The Healer's Quest

Unfortunate encounter

Even though the human girl was kind to her and Althea wanted to enjoy the warmth of her a little more, she couldn’t do it. She was on a limited time mission, and that was her utmost priority. This place is sealed like a prison, Althea tried several doors and windows but to no avail. She then saw the dog door and realized that she could easily pass through that passage as she was just a tiny sparrow for the moment. She stealthily left her house while the little poodle of the girl was barking at her, maybe it was trying to stop her or warn her.

As soon as Althea stepped outside with her broken wing, she could feel the crisp winter air on her face. Usually, she loved winters but this particular night she hated it because she couldn’t use her powers to keep her warm. Her bags were protected by an ancient seal so that no human could see that thus she couldn’t even use her stuffs for the moment.

As she couldn’t fly, Althea hopped around the block. Althea wanted to go back home, she wanted to give up but that would disappoint her family and she wouldn’t be able to tolerate that so she persevered. The coldness of the street was becoming unbearable, she could feel it up to her bones.

She was casually looking around when she heard a rustle behind her, she turned and looked, to her horror it was a big black cat. The worst thing she could meet at the moment. She looked something that could help her. The vicious predator was so close to her that when it purred she could his disgusting breath of rotten fish.

She tried to hop away but she was too slow as she saw the animal leap and about to pounce on her. Before she could move, she felt his weight on her. In a moment of panic, Althea without thinking just used her magic and combusted the cat into ashes. She could see the crack from under her and it continued on to the road and no trace of the cat could be seen.

All her wounds were cured and her energy was restored, now she had to transform into another animal and redo her spell so that no one discovers her real form. She decided to turn herself into a dog because it would be easier for her to manage and she might even get help. She knew that dogs were important for humans as she saw with that human girl. Moreover, with all this traffic and the honking, she will not be able to concentrate.