9 Help Me

We stared at the wolf, instantly on the defence. An enchanted wolf, or a wolf with multi-coloured patterns all around it, almost like jewels, they are rare.

So rare and so dangerous. One bite from them can kill us off immediately. They also have powerful magic that is said to control nature itself.

I have never seen one before, but people have talked about it enough that I know they exist and how they look like. It is terrifying and fascinating to be able to see one if I am being honest with myself.

"What is an Enchanted wolf doing here?" Nova asked, whispering to the both of us but we are just as clueless as he is at the moment.

Enchanted wolves, though rare, do exist, but they do not exist in this part of the kingdom. They usually exist in the northern and southern parts. They do like the cold after all.

"I don't know. Maybe it is friendly." I said, walking to the wolf while Nova tried to grab onto me, failing immediately as I stopped a few inches from the wolf. "Hello. Who might you be?"

"Orion! Come back here!" Nova whisper shouted as I made sure I had my mask on, so that I do not creep this wolf out.

"I am not usually this friendly but maybe it is a mixture of the healing herbs and my exhaustion that is making me this friendly," I said to the wolf who just looked at me, with its blue-green eyes.

Why am I talking so much?? I need to stop otherwise I will say something I will regret.

"Want to join us?" I asked, immediately biting my tongue.

Too late.

The wolf looked at me and then looked at the two behind me, ready to attack in case anything happens. Then it looked back at me before turning human and catching us off guard immediately.

A thin boy stood in place of the wolf in front of me, his ombreish dirty blonde hair falling over his bandage covered face as he stared at me condescendingly and then held out his hand.

"Hmm?" I tilted my head to the side, confused.

"Give me that." He said, pointing to the rolled-up herbs in my hands. "It can heal, right? Give it to me."

I just stared at him blankly for a minute before frowning and holding the paper away from him, "No."

I could feel the silence wash over everyone in the empty streets as the wind blew against the bushes lining the entire street.

"What are you doing??" Nova asked, rushing to me, throwing his arms over my shoulder. "He is an Enchanted. Give it to him if he asks."

"I will give it to him if he asks for it politely," I said, sticking my nose in the air as I turned to the boy once again. "If you want something, you have to ask for it politely."

The boy just stared at me blankly, as if I was telling him a lie right to his face.

"Have you never politely asked for something before?" I asked, subconsciously raising my eyebrow, judging him.

The boy shook his head, still keeping eye contact with me, "People give me whatever I want when I ask them for it."

"Well, that's a given, you are an Enchanted. It is easy for you." Nova said, shrugging before he suddenly realise what he said and who he said that to.

He slowly turned to the boy who started bearing his teeth at him. "It is NOT easy for me." He growled, body convulsing.

"Oh no," Nova murmured, looking at the both of us in panic. "I am sorry, guys, I doomed us. I hope the goddess will forgive me."

"I doubt she will." Comet signed, getting a glare from Nova as I made my way to the boy.

"Orion! Come back here! It's dangerous! We need to warn the other-"

"Yeah. Yeah." I said, walking to the trembling boy and patting him on the head, almost instantly he calmed down and stared up at me through the hair falling over his prism coloured eyes. "Calm?"

He nodded at me, eyes falling on the ground.

"Good. Now, if you want something, how do you ask something for it?" I asked, bending down so that he was taller than me, looking right into his eyes.

"Give it to me."

"No." Sighing, I ran my hands through my hair and then looked at him. "Let me teach you then. You say, 'Can I have this, please?'"

"Why do I have to ask someone for something when they will just give it to me if I ask?" He asked, frowning at me as I noticed the silver necklace on his neck.

Strange, it looks pure silver and it is not even burning him. Not to mention, it looks almost like a collar. Oh well, maybe it is a tradition in their place, try not to sound too judgmental, Orion.

"Well, you told me to give it to you and I did not, did I?" I asked, enjoying the look of confusion on his previously smug face.

"Give it to me then and I will not wreak havoc on everything you love and cherish." He said, eyes glowing as he glared at me.

"No," I said, flicking his forehead, gasps of surprise coming from both Nova and Comet, followed by a baffled look from the boy in front of me. "That is not how I just taught you to ask for something."

"Y-you … did you just lay a hand on me?" he asked, holding his forehead with a look of horror on his face. "No one has ever dared to lay a hand on me before."

"Oops. Sorry. Did I hit too hard?" I took the boy into my arms, checking his forehead and patting it with my hands. "Does it still hurt?"

"And if I say it does?" He asked, looking closely at me. "What will you do then? Will you forfeit your dignity as a Priest in training and promise to serve me all your life?"

"What? No." I said, looking at the two still in the shadows, staring at the both of us closely as the boy is still in my arms. "He is a little … intense."

"What will you do then?"

"Pat. Pat. Pain. Pain go away." I said, touching his forehead gently before I gave him a smile. "There, does it feel better?"

The boy looked at me blankly for a second before touching his forehead, a slightly confused look coming on his face.

"Y-yeah. I guess." He said, not willing to look me in the eyes.

"Good," I said, standing up straight and stretching. "You said that you wanted to heal right? I see all those bandages, are you injured there?"

" …"

"I cannot help you unless you tell me," I said, measuring our height subconsciously. He is about a few inches shorter than me I see. "So, tell me."

"Yes." He said under his breath, almost like he was threatened to say it. Well, progress is progress.

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"… Heal me." He said, pouting slightly while he fiddled with his bandaged hands.

"Good job!" I said, smiling as I patted him on the head, much to the horror of the two still keeping a safe distance from us but near enough to grab me and run if anything happened.

I could have sworn I saw him break into a smile but it faded so fast that I did not have the chance to confirm it.

"Now that you know you have a problem and that there is someone willing to help you, what do you do?" I asked, hoping to hear what I wanted to hear.

The boy just looked at me with the same blank expression and held out his hand, "Heal me."

"No," I said, sighing. Thinking for a second, I bent down once again and said, "How about this, repeat after me, ok?"

"Why should I?"

"Do you want to get healed?" I asked. This boy is really testing my patience that's for sure.

"… yes."

"Then repeat after me." I cleared my throat and began, " 'Older Brother Orion. I am having pains here. Please heal me'. Go on. Try it."

The boy looked at me with nothing but disgust before forcing himself to try to repeat my word, "Orion. Heal me."

"No-"

"…Please."

Eyes widening, I looked at the flustered boy, fiddling with his hands behind him, a great sense of pride filling me immediately.

"Of course I will," I said a little too excitedly, getting to my feet. "Now. Just stand there patiently."

"… ok." He said, watching me closely as I waved my hands in front of him, murmuring the healing incantation I memorized years ago.

In a flash of light, the boy's bandages slipped off, revealing clear skin, caked with a little bit of dried blood.

"There, now we say 'thank-" I watched as the boy turned into a wolf again and disappeared from view almost immediately. " '-you.' "