They meet the end of the park and enter a teeming market.
Korlin's jaw drops as he views the scene. His eyes explode with an overflow of light. He's quivering; it looks like he could piss himself at any second.
Winged creatures and people whiz above the plaza. Anthropoids, small and large, roam the market, wearing animal traits and abilities. Vendors line the streets, selling and buying products not seen anywhere on Earth. Beasts with massive fangs and tails enter and exit the shops and tents.
Everyone is vibrantly colored, either with clothing or paint on their skin. Some people are blue, some purple, and some even have pink fur and/or scales. Most anatomy is bizarre yet somehow still makes perfect sense. While everyone looks different, no one feels out of place.
This really is a different world...
Korlin cannot control his enthusiasm. Glee is practically leaking from every pore on his body. He looks over at Sirius, who mundanely stares at the sight.
"Dude, how are you not flipping out at this?!"
"Hm, I don't think it's fully hit me yet... It still feels like I'm dreaming."
"It really does..."
Korlin is utterly awestruck. But, instead of idly admiring, he frolics into the market.
He greets every person he passes; some return the greeting, and others ignore him. He runs up to stalls, picking up every weird item and examining it. He chats with the vendors, asking about prices and what each item is. When the vendors hear he's broke, they shoo him away.
Sirius loosely follows him, beholding from afar. He lures the hostile gazes of others onto himself, away from the jovial boy.
Minutes pass, and not once does Korlin's eagerness waver. It still looks like he could explode from happiness at any moment.
"Is it alright if I touch your tail?" Korlin asks a random lady.
-Alright, it's time to step in.
Sirius places his good arm on Korlin's shoulder and throws on a friendly grin.
"Hey, sorry about him, he's a little... unique."
The woman nods her head, pitying Sirius' situation, and hurries off
-...
"Man, I was about to get to touch her tail..." He is genuinely disappointed.
"Sorry to get in the way of your fetish, but could we try and find the clinic? My arm is pulsating." Sirius tries not to sound rude.
Korlin's eyes expand as if snapping out of a trance.
"Oh! Yeah, I'm so sorry, I got a little carried away there..."
"A little bit..."
The two boys resume their search for a clinic. They ask around, but don't have much luck getting an answer. Though a few kind souls continue to lead them south.
Korlin repeatedly gets sidetracked and wanders off. Sirius continuously retrieves him.
Korlin learns that he can no longer read. It doesn't seem to bother him.
"Hehe, I'll have to learn a new language... This is awesome."
"Are you always this... energetic?" Sirius asks, dragging Korlin by the wrist. He looks to the sun for direction. It doesn't help him.
Korlin peers at the pavement.
"No, not usually... I haven't felt this alive for a while. I can't remember the last time I was this happy."
His words hit Sirius.
He's been enjoying himself... Despite the arm thing, of course.
When was the last time he's done that?
...Their paces slow, and Sirius releases Korlin's arm.
"Yeah, me too..." Sirius' voice is drowned out by the crowd.
They continue walking, and Korlin's enthusiasm fades.
"I really hope this isn't a dream."
*****
Eventually, they arrive in front of a gray, stone building.
The clinic. Or at least what they hope to be. A sign out front has a white symbol picturing an actual heart.
It was much further than three blocks down. Aureole isn't the best with directions, it seems.
Sirius enters, leaving Korlin to entertain himself. Which is very easy to do.
He passes through the arched doorway into a bright interior. Sunlight combined with candles gives the waiting room a rich white glow.
He approaches a counter made of the same brick as the walls. Almost everything in the capital seems to be built from the same gray blocks.
A woman with blue, droopy, dog-like ears sits behind the counter. Her eyes also seem to droop, though they're mostly covered by her bangs.
"H-hello, is this a clinic?"
The woman perks up and smiles politely.
"It is! What can I..." She peers at his arm. "Actually, I have a pretty good idea. I'll notify one of our healers." Sirius thanks her civilly, and she strolls over into a hallway out of view.
-Healers? Are they not called doctors?
"I really hope this is a clinic..."
"Right this way, please!" She pops her head around the corner. Sirius follows the lady, and she leads him to a room with a wooden bed in the center. A brick is removed from the wall to let in natural light. Potted plants are spread throughout the floor. "Please wait here for just a moment."
Sirius nods and sits on the loosely sheeted bed. The lady leaves him alone.
