The Goddess's Gift

Lear woke to his throat on fire, and the rest of his body throbbing miserably.

The sounds of whimpering sobs met his ears.

Winna!

He forced both sets of his eyes open and gasped for breath, which hurt immensely, but he couldn't just not breathe.

“Winna!” he croaked, looking around wildly.

The area had been exposed to an insanely strong amount of magic. Its presence lingered around them, a blanket of pale lilac to his heat-sensitive eyes.

What the hell had happened?!

Finally, he saw the young woman sitting a few feet away, clutching something to her chest. Weak golden magic skittered across her form, trailing into the little grey bundle cradled her arms as tears poured down her face.

Horror filled him as he realized what the young human mage was holding. The still slightly disoriented fey man shifted, shutting his second set of eyes as he dragged his aching body inch by inch over to her.

“Wh-what happened?!” he croaked in alarm.

“D-Diana! Sh-she….sh-she-” Winna was crying so hard she could barely speak.

“Is she…gone?!” he gasped, seized with terror on Winna's behalf.

“N-no! No…not…not yet! I-I’m…trying to k-keep her f-from going! I-I c-can’t…c-can’t lose her too!” her voice rose in volume and desperation as she spoke, ending as a hysterical scream.

“Breathe, Winna, breathe.” he whispered, reaching out and putting a gentle hand on her back while he wracked his brain, trying to come up with some clever solution to the problem. But nothing came.

The little mage managed to take a deep breath. “Sh-she a-and Lou a-are a-all I have! I-I can’t l-lose her t-too!”

“I know, Winna, I know.” he croaked, grimacing as he pushed himself into a sitting position.

He took a brief moment to take stock of himself. Though covered in bruises and scratches, not to mention a nearly crushed windpipe, he'd ultimately escaped with relatively minor injuries. He’d gotten lucky.

Veris had gotten distracted by Winna, and had let his own desire to manipulate and kill the young human get in the way of killing him, which had allowed time for Diana to realize things were amiss, and interfere.

“Y-you’re h-hurt too,” she sniffled, “b-but i-if I stop…”

“Don’t stop. I’ll be alright. I’m not that badly hurt.” he told her, reaching up to rub his throat.

“I-I…I-I wish I was stronger!” she sobbed.

“I know, honey, I know.” Lear murmured, drawing himself closer. He reached out and circled his arms around them, pulling Winna, and by proxy, Diana, onto his lap. There was really only one thing he could think to do. Closing his eyes, he pulled for his magic, ignoring the pain the poison caused in his veins, and directing the raw power into Winna. “Here. Use it. I’m no healer, but maybe it'll help a little.”

Without another word, Winna began to direct his magic, reshaping it to be more like healing magic, her brow creased with concentration.

The magic flowed down her arms and into Diana.

“Sh-she feels a little better now. M-more stable.” the young woman whispered.

“Good.” Lear groaned, setting his forehead against her shoulder. He didn’t stop the flow of his magic.

The poison didn’t lessen his magic reserves, or magical endurance, but it did seriously strain how much he could use at one time. At the moment, he was capable of a weak stream, when normally, well, how do you compare an ocean to a stream? They were both water, but the difference was immense.

“I-I…I know if…if she did go, she’s not…not really gone, she’d j-just go back to her goddess, but…I-I doubt I’d e-ever see her again.” Winna whispered, leaning over to press her face gently into Diana’s silken fur. “I-I love her very much!”

“I know. And she loves you.” he assured her in his currently very hoarse voice.

There was a pause as Winna continued to push magic into her kitty.

Lear finally broke the silence, “What exactly happened? I assume there was a blast of magic?”

“Pure magic. I-I’ve never…never felt a-anything like it before! And she’s never done anything like it before, e-either.” Winna mumbled.

“It’s a familiar’s last resort. They can’t usually direct their own magic, but in a pinch, they can release all, or most, of it.” he paused. “She used it to get rid of Veris. I imagine it literally evaporated him, with as pure as her energy is, given how evil he is.” he sighed, then told her, “It means she was willing to give up her life to save you, Winna.”

Winna choked and sniffed and hiccuped and sobbed, but didn't reply. Lear continued to hold her.

