Chương 8: Oathsworn

Ringing exploded in Aaron's ears. He stumbled back, barely catching himself as the fist punted him away. His head spun from the impact, but he felt no pain. It was as if he'd been struck through padding rather than punched directly in the cheek.

"Aaaaargh, what in Ouromor's name did you do!" The man shrieked as he held his fist in his hand. There was blood dripping down his knuckles. Aaron was speechless. Aaron looked down at the man's bloodied knuckle. The crunch sound hadn't been his face, but the man's fist. The end of one of the bones poked out from the skin, sharp and crooked where it had snapped. The thief's face was screwed up in a deep grimace and his arm was shaking. He opened up his palm and slowly rotated his hand to look at the back of it.

He steadied the shaking hand by holding onto his wrist. Blood trailed from the wound, dripping into a puddle at his feet and staining it a murky red-brown. He let out an agonised cry, shrill and terrified, as he inspected his hand. His eyes watered until tears streaked down his cheeks. Aaron had never hurt anyone before, but he needed his tome back. The words "do no harm" echoed in his mind. Does this make me an oathbreaker? He thought to himself. Could I lose my job for this?

The healers had a strict code and people had been banished for getting into brawls. The worst offenders were kicked out of the city entirely. Aaron pushed his worry aside. This was self-defence!

"That needs treatment," Aaron said. His healer instincts kicked in.

"Let me help if you want to keep use of your fingers."

"Piss off!" The man screamed again, still clutching his broken hand. He turned around and ran off down the alley.

"Stop!" Aaron shouted, starting after the man. He stumbled, his head spinning even more than before. His use of Manipulate must have used more mana than he thought. He blinked back stars, steadying himself on the alley wall.

"Come back," he tried to shout, but he didn't have the breath for it.

"It'll get infected." He leaned back against the wall and slumped to the ground. His heart pounded, adrenaline rushed through his body. He knew it was ridiculous—the man had attacked him—but he felt guilty. At least he had his bag back. He would've been in a bad situation if the thief had gotten away with his tome. He felt a warmth in his chest as mana from his surroundings flooded inwards. This was a familiar sensation to Aaron as he had experienced spirit coalescence many times as a healer.

He had been able to strengthen his spirit multiple times before and used the mana to develop his skill in curse removal, but this was the first time since his class evolution. He felt his mind's eye open and received a notification from his tome. [New magic school discovered: Teratogenesis] [Teratogenesis talent unlocked] Augmentation: Rank 1 TERATOGENESIS, Aaron screamed in his head. How is this possible?

He remembered being taught by Master Addison that teratogens are noxious agents which cause mutations and corruption. Perhaps it meant it could alter things and rebuild them stronger. This would make much more sense in this situation and would explain why the talent was called Augmentation. This power could be useful for healing. He could reinforce weakened bones or strengthen the skin against infections.

It might have a sinister name, but Aaron was happy to find more evidence that Necromancy wasn't all evil, contrary to what the stories would have him believe. Aaron knelt down to grab his bag. He saw his reflection in a puddle; there was a small cut on his cheek with some blood pooling at the corner. He wiped it off with the back of his hand. It really wasn't like him to get into fights, he'd never got into one before. He hated that he'd hurt that thief, even if he was defending himself.

At the same time, there was a small thrill. Something important had been stolen from him, and he had taken it back. He could defend himself. He walked back to the main street where the infirmary was. His heels dragged across the floor with each step. He hadn't felt his mana drained like this since he was a novice, let alone from a single spell. That part especially was demoralising. It wouldn't last long though. He wouldn't be a novice for long.

He did it before with Spirit Healing, so he knew he'd be able to do it again with Necromancy. It was just a matter of patience and practice. Paige was still standing on the stone outcrop, looking above the crowd. She was shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun with one hand and looking around the crowd. Her jaw dropped open and she gasped as Aaron met her gaze.

"Althea's grace!" Paige gasped, rushing over to him.

"What happened to you?" Aaron grimaced as she pressed gently around the bruised cut on his cheek. She frowned and squinted her eyes as she carefully inspected the wound.

"I got my bag back, but not before he hit me."

"You could have got yourself killed!"

"My tome was in the bag. I don't have enough money to pay for the library mages to bind me a new one."

"Well some things aren't worth risking your life for. You're lucky you got away with just a scratch. And how the heck did you beat him in a fight?" Aaron paused. He couldn't very well tell her that he'd broken a man's hand, even if it was with his face.

