Dark Lord Saga : The Blood Mage

Chapter 23 : Change

Grey held his hand. He felt the wound on his skin stop hurting. He touched it. It had healed into a light scab. Grey nodded his head curiously. This was definitely magic right? He picked up a sharper rock from the cave floor and stabbed his arm. It penetrated into flesh. Not deep enough to cause serious injury, but deep enough for him to grit his teeth in pain. He focused his aura, the wound slowly healing. It took fifteen minutes but it formed a light scab where the wound was. Magic. Healing Magic. That required no incantation.

This was...? Grey wasn't sure what this kind of magic was. Priests could heal wounds but when they did so the wounds healed completely. This was more natural process, with the wound having a scab. It was if he had accelerated his natural healing rather than repaired his skin. A new magic? He raised his hand and felt his body. Energy resided in it. He could feel his aura flowing through his veins. It didn't fade, sustained, it remained even if he cancelled his aura. His own magic. He had created his own magical path. His heart felt light.

Grey got up and gathered his things. There was a rising feeling in his gut that there was no longer anything here that could teach him. He took Max's knapsack. He bowed once and twice and clapped his hands in prayer.

"Rest in peace, Max. I'll remember you."

Grey made his way out of the cave. His hands patting down the walls. He walked slowly and out of the gorge. Though Grey didn't know what time it was. He knew that Iris would soon be coming back. He had to wander to a place that was a little more visible. As he stepped out the cave. He felt a sudden warm glow coming from his chest. Iris. He remembered that glowing feeling when she had first demonstrated her magic. She was here! She was calling him back. He focused on that feeling. He released his aura and found it being pulled towards his right. That must be the way out. He walked towards the feeling.

~~~

Hours later, yet another part of the forest, one with willows. The vines lay all over the ground. Their texture a soft mush beneath his hands. The vines would lift up and come crashing down, the scenery changed in a moment. Lifted up, Grey held with all his might as the vine he lay on flew up the air. It connected to a tree branch. He climbed up the tree. His arms touching nothing but air. He paused. Dead End? The branch shook unable to take the excess weight and then fell. Grey felt his body falling.

"Ahh!" yelled Grey, flailing. As he fell, he landed on something soft.

"Omph!" said a voice.

Grey could feel a pain on his back. He scrambled to his feet.

"Ow," said Fritz. He shook his head in confusion. Then saw Grey next to him. "Oya, it's you Grey. Why did you fall on me. Were you trying to fly?"

"Fritz?" whispered Grey.

"Ah, yes its me," said Fritz, rubbing his aching head. Grey's elbow had landed right on his skull as he fell. "I was hiding in a hole for like the last few days. It wasn't very comfortable, but it beats getting eaten."

Grey laughed. "I was in a cave and made some turtle friends. "

"Oh, good thing you had it so easy," laughed Friz. "This large wolf was chasing me. It got a chunk of me, but you know. I beat it's head and it ran off."

Fritz held Grey's hand. He moved him to the stump on his right arm.

"Fritz...you?"

"Yeah, I thought I would die, but you know a little bit of grass tied together can stop blood flowing pretty good. I found a place near lots of flowers, some of them were good for the fever I got afterwards. I ate a lot of them though. So that's probably not good either. Haha."