Malum Astra

Chapter 5 - Damaged

[LANVI AFI]

I woke up to a random person in my face. I was in a, err, a, err, bed... A bed. I can't move though. I groaned as I felt my body full of unbearable pain.
"He's awake!" Shouted the random person. The random person looked down at me with gentle, bright blue eyes. "Be still, Lanvi. You're going to be alright." That's when I remembered. Terror filled my body.

A giant eagle digging it's talons deep into my back. Being flown high above the ground. Getting a bug stuck in my mouth. The eagle dropping me onto a table and the last thing I remembered was the bird descending onto me. I hadn't realised I was shaking until someone put a restraining hand on me. The hand seemed familiar. My mind was too fuzzy to make it out though. The figure had a smile that looks like it has been permanently stuck on.

I don't remember falling asleep but I woke up. I sat up feeling no unbearable pain. I got up and did five star jumps. I seemed fine. Except green slime was covering most of my body. And I was wearing a medical robe. The green slime is healing magic, I know that much.
"The dead man walks." Commented a familiar voice. Crash! I fell over. "Or so he tries."
"Ugh...!" I moaned. What was the name? Leon Libran, right? Blonde hair, green eyes and a permanent smile. I see a figure enter the room.

"You are lucky." Said the figure. Long blonde hair, blue eyes, small, almost delicate like body.
"What?"
"You have something special. A normal person would have been long dead. Then the fact you're already on your feet. I don't sense any long term effects except a sudden fear of birds, heights and mountain peaks." Feminine voice. Definitely a healer.
"So, thank you...?"
"No, no!" The figure dismissed. "It was your body. Your powers. I was just examining and looking after you. You kept mentioning 'Ralai'. You also snore. A lot."

As reluctant as the Healer was to let me leave, we were on the road again. Kitty... Err, Kitty Desik? Yeah, Kitty Desik was outside the medical tent with my belongings. I was feeling quite useless. Leon was a perfect archer, Kitty had excellent magic. What have I done? Got someone else's Platinum Sword, defeated a monster by chance and got taken away by a giant eagle. Now every noise of a bird set me off in panic mode. Why was I still on the quest?

Kitty and Leon shot concerned looks at me. We were in the desert. Full of stupid sand and no water.
"I could catapult us over the desert." Suggested Leon.
"And kill us?" Countered Kitty.
"Oh, yeah. Forgot it tends to do that." We kept on walking when I saw the most ridiculous thing ever. Someone in a big black suit. Then it made a vulture like noise and spread it's wings. I curled up into a ball and went in panic mode. Flashes of the Eagle taking me filling my body with fear.
"Leave!" Shouted a male voice in the distance. It sounded like Leon. "Surrender to thy's nest and saveth thee from this desolate land!" I don't think the terrible monster listened because I heard Leon swear.
"Leon distract him." Ordered a voice like Kitty's. I felt arms pick me up.

"Leave us!" Shouted Kitty.
"Can't hear you! Used basic procedure when dealing with the alluring calls of a siren!" Shouted back a cold voice. Listening to it was like a sharp nail on a chalkboard.
"Well, take off the ear plugs!"
"What?" Then later followed "Ow! What the-" Nothingness.
"Haha, the blonde archer strikes bulls- WHAT IN PINNA'S NAME IS THAT!?" Leon sounded panic. I opened my eyes and wished I didn't. It was the same Swoop Eagle. I did the heroic thing and let fear seize me and force me away.

Kitty caught up to me and stopped me. She took the charm she gave to me the first day I met her and used powerful love magic after saying four words.
"You are not scared." I felt the power of love magic wash over me. If she says I'm not scared then I'm not. I got up and marched towards the Swoop Eagle. "You want to kill the bird and not be careless."
"Oh." I drew out my sword. I charged and feinted a slash. It fell for it and went to grab me. I was behind it. I stabbed it in the back. I was on it's back. I drew out the sword, jumped off and sent a bolt of electricity right through it's heart. It died.

"How did you manage to do that!?" Asked Leon, shocked. Kitty smiled. I felt great killing the bird for her. She gave me a charm. I felt normal again, looked at the corpse and fainted of panic.
"So you used love magic to make him fearless. Sweet chickens of Pinna's barbecues!"
"I guess I shouldn't underestimate it."
"You guess!? You temporarily removed phobias. Imagine the possibilities! Blindness, paralysis, et cetera!"
"I think you forgot what 'temporarily' means."
"Err..."
"Anyways, we should probably move on."
"I'll carry Lanvi."
"I was counting on that."

I felt like builders had taken residence in my head, got drunk and then decided it would be fun to mess around with very loud Arc-Quipment (Arcane Equipment). We were out of the desert and was taking a rest in a restaurant. I ordered water, Kitty ordered coffee and Leon ordered a poisoned cup of water.
"Building up a resistance to natural poisons." He said before suddenly fainting. He got up two seconds later. "A normal person would have slept for a day or two. It works." Now, I must admit I hate my luck. But that's still no reason to have two muscular guys walk over to me, pick me up and drag me away.

"This kid? You serious?" Said one of the oversized guys. They both had no hair and wore black leather jackets and trousers. I couldn't see who they were talking to. I could see the restaurant though. Kitty and Leon were coming.
"You mean this kid...? How!?"
"This lad is the person who killed seventeen people!"
"What!?" I was shocked because...
1: I don't recall killing people.
2: The third voice was the Elder of Vill.
"You heard. You killed seventeen people!"
"How?"
"Actually 18, boss sir."
"Yeah, the Hawk Bounty Hunter was killed by him."
"Alright. You heard. You killed seventeen people plus a bounty hunter!" He paused. "It doesn't roll off the tongue right, does it?"
"No."
"Not really."
"I see his friends got past restaurant security. Deal with them." I fell to the ground and groaned.
"How?"
"You don't remember polluting the water source of Vill with monster blood?"
"An accident!"
"Or electrocuting the lake?"
"A giant sea serpent was about to kill me!"
"Argiolsicivteriopiklertaspanbioche wouldn't hurt a fish!"
"Firstly, what!? Secondly, I thought sea serpents eat fish as their primary food source."
"Err... Shut up." The elder put his foot harder on my back.

I managed to reach my pocket though. An unspoken spell was inside it. One to throw people away. The elder cursed as he was flung away. I got up. Looked behind me and saw Kitty and Leon walking away from the two giants fighting each other.
"Apparently." I paused. "I killed seventeen people."
"How!?" Exclaimed Leon.
"Monster blood..." Said Kitty quietly.
"And electricity." I continued.
"What?" Exclaimed Leon. I explained the two monster fights. "Oh." We didn't let Vill's problem bother us anymore as we adventured on more.