Sora snorted at the imagery. Carrots might actually work on his mother. She liked to snack on them.
“Alright. My parents are both mages, and I’m their only child. My family’s knowledge was kept intact, and it’s been passed down from one generation to another, parents teaching children. We’re all trained in the healing arts, each gravitating to our own specialties. In modern lingo, you’d say I’m something of a physical therapist. I like restoring full function to damaged nerves and muscles.”
Lisette took all of this in with a calm poker face. Sora had no idea what she really thought about it all. He made a mental note to never play cards with her. He was sure to lose if her poker face was that good.
“Can you tell me how many are in your family?”
“I cannot, I’m sorry. Nor where we are living now. I can tell you what I know, however. I’m happy to pass along what knowledge I possess while I’m staying with you.”
Her caution lifted, and she smiled brightly at him, almost joyous. “That would be wonderful. And it’s very generous, thank you. I will pick your brain as much as I can.”
“I’m happy to be picked. Um. I feel that didn’t come out right.”
Lisette threw her head back with a laugh. “No, but I take your meaning. Can we—”
Someone knocked urgently before bursting in. The man, who Sora had not yet met, looked a touch frantic, his platinum blond hair flying in a mess around his head. He hastily shoved it out of his ice-blue eyes with an impatient hand.
“Lisette, one of the newbies burned herself rather badly,” he blurted out. “Fire spell that backfired.”
Sora and Lisette were both out of their seats in a heartbeat, Lisette immediately grabbing elements from her shelves. “Is someone bringing her here?”
“Yes, Dieter has her. I ran ahead to warn you.”
Lisette gave him a nod. “Good.”
This seemed a chance to make good on his promise and perhaps further open communication between them. “Mage Lisette, allow me to treat her.”
Lisette paused with her hands full, giving him a sharp look. “You think you can treat this?”
“I’m not inexperienced with such burns, shall we say. Product of a misspent youth.”
“Heh. You sound like a Burkhard. Alright, I’ll be happy to watch and learn what I can.”
“Let’s start here.” Sora gently tugged one jar out of her hands and put it back. “Untouched snowflake might soothe a burn but it hampers the healing process of the skin, too. Best not.”
She yielded without a fight, surprise on her face. “So, what do you suggest?”
“Nectar of Japanese honeysuckle, to start with.” Sora turned to the man and said, “I’m sorry, what is your name?”
“Ah, Gunter, Gunter Burkhard. Nice to meet you. Mage Vo, correct?”
“Correct. Nice to meet you. May I ask that you fetch my black bag from my room? I have a few elements in there that will aid this process.”
Gunter didn’t seem bothered by this request, just gave a sharp nod and was out the door in a flash.
Lisette followed Sora as he went for the more kitchen-esque side of the workroom. “What do you need?”
“Two small bowls, a mortar and pestle if you have something that is glass. I can’t use porcelain for this. And a large bowl, something that we can set her damaged limb in, as I’ll need to pour this over whatever area has been burned.”
Lisette opened up cupboards, fetching what he needed without pause. Sora accepted each, laying them out in his preferred arrangement. He had the bowls in place, a towel nearby, when his patient arrived.
She was young—that was Sora’s first impression. Perhaps nineteen, and clearly too untrained to know better, as the fire spell had backfired magnificently. Her entire hand was bright red, touches of third degree burns on her fingertips. Her face, arm, and neck were also streaked red, a clear indication that the spell had gone winging off and over her head.
Oh yes, Sora had seen this exact injury before. Even as he shook his head at the foolishness, he had sympathy for her, as silent tears of pain traced down her cheeks.
“Come, sit here,” Sora directed her in a calm, soothing tone. “Let me assess what you’ve done to yourself. I’m Sora, you are?”
“Alice,” she responded, voice hoarse. “Can you fix me?”
“You are unfortunately not the first patient I’ve had who has used a fire spell in a strong wind. That is, I assume, what happened?”
She looked abashed. “Yes.”
Lisette sighed wearily. “I told you magic lessons would start tomorrow. The primer book was to read tonight.”
Sora felt a moment of déjà vu. He was quite sure he’d had this exact conversation with his aunt and mother when he was a child.
“The very young do not always do as they are told. But that’s how they become wise, is it not?”
The silver-haired man who had escorted her in gave a snort of amusement. “Wisdom gained from all those bad decisions?”
“It’s a harsh teacher, but experience will hammer the lesson in,” Lisette muttered, her eyes rolling.
Sora focused on the arm, gently touching the skin just enough to move it, angling his head to get a good look. “It seems worse than it is, I’m happy to say. You’ve not damaged the nerves or muscles. If that was the case, you’d be looking at a longer recovery time. But with this, I think I can have you pain free and mostly mended by tomorrow.”
Alice blinked at him, astonished. “Wait, the last time I was burned this badly, I was at the beach all day and my skin roasted. It took weeks before I stopped peeling!”
With her snowy fair skin, it was no surprise. “Magic is most convenient, when properly applied. Ah, there is my bag.”
Gunter was back in, not even breathing hard from the mad dash, although there was a hint of color in his cheeks from the exertion. He handed Sora’s bag over without comment.
Sora took it, setting it on a stool so he could easily see inside and pull out the contents.
“Now, Alice, I’m going to teach you what to do so if you ever misjudge a fire spell, or if someone else gets burned, you’ll be able to address it. This is a basic salve, which I’ll first use to clean the skin and prepare it to receive a proper potion. It will also put some moisture back into your skin and ease the discomfort you’re feeling.”
Everyone gathered around him to watch as he lifted nectar of Japanese honeysuckle, moonlit water, and frozen aloe vera from the bag. Sora’s movements were unhurried, efficient as he tipped a little of each from the glass jar it was in and mixed them steadily in the bowl.
“There’s no spell for this, which is part of why it’s a good beginner’s recipe. The elements alone do the work, as they are all earth- and water-based, and they like to combine. Alright, now, hold your hand over the bowl here—”
Alice gingerly moved her hand over the wide metal bowl, an anticipatory wince on her face.
“—good, now hold still. Unlike modern medicine, this will feel good.” Sora poured a small, steady stream over her fingers and hand.
“Oh!” Alice’s eyes flew down to her fingers in surprise. “Oh, that feels amazing. So cool.”