Arcanum 133 Infirmary

"Yah with Daisy and Helen.... and their healing spells.... they probably would accept our help." Grace agreed.

"Sounds like a good first step." Jay agreed.

"So head back into the city and ask some guards?.." I suggested.

"Yeah let's give that a try." Daisy agreed.

"So why don't we learn healing spells?.." I questioned Jay as we began making our way back to the city.

"So from what I understand... Daisy gets her powers from Serra herself and Serra specialises in healing.... and when it comes to Helen's druid healing spells are also granted by her God... I assume one of the Gods of nature.... generally Druid spells focus on natural healing and accelerating the natural healing process." Jay explained.

"So we can't learn them?.." I asked curiously.

"Well I think you can..... But learning to master different schools of magic takes a long time usually..... So splashing into Druidic, Paladin or Cleric spells would be detrimental to your Sorcerer spells." Jay answered.

"Ahhhh a sort of jack of all trades master of none." I nodded in understanding.

"Hmmm yeah! But don't worry though... we have a lot of bases covered with our group." He smiled.

"So do you think Helen or Daisy has met their God personally?.." I asked out of curiosity.

"Most likely.... Many people throughout history have met their God in sleep or visions.... Why?.." Jay answered.

"I dunno... back in my world... it was more like a faith... something you have to believe in....." I answered.

"Ahhh I see.... Well I'm sure there's a reason why they might not be able to contact their followers as easily." He answered.

"Why's that?.." I asked.

"Umm well how the story goes here... There was a very cataclysmic event like a civil war between God's you might put it... So after that event the God's left the worlds and created their own Domains in the Astral Space and a barrier was formed to stop God's directly with the mortal realm..... So maybe your God is just too far away... or can't contact their followers." Jay explained.

"Hmmmm maybe....." I contemplated on his story but ultimately disregarding it, there's no way their history can be linked to ours.

"Do you have a faith?.." I questioned Jay.

"Me?... nah..... Not my thing." He chuckled.

"I get that." I smiled remembering Paul had no faith in and religion especially after the loss of his mum.

"Daisy you're up." Grace smiled as we reached the gates and a group of guards.

"Why me?..." She asked in shock.

"Well you are a Paladin of Serra.... and well Helen is a Elf." Grace answered.

"Okay fine...." She replied and began to walk toward a group of guards.

"Are all dark Elves evil?" I asked Helen and Grace.

"To be frank.... Most of them are... There are the rare few that aren't but majority of them are sadly." They answered.

"Is there a reason why they are so different to you guys?.." I asked curiously.

"They are the Elves that remained faithful to the Evil Elven God's..... And was cast deep underground. Their insatiable hunger for power have driven them to very heinous acts...... Filled with slavery, back stabbing, and mindless killing.... all sorts of things." Grace answered.

"...... That explains why you both were so eager to act." I replied.

"Yeah..... We Elves know what Dark Elves are capable of." Helen answered.

"What are we gonna do once we get down to the bottom of this?..." I asked worried that we're way over our heads.

"We'll let the Deputy Head Mistress know....." Grace answered.

"Ohh.... was kinda worried you guy might go barrelling in." I replied.

"Of course not..... Dark Elf assassins should not be taken lightly." Grace replied.

Grace came walking back to us with a solider following by her side, "So these are my friends that I mentioned earlier that came to help." Daisy introduced each of us.

"Nice to meet you all.... on behalf of the city thank you for your help and support, follow me I'll take you to the infirmary." He said leading the way.

"So if you don't mind me questioning.... what's been attacking the solider and people?..." Helen asked politely.

"Absolutely hideous creatures..... Heavily armoured insect creatures with giant mandibles and carapaces as hard as steel.... one particular one I've encountered looked like a big boulder at first but then began sprouting several tentacles and a gaping mouth with razor sharp teeth, it bound and caught most my party dragging them in to consume them... Not many of us made it back that night….." He answered physically shuddering as if traumatized by the event..

"......... They don't sound natural inhabitants here." Helen replied.

"They defiantly aren't..... It was the first time I've ever seen such a disgusting creatures." He answered, "Reports say that there were giant insectoid creatures..... That let out a disorientating scream along with a mesmerizing gaze... armed with giant mandibles and giant clawed hands that could easily cut through our armour." He added.

"That definitely sound like Hulking Beetles." Grace answered.

"Have you fought them before?" He asked in response to Grace's familiarity of the creature.

"No sorry.... but we've read about them." She answered.

"Anything else you can tell us about?..." Grace asked.

"Some reports speak of a weird darkness that appears where all but one member of a guard unit mysteriously disappears. The one surviving guards almost always seem to have been driven insane for somehow….. Blabbering about horrific visions." He added.

"This really doesn't make sense..." Jay whispered to me.

"Why is that?" I asked.

"I dunno something doesn't sit quite right.... why was Atlantis called in for this exact date." He questioned.

"You're right.... So there has been attacks on the guard and some individuals... but how do they know that an attack was gonna happen today?.." I agreed.

"Excuse me..... Is there a reason for all the amped security today?.." Jay asked.

"Ohhh yes.... the commander said that the High Mage has received visions of an imminent attack." The solider answered.

"Ohhh I see..." Jay nodded in understanding.

"So their High Mage must have used some sort of divination magic......" He whispered to me.

"This doesn't sound good..... Helen and Grace seem to know what the creatures attacking the guard are.... and now we've discovered news of an imminent attack....that the school probably don't know about…." I whispered back.

"Yes we'll defiantly report all our findings once we're done here." Jay replied.

As we approached a large building a strong stench began wafting into my nose forcing me to gag, "What is that smell?.." I said holding my nose closed.

"It's the ones that didn't make it." The guard frowned looking down at the ground as if showing respect. Jay pulled out his wand casting a spell making the smell into fresh scented flowers.

Opening the gate entering the grounds of the building there was a large area filled with many bodies laid down in neat order completely each covered individually in white sheets. "This way...." he said leading us through the main entrance into a devastating infirmary... innumerable bedswere filled with injured people..... Missing limbs... blood everywhere... howls and moans of pain.... many priests running all over the place..... Some even resting on a bench looking shattered or sleeping.

"I did not expect it to be this many..." Daisy froze in shock.

"Hey you!!! Priest of Serra.... we need your help here!" A man shouted out to Daisy causing her to snap into action.

Helen quickly ran to another patient that seemed to be screaming out in pain with several individuals trying to restrain him down to a bed.

"I'll make my way back to my post." the solider notified us clearly shaken at the sight.

"Thank you sir...." Jay replied.

"Good luck and thank you." he said saluting to Jay and making his way out

I quickly began passing rations to some priests, they've clearly must have spent themselves feeling completely exhausted. "I thought it was only a few attacks...I never imagined it to be this bad….." I said to Jay.

"Same.... it clearly looks worse than we've been lead to believe...." He also helping by giving out rations and drinks.

Grace went to help Helen taking the opportunity to analyse the wounds and injuries. Daisy and eyes were already illuminated with her signature golden glow...

Chapter end