World Filter

Mark lay back with his arms crossed behind his head as he floated through the sky. He was hundreds of meters in the air, drifting gently through the clouds as one would float on the surface of a pool. The city expanded below him, and as hard as he tried to ignore it. The spire extended off beyond the clouds in his periphery. With the retreat of the Ghast nests, flying directly above the city had become much safer and frankly relaxing. After the meeting, Mark had decided he needed a moment to himself. Just a small break to sort out his thoughts, so he had taken to the air and found that he loved it up here. The quiet rush of wind sweeping around his construct was oddly satisfying.

Mark was surprised Karter wanted to send them off on missions so soon after the city had narrowly escaped destruction. He wasn’t against the idea, in fact, he found that same desire to get out there still burning in him. However, as Mark floated through the clouds he had concluded that he needed time to recover. Ethel was right, Mark would find time to appoint a new lead and heal his body and mind. Fix whatever was going on between Jonathan, Sam, and himself. Not to mention ensure the spire was not a hive for the Corrupted or something along those lines.

Scratching the back of his head, Mark realized he had his work cut out for him.

This was forgetting the First Rites they still had to find time to use.

Even with Karter’s reminder, none of them had agreed on a time to use their them.

Mark would wait to use his question until they were all together, but right now he decided he’d see where the rest of the day took him. No more documents or people, just him.

Mark was aware that after the battle, both the Institute and Areana had been heavily damaged. So heading there was out of the question, instead Mark wondered the skies looking down at the city. He had no destination in mind, just observing as he went

The streets were still recovering their foot traffic as people tried to hawk their wares to any passers. While nearby factions attempted to repair the infrastructure damaged in the collapse of the wall. Certain things just weren’t repairable if the faction didn’t have the right people for the job. Mark had learned that people with professions like plumbers and electricians were even more in demand at the end of the world. This left streets, either flooded or entire blocks without water at all.

On multiple occasions, Mark noticed small groups having skirmishes with the resident factions. So either they were neutral parties or direct threats to the surrounding areas. Mark would have normally gone to investigate, but for so many reasons, he decided to let the nearby factions handle it.

As life would have it, or perhaps by habit. Mark found himself drifting over the city towards the Healer's house.

When it did come into sight, Mark found himself coming to a halt. The destruction in this area was particularly bad, but that made no sense. This was one of the deeper parts of the city and a hospital full of doctors and nurses should have had ample protection during the attack.

It was then that Mark spotted the crowds of angry people near the building's entrances. But this time there were no orderly lines, and definitely no nurses out among them. Instead, there were a lot of angry-looking crowds. Mark spotted several people that carried symptoms of the ‘Weeping fever.’ Mark’s eyes moved in the direction of the religious district's wall and saw a similar sight.

Hundreds of people searching for a ‘cure’ to their Cv problem. One that the healer's house probably didn’t have the answer to.

Mark felt anger rising in his chest. The destruction here was not caused by the Corrupted, but by the very people who were searching for help.

Only a thin line of soldiers formed a loose ring around the building. Having to resort to direct physical threats, and on other occasions violence to keep people away. The injured mixed in were jostled between the two sides. Insults were hurled back and forth along with pleas.

Mark also noticed several people from different churches among the crowds. Though they seemed exempt from the people's ire. Instead, they moved undisturbed through the masses. Mark had to assume it was the fact that they were currently the only ones who could help those with too much Corruption. The fact that they weren't helping only served to press Mark buttons further.

Descending near the line of soldiers turned out to be a mistake because this caused people to become more aggressive. As he came down he chose a soldier at random and moved a thread of Mana and Prana to show he was a healer. The man looked up surprised but nodded Mark forward.

Unfortunately, the crowds saw this as unfair treatment.

The already pressured situation became worse as people tried to push their way in and follow him.

Looking back at the disturbance, Mark spotted a man with a mass of dark veins collecting near his neck. He wasn’t at the mutation stage but he was certainly acting like it.

Pushing anyone out of his way to get through the soldiers, going so far as to elbow others out of his way. The soldier that Mark had shown his Prana to tried to pull him towards the hospital doors, but the man pushed over the soldier's perimeter and reached to grab Mark by his shoulder.

The man was clearly an Aura user and he paid no mind to the amount of strength he used, even when Aura users were quite aware of how powerful their grip strength could become as they got stronger.

The man was lucky it had been Mark he grabbed and not another patient. But at that stage, Mark didn't care.

The Construct coating his body bristled and expanded out from himself. The spell warped forward, rushing the man, and wrapping around him before he could react.

Mark then turned back toward the crowd, his construct constricting the man until he was unable to move. With a flick of his will, the man was sent back over the soldier's perimeter and then further out. Being sent forward to dangle above the crowd as though wrapped in a semi-transparent straightjacket.

