Doc's Dreams

As Dr. Atrium sleeps for the night, he dreams of his past. He was 16 when left his home at the Solis et Umbra, he had been there for a good 11 years. Before he left he had to give Parlous a hug good bye. She had raised him and taught him everything he new about magic and being a great assassin. To him, she was his mother and to say good bye to her was one of the hardest things he had to do. Parlous knew that he had to venture out into the world in order to become a man, so she did nothing to stop him. She gave him a magical bag before he left, it was an over the shoulder bag but it had the ability to store anything inside of it and not weigh more then 10 pounds.

He traveled for days as Atrium went looking for a way to put his skills to work. He made his way north trying to get to the city Soiyam. He has heard rumors about the place, how it is filled with findings of old times and many, many books for him to read and learn. With the wind at his back and his excitement pushing him, he made it to the city in about 2 weeks. When he arrived he was in awe at what he saw. The whole town looked like people had just moved into an ancient city. The city was buzzing with mostly men going about there day doing what ever they did. As he walks the streets, he stops a few times to get some books and to get some supplies. A person was yelling in the middle of the town, at first he wasn't paying any attention to it until something caught his ear. He makes his way to the man so he can hear everything the man has to say.

"Do you know magic but in the end find it to be useless? Are you tired of having a "gift" that does nothing but make you an outcast? What would you do if I could teach you to use your powers for good? I have been teaching people for years how to use their gift, to heal the injured! No more will you be cast out for only being able to harm! I and only I can teach you how to heal and be a good magic user!"

The man was wearing a very dirty lab coat. Atrium can tell that the coat used to be white but years of use has started turning it tan. Under the coat the man had a black t-shirt that was tucked into his blue jeans. The man looked to be in his mid 60's Atrium walks up to the man and interrupts him, "Hello. I heard what you were saying...Is it true? Can you really teach me to heal people and not to harm them with my magic?"

The man looks down at him and smiles. "Indeed. I do not tell lies, that can get a man killed around here. What kind of magic do you use boy? Earth, Water, Air, Sun or the Moon?"

"I use the moon Mister...."

"Maxwell, Doctor Florence Maxwell." He does a bow. "Moon magic you say. Hmmm, that is going to be bit challenging for me. I have never met anyone who has used that before, but I am sure we will be able to make it work. So what is your name lad?"

Atrium frowns a bit, thinking of what to say. His training had taught him to not revel his name and if he has to, to make one up. "My name is Floyd. I don't have a last name anymore..."

Maxwell gets a sadden look on his face and puts his hand on Atrium's shoulder. "I understand Floyd. When I was kicked out of my family, I didn't use my last name ether. Lets go to my house. I can see that you are new here so you don't have a place to go."

Atrium lets himself to be lead to Maxwell's home.

Dr. Atrium feels himself being shaken. He bolts up to see that it is Airgetlam. "Good evening. It must be our turn to watch I take it?"

Air nods and he gets out of his sleeping bag. He walks with Air and they sit at the fire. They keep watch until it is morning.

As Doc falls to the floor and his world blackens, he starts to recall his past again.

It has been a few weeks since Atrium met with Maxwell. They have moved out of Soiyam and are living in a small town called Freyacre. The town was named after the man who build it up from the ground up, Drake Freyacre. He was an ex-military man who wanted to find a town free of politics so he could spend the rest of his life relaxing and helping the community any way he can. After looking for half a year, couldn't find such a town so he made one. Anyone is allowed to live in this small town, you just have to leave all politics behind and you must help the town.
Maxwell as taken Atrium to his favorite pub, The Salty Peanut. The pub once was an old peanut factory but it when it started to bleed money a wealthy fellow came along and  bought the place. The man then changed it into the pub but kept some of the factory working so he could keep making peanuts for the pub.
Atrium slams the book on the table.

"This sucks! why do I have to read about the human anatomy? I thought you were going to teach me how to use my magic for good? So far all you have been having me do is ready these stupid books. there is no point to it!"

Maxwell laughs at him, then he waves for the bartender.

"If you want to heal someone lad, you have to know what body part is hurt and how you are going to heal it. The human body is very complex and one mistake and you could "healing" someones heart to there lungs and end up making it stop and killing them. I promise, when you know the human body, I will start teaching what I know about healing magic."

He looks up at the bartender and smiles.

"Owen my old friend, how are you doing?"

Owen smiles and puts a large glass of water in front of Maxwell. He puts his pinky into the water and it instantly changes into beer.

