Chapter 51 – Sandy Allies

Leone woke up in a bed of hay, by his side was an old man missing his left arm. He then remembered the injury he got and touched it.

“I am alive?”

“You are, do not worry.” said the old man. “I am Awk by the way, and I say that you are new to this city by chance?”

“Yes, I am Leone, are you the one who saved me?”

“Nope, if you want your savior then thank him” He pointed at the bald young man who is sitting near the doorway daydreaming. His eyes were looking everywhere as if he doesn’t care.

“Did he take me here?” Leone asked.

“Nope, by the time you got here all your wounds have been healed up. He probably used healing magic on you.”

“Healing magic?” Leone was surprised. “I can’t cast my magic, how can he do it?”

“I don’t know myself, but he seems to be an exception.”

“Is that so?”

Leone looked at the dazed bald young man. He was thankful so he said to him:

“Thank you for saving me, I am Leone. May I know your name?”

The bald young man smiled up to his ears and tilted his head as if he doesn’t know what to reply. Awk who was sitting in wooden chair opens his mouth.

“Just call him Healer. We don’t know his name but he is the only healer in the place so might just as well call him that...”

“Healer huh...” Leone contemplated.

“Well just be patient with him. As you can see, he isn’t really in a good condition, probably got broken by his capturers.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he's probably a soldier who worked for the Matriarch of Lin—he was wearing a cloak that indicates that he is from Lin after all. Most likely the same reason he is in this place probably.”

“I see...”

Leone glanced at Healer who still lost in his own world. He was smiling, and despite three of his fingers looking like rotten branches that smell like the dead. He doesn’t seem to mind it as he wiggles his head from right to left.

Awk who was watching Healer said:

“Poor guy was not like this. But he was easily picked on by the locals, got his head poured with hot water and shaved by some bastard like a pig. He was sobbing all night and then he just started laughing like a madman. The way his crying turned into laughter still fills my old bones with chills.”

“I see...” Leone replied.

The one who saved him was a madman. But even so, he was surprised that such man was still continuing to live in this city.

“You look like you want to know why he is still alive.”

Awk said while smirking.

“I do...” Leone said

“No one really cared much about him. But then, when he went mad he started showcasing his ability to cast spells around the night. Seeing that, most of the resistance wanted to make use of him as some healer. I mean, if he wasn’t useful then he wouldn’t be alive right now. Pure guy cringes in pain and calls out for his mother when he casts spells though.”

Awk commented. Leone steps his foot on the floor, stretching his arms for a while, he looked at Healer and said.

“I thank you for saving me again Healer.”

“Okay?” Healer said, scratching his neck. He cringes in pain as he does.

“So what are you going to do now elven?” Awk said. “As you can see, you have two choices here. First is that you get out of this house and be a neutral that waits for his death or joined the resistance here, and help us escape. from this city.”

“Is that a trick question?” Leone scoffed. “No sane man would stay in this shithole willingly.”

“Good, judging by how you are here. I say that you are an elven forest vanguard?”

“That is right. I serve the Elven Queen in order to protect the western forest from the humans and the other non-humans that try to enter. I was one of the unlucky ones who got dragged and collared.”

“I see, it looks like the world is going to the shitter as always,” Awk commented.

“Well, chaos really doesn’t repress easily.” Leone replied, cracking his knuckles.

“Well anyway, I should take you to the others. Just cover your ears, and make sure to always wrap your face in cloth. I do not discriminate but you damn elves looks too pretty that the nasty ones might try to dress you up as a girl and fuck you in the ass, can’t help it that there is less good woman in this place and you elves are too androgynous.”

Awk pointed at the cloth he set aside near the square table.

“I understand.”

Leone then went to the robe and cloth that Awk put on the square table. Wearing the cloth, he clenched his hand and did some punches in the air.

“You elves with your explosive thin arms...” Awk said walking out of the sandstone house. Leone followed him out before looking at Ludak who can be barely seen inside the house.

“What about him?”

‘You mean Healer? Nah, let just leave him here in the house. He probably won’t do any good and the guys at the resistance base aren’t really fond of him other than when they get stab.”

“Really huh...” Leone said.

“Yep, besides, who knows what will happen when they try to mess with him. The madman got a new crossbow, and he probably won’t hesitate to shoot someone in the face. Heck, he probably would start laughing at the prospect of shooting someone. The man’s insane after all.”

Leone looked at Healer silently. He then started to follow Awk out to the place where the resistance of the city is located. Leone’s mind was focused on learning how things work in the city. He wants to get out of this shithole and get back to the forest, so in order do that, he is going to need the help of the resistance.