Short Story; The Doctor's Orders, Part Two

Credits; Petra,

"...And that's why you should never, give a sword both a flaming enchantment, and a blood-chill enchantment." 
The class laughed.  She'd been telling the story for years, its effects had worn off for her.  Most of her stories were like that though now.  She had the feeling her adventures were drawing to a close, even though she had won her last battle.  It was only a matter of time before she would be the teacher of new heroes only, never herself the hero.  If she was lucky she might get to follow along as a mentor, she'd done that before.  In fact, it seemed to be happening more and more. 
"Well, that's all the time we have for today.  For homework this semester, enchant something that can be neither worn nor wielded.  I want you to bring me a weekly progress report, in the usual format of course.  Proposal and plan on my desk next week."
"Word count?"
"Four.  Or however many you feel you need to say what you need to say." 
The class jotted down notes and filed out.  She sat back down at her desk.  It was only the second day and she was already tired.  Admittedly she was still rather spent from her fight two days ago, but somehow her heart just wasn't in it this semester.  Maybe some of her colleagues would have some insight.  They'd all probably had such times before.  She stood up and stepped out.  She'd always doubled up her classroom with her office, and with all her files safely stowed in subspace there was no risk of theft.  She locked the room anyways.  Occasionally some evil student would try and set a booby trap up under her chair.  While she had never failed to either detect or easily defeat the traps, it was easier to just make the door impassable. 
"Miss Zinksfeld!  Miss Zinksfeld!"
"Yes?"  A young man in a black robe had run up.  He was winded and perspiring heavily.  He wasn't overweight, just out of shape, must have been a first year student then. 
"Miss Zinksfeld, everyone says you killed a demon in Stormguarde over winter break."
"Everyone seems to be rather in the know." 
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Is it...Is it true?"
"Strictly speaking, yes, I did kill him.  But I didn't exactly beat him so it hardly counts."
The boy clearly didn't care that the odds had been stacked in her favor from the start.  With Courtney, Nao, and the ranger corps to fight the warlocks and Rea and Krell to help it would have been enough, even if Tala hadn't planned it all out from the start.  Legion hadn't stood a chance.  He'd come anyways though.  Surely he'd known, but that was one of the things she'd always respected about him, he always fought even though he knew he would lose.  And now his death was heralded by mere children, not even full grown and hardly a match for him at his weakest state. 
She continued up towards the stairs that lead to the lounge.  She hadn't visited in ages, litterally ages.  The last time she'd come was after Yuri's funeral, because they'd been having a party and she wanted to take some of her sorrows out on the pinata.  The room was empty save the headmaster.  He was an old man with a long white beard.  He wasn't actually old, and he certainly didn't have a beard, but it was what people expected of the headmaster of the universe's most prominent school of magic so he had made himself look that way in spite of himself. 
"Seamus, I thought you would be at lunch with everyone else?"
"Professor Zinksfeld!  I didn't know you even came here."
"I don't, not normally at least."
"Ah, well then, have you met the new mending and healing instructor?"
"Didn't know the position was empty to be honest with you."
"Really?  His death recieved a great deal of press."
"I've been a bit...distracted lately."
"Well, no matter.  Come, you should meet him.  Most extraordinary gentleman i've ever met.  Turned up out of the blue last day of winter break and asked if I had any positions open.  I asked if he knew anything about healing and he said he did.  He proved it too, healed everyone in the infirmary and even explained how he did it and what had happened to them."
"Sounds suspicious, maybe I should meet him."  She reached for her sword out of habit and sighed as she remembered.  If he was a threat she'd kill him by spell alone. 
No, she'd let someone else handle it.  She'd promised them she'd retire.  And this is what that meant; not saving the world.  It'd take some getting used to. 
"I thought so too.  Its one of the reasons I want you to meet him.  After all, perfectly qualified candidates rarely show up on one's doorstep unprompted and uncalled for."
Petra nodded in agreement.  She followed him back down the stairs.  They turned a corner and headed up the long hall that lead to the infirmary.  It was still quiet, two days of school had left the students little time to get injured.  Some of them seemed to have managed it anyways, and fell silent as they saw Petra and the Headmaster enter the office of the new Healer. 
Petra remained silent as they faced the new instructor.  The headmaster however, stepped right up to the desk and rapped on it lightly.  A young man closed the cupboard door to her right and stepped out from behind it.  He was handsome, and Petra found that her mind could take in little more than that. 
"Ah, Shad, I want you to meet Professor Petra.."
"Miss Zinksfeld."  The young man interrupted.  "I do believe we may have met before."
"We have?"
"You have?"
"Yes, several times in fact.  Perhaps you remember Corun, or Tara?"
"Quite well, but I do not remember you on either."
"Perhaps if I introduce myself.  My name is Shad Alnutsrevn." 
It took more courage for her to speak now than it had ever taken before.  She did not know the face, but she knew the name, for it was the name she had bourne at her side, bound in blood and steel.  But she had to speak or she would never forgive her own silence.  "Headmaster, could I have..a..a moment.  With.."
"Of course.  Get to know each other."  He leaned in and whispered.  "Tell me how things go later."  And then stepped out.  Petra was almost afraid to see him leave.  She could feel her heart beating like the flapping of a hummingbird's wings.  But this was what she'd always wanted wasn't it?  A chance to...
"I missed you, old friend."