***
“Get him on the table,” Zook ordered. Jakmin's soldiers hesitated.
“Do as he says,” said Jakmin, not blinking at Zook's sudden charisma.
“Watch his head!” Zook warned as they picked the unconscious man up. After the man was arranged to Zook's liking he undid the man's cloak and tore off his bloody sleeve. Right below the man's shoulder on the outside of his arm was a jagged gash. Zook imagined that the bone would be showing if not for all the blood.
“Bring me some water!” Zook shouted, tearing the soldier's cloak into strips. He tied one tightly just above the wound. The rest of the cloak he used to prop the man up so his heart would not so easily pump into his arm. Zook opened his bag to grab a box of threads and needles, but one of the bottles had come loose from its protecting pocket. He picked it up to replace it but the light glinted off its bottom. He looked closer and found a shallow symbol carved into the glass, recognizing it as lentus or sleeping mixture. Those are supposed to be on the stopper, Zook thought, glad that he had found a way easier than smell to identify the potions. He unstrapped several vials and found one resistere dolerus, an anesthetic, and extrahere incendium, an anti-infectant. A tick next to the symbols told him that the pain reliever was topical while the other was to be ingested.
Thousands of years and they still use the same nomenclature, Zook thought, Or these were made and translated specifically for me.
“Five drops of this,” Zook handed Sye the anti-infectant, “Get him to swallow it.”
A soldier appeared with a bucket of water and set it on the table. Zook pushed the bucket so that half of its bottom was over the table's edge. “I need a match or flint, get something and hurry!”
The same soldier picked up a damp piece of paper. He rolled it into a ball and held it in his cupped hands and closed his eyes. The paper burst into flames, blackening and curling. It soon disappeared in a puff of smoldering ash, but the man still held the flames.
“Under the bucket,” Zook instructed. The soldier obeyed and Zook reached out with one hand. He made a gesture, like he was plucking a napkin off a table. The small flames brightened and grew. The soldier blinked in surprise but held the fire still.
Zook was a smith in his forge. He gave no thought to what he had just did, snapping his energy into tight control and slowly releasing it so as to not overwhelm the fire nor too hot to melt through the fragile khalist metal. The water was soon boiling. Zook filled one of his empty bottles and poured the searing water over the wound, washing out the mud and clotting blood. The wounded man gave a gasp, briefly fluttering into the conscious world. Zook dabbed the wound with the anesthetic then held a needle up to the sun and deftly threaded it. He heated its tip in the soldier's handful of fire and proceeded to push it through the wounded man's skin.
The Saranodian needle’s keen blue tip reappeared within the gash, slipping through the flesh like a fish through water. Zook pulled the needle and black thread through. He crossed it over through the opposite skin and back again. Zook's brow was furrowed in concentration, his eyes narrowed with the most intent precision.
A man hurried to the group, a red diamond halphazardly painted on the front of his shirt and back. He was painfully thin and his hair was hidden in a ridiculous looking feathered hat.
“Sorry, had to make sure my other charge was stable,” the man huffed, “Got here as fast as I...” His words dwindled off as he noticed Zook, “...could? I didn't know we had another Doctor in the house.”
“Healer,” Zook corrected without glancing up. He slowly tightened the crisscrossing thread, pulling together the flesh and skin of the bloody chasm.
“But the necklace on your arm-” the man pointed.
“It's not mine,” Zook replied hurriedly, pushing a chain on his wrist up into his long sleeve.
“Wait, you're Zook aren't you?” the Doctor asked, “The child prodigy?”
“Want my autograph?” Zook snapped, finishing the closing of the wound. He traded Sye's pain vial for a bottle of red liquid, “Give him about a sixth of that, it'll help him regain his blood faster.” Zook turned to the Doctor and offered his hand, “You must be the mentioned Lunder.”
“The very, I hope the commander didn't say anything belittling about me,” Lunder looked genuinely worried, “He's always getting after me for avoiding battles.”
“I'd avoid battles too,” Zook overheard Pird whisper, “If I wore such a lovely target above my head like him.”
“Don't move him too much,” Zook advised, capping and replacing his tools, “Nor aggravate his arm. He's already-”
“I'm not a Doctor for nothing,” sniffed Lunder, “Actually, I got my license the same time you applied for yours. It's a pity you sacrificed your career to make two men live a few hours longer.”
