149 / 64 - Head and Heart

Seated on a bench outside the Adventure's Guild, Joe was one of many healers present in Founders Plaza, but currently, he was not one of the physicians on call. He was one of the patients. All around the city's central commons were similar benches, along tables laden with water, food, and blankets. The clerics of Godsrow, along with the independent healers of Southwall and Kilning, were tending to the many wounded.

"Alright, that fixes up your heart," Doctor Reevadah exclaimed after just a few minutes. "You are a truly fascinating patient, young man. Because you possess such a vast reservoir of life energy and an unusually flexible physique, I merely had to guide the process. You did the rest."

'Thanks, Doc," Joe stated, taking his first deep breath in the last half hour. 'That is so much better. I just couldn't get it working right. It kept skipping beats."

"When this is all over, come by my office. I have some manuals on organ anatomy that you can borrow. You have a solid grasp of muscle and bone, but I think you'd benefit from some education regarding the purpose of each organ, including how they are constructed and connected."

The glowing clinician turned his attention to Joe's face. "Are you sure you want me to repair your eye? A divine healing will be far more pleasant than an arcane one, and significantly more affordable. We could call over any number of the clerics around the plaza. It is also no secret among our small cadre of curers that you have the favor of Murrcee's Mercy. Surely, she could restore the organ with minimal effort, even if she is on the other side of the Fort."

"Mercy Suku has got to have her hands full already, Doc. Besides, I learned a lot by following your lead with my heart. If I let a divine healer just miracle my eye back, I won't learn anything."

"Alright, but just so you understand that eyes are one of the most complicated parts of the body to repair. Healing your heart was more of a joint effort, so I'm happy to have helped you there for free. An eye, I'm afraid, would not be covered by the city's emergency healing fund. The cost for it will be significant," Doctor Xandam explained. "Additionally, I would ask you to try to restrain your ability to mold your tissue and your healing. Your primal healing is not at all well-suited to working on eyes. Did you know that our natural healing barely recognizes our eyes as a part of our bodies? Our bodies will try to destroy our ocular organs if they are too badly damaged, instead of trying to repair them. Once that happens, the process frequently spreads to the other eye, leaving you fully blinded."

"Really?" Joe faltered. "You know what? On second thought, a miracled new eyeball sounds like a splendid idea."

"You are wise beyond your years, my good man," Doc Reevadah proffered, his bushy stache rose into a fond smirk. He turned to look around the plaza, muttering, "Let's see who is around. Ah. There is just the young lass we need."

He reached into his breast pocket and took a small pad of paper, which Joe thought looked just like a prescription pad he had seen the doctor use back on Earth. He scribbled a few words, tore the page free, and tossed it up into the air. The slip spiralled through the air, fluttering its way straight to a bucca woman who was getting a drink and snack from one of the food tables.

The small woman was one Joe had noticed around the plaza several times this morning. Firstly, her hair caught his attention. It was a magenta … mauve mohawk. Yet after that, it was her lively manner that really held Joe's attention. She had a great "bedside' manner. She made those she treated smile, and even laugh, even after these folks had just gone through a calamity. Yet he also saw her express a deep sympathy with an older man who had clearly lost someone.

Glaidlbea Nookwish: Bucca: Cleric / Medcanic 15

Joe assessed her as she jogged over to them. Around her neck, she wore a wrench-shaped holy symbol that Joe didn't know. That was not uncommon; there were a hundred gods, after all. He had learned a trick to help with this. Since the Godsrow district took up the west side of Founders Plaza, he was always passing clerics bearing unknown icons. He found he could assess their holy symbols, which helped him learn which gods were which.

Spanner of Phiks, the god of mending.

"Thank you for coming, Glaid," the glowing man declared. "Do you have the mana to restore an eye for this young adventurer here? He is one of us, and we could use him patched up and tending to patients."

"Is this the guy?" she blurted in an excited voice. "Everyone is talking about the clawed healer for whom Mairree gave both Dhmyz and Hayt a good slapping over."

"Uh," Joe uttered, feeling his cheeks redden. "Yeah. But it was the soldier who called him."

"Ok. I'll do the eye, but you have got to tell me the whole story … later," the small woman exclaimed. "When things settle down. Deal?"

Joe couldn't help but smile and agree. Glaidlbee was one of those people who just oozed warmth and charisma, someone who you couldn't help but like the moment you met them.

"Deal. Thanks, Glaidlbea."

"Oh! No. Glaid, please. Glaidlbea is for the formal stuff only," she corrected, gently taking hold of Joe's chin to tip his head down for her. Even though he was sitting, Joe was still taller than she was. Bucca's were taller than gnomes but shorter than dwarves. They were this world's equivalent of hobbits or halflings, though without the hairy barefoot shtick. "Oh, this isn't so bad. Somebody already cleaned it out. Nothing left to cause problems. Do you do this, Doc?"

"Actually, I did it myself," Joe admitted.

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"Sweet. Makes this a simple restoration, without any need to go through the whole cleansing process." The cleric summoned a small mana potion from somewhere and gulped down the draught like a shot of liquor. "Alright, here we go."

