Tear of the Goddess - 3. III

Raphael was not even aware this village existed till now. A tiny settlement of not even 50 people, far west of the Forest of Anza. A few homes and a church was all there was to it. The two had traveled all day and reached the destination just before dusk. Straight away they made their way to the church, Amon greeting the priest that tended to the place and took a door at the back of the building and down a flight of stairs. It let into a small room where a single bed was, and on it a young girl in her early teens lay, still and motionless. If one did not look very carefully they would assume her dead- all the colour had gone from her skin and her chest barely moved so it was hard to tell if she was even breathing.

"I need you to heal her."

Amon spoke after a few moments. Raphael nodded, walking over to the girl. He could tell straight away she was cursed- and badly at that. it was a miracle she was still alive.

"How long has she been like this?"

Raphael asked softly.

"Around 2 years."

Raphael reached out, gently placing a hand on the girl's forehead. The skin felt icy- really this was no more than a dead body kept alive by magic. Now he understood why Amon didn't want what he thought was a curse on himself removed. It wasn't a curse that was on Amon but a soul siphon spell that probably he had put on himself to keep this girl alive. Raphael started to channel a bit of his own energy in to see how she would react.

"And do you know what sort of spell made her this way?"

"Immoral magic."

Amon replied in a dark tone. Just thinking about it made him furious... How did he let this happen?

Immoral was the derogatory term for people who were a Magus, not many people in Estel thought of them too fondly. As tribes they mainly lived in the desserts north-west and usually took profession as assassins, bandits and people other nations hired to do dirty work. They also were known for their violent raids on unsuspecting villages and towns. It was also they way they acquired their abilities, from their tradition of fusing monsters with themselves that was the root of the discrimination.

Raphael took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He started the incantation words of the Goddess. his whole body glowing a soft silvery blue. He could hear the girl's heartbeat now, the stillness of her sleeping mind. To drive out curses one had to touch their soul he just had to reach it...

Raphael jolted as the curse pushed him away. It felt as if he had hit a solid wall. He could tell this was no good. He slowly withdrew his hand from her.

"I'm sorry..."

The blonde said softly, looking up to meet eyes with Amon.

"This isn't the sort of curse you can reverse or expel from someone one they have been affected... specially after this long..."

Amon made a sound of frustration. He actually knew this may be the case. he had already gotten advise from many healers and famous clerics and they had all told him the same thing. That she could not be saved. But he had to save her. He asked Amon to look after her and he had failed...

".....Thanks for trying."

Amon muttered, turning now to lead Raphael out.

"I'll... show you out. You kept your promise so you are free to go. I'll take you back to where I took you from. That's okay right?"

"Erm.... you know that...if you carry on using your soul like that to keep her alive you will turn into.. a monster...don't you?"

Raphael felt like it was not really his place to say but he couldn't help but worry about the other man. It must hurt a lot to keep doing that for so long. And a human without a soul but strong in elemental mana like Amon would turn sooner or later into a monster that would probably create more tragedy. Even if Raphael had only known him for a short time he didn't want that. He could tell Amon wasn't a bad person- just someone who had lost his way.

"It's fine."

Came the short reply.

"I told you. It doesn't matter what happens to me."

It was already night time by the time they left the church and it was dangerous to be wandering around in the dark if it could be avoided. Stronger monsters roamed the land at night, not to mention all kinds of unsavory characters.

"...you can stay at mine for tonight. We can leave at dawn."

Amon said making his way to the house he had bought here to store his small amount of belongings. It was an almost empty place, not really something you could call a home. Even an inn had more character. Raphael felt like it showed the world though Amon's eyes and it made him feel sad. Wasn't there anything he could do?

"...I'm sorry there's not much I only come back here to sleep sometimes."

Amon said as he threw his cloak on a chair in the kitchen. He started to make tea as that was the only thing he had in the house before he walked over to the fireplace and with a snap of his wrist lit a fire.

"Make yourself comfortable."

He added a little awkwardly motioning to the chair. Come to think of it, he had never had anyone but himself in this place before...

"Thanks."

