The Last Potestas Magus (2018 REDO)

Chapter Two

From what I could make out in the moonlight, the human was male. He was lying flat on his stomach, and his body was covered in mud and blood. He was filthy and soaked, his lower half in the river. I didn't know how I could tell, but I knew he was the only thing on the beach that wasn't dead. This man was close to death. I could smell the blood in the air. The irony smell overwhelmed my nostrils. It was enough to make me gag.

Regardless of my disgust, I bent down and examined the injured man. As I got closer to him, I could hear his faint, ragged breaths. He wouldn't be alive for much longer. There was no time to get him back to my mother. She would be able to heal him, but he'd surely die before I could carry him even if Lupan helped. I would have to try to save him myself.

"Lupan!" I called out, trying not to be too loud as I did not wish to summon back whatever creature had done this. "I need you to go get my mother."

It didn't take more than that for the wolf to dip his head in acknowledgment and run off down the path back to my village. I bowed my head and quickly asked the gods to give Lupan speed. Healing wasn't something I was particularly talented in. But I was confident I could keep this man alive until my mother got there.

From what I could make down in the darkness, the majority of the blood was coming from his chest. It was hard to tell how much of the blood and how much of it was mixed with water. I ripped off his tunic, and sure enough, I found the most substantial wound. It was like something had slashed at his chest leaving everything underneath his skin exposed. I had to work fast. I braced myself, preparing to will my energy into the stranger. But when my hands touched his bare skin pain shot up my arms. It was an excruciating, aching pain that started to consume my whole body. I could feel his pain. And I could feel him dying. I was in tune with his life force, and I could feel it slipping into the darkness. Without a second thought, I pushed as much of my energy into healing this man.

I lost myself while mending him. I continued to transfer more and more until my vision blurred. I felt light headed and weak, and all I could see was a blinding white light. I lost my sense of the ground. I could no longer feel the cold water or smell the blood. I lost track of time and all other sensations. All I could feel was myself and the man. I couldn't stop myself from giving him more and more. Eventually, I started to feel my life force slip into him. It was even more painful like I was being hollowed out and drained. Just before the pain got unbearable, something ripped my hands away from the man, breaking our connection. I felt my head hit the hard, jagged rocks as I collapsed and then blacked out.

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When I awoke, I was in my own bed. I quickly sat up but was forced back down by a pounding headache. I reached up to touch my forehead to find that it was bandaged. I suddenly became aware of the fact that my whole body was sore. I tried to sit up again, slowly this time but couldn't help but groan in pain. I had no memory of how I had gotten here. I desperately tried to piece together what had happened. The dead wolves. The dying man. It all felt like a dream. I prayed it was all just a horrible nightmare.

My thoughts were irrupted by shouting outside my bedroom door.

"She has no idea the severity of what she has done!" I recognized my mother's voice.

"It's a miracle she didn't kill herself and the boy." The other woman mused, much quieter than my mother.

"What are we going to about the boy, Kharis?"

"Fauna, I know not. I suggest you keep him hidden for as long as you can. He will not be welcome here. Everything about him is Andrian. You know how the people of Moland are they do not like outsiders."