"I didn't exactly beat him. Once I caught up to him, he dropped it and threw a punch. Everyone started looking so he took off after that." To Aaron's relief, Paige nodded along. She didn't question his lie.

"I don't really want to talk about it anymore," Aaron continued, "Shall we get back to work?"

"Absolutely not! We need to fix you up first." Paige took him by the wrist and dragged him back down to the laundry room in the basement. Her cold hand locked on with a surprisingly firm grip. She kicked out a small wooden stool from under a counter. It was old and worn out with patches of weathered wood where the varnish had flaked off. Aaron let out a sigh of relief as he sat down. He knew his legs were sore, but he only really felt it once he stopped moving.

Being out of mana was a dreadful feeling, and one that Aaron hated. He felt pathetic gripping onto the stool for balance. He was barely strong enough to hold himself upright, but he tried his best to hide it; he didn't want Paige finding out he'd used a spell to beat the thief as it would lead to some questions he wasn't prepared to answer. Making his Necromancy public knowledge wasn't a good idea, so he would need to lie again and describe it as some sort of barrier magic or healing enhancement.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Soapy steam filled his nose as Paige placed a bowl full of water on the counter. Foam rose up the edges and fizzed gently.

"Cheer up, you got your tome back." Paige reassured Aaron as she soaked a small white cloth in the warm water. Basic care, such as washing and cleaning wounds was usually only given to the poor. Richer folk tended to go straight for spirit healing as it was faster. Not that Aaron minded; it was nice to be looked after for once. And Paige was already keeping it quiet that she saw him healing Tim in secret, so she was likely to be discreet about this as well.

"Thanks Paige." Aaron smiled slightly.

"You still look down," Paige said.

"It can't hurt that bad."

"It doesn't hurt at all," Aaron said quickly.

"It's just… This might sound like a silly question, but when do you think it's okay to hurt someone?"

"It depends." Paige was holding a damp cloth and looked like she was about to dab Aaron's cheek, but paused for a moment and looked at the wall thoughtfully.

"I would do anything to protect my family. If it means harming some bad people, I think it's okay. Protection and self-defence mostly. I'd never hurt someone for revenge though." Paige wiped the cut on Aaron's face with the cloth. Aaron winced as she scrubbed dirt out of the wound. She wasn't as gentle as he thought she'd be, but at least she was doing it properly. Aaron screwed up his forehead and tensed his cheeks. The scrubbing was becoming quite painful.

"What if it makes me an Oathbreaker? Would it be worth it?"

"I'd rather live my life as an outcast than live with the guilt of knowing I could have done something to help someone I cared about. It depends on the situation. Is it worth it for your tome? No! That's ridiculous." Aaron knew she was right. What if it was Tim in trouble? There are few lines I wouldn't cross. Chasing the thief for his tome was probably a stupid idea. He was lucky he didn't get seriously hurt. Luckier still that he got his bag back. Paige rang out the cloth in the bowl and soaked it again.

She dabbed the wound more gently now. Aaron was relieved that she finally stopped scrubbing so hard and relaxed his face. Paige looked Aaron in the eye.

"Did you hurt that thief?" Aaron was a poor liar on the best of days. Paige's stare was unnerving. It felt like she could tell if he was lying.

"Not exactly. At least, I didn't mean any harm. He broke his fist when he punched me." Paige snorted, then covered her mouth with both hands.

"Sorry... it's just. You didn't hurt him Aaron. You clearly just have a very hard head."

"Ha ha, very funny," Aaron drawled.

"It's not that uncommon, you know. I can't even count the number of hands I've mended after bar brawls." Paige giggled and continued to carefully wipe around the wound. Aaron was relieved when she broke eye contact and didn't ask any more questions.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this either. For what it's worth, I think the whole Oathbreaker thing is stupid. He stole something important to you, you have a right to try to get it back.. In my opinion""Thank you," Aaron said, "I don't know what I would do if I lost this job. I need to be here."

"For your brother, right?" Aaron nodded.

"Yes, for Tim." Aaron sighed deeply and relaxed into the stool. It was a relief that Paige wanted to keep his secrets. He really felt that she understood him and was on his side. Paige had a handful of herbs in a pestle and mortar. It hummed melodically as she rotated the handle around the ceramic bowl. The swirling sound continued rhythmically for a few minutes. Her tunic swayed around the back of her slim shoulders as she worked the pestle and mortar on the table behind her.

Her brown hair contained in a bun had loosened and became messy from pushing through the crowds.

"Why did you choose to work here?" Aaron asked. It felt like a good time to change the subject. Paige turned. She was holding a small square of cloth, covered in a thin layer of a dark green paste. Small remnants of leaves sat dispersed sparsely through the mixture.

