A couple of hours later during the late afternoon, Azhar woke up.
Old Thane had laid him on a bed of skins, his head upraised atop a sack stuffed with hay that functioned as a pillow so as to make sure blood flowed into his head properly.
Azhar groaned as he shifted himself up. He used his free hand to rub his head, his fingers splayed and pressing into his temple in a rudintary massage. His movents were a little shaky, but not at all due to physical damage. Nor was it due to mana loss as Li had restored his mana too.
Azhar's expression was more surprised than tired.
After so ti tending to the fields, Li was drinking a mug of cool water at the table with Old Thane when they heard and saw Azhar coming to.
Li put down his mug and said, "You look surprised. Surprised you're alive?"
"A little." Azhar tapped his head with his fingers.
"Relax, you should be fine," said Li. "I have enough confidence in my healing skills for that. A little mashed up brain is nothing."
Azhar nodded. "Thanks."
Li motioned to Old Thane, now the sa as ever, withered and aged and yet with that gentle, happy smile that made him Old Thane, not the Bloodfist.
"You should be thanking the old man. He pulled his punches on that last hit when you made your suicide dive. I can fix a little bit of brain damage, but when the whole thing's broken and you straight up die instantly? Yeah, no. Best my healing would do would be to make your corpse look pretty."
"Hells, old man," said Azhar, awe under toning his voice. "Ya had ti to pull back even then? Thought I really had ya surprised."
Old Thane made a fist and held it towards Azhar. "A warrior is always prepared, young lad. You best rember that."
"Yeah, this is the Old Thane I know," said Azhar as he smiled at the old man. "Less beatings and more wise quotes."
Old Thane loosed a hearty laugh. "It was an interesting experience to feel once more the rush to crack skulls, but now that the rush has slowed, I am reminded why I now prefer words over fists."
"Yeah? Why's that?" Azhar said, leaning forwards, expecting another wise quote.
"Because my back is just not as it once was," complained Old Thane as he tapped his back.
"Yeah, figured yer warrior's spirit never really left ya," said Azhar.
"Every warrior must one day lay down their arms, and accepting that is a martial feat of its own," nodded Old Thane. "And young lad, I must say that I am sorry for the harsh treatnt I flung upon you. I imprinted my younger self with as much concern and care as I could, but alas, it was not quite enough."
"Naw, I'm all the better for it," said Azhar. "Made stronger. Made realized what fightin's really bout'."
"Just know that I won't be there all the ti," said Li. "You won't have soone like healing you every single ti you decide to bash your own skull in."
��Jeanne's got that covered, though she's been slackin' on her priestly healin' to train her mutant powers." Azhar shrugged. "But yeah, get watcha an. Course ya ain't gonna be rainin' healin' down on night and day, but this whole trainin' was still good to make realize what fightin' was really like. Made understand that it ain't about winnin' or losin', it's all bout' killin' or being killed."
"Aye, young lad." Old Thane shifted in his seat to face Azhar, his expression becoming grave. "But as Li said, know that this mindset cannot push you through multiple fights. It is a desperate one ant to loose your all only when a fight truly pushes you.
You fight to survive and kill, but do not let those thoughts consu you. You cannot treat every fight as one to claw for your survival."
"Course' I know that," said Azhar with a laugh. "I ain't gonna' start bitin' off the ears and gougin' out the eyes of the next tavern drunkard that picks a fight with ."
"Simply a reminder," said Old Thane. "For unlike , you have sisters who care for you dearly. To lose an arm to secure victory may sit right with your fiery spirit, but that sacrifice will pain them."
"Yeah, figured that too." Azhar sighed, looking down. After a few seconds, he looked up and matched Old Thane's gaze with a determined smile. "I may be a hothead, old man, but I know what I want outta' my life, and that's to make sure they manage to keep smilin'. For that, I'm ready to sacrifice anything."
Old Thane nodded. "You have far more purpose than I did when I was your age, young lad. Cherish it." He then took on a lighter tone. "Say, though, what possessed you to go to such mad lengths to sacrifice your skull? Such madness would have been unknown even to , hah!"
Azhar tapped his head with fist. "Wasn't it you that said the skull's the hardest armor we humans got?"
Old Thane shook his head with a faint smile, amused by the ranger. "If only you had committed to your studies with this fervor. Then Aine would not have scolded you so."
"Studies don't get the blood rushin'." Azhar looked at Li. "Speakin' of, though, I wouldn't mind sittin' down and porin' through arcane texts to learn so magic from ya."
"Before we can think about that, I need to ask you a question," said Li. "Your specialty is as a shaman, isn't it? I just want to confirm – how is it that you learn your spells in the first place?"
Azhar cocked his head. "Well, I went to the Echoing Hills where them animal spirits roam round' and ditated there. Starved myself and took enough spores to knock a bear out for days. Spirits ca to then, and I learned from em', though I ain't sure if it was all in my head or not, outta' my mind as I was."
"I see." Li nodded. "And as far as your knowledge goes, is there any other way to learn these spells aside from calling upon these spirits?"
"Nah, it's impossible. We're drawin' from their power, after all."
"And is there a set series of tasks these spirits ask you to do in exchange for their power? So kind of established record that's standardized for every shaman?"
"It's all up to their whims, really. Ain't no two people ever had the sa experience with the spirits. Sotis, the spirits get bored and end up eatin' a few."
"I figured as much." Li shrugged. He had realized this while Azhar was knocked out. In the ga, players that used faith-based magic like this had to do quests revolving around serving their deity in so fashion in order to progress their skills.
Li knew the requirents for many of these quests, but in this world where spirits and deities had free will, these quests did not exist anymore. It was all up to the what these spirits wanted at the ti.
"Then unfortunately, I can't help you with your magic," said Li. "I can't call upon your spirits and tell them to give you spells, and I don't have the ti to trek all the way west to the hinterlands to talk to these spirits."
"Huh? That was what ya ant by teachin' magic?"
Li raised a brow. "You expected sothing else?"
"Yeah, sothin' like…," Azhar glanced worryingly at Old Thane. "Ya know, cause' you're special and all."
Li understood where Azhar was going with this and stood up, pushing his chair into the dining table. "Old man, mind if I talk with Azhar outside?"
"Secrets of the trade, eh?" Old Thane gave a casual shrug. "Of course, I do not mind, lad. Be sure to make it by supper, though, elsewise you'll have more of mine signature bland porridge."
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Azhar and Li stood at the back of the cottage, near the toolshed. Li stood straight, his arms crossed as he stared sowhat curiously at Azhar. The ranger seed almost bashful, looking at Li's face but not eting his eyes.
"I have an idea of what you're proposing," said Li. "But I'd like you to explain it in your own words so I know exactly what it is."
"All my magic's based on belief in so higher being." Azhar scratched his head. "See, I don't know exactly what ya are, but I do know in so way, you're so kinda spiritual being that's way up there on the totem pole. Spirits all have their color, and yours, that darkness, it's like an ocean compared to the little ponds that them animal spirits are.
It feels kinda weird for to start treatin' ya like so kinda god now, but if it ain't too much to ask for, would ya take in as a follower?"
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