Chapter 59 CHAPTER 59
“It's a disease that started a few weeks ago in the lower regions.”
“And there's no cure for it? Isn't there something we can do?”
“Nothing. She's already in the later part of it and has been quarantined. My other two brothers and parents are the ones getting treated because she transferred it to them.”
“Wait, it's communicable?”
She was confused for a bit before understanding what I meant in Pallavi.
“Yes. Blood, saliva, sweat, any form of liquid. And this means no money again for them to move.”
“Money?”
“Mira had to use all her savings to move her parents out. I have way too many siblings so I could only take out my immediate younger brother and sister. Now Kyra is down with the bug and she is our youngest, there's nothing either for anyone else to move out before someone else in the village catches and spreads it to them again, there won't be any more money left to buy the treatment,” she broke down and I rushed to her bed, wrapping arms around her, pulling her closer while she cried.
All these while I've been like a parasite on Erin, taking, asking, begging and I didn't even know anything about her except the halfway there relationship she has with that senior.
I didn't know she had a big family or that they were all spending money to bring them away from the place where it was rampant.
“I'm so sorry I didn't know this was happening. My salary, how do I claim it? I've not had any use for it since so I didn't bother –”
“No, don't give me that money, it's very important for when you finish year one. What if you don't get a dragon? You'll need to start life on a more stable basis or you'll be relegated to the Lower regions and you don't want that, trust me. Keep the money.”
“There's no way you're not taking the money Erin, so let's stop talking in that direction. Mine is probably too small to make any impact but I'll go and beg the Principal for an advance.”
“He won't give you, no one knows if we'll live to the end of the school year.”
She sounded so broken, like she'd already lost everyone in her family.
“I'm just going to try, there's no harm in trying. Besides, you said the Principal likes me, right? And I'm sure they have a lot of money they're not using. We just need to transport your family to the places where they can work and earn enough money to bring out everyone else.”
“You're an angel, Alira,” she said, pronouncing the word crudely but I still smiled and hugged her tighter.
My senses had gotten comfortable with her hugs now, thankfully so I held her that way till she fell asleep.
Then I rubbed Styx's calling stone and went to the bathing room, cleaned myself up a bit before walking out.
No need to scream ‘I just kissed the Library Instructor’ to the other man who puts my stomach in knots.
But I will beg and kneel down if I have to.
Erin literally saved my life, if begging is all I can do to help, my knees better get ready to walk the rocky terrain of the Kalutian Training Academy.
Styx was already at the Hostel entrance when I got out and I ignored the stares as I got on her, she already knew where I wanted to go and she took off in the direction of the Principal's office.
I know, the decision will probably come to bite me in the ass later with everything that's already happening but I didn't pay attention to that. If people wonder why I'm getting on the Principal's personal steed and riding towards his office in the middle of the night, I would bear the aftermath of it but right now, I was more focused on Erin's family.
We couldn't save Kyra, but everyone else deserved a chance and I wasn't dumb, I know the Principal likes me to an extent, and I can beg him to help.
It was quicker to get to his office than his personal house so there wasn't much time for me to think about my decision or how I was going to get the whole thing out.
But as I stood before his door, knocking on the solid, unmoving door, my heart raced.
I've given Erin some hope, all based on someone's pocket. What if he refused?
“Come in Alira, stop blocking my senses by standing there,” his voice poured into my senses and I inhaled deeply, forcing myself to calm down.
The worst he could say was no, right? Then I'll crawl on my knees and beg until he changes his mind.
With a solid plan in place, I opened the door.
He was wearing a black tunic with a V-shaped neck.
He was standing next to the shelf containing files, and he was wearing glasses that he took off as I got into the office.
He looked like a stubborn Greek god and I was so stuck looking at him that I forgot why I was here for a while.
“It's past your curfew, why aren't you asleep?”
“I um…” I cleared my throat and blinked slowly to clear my head, “I need your help sir.”
“Sit down.”
I did as he said, fidgeting and scared of the unknown.
I waited as he got his papers together and then moved to sit back down, the chair struggling to contain his large, muscular form.
“What do you need?”
“My friend Erin,” I began but shook my head. “The money I'm getting paid every week, is it possible to collect everything I'm to be paid for the rest of the year at once? Something urgent has come up and I don't have any other way of earning money. I don't have parents here either. Please.”
“What happened to your friend?” He asked, his voice stable, unlike my shaky, frightened ones.
“Her family caught the… bug? I think that's what they call it. Her sister has been deemed terminal. She's not going to survive it but the others need help coming out of the lower regions or they'll all catch it and die too.”
“Oh shit,” he groaned, his fingers going to his forehead in frustration but massaging them didn't help.
“Is it possible sir?” I pressed, my heart pounding louder.
“You don't need to use your savings Alira,” he sighed, “I'll send for them to be sent to the capital. Erin has been of great help and she shouldn't be going through all of this. Nobody should but the King isn't paying attention to important things.”
“I was going to ask, what is being done about it from that end?”
“Nothing!” He snapped, infuriated, “The bastard simply put a barricade between us and called it a day. As though they're not his people. Some of his best soldiers are from there, how will they feel if they come back to dead cousins and aunties who have insisted on staying behind?”
I've never seen him this passionate about anything.
“Maybe the academy can help? If the cure is subsidized, the people can buy it and it will curb the spread.”
“That's impossible. It's too expensive to produce and use already been subsidized by the treasury. If I release every dime I have for running the academy to them, it'll only make it two pesewas cheaper. That's useless. I'm waiting for the doctor who's coming to see you. I'll head back to the capital with him. If the bug comes into this school, I don't know what I'm going to do. It's undetectable in its initial stage so somebody might be spreading it right now as we speak and it's not until one of them dies, that's when everyone will begin to get treated. I can't afford that.”
“This is messed up,” I breathed, terrified. But it was getting late and I needed to make sure people saw me getting back to my hostel. “I'll tell Erin you agreed to help. Thank you so much Sir, she's been so helpful to me and I felt really bad not having anything to contribute. I owe you for this sir.”
“I'll keep that in mind,” he gave me a small smile that made butterflies go wild in my stomach, “now off you go, straight to bed. No more night trips.”
I didn't need to be told twice.