Chapter 46 Anastasius
My search for my friend didn’t last long. Instead of finding Rohit, I’d been caught by Thyia and commandeered into helping in the infirmary. I brought cups of spiced water to parched lips, dabbed damp cloths over brows and down spines, and helped feeble bodies expel waste. I sat in the corner, resting for a moment as Thyia prepared finely cut and dried green herbs and rare, sharp gingers for their nausea and pains.
I studied the sick over the rim of my glass. The room was cramped despite its looming chambers. The air was thick with wasted suffering, breaths stolen from death itself. Cries for mercy rumbled low in their chests. They called for Eleos, a melody so heart-wrenching it shattered the pieces of me that could still feel. Thyia took a step back from the table, leaving her tonics to sit next to me.
“What are we doing, Thyia?” I couldn’t help the desperate question from tumbling out into the gloom. Seeing the pain clinging to them solidified my decision. I had to face my father. “Why won’t he spare the magic to heal them?” I had never questioned my mentor like this before, but it seemed appropriate considering my plan to demand the healing spell. I just needed to warn Ercan and Rohit.
“We are healing them, of course,” Thyia answered. I glanced at her; she’d failed to address my second query. Her face scrunched as she considered me for a moment. She chose her next words carefully. “De Vita has many things to consider when making decisions. Things I can’t possibly begin to understand. One day, you will know.” Hope that she would support me as De Vita stirred in me.
“And if that day came sooner than expected?” She placed a hand on mine, her eyes softening.
“Then I would be proud to have supported such a brave soul.” She smiled, her eyes reading mine as if she could see my plan already. “Go rest, young De Vita. I shall disperse the tonics.” She waved me off. I nodded, standing from my perch. I knew better than to fight her, so I left the infirmary, but I had no intention of resting. I would check in on Claeg and then find Rohit and Ercan. We had much to discuss.