Raphael felt a bit bad taking the one seat in the whole place but he did as told, taking off his own cloak. The room started to get warmer now and the faint scent of tea filled the room.

"Here."

"Thank you."

He was handed a cup of tea and saw Amon casually sitting on the floor in front of him. There was a few minutes of awkward silence as they drank the tea, neither of them knowing what to say.

"I know you probably think I'm an idiot but I need to save Anna. No matter what. I was asked to look after her by someone... very important to me. I... I can't let her die."

Amon spoke, breaking the silence. Raphael looked up from his cup.

"But to be honest I don't know what to do anymore... everyone tells me the same thing. She can't be saved. But..."

Amon felt his throat tighten up. Why was he telling Raphael this? His emotions were bubbling on the surface of his usually calm self and it wouldn't stop, like boiling water threatening to overflow.

"I..it was my fault... everything... the first time they came I couldn't protect my clan...we... we just barely survived....Azel and Anna and myself... And we thought we had got away but after years.. they found us and it was the second time... I was an adult I should have been able to protect us all but..but I failed...I was useless..."

Amon closed his eyes tightly, trying to hold back tears and calm his emotions, his breathing uneven. His shoulders shook as his hands balled into fists. He only semi noticed Raphael standing and walking over to him, wrapping his arms gently around him in a comforting embrace. Amon subconsciously leaned into him for a few moments before he realized what he was doing and pulled back.

"S..sorry."

He uttered, regaining his composure. Since when had he become this weak?

Raphael shook his head.

"It's fine. I... I'm sorry I touched you without your consent."

Raphael's heart was beating hard in his chest and he wasn't too sure why. Seeing Amon in emotional pain like that made him act without really thinking... He fidgeted a little, brushing some of his hair that had fallen into his face away, not too sure what to do with himself. It was...only normal to want to comfort someone in pain right? Then why did his heart race like this?

Amon looked away. it wasn't like that. The problem lay more in that he had leaned into it... The only person he had ever had that sort of contact with was Azel and he had vowed not to be involved with anyone else ever again.

".....If you help me on my mission, I can help her."

Raphael said after a few moments of thinking.

Sorry Father, I know you told me never to tell anyone about this but.... I have to help this man.

Amon looked up with a frown.

"What do you mean?"

"I... have a way I can help Anna, that's what her name is right? But if I do it now, it means I can't complete my mission. And no matter what I need to succeed it. So if you help me complete my mission, I will come back here and help her."

There was a mountain of risks in saying this but he had faith in Amon. Possibly a baseless faith but he trusted him.

"...how? You said it can't be healed..."

"No, it can't. But I... have an ability. If I use that she can be cured of her curse."

Raphael shuffled over to Amon on his knees so he was the same level as the assassin. He thought it easier if he just showed him instead of trying to explain it. He took Amon's free hand into his own, pressing his palm down onto Amon's hand.

"Benedicere"

As Raphael spoke the words a bright blue flash burst from his palms and as fast as it had some, disappeared. Amon frowned, not really sure what had happened for a moment before Raphael pulled his hands away and he noticed all the scars he had received from many battles and the roughness of the burnt skin had gone. Did the cleric heal them? But how was this going to help Anna who cannot be healed?

"Father told me I am unique in this ability. It has not much to do with the ways of white magic that I follow."

Raphael said as he held out his hands to Amon, towards the light so the other could see what had happened. All the injuries and scars that were on Amon's hands had transferred onto Raphael's. Looking at it now on someone else they looked painful, specially on Raphael's smooth, pale skin. Amon blinked in surprise. Indeed he had... never heard of someone who could do this.

"I can absorb aliments from someone and take them onto myself."

Raphael added softly, looking down at his own hands. For Amon's hands to be this damaged... how much had this man gone through? The burnt skin was already fading, turning back into healthy soft skin and Raphael rubbed a finger over the scars and in turn they started to disappear also.

"Usually, if it is something like this I can heal them and it's easier to do once it's on myself. I naturally have a very high regenerating ability."

He explained with a small smile, holding up his hands again now and every trace of the scars had gone.

"It's a gift from the Goddess that She has blessed me with."

Amon frowned when he realized what Raphael was offering.