"Well you know how it is. Nothing much happens around here. It's good and all but it does get dull sometimes."

Atrium notices how the bar man change the water in to beer and asked about it.

"Hey how did you do that? Do you know some magic spell to do that?"

Both Maxwell and Owen laugh a bit. Owen  walks over to Atrium.

"Everything doesn't include magic mate. No, it was not magic. You see, in my youth I turned to ale to make my life better then it was. During that time I was a real ass to everyone. I felt better when I made people hurt the way I did. Well one day I was in one of my drunken stupors, I ran into this lady. She was young and full of life. I will never forget her, all she ever wanted was to show the world that she wasn't a monster just because she knew spells and cures. She couldn't help it, she had grown up with a very powerful witch that taught her everything she knew. Well it turns out pissing her off wasn't a good thing. I don't quite remember all I said to her but it was along the lines of her being a monster because she grew up with a monster. Ether way she got angry and put a curse on me. She told me 'If you like alcohol so much then it will be all you will drink. You also will no loner be able to hide behind the effects of alcohol.' From that moment on, anything liquid I touch with my hands, lips and tongue change into that ale. She has a since of humor too, the ale is the best I or anyone else has ever had. Its ashamed that after drinking it for over 20 years, it stops tasting good."

Maxwell drinks some of the ale, then looks at the two then speaks.

"Its a powerful curse too, no one as been able to brake it. It seems the only person to brake the curse is the caster. It's ashamed you have no idea where she could be. By the way, Owen this is my new apprentice. His name is Floyd."

Atrium fells bad, after he has been with Maxwell and he still hasn't told him that the name is a lie...he should fix that.

"My name isn't Floyd. I am sorry I lied to you Maxwell. I was trained by assassins and one of the rules is to never give out your real name. Though I hate my real name. Just call my by my family's old last name. The name has been dead for years. The family branch of it was killed during the early years after Ragnarok the Atrium family were some of the first people to use magic. Because magic had never been seen before, the people were scared of it and killed any one who could use it. From then on my family used the Atrium name to scare the others into not looking into magic or doing anything connected to it. When I left my home, I took up the name once more. While I will never share my name with anyone, you can call me Atrium."

Maxwell listens to Atrium's tale and sighs when he is done.

"I am very sorry lad, people fear what they don't understand. I know we have come a long way since the magic hunts after Ragnarok but some of the old fears still linger. Thank you for telling me the truth Atrium. Because you have told me the truth, I will as well. I am not just a wondering teacher. I have been hired by the military to find the cure that no one has been able to find. I am looking to cure death!"

Maxwell is very exited by the end of it.

"I know that with your help Atrium, I will find and make the spell. I am kinda close but there is a lot missing in order to make it work. Now that I have told you the truth, will you stay with me and help me with my task? I promise to still teach you about healing, you are going to need it. Doing experiments does cause harmful effect if the spell isn't proper. So what do you say me boy?"

Atrium thinks about what Maxwell has told him.

"Yes, I want to say and learn to heal. I would no longer be hated if I helped you find a way to cure death."

Maxwell smiles big and pats Atrium's back, very happy.

"That's the spirit lad! We will go down in history as the worlds greatest healers!"

Dr. Atrium wake when he feels something moving his leg. He darts up and looks at Hitomi and smiles recalling the dream he had. Maxwell truly was a good man.

While Dr. Atrium is reading his book, tiredness sneaks up on him and he falls into the world of sleep.

A month has pasted since Maxwell told Atrium about his goal. The two have set up a small shack within Freyacre. The shack is also being used to cure to towns people of its illnesses and injuries during the day but during the night, they use the shack to further their research on curing death. The shack is simple but it works for what they need. The shack is made of Eastern White Cedar for the walls and roof but they used two different materials for the floors. One the half of the shack, the floor is made of the same wood that the rest of the shack is made of, while the other half is made of steel. On the wood half is where they live. It has a kitchen, a table with four chairs, one bathroom and a single bedroom that they share. On the metal floor half is where they cure the town and if needed to perform surgery.

Today was like any other day, Atrium is in the room somewhat reading his book. After about page or so, he puts the book down and starts to practice what Maxwell has taught him. So far he has learned how to cure cuts, scraps, stabs and he knows how to do so with needing to see the wound. Maxwell taught him how to do that in case there ever was a time he needed to heal an organ or bone. To practice, Atrium would grab a knife and cut himself, then heal it. It always hurt when he did it but it was the only way he could think of to practice. It never took him long to heal the minor cut witch made him happy, he was getting better. Maxwell knocked on the door; Atrium gets up and opens the door.

