Hope returns – Meadel 11 June 104AV

“Madame Wystren?…Elena?…are you ok?”, the slender human maiden brushed a tear from her eye and turned to face the orderly behind her “I’m alright James, please notify his family and send for the undertaker” The orderly dipped his head and scuttled off.

“Damnnit!” she whirled around swiping the tray off the table sending surgical tools and bandages flying. She hated this feeling of helplessness this was the 4th patient this week she could not save. The alchemical elixirs and her first aid skill helped at least for those who were not too far gone but without her Life spells, she could not help those already at death’s door.

She started to pick up the tools she had scattered when footsteps entered the room. Without looking up from what she was doing she spoke “James, it’s alright, you can take lunch so long. I just dropped the tray”. When there was no response she looked up to find a hooded figure in the room. He stood with his back to her next to the fresh corpse on the table. “Excuse me, y..you can’t be here” she stammered. The stranger ignored her and placed both hands on the corpse’s torso. “What are you doing? Get out!” she said with as much authority as she could muster.

The stranger muttered something and a faint glow spread from his hands over the body, as it spread wounds knit shut and suddenly his chest started to rise and fall with the familiar pattern of breathing.

How could this be? The thought was cut short as emotion took over, tears of joy streamed down her face as flung her arms around the stranger.

Hope, it seemed, had finally returned.

(Written by Duane Havenga)