Chapter 54: A Harsh Message
"Okay. Please." Elera answered with a small, slightly hesitant nod.
Riku focused, calling upon his basic healing magic – the same gentle light he’d used to mend minor wounds in Elowen. A soft, warm golden glow enveloped his hands. He reached out slowly, placing his palm just above one of the crimson patches on Elara’s arm.
The light flowed, and Elara gasped softly, not in pain, but in surprise at the warmth. Riku concentrated, pushing the healing energy towards the mark. But nothing happened. The crimson stain remained, vivid and unyielding beneath the golden light. If anything, it seemed to pulse faintly, almost mockingly.
He tried again, focusing more intensely, channeling more mana. The golden light brightened, but the result was the same. His healing spells, which he was sure would have cured a torn limb already, seemed to have no effect whatsoever on these crimson manifestations. It was like trying to wash away a dye that had seeped into the very fabric of her being.
Lila watched, her brow furrowed with concern. "It’s not working?"
Riku pulled his hand back, a frown creasing his forehead. "No. It’s... resistant. This isn’t a simple wound or infection." He thought back to Vintross, to the overwhelming power of Thymia’s healing melody that had cleansed an entire city. That was a level of divine intervention, far beyond his current capabilities without resorting to...
An idea sparked. He still had the "stones" from the monk, the conduits he’d used to call upon Axia and Varr. Perhaps...
System, he thought, channeling protocol for summoning divine aid, targeting Maiden of Mending, Thymia. Focus: Curse Cleansing.
He reached into his satchel, his fingers closing around one of the familiar, potent stones.