Chapter 51: Restore [II]: Thank You
--Chapter 51--
Title>> Restore [II]: Thank You
Xavier’s deep black eyes remained glued on the notifications only he could see.
The words were simple but the implications were by no means the same.
A Hidden Quest.
Never would he had predicted that helping Fiona would spawn one of those.
Of course he expected a village like this to have a hidden quest but it was by no means how he expected it to be triggered.
His attention shifted slightly as the notification expanded further.
[Hidden Quest: Fallen Grove]
[Present Objective: Save the Fairy Chief]
[Progress: 0%]
Reading through even with his hand still on Fiona’s back.
He subconsciously shifted his gaze in her direction.
’So that’s what this is.’ he shook his head in passing.
The connection made sense to a certain level. Or at least enough of it did.
The System had recognized what he was doing and attached a quest to it. Or was it that it was always meant to be so?
He had almost forgotten one thing when he witnessed the lives of this people.
It almost slipped from his mind that at the core of everything. The liveliness, the trees and the choices that came with these fairies.
Was an unmistakable reality. That was still a game after all.
Xavier quickly scanned the interface searching for any listed rewards if he completed the objective he’d already be working on.
But to his surprise, there was no listed rewards but on the bright side there was no condition for failure either.
He was only stuck with the obvious requirement that he was inadvertently going to complete.
Though he had to admit that the system not having more especially in a hidden quest was weird to say the least.
He wasn’t exactly complaining. If anything, it was refreshing.
The System usually had a habit of making simple things sound like the beginning of a world-ending catastrophe.
This time it apparently couldn’t be bothered. Xavier dismissed the notification.
There was no reason to stop and interrogate a System window while Fiona was still standing there with half her body corrupted.
His attention returned to the wing beneath both his hands.
Restore was still active and working its glowing magic through the full extent of the corruption.
If ever Xavier had belief he couldn’t get this done. Seeing the quest appear got his blood pumping to make sure he saw it through..
He poured in a little more mana in, pushing the skill further. As the golden light covered the entire wing like a shroud.
Xavier watched the remaining darkness thin beneath his palm, but he no longer had to force Restore through it.
The resistance had weakened considerably. Whatever had been holding the corruption together was losing its grip.
Xavier’s breathing steadied. "Almost there."
Fiona didn’t answer, her mind and all of her attention was on the sensation moving through her body.
The relief felt like she dipped into a warm bath after being left naked in the cold for days .
Most of the damaged tissue had began changing beneath the golden light. The blackened flesh returned to its natural colour. The branching veins faded one after the other.
The torn sections of her wing slowly closed, the delicate membrane rebuilding itself as though the damage had never existed.
Xavier’s eyes widened slightly. He had expected Restore to repair the corruption.
He hadn’t expected it to restore everything the corruption had taken with it.
His mana continued to fall, but the process was no longer threatening to overwhelm him.
Restore had found its rhythm. And Fiona’s body was responding.
Her back straightened with each burst of warmth from Xavier’s skill.
At this point, her fingers had fully unclenched. Even as her wings began to unfurl.
Fiona’s breath caught almost like she was anticipating the pain.
But there was nothing. She felt no pain, no stiffness and definitely nothing tugging at her will to live.
She moved again, turning as her emerald eyes lowered toward the restored wing.
She flexed it once more. And the beautiful glowing wing responded perfectly.
Skylar stared with a soft and relieved smile.
Her golden eyes had widened so much that Xavier almost found the expression amusing.
Pulling his hand back after restoring even the wound on her side.
Xavier watched Fiona closely. The girl hadn’t uttered a single word.
She simply stood there, moving her wings in small, careful motions as if she were afraid the moment she stopped paying attention, the corruption would return.
Xavier understood that feeling.
***
A moment later, Fiona’s wings picked up and began moving even faster.
What followed was a soft current of air that swept through the entire alcove as she opened them fully.
Xavier instinctively lowered his head against the sudden gust.
"Easy. Easy. Butterfly."
Fiona didn’t seem to hear him. Or better still she didn’t want to argue.
Her wings were whole Again. No other thing mattered more in that moment.
The emerald shimmer that normally accompanied her magic began returning to her wings, spreading from the base until it reached every edge creating something that Xavier could only call a work of art.
But amidst this, an almost imperceptible violet stream of energy slipped through the green. It only lasted for a moment before it was gone.
Skylar’s golden eyes immediately caught it. Her expression twisted slightly before returning back to normal.
Xavier noticed all of it, but before he could say anything, Fiona’s body rose.
Her feet left the ground completely, the air vibrated with a delicate him as she began to hover.
The sight made Xavier pause.This was different from the Fiona he’d met earlier.
She didn’t only look different with a shroud of green energy covering her entire body.
She also had no trace of the weakness that had weighed down every movement she’d made since he’d seen her.
Her emerald eyes closed as she inhaled deeply.
The air around her responded to her tiniest movements. Mana began stretched outward.
It started as a gentle pressure, barely noticeable against Xavier’s skin. Then it swelled up.
The wooden walls of the alcove creaked at the pressure even as the surrounding leaves rustled.
The air itself began to thicken as Fiona’s presence spread beyond the small space.
Xavier’s eyes widened at the display of power.
Skylar finally looked toward him. "You managed it. You rascal dragon. You healed my baby."
Xavier glanced at Skylar and then back at Fiona who remained in mid-air like a force of nature.
Whispering to himself. "You owe me now, Fairy queen."
Meanwhile, the pressure from Fiona continued expanding. It passed through the alcove and into the village beyond.
As the air pressure travelled, Sounds returned back with it.
It started with a startled voice. And then another. They all felt distant to the powerful fluttering wings behind the large Fairy.
Xavier looked outside and saw the two guards that were dismissed earlier return in a sprint.
They stopped at one point and began staring at Fiona.
But somewhere beyond them, someone shouted in a loud cry.
"Chief!"
The village erupted. Fairies began pouring out enmasse from the nearby homes and walkways.
Some flew. Others ran along the enormous roots.
Children appeared from practically everywhere, their voices rising above the growing commotion.
Xavier stepped aside as several fairies rushed past the alcove.
None of them seemed to care that a dragon was standing there anymore.
Their attention belonged entirely to the woman hovering behind him.
Fiona opened her eyes and smiled.
Her eyes locked on Xavier as she mouthed silently for the first time.
"Thank You."
--End of Chapter--