Ghost of the Everfree

by David Silver

53 - The Good Word

Dry and Silver set off on their task under the bright light of the next morning. Two days of mild to moderate rain had been enough to satiate the plants of the area, returning some vibrancy as flowers brilliantly glistened with the drops left over from their watering.

The air had that 'just rained' smell of life reacting to the drink. There were a few ponies around, besides the guards. It wasn't a town at full speed by any measures, but a few ponies sat just in front of their doors, enjoying the sun and escaping the confines of their houses. The guards hadn't shooed them back inside yet.

Dry led the way back to their druidic friend. "Good morning."

"Good morning." He nodded at the two foals. Compared to the other options available in this town, this one is certainly better. He chose a few berries from a bush and delicately placed them in the basket, which was now full of the enchantment he had given to them. "The weather patrol is making steady progress towards getting back to its normal staff numbers. They aren't druids, but they know their craft. It's a curious thing, such specialization..."

"Look at 'em go." Silver joined in admiring their progress. "What are they up to today?"

"Clearing the clouds now. The rain's done, they said, so it's time for a sunny day. They're clearing them and keeping them away, so the sun can come without anything stopping it." He hummed softly with new thoughts. "The way they do it will require constant attention to get it right, but they seem willing to give that. Very curious... You." He was looking at Dry. "Explain this." He extended an arm, a berry attached to his hoof without anything holding the berry. "This is magic, isn't it? I certainly didn't cast it."

"That surprised me too, sir." Dry smiled at the berry caught by the hoof. "I remember that day... It's natural, to ponies of this world, and you are one of them now, sir. Um, me too..." He worried his Equestrian hooves together. "They don't stick together, unless you really want to?" He tried to grab a hoof with a hoof, getting them to lock together a moment before he stopped that.

"Remarkable." He set the basket aside. "Did you come for berries?"

"Nope!" sang out Silver. "We're good. A nice guard's gonna get us food. We wanted to talk with some of the guards actually."

"You've made a friend. Why not speak with them?" He inclined his head at the two foals. "I'm not a guard, as you know."

Dry considered that with a wiggle. "We want to address the guards, not one guard, sir."

The druid pointed out over Dry's head. "They're having morning talks over there, if you want to bother them."

There was a group of about six of them, chatting about something that couldn't be heard at that distance. Silver hopped in place, coming down facing them. "Thanks! You're, like, the best."

"Have a good day, sir." Dry pressed on, Silver at his side as they approached the guards directly. "This is dangerous..."

"This is our job," whispered Silver back. "Now put on a smile." She beamed at them as she closed in for a chat. "Good morning."

One of the guards perked an ear at her voice. "Hm? What's this?" He turned to bring Silver into the center of his vision. "A little girl. A wee filly. What're you doing out here?"

Another guard stepped up. "You should be at home."

"Don't be like that," laughed the first. "She wants to get outside like the rest of us."

Silver dipped in the pony equivalent of a curtsey. "Thanks for, like, looking out, but I'm fine. We're here to give the good word."

A third guard stepped up. "Good word?"

Dry hurried to be next to Silver. "The good word, of Luminace. Do you have any priests to give services?"

The first guard jumped at that. "You know Luminace? Um... No... The commander doesn't see much need for priests..."

The second elbowed at the first. "Well, we have a Luminace... Wait... Aren't you young for priests?" He looked over the three of them critically. "Big words for such little foals. Can you prove it?"

Dry colored. Why did young adult Equestrians have to be so darn cute and tiny?! Not that he minded the cute part, when it came to his girlfriend, but he was trying to put on a confident display, and it didn't mesh with that. "I wield her magic, but only in the name of friendship, magic, and knowledge. Are any of you hurt?"

The third guard stroked his stubbly chin, a feature of most ponies really. "Huh, sounds right. If you can do healing magic, then I know where you're needed more than here."

"Hmmph. That Lashtadan priest isn't any help. Is she even a cleric?"

The second shrugged at the first. "You can be a priest without being a cleric. The two aren't the same thing." He cracked a smile at Dry. "Which are you?"

Silver tapped herself on the chest. "I'm a warpriest. A cleric. I am Luminace's shield and weapon." She angled herself towards Dry. "And his. He's a pony of the cloth. I protect, like, him."

The first laughed, clapping his hooves on his snout. "Aw! That's... Don't get offended, little clerics, but you two are adorable! I've never met such young clerics before, but if you have the magic, this way." He waved them on and set off at a light trotting jog. "We have some injured that could use the mercy of the divine."

They followed him to a moderately sized building that looked like it was made to store things, rather than the miserable ponies it had. One of those sad souls, a mare not far from the door, flopped in her cot, weakly turned in a rolling over. "Silver," she called out weakly. "Good to see you."

"This is Shimmer Spark." He moved towards her, touching noses in a gentle exchange. "She's..."

"Sick," finished the mare. "I'll have this fought off... Just be..." She trailed off, coughing seizing her a moment. "W-what are the little ones doing here? Are you cheering me up with company? It's working." She didn't sit up though, too tired for that. "Come closer. Wait... I don't want you to get what I have."

