Ch. 63 - A Miracle!

After that that trial and error, trying to perform a preposterous thing like resurrection, there was one last thing to do: send a final pulse of life magic and get the elves' hearts beating again.

Even as an elven princess, Ela watched Maven work with awe - completely unable to believe the events going on before her eyes. Maven, a gorgeous young woman wreathed in a heavenly glow. Her dead companions, shrouded in an endlessly warm divine light. The mesmerizing vision ushering the elves return to the world of the living.

Ela couldn't help but stare, entranced, at Maven's luminous figure. Not only had this strange girl and her fairy appeared out of nowhere to save her from a dire fate, but she was working to bring her departed friends back to life. All in front of her very eyes. It felt like a fairy tale, as if Maven were Ela's very own Prince Charming - swooping in on a white horse to solve all her problems and take her away.

"Ohhh! You always find some new way and interesting to surprise us, don't you Maven?" Fae interjected in a bemused voice, as if it were only obvious that Maven could resurrect the dead.

The wondrous sight of broken bodies weaving themselves back together and souls being manipulated would appear grotesque in most situations. It was normally the domain of demons, after all. Yet, when Maven did it, it felt positively divine.

*Gasp*

A dozen elves collectively let out a sudden intake of air, signaling their miraculous return to the world of the living. Ela forced herself to stay stock still, terrified that even a misplaced breath might send them tumbling back into the abyss of death.

"Whew… Looks like you managed to pull it off!" Kannon said without a care, demonstrating her trademark ability to ruin the atmosphere.

If there was one benefit from Kannon's silliness, it was that Ela finally felt assured of Maven's success. Tears sprung out of Ela's eyes as she watched the yes of her dearest childhood friend open with a powerless flutter.

���P-Princess?" A female elf said in a weak voice.

"Amaraaaaaaa!!" Ela sobbed uncontrollably while burying her face in her friend's neck.

"Ela, I'm so happy you're safe," Amara said weakly, forcing her powerless limbs to move so that she could pat her princess on the head.

"Hehehe, well isn't that heartwarming!" Kannon said as she watched the heartwarming reunion, completely in the mood to enjoy the show..

"Ela, huh... She's so beautiful. I'm glad that she's feeling cheerful, nobody likes to see pretty girls cry - especially ones who've been through so much." Maven said distractedly, remembering the warmth she felt when she held Ela in her arms.

Having been put on a pedestal through both of her lives, not many people had ever done something as ordinary as give her a hug. Shayna and Fae, sure, but almost everyone else revered her far too much to so much as even touch her.

"Mistress, what should we do with this fellow?" Shayna's cold voice cut through the air, diverting everyone's attention from the beautiful reunion scene. Without mercy, Shayna held the guy by his foot and dragged him over through the dirt - making sure to do it face first.

Maven almost felt sorry the guy as his head bumped into stone after stone after stone, right up until she remembered the disastrous scene of a scant few minutes ago.

Shayna was dragging him so roughly that his black hood had even been ripped from his head - revealing the type of hideous face you'd expect of a villainous thug.

"Ewwwwww!" Kannon said in response, drawing back from the scarred and tattooed face of the attacker. Not only did he have horrifying battle-scars , but primal, barbed tattoos also were also engraved into his every spare inch of skin.

"Hmmm... I'm really not sure what to do with this fellow." Maven said to Shayna, tapping her cheek thoughtfully. "It's not like we can kill him... but I don't much want to drag him around with us either. We've gotta head south quick as we can."

"Umm... Ms…?" Amara, now propped up on Ela's shoulder, hesitantly interrupted Maven's discussion.

"Oh, glad to see you up on your feet!" Maven said with a smile. "Are you all feeling okay?"

"Yes… thanks to you." Amara said respectfully. Having been filled in by Ela as to the goings on while she had been absent from the land of the living, Amara looked at Maven with the incredible awe and reverence normally reserved for the Goddess of Wind.

"It's nothing, it's nothing!" Maven said with a dismissive wave of the hand.

"If you're troubled regarding what to do with that fellow there, we would be happy to take him off your hands." Amara said with a grace that could only be acquired after decades of training.

"Really? That would be so helpful!" Maven said with a smile so radiant, everyone almost lost themselves within it.