Healing Mishap -3-
ByLanzaq
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The four just sort of sat there not sure what to do when a young man approached their table. He had in his hand a trainer's wand and a large leather bound tome, a smile spread across his thin face. "Hello. I am Verris Sarm, I am working here part time and I was wondering if I could interest you with some food?"

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---In the Town's only tavern.---

The Four, three if you don't include the passed out Ash, were seated at the smallest table, in the farthest darkest room of the town's only tavern/inn combo. The Drunken Lich Rest house. The building was small because the town only saw regulars and the odd dungeon-crawler or two.

Cael was drowning himself in the Elvish Brew, a beer that really didn't have alcohol in it. Kate was sipping at some spring water. Arric was drinking a nice Iron-forge Hammer, the strongest of the forge-named ales. And Ash had drowned herself in the house favorite, The Skull Crack Slime.

The four just sort of sat there not sure what to do when a young man approached their table. He had in his hand a trainer's wand and a large leather bound tome, a smile spread across his thin face. "Hello. I am Verris Sarm, I am working here part time and I was wondering if I could interest you with some food?"

Cael noticing the wand and book said "Ah. So you are a spell caster's apprentice?"

Verris at this comment straightened up his back and became very nervous. "A-ah, no I am self taught. I don't have the money or the means to find myself an appropriate teacher."

"Hmm, how old are you?" Cael asked looking the Young man up and down before smiling.

"seventeen ma'am." Verris said looking down at Cael the smile that disappeared slowly crawling back onto his face.

Cael chose to tactfully ignore the Ma'am, its rare to find an apprentice when you are a roving 'crawler. "Hmm, just so you know I just recently turned fourteen so I hope you are willing to have a master teaching you that is a few years younger."

"I-I don't mind as long as you know how to teach me!" Verris said smiling brightly.

"Well, First things first, before I can accept you as an apprentice I need to know your skills." Cael said gesturing to his wand. "I set forth a Challenge, tomorrow morning, outside. We will duel and I will test your skills, if you can remove the ring from my left hand I will accept you as my apprentice."

"Y-Yes! I accept, Tomorrow, outside we will duel and I will remove that ring." He said

"Verris You lazy bum, we have orders!" The cook cried from the kitchen. "Git your skinny ass over here."

There was a long pause after he had left before Arric cleared his throat. "M-Ma'am." He mimicked. "Shut up. You know its not often that I will get this chance to teach someone else besides, it will help me cement those spells if I have an apprentice trying to learn it for them selves." Cael added before looking back down into his empty glass.

"I think he was kinda cute. I wish Ash were awake, well at least she isn't trying to kill us all." Kate said taking a sip from her water. "Arric ummm you are paying the bill for this right?" she asked.

"No." Was his quick response. "I am still trying to make up for the hundreds fo golds worth of potions that I no longer have because a certain someone dropped them thinking they were making room for non-existent loot."

"What about you Cael, can you foot the bill?" Kate asked turning to him.

A quick scoff was all Kate got as a response. Suddenly all three had a brilliant idea. "What does Ash even do with her money?" Cael asked. "I 'unno, she doesn't buy potions, armour or weapons." Arric said. "And she doesn't buy clothes either." Kate added staring down at Ash's Backpack.

The only thing the few patrons of the tavern heard in the next few seconds was dead silence followed by a yell and three piercing screams.

Ash Walked through the door into where the rest of the customers sat, a look of pure hellfire on her face. "Don't." is all she said situating the backpack over her shoulder and looking back at the group left cowering in the small room of the pub.

"I fear that the contents of that backpack will remain a secret for an eternity." Arric said, his skin trying to return to normal colour.

"I don't think an eternity is long enough." Cael added, his skin staying a ghastly pale.

"That was fun!" Kate said smiling unaffected by their friend's deathly glare.

"Kate, you have a weird definition of fun." Arric said drinking the rest of his beer. "I am going to head up to the room, not a whole lot left to do."

"Me too." Cael said following Arric as he got up and left the table.

Before Kate could even think through what had just happened she realized. "Wait? That means I have to pay the bill?"

---The next Morning.---

Ash, Kate and Arric stood leaning out side the Tavern and watched the two square up against each other. "Remember the ring on my finger." Cael said to the what felt like the tall young man.

