The Reluctant Saint Shall Become The Holy Elven Saintess

2. Smoke

"It's...healed!" the young priestess exclaimed, examining her leg "But how!?"

Altair continued to kneel on the ground feeling somewhat uneasy; dizzy. He had broken his promise and exposed his secret to the one person who could easily ruin his life.

"You even purified the miasma! But that is impossible!" the priestess continued to exclaim, testing her weight upon the once wounded leg "Amazing! It is totally healed! But...how?!"

"I am glad that you are doing much better." Altair finally answered, slowly rising back to his feet, picking up the mortar and pestle from the ground. He was going to leave the priestess at the ruins, using the encroaching sunset to get away. However, he found his arm being grabbed as the priestess then demanded.

"How did you use the ability of the Saintess!?"

Altair glanced back, unable to respectfully get away from the prying priestess "I am only an apothecary apprentice." he replied.

"Apothecary?" she muttered "How can an apothecary use purification magic? It isn't possible."

"It must be, because I 'am' only an apothecary, just like my mom and dad."

"Then show me your blessing!" she demanded, already checking the 'usual' sites where the blessing usually forms just after the seventh birthday. However, every site was nothing more than bare featureless flesh.

"Please stop!" Altair demanded, stepping away from the priestess, afraid she might find it.

"An apothecary blessing cannot purify miasma; it cannot even rapidly heal a wound! Only the blessing of the Holy Saintess can dispel miasma and rapidly heal the injured."

"I have the Forest blessing!" Altair defended himself. However, the priestess continued to argue.

"Then prove it to me! Show me your blessing!" she demanded.

Altair stepped back once more, trying to think of anything to say. The priestess has seen right through his rouse, knowing that he was clearly lying. He felt the blessing near his navel acting up once more, the gift of foresight showing him terrifying glimpses of a demonic army marching upon his village, setting it ablaze! He could hear the people screaming as they were cut down by the fearsome demons.

The priestess watched as the expression of horror froze his facial features, his eyes twisted with revulsion. Altair then grabbed his head in agony as the screams of the villagers were deafening to his ears – the wailing of his fearful parents calling out for him to come back home pierced his mind.

"Hey boy, are you alright!?"

"Mom! Dad! No!" he cried out, turning to the valley. Whatever skill that was enhancing his third-eye, he knew in his gut that he needed to hurry back to the village.

"Hey!" the priestess demanded as Altair's attention was focused on the unseen 'What is wrong with this commoner!?' she wondered. She gathered her sword as she chased after the boy who had the strange blessing. "Hey! Wait up! I said wait up!"

"Why are you running!?" she demanded, trying to keep up with the sprightful commoner.

"Smoke! Fire! Ashes!" he yelled out, never stopping to take a breath "The village...it is in great danger! Demons!"

"Village? Demons!? What village?" she demanded, wondering what he was talking about.

"Tintagel!" he replied, leaping over fallen logs and sprinting through dense bushes. He was like a horned rabbit, fleeing the jaws of the predator. The priestess had to enhanced her body just to keep up with the commoner child.