He reached out and stroked Diana’s fur, murmuring hoarsely, “Sweet little queen.”

“Sh-she is!” the mage wailed, bursting into tears anew.

There was a soft maow, and Lou padded carefully down the porch stairs, coming forward to sniff them. She had likely seen that the front door had been left open, and had finally come to investigate, now that the danger had passed.

“O-oh Lou!” the young woman sobbed, wiping her face, and reaching out to pet her other cat, but keeping a secure, but gentle, hold on Diana’s small form in the crook of her other arm.

Lou brushed her head against Winna’s fingers, then climbed onto Lear’s legs and into Winna’s lap, settling beneath where she was holding Diana. The usually silly tabby seemed to understand how upset her mistress was, and began to purr loudly.

As if sensing the other cat’s purr, Diana’s iridescent sea-green eyes flickered open, and she gave a weak maow.

“A-Annie!” Winna gasped, holding the kitty up and pressing her face gently into her grey fur. “Oh, my Annie!” she sobbed, “P-please don’t go! I-I don’t want you to go! I-I love you so much!”

Diana maowed again, her little voice slightly stronger, and shifted in Winna’s arms, prompting the young woman to lower her for a moment as she showed her mistress very fluffy tummy, and began to purr loudly.

“She said she’s not going anywhere just yet.” Lear translated.

“Y-yeah?”

“Yes.” he said firmly with a nod for emphasis.

“Oh, thank the gods!” Winna whispered, and pressed her face gently into Diana’s tummy. “Y-you saved us, miss! Th-thank you so, so much! B-but please don’t…don’t go…I-I still need you. I-I'll always need you!”

They sat like that for a minute, and then Lou maowed in complaint, wanting attention as well, and Diana maowed again as well.

“She said she’s okay now, that the worst of the danger has passed, and you can put her down.” Lear informed the traumatized mage sitting in his lap.

“A-are you sure?”

Another maow from Diana, and Winna shifted, dislodging Lou, who maowed in annoyance. The young woman gingerly put her oldest friend on the ground, then bent and kissed the little grey diluted tabby on the forehead.

Diana stretched luxuriously, licked her right front paw and used it to swipe at her face and ears, and then headed slowly back towards the cottage with Lou trailing behind.

“Her…magic is very low.” Winna murmured, watching her cats as they made their way to the porch, then turning her attention to Lear.

“It’s a last-ditch thing. I’m…not sure how much of it will return. It’s an uncommon occurrence.” he sighed, rubbing his aching throat.

“Well, even if she can’t help me anymore, I’m just glad she’s alive.” the young woman shook her head.

“I know.” Lear croaked.

“Are you okay? I-I’m sorry I-”

“Don't apologize for a thing.” he stopped her, putting his hand loosely over her mouth. “You were in an untenable situation. I understand.” He let his hand fall.

“I-I…I-I almost let h-him in.” She whispered, rubbing her eyes and shuddering a little.

“I know. That’s why Diana acted. She could sense his evil.” he paused, “Veris is the one that poisoned me. He…he’s as evil as a fey gets.”

“You were sent to take him out?”

“Yes, and he got lucky.” Lear muttered, then sighed, shaking his head. “Had he gotten in, he would have killed you, then worn your skin and used your position as the healer of the village to slowly pick off people one by one.”

Horror filled her expression. “Oh gods!”

“He wasn’t always like that.” Lear told her. He’d actually met Veris before he’d gone mad, and he’d been an alright sort of guy. No one really knew what had happened. “Somehow he lost his own skin and…well, that drove him mad, I think.”

“Th-that’s disgusting and terrifying!” she shivered again in distaste.

“It is.” he nodded. “He caused enough trouble that I was finally dispatched to end him. He caught me unawares as I was tracking him, thanks to that wicked illusion magic of his, and I managed to change into my cat shape just before he hit me with a poisoned dart. It was lucky."

Winna leaned forward, setting her head against his chest. “I’ll say.” They sat there for a moment longer, and she pulled away. “Let’s go in.” she stood, then helped him up, and they made their way slowly back to the house.

The young woman helped him to the couch, then settled down beside him, “I know I can't do much, but I can still at least ease the pain.”

