Chapter 24: Skateboard
I was at home testing my backpack. I had put a chair in there. It was weird. I checked the other zippers. I found something. It was a button. I wanted to press it but I didn't know what it was. I took it outside and pressed it. A skate board appeared. . . . what? I looked at it. It was normal. The bottom had bright paint coloration. But there was what looked like an alchemy circle that wasn't painted to it was the wood. Wonder what it does. My journal gave a glow. Wow. I opened it. On a page I saw a new alchemy symbol. There was some writing.
"Controlling the gravitational pull around you? Oh...this is going to be fun."
I got on the skateboard and went to go find Ditto somewhere outside. I saw him trying to get fish. I just went over there on my, I guess new, skateboard. I slowly started to float. By the time I got to him I was above his head. He hadn't noticed me.
"Hey Ditto."
He was startled. He looked up at me.
"How the hell are you doing that and why do you have a skateboard?"
"Gravity alchemy. I thought you could explain the skateboard."
"I never saw you with a skateboard. And you never mentioned gravity alchemy. What's it do?"
"Its a mental link I think. You decide whether to make the gravity around you weaker or stronger."
"Cool."
"So what are you doing? Fishing?"
"Yeah but there seems to be a lack of fish."
"Want to go hunting?"
"In the forest?"
"No, in the ocean. Of course in the forest."
"Sure. Why not."
I left a note in my room explaining that we left for a while. I just got my skate board, backpack, and left with Ditto. I had taken a gun out of the backpack and put it in my pocket. We were walking through the forest. After walking for half an hour we saw what looked like a giant as bird thing. We looked at each other.
"Do you know how to cook a bird?"
"No."
"I do."
We jumped at a voice. I quickly took a gun out and pointed at the voice. I saw what I think is a Griffon. It seemed to be staring at my gun.
"What's that?"
"Can you hear it too or is it an animal thing?"
"No I can hear it."
"Are you calling me an animal?"
I'm guessing it's a she from the voice. Anyway's she seemed angry at my comment.
"Look i'm sorry but my life is completely messed up and complicated so I don't know much. Sorry."
"It's okay. So what are you two. Never seen anything like you."
"Well. We're something called a Human."
"Human? Never heard of that."
"I'd be surprised if you did."
"So you know how to cook that thing?"
"Yeah. But how are you going to kill it. You don't seem to have claws or a beak. Even then it's not easy to kill."
"We have a way. Want to know what this is?"
She seemed to look at my gun.
"Sure."
"Ditto, head or body?"
"I say go for the head."
I pointed at the head. The bullet shot echoed through the forest as the big bird fell dead. WE went to check the body. It was dead. The Griffon seemed to be processing what I did.
"You..you killed it with that small thing!?"
"Yes I did."
"..you were pointing that at me."
She seemed to gulp as she thought it over.
"Self defense. Many creatures in and out of this forest are out to get me."
"Us. Out to get us. Of course you more than me but still, us."
"So. You know how to cook this thing, let's start cooking."
The Griffon told us to get some branches and sticks to start a fire. I was going to say that we could go to my place but it would be nice to eat here. I got some branches and sticks and put them in place. She got rocks to put around the pile of sticks.
"Now we have to light it up somehow."
"I got it."
My body began to glow blue as I made a pointless lighter movement with my fingers. I set the sticks on fire. The Griffon seemed to be staring at me.
"You can use magic?"
"I don't think so. And that wasn't magic. That was extremely advance science."
"Okay. Let's cook this then."
We started to skin the bird. We got the meat and started to cook it. It took half an hour to cook that. I had made plates from dirt so the meat wouldn't burn my hand. We were eating the bird as I fed the fire.
"So, I still don't know your name."
"Oh. My name's Gilda."
"Nice to meet you Gilda. I'm Mimic and he's Ditto."
"Hey."
"Hi."
"You seem to know well about this."
"My dad would bring me here once in a while to hunt for food. It was nice."
"Cool."
We kept eating. As we ate I noticed that she seemed to doze off and looked sad. Wonder what she has on her mind? I just walked over to her.
"Hey."
"Huh, what?"
"You seem down. What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
"That's is a bad lie. Seriously, what's wrong."
"It's my dad. He's been sick for several weeks now. Most doctors can't help him."
"Huh."
My journal gave a blue glow again.
"I swear if this has to do with healing."
I opened my journal and turned to the page. Healing alchemy. Figures. I can mend the wound by using alchemy. Internal as well. Cool.
"What's that?"
"I believe this is a way to help the sick."
"Wait, you mean..."
"Yep. This might help your dad."
She dropped her food grabbed my hand and flew off. I just looked as I got further from Ditto.
"I'll be back Ditto! Save me some food!"
I got her to let go off me as we flew of somewhere with her. I was flying for about twenty minutes when I saw a town made of clouds. ...what? She landed on the clouds and run but stopped when she saw I was still flying behind her.
"Why are you still flying?"