"There's a lot of things wrong with this city and I want to help. Working here is part of that." As she placed the paste-covered bandage on his cheek. It felt sticky and smelled like wet soil.

"Well you're a natural born healer! You'd thrive if you studied here," Aaron said.

"If only," Paige sighed and slumped her shoulders.

"I'm not one of the gifted, so no magic for me."

"Just because you didn't receive the gift, it doesn't mean you aren't gifted. There's plenty to learn without using any magic and to be honest I think there's a lot the healers here can learn from you. Their bedside manner is dreadful." Paige chuckled.

"I once saw Healer Predegast pull down a patient's pants in front of the whole ward and loudly tell him that his venereal disease would get better, but to stop visiting the city's brothels so regularly. There must have been ten other patients in the room overhearing them. I've never seen anyone's face go so red!" Aaron laughed. It wasn't long before they had to return to their duties in the laundry room, but while it lasted, he enjoyed Paige's company.

The other healers were so competitive and focused on their work. In comparison, she felt so easy to talk to. It was a good feeling.

It was pitch black by the time Aaron got home. Most other people got back from work hours ago and the only sound on the street was the hooting of owls. Aaron didn't mind finishing late. He was used to it and it meant missing the after work rush. Aaron tried to open the door carefully, but it still creaked loudly as usual. Tim was sitting at the dining table engrossed in a mound of books. It was dimly lit by a group of candles in an elaborate brass holder. He didn't even seem to notice Aaron had made it home.

"Hi Tim. I didn't think you'd still be up." Tim jolted in surprise and looked up at Aaron. He had huge bags under his eyes.

"I've been doing some reading."

"I can see that," Aaron chuckled. Tim's eyes widened and he got out of his chair in a hurry.

"What happened to you?" He shuffled over towards him, as quickly as he looked like he could without his cane for support.

"There was a thief in the street today. He stole my bag. It had my tome in. I chased him down and got it back." Tim's worried look flipped into a frown.

"What!? Why would you do that? You could have got seriously hurt. You know what these thugs can be like." Aaron ignored the comment.

"Tim, we need to talk. I used my Manipulate skill to protect myself. The thief broke his hand when he punched me!"

"Aaron, I'm glad you're experimenting with your new powers, but you're a healer! And you can't go chasing after criminals! You could get yourself oathsevered, or worse, killed!"

"I know Tim. But we can't afford a new binding ritual if I lose my tome. It would take months to save up for it and that's not time I'm willing to waste. I need to get back to finding a cure as soon as possible."

"And what would you have done if the thief had a knife?" Tim flailed his arms around passionately.

"How can you help me if you're seriously injured? Or what if someone saw you fighting with a thug? Then you'd lose your job or maybe even get chucked out of the city. They take this stuff very seriously with healers."

"I know, I know," Aaron said, "It was reckless. Honestly, I haven't been thinking straight since we tried the de-cursing ritual. It's been a lot."

"I get it Aaron, but you need to be more careful. This isn't like you!"

"I know!" Aaron said again, a little irritated this time. Then a smirk formed on his lips.

"But I got it back. I feel kind of bad, but I broke a man's fist with my cheek today. I'm thinking I should name the ability. Maybe Cheeks of Steel." Tim laughed.

"You're an idiot."

"An idiot with Cheeks of Steel and a tome still in his bag." Tim sighed.

"I guess it did work out." Tim walked up to Aaron and peeled back the bandage on his cheek. He wiped it a couple of times and put his head closer, squinting at the wound.

"What is it?" Aaron asked.

"There's nothing there, apart from some dried blood!" He reached up to his face. The skin was sticky from the paste and the smell of wet soil filled his nostrils now the fabric was gone, but there was no sign of the cut. Not even any pain.

"Did someone heal it for you?" Tim asked"No, one of the girls put some herbs on it, but I've never known them to heal a wound this quickly" Tim scratched his chin.

"No, that wouldn't do it. Did you get any spirit coalescence when you used Manipulate?"

"Actually I did. I've never had to heal myself before so I wasn't thinking about it." Out of nowhere, Cuthbert let out a loud caw. The hair on Aaron's arm stood on end and a pulse of mana shimmered through him. Aaron looked across the room in shock. He felt an odd connection with the bird. How could a sound do that? As Aaron looked, a feather dropped off the bird and gently glided to the bottom of the cage to join a pile of several others. Aaron's heart pounded in terror. Something was happening to the crow.