Mark of the Ranger

LV. Doctor Minerva

          "Are you sure he'll be fine?"

          "Oh, please, Maddie. He's only been petrified. All he needs is a little Luck and maybe a whisper of Rejuvenation. Hand me those, please."

          "Minnie, we have no idea whether or not he's still able to be revived. Who knows how long he's been made petrified."

          "Maddie, I said that when you talk to my as my friend, you may call me Minnie. If you talk to me as my assistant, call me Doctor, Minerva, or Doctor Minerva."

          "I positively refuse."

           "Hand me the Luck and Rejuvenation, please. Toxiclaw said there's still time, and we shouldn't waste any arguing."

          Maddie sighed and handed Minerva the two bottles she had asked for. The two witches were based in a cave at the top of a mountain. That mountain was on an island that had contained a magic farm weeks before, and had contained a battle minutes before. Doctor Minerva was speaking to her assistant, Maddie, about their latest patient: an Outland Ranger named Lionel, or Lion. Their dragon friend, Toxiclaw, had just dropped him by seconds ago, saying he needed help as soon as possible. The witches were, as always, more than happy to oblige.

          Minerva first poured on the Luck. That was to ensure that the effects of Rejuvenation worked more efficiently, and also to stop any negative side effects. The golden liquid slowly dripped down the stone body as Minerva wondered what had happened to get him into that situation. Once the Luck finally reached his feet, one of which stretched out behind him, Minerva poured some Rejuvenation on her palm, then rubbed her hands together. She drew her magic-covered hands down Lion's face, and the stone immediately began to disappear, replaced with skin. As Minerva freed an eye, it began to blink blindly.

          Minerva freed the entire head, and it began to talk to her. "What's going on?" Lion's head asked Minerva. Minerva continued her healing, freeing up Lion's arms and chest as she responded. "I'm freeing you from the stone. This should only take a second." Lion waited patiently fore her to free his stretched-out leg, then the one that was bent. He groggily stood up, but he couldn't take off his lances. Minerva remedied that quickly. "Where are my friends?" Lion asked once he was completely free.

          "I didn't know there was anyone else here," Minerva answered, then turned to her dragon. "Toxiclaw? Did you see anyone else?"

          The dragon nodded solemnly. "They were all dead, except for Isabel and some Woodland Rangers by the time I reached them. There was another petrified one, but I dropped him when Isabel shot my claw." He raised his right claw. His middle talon was clearly broken, and a scar ran down from the middle root to his wrist. Minerva, who was Minnie now that she was done treating Lion, gazed at Toxiclaw in shock. "Isabel was there?" she asked. "What happened to her? Is she okay?" Before Toxiclaw could answer, Lion spoke up.

          He was shaking like a rattling snake, and he had a strange look on his face. "Excuse me for a moment." He then proceeded to punch the walls for about fifteen minutes. Minnie, Maddie, and Toxiclaw excused him for that moment, waiting patiently for him to punch his anger out. When he was finished, he rubbed his understandably pained knuckles. "Sorry about that," he apologized, and the three others in the room nodded. Minnie turned back to Toxiclaw. "Is Isabel okay?" she asked again.  This time, Lion didn't burst into fury before Toxiclaw could answer.

          Toxiclaw simply nodded. "She's fine. The Woodland Rangers can take her back. But anyway! Lion, you must be very confused, and you probably have a question or two." Lion nodded and stopped rubbing his likely broken knuckles. Apparently, he did have a question. Or two. "Toxiclaw, how did you find Minnie and Maddie without Isabel noticing? How did you make it here? How did you even know where to look?" That was actually three questions, but Minnie knew that "Question or two" was just an expression, and did not set the rules for allowed asked questions.

          "Well, I followed the ships back to the Highlands. I found my way to the Outlands, and to the Wizarding Guild. Minnie and Maddie found me, but Isabel was on her journey. Even when she came back, she was much too busy to have ever seen me," Toxiclaw answered his first two questions.

          "As for where to look, we simply followed your Outlandish Falcon for a bit and Toxiclaw figured out where we were going. He took us there, hanging behind," Maddie finished.

          "But why?" Lion asked.

          "Toxiclaw was concerned for you when he caught wind of your mission. He thought it sounded strange. You should just be glad we decided to come along with him, or you'd be petrified forever," Minnie answered. Lion's shoulders sagged in resignation, then he nodded. "You're right. What should we do now?"

          "We'll take you back to the Outlands, of course," Toxiclaw rumbled. "I'm sure the Grand Wizardess will be glad to find that you're alive. Come, get on my back." The fighting dragon turned around and crouched down so his riders could mount him. Maddie and Minnie hopped on to seats between his back spikes, but Lion neglected. Maddie asked him why he wouldn't get on. "I'd rather ride Tombstone," he answered. "He's still down there." Sure enough, when Toxiclaw drifted down to the beach, Tombstone was waiting. Lion mounted him and told him to fly back to the Outlands. The bird and its rider sped off, following Ebony, who was already in the distance, mounted by Isabel and the Woodland Rangers.

        Minnie saw the horizon, which had a black and a white dot in its center. It must have been a horrible battle, she thought. I hope they got what they were coming for.

          Now, her hope may have been too late, but the war itself was not over, even if Infernas had the golden core that had been on the island just hours ago.