Zook bristled visibly, his hand frozen above his bag with a bottle.
“We should get moving,” said Jakmin, “We want to get to the carts before they leave.”
“Too bad,” said Lunder in disappointment, obviously missing the sudden danger in the air, “I was looking forward to discussing some policies with you Zook, as you seem to have your own frame of rules, but I must look after this patient you have so aptly blessed.”
“A pity, I'm sure,” said Zook, trying very hard to keep the fangs out of his voice.
Zook, Eris, Sye, Pird, Jakmin, and their four escorts left. The group traveled uphill, skirting the broken roads and fallen buildings. It was a long walk before their way leveled out. Zook glanced behind him to see how strange the sea looked from what was startlingly so high up. The angle of the hill was misleading.
“Jahrst welcomed you to Benji,” said Jakmin, “Let me welcome you to Benji Bridge,” He led them through a side alley that suddenly opened up to the empty air. An old stone railing stood at shoulder height. Here the wind howled and the weakened stone buildings groaned. Zook looked over the side and felt dizzy. The gray choppy waters looked even farther below when right under him instead of a glimpse between buildings.
“A two kilometers long, half a kilometer wide and nearly as tall at its highest point,” said Jakmin, “My ancestors cut this stone, I'm glad the tsunami didn't destroy it,” He leaned on the rail, his icy eyes briefly glittering with an old awe.
“Sir?” asked a soldier.
“Let's keep moving,” Jakmin replied, immediately straightening up and leading them away.
The nine went back through the ally, escaping the tearing winds. They turned a corner and halted in confusion.
In the middle of the road stood a woman. Her blonde hair was long and haggard, her white clothes torn and dirty. She slowly looked up, her unfocused eyes looking past them. Dirt and grime smeared her face, save for the clean trails that curled from her eyes to her chin. She slowly raised her shaking arms.
“Get down!” Jakmin shouted.
“What-?” began Zook before Jakmin roughly pushed him down behind a fallen stone slab. The soldiers pulled Eris, Sye, and Pird back into the alley
The woman's hands went rigid, her eyes still slack and unfocused. The air between her palms rippled and her hands jerked back. Something heavy and unseen cracked against the stone Zook and Jakmin took cover behind, splattering mud over their heads. The slab slid a few centimeters down the road.
“Ma'am, be calm!” Jakmin called out, “We don't want to harm you. I carry no weapons, see?” He unstrapped his sword and laid it on the road then slowly stood, hands in the air. He quickly dropped behind the slab again as a bent ball of air whistled past where his head had been and smashed through a window.
“Blast,” cursed Jakmin, “Jahrst took both my archers, I have no bows under my command.”
Zook stood, ambandoning the slab’s protection. He pulled out his bow and an arrow, snapping his arm out to unfold the bow’s arms. He nocked an arrow and pulled the cord taut.
“What're you
doing?” yelled Jakmin, “Get down!”
“Calm down and let me help you!” Zook shouted, shakily sighting down at her feet.
Nothing but fear registered on the woman's face. She began to raise her hands.
“She's too far gone, stand down!” Jakmin ordered.
“Cover, Zook!” Sye shouted, “Get some cover!”
Zook steadied his bow, “Don't make me hurt you!”
“Get down Zook!” Eris screamed.
“Don't be stupid!” Pird shouted.
The woman held her palms out and Zook could feel the energy she called upon.
“Please just let me help!” Zook shouted desperately.
The air between her palms began to ripple.
“Shoot her!” roared Jakmin.
Zook didn't mean to, he had no intention of following through. At Jakmin's abrupt cry he let go of the arrow. The cord snapped forward with a low thrum. The arrow flew from him with a short high-pitched whistle, slipping through the air with balanced precision. For a brief moment Zook was terrified of what he had just done. Then it dawned on him that this was his second time drawing back a bow, first time letting go.
The shot went wide, vanishing down the road. Zook was lifted off his feet as Jakmin’s lean frame tackled into him, carrying both of them out of the way of a bolt of air.
“Get out of my head!”
Both Zook and Jakmin looked up from the ground. The woman was hunched over on her knees, her face pressed against the street.
“Get out of my mind!” she wailed, “Please. Just leave me alone.”
Zook got out from beneath Jakmin and started to her, but Jakmin held him back.
“We need to help her!” Zook said, struggling to get out of Jakmin's strong grip.
