5 – Abra Kadabra

“Make space.” The mouth of Celestine moved, but the voice was Ashley’s. It did not feel distant. There was no layer of separation between her intent and the physical vessel anymore.

“Pardon me, Ashley?” Simon’s head tilted. He brushed his wet eyes with the back of his hand.

“You wanted me to heal them, right? Make room.”

“Yes, but I do not see how…”

“I’ll cast an AOE spell and we’ll be done with it. I don’t have time to spare here. I’m busy. Out of the way.”

“Ah. Yes. I see.” Simon looked uncertain, but he nodded. He blinked, smoothing his features as he recovered his footing. “So, you think you can save them?”

“We’ll see. If the problem is just health, I can give them some. I cannot fix secondary statuses, though.”

“Statuses. Right.” Simon shifted. His boots scraped the floor as he made room for her magic. “If that means conditions, it is worth a try. Not that they have much to lose. I have seen many people like this: too many to count. They do not have much time.”

Ashley stepped forward. She placed her palms in front of her. For a second, she thought of chanting something to make the moment significant. She paused. Nothing came to mind.

I would probably just end up saying ‘Abra Kadabra’.

The thought almost made her laugh. She let the impulse go when her eyes landed on the bodies in front of her. They were so emaciated. So fragile.

She hesitated. Then, she called the spell.

“[Healing Field].”

A sharp, electric itch ran through her arms. Warmth gathered at her fingertips. Then, it surged outward. Her palms lit up, bathing the six beds in a clinical, white glow.

The sensation left her slightly tingly: a static charge lingering on her skin. When the light died, she stepped closer to the nearest bed. The woman lay there. Her skin was slick with sweat. She was still unmoving.

“It didn’t work,” Ashley mumbled. “Of course. Their HP should be back to normal. That must not be the issue. Any ideas?”

“Ah, well, you see, the fever is so high. I do not think it is natu—”

The priest started to speak. Ashley moved a hand in front of his face, cutting him off.

“Skip.”

Simon fell silent, visibly unsure how to respond to that. His expression went slack, pure bafflement written across his features.

“Aury? Are you there? Talking to you here.”

The halo on top of her head began to spin. It beamed brighter. It pulsed with a rhythmic, golden light: almost a trill of excitement at being called by its liege.

“Sure, I am here, your holiness. It appears to be a sickness that is spreading in the area. I think it might be a curse, or something magical in nature. If you could lower their temperature, perhaps they would be able to recuperate. But I am afraid your magic cannot cure side effects. And your Saint Core is degraded due to lack of progress. Anything might be only temporary.”

“I know that. Any ideas on how to lower their temperature? An ice magic spell might help.”

Simon’s mouth remained open. He watched her speak to the halo. He clearly still thought it was a prop. Doubts clouded his eyes, flickering like a dying candle.

“That could be a temporary fix, mistress.”

Aury’s voice continued while she paced back and forth. Celestine’s legs moved without Ashley’s full attention.

“But you need something more definitive. The fever might rise again once the magic wears off.”

Ashley stopped. “Right. Right. And I might even kill them by freezing them. Ice magic isn’t subtle. We need something blander. Something with long-lasting effects.”

An idea struck her. She smacked her fist into her open palm. It was her usual gesture when hitting on a new combo.

“[Inventory]. [Frost Hell Potion].”

“Miss, that might be overkill.”

Aury’s warning came just as Father Simon moved. He lunged forward and grabbed her wrist, staring at the vial of azure liquid that had just materialized in her hand.

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“Enough.”

Ashley stared at the fingers grabbing her. Simon’s knuckles were white. She felt it, but it was just a light touch, a ghost of a sensation. Her strength was not impressive compared to an end-game boss, but she was still a maxed-out mage. She could crush a medium-tier monster with a single punch. The priest’s grip was not even registering.

“I cannot allow you to freeze these poor people to death.”

Simon’s voice trembled. His grip remained.

“I do not know who you are, girl. But even if they are on the brink of death, your powers are clearly not enough. You have to accept that. You must not gamble on their lives. Short as they may be, there is still hope.”

Ashley paused.

This quest is actually somewhat fun. It is not about raw power. It is something more subtle.

Maybe it was worth sticking around for a bit.