"Understood, I am going to try and use my magic to try and get a hold of your ring?" Verris said Looking at Cael's hands noticing that one hand had 5 rings the other only had one, Verris, though a bright young man never learned left from right so he was left confused at which ring to try and grab, he guess since the one hand only had one ring that was the one he was supposed to go after.

"Cael. Psst. Cael. You know loading your left hand up with rings so its easier for him to get a hold of one is sort of cheating him into your apprenticeship." Arric whispered pointing at cael's heavy ring laden hand.

"Its not cheating, its slanting the odds in favor of him becoming my apprentice." Cael whispered back. "Besides its obvious he wants to be my apprentice and its obvious I want him as my apprentice."

"Slanting the odds. Its called cheating." Arric replied. "Whatever, have fun. Don't beat each other up too bad."

the two launched into a fight instantly, fire, water, rocks and wind moved around outside the pub in such a flurry of activity it was hard to keep straight what exactly was going on. Eventually the two stopped. Cael was left sprawled out on the ground, unconscious, and Verris just stood looking like a champion, hefting two rings, one from each hand.

"How is that for slanting the odds huh?" Arric said before turning to Kate. "Kate now, Cael is hurt, I want you to heal him with as low level magic you can alright? HE has already been through enough and doesn't need any more on HIS plate."

Kate just nodded and walked over to Cael, she poked him a few times in the stomach before turning back to Arric. "He is unconscious!"

Arric sighed. "We already knew that Kate, just heal him."

"Okay!"

With a quick spell Cael was quickly back up on his feet however his breakfast was also brought up too. Verris quickly ran over and apologized frantically. Cael just smiled and said " Stuff happens. Arric, Lets find a decent dungeon, Verris is more than ready for a first try."

"What really!?" He asked, his smile growing larger. "Thank you, I won't let you guys down. I promise that I will be strong enough to tackle all the enemies that get in our way!"

--- At the end of the Dungeon Crawl. ---

"Oh man, I thought you said he was ready!" Arric said wrapping a bandage around Verris' head. "The poor man locked up on seeing that troll. I thought he was going to wet himself."

"Yeah well, you know Arric we mages have this super special talent that you and Ash don't have, both of you have muscle see...Those muscles can take some of the force dealt to you and you are hurt less than us. You see. We mages. Are squish." Cael Said before looking over at the unconscious Verris.

"W'arite." was Arric's response. "Are we ready to go into the bosses room?" He asked dumping half of his canteen out on Verris' head. "Yo, apprentice. We aren't done yet."

"Momma? Am I dead yet?"

"Not yet boy but if you don't get up I think we might leave you here." Arric said walking away.

Suddenly jumping up Verris ran headlong into the bosses chamber of the dungeon, screaming about tainted honor and how the dastardly ogres will get what is coming to them.

Cael stood shocked, Ash was silent, Arric laughed and Kate had managed to disappear at the best time.
"Well." Arric paused to laugh some more. "I guess we should go help him. I don't think the lad can take on the Troll Chieftain by himself."

the three ran into the spacious rocky Chamber, Bones of both human and large animals alike were strewn across the floor. However what was different was both the unconscious Verris, and the piles of dead trolls, the only thing alive in the chamber was the four Crawlers, and the Troll Chieftain.

He turned to look at them his earthy skin torn jaggedly in several spots, and nasty scars ran across his face, legs and arms. Atop his head sat a ceremonial hat made of several large bird feathers, a young tree clenched in his fist. "Hoomans...More Hoomans!? Ulgargan Want rest. No more fighting puny hoomans."

Arric stepped forward and bowed. "Ulgargan. We are here to collect our foolish and slightly confused magician's apprentice. He apparently thought that you were the one controlling this dungeon and thought that he would be considered better if he could defeat you."

"Ulgargan thinks stoopid hoomans should turn back and no try and steal his shinies."

"'shinies?'" Cael asked looking up at the monstrous thing.

"shinies...you know hooman, errruh. 'Loot'?" Ulgargan said pointing to a pile of armour, swords, spears, axes potions, gold and everything else one would hope to obtain while doing a dungeon-crawl. "Me thinks hoomans like their 'loot' so I takes it off of the hoomans dumb enough to come down here and challenge me and my buddies to battle. Ulgargan never loses."