“Anything you can do is enough, Winna.” he told her, managing a smile. “I’m just glad we’re all alive and safe. It could have easily ended very differently.”

“I-I know.” she murmured. Diana and Lou hopped up onto the cushion between them, and both sat down, purring loudly. They both automatically reached out to pet both cats with each of their hands.

“You saved all of us, Diana.” Lear told the little cat in his hoarse voice, “I’m so, so grateful.”

Annie maowed softly, and closed her eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep.

“I imagine she’s very tired.” Winna said softly.

“She’s exhausted, but playing it off so you don’t worry. She’ll be okay, but…” Lear frowned, “It won’t ever be the same again.”

“You said you weren’t sure how much would return, right?” her voice was full of concern.

“Yes.” he chewed his lip, then shook his head. “Unfortunately, it kind of takes magic to make more magic, which is why total magical exhaustion can be so dangerous, and difficult to bounce back from, especially for familiars. They're primarily magical beings, despite their appearance as animals. Right now, she has enough magic to keep her alive, but not enough for her body to create more magic."

“I see.” Winna murmured, then frowned, “I guess I won’t really be able to do much for anyone around here anymore, without her help."

“I’m afraid not.” Lear sighed.

They sat quietly for a few moments.

“Well, I’ll still do what I can.” she shook herself, managing a weak, watery smile. “There’s no sense in falling into self-pity.” Winna held out her hand. The fey man could tell the fact that she wouldn't be able to help people nearly as much or as well troubled her deeply, but she was setting aside that worry and fear and deciding to move on all the same.

He took it. “You’re right. There’s no sense in that. You’re very sensible and brave."

“I’m hardly that!” she sighed, shaking her head, and pushing her magic into him.

Lear sighed, setting his head back. It wasn’t nearly as strong as when Diana helped, but it still felt very nice. “That’s not true.”

“Yes it is. I get all flustered over you, which is hardly sensible, and was about to let Veris in to save you because I-I couldn't handle watching him torture you to death! A-and yet I-I couldn't leave the house b-because I-I didn’t really want to die, either. I'm not sensible or brave!"

“Neither of those things makes you not sensible or not brave. To care for other people so much that you can’t stand to see them hurt is brave, and to face continuing on with life as usual, even though you’re scared because Diana can’t help you anymore, is brave.” he paused, then added as mischievously as his still slightly croak-y voice could manage, “And I’m glad I fluster you. I really do try. I’m glad it works.”

“Lear!” She rolled her eyes at him.

He grinned a little, and set his head back against the couch. “I’m grateful you weren’t going to let him torture me to death, and grateful Diana intervened so he didn’t kill us both. Or he might have left me alive, and forced me to watch him make you suffer. That would have been a fate worse than death, for me.”

“We won't know, now. Thank goodness.” Winna sighed softly.

It was quiet for a few moments, and she eventually wound her magic down. “I think that’s the most I’ll be able to do. We can do more healing later, and then again tomorrow.” she told him. “The worst of the cuts are mostly healed.”

“Thank you.” he smiled at her.

“You’re welcome.”

Since Winna hadn’t let go of his hand yet, he pulled her fingers to his lips and kissed them very gently. “I’m glad you’re not hurt.”

“I wish you hadn’t been.”

“I’ll be alright.”

“Your poor hoarse voice!” she frowned. “How about some tea? It might help.”

“That would be amazing. And then let’s be lazy for the rest of the day, we’ve more than earned it.”

“You and Diana can be lazy. You two are the only ones who did anything. Lou and I will take care of you as you rest. And I do have to go out to take care of the barn animals, anyways.”

“You don’t have to earn the right to be lazy. And anyways, resting isn't laziness. Besides, I…” he hesitated, then continued, “I want you to stay close.” The thought that she would be hurt had terrified him more than he’d let on. “I was terrified I’d lose you. Humor me?”

“Oh…alright.” the young woman sighed.

“And I’ll go with you when you go out to take care of the animals, just in case. I’m certain that Diana killed Veris pretty effectively, but…I’ll feel better if I’m with you, all the same.”

Winna managed a weak smile, “Alright.”