"So you are saying you will use this on Anna."

"If you help me, yes."

"Then what will happen if you do?"

"I probably will die. But rest assured, Anna should wake up and be fine as the curse will transfer to me wholly."

Raphael replied. For a person saying they will die, he was rather calm about it. Like it was just how things went. The way Raphael spoke as if that was just a matter of fact scared Amon just a little. Was Raphael not scared of death?

"....and what do you want me to do?"

"Accompany me to the Hall of the Gods."

"....you mean of the legend?"

"Yes. I need to get to the crystal. And firstly, as I said to you before I don't have any fighting ability in case monsters attack me on the way there. Secondly, the hall needs people of the 6 elements to open the door. I am personally of the light and water element and you are fire correct?"

Amon had thought Raphael as a rather mild, weak willed sort of person but he realized how wrong he was. The Raphael before him now was someone who felt stronger than he ever could wish to be emotionally.

"So basically, you want me to take you to the Hall of Gods and open the door."

"Yes. And once my wish is granted, I will come back here and take Anna's curse."

"....and how do I know you are going to keep your word?"

Raphael paused, thinking about it for a moment before speaking.

"...You can keep my soul crystal as collateral."

Amon stared back at him as if Raphael was totally insane. He now definitely confirmed Raphael was way too trusting for his own good.

"So if I do betray you, you can destroy it and I will not be able to use most of my spells anymore. And it will also mean I will have to be close to you at all times so you can keen an eye on me."

A soul crystal was the source of strength for the few people who owned one- a concentrated physical form of their elemental mana. It was so that their immense power could be taken off their physical bodies so it would not be too much of a strain on the person and so they can develop even more. Usually it was something guarded with one's life but now this man was offering to put it in the hands of someone he barely knew... Amon guessed it was more than enough put at stake on Raphael's part as it was true, he could break or even sell it on the black market for a ridiculous amount of money...

"...are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

"....alright."

"Thank you, Amon."

Raphael smiled at him, genuinely pleased he had decided to help him. Amon looked away a little awkwardly as it wasn't like he was really doing much of a favor, it was a deal of sorts...

"...it's...getting late. We should sleep."

Was all he could say to fill the gap.

When they got to the bedroom Amon took off most of his outer garments, though still keeping his blades on him. He guessed he would just sleep on the floor for today.

"You can have the bed."

He said as he bundled some of his clothing into a make shift pillow, planning to use his cloak as a duvet of sorts.

"B..but... your bed....I feel bad..."

Raphael mumbled as he started to take his own robes till he was in his under garments and took off his top, revealing his skin. Amon pretended he had never seen him naked before though he had. However the last time he didn't notice that at the center of Raphael's chest he had a light blue jewel like object embedded into his skin,probably because the cleric had his back turned to the window last night. Raphael tapped the stone twice with three of his fingers together and the stone dropped out of his chest onto his hand, leaving a shaped dent where it had been.

"Here."

Raphael held it out towards Amon. Amon for a moment wondered what he was looking at and realized it was Raphael's soul stone. He had never seen one before as it was pretty rare in the first place. He took if from him carefully. It felt warm and it seemed to pulsate very slightly, like a miniature beating heart.

"...I'll take care of it..."

"Please do! And try not to leave me for too long without it because it will hurt."

Raphael smiled, wanting to lighten the mood as Amon looked so serious and grave.

"We could probably sleep on this together you know."

He added, looking at the bed.

"There's enough room and...I feel bad making you sleep on the floor."

"But.."

"Come on!"

It was more effort to argue than to go along with it so Amon sighed, standing up and walking over to the bed as Raphael put his upper garment back on. And he knew it was with innocent intention the blonde had offered and he was the one overthinking things...

"Good night Amon!"

Raphael said cheerfully as they laid down once the lamp had been extinguished.

"...good night..."

How long had it been since he slept in the same bed as someone? Ever since Azel had died.... 2 years ago... It somewhat was starting to feel like such a long time ago... The slight warmth raidiating from Raphael next to him felt soothing.

Amon's conscious faded slowly into black, enveloped by the warmth and soft faintly sweet scent...