She placed her palm over his empty eye and the other on his chest as she began to pray. "Father Reformer. Guide my hand to repair that which is broken. Fix the flaws. Unmar the scarred. Make right that which is in ruin. In your name, I beseech thy holy kindness. Amen."

Joe felt a moment of warmth, and then in an instant, his eye popped into existence in its socket. He startled, just like every time the optometrist blew those puffs of air into his eyes. Glaidlbee had been ready for it, steadying him with her other hand, hanging onto his gambeson.

"That was so weird," he gasped.

"Yeah, eyes are funky. Every time I fix one, people jump. How does everything look?"

Joe blinked and glanced around. For an instant, his focus was a bit off, but a second later, everything snapped into clarity. "Perfect," he answered, scanning the plaza. "Thank you."

"Happy to. I'm holding you to that story, though. Find me and we'll grab a drink tomorrow. Later, Doc." With that, the energetic clergywoman spun on her heel and jogged back over to where she had been curing the wounded among other divine healers.

"I like her," Joe remarked, watching her go.

"I do too. She is a wiz at fixing lab equipment as well. Now that you are off the patient list, I think it's about time we both got to work. Unless you are still needed for guild duties."

Joe shrugged. "I don't have any specific orders other than what I started with, which was healing any wounded Forters. Now that I know my heart is not going to seize up on me anymore, I'm going to deal with my notifications, and then I'll be right behind you."

"Excellent," the glowing doctor commended. "I hope you get something good."

Joe had already leveled earlier that day, bringing him to fifteen. While this level didn't give him any new skill options or attribute points, it did have one very welcome personal benefit: it reset the cooldown of [Anyone]. Joe planned to stop by a certain fey knight's home as soon as he had time and cash in his favor.

He was looking forward to seeing what else he had gotten out of the day of fighting.

Achievement: You have advanced your first skill, [Healer's Touch], to rank 50. You have been awarded 2 unassigned attribute points and the following choice of Traits:

[Master Healer]: Larger with Life. Your healing spells provide 10% more health.

[Synergistic]: All-around wellness. You can add your Healer spells to your [Healer's Touch], enabling multiple effects with a single casting.

Right now, the only other Healer spell that made sense to layer into a [Healer's Touch] was [Purge], but the idea that he could cast both at the same time was a very attractive option. More healing was great, but Joe was pretty sure he would have plenty of offers for boosts to his heals, or he could just up the spell to a higher rarity. Additional functionality and optimization might be harder to come by. He chose [Synergistic] and then moved to the next waiting window.

Achievement: You gained the direct notice of three gods on the same day. This action has awarded you the following choice of Traits:

[Godchild]: One to Watch. Meld your Healer class with a Divine class.

[Anomalous]: Who are you? Your [Anyone] ability will be strengthened against divine powers and beings. Note: This will preclude you from being able to take Divine classes.

'Uh, Hawking. Can I not choose either of these?' Joe thought to the quest-giving entity. 'I don't want to rule out the possibility of following Murrcee someday, just not today.'

Very well, Joe. Commencing customized solution.

Do you accept the customized solution?

'You're not going to tell me what it is, are you?' he appealed, waiting. When Hawking remained annoyingly silent, Joe sighed. 'Fine. I accept.'

You have received the trait [Unorthodox Solution]: Pick your path. Evolve an evolvable skill of your choice.

'Nice!' Joe was becoming a big fan of being able to customize his skills. He couldn't imagine being without his magical third hand. Joe had [Casting Claw] active almost constantly. Also, the last open-ended evolution he had been awarded had helped him save a life. He was quite happy with this alternate offering. 'One more,' he thought to himself.

Exceptional Achievement: You have aided in the defeat of the legendary creature, Cauldrakon. You have been rewarded with 1000 experience points, 1 unassigned attribute point, and your choice of one of the following Traits:

[Hometown Hero]: Go Team! +500 Reputation with the Fort Coral Adventurers Guild.

[Grounded]: A little rain won't hurt. Moderate {Storm} Resistance

[Well Paid]: Do the work, get paid. 1,000 gp. Plus 50 gp every year on the anniversary of the event.

Puqmup had explained how Reputation worked. The more reputation one had, the better one got paid for trophies and quests. It also allowed guild members to buy services and items at a discount. There were other perks, too: first picks for quests or job assignments, housing, leadership roles, and a number of other benefits. Since Joe already had {Storm} resistance, he was picking between cash in hand now or savings over time. Given the additional benefits from reputation, Joe decided to take [Hometown Hero].

All in all, he was feeling pretty damn good. He had three open attribute points to spend, a skill evolution, a new major resistance, and he was about halfway to his next level.

Joe stood and stretched, letting the wildness use [Morphic Form] to crack his back. Sighing in relief, he scooped up his satchel before trotting over to the glowing doctor and the cluster of bedraggled storm survivors the good man was tending to.

Divine names translated God Name: Translated Word (definition)

Phiks, Fix (God of mending)

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