Book 2 Ch 17: Three and Three

Michael focused on the broken foot, sending waves of divine golden energy through himself and into it, feeling the bones rearrange and the tears in the muscle seal back to where they were supposed to be. When he was done, he smiled at the young man who was taking a moment to flex his toes with a smile on his face before tossing his makeshift crutches to the side.

“Thank you!” he said, looking up at Michael. “Now I won’t be slowing dad down when we have to unload the cart.” The boy took a copper and placed it into the small bowl in front of him, before the next person approached. This time it was an older woman with a cane.

“What’s the problem?” asked Michael.

“My hands. They ache so much I can’t sew anymore.”

Michael nodded; he was familiar with arthritis. His wife had needed surgery for that and carpal tunnel at different points. It would be nice to be able to help someone with it.

“I should be able to reduce the damage and the pain, though it may come back over time,” said Michael as he carefully took the woman’s hands in his own, feeling the warmth grow in his hand. The afflictions of the elderly all tended to return, from what he’d seen. Though he hadn’t had a single one complain at having at least temporary relief.

He finished with her hands.

She flexed her fingers. “It’s been so long since I’ve been able to bend them like this,” she said as she looked at them.

“I’m glad I could help.”

“I…I don’t have much coin,” she said, eyeing the bowl.

Michael shook his head. “You don’t owe me a thing. The bowl is only there for those who feel they can spare something. Just do me a small favor.”

“Oh?” she asked suspiciously with an eyebrow raised.

“Next time you sew something, dedicate it to the divine. To Seras the protector or Nykas the trickster.”

“Who?”

“They’re gods.”

She shrugged, a bit of bewilderment in her expression. “I suppose I can do that.”

“Thank you,” said Michael and she walked away.

Michael looked around and found that the line had cleared for the first time since he’d set up that morning. He stretched and picked up his bowl, doing a quick count of how much he’d made so far.

“How are you doing today?” asked Davi, approaching him from around the corner.

“About nine copper so far. People are generous today.”

Davi nodded. “You’re doing a good thing by offering up your healing this way. I know it pisses off Marcus, but I respect it.”

“I have a responsibility. I have to make up for the life I took, and this is the best way to do it while Marcus tries to find a good mercenary company for us to join.” There had been a number of offers by this point, but almost all of them were headed to Tusinia or northeast to Vyndar that had laws against takers as strict as Svict. “Besides, if I can help some hurt people, I should.” Of course, he had other goals related to finding the gods and their names, but he’d been working on that in his free time as well.

At first Michael had considered maybe looking for something outside of mercenary work, but decided it was the best path for him to take. Not only did he want to do more to help close the rifts, but he also needed to be stronger. The more powerful he got the more people he’d be able to help and so far combat was the only real path to power that he’d seen.

Michael stretched. “How’re you doing? Taking a day off from warehouse work?”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

He held out a hand and Michael noticed his pinky was bending the wrong way. “Not exactly. Just needed to get this taken care of before I could get back to work.”

Michael didn’t even bother raising his hand, just sending out healing energy toward his friend and watching the pinky snap back into place with a loud crack.

Davi smiled. “Thank you. Trying to lift the anvil one-handed was not my best idea.”

“Well, just hold out your pinky next time. That way it won’t get hurt and you’ll look like a gentleman.”

He chuckled. “If my deeds were active I could probably spare the finger.”

“How’re things with Francesca? You seem happy.”