The Master of Names

Chapter 8- Face to Face

  "Confirm your full name."

  "Keldon Astria"

  "Date of birth?"

  "28th of the third month, 1305 P.D"

  "Contean or the Teluu calender?"

  "Neither, Brolian Calender actually."

  The unamused doctor paused briefly, looking up from his clipboard to giving Keldon a stern look, however when Keldon stared at him blankly back. He quickly shifted attitudes.

  "My condolences, Age then?"

  "On this continent? 20. I consider myself 21 though. Weird how the people here don't consider the months when you're being carried by the mother as born. Say, are you new around here? I haven't seen you around before." Said Keldon

  The doctor nodded and tucked his clipboard underneath his arm, taking off his glasses. He wiped them down with a small cloth that he pulled out from his fresh coat's pocket. His eyes were tired and his hair white and whispy. His thin lips accented the impervious frown he wore, the kind of frown that only a doctor of the Hissings could have.

  "I've just been transferred over." he said casually. "How is your arm feeling now? Any aches or sores still?"

  Keldon flexed his arms a few times.

  "A bit stiff, but otherwise fine"

  " Very good. That means the skill is working." Said the doctor, checking a box on his sheet.

  "You're actually quite lucky, Mr. Astria, Truly rare is it that I have the capacity to heal those who've been face to face with an Aberrant. Even more so that I even have the opportunity to treat those people at all."

  "Because they end up dead..." Keldon said slowly.

  The doctor nodded again.

  "By the time the Divine Ruhiel had arrived, there were still a few of you left unconscious." He paused for a moment, letting the nuance of his words linger in the air for a bit as he stared at Keldon, raising an eyebrow at him. "a surprising amount of you unconscious. Alive."

  "How many?"

  "10 I believe."

  Keldon's heart sank as he swallowed a lump down his throat.

  "J-Just 10? Weren't some moved to the side for safety?

  "Oh yes them, unfortunately one of the nearby trees had toppled over onto the pile, unfortunately killing the lot of them."

  Keldon's stomach churned into a knot. He had tried to save them but he gotten them killed.

  Again.

  "The reality is however, to have 9 sifters and a guard survive an aberrant attack, you should consider yourself blessed. It's typically much lower than that." the doctor said, trailing on. But that gave Keldon no comfort.

  "Also, amongst other things, Divine Imperial War Angel Ruhiel has requested you report to her with the details as soon as you are fit to speak. It is of an urgent matter of security that she have as much information as you've able to give."

  The doctor leaned in, looking around the room.

  "Betwixt us two however, it seems that there's rumors going around that illegal magic was involved." He said in a hushed voice.