Chapter 5

I found myself breathing heavily as I looked up at the sky, the sun shining bright directly over head. The battle had taken less than 30 minutes, and I had only participated in half that. And I was tired. Sure I had been healing people as well as grabbing them off the battlefield when someone couldn't drag them to me, but still. Even with a dark orange core at 7, I was still weak in a lot of ways.

I could still feel the now warm blade of Jasmine pressing against my throat, but that wasn't the reason tears began to fill my eyes. Honestly I wasn't an emotional person. You couldn't be when running with bandits for 2 years in the body of a child. It was relief that made my eyes burn with tears, that made streaks through the dirt and sweat that caked my face and maybe a little blood.

Relief that I was finally free of the bandits, that I was with people that I had at least read about once upon a time and knew them to be at least decent people. I went to move my arm to wipe the tears, but it was met with a knee to pin it to the ground. Refocusing I looked over at Jasmine who had a conflicted yet serious expression. I knew she wanted to go see to Reynolds and Alice. She already knew Arthur was lost over the side of the cliff but she did want to go and console her grieving friends.

"I'm-." Trying to speak the blade was pushed a little harder against my throat so I stopped trying and just laid there. No matter where I looked I could still feel Jasmine's heated gaze boring into me, but there's nothing I could do about that right now. I would just have to wait until everyone settled down.

Though I didn't have to wait long, my savior actually came in the form of Helen who gave a signal that caused Jasmine to stand up. I went to finally wipe my face only for them to both tense, so I raised my hands instead.

"I'm not going to do anything, honest. I was prisoner just as much as anyone." I was allowed to wipe my dirty face finally, but judging by their expressions they didn't quite know whether to believe me.

"Seemed like part of the crew to me until your group started losing." Helen finally said and I noticed Jasmine tighten her grip on her daggers. I raised my hands placatingly once again.

"I know how it looks, but honestly what do you expect a 7 year old to do? They captured me at 5 and only didn't sell me because I'm a healer." I wasn't worried about giving up that information because they had definitely seen me heal myself of the arrow wound. Their gazes softened only a little but Jasmine never fully eased her grasp on her daggers.

"Not only a mage but damned healer. I knew I had seen people run away injured and then come back, but I hadn't had the time to actually consider it." Helen cursed, no doubt feeling responsible for such an oversight that might have a attributed to the reason that Arthur was gone. Of course I knew he was alright and alive at the bottom of the drop. Only I also knew he needed to be down there. Arthur needed to find that dragon woman, and eventually the elf girl. My memory was too hazy on specifics, but I knew everything needed to happen and I knew that Arthur eventually made it back to his parents.

Looking up I noticed Helen still had a bleeding wound, though she had done a good job bandaging it to limit the blood loss.

"Uh, I could heal that for you. And I could heal your minor cuts as well." I said turning between Helen and Jasmine, they both hesitated and I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Look both my daggers are over there, and I'm just a healer. What can I do to the 2 of you?" Of course I wasn't just a healer. I was more than a healer, having control of the 4 basic elements but they didn't need to know that. Helen was the first to relent and stuck out her leg, which I careful undid her bandage and began healing the arrow wound. I closed my eyes and was met with the now familiar sight of flesh and muscles and veins that made up the leg and began peering further into it.

Using a combination of my elemental magic in tandem with my healing I could use fire to burn away infections and poisons and water to soothe the affected areas to make it a pleasant feeling. She let out a breath of relief and looked down at me in astonishment.

"I've never felt healing magic like that before." She said when I finished and began inspecting the wound. I grinned happy for the praise and turned towards Jasmine, though still reluctant she came closer and I began healing her. She didn't voice her thoughts, but based off her expression I could assume she agreed with Helen.

"Helen! Jasmine! What's with the kid?" This time it was Adam that approached with a grim demeanor.

"He was with the bandits, but at some point he turned on them and killed the leader that had been giving Reynolds trouble. We were going to kill him when Reynolds stopped us." She explained even going as far to explain all the way up until he called out to them. Adam absorbed all the information in his stride up to our group, but waved his hand dismissively.

"Got it, but for now Rey and Alice need you both. They're… Well you'll see." Adam finished shaking his head and then looking to me. Helen and Jasmine didn't stay much longer only briefly hesitating before jogging off to where the others were.

