Out and About

Laying on the bare ground was Agnar, who was still unconscious, and his two sons. Next to them was the healer, Levi.

"You are sure he is okay, right?" Kiyan asked breathing heavily.

"Yes, I am sure. He should be awake soon." Levi responded.

"Thank you. For saving our father, thank you so much." Raten said sitting up.

"Just doing my job. Besides, the old man is a friend of mine." Levi gave a smile. "Let's head back inside." He stood to leave, Agnar's body levitated and followed.

Dragging their bodies off the ground, the twins looked around the place. The once beautiful garden was half dead. The flowers and leaves withered, the trees rotted.

Kiyan sighed and walked in the direction of the healer's house. Raten followed.

They got into the house and sat on the bed their father laid. They seemed unwilling to move as they watched over him.

"How long will he stay this way?" Kiyan asked.

"Not long." Levi replied placing a tray on the floor and sat next to it. "Why don't we eat while we wait?" 

"Thank you, but we would decline." Raten said.

"Why? Remember I said your father and I are friends. I am sure he wouldn't want you two to go without eating." He smiled at them.

"You boys got here early. Pulling that cart would have taken some time, I believe you haven't had breakfast yet. So, why don't you join me?" He insisted, taking out two plates from the tray he had brought in and handed it to them.

They were hesitant, and just looked at him. They couldn't believe someone would be nice to them.

"What are you thinking about? Would I go through the trouble of healing your father just to poison you later?" Levi said. "Take this and eat." He smiled once more at them.

Returning his smile, Kiyan took the plate from him, and so did Raten. They thanked him still staring at the food, not sure if they should eat.

Levi had already begun eating from the plate left on the tray. Soon after, they ate as well.

"The meal was tasty, thank you." Said Kiyan. They offered to wash the plates but Levi refused it. So they remained with their father.

"Raten, I wonder if we are cursed as well. Is it just father?" Kiyan said to his brother.

"I don't know. The best person to ask would be father, but he still hasn't woken up." Raten sighed.

Levi had left them in his home when he was called by a woman. She claimed her husband and son were ill and needed treatment. Hurriedly, he left with her.

*******

"Thank you so much sir." A lady in a purple flowing dress thanked the healer.

"Just doing my job." Levi replied with a smile and left. With what he had earned, he decided to head to the market. He needed to get a few things.

"If it isn't Levi, the great one." The owner of the store greeted him.

"I'm just a healer." Levi responded. "It's been a while we saw, hasn't it, Malum?"

"It has indeed." Said Malum. "What brings you here?"

"What would bring me to your shop if not vegetables." Levi answered his friend.

"It was silly of me to ask." Malum sighed. "So, which ones do you need?" He asked.

Looking at the vegetables on display, Levi bought some carrots, lettuce and tomatoes. "Say, you live close to the Teferi family, did you know of the man's state?" Levi asked Malum.

"I see, they were successful in getting him to you. The boys did come to me when I was about leaving my home asking for help. Those jinxes, I chased them away." Malum responded.

"You should do the same and leave the man to meet his maker."

"How can I? I'm a healer after all. I will save everyone, no matter who they are." Levi said. 

"Indeed, you are a noble man." Malum nodded in approval.

"And you are not." Levi said.

"Is there anything else you need?" Malum asked while he handed Levi a bag of his purchase.

"This is all I need." He replied handing a few bronze coins over to Malum. "Have a nice day." Levi left the market and returned home.

*******

"With the coins we earned a lot of things will be taken care of." Kiyan said.

"I am most happy about the gold jewellries we kept for ourselves." Raten said with gleaming eyes.

"We'll shine like we are supposed to." Kiyan said with his eyes glittering. They seemed to be lost in their days dreams about gold, they didn't notice Levi had returned.

When he was done cooking, Levi stepped out to his backyard. Looking around, he was a bit saddened.

"Agnar, you owe me for this one." He muttered.

The twins sat on the floor next to the bed their father laid. Having done nothing all day besides watch him, they were beginning to feel sleepy.

"We are not used to staying this idle. It does not feel right." Kiyan said. "When do you think father will wake up, Raten?" He asked but got no response. Turning to look at his brother, he could see he was fast asleep.

"Raten!" He kicked him awake.

"What?" He groaned.

"Don't fall asleep, i'll get bored."

Rubbing his eyes, Raten looked at Agnar. "He's still not awake?" He asked and fell back into slumber.

"Wake up!" Kiyan yelled, kicking him again.

"Why?! Wake me when he has woken." Raten pointed at Agnar and returned to his land of dreams.

