The Last Healer

Chapter 71: Ariella

Chapter 71: Ariella

"Ariella, are you ready?" Isabella questioned as she stepped up to me, a bowl of water grasped firmly in her arms.

"I'm nervous." I told her, my arms tightening around my middle as I stared at the three people around me. A small eight year old girl who's leg was slashed open, a twenty year old male and a seventeen year old female with stab wounds in the legs. After about ten minutes of talking, Isabella and I had agreed that it would be best to limit myself to three, the minimum that the Water Drop Technique could handle.

"I know, so am I." She admitted before handing the bowl to me. "I've already placed a drop on each of their foreheads, just like the book demands."

"So the rest it up to me?" I swallowed nervously, my hands sliding beneath the bowl as I pulled it closer.

"You read up on what you were supposed to do, right?" Isabella questioned and I nodded.

"About ten times and I think I understand it."

"I'm sure you're just being hard on yourself." She patted my cheek before stepping away and walking over to the wall.

Taking a deep breath as I stared down at the water in the bowl, the small ripples running across the surface as I moved. Slowly bending down and placing the bowl beneath me, my hands fluttered over the opening, my eyes fluttering closed as I called on my Power. The all too familiar feeling flooded my body as it exploded inside of me, infusing with everything, shooting out from my fingers and seeping into the water beneath me.

My shoulders rose and fell as I breathed, slowly and in control. Lifting myself from the ground, my right hand pulled the water up as well, a small stream connected me to the bowl of water below. My other hand rose and encased the other as I urged the water to rise and submerge my hands. The cool water slid its way down my fingers as my Power danced around inside, pulling on the strength of the water it controlled. A moment passed and the ball of water was as large as my head. The water spun around inside, slowly and gently.

Relax, I told myself as I took another breath. This was what I had to do, what I could do, I just had to try. My eyes fluttered close once more as I pushed my Power outside of me, searching for the water on the patients' heads. Darkness surrounded me as my Power danced around me, searching for the water as exhaustion flowed inside of me. Moments passed and then, like a light at the end of a tunnel, the drops appeared like beacons, my Power shooting out and connecting with them, tugging the water along behind it.

My eyes remained closed as I urged the water to trail down their bodies, down to their legs, encasing their injuries. My breaths came in gasps as I fought the exhaustion inside of me. I couldn't give up, I had to do this. I focused on the injury on the child, pulling the skin together, my Power slowly sliding the skin together.

And then the connection broke.

My Power retreated from the water which sent it collapsing with a splash all over the ground and the patients, my fingers left dripping with water as my knees gave out from beneath me. My body crashed on the ground below, my hands getting squashed beneath me as I tried to caught myself.

"Ariella!" Isabella screamed as she rushed forward, throwing herself down beside me as her arm slid around my shoulders and her hands grasped my upper arms. "What happened?"

"I don't know." I muttered, my eyes staring down at the marble floor, watching the water soak into my clothes.

"We'll figure it out later. Right now, we need to get you dried off." Isabella sighed as she pulled me to my feet, her gaze turning towards three girls who stood against the wall. "You three, keep their injuries cleaned and bandaged; Lady Ariella will tend to them as soon as possible."

"Yes, ma'am." The three girls curtsied and rushed forward to tend to the patients.

"Come on, you. We're getting you upstairs." Isabella told me as she guided me towards the door.

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Scanning over the paper, reading the words over and over again, I wasn't sure what else I could do. I did every step as it was written, I did every little thing so why? Why did I fail? Why did that little girl have to die?

I shoved myself off the couch, the book cluttering to the ground as I walked towards the window, ignoring the small surprise yip that came from Pika. It had been eight hours since I had attempted and failed the new technique and, in that time, an illness took complete control over the small girl and killed her. There was nothing that I could do, I just wish there was. I wish that I succeeded and nothing made sense as to why I failed.

People walked around below, the crowd making their way to their destination, wherever that may be. I couldn't help but wonder why there wasn't someone else who could Heal, who could help me understand what I was missing and what I was doing wrong.

Something soft nudged into the back of my leg and I glanced down to see Pika staring up at me. I smiled softly as I bent forward, my fingers scratching the top of his head.

"What should I do, Pika?" I questioned, earning a yip in response. I giggled softly as my eyes turned back towards the window and up to the sky above.

My hand froze as realization flooded my body.

A soft smile played on my lips as I realized. There was no one alive that could help me, but there was one person who might be able to help.

"Pika, come." I shoved myself up from the ground and rushed over to grasp the book firmly in my hands before rushing towards the door and on wards to the temple to speak to Nimiane.