Chapter Twenty-One: Homecoming

Chapter Twenty-One: Homecoming

Orcs! Where are they!? he flailed around. Movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention.

Toms head whipped around just in time to see a face peering at him, before ducking back out through the door.

A door..? Im in a room? His brain stuttered and skewed like a cart on icy cobbles as it tried to align all the information coming in.

Im on a bed. Im not bound. Im in a room. Im in a room.

Tom looked around more carefully. The green light was coming from several crystals set into a mobile hanging over his bed. The bird song was really just beeping coming from an enchanted device next to him. As the mobile rotated, it was casting shadows from a collection of inscrutable objects sitting on tidy shelves placed around the room. He wore an unfamiliar robe, simple and white.

Hospital. Im in a hospital, he concluded. The thought was a bright light shone briefly into a cave. He knew it to be true, for a moment, but he still couldnt accept it as an enduring truth. He was sweating, his heart was still racing, and he couldnt seem to unclench his fists from where hed grasped handfuls of bedsheets in a rictus.

He caught the sound of crisp footsteps from where the door had been left ajar. Voices floated to him shortly after.

...Not long, Healer. I poked my head in when the alarm went off, a youthful sounding voice said.

Well, good. Not a moment too soon. The Council is in a furor said an authoritative woman. They trailed off as they entered the room.

The speaker was an older woman with chin length brown curls and spectacles perched on a severe face. Two more people followed her in, a middle aged balding man, whose chubbiness made him look kindly, and a thin, nervous looking youth, obviously an assistant or trainee of some kind. They all wore the white garb of the Healers.

Good, youre awake, said the woman. You are in St. Aloes Hospital. Im Healer Rain and this is Healer Smith. She gestured perfunctorily to the chubby man. He smiled at Tom and gave him a gentle nod.

Junior Fuller will also be joining us, she finished absently.

Tom didnt reply. His mind had only just accepted where he was. Now this new reality with people talking to him had occurred, and his mind was playing catch up once again. His mouth worked soundlessly.

How are you feeling? Smith asked. Not in any pain, I hope. He paused when he saw Tom struggling still, a concerned frown flickering across his face.

Its okay. Youve been unconscious for several days, young man. Just lie back for me. There you go, now hold still His hands shimmered like the air above a stove on a winter morning. He passed them gently over Toms head, then prodded at some nearby enchanted objects with the dexterity born of thousands of repetitions. Rain stood there, the rims of her spectacles glowing a faint pink as she observed him closely.

Everything seems fine, said Rain.

Agreed, Smith said. Two Healers and three days under renewal lights will do that for you. He gave Tom another gentle smile.

Just a bit of lingering shock, I suspect, Smith continued, perching himself gingerly on the bed. Tell me, son, whats your name?

Tom floundered for a few more seconds before Fuller grabbed up a glass from a nearby unit and offered it to him. He gulped down the water, and immediately brought on a coughing fit.

Cutter, he managed eventually. Tom Cutter.

Smith nodded kindly. Rain watched him like a hawk from behind her spectacles. Fuller jotted down notes with furious speed.

Junior, please see that the Cutters are notified, Rain said.

Immediately, she added, when it became clear Fuller simply noted it. Notify the Council too, please, if you would.

Fuller gulped and jumped to, nearly sprinting from the room.

Whats going on? Tom asked. How did I get here, I was in the Green and then

Images of orcs flashed through his mind. Memories of unrelenting howls in the distance. Of running and running and running. Of being tackled. Of desperate fighting. Of having his throat crushed.

Master Cutter, a Hunter found you and brought you back to Wayrest. Theyve been telling some fanciful stories, Rain said.

Orcs! Tom almost yelled. There were Orcs! I need to tell the Council! Please!

Please refrain from yelling in the hospital, Master Cutter, she said, sternly. That is the story the Hunter told. The rumour spread quickly. That is why the Council they need to address this before it gets out of hand.

Ridiculous. Orcs, in the Green? There havent been orcs anywhere in hundreds of years, Rain continued, half to herself.

Go easy on the lad, Nel, Smith chided. Hes been in the Green for two months. Over a month completely alone, going by the other survivors. We cant imagine what hes been through. Hes still in shock, is all.

Rain looked chastised, but her scepticism was still plain on her face.

Skill One (Classic):Agony (Active):

Mana cost: Low.

Cooldown: Short.

Range: Moderate.

Damage: Low.

Damage over time: Moderate.

Duration: Moderate.

Inflict pain on target. Damage is typeless.

Skill Two (Classic): Sweet Suffering (Passive).

Debuffs and poisons are negated, and instead give an equal and opposite buff. Buffs last for as long as any debuffs would have. Immune to disease and damage-over-time effects.

Ideal Two (Classic):Silence.

Skill One (Classic): Hush (Active).

Mana cost: Moderate.

Cooldown: Moderate.

Range: Medium.

Duration: Moderate.

Apply Silence debuff to target. Puts caster to sleep if self-targeted.

Ideal Three (Classic):Survival (Classic).

Skill One (Classic): Survival of the Fittest (Ritual (Familiar)).

Mana cost: Extreme.

Cooldown: Extreme.

Requirements: Fifty life essence, five hunger essence, five sleep essence, five cold essence, five blood essence and one wild essence. Five aspect essence.

When summoned: Familiar can make extreme or heavy damage physical attacks. Familiars physical attacks have a minor damage bleed over time effect. Familiar has an attack that deals moderate magic damage up to short range and low damage up to moderate range. Moderate cooldown on ranged attack.

When subsumed: Caster gains increased toughness, strength, and their physical attacks gain a trivial bleed over time effect. Extreme buff to casters sense of smell.

Skill Two (Classic): Grit (Passive).

Casters toughness increases the lower their health is.

Toms eyes lit up as he read through his status. Ive manifested another skill! he thought, jubilant. Helps explain how I survived that fight with the orcs, not to mention getting dragged back to Wayrest. Ill have my Ideals uplifted to Complete in no time if this keeps up.

It was a good feeling, one he sorely needed after his experience. His three Ideals were unusual, to say the least. Hed never heard of anyone with any of the three. Suffering, especially, was strange. Tom resolved to be proud of them, though. He had spent so many years struggling and striving to manifest, he would not allow anyone to rain on his parade.

The strangeness of his Ideals was a minor consideration beside him having manifested three Ideals in the first place. That was almost unheard of. Tom could think of only a handful of people whod manifested a fall in a single Reaping.

He had done it. Hed manifested not one, not two, but three Ideals. Their House was saved. The peerage would be clamouring to get in the Cutters good graces. Hed made it back to Wayrest to warn them of the orcish infestation growing outside the walls.

His parents were going to be so proud.