Back to the real world Jack woke up to the sounds of many men and women, sick people coughing and whimpering.
The air was uncomfortably warm and thick with the smell of vinegar.
Opening his eyes Jack found himself staring at the ceiling of a large circular white tent.
He was lying on a folding bed that had no cushioning; only the wood beneath him could be felt.
Around him many different types of people laid in similar beds, some were sick while others were injured, some were poor and some were wealthy.
Misery did not discriminate.
"Ugh.." Jack attempted to get up but found himself unable to.
He felt as if someone repeatedly punched him in the guts, his eyes had visible dark circles and he was very pale.
Propping himself with his left hand he slowly stood up and began to look around.
He was in a big white circular tent, around him were many similar beds spaced evenly from each other, leaving clear paths between them.
There were about twenty patients around him.
Looking around some more, he realized there were only three medical staff in the tent.
While still modest, their dark dresses were much less conservative from the pictures of nuns that Jack remembered, allowing some skin to be revealed.
And their veils had a white part at the front with a darker part flowing back, this serving as only decoration without much practical use as their hair flowed unrestrained.
One of them that appeared to be in her thirties had red ginger hair and wore a necklace with a rectangular gold piece that had its edges adorned with blue lapis lazuli, on the inside of the piece there were two red gems that weren't quite red but were very close.
Next to her was one of the three nuns in the room, the two of them sitting near one of the bed and were preparing to treat one of the patients.
Picking the necklace's pendant she brought it upwards with her hands allowing the red gems to face the patient as she assumed a praying position.
She closed her eyes and began to chant in a language unknown but its meaning automatically understood.
"Eu." (I)
"Sora Mercy rog lumini tale." (Sister Mercy ask of your light)
The gems on the pendant began to glow.
"Salvare" (Salvation)
Lines of symbols that were previously invisible lit up on the pendant.
"Cer tratarea bolii" (I ask the treatment this disease)
One of the lines lit up much more brightly than the rest as a rectangular box of golden light now surrounded the sickly man on the bed.
The box began to shrink towards the man eventually disappearing leaving behind only a thin film of gold around the man's body.
Still in her praying position the redheaded nun made a back and forth gesture with her two fingers signaling the other nun to assist her.
The younger nun without any necklace pendant began a chant on her own.
"Eu. Elara. Deschid. Cale." (I. Elara. Open. Way)
"Mana. Trimite. Mai Departe." (Mana. Send. Further On)
A slight glow began to move from her towards the redhead, eventually the young one stopped visibly exhausted.
The gold film around the man began to fade, his breathing returning to normal and his laying position becoming more relaxed.
Jack stood there for a moment before looking around yet again.
I remember that I was carried here by Aldric, but I can't see him at all.
From the left the sound of rapid footsteps approached him, Jack looking towards the direction of the sound saw the third nun in the tent.
The youngest of them all, a brown-haired young woman that that quietly cleared her throat before timidly asking him.
"When did you wake up?"
Jack who was still propping himself up with his hands looked towards her and answered "A few moments ago."
As he said that Jack made note that she also didn't have a golden pendant.
Changing his posture Jack asked "Where am I?" The young nun answered immediately and clearly "This is a camp built on behalf of the goddess."
She brought her hand towards her mouth keeping the palm pointing inward covering her mouth.
Is this another gesture I don't know of?
After a moment of silence she continued. "We built it in her domain as to bring salvation to the sickly and the hopeless"
Jack looked at her before asking "That gesture.. What does it signify?"
The brown haired nun was caught of guard but she quickly regained her composure and answered.
"We don't really know what it really signifies, but I read that this gesture gets the attention of the goddess."
Can gestures really get the attention of a god?
Jack inhaled a little before asking another question "What is the name of your goddess?"
She immediately answered "Salvation!" He same as her immediately asked a counter "As in the word salvation?"
"Yes."
..I should find a religious and history scholar for these questions.
"Ugh!" Jack immediately felt the painful pressure in his stomach rise.
The nun seemed to freeze for a few seconds before letting out a few words "-let me diagnose you!"
Jack moved his right hand to lift his shirt and expose his extremely bruised stomach.
This is not what I was expecting..
The nun froze yet again while looking at the bruise "Umm.. Wait here for a moment."
She then quickly walked at a rapid pace towards the Red Hair nun and whispered something in her ear while pointing towards Jack.
That one.. I think I heard from her chant that her name is Mercy.
The red haired Mercy slowly got up from the chair she was sitting on, she put her weight on the left leg while lifting herself up.
She picked her chair with her left hand and slowly walked towards Jack.
Putting her chair down she immediately sat down while crossing her legs and looked towards the bruise.
"What are you feeling in that area?" Jack looked at her and answered "It feels like I'm being constantly punched in the gut."
She stared at Jack with her piercing blue-eyed gaze "Any other symptoms separate from the area or relevant?"
She examined Jack's face before continuing "Like fatigue or dizziness?"
"It's just as you said." Moving her hand up to the side she gestured her two fingers in a beckoning manner the young nun seeing her gesture quickly rushed over.
Mercy began to speak "I need mana." The young nun quickly answered "Right away!"
Mana? So that light the other nun gave Mercy was mana? I should memorize their chants.
"Please lay down" The red hair nun gently pushed Jack down
After that she immediately assumed her prayer position and did her chant just as before.
The younger nun immediately began her own chant
"Eu. Fio. Deschid. Cale." (I. Fio. Open. Way)
"Mana. Trimite. Mai Departe." (Mana. Send. Further On)
A transparent rectangular golden box surrounded Jack, after a while it shrank only leaving a slight gold film on his body.
It's warm.. My pain is decreasing but the pressure is still there.
Slowly the bruise healed, and Jack's dizziness and fatigue was alleviated.
With the film fading away the pain returned, but compared to before the bruising was gone.
Mercy frowned as she leaned forward tired "There is interference"