Iron Claw City

Iron Claw City or The Blessed City is not what it used to be, five years ago, Iron Claw can be called the blessed city, but recently the town should be called the cursed city for the poor at least. The city is so corrupt that all men and women who held a little bit of power inside the city will have a comfortable life.

Iron Claw banned any Adventurer that not originally from the city itself to take any quest the guild offers, The owner of Iron Claw is Lord Richard 'Iron Fist' Hortensia. Richard has the rank of Earl that he inherited from his father.

Richard is a terrible lord that is only thinking about himself and his ambition when he inherited Iron Claw from his father. The first thing he orders is the execution of all his father's old court and installed a new court of his choosing.

There is gossip around the city about the new Earl is just a puppet of his court. Still, the next day the gossip spread across the city. Richard orders his army to kill anyone that he deemed is the reason that gossip spread. After that accident, many commoners stay silent and avoid getting the landlord's attention.

The following year of Richard's reign, a plague coming to their city, Many people already died because of the epidemic, The rumor has it that their neighbor City already been destroyed by the disease and kill all Citizens inside it including the lord.

Lisa of Iron City is a commoner that life inside the city and born from the city. Her dream is to become a healer that able to heal anyone after she witnesses her little brother die because of sickness, she continues to save the money to buy some book of Alchemist and Medicine.

After years of saving money, Lisa able to buy some Medicine books about how to make a simple Drug to cure the common cold and runny nose. He wants to be able to like her new Idol, The Red Saint, Asclepius.

Lisa was hearing the rumor of the Red Saint at first when she is working in the Adventurer Guild for extra money, Lisa hearing the Receipsonist talking to the Adventurer Dillan of Vrumson city an A-rank Adventurer that just coming back from the border.

"Good afternoon, My name is Dillan. I just come back from an escort mission from this city to Uqalas."

"Very well, all is good, and here your payment."

"Thank you, ahh, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, What can I do for you?"

"Is this city already got the Plague?"

"The plague?"

"Wait for a minute, and you guys don't know?"

"No, we don't have any news about a plague."

"Really? Then this is bad news. There is a plague that terrorizing the people across the continent."

"I... don't hear anything about that."

"I see then HE continue to ignore a grave news feeling that HIS castle wall able to protect HIM even from the plague."

"Yes, and for that information, I thank you because if your information is correct, then we can prepare for it, and can you tell us about the symptoms the people that infected show?"

"Very well, I only hear this from the Red Saint after he Cures the Plague when he is in Uqalas city."

"The Red Saint?"

"Yes, he is a man wearing a White Robe that has Red Cross on his front and Back of his Robe. Anyway, The Red Saint, Asclepius, said that this Apedemic is called a Black Death, it was caused by a Flea that bites you, The Flea is life inside of a rat so you must hunt all the rat inside the City to Prevent this plague."

Dillan pauses a little before telling them the symptoms.

"The symptoms for the first six days are fever and chills, headache, muscle pain, general weakness, seizures. That is the symptoms for the first six-day as for the next day, the infected will have abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, fever and chills, extreme weakness, bleeding, shock, and skin turning black."

The receptionist writes it all down on her note before nodding at Dillan.

"Thank you for your information, and I will inform this to Lord Richard right away."

"HAH, I already able to predict that he will care about it and will ignore you."

"Maybe"

"I will leave this city and will not going back except the Red Saint coming to this city."

Dillan was then saying goodbye to the receptionist.

From that day, Lisa keeps hearing a rumor about the Red Saint that keep healing people from place to place without asking for compensation, Lisa becomes more curious about this Red Saint, so she asked the man that tells the story about Red Saint.

"Um... Excuse me"

"Ahhh, what is it?"

"I want to ask about the Red Saint."

"Ohhh, come on then, what do you want to ask me about?"

"What he looks like?"

"Well, he wore a robe with a large hood and a scarf that covered the lower half of her face. The robe was alabaster white and had a medic's red cross on the chest and the back. As for his face, He has a handsome face with a round face, and He has black hair and the most beautiful blue eyes I ever have seen."

"I see, thank you."

"No problem."

The next week after that conversation Iron Claw City got struck by the plague, from the rumor around the guild, the lord forbids anyone to hunt the rat inside the city because the rat will become his pet eagle food.

Lisa then sees the symptoms that Dillan said to the receptionist, and a week later, many people have black skin across their feet and hands, and the news that Lord Richard got the plague not make any improvement to the city Mood.

The next day after the news, Lord Richard give an Order to his army to close the gate, not letting anyone to going outside while he let outsiders coming to his city. After looking at his order Lisa able to guess that Richard wants to make people suffer like him.

A week later, news coming from the castle that Lord Richard is passed away because of the plague, including all his court and the noble he invited to his city. At this moment, no one inside the city care about their lord Died because the next one to die is them, and the reason is the Epidemic that happens right now.

Lisa sit down outside her house, waiting for her time to die the reason of her hopeless is her black hands and feet. There are already 50 people killed inside the city, and the people from the church coming to the town last week then label this city the cursed city because of the incurable disease the deemed as Curse.

When many people asked the Church personnel about why they label this city cursed, They answer them while saying that this disease is named Black Death, the incurable disease, when people asking where this info is coming from, The Bishop that was coming to this city said.

"We got this from the heroes that got summoned by our Goddess."

