Countless oils were distributed and Wandermere was put on lockdown. The healers from the clinic were dispatched to search for signs of the scabies around the town, and more healers were called to take care of the people in the cemetery.

Once the Cardinal was informed that no one was hurt and that the missing people just had parasites, it was reported that he snickered for half an hour. Then, he ordered for Haedi to be healed and then to be pushed back towards the Alanqian Empire.

But Daniel didn’t care for any of that, for today, the succubus was going to attempt to heal him. She was better. The oils had cleaned her skin of parasites, and the mana infusions that the healers had given her had brought her back to full health.

Now, she did try to argue that Edwin did not heal her directly. But a zap of necromantic mana later and an arm that was limp for an hour, she agreed to use her ability on Daniel.

Edwin hadn’t flayed off the warts today, for a change, and had simply cooled the warrior’s skin. Daniel looked at his grotesque arm and trusted it towards the demoness. He was naked and laying on a bed, bound. She looked at him with thinly veiled disgust, but she did touch a gloved hand to his arm.

Then, Daniel felt as if he was burning. Something was cleaning him from the inside out in such a painful manner that he couldn’t help but scream. He trashed against the restraints that bound him to the bed, finally understanding why they were needed.

For some reason, memories flooded Daniel’s mind. Memories of his childhood, memories of his ups and downs. Mostly his downs. The memories were fading before his eyes. He couldn’t remember them as clearly, as if they were being erased.

Who was his mother? He felt fear then. Why didn’t he know something so simple? Then, he saw the image of a man who looked like him. Who was he? And, more importantly, who was Daniel, and why did he hurt?

Then, like a flood gate, his memories came rushing back at him. They slammed into his skull and made his teeth rattle. The pain disappeared and Haedi removed her hand.

Daniel’s skin was unblemished. Even the scars from dragon hunting were gone. Haedi collapsed on the floor, but she smiled brightly.

“Quite the lifetime,” the demoness was nearly breathless on the floor. She stood on shaky legs and then kissed Daniel’s lips. “Thank you for the meal.”

She walked out of the room without an explanation. Hadrian began untying Daniel then. Edwin prepared a bundle of clothes for the warrior. Everything was right as rain again, thought Daniel.

But he couldn’t help but feel as if something was taken from him. He turned to Hadrian, who was busying himself with his work.

“What did she mean? You are the expert here, so what did she take?”

“There is a misconception about a succubus’s feeding habits. They don’t eat pleasure, Dany, they eat memories,” Hadrian was now working on freeing Daniel’s torso. The warrior brought his hand to stare at it.

Just this morning, there was tree bark like warts on it. Presently, it was clean and healthy, if a bit pale. But what was that about his memories being sucked out of him? The moment of forgetfulness, the moment when he felt as if he wasn’t a part of this world. Was that it?

“It is nothing harmful. It doesn’t lead to amnesia,” voiced Daniel’s thoughts, Hadrian. “You will feel a bit disorientated for a while. But you can go back to hunting overgrown lizards in a month or so.”

“We would be happy if you stayed with us, though,” came from Edwin. This was the first time he had seen such a miracle cure. If he could replicate it somehow…

“Charlatan, if you try to open me up with a scalpel to see how the mana circulates in me now or something…” Daniel let the threat hand between them. Edwin looked down and Hadrian frowned at them both.

“We are all friends here,” said the vampire, more to himself than to his two companions. “No one is opening anyone.”

“Maybe mana scans?” Came from Edwin. Daniel growled and threw a glass at the healer’s chest. He caught it. Daniel guessed that Hadrian’s lessons were finally paying off.

“Dany, scans don’t hurt anyone. Not even with Edwin’s mana,” Daniel huffed. Of course, Hadrian would support the healer. Occasionally, the warrior thought the two shared one mind between them.

“If something happens to me, I will have both of your hides! And I better not get amnesia out of this. Rule number one: no rummaging in Daniel’s memories. Do you hear me, Edwin?”

“I have no idea how to do so, anyway. Besides, I doubt what she did was anything but mana powered,” Edwin looked exited. He pulled out a notebook from his inside pocket on his healer mantel and began to take notes on the results of the healing.

Daniel disliked being a lab rat. But he guessed he hadn’t paid for the treatment that saved his life. And that this cure, the one that had fixed even his old wounds, was paid for by Edwin and his fellow healers.

The warrior got up and got dressed, marveling at the fact that the clothes didn’t stick to him anymore. He then looked down at the bed. It was filled with blood.

Suddenly, he felt sick. What if he got infected again because of his infectious blood? That would be highly ironic. Not that he felt like laughing. Edwin saw him staring at the bed in horror and stopped his writings.

He went and poked at the thick blood.

“Could she have liquified the warts?” He asked himself. Then, he scooped some blood with a silver spoon and placed it in a glass jar. “I’ll burn this. Daniel, you need to drink water. It is the best way to replenish all the blood you lost. Furthermore, a couple of days of bed rest wouldn’t go amiss.”

“Whatever you say,” Daniel’s eyelids did feel heavy. For once, he did not argue and went to crash on the couch in the living room.

Hopefully, the kids won’t wake him up by daring each other to poke him. Edwin had been livid last time that it happened. But now, that he was not contagious, there shouldn’t be any harm in that, should it?