-This better not be another "inn" situation...
This is nothing like any hospital he's been to before. There are no monitors, no medical supplies, no casts, no buzzing, no beeping, no tubes, no machines...
Alone with only his thoughts, a memory comes tumbling back to him. About the last time he was in a clinic.
-...
His hand wraps itself around his throat. The air feels heavier.
Images of his little brother, standing next to his hospital bed, flash across his mind. His brother's anger... His disgust... His hatred...
The sound of a cord being unplugged... The sound of his heart rate monitor racing before falling to a flatline... The sound of his brother's last words to him...
-"Sorry."
The word was so faint that Sirius can't tell if there was any emotion behind it.
While he struggled in his bed to breathe, his brother walked out of the door... pretending nothing had happened. What happened after...?
-Does anyone care?
The depressing thought is followed by a stream of memories.
His mother's financial issues. His father's never-ending disappointment. His brother's loathing toward him. His... friends at school ignoring him...
-They're probably thankful.
A crushing pain in his chest emerges. He hasn't realized he's holding his breath.
A swirl of negative thoughts bombards his meek brain. The grasp on his own throat is tightened.
-Nobody cares. They all hate you. No one has ever-
HACK
A violent expulsion of coughs escapes his throat, reminding him to breathe.
Bending down, he sucks in all the air he can. After a minute, his breathing steadies out, and he regains his composure.
...
A hand knocks on the doorway.
A young man walks through the arch. He carries himself with dignity, though he appears relaxed and kind. A long robe drapes around him, stretching to the floor. He places glasses over his pointed ears and enters the room.
"The arm, is it?"
Sirius fixes his posture. The man has the same color hair and wings as Aureole. Though most humanoids in the city do. Still, it subconsciously straightens his back.
"Oh, yeah... Is there anything you can do for it?" In truth, Sirius almost forgot about his arm.
The man simpers and raises an eyebrow.
"That's an odd question. I am a blessed healer after all."
-A what...?
He kneels beside Sirius. Removing a white glove from his hand, he lifts his palm to Sirius' arm. The man closes his eyes in deep concentration.
Suddenly, a greenish-gold light emits from the man's palm.
-...No way. Is this-?
The soft light envelops Sirius' mutilated arm. The limb feels fuzzy and warm... almost numb. Its scratches and scars begin to fade away. Its twisted skin and muscles unravel into the shape an arm should be...
After only a couple of seconds, any trace of the wailian's inflicted wounds is gone.
His arm is healed.
The light dissipates from his arm and the man's palm. The fuzzy feeling leaves, and only a slight hint of numbness lingers. It's as if nothing ever happened...
Sirius goggles at his healed arm, awed.
-That was magic. Magic exists here. I've got to tell Korlin about this...
"Is there anything else you need healed?"
The man knocks Sirius off his daze.
"Oh- Huh? N-No, that was all. Thank you..."
"Of course. Well, I'll be off then."
The man walks out of the room as if it were a casual, everyday occurrence.
Sirius stares at his reformed arm a little longer before getting up. He checks the functions of his fingers and joints, and everything works as it should. Amazing. Still in a state of wonder, he returns to the lady at the counter.
"I take it all is well?"
"Oh- Yes."
She smiles again and writes something down on a piece of paper. She doesn't use a pen or pencil; instead, she writes with a large claw.
"Alright then," she starts mumbling to herself. "Four hundred plus tax is..." She looks up at Sirius. "That'll be four hundred and sixteen nem, please."
She outstretches her hand. He's supposed to give her something.
-Nem? Is that money? Four hundred??
The only thing he can think to do is pull out the purple gems.
Four hundred and sixteen... Purely guessing, he hands her five of the gems.
She accepts the stones and rummages around behind the counter. After a moment, she places an orange gem, three red gems, and four green gems into his palm.
"Alright, you're all set."
Sirius glances between the woman and the gems. That worked?! The gems are all in the relative shapes of coins, though some are more jagged than others. He clutches them tightly.
"Uh- Right. Thank you!"
Sirius gives a small wave and exits the building. That was the easiest doctor visit ever. Not even any paperwork...
Korlin is sitting on a bench right outside the clinic. He's watching a type of bug fly by. Sirius trots down the small set of stairs and sits on the bench next to him.
"Look at this, my arm is all better." He waves his arm around.
"What kind of doctor was in there!?"
