The Hunter Mage

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Vernon saw Pam stretch her palm to him and he grabbed it without a second thought, smiling at himself at her praise. She pulled him upwards as she slowly got to her feet. He followed but for some reason, he felt heavier than normal.

His head also felt heavy and he tried to touch his head as he stood to his feet. Everything immediately felt woozy and he saw himself fall back before he even felt it. Almost immediately, everything went black.

Vernon opened his eyes to bright light and for a couple of seconds, he was completely disoriented. He slowly rose to a sitting position with his hand to his head.

He heard someone run to his side and he turned his head in that direction. It was Vivk. The realization caused him to frown. "Well, someone doesn't look happy to see me," Vivk muttered as he stared intensely at Vernon.

"How long was I asleep?" Vernon asked instead, ignoring Vivk's statement.

"About two hours," Vivk replied, he seemed a little annoyed.

"Oh, that was quite a while." He slowly said.

"Yes, and you weren't asleep for the first thirty minutes. You were unconscious."

"What does that mean?" He asked.

"Never mind. How do you feel?" Vivk asked, changing the subject.

"Like someone sat on my head." It took a lot for him not to say Pam even though she was exactly who he was thinking about when he said those words.

"Here, drink this," Vivk said and handed him a cup. "Do you have any pain anywhere else?" He studied Vernon with a dark look in his eyes as he waited for Vernon to accept the cup.

Vernon accepted it with a sketchy look on his face. "Not really. Where is the doctor?" He asked, looking around.

"Um, isn't it obvious?" Vivk frowned, obviously displeased at the question.

"What? I thought you were a magic scientist." The look of horror on Vernon's face was paramount.

"Is there a difference?" Vivk asked and walked away.

Vernon stared even oddly at the drink. "Yes, you saying that makes me worried." Vernon took a whiff of the substance in the cup. It looked like hot cocoa and for some reason smelled like it too. "What is this?"

Vivk chuckled, "Well then, who is better for the job? Hot cocoa, never had cocoa before?" Vivk asked, eying Vernon suspiciously.

"True, I couldn't think of a better person but back at home in my small town we did have a doctor even though I have never visited him before. Are you sure this is hot cocoa?" He still found it a little unbelievable.

"Why? Doesn't it look like hot cocoa? Well, that's not surprising you mages tend to not fall sick. If you're sick, it is probably because of low Mana, and most times hot cocoa and enough rest are just what you need." Vivk said, stopping what he was doing and turned his attention back to Vernon.

"Oh, so that's why…" He muttered and stared into space, wondering how his neighbors never figured him out through that but his mother tended to clean her tracks.

"Why what?" Vivk then noticed that Vernon wasn't drinking the hot cocoa. "You might want to drink that, it won't do you any good cold." He quickly added.

"Huh?" Vernon frowned and stared at the cup he held. He couldn't understand why he was suspicious but considering what Vivk had given him the last time he was here, he wouldn't put it past the dwarf to give him something nasty and call it hot cocoa.

He glanced at the dwarf and squinted his eyes. Vivk chuckled at his expression, "I promise it is nothing but hot cocoa. This isn't like the last time you came to me besides I wouldn't need underhanded tricks to give you something nasty. I could have just injected it while you were asleep.

Vernon's look of horror brought out a loud round of laughter from the dwarf but from the corner of his eyes, as he laughed, Vivk could see Vernon take a sip. Satisfied that he wasn't being tricked he took a huge gulp.

However, Vivk soon released another bout of laughter. "What the heck are you thinking?!" The dwarf yelled. "I said hot cocoa, didn't I? Can you see the steam?"

Vernon had swallowed the hot cocoa in an effort to ease the pain he felt at the fact that he held it in his mouth. Bad idea and he hated his decision as soon as he swallowed. "Ahh!" He gushed out trying to take air in hoping it would ease the pain.

"Bess!" Vivk yelled when he was able to stop laughing. "Get in here, apparently, we need your help after all."

Almost immediately, the door opened and a chubby little miss came running through the door. Her face has worry written all over it. She held her hand to her chest as she ran to Vernon. "Are you okay, Vernon?" She asked, her big bright eyes staring up at him, Vernon could swear that there were tears in them.

Vernon first thought she looked a lot like Pam except smaller and way adorable. He frowned at the thought but couldn't wave away the fact that she looked very familiar. It took him a moment but he remembered who she was.

"He burnt his mouth drinking the hot cocoa so I doubt he would be able to tell you that. Could you do anything about it?" Vivk said for him and Vernon tried not to glare at the dwarf.

Bess had looked away from Vernon as Vivk spoke but she quickly returned her gaze as she nodded vigorously. She immediately stretched her hand towards his face and Vernon instinctively moved his head backward.

His reaction shocked her and she immediately withdrew her hand. "Stop being squeamish, Vernon. She is going to stop the pain unless of course, you're fine with the pain. That could totally be arranged."

Bess' eyes widened in response to Vivk's words. "I should have warned him." She muttered looking down. "I just figured you knew what I was going to do."

It is fine, he wanted to say but knew he couldn't dare. Instead, he moved his head closer so she would see that he was fine with it. She brightened even more and slowly placed her index and middle finger against his lips.

Vernon's reaction followed immediately after her action. He felt a warm feeling as her fingers came in contact with his lips and it quickly spread to the inside of his mouth and rapidly changed into a mint-like feeling. It was very soothing and Vernon instantly felt his pain subside.