WilburWoods
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Chapter 8 - Devotion
🕑 Added 2023-11-01 20:02:10 +0000 UTCRachel was slipping soup into her unconscious brother’s mouth. It had an odd scent, but then again many things were odd in this new world.
It had been quite a few days and he hadn’t woken up. She had changed the bandages on his stump daily, and while it didn’t look good, it wasn’t like it was pustulent. She tried Damian’s forehead.
He definitely has a fever.
It sent a pang of guilt running down her body. She was feeling right as rain. The fresh air and food were really fitting her, she was feeling healthier than ever, and she hadn’t even picked a class yet.
I should probably choose soon…
Rachel heard a sound behind her and turned. Malcolm Specter was standing in the doorway, hunched as he was a tall man.
Rachel gulped and scrambled up to her feed.
“Relax,” Malcolm Specter said and waved a hand.
“I— thank you sir.”
Malcolm Specter looked her over with his sharp blue eyes. It felt like they were piercing right through the very core of Rachel’s soul.
“You are Rachel, are you not?” he asked in his sonorous, calm voice. “And this is Damian.”
“Yessir,” Rachel managed to stammer out.
“How is he doing?”
“I don’t know,” she said and blew out air. “He’s mostly unconscious.”
Mr. Specter nodded and knelt down by Damian’s side. He was wearing some loose black clothing, that clung to his powerful build. Rachel sucked in her lips and cast her gaze down.
Mr. Specter did something with her brother, but for his wide back, she couldn’t see. When Rachel peeked over, Mr. Specter looked at her sharply and she blushed like a girl with her hand caught in the cookie jar.
“Take this,” Mr. Specter said and placed a shard of a blue crystal in her hand. Rachel blinked and looked at it. It was hypnotizing. It sort of called to her. It had a strange sense of familiarity to it. It pulsed and glowed softly, emitting a strange warmth.
[F-grade Numa Crystal, 100%]
“Here,” Mr. Specter said and grabbed her hand, dragging her down next to him.
Oh.
He took her trembling hand with the crystal and placed it on her brother’s bare chest.
Malcolm Specter looked at her with those piercing eyes and commanded her.
“Tell the crystal to heal your brother.”
I—umm…” Rachel stopped herself from stuttering and stammering and nodded in determination. “Heal.”
The crystal pulsed under her palm and something definitely happened. She could feel the force from the crystal to transfer into his brother. The crystal under her palm felt colder, but so did her brother. It was as if the fever was already going down.
Damian slowly opened his eyes, and upon seeing his sister gave her a weak smile.
“Rachel…”
“I’m here!” She gasped and took her little brother’s hand. “I’m here!”
She felt tears welling in the corners of her eyes and she squeezed her brother’s hand fiercely. Damian sighed and fell back into unconsciousness.
Rachel sighed. Her brother would be safe. She looked at the strange blue crystal again. It was dim and lifeless now.
[F-grade Numa Crystal, 0%]
With a question in her eyes she looked to her chief. Malcolm Specter gave her a most welcoming, charming smile she had ever seen on a man. She blushed and looked away.
Malcolm Specter watched her, moved a hand on her head and mussed her brown hair.
“Good girl.”
*
Later in the evening, when all of her chores were done and she had eaten some berries and a mushroom soup, Rachel gathered her courage. The whole camp was sitting around four fires and spending time together. Rachel turned to look at the largest fire, where Malcolm Specter sat with his back straight and a slight smile on his face, as he listened to his soldiers talk amongst themselves.
I’m doing this.
Before she could change her mind, she stood up and walked over to them, her heart thrumming as if attempting to escape her chest. She stopped next to Mr. Specter. A few of his soldiers leered at her, with gazes varying from contempt to lust. All of them felt like they had been interrupted by her. Malcolm Specter turned slowly and nodded, still wearing that slight, knowing smile.
“Speak.”
“I—” Rachel started. Then she closed her eyes and breathed out. “I was wondering if we could talk, sir?”
A few chuckles went around the fire and some of the soldiers exchanged whispers. Rachel determinedly ignored them.
To her great relief and excitement, Mr. Specter got up from his log. “Let us have a walk.”
They walked a few paces, but not so far as to be completely left by themselves in the darkness. Half of Malcolm Specter’s face was covered by the night, and the other half was illuminated by the orange light of the fires.
“What is it that you need, Rachel?”
He remembers my name… Damn, he looks really handsome in this lighting.
“The crystal you had,” Rachel started. “What was it?”
“A gift,” Malcolm Specter said and looked up at the sky. “From our god in the sky.”
“A god…” Rachel mouthed the word. She had never had any faith. But then again, there was magic in this world.
“The only god we have,” Mr. Specter said, “Levemoth.”
Rachel wasn’t sure where this conversation was going, but she tried to make it as interesting as possible for Mr. Specter.
“A god that gives gifts,” Rachel said. “Must be a good god.”
“Indeed,” Mr. Specter said and plucked another one of those magical crystals from his pocket. “Here.”
Rachel took the crystal and looked at it. It was warm and had a beautiful glow to it.
“You are special, Rachel,” Mr. Specter said.
That made Rachel’s heart beat faster. “Special how?”
“You are a chosen of our god. An apostle, who can wield his gift.”
“I don’t know what that means,” Rachel said. Mr. Specter took a step closer. Rachel swallowed.
“You do not need to understand yet,” Malcolm Specter said. “Just know that you are special and I will guide you.”
Oh.
“Now,” Malcolm Specter said, his voice softer, more intimate. “What do you need.”
“These,” Rachel said, holding out the crystal. “I want to heal my brother.”
“The gifts of our god are not free,” Malcolm Specter said.
“I know,” Rachel said and bit his lip. “But I’ll work for them. I’ll do what you need me to, Mr. Specter.”
“Please. Call me Malcolm.”
“O—okay, Malcolm.”
“Now,” Malcolm said and took another step closer. Rachel could feel his warmth and she tried to breathe evenly. “Work is a given here. It is our way of survival. We work to eat. But for this…”
Malcolm plucked out another crystal, this was bigger, four or five times the size of the shard Rachel held. “As with any god, this requires sacrifice.”
“W—what kind of sacrifice?” Rachel asked.
Malcolm bore down on her with those blue sharp eyes. They were looking into her soul, or so it felt. “Our god will require absolute devotion.”
Rachel said nothing to that. She was confused.
“But you should not rush into things. One thing at a time, right, Rachel?”
“Y—yes,” Rachel said. “I’d like that.”
“You have not chosen a class yet, have you Rachel?”
“No, sir,” she said demurely
“Good,” Malcolm Specter said and placed the big crystal in her hand. “I shall choose you one. A special one for a special girl.”