"So kid what's your name?" Adam asked, he seemed a lot less on guard than Helen and Jasmine and I was thankful for that. I was beginning to get tired of the interrogation.

"Colt, er well Colt Marcum is my full name." His eyes widened and he looked me over again and I could tell his mind was running through a lot of thoughts.

"You're Markus' kid?" He said incredulous and I nodded slowly.

"Holy shit, you definitely look like him. I just can't believe you're still alive after all this time." He said rubbing his chin as he continued to stare at me. I leaned to look behind him to see Durden walking over and I looked back to Adam.

"Look I'll tell you all you want to know later, but there are a few more bandits back at our camp and a few… captives. We should get back there and take them out before they get suspicious." He gripped his spear with a serious expression on his face, he turned to Durden once he closed in.

"Looks like we're not done yet. Colt here knows where the camp is and it seems it has some people we need to help. Can just the 3 of us handle it?" Nodding my head at his question I grab my daggers off the ground cleaning then as I do.

"Yes they only leave a few behind and they are all non mages, mostly just cooks or hunters." Durden and Adam share a look and nod.

"Alright I'll go and tell Helen where we're going, and then we'll head out." Adam spun around and ran over to Helen, a few seconds later he was back and we were on our way to the bandit camp. The camp being not too far we made it there quickly, with both of them falling close behind me. Durden was taking extra precautions by softening the ground beneath our feat to muffle the sounds of our steps. I took notes because I really didn't have much to go off of when it came to conjured magic.

Most of the bandits that were mages had been augmenters except for Damien, and the augmenters typically didn't have elements. Even Lurt and Sev never attained any elemental affinities.

We neared the outskirts of the camp and Adam signaled for us to stop and I felt Durden expand his mana out as he touched the ground.

"10. All in the same spot." He spoke and I was surprised at the softness in his voice, but I ignored it turned to Adam.

"It seems they are with the prisoners. I know y'all are adventurers and have dealt with bandits before, but I still feel I should warn you that it's not going to look good in there." Durden and Adam returned my words with serious and determined expressions so I just nodded and led the way forward.

It didn't take long to hear the moans coming from the tents both of pleasure and pain. Just feeling Adam and Durden's mana reacting to their inner emotions I could tell they were not happy, so I quickened my pace. Stepping up next to the tent I brought my dagger out and sliced the fabric of the tent, creating a new entrance. As soon as I did Adam and Durden slipped inside and I followed right behind.

The scene was exactly what I had expected as since I was a healer the guys tended to be violent with the women when they could. There cuts and lash marks as well as a few burns marking the bodies of the women. Though the men didn't even have time to react as Adam and Durden unleashed their fury upon the rapists. Leaving them to it I focused on healing the women, taking extra steps for a painless healing.

When Adam and Durden approached trying to help the women were terrified and tried to scoot away. I stood in between with my hands held up to stop the guys.

"Wait, they don't exactly like men right now."

"What about you? You're a guy." Adam asked whereas Durden had already taken some steps back.

"Ya, but I'm also a kid. And I've been the only one to help them while they've been in the camp." Adam frowns but eventually relents when he looks back at the terrified women.

"Fine fine. We'll grab up the things worth selling, just let us know when they're ready to leave." I nodded and turned back to the women.

"You're safe now. I'm sorry it took this long." With that tears began to stream from their eyes and I could see the tension release from them. They huddled together crying so I busied myself with getting them a stuff to clean up with as well as fresh clothes. I left the tent so that they could wash and change and was met by Adam waving me over with a staff in his hand.

"Hey, Colt. We found some things you might want." I took the staff that reached nearly 6 foot and a ring that he had in his other hand. Both items were engraved with overlapping M's which was the symbol of my dad's Merchant company, "Marcum Merchantry". It was more than just a ring though it doubled as a seal as well as.

"It's a storage ring." I breathed out aloud with a smile on my face as I clutched the staff and ring.

"Ya looks like it's locked to either certain mana signatures or needs a key phrase to open." Adam said.

"The phrase is just open, dumbass." I said and with the word I could see everything that was inside the ring and I couldn't help but marvel at how huge it was. How had Colt's dad gotten such a ring?