“Why?” Eunny narrowed her eyes, head flipping back and forth between the two. “It’s the poison, isn’t it? You have the sickness we’ve been?—”
“I’m not— I don’t have anything serious,” Dae said.
“What have you been hearing?” Ezzyn demanded.
“That more people are getting sick from the containment.” Eunny released Dae enough to loop their arms and begin towing her toward the Healing Hut. “It’s all hush-hush. I only know about it because I’m helping with the elective the Restorers funded.”
“You are?” Surprise tipped Dae’s voice up.
“I’ll explain later,” Eunny said. “Why are you coming all the way back to the Valley? Couldn’t you just take a break outside a contaminated zone?”
“Perhaps this should wait until we’re somewhere more private,” Ezzyn murmured, indicating a gaggle of Initiate level students walking toward them on their way to class. He glanced upward. “And dry.”
Though the downpour had lessened to a drizzle, Eunny took his point, asking instead about their journey and how their work in Ezzyn’s homeland of Rhell was going. Dae and Ezzyn had spent the summer making their way across the small kingdom, aiding the implementation of a new ward system to fight the poison that had continued spreading across Rhell in the six years since the Eyllic War had ended. Dae’s Adept One research dovetailed with Ezzyn’s Magister-level work, resulting in wards that could finally contain the spread instead of merely slow it.
The danger of the Eyllic-made poison was twofold: magical in nature, the poison had an ability to endure and return despite the strongest cleansing efforts made by the brightest minds throughout the Alliance of Empyrean Territories. Even worse, the poison fought back. It drained all who came into contact with it, whether they did so simply by treading upon corrupted ground or actively trying to remove the poison. From the land, the water, a living body—treating the poison drained the mender in a manner unlike any other. Prolonged exposure to it eroded the body, and healing could only do so much for so long. Magic worked until it didn’t, but thus far, no one had determined the magic-born poison’s breaking point.
The only saving grace, double-edged as it was, lay in the strange fact that the poison was specifically tailored to seek the magic wellspring in Rhell. While the elective struggled to test their growing mixes in contaminated earth that went sterile once it passed into the Valley, the same reaction could be used in the favor of poisoned bodies as well as dirt. If caught in time, at any rate. Even the protections of the Valley had limits. Regardless, whatever fueled the poison, it cared only to destroy Rhell. For now, anyway.
But for Dae to need a refresher in the Valley after only a few months in Rhell? Eunny didn’t like the sound of it. Even if Ezzyn was being overprotective—which was a distinct possibility considering how his middle brother, Garethe, was chronically ill merely from proximity to the poison, and Ezzyn wasn’t taking any chances with Dae—that meant something.
They were shown into a room toward the back of the Healing Hut. Dae insisted that Eunny and Ezzyn be allowed in as well, despite the disapproving look from the aide escorting them. Ezzyn spoke quietly to the aide outside the door, showing them a letter he’d carried in his cloak pocket. The aide nodded once and departed, returning in what had to be record time with none other than the Chief Mender.
“I thought you said it wasn’t serious,” Eunny muttered, nudging Dae.
“It isn’t, Miss Song,” Chief Hakan said. “And we’re going to ensure it stays that way.”
A reflexive “Yes, sir,” was out of her mouth before Eunny could stop it. She hid her disgruntlement by looking down, listening intently as the chief explained the multi-pronged healing he would work. She was several years past her student days, and even back then, she’d only had sporadic interactions with the Chief Mender. Apothecary-track didn’t overlap much with someone of his standing, and especially not at the lower levels. That he’d somehow managed to remember her name should’ve been a crime.
Chief Hakan flicked clear the tails of his mender’s jacket—ivory bordered in gold to denote his status—as he sat on a stool next to Dae. He took her hand between his own, her light brown skin pale in contrast to his golden brown. The chief took a measured breath in, held it for a beat as his magic surged, and exhaled at the same unhurried pace. Golden light flared between his palms, flowing into Dae as his head bent toward her. Dae, eyes closed, bowed her head as well.
Eunny crossed her arms, hands turning to fists as her magic woke in the presence of its own kind. It hummed in her veins like a sympathetic string, a quiet vibration in her blood. She ignored it, picturing herself as stone.
The healing session was over in the blink of an eye, Chief Hakan releasing Dae’s hand and standing in one smooth motion. He went to the small counter at the back of the room and took down a cup and a few small jars. Using a set of silver menders’ measuring spoons, he portioned out varying amounts of different powders from the jars along with a few sparks of his own magic for each addition.
Eunny’s hands itched with the impulse to check his ratios, even though she knew the Chief Mender had dual Master levels for light magic, both in mending. Full track for body magic, and the research levels for herbalism. Had graduated with distinction, just to cement himself as the most overqualified Chief Mender in the history of Sylveren University, or some such nonsense. The man had probably forgotten more than she’d ever know about apothecary work.
Didn’t stop her from craning her neck around to try and catch the labels on the jars.
“Professional interest, Miss Song?” the Chief Mender asked, his tone dryly amused.
“Nope, not anymore. Just stretching my neck.” Wood-smoked sundew powder, some kind of mountain lettuce, and she couldn’t see the farthest jar before he stored them away again. All good choices. Maybe not exactly what Eunny would’ve put together, but not objectionable. Not that she was thinking about going into apothecary work again. Stopping Ennis from turning their stomach to lead had been a one-time thing.
Chief Hakan brought the cup to Dae, offering it to her along with a small stirring rod. “Your magic will help the mending set, but I can ask one of the aides for a glass of water if you need.” He glanced at Eunny before focusing on Dae. “I’ve strengthened the tissue in your lungs, but this should provide more fortification.”
Dae accepted the cup with a murmur of thanks. She glanced at Ezzyn. “Could you open the window, please?”
He complied, revealing the gray skies and misty rain that had begun falling while they were inside. Dae made a beckoning motion, summoning a thin stream of moisture to form around her fingers before she directed it into the cup. A few stirs dissolved the powder, leaving behind a dark, greenish-brown liquid. Dae gave it a sniff and grimaced.
“Drink the whole thing, please.” Chief Hakan motioned to Ezzyn. “I need to confer with Mr. Sor’vahl. Miss Song, I presume you remember standard protocol?”
Eunny flapped a hand at him. “Monitor her for a bit in case of adverse effects. I got it.”
“I’m going to check in with Gaz, too, if I can find him,” Ezzyn said. “I’ll meet up with you?—”
“At the greenhouse complex,” Eunny interrupted. “I want to give Dae a tour later.”
“Perfect. I need to make arrangements with the groundskeeper about soil samples, too.”
