The man stared down at the child in shock. A mage? Well, that wasn't what he was really, but to see that asked of from a child was something else. Yes, the people he was like were once called mages in the past, but that name had long since changed to help them blend into humanity in this modern age.
Trying to play it off, the man gave a weak chuckle and shook his head as he knelt down to hand the book back to the wide eyed child. "Sorry kid, I'm no Mage. There's no way things like that exist on this planet."
Though he laughed off the kids curiosity, there was a bad feeling that crept up in the back of his mind. He prayed that he was wrong, but also hoped his was right about this feeling.
After the child took the book back, they turned a page and wandered over to the bed. After a few more hasty scribbles, the child wandered back and showed his writing to the man once again.
[Then why do you have the same aura as mine?]
It was the man's turn to widen his eyes and look at the child. He knew from experience that kids spoke their mind, no matter how ridiculous the thought they had. But to use the word aura, that feeling he had grew more and more with each beat of his heart.
"Kid...you know about aura?" The man asked slowly. Just before he could sit down to converse with the child, they suddenly grabbed his good hand and pulled him towards the bed.
He was to stunned to resist the child as they walked him to the bed. Although it was a bit dirty, it looked plenty comforting with its old mattress, fur-like blankets and fuzzy pillow at the end. It took a bit of convincing from the silent child, but the man finally sat down with a small huff. It was only then that he felt a wave of exhaustion hit him. He hadn't realized that he was so worn out, even after that hour of rest. He couldn't tell if it was because of the blood loss, or because he had been either fighting or running for his life all night.
He hadn't realized that he was looking down at his lap the whole time, his thoughts interrupted by the sight of a book infront of his face. Squinting his eyes a bit, he read the words slowly in slight confusion.
"Just relax...? What do you mean child?" He asked as he flexed his good arm to keep himself from passing out.
As soon as he finished reading the text, the small child closed the book and set it on the bed next to him. It seemed they forgot about the Aura they had asked about in place of their focus on the various books lined on the shelves. He jumped a little as the child stumbled on an open book laying around, feeling like a father watching his careless child run amok.
After they found their feet once more, they squatted next to the open book and pulled it up to their tiny face. He caught a glance at the title and found it was a book about medicine, which apparently was what they were looking for.
He felt his brow cock as that suspicious feeling found its way back in his mind. It couldn't have been a coincidence that the very book they were searching for almost made them tumble to the ground. The only time that were possible was in the Library that laid in Guild, as a spell was set on the grounds to assist in those researching the various subjects offered in the Library.
Coming back to him, the child rested the book next to him and finally pulled the dirty hood off of their head to better read the pages. It was only then that he realized this child was actually a girl. With her small, cute face hidden behind the dirt and grime she'd built up, it was almost impossible to notice until now.
Given her size, he figured she was around 7 or 8, though he could be wrong given how malnourished she was. Her black hair was also incredibly long and ragged. If she were properly cleaned up, he couldn't even imagine how adorable she would be. What's more, he noticed how she shook given how open she was.
Dark thoughts crossed his mind then. Pity, grief, even an unexpected anger built up in his chest and caused his Mana to thread out in his chaotic state. As if she could feel it, the child suddenly rested her hand on his knee and gave him a small smile. This look could only be given by someone who's had years of experience, that knowing look that tells you that everything will be alright. This look hit him much harder than anything that had happened tonight.
After taking a deep breath, he gave her a warm smile in return and lifted his hand to rest on her head.
"I'm alright child. What's this book you've brought?" He asked as he turned his focus to the open pages and read a few lines.
It only took a few lines to realize that it was a book meant to teach someone on how to sew an open wound correctly depending on the damage. It was so well detailed that he even he could tell that it belonged in an institute for medical science.
Frowing a little, he looked back at the girl and cocked his head. "Child, do you plan on treating my injury?"
Without missing a beat, the girl skipped around his legs to grab the book she was writing in and opened it to write something else for him to read. After a few moments, she held it up for him to read with a gaze that told him to do what she said.
[My name is Raven Clawthorne. I'll be treating your injuries so that you don't die. Just relax and let me heal you.]
It amazed the man how confident this child was, making him feel like a father watching his child play house somehow. Swallowing his laughter, he brought his hand up to hold his arm over the plastic bag she'd wrapped around his arm earlier.
