1 and 1/2 weeks

Chapter 6

1 and 1/2 weeks

Healers. You might wonder what healers do, and true to their title, they heal the injured, but in Duarte, healers play a huge role in determining the tide of a battle, especially due to its individual power's shortage. Similarly, to genius fighters, healers who wield strong powers of healing, were mostly seen on battlefields and if they are lucky enough, in general hospitals for the public, and therefore, here you can see my father, pacing back and forth due to his fear of losing his precious daughter to the battlefield.

"Estelle, your hands are glowing yellow! What are we going to do?" I looked at him and shrugged my shoulders. I mean what else can I do; I had just awakened from a 7 month long slumber? Wondering if I would have to go back to the Academy as per my previous life, I felt quite excited to see the different classes that I would have enrolled in this time. I'd rather live on a battlefield than go down the same route as my previous life.

"Healing? How great Father! Now I can help my brother in the future!" Looking at my father's palling face I almost felt apologetic, but a royal decree is a royal decree. In our laws, it is said that all healers shall be trained once their power emerges, or something along those lines. Father, I believe I have other issues to think about, like how to fake my magic affinity.

"Don't you worry Estelle; I will find a way for you to get out of it! I can't have my Estelle on the blood-filled soil!" Angered and still grumbling, I couldn't help but wonder what a Duke can do against the Royal Family.

Almost a few months later, after recuperating and finally gaining back my healthy stature, I was at my family mansion's entrance with a packed suitcase and my family's tears on my sleeve, mostly my father's. It is a law even for a child with healing powers, to go to the Academy, even if she was part of a Dukedom. My father could only fear for my well-being. Father could do nothing for me and hence, I was admitted to the Academy, where Knights, Intelligent Powerless and Magic-users train as a student and the future of the society. In my long navy-blue dress and dark brown hair tightly braided in twin tails down my back, I took a step towards the carriage, escorted by the family's knights. Waving my parents goodbye, I couldn't wait to see what awaits me at the Academy.

Little did I know the skies that were filled with sunlight to warm the seats, would be soaked by the impending storm ahead. Carelessly, I looked forward to my day and put my head out of the carriage window to feel the warm wind upon my skin.

Remembering my brother who had left for the Academy a few days prior to mine, he mentioned it takes 7-9 days for the travel to the Academy without any teleportation portals and I sat in my carriage, playing with my magic and honing my control. I fear that my incompetency and lack of control would interfere with the many different types of magic I had yet to try.

I sat down crossed legged, imagining the soft pale healing-yellow enveloping my whole figure, setting itself like an armour. A few hours in I felt fatigued and thirsty. With what little mana I had left, I wondered if this was enough to help me if I were to encounter an issue.

After hours on the carriage, finally the carriage stopped, and a knight knocked on my door to inform me of the night's camping. Bewildered, I sat at the campsite, where fire kept my team of escorts warm and couldn't help but think what we did to deserve this. Soon thunder and rain fell and most tents that were set up collapsed with the weight. I sat back and looked at the group that accompanied me. Fifteen of us; nine knights, three magicians, my two personal maids, Katrina and Amy, and I. If it's not all that tough maybe, we could do something.

Breathing in I envisioned two large tents, called over the magicians. They listened to my plan and nodded. I felt the power come out of one of the magician's feet and it went deep into the earth. Suddenly, the ground shook and everyone panicked until Eric, the Knight-in-charge noticed.

"STEP ASIDE EVERYONE, JACOBY IS DOING SOMETHING!" Eric yelled and everyone stood around me. Soon, a small hut emerged with space enough for five. Elevating the floor, a bit to prevent water from coming in, I had asked Jacoby to make a shelter on the side for the others as well. Everyone stood in silence, and I thought to myself if we needed any other facilities for tonight.

"My lady, what is this?" Amy asked.

"Our makeshift tent! The guys can stay outside, and we girls can stay in! Rose, you can come in too." I turned to look at the one and only female knight and she nodded. The maid set up the area for sleeping and I looked at the empty corner in the room. I imagined a similar structure to a chimney, and immediately informed Jacoby, and the earth moved around to accommodate my wants. I could do this myself, but I wouldn't want to incite any suspicions. I tore out a few pages from my journal and when no one paid attention I snapped my fingers for a small spark. Finally, I feel warm.

Walking out the makeshift hut, I looked at the knights as they sat down on the ground. It's so cold out here, with only a roof I looked at the trees and told the knights to break a few branches with tons of leaves. This could be a makeshift curtain and shut out the coldness of that rainy night. When the ground was dry, I heard the knights lay down and took turns to be on guard. Slumber consumed me, as I wondered how I could make things easier and comfier for the Knights.

Little did I know that word spread among my entourage, that I, a child of almost ten-years-old, had multiple powers. Katrina had seen me lit up the chimney. What a dunce.