Legacy's Prince

Chapter Twenty-Five: Mysteries, Stories, and Death

"Hi, Cai!" Feiya calls as I shuffle into the library with Dezden, Seana, and Axellia for our study time. I groan back in response, as do my three companions. Today's Conditioning and Self-Defense class was definitely heavy on "conditioning." Even several minutes after class has ended my legs, arms, and stomach are still burning. Seana and Dezden appear to be in a bit better shape than Axellia and I, but even they wince every now and then as we set our stuff down at a table.

Feiya flies down to us a cheery smile on her face.

"I heard you guys are starting research projects," she says. "Can I help you find sources?"

"Please?" Axellia asks in a pained voice as she slowly lowers herself into her seat.

"Of course!" Feiya smiles as she pulls a notepad off of her belt. "What are your topics?"

"I'm doing King Hadrian," Seana says. "Cai's doing catapults. Dezden's doing dragons. And Axellia is doing the Four Founding Monarchs."

"Alrighty!" Feiya smiles as she jots the topics down, before storing her notepad away.

"Oh, Feiya? Can you look up a name for me too?" I ask before she can fly away.

"Sure, what is it?" she asks.

"Uh...someone called Imani Quion," I answer, hoping she won't pry too much.

"Does that last name start with a K or a Q?" she asks pulling her notepad back out.

"Q."

"Got it! Be right back!" she smiles as she flies off.

"So who's this Imani?" Axellia asks as she leans her head on the table.

"I don't know, but I found the name at the dragon tower, so I thought I'd look into it," I answer.

"Oh," Axellia groans in reply.

"Are you alright?" I ask.

"No! Everything hurts!" Axellia wails. "I'm too delicate for this kind of manual labor!"

"Oh," I grumble in reply as I rub at my aching shoulder. "Well, it should get better eventually."

"If I survive until eventually."

"Now you're just being dramatic," I grumble.

"I'm dying! My whole body is on fire!"

"Take a hot bath when you get back to your room," Dezden suggests as he rolls his shoulders back. "Den have some ginger and honey tea. It should help de aching a little bit."

"I don't need a little help, I need a lot," Axellia mumbles. "But thank you."

Dezden grunts and reaches into his bag. He pulls out a glass vial that looks like it has some kind of jam in it and tosses it to Axellia.

"Here," he says as she clumsily catches it.

"And this is?" Axellia asks, holding the vial out at arm's length. 

"It's a balm," Dezden answers as he leans his head against the table. "It helps with muscle aches."

"Oh," Axellia replies as she pops the cork out of the top and sniffs the contents. She shakes her head quickly, apparently overwhelmed by the smell. "Am I supposed to eat this, or..." 

Dezden lifts his head off the table, a confused scowl on his face. "No, not unless you want your mouth to be numb. You just put it where it hurts."

"Oh?"

"You must not use a lot of herbal medicines in Durcardi," Dezden says as he lifts his head off the table and quirks an eyebrow in Axellia's direction.