"Fine! Sleep then." Kiyan pouted his lips.

After another hour or two, Kiyan could see Agnar's fingers move.

"Father?" He called out softly, moving closer to the bed.

Sitting up abruptly, Agnar took in gasps of air. Kiyan was startled and fell back. Agnar looked around .

"You're awake?" He said. Tears stung his eyes. Agnar turned to his right and saw one of his sons. He was relieved.

"Father?" Kiyan called out with joy, reaching in for a hug, which Agnar reciprocated. Pulling away from him, Kiyan shook Raten roughly.

"Wake up you! Father's awake." He said.

Raten whose eyes were half open, now had full eyes realizing what was said to him. He pushed his brother off himbwhen heard those words.

"Father?" He let out a shriek and hugged him as well. "I was beginning to think the healer lied to us and you wouldn't wake up again." He cried.

He knew his son's would never hold him unless they were deeply affected by something. Something must have happened for sure.

"Healer?" Agnar asked. "So this is where I am."

"That was hurtful." Levi gave a slight chortle to Raten's words. Seeing the boys reactions to their father was heartwarming.

"Levi?"

"You finally woke up, old man." Levi said.

"What's going on?" Agnar asked looking at his sons who sat beside him on the bed. Returning his gaze to Levi, he asked. "Did something happen?"

"Yes, something happened." Kiyan started. "You had us scared, we thought we had lost you."

"Lost me?" Agnar was both confused and worried.

Getting out of his seat, Levi walked up to a small table with a jug filled with water. He poured some of it into a cup.

"You almost died, I saved you." Levi said with a grin handing the cup of water to him.

"Thank you." Agnar took the cup from him and drank the liquid.

"For saving you or giving you water?" Levi sat back down.

"You weren't waking up this morning, you looked pale and almost stopped breathing." Raten began. "Kiyan and I were very worried, so we brought you here. The bald man then said your life force was drained and that, that...you were cursed." He hurried the last part not wanting to hear himself say it.

"I see." Agnar said in a low tone averting his gaze from his children.

"You were lucky they brought you here on time." Said Levi.

"You didn't tell us you were cursed." Raten said reading his father's emotion. His reaction to the mention of the word made it clear he knew about it.

They wanted to ask a lot of questions, but decided to wait till they got home.

"Thank you." Agnar said to Levi.

"Just doing my job." Levi shrugged it off.

They chatted for a while and Levi asked that they have supper with him, to which they accepted. All said and done, they were ready to leave.

"How much will this cost us?" Agnar asked.

"Let's see," he began listing. "I healed you, lost my garden, fed you. It amounts to three, no SIX gold coins." He made the number with his fingers and grinned.

Agnar just stared at him. "You have always been like this." He shook his head. There was no way he would be able to pay that.

Reaching into a small pouch he hung on his shoulders, "Here you go." Kiyan said, stretching out his arm. "Six gold coins."

Levi stood, eyes bulged out in surprise as he looked at the coins. But then glittered as he hesitantly took the coins from Kiyan.

"You found a lucrative job finally, Agnar?" He asked staring at the coins in his hands.

"Uh..yes, I did. A very lucrative one." Agnar answered and looked at his sons who took a few steps back. Of course it was a lie, but he wouldn't say his sons stole to get it.

"Okay then, leave." Levi waved them off.

"Goodbye Sir!" The twins said in unison, while they waved.

Levi smiled. "Don't forget to take your cart with you."

"Cart?" Agnar asked, as he saw Raten pulling a cart close to them. He didn't remember ever having a cart.

"Thanks for reminding us." Said Kiyan.

"It's how we got you here, we pulled you in this cart." Raten explained seeing the puzzled look on his father's face.

Lifting both his sons and placing them in the cart, he said.

"I guess I have to return the favour." He gave a warm smile and drove them home.

The people hissed like spitting cobras as they passed, wishing Agnar had not survived. The smile the three had on their faces just angered them even further.

"Just get lost, leave us be!" They yelled. But Agnar kept moving.

"My cart! You stole my cart!" A man shouted but dared not take a step closer to them.

People began throwing stones and whatever they could find at them.

"Ignore them." Agnar said to his sons and they nodded.

Soon enough, they arrived home and the boys were free to ask their questions.

"Why didn't you tell us you are cursed? More importantly, why were you cursed?"

"Are we cursed as well?"

"You two are not cursed." Agnar responded after a while. "As for your first question, I will only say, for now, I was cursed because of that 'mistake'."

"I will tell you everything as soon as we leave this village. We need to leave here immediately." He said. The twins looked at themselves and back at him.