Broken Chains

As Scarlet looked down on the sleeping Puck, she first thought about waking him up again soon, but then decided against it. Instead, she carefully lifted him up to bring him somewhere more hidden where the other Gremlins that certainly would come looking for the disturbance wouldn’t find them.

The leaf she had given Puck to heal him was an item more precious than he could possibly understand with his limited knowledge. But that was okay. She hadn’t given him the item without sufficient reason. For one, she truly felt she, as a teacher, was to stand straight for something that happened in a task given by her, and for another, the leaf had more effects than simply healing a single wound.

Even now, as she carried Puck through the tunnels of the eternal ice, she felt the life energy in his veins and saw one small scar or wound after another close up on Pucks body and leave behind new unblemished skin again with visible speed. Even then, bringing Pucks body back in a completely healthy condition, healthier than perhaps to any other point in his life before, that weren’t all the leafs effects.

No, the most important thing the leaf did was on another level entirely. On a spiritual level, on a level unreachable to anybody but the greatest powers or wisest sages, the leaf awakened something. Yes, one could even say it brought something to life as it was by nature a force of life itself.

In the end, though, one could sum it up quite simply. It awakened potential. Potential for what? Nobody would be able to say, not even the force awakening that potential itself. For everybody consuming an item like that, it was different, and there were as many possibilities as stars in the sky.

Some may become able to commune with nature or others may become able to lift the weight of entire buildings.

As for Puck, Scarlet was really excited to see. She wouldn’t tell him, though. Something like this, more often than not, was better found out by accident.

--

As Puck slowly awoke, he first thought he was still dreaming. His entire body felt light, and each and every single pore of his body seemed to vibrate with lively energy.

His state of mind was free and unburdened, slowly drifting from one thought to another without giving anyone thought too much importance.

Then, perhaps only a moment or an entire hour of sweet drifting between the world of dreams and the real world later, Puck felt someone softly shake his shoulder.

First, he didn’t want to react to the shaking, but all too soon, he changed his mind as his whole body now seemed to be brimming with energy that wanted nothing more than to move and do something.

Opening his eyes without further preamble, Puck was met with an unexpected sight. Having hunched herself over, Scarlet was standing over him still shaking his shoulders. Getting drawn in by the lines of her face, Puck once again noticed how beautiful she was. For a moment, Puck even thought Scarlet was staring back at him, but then only seconds later, Scarlet showed him that she indeed still could be rough as she stood up abruptly, leaving a painful claw mark on his shoulder.

Slowly becoming aware of the whole situation and the recent events again, Puck first sat up to inspect his foot only to find nothing wrong there. No, it was not only nothing wrong. It was like there had never been any injury. In fact, his whole body…

Bit by bit, Puck became more aware of his situation, and as Scarlet gave him the details on the bodily effects of the leaf, he was left gaping. Only one single wound, a scar over his left shoulder, was left behind. Seemingly a reminder what happened.

Apparently wanting to leave the topic of the magical healing behind, Scarlet decided it was time to talk about something else.

"Tell me, how did you plan to get in and out of the village in your state before the healing without people noticing and you getting attention and interest you wouldn’t like? They wouldn’t let you go out again without taking Zephyrian from you. Most importantly they likely even consider you dead or at least missing."

Puck already wanted to speak up, but Scarlet raised a hand to get another moment.

"I know the situation has changed now, but that is not what I want to talk about, just tell me your plan for the original situation. Or more exactly the original situation without your foot being wounded. I’m really interested in how you think you would be able to succeed under those circumstances."

Motioning for Scarlet to sit down again, Puck did the same and got himself comfortable.

First taking a long break and then slowly inhaling, Puck took his time to start talking to build up the tension. Then, stopping his overdrawn introduction silence, he directly got to the point.

"I had no plan."

First not realizing what Puck had said or expecting an elaboration, Scarlet didn’t react at first, so Puck reiterated his words.

"I truly don’t know how I would have been able to do it."

Seemingly a little astonished and unbelieving, Scarlet spoke up intrigued.

"But, you have prepared so much, trained day in day out, only to then stand there before the village without a plan?"

Puck locked down again, now seeming a little bit more solemn.

"At the start, I thought about it and planned, but as I was unable to come up with anything, I decided in the end that it was best not to think about it as to not demoralize myself."

Getting a bit more cheerful and cheeky again, Puck smiled at Scarlet.

"Instead of planning, I did simply that what I was best at. For days on end, I cursed my situation and my own mind for forcing me to do something like that and among other things, I even cursed my teacher. Once I even did call her a…"

Stopping in the middle of the sentence, Puck looked expectantly at Scarlet, not knowing what her reaction would be.

In the end, only a few minutes after waking up again completely unharmed, Puck managed to get his arm twisted so badly, that it would hurt for hours more. But perhaps more importantly than that, before getting his arm twisted, he managed to make Scarlet truly laugh for the first time.