"I am going to go out to the market and see if there is anything on sale that is worthwhile. I have been cooped up in this shack for three days, time for a brake. You should go out too, it isn't healthy to stay inside all day but in the end I cannot tell you how to live your life. If you so end up staying inside, I want you to continue your studies with the human body. You have learned a lot. Have fun whatever you do."

With that Maxwell walks out. Atrium gets to his feet and looks around. He looks at the human anatomy book and sighs. He then walks outside and wonders around the town. It was a bright and sunny day. He walks over to the dock and watches men work. He wonders at times what it would be like to live like one of them. He sits down and watches until the sun starts to set. Atrium gets up and dusts himself off and starts to make his way to the shack.
On his way he hears a scream of an angry man and soon it is fallowed by another man cry of agony. Atrium's heart starts to race and he runs as fast as he can to where to commotion is. When he arrives, he sees a small group of people around a man who is bleeding on the ground. Atrium quickly pushes past the group and kneels next to the dieing man. Atrium can see that the man has been stab twice in the stomach and is losing a lot of blood. He puts his hands on the wound and the man starts screaming. The people around him just watch, he can hear some of them mummbling something but he doesn't care enough to listen, he as a life to save. Atrium closes his eyes and his hands start to glow. At that moment the people back away some.

"The boy knows magic!" He hears one say. "He is just going to make it worse." He hears another say.

Atrium shakes his head, he needs to focus. He can feel the mans heart beat and feels the wound closing. He strains as he tries to stop the bleeding and when he does, he lets out a sigh of relief. He stands up and nods.

"This man will be ok! I have healed his wounds and I have stopped the bleeding! Now please clear the way so I may bring him to the clinic!"

Atrium then picks the man up and makes is way to the shack. It doesn't take him long to make it there, when he does he kicks the door open and calls out for Maxwell.

"Doc! I need a hand! I have a man who was stabbed!"

Maxwell rushes out from the kitchen and helps to being the man to the table where they lay him down. Atrium smiles wide, turns his back on the man and starts to walk around.

"The man got stabbed so I rushed in and saved the day. I used what you taught me and closed the wound and made the bleeding stop. I think this should tell you that I don't to read all them books any more. I know what I am doing, you just need to trust me more."

He turns to look at Maxwell. He is just looking down at the man. Maxwell isn't checking what he did anymore nor is he getting ready to give the man some medicine. He is just....standing there. Maxwell slowly walks away from the man and walks over to Atrium and speaks in a very low voice.

"Last week you told me you read the chapter about blood and how it flows. I need to know if that is true. Did you really read that chapter?"

Atrium is confused about the question.

"Of course I read the chapter..."

"If that is the case, then tell me how blood is pumped through the body?"

Atrium's breath gets stuck. His face must of given it away because Maxwell's face starts to turn red.

"THE HEART! THAT IS HOW! DO YOU KNOW HOW YOU STOP THIS MAN FROM BLEEDING!? DO YOU?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!"

Atrium steps back and is trying to speak.

"I-I pushed it b-back in..."

"YOU MADE THE MANS HEART EXPLODE! YOU PUSHED ALL HIS BLOOD INTO HIS HEART AND IT POPPED! YOU DIDN'T SAVE HIM, YOU MURDERED HIM!"

"I-I didn't mean too...it was an accident!"

"ACCIDENTS DON'T END IN MURDER!"

Maxwell screams at him.

"THIS IS WHY I TOLD YOU TO STUDY! GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

Atrium runs out of the shack, tears running down his face. Atrium runs until he falls onto the ground. He finds himself under a random house and he stays there, crying and listen to the echoes of Maxwell's screams in his head.

The next morning Atrium is woken up by Maxwell shaking him.

"Get up lad...I hope you had time to think about last night."

Atrium moves from laying down to sitting and looking up at him. Maxwell keeps talking.

"You have a lot of potential but unless you apply yourself and really study, you will just end up killing people instead of healing them. If you are serious about being a doctor, then you better crack down and study."

He then drops the human anatomy book in front of Atrium.

"I will be at the shack if you want to continue our work."
Maxwell then turns and walks away.

After moments of thinking, Atrium walks back to the shack. He walks in and goes straight into their room and starts reading the book.

Dr. Atrium wakes with his heart skipping a beat do to being shook...