When they arrived at the location, the first thing Arin noticed was the small group of people assembled in one corner, quietly muttering amongst themselves.
There were a number of mattresses that had been gathered there, each one with a fully covered form laid upon it.
Even without counting, he knew there would be twenty-one. Those were all the villagers who hadn't been able to survive the distortion.
Arin forced his eyes to sweep past the scene, focusing instead on the handful of people hurrying their way.
Just as he'd opened his mouth to tell them whatever they'd heard had been wrong, and to ask them for a chance to explain himself, one of them called out loud, saying -
'Sir! Where had you been?'
Arin shut his mouth. They weren't addressing him.
He heard the cloaked healer, who had aleo followed after him and Siel, let out an annoyed huff.
'Sir healer! We beg you - do not turn your gaze from us!'
Arin paused his footsteps, turning halfway to look back at the man in question. The healer was now frozen in place.
'We humbly beseech you to grant us audience, sir healer!'
'Master! Please, be my master!'
'In all my years, I've never encountered a healer with talent as astounding as yours!'
'Take me on as your apprentice! I have promise, I swear!'
Arin couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in amusement.
The group - all healers, as he now recognized - rushed past him to surround the man.
There was almost something comical about the way he towered over everyone, his hooded head and shoulders sticking out from amidst the bunch.
And even though the healers didn't crowd him, and maintained a deferential attitude, with their clasped hands and slightly bowed heads, they didn't stop speaking.
It seemed that the fervor for learning was very capable of fully erasing whatever mysterious and intimidating aura the man typically exuded.
'Seek instruction elsewhere,' the cloaked healer rasped. 'I am no master to be followed.'
'But, sir, please -!'
Arin exchanged glances with Siel. Then, the two of them walked away, leaving the man to deal with the apprentice aspirants on his own.
Siel led the way to one of the further beds. Having seen several people otherwise occupied near the deceased villagers' beds, or in trying to force a master-student relationship, Arin had almost hoped that no one would still be entertaining the awoken villagers' tales.
But of course, that wasn't the case at all.
In the distance, he saw a weak, somewhat disheveled-looking lady being supported as she sat up. She was narrating something slowly, in a voice too low for him to make out just yet.
Surrounding her was a rapt audience of at least ten people. Among them was sir Veylor.
One of the volunteers noticed their approach, and raised a hand in greeting. Alerted, the others also turned to acknowledge them one-by-one, until finally, the villager herself looked up.
'Sir Rin!' she exclaimed, in a voice that was still quite papery and weak.
'Lady,' Arin nodded.
'Miss Mira is fine,' the lady smiled, her eyes filling with tears of gratitude.
Arin remembered her. She'd been cowering and sobbing through most of the time he'd seen her in the village square.
More distinctly, she was the one who had 'killed' both himself and the other remaining villagers, in a shockingly fast manner.
'You-you saved us!' the lady blubbered. 'You defeated that villainous man, who had wanted to keep us all trapped and - and kill us!'
He hadn't! That other lady's telekinetic rocks had!
Arin had to harden his facial muscles, lest any hint of awkwardness made itself known.
'Everyone contributed,' he interjected. 'You're the one who helped us leave, remember?'
'I merely did what I was told. I did what I've always done at the slaughterhouse my family owns!' she said, tears now running down her wan cheeks. 'But, you! You only wanted to save us! And, I'm sorry for not listening to you, when you'd first gathered us there. But that was our village head! I thought we could trust him!'
'It's no trouble!' Arin said quickly. 'Now-'
The woman didn't let him finish. 'That evil, filthy old man, risking all our lives for his daughter's sake! But wasn't he also supposed to be responsible for our safety? To us!? Did he always take his role so lightly!?' she demanded. 'Curse him. And thank you! We'd still be trapped, being slowly killed by that distortion if not for you!'
Arin stilled.
Without even looking to confirm, he could tell that all the gathered people were now staring right at him.