V2 C14 Hearts' healers.

Earlier.

Eloise always found square roads too rigid. Logic and practicality... these words did have a reason to exist. But not for humans. Even during wars, she found it quite hard to accustomed herself. People weren't logical beings, to begin with. And her trip to the republics' alliances disgusted her. There weren't more rational than them. Roads, laws, people: all had to be straight, not to diverge from the mass. Societies couldn't effectively work like that. They see people as tools. Worse, at immutables tools.

Negotiations, on the other hand, could manage diversity. If you could see someone's feeling, you'd guessed what's the best answer to a problem. Most times, soft decisions were the best ones. She had found it. Allowing soldiers to camp in curved sites, making them easily participate in a strategical discussion, it may cause disorder or even disobedience but had its benefits. New ideas would pop, incompetent leaders wouldn't lose as many soldiers, but it also creates another atmosphere. It lessened stress, helped the other soldiers by having small bursts instead of a big ones.

That's why the new camp set up guiltily made her relieved. Destroyed, yes, bloody, obviously, but somehow peaceful. Stressless. The worst had already happened. Most knew they'd die - some were still lying to themselves.

That was strange when she thought about it. When had she become so cold? No... more likely this was calmness. Irrational calmness.

Humans lived to be reassured. First by their brain, then by their companions. They were like a fire, repetitively pouring water on it not to aim too high. Because if they did, someone would pour a huge water-filled pot into them. But her fire was extinct. She had nothing to fear.

Crossing the encampment with other soldiers, she glanced at her right. It was evening, and soldiers were either asleep, working, or drinking. Those were drinking. Poors souls of unknown future. A way or another, they needed to set ablaze their will.

'Do we really?' If they were to die... pouring down their maw whiskey and forgetting might be right. Such reasoning was devoid of sense. Because they were mortal, they needed to construct, to live. For them and others. And even when a fire was extinct by despair, they shouldn't suicide. Because by living they were an example. They were a wall that helped others.

Eloise entered a wounded soldier's tent along with some unknown soldiers. She didn't know them, and she preferred it that way.

Inside the tent were all grievously wounded soldiers. Lying in blankets, they had little time left.

'All of us know it.' she said to herself while approaching a wounded soldier. They all did. Only the chief was waiting for them near the entrance.

This one had lost both arms in the explosion - one chopped off by some flying debris, the other burn. All sorts of wounds covered his body. He had his eyes shut, sleeping.

Someone stumbled.

He abruptly woke up - they all did -, frightenedly scrutinizing his surroundings, his eyes wide. If he did not screams, some others couldn't control themselves.

''W-who are you?'' he coughed in pain mid-sentence.

''Please calm yourself: we are healers.''

''Healers?'' he repeated, analyzing her face. He seemed terrorized. He instinctively tried to turn his head to see the rest to no avail. ''You don't look like priests to me.'' each word spaced by silences or coughs of pain.

''We're not. The army doesn't have enough of them. But we do are healers, healers of heart.''

''So I guess you won't even use your pure energy? '' he said depressed. ''Go away now, I don't need you, you've already made me lost rest time.''

Eloise did not move

''What, didn't you heard what I've just said? I don't need you,'' he said in anger, coughing afterward.

Seeing her remaining, he gave up. Soon, he closed his eyes.

She gently put her hand to his forehead, to which, he re-opened them wide.

''Don't!''

''Calm down.'' Her voice was calm but strict, with some gentleness in it.

After a few times, he finally let go. Nearly thirty minutes had passed since the beginning.

When the timer ran out, the chief gave off a sign. His sacred energy poured into the soldiers' bodies, making them relax.

It was time.

All the ''heart's healers'' swiftly and painlessly ended their lives. Eloise did so gathering energy upon her finger, piercing his head from his forehead. It cuts like butter; his unorganized energy only focused on healing him, leaving only his body to protect him.

''Take their energy center fast. We cannot waste any energy that may protect us.''

And so she did, emotionally. Because a wall could make people stumbled she had to do it. For the sake of others. Indeed, they were really hearts' healers. The ones they protected, however, were different then what they thoughts.