"Well, Raven, my name is Ethan Emberwell. As a doctor, you do know that I have the right to refuse....treatement..." He muttered towards the end as he looked down at the plastic bag.
As it was a white bag, he could clearly see that the blood had build up quite a bit at the bottom. It was a wonder how he'd managed to stay conscious until now. It was probably because he kept circulating his Mana, or maybe due to the stress built up throughout the night, or something else that kept him upright.
He spaced out for a few moments, giving Raven enough time to grab a pair of scissors from the pile she'd made a little bit ago. It wasn't until she'd snipped all the way to the collar of his shirt that he came back to reality and watched her work.
It was as if he was watching one of the doctors at the Guild work. Though she was but a child, she was expertly snipping his shirt in the most optimal way to safely remove the cloth from the various cuts and abrasions made on his body. When she got to his arm, she carefully checked for any bleeding before helping him out of his jacket to cut down his sleeve.
Normally, he would complain and try to shoo the little doctor away, but the mixture of exhaustion and curiosity stopped him so he could watch the child work.
Finally reaching his left arm, she stopped herself from grabbing the plastic bag to look up at him in worry. This one look was what finally broke him. Besides his wife and children, he'd never had anyone look at him with such worry with no other emotion behind it. All he could think was how pure hearted this child was compared to everyone else he'd met.
Letting out a soft sigh, he brought his hand up once more to gently pet her head and soothe her worries. "I know I'm in good hands, go ahead little one."
His soft words seemed to give her the courage she needed to snip the plastic away from his arm. The pain that was being contained by the tightened plastic hit him all at once, making him groan and lean forward a bit.
Unfazed, Raven quickly snipped away both the shirt and jacket from his shoulder. After cutting up some of his shirt into a ribbon, she tied it to his bare arm just under the shoulder as tight as she could manage. Though it was a bit painful, he felt immediate relief now that the blood was no longer leaking from his mauled arm.
It was then that he felt the exhaustion finally take over. His vision went black for a second as he fell forward into Raven. Before he could get far, she quickly got up and wrapped her small arms around his chest to slowly push him back straight. After a huff, he was slowly lowered onto his back to lay on the comfy covers that awaited him.
He was out for what felt like mere moments, but a sudden pain forced his eyes open with a gasp. He heard a small yelp that made him jump a little and look for the source of such an adorable sound. He saw Raven drop a broken scalpel and hold her hand a she closed her eyes tight.
It seemed his gasp caused her hand to slip and cut herself. He went to reach for her, but paused as he felt a sudden rush of Mana come from Raven. He watched as the thin strings of Mana wrapped around her cut and quickly close the wound before to much blood fell out of it.
As if by childlike instinct, she sucked on the spot that was cut as she looked back up at him in a deep worry. He was in such shock that he couldn't find the words to soothe her. This tiny child used Mana, not only the same way any Guided would, but in a way that properly healed her body without any backlash.
"Raven...you're Guided?" The weak question left his lips as he tried to sit up slowly.
He was stopped by the child's tiny hands on his chest and forced back down on the bed. She glared at him like a doctor would to a naughty patient, causing a weak chuckle to leave his lips.
Given the state of his body, he knew that the bloodloss was to severe now. If he wasn't treated now, he would probably be dead by sunrise. His only chance, whether he believed it or not, laid in the hands of this Unguided child.
"R-Raven...listen closely to what I'm going to say. I will explain...everything later, but I need you to use that power you used on yourself on me." Ethan panted softly. He could feel the questionable look Raven gave as he closed his eyes. Trying to soothe her, he smiled softly and nodded a little. "It's okay, you can do it. Like how you wished your pain to go away, you just need to do the same for me. Place your hands over the wound and imagine that power you felt going into me."
He didn't feel the invasive Mana in his arm until a few moments later. He was amazed at how Raven could manipulate her Mana so well, but couldn't lose focus just yet.
"D-don't...take any Mana from me, and don't force it in. Let it flow like water, meld it with mine and imagine my body getting fixed bit by bit." He muttered weakly as he circulated his Mana to assist the child's. Though it was a rushed education, he could only commend how quickly Raven picked up on what he meant.
"That's it...just...like that..." He barely managed to get out before finally succumbing to the encroaching darkness that invaded his mind. His only relief was how much better his arm felt under the healing he was receiving, only able to pray that he would be able to wake up once more.