To Save the World...

Chapter 9

Jez sighed, closing her eyes as she placed her hands on another burn victim, his flesh blistered and raw under her hands.

Musara raised her hands over both Jez and the supplicant, swallowing against the dust in her throat as she prayed aloud, "Messor Vitavi, our hope and light, send out your healing to close the wounds of the afflicted. Let your radiant light touch this one here who begs for your mercy, and heal the burns he suffers from."

Light glowed under Jez's hands and the red, raw skin paled to pink, then tan, the blisters shrinking and disappearing. The change trailed down his shoulder, healing continuing all the way to the burnt stubs of his fingertips, the blackened ash dropping off to reveal fresh, new pink flesh beneath.

The man gasped, then brought his hand up to his face. Mouth open and eyes staring, he flexed his fingers slowly closed, then open. He turned his hand around, fingers still slowly flexing as he looked at the side of his hand, the back, then back to the palm.

His hand began to shake as he lowered it slowly and regarded Jez; "Th-thank you. So much, healer. I never though I'd have use of my hand again."

Jes smiled, answering quietly, "Thank Messor Vitavi, not me."

Musara lightly clasped the man's healed shoulder. "Messor Vitavi has healed you of your physical affliction so you may also return to him and be healed of your spiritual hurts."

The man stared at her a moment, hand resting on hers, then he nodded. His voice was quiet as he replied, "I believe, priestess. I believe he sent you to heal us and lift this curse."

Musara smiled sadly. "I cannot remove any curses. Messor Vitavi sent us, yes. To heal and help those we can. To guide people back to the right path. To find him amidst all this pain and suffering, so he can show us his love."

The man nodded, patting her hand on his shoulder. "Praise be to Messor Vitavi." He turned and lifted his healed arm for the gathered crowd to see and shouted, "Blessed be Messor Vitavi, who has sent his priestess and his healer to us in our hour of need!"

The people cheered.

As the man walked away and the next person in line stepped forward, showing her blistered leg to Jez, the guards approached, Tavin bearing waterskins. The other two guards held food.

"Please, drink, both of you," Tavin said quietly.

"You've been at this for five hours already," Darvin noted. "Maybe you should eat something." He held out a handful of nuts. The other guard held out apples.

"There's still so many people here who need healing," Jez protested.

"At least some water," Tavin insisted. "How can you keep doing Messor Vitavi's work if you don't keep up your strength?"

Musara nodded tiredly, reaching out for the leather waterskin. "Thank you, Tavin. My throat is very dry."

"I figured," he replied with a smile. "Jez." He swung the second waterskin by its cord, sending it into the healer's hands.

"Thank you," Jez said, drinking deeply from the skin before hand it back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Um," the woman spoke up. "My leg is hurting so badly. I burned it when I had to stop a child from playing too close to the lava flow. Can you heal it?"

Musara handed her waterskin back to Tavin and turned to the woman. "Yes, we shall try. My companion, Jez, here, is a healer." She gestured to the young woman. "We will pray over you, that Messor Vitavi may grant healing."

"D-does he still do that?" the woman asked, brushing loose hair out of her face as the breeze picked up, sending dust and embers into the air. "Heal, I mean. Answer prayers, too. Anything, I guess. Those other people who came through town last week said Messor Vitavi is dead, and told us we had to rely on ourselves."