Our Little Gods 1: RABATEA, the first World of the Daughters.

Chapter 20.

Limero asked them to leave the room and told Maasil to sit outside to perform the Feed. They had brought in his leather bag containing the brass, bronze and silver Heal Seals. The old master took a short copper blade knife from his bag and started to cut what remained of Farenn's hunting clothes. No one was watching him and Farenn did not appear conscious so the old man allowed his tears to flow freely. As he examined the body of the boy he saw that both his hands had been crushed, his jaw was broken as were several ribs. The hammer blow to his knee had reduced the joins to a bloody pulp of cartilage and flesh and bones fragments, it had also dislocated his thigh from his hip. Try as he might he had been unable to open the swollen eye even after cleaning it to check if it was burst or not. There were gashes and burns all over the body, parts of his skin were black and swollen hard. Maasil came into the room and quietly closed the door behind himself. His face too was wet with tears.

"I was already linked with you for the Heal, master when you started cleaning him up." His voice broke and he sounded every ounce the little boy he was.

"Can we save him, master?"

"His fate is under the gaze of the Three." Limero's voice too betrayed the emotional turmoil he felt.

"We shall do what we can to prevent festering and help heal the wounds but I fear there is nothing we can do to save his knee... he may lose that leg. And I can't say anything about bleeding inside until I have projected." Limero turned slowly to face Maasil and carefully placing the cloth he had been using to clean the wounds on the table he reached out to the little boy and hugged him like a grand father would. He whispered,

"I am sorry, I should not have taken you with me. Can you forgive me for asking you to do that? It was wrong of us, we shouldn't have." Maasil said nothing, he merely hugged back the old monk and started crying loudly, sobbing like a child.

***

Limero started the mantra and placed the Heal Seals around Farenn and on his body. Maasil sat on the floor in one of the corners of the room his eyes closed and his face focused on the feed. But after a while he opened his eyes and looked interrogatively at the monk. Limero stopped chanting and looked back at Maasil.

"What is wrong?"

"I don't know, I can't feel any drain. Its almost like training, I do not feel the drain of the Heal and yet I have never seen you use as many seals as now, what is happening? Is this not working?"

Limero looked very surprised.

"I don't know," he said slowly, "I can feel a very strong Feed. I could, when I was performing the Heal; even the projection was clearer and sharper than it usually is. I thought you were extra focused or maybe you were able to use the remaining energy from the fires..." They both looked at each other in silence.

In what was now the common room Oneg and Terrey were still sitting their eyes closed facing each other, hands in hands, perfectly still. Limero had done what he could and both him and Maasil had retired for the night. Baalbek and Sar Melek were debating the best possible route to leave the Dead Lands when they finally noticed that the boys were gone. They found T'tebera guarding the door to Farenn's room. She told them the two boys were with their brother and they were about to go back to their dinner when Baalbek noticed the powerful light shining from under the ancient door. They tried to get in but it was as if the crude desiccated wood planks were made of the same material as the stonewall. The longer they tried, called and banged the stronger the light became suddenly there was a vibration that shook the very walls and the light became so strong they could not look at it. There was a loud noise and a ripping sound and the light stopped. It all became very still and dark and the door creaked open into the now dark room. As they entered the room they saw that the roof was gone, completely, swirls of dense fog already filled the space above them and the cold air was pouring down on them like water, the clay stove was shattered and the coals and shards of the furnace were scattered as if they had been kicked about. Both Terrey and Oneg were slumped motionless on the floor. Farenn had not moved, he was still on his bed, his naked body, uncovered, was completely healed and the Heal Seals Limero had placed one by one about him, looked red hot and steaming as they lay on the floor.