Dry leaned over towards Silver. "I don't know any spells to fix that. Do you?"

"I do," she sang, approaching the mare with a smile. "Poor thing. We're, like, here to help. In the name of Luminace. Do you worship her?"

"In part," admitted the mare guiltily. "I'm a pony. I heed all the pony gods. She isn't my favorite, but I do like her... Has she sent a friend to me?"

"If you'll take me." Silver sat in front of the mare. "Let's start. You owe us nothing. Succeed or fail, this is, you know, an effort made in the name of friendship."

The mare shed a single tear. "They really are her's... I accept. Please... Please." But she didn't wave Silver closer, instead gesturing at a still lump across the way. "Treat him first. He's far worse off than I. I can wait a little longer."

Silver walked off towards that lump, but Dry stayed behind. "I can help, I think. Let me make it a little better, even if I can't fix it."

The mare struggled to sit up, but that was a failing gambit. "You're a sweet little thing... Why don't you--"

Dry set a hoof against her snout. "Please, ma'am. You are being very nice. Luminace would be sad to hear the nicest pony went last, because she was being nice. Let me help."

The mare managed a hard look at Dry, but that was effort too. "As you wish," she allowed. "Do your best."

"I will." He closed his eyes and spoke his soft prayers to Luminace, that a pony could reach for what mysteries lie before then, that they could dance among their friends and know that joy only livable with a body whole and working. He pressed his hooves to the mare, and did not chase away the root disease. But she did stir as the power flowed into her.

She sat up slowly, the muscles in her legs obeying her for a change. "I... don't feel as weak..."

The guard that had came in with them sniffled, doing a poor job of holding back his tears. "Are you feeling better?!"

"Much... But I'm still sick. I can..." She paused to cough into a hoof, her hacking not at all diminished. "I just feel... stronger a little. Less dizzy. Thank you, little one. Thank you."

"Thank you," eagerly joined the guard. "I am sorry I doubted you before. Luminace be praised! Sun shine warmly over us."

Elsewhere in the room, Silver pulled back the covering blanket to find a pony with three hooves already in the grave. Their tongue lolled and their eyes were closed. Drool dripping from them, but even that seemed unnatural. That pony was clearly preparing to finish the journey, barely a step away from their final, labored, breath. "Wow... Just in time." The combination of Everglow anatomy and severe illness made it especially unnerving, like all the attributes of being sick were turned up far too high. "Let's fix this..."

She called to Luminace, becoming a willing vessel for that alien goddess, that impurities could be chased away. "Disease, like, go away!" Whether or not the ailment could hear her, her magic pulsed brightly over herself and her patient. "Mmm... That felt right." But he still looked near death. The only difference was he was breathing with less of a rasp. "He'll get better... Dry, you have another one of those spells?"

"I only prayed for one today," admitted Dry as he came scurrying up next to her. "Is their disease gone?"

"I think it is, but, like, the damage is still there. That's okay, I have one." She clopped her hooves and spoke the restorative words, bringing some life back into the pony, though they remained quite asleep. "He should be safe now." She whirled on the guard, standing there awkwardly. "What are they getting sick from? Equestria isn't, like, that bad."

The guard rubbed behind his head. "Uh... couldn't say for sure... But if I had to blame something, it'd be the trash food on the way here. Bad food'll take the fight out of you, then the sick comes." As good as he could manage without knowledge of germ theory. "Anyway, if you can fix this, what about the others?" He waved around at the rest of the room, about eight ponies presiding within it, including the two they'd already seen.

Silver gave a short "Huh" in response and moved forward to the next pony without any further argument.

Dry watched her go, an ear on the guard. "I'm still practicing, sir... She's younger than me, I think... But she learned this sooner than I did..."

"Feeling jealous?" He ruffled the top of the little colt's head. "I can hear it. You're both doing good work. Can you help any other ponies? I'm sure she'd be grateful, and so would I."

Dry considered that. "Oh!" He moved to the center of the room. "I can do this." He called upon the power of Luminace, bursting in all directions like he exploded with light, washing over all the patients remotely near him. "Feel better?"

A soft chuckle reached them as a stallion sat up, one of his legs in a crude splint. "Better. Not fixed, but better. Thanks. You got a name?"

Dry twirled towards him. "Hello. I am Dry Whisper. Glad I could help. If you can be helped that way..." He came in closer to administer more focused healing. "Then I can help."

"Nice to... meet you, Dry." He relaxed as Dry put the worst of his pains to rest. "Well timed... Are you with the other one running around? A pair of angels, come to deliver us mercy. Gods be praised."

"Luminace, specifically, but they're all worthy of our praise." Dry dipped his head towards the recovering pony. "I should see where else I can help." He wandered away towards the other sick or injured ponies. They had impressions to make, and suffering to diminish.

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Its a long grind getting XP for successful casting and heal to get the level up to gain anothre casting, but either healing gets faste than hurtng and the party recovers, or someone decides to take even more of the cake and multiple parties fall to spell limits and then the caster is blamed for the demanders greed.

[redmar]

They're doing good work and this will certainly help future negotiations.