The people nearest to Mark froze and so did the soldiers, the situation rapidly falling toward imminent chaos. Dozens of Auras and Mana signatures began to rise in the air at the perceived threat, but Mark stared on hollowly.

His own Mana and Prana rushed into the construct. Causing it to begin to expand, and as it did so, it began to eat up ground. Falling over the line of soldiers, and then climbing up the side of the hospital growing larger by the second.

People's eyes slowly shifted from anger to hesitation as Mark's spell began to occupy the whole space. Reaching the top of the building, the construct encompassed the front like an unfeeling beast.

In doing so, the silence from before extended but now it was for a completely different reason. The fight slowly went out of the crowd as the construct continued to loom over them all. Before their trepidation could turn to full-blown fear Mark spoke over the crowd.

“You all come to a place of healing, but you act like animals. If that’s the case I’ll treat you appropriately… But… If you accept that we’re human too. That we’re trying to help you. We’ll do our best to get to everyone… Now those that want to stay, may, but only if you cooperate. For the rest of you. Leave.”

Mark punctuated this with another pulse of energy, causing the construct to expand even further. At the same time, he moved the man towards the edge of the crowd and dropped him. Nothing too high but his dignity would probably sting.

The people looked on at Mark as though weighing up their options, but eventually Aura’s began to retract. A few people even left with resentful faces, but the rest seemed to lower to a murmur.

The people from the different churches watched Mark with varying expressions but overall they didn't seem fussed as though they were above the situation.

Tuning to the soldier beside him Mark nodded in his direction as he retracted the construct. As though this woke him up the man cleared his throat and led Mark toward the sliding doors.

Upon entering Mark saw nurses packed into the space. They had probably been holed up in her for a while because several of them looked disheveled and like they hadn’t had the opportunity to bathe in a while. Not quite unlike Mark until recently.

When Mark entered the was a round of quiet cheering, which he didn’t expect, but luckily it didn’t last too long. Dr. Friedrich came to save him before any of the men and women could get too close to thank him personally.

“Mark follow me, we’ll need to talk somewhere out of earshot. Go on you lot there's plenty to do around here. Willow, find out from the guards if we can start admitting people again… but slowly does it.”

A plump woman with culry brow locks nodded to the Doc and went towards the door without a hint of worry.

Mark followed Friedrich’s blistering pace through the hospital halls until they got to a simple examination room.

The only thing standing out as even remotely personal was a crudely drawn picture of a man dressed in medical garb, highlighted by green and white crayon. The page was crumpled and had been folded multiple times, before coming to rest in a frame on his desk.

Mark's eyes moved to it before moving back to the stoic face of the doctor.

“So to what do I owe this disturbance today Mark? Although I guess I have to thank you for how you handle it out there. We’ve been struggling to help people ever since the invasion receded.”

Mark nodded slowly, gathering his thoughts.

“Well to be honest there's no reason Doc. I was just wandering about and wound up here. Though I have been meaning to find out how you’re all doing here.”

Friedrich searched Mark's face and then came to some kind of prognosis.

“You’re hurt.”

Mark shook his head.

“Nah, there's not much I can't bounce back from at this stage.”

“Not what I meant, but regardless you were meaning to come to see me?”

It only then occurred to Mark that this man in front of him was exactly the type of person he’d want in his place should he ever have to leave for an extended period.

“Now that I think about it, yes. This may be a long shot but come work for me.”

Mark didn’t have to think it over, he knew this man would be an amazing fit for their faction. The fact that the Doc tilted his head and waited for him to go on, was all the invitation Mark needed.

“Right now, I’m looking for someone who can become my second in command. I can provide a good SP count and a stable place for you to practice medicine. In turn, you’d be responsible for the healers of my Order while I was away.”

Mark knew by now, the man needed no fuss or flowery words. He was even more pragmatic than Mark was.

Which is why his answer came almost right away.

“No, I can’t take up that position. My goal is to my craft, I want to use these hands to heal as many as I’m able. Organizing a faction will only slow me down. However. If I had someone in mind, would you consider them?”

Mark nodded with a bittersweet expression.

“Course, if you at least consider coming to work in my clinic when I get it running again.”

“Yes, I heard about your Order's clinic. Things were significantly more manageable when it was running.”

Mark nodded as a knock came at the door.

“That’ll probably be her now. Come in Willow.”

Once more the same nurse that Friedrich had sent off to go talk to the soldiers entered.

“Doctor, I’ve admitted a small batch of patients. We’ll have to see where it goes from here. The churches are still calling for us to leave.”

The middle-aged woman wore a simple set of scrubs and a thick pair of glasses on the bridge of her nose. She glanced in at the Doc, only sparing a glance for Mark before refocusing on Friedrich.

“Good job Willow. Now I have a job opportunity for you. Care to hear it?”