Chapter 73: Chapter 21. The Savior
Elder Ileas was known throughout the continent as the «lord of medicine». I had never heard of him before. This man was considered a genius in his field, and some even denigrated his presence of magical abilities.
I didn't believe in magic either. But considering that terminally ill people left him completely healthy afterwards, it involuntarily suggested that all this could be true. What can I say, I myself hoped for the exclusivity of his abilities.
After Maxie suddenly stunned me with the news about the disease, I was worried as if I had been transported to the time when I first heard my diagnosis in the doctor's office. I couldn't do anything then, but this time I intended to fight to the end.
Not much was known about the elder, who remained my only chance of healing. The last time he went out was already sixteen years ago, after which he locked himself in his hut in the God-forsaken village of Sorus. It wasn't easy to get there, and it's not a fact that he would even agree to accept us.
But since I decided to do my best, I was going to stay and knock under his windows until he finally accepted me. Of course, but I definitely had a lot of stubbornness.
Sorus was located on the outskirts of the Oberon Empire, and the approximate journey there would take at least a month. Despite the fact that the country itself was small, the road to this village was complicated by many nuances. More precisely, the map of this area has not been fully studied, and most likely we will have to look for a healer's house on our own.
In order not to waste time and get there as soon as possible, we set off after a couple of days. To make the journey as easy as possible, we took only the most necessary things with us, and Maxie also refused the guards that the Marquis offered us. According to the girl, she alone will be quite enough to protect us.
The very farewell in front of the Marquis's estate was extremely tearful.
The man stoically stood aside, being stingy with emotions and still not thrilled with his daughter's decision. While his wife did not let Maxie out of her arms for half an hour, for the first time letting her go alone so far from home.
— Mom, come on…
Maxie awkwardly waved away the Marquise, because she was definitely not used to such a display of tenderness. Before that, for twenty years, she had received only slaps on the head from her mother.
— Well, be silent! Let your mother see your face.
Maxie sighed, waiting for it all to be over. Finally, when Obelia Windsor opened her arms to her daughter, she moved on to me. I was already mentally preparing to break all my lungs.
Amazed at how iron the grip of this fragile-looking woman turned out to be, I really barely survived. Pulling away after a while, she took me by the shoulders, and carefully looked into my eyes.
— Take good care of yourself.
I nodded.
— If something happens, you can always contact Maxie. She promised me she wouldn't leave you in the lurch.
I squinted at the girl, while she shrugged her shoulder irritably. Is that what they've been discussing for so long? When the Marquise whispered something in her ear, I assumed it was words of love. While in fact, the woman threatened that if something happened to me on the way, she would get more than just a slap on the back of the head.
I grinned at her displeased face.
When the farewell to Maxie's parents was over, the girl was the first to get into the carriage, while I stayed a little longer to talk to Razor. The guy and I also hugged, despite the fact that he did not want to let me go on such a dangerous adventure to the last.
We left Azeroth together, but now we have to be apart for an indefinite period of time. I was worried that nothing would happen to him while I was gone.
— Don't let anyone hurt you,» I warned, «and if that happens… remember that person's name, and when I get back, I'll get even with him.»
The second Prince smiled sadly at my shoulder.
— That's the kind of thing I have to tell you,» he remarked, «if that girl doesn't keep her word and does something.»… I will not stay away!
I smiled too.
— Deal!
Razor was my first real friend in this world, and I really appreciated him. I was hoping that we could safely survive all this, and meet again in a safe environment. Even after many years, I wanted to keep this connection between us.
The guy and I hugged each other tightly once again, to which Maxie defiantly rolled her eyes. After that, a friend wished me good luck, and I promised to return as soon as possible. After all, we intended to leave this place together.
I got into the carriage, and after waving goodbye from the window, the carriage soon moved off. The way to the nearest stop was supposed to be long, so I just immersed myself in watching the views outside the window.
— Tell me if you get sick or suddenly get tired, — suddenly said Maxie.
I blinked in surprise, but then nodded. After that, the girl also turned to the window and cleared her throat.
I looked at her suspiciously. In the last few days, ever since we left the Imperial Hunt, she has really been acting strangely. Ambiguous jokes in my address, in the style of «beauty, what is one, now there will be two» suddenly stopped. She even started calling me by my first name!
I had no idea what such amazing metamorphoses were connected with. Did she really hit her head so hard somewhere?
But, in any case, I was glad that Maxie had become a little more mature. Razor's fears will definitely not be justified now. I smiled, thinking that maybe I really have a positive influence on people.
We had made a full day's journey, and there were a couple of hours left before we could spend the night in the nearest city. But before that, we faced a forest several kilometers long, which was not so easy to cross.
The coachman even worried if everything was going to be all right, but Maxie ordered him to go on. I also felt a little scared when we drove into a dark thicket.
Noticing the excitement, Maxie suddenly covered my hand with her own.
— Don't worry. I'm near.
I nodded.
Everything went well for a while, and I really calmed down. But as usual, nothing happens just like that. In the middle of the forest, some predator still smelled us, and even from the salon I heard an angry growl.
I looked out the window and saw a pack of wolves, whose yellow pupils sparkled in the dark. There were more than one of them, and it was clearly dangerous. I wasn't sure if Maxie could handle it.
The girl also tensed, grabbing her sword.
The beasts were about to attack. At the same time, Maxie was going to launch a retaliatory attack, but…
I didn't have time to close my eyes when everything had already happened.
The fight did not have time to begin, as all the predators were defeated. An unknown shadow suddenly appeared from the forest, after which only the ringing of metal was heard. After a couple of seconds, the growling of the beasts stopped.
I felt a strange deja vu, as if it had already happened to me somewhere.
— Leriana, wait…!
Despite Maxie's warning, I jumped out of the carriage, and saw someone's body next to the corpses of wolves. Instinctively she rushed to him.
Our savior turned out to be a girl about my age. Despite seeing her for the first time, she seemed vaguely familiar.
I was startled to see that she was covered in blood and unconscious. She rushed by herself and grabbed her shoulders.
— Hey, can you hear me…?!
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