"Because I don't want to fall."
"Just walk on the clouds."
"I don't think I can. Last time I checked my species can't walk on clouds."
"But you can fly. Anything that flies can walk on clouds."
"Fine. If I fall it's your fault."
"Okay."
I slowly began to descend onto the cloud. I could actually feel it. I stopped flying as the cloud slightly moved. It was weird. I felt like I was walking on normal ground. But at the same time, not ground. Almost like walking on the softest bed in the world. I took out my hand and scooped some cloud up. It stayed solid, or whatever you call a solid gas.
"This is weird-"
I was quickly pulled somewhere. Gilda really wanted me to see if I could heal her dad. She kept making turns. I got many stares from other Griffons in town. She stopped but my body kept moving and I face planted onto the cloud. It felt somewhat soft.
"Sorry. Now let's go see if you can help him."
She opened the cloud door as we entered the cloud house. This was so fucking weird. I followed her upstairs as we entered a room. I saw a her dad in bed. He looked at Gilda and smiled.
"Hi Gilda."
"Hi dad."
"Who's your friend?"
"He's Mimic. I helped him with hunting."
"That's very nice of you."
"He has something that might make you feel better."
"Another doctor?"
"Not really. But I did help some one in the past when they were attacked by timber wolves in the forest."
"Well, if my daughter trusts you, I do to."
"Okay, lets get started."
I opened my journal and flipped to the page. In order to heal him I had to know what was wrong. Great.
"When did you first get pain?"
"Right after I was hit by a Manticore two weeks back."
"Well then. Any injuries from that?"
"No."
"Let's see. Where do you feel pain?"
He pointed to his thigh. If they are like humans there is a major artery there. I felt around his thigh. It felt...inflated.
"Feels inflated."
"Exactly what the other doctors said."
"Did any of the doctors find out why?"
"No. That always stayed a mystery."
"Anything else?"
"Sometimes I feel light headed."
I got a piece of cloud and made a syringe.
"I'ma take a blood sample. Okay?"
"You're the first to do so, but okay."
I put the syringe in and took out some blood. Immediately it looked wrong. It wasn't even fully red. I guess they saw my look. Gilda spoke up.
"What is it?"
"His blood doesn't look normal. Almost..decaying like."
"Meaning what?"
"He did get injured when he was hit by a Manticore. He has been internally bleeding."
"Internally bleeding?"
"Bleeding from the inside."
"Can you help him?"
"Possibly."
I looked at the image of the healing alchemy circle. I closed my eyes and took a deep breathe. I could feel my power as I placed my hand on his thigh. I focused on reconnecting the blood vessels that were causing the internal bleeding. I also tried to get rid of the excess blood but I couldn't do much. Once I figured that I was done I opened my eyes to see a blue glow stop.
"You were glowing blue."
"Yes that happens when I use alchemy."
"So... did you heal him?"
"Gilda. It's perfectly okay if he couldn't. He tried his best and he's not a doctor."
"Actually I think I did heal you."
They both looked at me. They just gave me this stare like 'you're not joking' type of stare. They looked at each other then at me.
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah. I used alchemy to reconnect the blood vessels to stop the internal bleeding but the blood that is already there will take some time to clear out. I'd give it a few weeks before you try hunting again."
"Next time I do i'll be more careful not to anger a Manticore."
"Heh. Well I hope you get better soon."
"Hold up."
"What?"
"There's some money in the living room counter."
"I don't want the money."
"Please just take some."
"Believe me I have enough. Think of this as a favor."
"Then I owe you."
"Get well."
"May life treat you well."
With that we left his room. I was about to exit when I heard a sniffle. I looked back to see Gilda crying. I was about to ask her what was wrong when she pulled me into a tight hug. She repeated the words thank you. I just hugged her back. I heard the door open somehow. I looked back to see another Griffon with grocery bags.
"Honey i'm ho- Gilda what's wrong? And who is he?"
"He just helped dad."
"He..what?"
"He made dad better."
The mother seemed to be processing this. She dropped her bags and joined in on the hug. Oh dear God I feel like I'm being crushed. Once they finished hugging me the mother looked at me.
"How much money do you want?"
"No payment needed. This was a favor."
"Would you like to stay for dinner?"
"No thanks. I have a friend who is eating without me back home. If I don't get back soon he won't leave me much. But thank you for the offer."
With that we were flying back to the forest. Gilda was wiping her tear marks away. She thanked me again and then punched my in the arm.
"Don't you dare ever tell anyone I cried."
"Sure."
We landed as we saw Ditto.
"What took you so long?"
"You know, just helping the sick."
"You have a friend here."
"Who?"
"Hi cutie."
"Oh. Hey Blossom."
"Wow, a bat pony."
"Who's she?"
"Blossom, this is my Griffon friend Gilda, Gilda this is my bat pony friend Blossom."
"Hi."
"Nice to meet you."
"Now, lets eat."
"Agreed."
"Finally."