"N-never loses..huh?" Verris said standing up and holding his now broken staff. "I got this staff from my deceased mother, and if you don't understand what that is 'Ulgargan.' then let me show you!"

"Oh gods don't tell me, Don't try it Verris. Its not a good idea." Arric warned.

"I don't care. This staff was the last thing I got from my mother before she died, that's why I wanted to become a mage, to honor my mother's dying wish. SO" Verris said, the smile that had stretched across his face innocently before was now twisted in a fit of rage and maybe insanity. "Ulgargan. Ogre chief, I challenge you to a duel for honor."

"Me Troll Hooman... and you stoopid." he said swinging the young tree like a club at him. Before the tree struck Verris he disappeared. "Wha- " Was Ulgargan response before Verris appeared behind him.

"Hello ugly." He said throwing a large rock at the back of his head, of course the large rock appeared large while still in his hand by the time it had reached the back of Ulgargan's head it looked more like a pebble someone had thrown.

Ulgargan turned around and roared at him and swung the tree at him again, however instead of hitting who he had intended the sapling tree caught Ash and flung her against the nearby wall rendering her unconscious. "Sorry." Ulgargan and Verris both said in unison before turning back to each other to fight more.

"Great. Well, it could be worse." Cael said, smiling.

"How is that?" Arric asked assessing the situation. "Your apprentice is dueling against a troll chieftain, Ash is unconscious, Kate isn't here..." Arric paused to soak in what he had just said. "Oh. I get it."

Verris decided enough just messing with the large brute and decided to actually attack, he flung magician's arrows at the troll but they didn't seem to do much against his leather like skin. He flung levitated rocks, to the effect of making the already enraged troll madder. He summoned fire to try and scare the troll just to make the troll frightened and causing it to attack harder out of fear.

Cael coughed trying to hide the hint he was dropping "Water" he said between the fake coughs.

"Smooth. However I don't think he is listening." Arric said watching the back and forth fight. "He will figure it out eventually.

The fight raged on, seemingly like the two could fight forever. However one Stray Magician's Arrow Caught Cael knocking him backwards and unconscious against a wall just like Ash. "hehe. Lucky me." Arric snided because the magic arrow had just barely missed him.

"Well, now I believe it couldn't get worse." Arric said as the tree wielded by the Troll came rushing at him. "I expect this to hurt....A lot."

Just before the tree hit him Kate appeared with a look of anger on her face. "Ulgargan. NO. BAD. Stop it." She screamed.

Suddenly both Verris and Ulgargan stopped. "Well How convenient for me. I guess I have something looking after me." Arric said looking at the tree a few inches away from his face.

"Kat?" Ulgargan asked looking at Kate a toothy smile on his face. "Kat! You here to look at my tooths?" He said pointing to a large broken tooth at the front of his mouth. "The stoopid cow had bones that broke my tooths."

"Uh uh, I am not here to look at your teeth I am here to help my friends." Kate said before helping Ash up with a quick spell, and turning to Cael and casting the exact same spell with out stopping to think. "Oops." She said as Cael stood up with a little more weight on his head.

"Long hair. Nice." Verris said looking at Cael. "I prefer women with long hair. It looks nice."

"Long hair?" Cael asked before Kate ran over and ran a hand through it.

"Soft." She said, scooping the young elf into her arms. " I like it too."

Cael just sighed. "Can we get out of here, please."

"Yeah." Ash added rubbing her swore arms, and chest, and legs, and pretty much everything.

"Lets go. I think we can find a different dungeon, one with a little less fighting." Arric said before looking at the battered and beaten party behind him. Cael stood directly behind him and was tugging at the long hair he now had. Behind Cael, Verris looked about ready to collapse. Ash trudged forward, mouthing ow every other step, and taking up the tail end of the group was Kate, the enigmatic ditz of a healer who was leaving the dungeon with out being hit even once. "This will be fun." Arric added. "Very fun."

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Well, Okay this is the third part of Healing Mishap...I am sorry to say but this is the last you will see of it for about a week, I think I mentioned it before but I am going off on spring break and I won't have access to a 'safe' computer for me to use.

Thank you for all the readers who take the time to leave a comment you make my day...or night...or whenever i get around to reading them.