"That's the crazy thing, there wasn't one. He called himself a healer, and I'm pretty sure he used-"
"MAGIC!"
Korlin's face suddenly beams, but he isn't looking at Sirius...
Turning around, Sirius discovers a blazing ball of fire barreling toward them.
-WHAT THE-
FWOOOOOOOOOOSH
The flaming orb rips past them, streaking red and orange across the air. Igniting nearby plants, its heat could almost singe their skin. Thankfully, it only feels warm.
The singing sphere disperses as it rams into a nearby building.
A strand of Korlin's hair is caught aflame, and he doesn't even notice. A massive grin is in place of where fear should be. Sirius pats the fire out and finds the source of the assault.
A rampant, six-legged canine is scuttling down the street. It has tiny, white horns protruding out of its head. An older woman trails behind the dog, she's trying to catch up with it.
"Someone!" the lady screams. "Please stop him!"
Upon sight of the animal, or maybe its bark, Korlin freezes.
...
He's petrified.
Not a bone in his body moves. His eyes are stuck on the creature, as if they're glued. His mouth gapes, begging to say something...
It's as if the sight of the dog brought back disturbing memories.
...
"We should probably get out of here-" Sirius hits Korlin's shoulder, signalling for them to run. Sirius stands up, but realizes the boy isn't following. "Hey... What's wrong? We should probably-"
Abruptly, Korlin's expression stiffens, and he launches off the bench.
His eyebrows furrow as he rushes head-on toward the beast.
"What are you doing-!?" Sirius shouts, but it doesn't reach his ears.
Determination emanates from Korlin, gone is that cheerful child. It's like a switch suddenly flipped inside him.
Seeing the boy rapidly approach, the dog charges another ball of fire. Sparks igniting from its jowls, the beast unleashes another blazing sphere directly at the boy.
Fully focused, Korlin evades the flames by sliding under.
About to collide with the boy, the canine attempts to step off to the side. Before it can, Korlin springs off the pavement, managing to grab the fur on the creature's back.
The dog scrambles, trying to maintain balance, but refuses to cease its charge. Korlin, using all his strength, doesn't release his grip and gets dragged by the dog's chaotic movement.
"You're not getting away..." Korlin mutters in the creature's ear as he manages to mount it.
Korlin tugs on the rough fur of its nape, but it only makes the dog cry. It releases a spray of fire, singeing Korlin's skin. Frustrated, he sticks one of his legs in between the dog's six.
While painful, the dog trips over Korlin's foot and topples over. It skids across the stone road, and Korlin, his grip releasing, naturally does the same.
...
Sirius and the old woman rush over to them.
"Humprey!" The woman is furious; her wrinkled forehead somehow gains more wrinkles. "This is outrageous behavior!"
smack
She barehand slaps the dog.
"Damn..." Sirius mumbles.
"We are going home this instant, and you will think about what you've done!"
Pinching the beast by its ear, she starts dragging it along the street. She curses under her breath the whole way. The flaming dog whines in defeat... Its once frightening appearance being reduced to a pathetic mutt.
...
Sirius and Korlin stare in complete befuddlement.
The fallen boy stands himself up and brushes off the soot.
"You're welcome... I guess..." A regretful tone holds his voice.
"I don't know... I feel kind of bad for that dog thing."
"Hm... I don't. I'm not too fond of dogs..."
"Cat person?"
"Something like that..."
...
"That was crazy... What made you do that?"
"I don't know..." Korlin studies his fists. "I saw magic and got excited, but then..."
"..."
"Magic!" He shuts down his previous thought process, replacing it with the usual happy-go-lucky one. Whatever he was about to say is lost... "Magic! It actually exists! This is amazing! I've always wished magic were real, and now it is! Do you think I could use magic? I hope so. If I get to use magic, my life will be complete. Simple as that. I could die happy."
Korlin rambles on about magic for about ten minutes. All Sirius can do is listen to the boy's endless enthusiasm. The whole time, Sirius can't shake the feeling that something is weighing on the boy. But Sirius has only just met him; what reason would he have to care? Besides, if he's burying something, it's probably for a reason...
Sirius eventually tells him about the healer and his arm. It refuels the boy's fire for another ten minutes.
"Do you think there are different classes? Like fighting, healing, defense? Or is it like an elemental thing? Do you need to be born with magic or can you gain it throughout your life?"
And so on.