“She still could be dangerous,” warned Jakmin, “She needs to come to us to know if she's safe.”
“She’s reacting to our fear; you’ll only make it worse!” Zook said angrily.
“I do not wear my heart on my sleeve as you do,” Jakmin said coldly, “Watch.”
He stood and called out in a calm, suprisingly pleasant voice, “Ma'am, we want to help you but the road you're on isn't safe.” At the sound of his voice the woman's hand jerked up toward him. Jakmin didn't blink, waiting for the woman's hand to slowly resume its place on her head.
“Ma'am, we need you to come here where it's safe,” Jakmin called out again. She still didn't look up and continued to slowly rock back and forth. Jakmin took a deep breath and said louder, “Ma'am-”
“Senella!” Pird yelled out, startling Zook. The woman's head snapped up, her unfocused eyes going in Pird's direction. “We want to help you, help your head!” Pird continued, “But you need to come here!”
The woman stared at Pird, then slowly got to her feet. She walked toward them, each step sluggish in contemplation.
“How'd you know Senella was her name?” asked Sye.
Pird shrugged, “Lucky guess?”
“More likely her confused mind just heard the sense of identity,” said Jakmin, “Sensed the importance of having a name. Rather brilliant idea.”
Zook was already opening his bag. His keen eye caught a slight limp in Senella's stride.
“Looks like you lost an arrow,” Jakmin remarked, “Next time you should be more careful, those arrows are finer than any I've seen. And your folding bow-”
A furious, guttural roar caused everyone's hair to stand on end.
“What was that?” asked Zook when a fist-sized rock shot from an alley and cracked against the back of Senella's head.
“No!” Zook screamed. Again Jakmin tried to restrain him but Zook pushed him aside with sudden strength.
Senella took one step forward, her eyes focusing on Zook's for the first time in a look of surprise. Zook saw that her eyes were a soft teal, eyes that seemed to want to tell him something. She fell forward, her slight frame collapsing onto the muddy ground. Her arms did not move to break her fall.
A monster that once was a man shambled out of the alley. His mouth hung open in a maniacal grin. Cuts and gashes pockmarked his blood-streaked chest and his hands were both steeped in red. Every muscle on his body seemed to be taut to the point of snapping, forcing him to hunch over under their strain. His madly rolling eyes revealed irises so wide that ink seemed to have been spilled over the white.
Zook changed his direction from Senella to the bloody creature, drawing his sword. He heard his friends and others shout behind him, but their words sounded like meaningless noise through the sound of furious, rushing blood in his ears.
The man snarled and scooped a stone off the road and flung it in one smooth motion. The stone flew with a deadly accuracy, its speed moved by something more than savage muscle.
Zook had no time to react, to dodge or even blink. The rock's straight path suddenly distorted, curving to the side to whistle past Zook's ear. He heard Eris shout out, felt her Manipulation flicker around him.
The man ran toward Zook with a murderous roar, the Madness that gripped his shattered mind not registering the threat of the honed blue blade gripped in Zook's hand.
Zook lunged, stabbing with his sword with as much strength as he could muster. The monster stepped past the thrust with a snarl and took Zook by the throat, ragged nails pressing against Zook's skin. Even as the man’s hands squeezed his neck Zook only thought of burying the sword into the monster. As black flowers blossomed in Zook's vision he pulled back his blade and rested its razored end on the man's belly. Zook's grip on its hilt began to slacken against his will and his sight dimmed. He felt the hot, foul breath of the man’s panting on his face.
It won’t be you, Zook thought defiantly at the wild eyes, It will be him.
Zook drove the sword up, its keen edge slipping into the soft flesh. There was a slight resistance as the sword severed the man's spine. Hot, sticky blood spilled on Zook's hands. The grip on his throat released and Zook gasped furiously at the air. The man's savage brow smoothed and his maniacle grin faded. Zook could not look away from the man's eyes as he died. Like the woman before, there was a moment where the man locked eyes with Zook, the Madness fleeing from him. The man slumped back, pulling free of Zook's sword, and fell motionless to the wet stone.
Zook turned and ran to the fallen Senella but his friends finally reached him and intercepted him.
“I'm a Healer I need to help her!” Zook shouted, trying to push through them. Screams and shouts caught his ears, a strangled chorus of the Mad and the dying.
“There's going to be more,” said Jakmin, “We need to leave, now.”