Chapter 8: The Bigger Picture

Felix looked at the bone jutting out of the man's leg and knew what he had to do. He didn't have the potion needed to fix such a break, and unless the ship was transporting Dragon’s Tongue and Aname, he couldn't make the potion in time, before the man's wound festered.

"I will have to amputate your leg." These words were heavy, but they could save a life. The wide eyes of the sailor spoke volumes about his unwillingness to go through something like this.

"Are you a healer? Please, I have seen people not lose limbs from worse," which Felix doubted, but he didn't protest.

"I would need Dragon’s Tongue, and Aname," Felix said, and he finally got his answer as to what the ship was transporting.

"We don't know what Aname is, but we do have Dragon’s Tongue," one of the sailors ran below deck and came back a minute after, with a cluster clutched in his hand. "Please, save him! He is the best captain we have ever had!"

"So, this is why a water goddess attacked a ship," Edward said, and Felix blinked at him.

"Do you mean that the water goddess was attracted to the herb?" Felix had never heard of a snake eating a flower. And that was what the orange and red plant was like.

"Can you save him? Can you?" the sailor who clutched the flower asked, and Felix returned to the topic at hand. Without the Aname, it would be hard. The captain would need to be awake during the regrowth of his bones. That could drive him mad from the pain. Unless… but that was not proven to be possible.

"Do what you must, but don't amputate." The captain looked one word away from falling unconscious, and Felix decided to risk it. The merchant won't miss one herb cluster, but this man would keep his livelihood.

If Felix pulled this off, he would be the first healer in the world to do so. Unless somebody had done it before and kept mum. As it bordered on necromancy, Felix wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

The mana that came out of Felix's hand was black, and the captain swallowed before he finally lost the battle with consciousness. Felix looked at Edward and beckoned him closer.

"Take out the herbal press, please," Felix's respect for the cat shifter had only grown when he saw how Edward had handled the water goddess. In what was supposed to be her element, he had turned the tides and had torn her to shreds. Something that made Felix shiver even now.

"On it," Edward reached inside his bag and focused on the press. His mana quickly pulled it out and placed it down at Felix's feet.

"Give me the Dragon’s Tongue, sir," Felix said next, as his mana kept heating up.

"Right, here you go, healer," the man said, handing him the cluster and stepping back. Felix put the herb through the press with practiced ease. The necromantic mana, something he didn't delve into often, was easing the plant's oils out of it.

When Felix was done and had enough to heal the flesh, he finally took the bowl where the herb was being collected and popped the bone back in place, keeping it together with his hands.

"I am sorry. " It didn't matter to Felix that the man couldn't hear him now. He knew he would still feel the pain. As Felix poured the oil over the wound and then the slightly exposed bone, he heard a loud cracking noise, and the bone began to glow.

"Hold him," Felix said, when the captain began to trash around, still not waking up. Felix gritted his teeth, trying to hold the man down. Yet, the captain's spine still arched up, and he still kicked his legs. Felix felt hands on his own. He looked up and saw Edward holding the captain, careful not to break the man's still fragile bone.

They stared into each other's eyes, and Felix wondered how he had lucked out. How had he deserved Edward to be his rock?

Felix wanted to kiss Edward then. Not because of the game they played. That subtle double meaning game, and the push and pull, but because he thought he…

The captain's eyes snapped open, startling Felix out of his musing. The man's screams rang in Felix's ears, but he could do nothing about them, not now that he had already poured the concoction on the wound.

"Don't let him bite through his tongue. Place a belt in his mouth!" Felix ordered, back in full healer mode. Felix couldn't help but begin to shiver. He felt a hand at the small of his back.

"It will pass," Edward told him, having more faith in Felix than Felix could muster for himself now. How could Felix tell him this was necromancy in its purest form? Bordering on healing, but not quite? This has never been done before; it would have been kept a secret if it had been done.

But Edward was ultimately right. The screaming did end, and the captain was still alive by the end of it.

"Healer," the captain managed to make out, even though he had a belt in his mouth.

"I am here," did Felix cause the man to go blind? He didn't have any idea as to what the side effects were. Dragon’s Tongue was already dangerous by itself. Adding necromantic mana to speed the process could cause many complications. In theory, at least.

"Is my leg still there?" Felix looked at the gray skin and nodded.

"Just don't mind the discoloring," Felix tried to tell himself. This was the captain's wish. Felix couldn't be blamed for something like that, not now, that he had saved the man. Given him his chance to live an entire life.

"Thank you, Harika." The captain then fell asleep, sweat marring his forehead.

"He would need to take a bath," mainly because he had shat himself from the pain, but that was neither here nor there. "But that can wait until he wakes up."

"Healer, we have more wounded for you to look at," another man said, edging closer to Felix.

"Right," Felix should have known his job was not over. He had to use the concoction of necromantic mana and Dragon’s Tongue a few more times, but these times for arms. The sailors had fought the water goddess and had ended up thrown around like rag dolls. That was, until they finally turned on the barrier.

"Why didn't you turn on the barrier the second that thing attacked?" Felix was at the end of his strength. He wanted to fall asleep where he stood and not wake up for days. His mana pool was depleted, and he could barely open his eyes.

"We get a cut on our pay when we put up barriers," the man said.

"You won't get a pay cut this time," Felix said, gazing back at Edward. "You can make it happen, can't you?"

"Your heart is as pure as freshly fallen snow, dear bunny," Edward said, moving closer to Felix and kneeling beside him once he reached him. "Now, turn into a rabbit, and rest. You said you'd do everything for me if I did this job. Now, I want you to stop with this saving the world thing and rest."

"Edward, these people depend on these shipments. They can't get a pay cut. They have families," Felix murmured, but the desire to turn into a bunny and rest was great.

"And I will see to it that your wish is granted. Now, let me cuddle with you, while these good men take us back to the Emporium," Felix didn't know many things, but he knew how Edward's promises sounded. Satisfied, he turned into a rabbit and hopped into Edward's waiting arms.