Chapter 5: Blessing

* The first thing I noticed when I came back to life was my skin color. I know this because my parents were also black in this world. The goddess had to respect this part of the contract *.

-Look at his silver hair. * Said the midwife *.

-He's a cursed child. * Said the old granny next door *. You know what that means ...

- We must get rid of it or it will bring us bad luck. Already our skin color is frowned upon by the Duke.

* Huh? Oh no no. I didn't come back to life to be killed right away. It was then that my mother, despite her weak condition, hugged me to her chest *.

-I refuse. *She says*. How is he cursed? Having a different hair color doesn't make him a human being?

-You know our customs ...

- To hell with customs. * She yelled *. It is my child I keep him. And if you refuse to care him then I'll do it on my own.

* Well done mom. In the end, maternal love is stronger than anything. It was then that a man in his forties entered the tent in his turn. When he met my gaze I felt he had already made up his mind *.

-Elias said something. * Said the old *. She refuses to listen to me.

* Elias then my father approached me and looked at me more deeply. He then turned to the old woman *.

-I'll keep the boy.

-Hey but have you gone mad?

-He's my son not yours. Now get out of my house you're scaring my wife.

* The dad is fucking cool. Still I was still a baby and there something made me tilt. I was going to have to suckle my mother's breast again. Seems like it was a bad plan to start from Zero after all *.

-Don't worry honey. * Said dad *. Even if your milk is bad, I will pick it up for you in the neighboring towns. In the meantime, rest.

* I felt like a helping hand from heaven this one. Athena is watching over me after all. So began my life in this seedy refugee camp with questionable values ​​and customs. Already my father was the chief, it was a good sign but most of the others looked down on me.1 Time passed thus until the day of the signing of the treaty. If I had to decide to start from scratch it was of course to have time to sharpen my gifts. The blessing system has a big disadvantage. Once we are born they are implanted in our brain through electrical signals and they will be unlocked as we go through life. Main triggering factor, a tragic event or a life or death situation. I still remember the day I had access to my first ability. I was 6 years old, I accompanied my father on the hunt and I got lost. As I tried to retrace my steps I came face to face with a wolf. It is said that wolves can smell fear of prey and it was true. Obviously, I was scared with this 6 year old kid's body. I avoided panicking as much as possible and took a step back. When I turned around I felt a click in my brain and started to run at full speed. But like really quickly. I felt like I was flying, but the wolf was just inches from me. I tripped over a branch but as soon as he jumped on me a shot killed him. My heart was going to come out of my chest. I later learned from Athena's words that physical strengthening was the basic ability for any god-sent. Moreover I was going to need it given the environment in which I was brought to grow *.

- Are you okay son?

-Yes Dad.

- Let's go home before night fall.

* Even if I have this ability, it is dangerous to use it at my age because although I have the strength I do not have the stamina to go with it. I'm at risk of cardiac arrest. We will therefore have to wait around my 16 years to think of using it again. However, it can come in handy. The second time was when I was 8 when I had a gun in my hand for the first time. We had gone deer hunting and clicked again. The deer that was 150 yards away seemed to be extremely close. This time it was my senses that were sharpened. I had the ability to see far away like a hawk, not like a condor and partially I was able to detect any trace of life in a certain area. I was starting to wonder if Athena didn't want to make me some kind of superman. Anyway I had now awakened my first two skills. Physical strengthening and strengthening of the spirit. Now I only had to refine them until the next awakening. The poor deer had no chance. Then came the age of my 10th birthday. If I took up information from Athena, it was today that the treaty of peace was going to be signed. Logically a 10 year old kid couldn't stop a bunch of dirty politicians from making this kind of decision. No if he succeeded awakened even a gift it is surely possible. Especially since I do not know what type of blessing he will have. Finally if he succeeds I should hear about it on the news. That day I went hunting with some friends. Jessie and Lars. Since I was a kid, they're the only ones who haven't let their minds be mystified by the delusions of a cursed child. They were proof that others had nothing to fear from me. But between us it is better to be alone than in bad company. Jessie was black like me with short hair, a very sporty girl despite her age. Lars on the other hand was not phew, or rather I would say that he was normal to us with his black curly hair *.

-What's wrong Lars? * Said Jessica mockingly *. If you don't hurry, we'll leave you behind.