After saying it, the Bishop then leaves the city and orders the Holy Knight to create a parameter around the town but not to close to it. His reasoning is to prevent the disease from spreading out from the city.

Day by day, Lisa continue her body become worst as he sits outside her house. She then closed her eyes, feeling that her body already reaching its limit while thinking.

'Is Red Saint even real? if so, please help me, help this city please...'

Just like her prayer has been answered, she hears a voice calling her.

"Hey... Hey..."

She then opens her eyes and then seeing the most beautiful sights she ever sees, blue eyes that are showing a kindness she ever sees, and that eye is likable to see her very souls. On top, his shoulder is a beautiful Snow Owl look at her with concern.

She then becomes panic because she concern about this man will have her disease, but as he wants to say the word, she looks at her hands that already return to normal without any blackness on it.

"You... You..."

"I already heal you and kill the reason the disease spread out inside the city, so it's okay now."

The man in front of her smile at her while his Owl bobbed its head toward her. Lisa can't say anything because from the first day of the Epidemic come to this city. Lisa only able to see and can't do anything about it. She is seeing one man able to cure the disease that said its incurable by the Heroes, their Goddess. Lisa wants to angry at him because he is coming to this city too late and causes many people to die, but at the same time, she thankful that he finally arrives and saves the day.

Lisa then feels an arms warp around her comforting her. Lisa then started to cry at the man's chest releasing all the stress she had because she can't do anything about the disease, about how she is useless for a healer.

After a few minutes, Lisa stops to cry and look at the man smiling at her before saying.

"Feeling better?"

"En"

"That is good because right now, I must heal many people as well, okay?"

"Let me help you!"

Lisa said it with much determination that coming back after the despair she felt because of the plague.

"Very well, can you call the people to this place, please? I will prepare for the place."

"EN"

Lisa was then calling all the people she able to find. Some of them hesitate, some of them are already accepting that they will die, only 20 people willing to try seeing the evidence that Lisa is already healed.

Lisa then walked toward her house and saw that a two bed, one chair, and one table appear outside her home, with The Red Saint sitting on the chair with his Owl on top of his table eating some meat.

"Come, please lay down on the bed, two at the time, please."

Lisa then takes two people to the bed and lay them down next to Red Saint, who walks toward the bed with his staff before saying.

"O Apollo, give me your strength, Greater Cure."

Red Saint staff glow a little before the one that lay down one the bed began to shine as well, and second later, all the Black mark on their hands and Feet began to disappear.

"Its... gone... my hand back to normal."

"Its... Miracle"

The Saint is seeing his patients look at his work, only smiles before saying.

"Okay guys please wait for a second, I need to heal the injuries as well."

Hearing the Saint word, they then staying still again waiting for the Saint heal their injuries as well.

"O Isis bless me with your Miracle, Greater Heal."

Lisa then able to see the injuries people have begun to heal and to leave a healthy person without any disease and injuries.

"And Done, Next, please."

They continue these activities until Midnight, where people keep coming after seeing that the one coming with Lisa gets its disease cured. After they reach midnight, The Saint said that he needs to rest, At first, the people want to be cured right away, but the Saint promises them that he will Heal all of them.

The Saint or Asclepius, as he insists her calling him with continues to heal the people inside the City, Asclepius treat them with a smile on his face and do it with kindness without asking for a single gold.

Many people around the neighborhood hearing about his exploit began coming toward their city looking for treatment, these activities continue to happen for one month, but after one month the people that need healing reduced before it disappears after one and a half months.

Seeing that his job is done, the Saint said that he would continue his travel tomorrow, seeing that their savior wants to leave, the people of Iron Claw City make a party to celebrate the end of the disease and Honoring their Savior.

Lisa that night coming to the Saint place and knock his front door, a seconds later, Asclepius open the door and said.

"Ahh, Lisa, what can I help you with?"

"Please take me with you?"

"Eh?"

"Please, I always want to be a healer after my little brother died because of an illness when the Black Death coming to this city I feel Despair and angry at myself that I can't do anything about it, so please let me come with you. Let me learn under your teaching!"

Lisa then began to bow toward The Saint, and She doesn't want to feel that helpless again, she wants to help the other and make them smile after they got healed. Lisa WANT to become like Asclepius, even though she will not like him. Lisa wants at least have a little bit of his knowledge to be able to help other people.

"Very well, we will leave tomorrow morning, so prepare all your necessity, okay?"

"Yes Master"

Lisa then runs toward her home, leaving Asclepius, that has a shocked expression with his Owl, who is laughed at him.

~~~Next Morning~~~

The next morning they prepared to leave the City. Still, they greeted by the people of Iron Claw City near the Gate, who express their thanks toward Asclepius by giving him many gifts. The gift variety from fruit to a beautiful Armor when he refused and the people said that Asclepius does not accept the money, so they provide him with something that not Silver or Gold.

Asclepius only sighs and smiles before storing them inside the Inventory he has. At first, people shocked a little, but a second later nodded while saying something like.

"He is a high-level person, after all..."

"Now I'm curious what level Red Saint is..."

Lisa then sees at Asclepius and smile, seeing her master get surrounded by the people who want to touch him for the last time at least.

After an hour, Asclepius finished storing all the gifts as they walked outside the City wall. He then looks at Lisa before saying.

"Let's Go, Lisa"

"EN"