Be Careful What You Wish For

I set down my heavy pack, turning back one last time to gaze upon the City of Tor. At this distance, I could barely see the outline of what was once my home. Traveling on foot the entire day, I had finally reached the edge of the desert, and prepared my camp for the night.

I, Taranis the Healer was taking my last journey upon the face of gor. Shattered in heart, I wished only to visit with old friends and teachers one last time before.... before I embrace dust, I suppose...there were no options I could imagine beyond that. I would travel to the Sardar Fairs where I knew my friends and teachers would be gathered. Beyond thanking them for the teachings and support of my younger years, I did not understand why I chose this journey. I fingered thoughtfully, the vial of poison in my pocket and had wondered many times this day if even this trip was worth the trouble..

Three weeks later, wildflowers were in bloom as I treked into the rugged foothills. A change of heart had veered me this direction, as I had remembered an old Healer who lived in these hills. My wish was to visit with him and gather some of the rare flowers and roots to distribute to people at the Fairs. An exotic variety of blood's-bane grew that had remarkable fever reducing properties. As I searced for these plants, a foot trail appeared and I knew his home was close. It would be nice to sleep indoors and eat warm food for a change.

As I came around a thicket of thorn, I stopped cold in my tracks, confused at first by the sight that greeted me. As if time had stopped still, I looked on, stunned ..then the realization hit. Tears stung my eyes as I approached the stake and I recognized the face of my beloved friend and mentor Kailieal. His severed head was stuck on top of the stake buried in the middle of the path and the ground was red with his dried blood. The sound of flies drew my eye to the sight of his headless body off the path to my left. This carnage was fresh, less than a day by all accounts, as my tears began to flow.

Hours later, after I burying him, my grief had turned to anger, and I studied the trail sign for clues. I would not let this rest until I knew the reason behind this useless massacre. There were 4 of them..medium sized. They were not woodsmen by the sloppiness of their tracks nor were they mounted on any animals..I guessed they were outlaws, banded together and lost.. spreading a wave of destruction as they traveled through these hills. I set out to track these men..not sure of how it would end, but caring little for my own safety.

I was gaining on them by the second day.. The trailsign was fresh and easy to follow now. A clearing opened before me and I dropped to the ground, suddenly wary. As I circled around, I saw the bodies by a stream on the other side.. A man and wife, along with their two children had been hacked to death by axe and left for scavengers to finish off. Their camp had been looted and plundered as well. The blood was still wet and warm and I knew this had happened mere hours ago. With more concern for the living than the dead, I said a prayer over the bodies and took out upon their trail at a brisk pace. I had to stop these murderers before they found more innocents to slaughter.

As the sun was beginning to set, I stopped to rest.. I had been running for the good part of the afternoon and was hot and tired. I ate some bread and sipped water from my canteen, when I heard the voice behind me.. I knew at once I missed it.. I was in such a hurry I missed seeing that two had doubled back as a precautionary measure. No doubt, they had laid in the woods off the path as I hurried past, thinking they were all still a ways ahead of me. "Whats the rush, Healer? Are ye late for a housecall?" I heard the other voice chuckle as they moved up on either side of me with their axes drawn.

During this time I had slipped my dagger from my bootstrap and knew the only chance I had was to attack at once. Without a word I pretended to swoon and faint from my sitting position hoping it would confuse them for a moment...and it did. As one of them remarked "what the devil?", I rolled quickly towards him and brought the dagger up quickly, slicing through the thick artery on the inside of his upper leg. As he buckled to his knees, I snatched the ax from his hand and turned, throwing it hard and accurate. It hit the shoulder of the other attacker with the blunt end, stunning him enough that he dropped his ax. It was no contest from that point as I quickly dropped him with a boot to the outside of his knee, then put the knife to his throat as I straddled him.

"Where are the others?, I whispered in a soft deadly voice. He began to cry and plead, much like the coward I figured him for. His words came quick as he told me they were outcastes, lost and trying to defend themselves and that the other two were waiting ahead. I pressed the knife harder against his throat and made him tell me their names, and if there was a password or signal I needed to approach. I backed off and let him rise as I picked up his ax and said to him; "I am sorry your friend is dead, but you startled me and I was not aware of your peaceful intentions." As he began to relax, thinking I believed his lying words, I spun quickly and remarked.. "oh, and by the way.. the Healer you beheaded two days ago? He was my Mentor and friend." As his eyes widened and he began to open his mouth, I swung the ax up quickly, opening his guts from his belt to his chin. He fell to his knees as his intestines spilled onto the ground and started to gather them back in some vain attempt to undo his fate.. I turned and walked away, my only thought was to catch up with the other two before the sun rose in the morning.

I found their camp a few hours after the sunset, and backed away, making a quick camp of dried bosk and water from my canteen. Birdsong brought me back from a dreamless sleep. I rose quickly and circled around their camp silently as the soft glow of the sun lightened the fading darkness. Loud snoring confirmed they were still sleeping as I crept into their camp. Empty paga bottles told me they would be out for hours to come as my mind worked out a plan for these renegades. I took my vial of poison and carefully poured it into each of their canteens, then slipped out of the camp and back to my own. Exhausted, I once again slept a dreamless sleep awakening a few hours later to a cloudless warm day.

Carefully, but confident, I worked my way to their camp and saw that they had packed and left. Their trail confirmed what I knew would happen. The footprints were sluggish and signs of stumbling were easy to see. I followed at a moderate pace, knowing I would catch up to them within the hour. When I came upon them, they were sitting, leaning against a tree, unable to stand on their own. I approached and hailed them from a distance. They were in no condition to rise, and begged for my help, knowing I was a Healer by my robes. I approached to a few meters and faked a look of horror as I whispered only loud enough for them to hear......"plague"

The cowards began to cry as I told them of their fate, and that the only option they had was to insure a painless death before the symptoms grew worse. Then it hit me.. the Healer in me was gone.. I had broken my high vows to my adopted caste both physically and spiritually. These men had taken what little respect I had gained over the years in my profession and a deep rage welled up from my heart. I moved to one, then the other, quickly slicing their throats, then raised my head screaming to the Priest Kings..challenging the Blue Flame to end it all. Tearing off my Healers robes, I began to run in the forest, away from man, away from civilization, and away from my thoughts, if that was even possible.

Looking back now, I realize... the death of one healer was bad enough.. My mentor and friend would be missed by many.. His life and deeds were a tribute to the nobler side of man. But the breaking of my vows meant that two Healers had died on the side of this mountain.. Both consumed by the evil of the heartless.. One betrayed by another's hand, and one betrayed by the darkness of his own heart.