Monster

Bindings

Where little Hero's dream abilities do not go without consequences.

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"How long has he been like this?"

Potion maker Tenaf felt the little Human's hot forehead and winced, pulling his hand back quickly. The child's entire body was as hot as a rock heated by the noonday summer sun. He quickly breathed and moaned slightly as red splotches of magic ran across his form, stifling him.

"Almost the whole day. He didn't wake up this morning." Uncle Rangil said. He and frowning Grandpa Grake stood next to the elder healer and their little foundling in his house, where Hero lay curled up on his bed. Margol and Tnul hovered nearby, their faces concerned. Uncle Rangil turned and pointed at Margol.

"He found him like this in the morning." He explained and the young villager quickly nodded, quiet as he threw his adopted brother another troubled look.

"Maybe he ate something poisonous in the forest? Were you punishing him with no dinner again?" Tenaf glanced at Rangil with disapproval and the villager's eyebrows crept up.

"I didn't punish him at all since our guests left two months ago! He has not caused any trouble at all!"

Tenaf turned a sharp gaze back to the tossing child, who at that moment moaned and curled up even tighter, pressing his hands to his stomach.

"If I had to say what happened, I would have said that this is Witches' foul magic. But how can that be, since she is already gone?" Tenaf muttered, frowning, and immediately noted a troubled look which the child's caretakers shared between them. His frown grew deeper at that.

"If you know something that can help me heal him, you should tell me that now. Otherwise I cannot help you." Rangil and Grake exchanged another look, after which uncle Grake slightly nodded.

"We believe... that before the Witch disappeared, she tried to put Bindings on him. On his magic. To keep it from waking up. Beor allowed it, because he didn't want his magic to get much stronger."

"Bindings? On a child?" Tenaf turned and gave Hero a concerned look, then sighed as his frown lessened. The elder villager gently pulled Hero's clenched arm away from his body and, wincing, turned it to look at the now reddened scars on his wrists. "That would explain much and the presence of those markings. Although how she managed to keep him alive while doing that... is a mystery." 

"To do such a thing on a child... " He shook his head and thinned his lips as he shook his head with disapproval. "Your brother did this?" He looked at Rangil, who dropped his gaze and looked helplessly at grandpa Grake. It was grandpa Grake who spoke next.

"He did what he thought was best. The Witch told Beor that the child's magic was too great and would be dangerous to our village, unless it was bound."

"Hmm. I can see why... But that's what's now tormenting him. His body is producing magic on its own, while he sleeps. Or he's doing some other magic, which we cannot see. And the Bindings are punishing him..."

"Why doesn't he wake up?" Uncle Rangil asked helplessly, looking at the child with sudden guilt for his brother's previous actions, even though he had no part of it at all. Hero looked terrible, so small and pale as he breathed quickly, strange red splotches running across his form as if coiled rings of fire were moving beneath his skin. As the villagers watched him, he again moaned and tried to curl up tighter. Another little bit of flame appeared around his hands and vanished again, as if absorbed. The child breathed quickly, struggling. His strange white eyes opened a little, appearing dazed, and closed again.