-Talk for you. Even among the other children of the village, you two look like monsters. * Said Lars trying to defend himself *.

-Tch the shitty excuse. *She says*.

* A fox suddenly appeared and she raised her rifle in his direction. But I got off my rock and lowered his gun to prevent her from firing *.

-Hey are you, sick I was going to have it.

-Listen carefully.

* A short silence settled then the sound of an engine was heard. We stuck in the grass and in the background we could see a border post. A truck full of soldiers had just passed. From our high position, hidden by the trees, it was impossible for them to spot us *.

- They are soldiers of the duchy. * Said Jessie *.

-There are more and more in the area these days. *I said*. If they catch us, we're dead.

* Must say that we were frowned upon by the Duchy of Elysion. Our atypical trio was not doing it. Jessie had the wrong skin color, I had the wrong eco + color. Lars had the right color but the wrong religion. At the beginning we were made to live in the North of the Duchy but about 3 years ago we were forced to leave and settle a little further north. Now that we were no longer a citizen of Elysion, it was up to them to exterminate us. Since then skirmishes occur from time to time causing losses on both sides. As the son of a rebel leader I will surely have great market value, but I preferred not to stay here *.

-Hey look. * Said Lars who pointed at their camp *. They have a hospital. Your mother has a strange disease, no. Maybe they'll have something to cure her.

-Ah no no. I say it's too risky. * Said Jessie *. If we get caught we will be deported.

-Yes. *I said*.

* Holding my old rifle in hand I started to hurtle down the hill. I felt Jessie sulk in her corner before following me with Lars. Once at the edge of the road I looked both ways and sprinted to the back of the fence. We looked like real special forces if we forgot the fact that we are only 10 years old. Our coats covered us and our hoods hid our faces *.

-Keith what the hell is going on in your head?

-It's too late to complain about it now. * I say walking forward *.

-Lady would be scared? * Said Lars mockingly *.

-You shut up.

* This camp was extremely badly guarded to believe that the whole garrison had gone to the front. Once in the target building, we started looking in the different rooms *.

-RAS. * I say, opening a door *.

* My detection ability had limits. Hitting the hill had exhausted me so I was instinctively searching. Jessie and I eventually walked into what appeared to be the doc's office. I began to regret not having been interested in medicine in my previous life *.

-So what do we take? * Jessie asked *.

-Bah I don't know, I don't even know what is written on the boxes.

-But what an idiot. * She said putting her hand on her face *. what a nice idea coming there if dont' even know what to want.

-Stop stressing myself, I'm thinking here.

-Keith behind ....

* I immediately activated my reinforcement capacity and turned around with a quick gesture aiming at the individual who had just entered. Jessie did the same with her rifle *.

-Well then. Is it for a medical consultation?

* The young man in front of us was wearing a white lab coat and had a cup of coffee in his hand. His hair was red and he wore glasses. He had tied them with a pen instead of a hair tie *.

-So what is the visit worth to me?

-If you scream ....

- Are you going to shoot? * He said cutting me off *. Come on, I'm a doctor, not a soldier.

* He ignored us altogether and sat down at his desk. Then he also invited us to sit down. Initially hesitant, Jess and I ended up obeying without letting our guard down *.

- By the way you can enter but lock the door with the key.

* I heard Lars jump behind the door before entering and closing the door *.

-So what brings you? * He asked kindly *.

-My mother is very sick.

* So I began to describe to him her state of health very precisely without omiting any details. Anyway, what did I have to lose ? *

-I see. Your mother has pneumonia. * He announced *.

* He got up and took the medicines out of the medicine cabinet for us. This man helped us without any malice and even prescribed us an ordonance. I accepted without flinching and loaded it all into my bag *.

-Thank you Sir ....

-Johan Draxler. * He said smiling *

-Thank you doctor Draxler. *I said*.

- By the way why are you helping us. Yet we are your enemies, aren't we? * Lars asked *.

-I am a doctor and as such I must help anyone who is in difficulty.

-The Hyppocratic Oath. * I whispered *.

* I saw that the doc tilted but I hurried to head for the door but he stopped me *.

- By the way, you didn't tell me your name. What is the name of the invoice?

* I gave him a smirk *.

-Nahel Keith Rasford sir. In large print please.

* End of chapter *.