbone and an iron will to be successful in either of those walks of life. The two of them start off when Jun decides to invite Bao to join them. Out of pure curtesy if nothing else since he already knows the answer.

  “I’m fine. Thank you,” the same answer he gives every time.

  At this point in the day Kain has begun preparing for their lunch. He stops stirring his iron pot as it sits over the fire and turns on his log seat to face Bao’s direction.

  “You know, you’ll need to learn eventually. You might as well do it now while you have a teacher.”

  “I wonder about that,” there is plenty of contempt in Bao’s voice, “The more I learn about the world of magic, the more I start to wonder if I would be better off without it.”

  A moment of silence passes between Boa and the two guards but Boa’s words don’t sit well with either of them. Keyon approaches Bao with a wooden pole in either hand. Bao looks up at Keyon and has just enough time to see one of the poles aggressively thrown his way. He catches it easily if not gracefully.

  “Hey, what’s the big idea!?”

  “Follow me,” Keyon demands as he stomps off into the woods, “Let’s do some training.”

  “I told you already. I’m not interested in magic right now,” Bao shouts after his Half-Elf friend, but he doesn’t seem interested in listening to him.

  “If you’re so dead set on avoiding magic all of a sudden, why don’t you show me that you really don’t need it? You agreed to come with us and I appreciate that. But that was under the assumption that you would be protecting the princess. Show me that you can still fight.”

  “You want to see me fight? If I remember right, last time we fought I beat you easily,” Bao knows those weren't fair conditions at the library, but he’s frustrated at everything that's happened recently, “This won’t be any different.”

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