Chapter 101 CHAPTER 101
Regrets filled my body as I found my way to the Cafeteria after Varak's murderous class.
Whoever ruined this timetable will have a special place in hell because how the hell do we have swimming and sparring in the same breath?
Two of my most terrifying instructors, yelling insults at me all morning.
I could have disappeared with Zade until he got me out of here but no, I wanted to go to classes and look where that got me.
I wolfed down my food and headed out.
“You're not going to Dragon Theory?” Erin asked, stopping me.
“Except the Instructor wants to watch me sleep, I'll have to take a raincheck. Tell her I got attacked again, it's becoming a norm for me anyway.”
“Alira?” Mira called my name and even the mere act of turning to look at her hurt.
“Hm?”
“Are you okay?”
The question was double layered, she could clearly see i wasn't okay but was still asking.
Digging for something even I couldn't decipher.
I didn't want to admit but something was wrong with me.
“I'm fine,” I lie, “my body is still adjusting after the leech attack and Kovar trying to kill me again.”
“He did what?” Akua turned sharply.
“Oh I must have forgotten to tell you guys. It's not a new thing anyway. I think I'll just go to Miss Eruwan first and then I will see if I'll come back for evening class.”
“Do you want me to walk with you?” Erin asked and I considered it for a bit but I shook my head.
“It's lunch break and the path there is quite populated. I'll live.”
Besides, Zade and I were so intimately connected now that except they've discovered guns here, I'll manage until he comes to rescue me again.
It was a painful walk to the healing house but the second I got there, Eruwan rushed towards me.
“What happened to you?”
“I..” coughs escaped me, “I don't know.”
“I leave you for barely a week or two and you nearly get yourself killed?”
“Sorry,” I replied with a shy smile.
“You poor child. Florian! Come help me, she's falling down. I don't know why you're hiding,” she snapped, rolling her eyes.
I was shocked that he was here but what was he hiding for?
What's with these men?
“I can walk Ma'am,” I tell Eruwan.
If he wanted to avoid me, I'll help him.
“Nonsense! Florian, don't piss me off!”
“Relax, I was getting your herbs out,” he said, rushing down the stairs with speed.
He lifted me off the ground and rushed in, giving me a dizzy spell.
“Not.. so.. fast..” I moaned in pain.
“Sorry,” he replied sheepishly,. dropping me in the water. “What is wrong with her? I saw her getting her ass handed to her earlier this morning.”
“Let me see her Chi and I'll know where this darkness is coming from.”
“Darkness? The leech left it's mark on her?”
“No,” Eruwan said, opening my eyes, “it's something else.”
“It's probably from her not training enough. Did you continue your night trainings when I went to war?”
“No sir,” I admitted, my head falling from guilt and exhaustion.
“See? You're in a vicious world Alira, when will you learn to take your own life more seriously?!”
I forced my head up, and I levelled him with a look.
“You think I asked for any of this?!”
“No but you're here now and you're not getting out except through death so can you at least try to fight?”
’We'll see about that,’ I thought to myself, and focused on the healer.
“Leave her alone halfling,” the healer shooed Master Florian away and I felt him step away from my back.
Eruwan's usual style of healing wasn't the deal of the night, instead, she began by singing.
Her voice is the most beautiful, siren like tone I've ever heard and I felt it pulling at my senses.
It was in a strange language, not Pallavi or Drakkonian, something darker and deeper.
It took me from pain and weakness to strong but drowsy in less than a minute.
“Sleep dear, let your body fight this evil,” I heard her voice as my consciousness slipped away from my hold.
Shadows clouded my nightmares and I fought a battle that I didn't understand.
But I won, but I didn't feel any sense of victory as I opened my eyes back to reality.
A sudden urge to vomit overwhelmed me the second I regained my bearings.
“I thought as much,” Eruwan's voice came from the door leading to her chambers and I saw her rushing towards me with a bucket.
“She was poisoned?” Florian asked as I emptied my insides, until it felt like there was nothing in my bowels again.
“Yes and whoever did it has access to some ancient magic.”
“Kovar,” I growled as I retched again.
“What?”
“I'm gonna kill him,” I vowed, my eyes staring at the walls of the pool but all I could see was his infuriating face. “I don't care the consequences, but I'll kill him and be done with it.”
“Don't speak too soon, let it all out,” Eruwan's hand robbed my back as I threw up some more.
Until black, gooey stuff started pouring out of my orifices.
“Eruwan!” I heard Master Florian’s panicked voice screaming, “Do something!”
“I have done something, that's why it's all coming out. I didn't know you ingested this much of whatever it is.”
“You're forgetting how much we have to eat as students,” he replied, “the poison must have been put in her food.”
“And without evidence, how can you punish the boy she mentions?”
Silence reigned as I choked, unable to breathe properly.
Hands robbed my back again but it was just making everything worse.
The pain, the anger, the liquid pouring out of my eyes, nose and mouth.
It was all just… too much.
I'll kill him. I'll fucking kill Kovar.
“I'll have to train her to he strong enough to do what she wants. That way, it'll be ruled as an accident between students.”
“You'll let her kill him?”
“Yes, he tried to kill her so it's only just to balance the equation.”
As the bleeding and vomiting slowly abated, I began feeling stronger, like lead was lifted off my body.
“Put your head in the water darling,” Eruwan directed me and I did, allowing the water seep into my hair and mouth.
When I was pulled out, I took a deep breath and I looked at Master Florian.
“I'm ready,” I told him, “I'm done being played around like that. He said hua father killed mine, and now he wants to kill me too.”
“I'll be damned if I let that happen,” he grunted, “everyday, right after class. And from now on, don't put anything in your mouth that I haven't tasted, not even water.”
“The doctor –”
“Anything Alira, I don't know what means he's using to poison you and I am not about to start taking in more drugs than I already have in my system so we'll have to keep it to food and water for now alright?”
I nodded, still unsure how all of it would work out but I knew it was the best option.
The only thing that made sense to me now was that the thing I'd feared so much to become by mistake, is what I'm willingly walking towards now.
A murderer.
But it was my life or his and I'm done letting that bastard torment me like this.