Somewhere close to the north borders of Bristol
The stench of blood lingered in the air as Lord Alistair Ravenshade Earl of Norsewood, surveyed the area. Scattered on the ground surrounding him were orcs' dead bodies, cut and slashed by his mighty sword. It had only taken a mere ten minutes to annihilate the lot, and despite the intense fight in that short time frame, he did not feel satisfied.
They were too easy, this lot, unlike the ones residing in Blackfield which were more of a challenge for him. It was either that, or he was too strong.
Alistair , however, humble warrior that he was, had never considered himself strong. If he couldn't lay waste to the behemoth and its minions residing in Blackfield Dungeon, he was nowhere near as powerful enough as he'd like to be.
"Looks like we've killed them all."
Alistair turned to look at his best friend, Jonathan Jones and nodded. "Yes."
"This lot was not trouble at all." Sir William James said. He picked a rag and cleaned the blood off his sword. "Let's clean up and set up for camp."
One hour later, the men were sitted round an open fire, eating grilled rabbit and soup. The meat tasted okay, even though it was tough. If only they had a little salt. But salt is a rare commodity. The soup on the other hand was so bland that even salt could not change anything about it.
"At this rate, we will get to Bellmere manor in three days." Jonathan said to Alistair. "And that is very earlier."
"Are you planning to take your bride immediately?" Williams asked. "The earlier we get this over with, the earlier we can return back to Northmere." Alistair replied.
Alistair didn't like to travel leisurely, after spending two weeks at the capital because the King summoned him to give him his reward for a battle well fought. Not like it was quite a generous reward, three chests filled with gold coins, a new land close to Northmere and a bride.
"Do you think the Lord Bellere will actually give his daughter to the popular Demon Duke?" Jonathan asked. "According to what I heard, his three daughters are beautiful but the beauty is only on the skin. Do you really want that?" William asked.
"If the daughters don't want to get married to me then I shall return to Northmere, Lord Bellmere can deal with King Peter on his own." Alistair said.
"You are so nonchalant about this but I am sure Lord Bellmere is trying to get out of presenting one of his daughters to you."
Alistair ignored Jonathan and stood up. "I am going to wash up."
ALTHEA
When mum and Miguel came back to the cottage. I sat them down to reveal the truth to them. "What's wrong, dear?" Mum asked looking worried. "You don't to be worried it's nothing serious." I told her.
Noticing her hand that had few cuts, definitely from working too much. I decided to heal her.
"Oh my heaven, Althea,you are...." Mum was so shocked.
"That's right, I can heal." I said to her. "But how is that possible, you were never blessed." Miguel said.
"I think it has to do with me coming into this world, I got the blessing." I replied.
Jane was still staring at her hands in disbelief when I activated my Health Circle once more. A soft, golden glow surrounded her body as I focused on scanning her condition.
The results appeared in my mind like a list:
— Minor cuts and bruises on hands
— Early signs of arthritis in joints
— Slight iron deficiency
I frowned slightly at the last two. "Mum, have your hands been aching lately?"
Jane blinked in surprise. "Well, yes, but I thought it was just from all the work."
Miguel's expression darkened. "You should have told us."
She sighed. "There's nothing to do about it. The village healer is too expensive."
I shook my head. "There is something I can do."
Reaching out, I pressed my palm to her wrist and focused my magic. A warm light enveloped her hands, and I carefully healed not just the surface wounds but also the pain in her joints. The relief on her face was immediate.
"It's… it's gone," she whispered.
Miguel was watching me carefully. "Althea, scan me next."
I nodded and activated the Health Circle around him.
— High muscle strain from overworking
— Old scar tissue affecting movement in right shoulder
— Mild dehydration
I sighed. "You need to take better care of yourself, Miguel."
He scoffed. "I don't have time for that."
"Then I'll make time for you," I said, gathering energy in my palm. The golden light surrounded his shoulder first, working to loosen the stiffness. He grunted at the sensation but didn't pull away.
Once I finished healing them, I moved to the next step. I concentrated, letting my magic shape what I needed. In my hands, a small bottle of Healing Pills materialized. They were white, smooth, and infused with the perfect balance of restorative magic.
"Take one pill every morning for a week," I instructed. "It will help your body recover from strain and keep you in better health."
Jane took the bottle with a mixture of awe and hesitation. "Althea… this is beyond anything I could have imagined."
Miguel nodded, looking at me seriously. "This power of yours… if the wrong people find out, it could be dangerous."
"I know," I said softly. "That's why we have to be careful."
Jane held my hands tightly. "You're a blessing, Althea. I don't know how or why, but I thank the gods for you."
I smiled, warmth filling my chest.
But as I looked at my glowing hands, I couldn't shake the feeling that this power had come for a reason.
And sooner or later, that reason would reveal itself.
~~~~~~~~~
I woke up the following morning to see arms wrapped around my waist as if holding me from running away. I looked to see mum still asleep. Just as I sat up, she also did.
"Morning mum." I smiled. She kissed me on my forehead. "Morning, daughter."
That feels nice. "I will start to prepare breakfast." She said getting off the bed.
"No, I will make it." I stopped her, not ready to eat that hard bread and bland soup again.
"You can cook?" Miguel asked walking into the room.
"I was a chef in my past life, so of course I can cook." I walked into the small kitchen and looked through all the items. I decided to make something simple for breakfast, bread, eggs and bacon. Simple but tasty.
I gathered the things I would use to cook, a pan, a cutting board and a jug filled with water. Then I summoned my magic circle and began to create the ingredients; bread, eggs, oil, bacons and orange juice in a jug.
Jane and Miguel stared in awe as the ingredients materialized before their eyes. Freshly baked bread appeared on the wooden counter, still warm and soft. The eggs, perfectly shaped, rested in a small wooden bowl, while thick slices of bacon sizzled the moment they hit the pan. The scent of freshly squeezed orange juice filled the tiny cottage, making their mouths water.
"What is that?" Miguel asked staring at the white loaf of bread. "Bread." I replied. "I have never seen bread that looks so white and soft before." Mum said. "This is how bread looks like in my world." I told them
Miguel finally spoke, his voice filled with disbelief. "You... created food with your magic?"
I nodded as I cracked the eggs into the pan, watching them cook to perfection. "Yes. It's not just for healing—my magic allows me to create things from pure energy. As long as I understand the structure of what I'm making, I can recreate it."
Jane sat down, shaking her head in amazement. "This is a miracle."
I simply smiled. "No, it's breakfast."
I plated the food, setting it down on the wooden table. The golden yolks gleamed under the morning light, the bacon was crisp, and the bread was warm and fluffy. For the first time in a long while, a proper meal was placed before us.
Miguel took a cautious bite of the bacon, his eyes widening. "This… this is incredible!" He grabbed another piece, chewing eagerly. "Better than anything we've ever eaten."
Jane was more hesitant at first, but as soon as she took a bite of the bread, she let out a soft sigh. "Althea, if you weren't already a blessing, this confirms it."
I laughed softly, taking a seat. "I'm just happy to cook something edible for once."
As we ate, a peaceful silence settled over us. For the first time in a long time, it felt like we were a real family—one that was safe, warm, and well-fed. But deep down, I knew this was just the beginning.
If my magic could create food, heal wounds, and even restore energy, what else was I capable of?
I can't wait to find out.