Wayfarer - Yaena the corrupted guardian

Chapter II - Excursion to the Highlands

Chapter II

Excursion to the Highlands

The night fell slowly on Hardi. Keyn had isolated himself at the edge of a lake, at the top of a peak, so as to not be disturbed. It was a peaceful place, in which he could calmly meditate and repress his impulses. The coolness brought by the advent of the evening was not long in coming. It was time to return.

Once in the village, his first reflex was to go to his partner, to get news. He opened the door without knocking and came face to face with Grond. This one had not left the room since his departure.

"I was just about to leave to look for you." declared the doctor, an enigmatic smile on his lips.

"How is she?" Keyn asked, taking care to close the door behind him.

"Her condition has stabilized. But I have two bad news to announce to you. We managed to stop the progression of the poison, but not to eradicate it completely. It will take time for her body to get rid of it completely."

"That's not such bad news." Kheyn replied. "With time, she'll get over it. What's next?"

"I'm getting there." he continued, placing his fingers on the marks. "As you can see, the stains haven't disappeared either. Worse, they continue to develop and invade little by little her body. It's only a matter of days before they reach the shoulder. I have no idea where they are coming from, but I know one thing for sure: we can't let them go on this way."

Keyn hurried to his partner's bedside and examined her arm, which had been previously stripped. The spots of a pale green, when he had left, had taken a magnificent emerald tint. But that was not the most worrying thing. They were spreading more and more on his skin, until they almost completely covered her forearm. At first glance, they almost looked alive.

"What does this mean?" Kheyn asked, his face tense. "Wasn't the antidote supposed to stop the progression of the poison?"

"That's the problem." Grond explained, drawing on a piece of paper. "It's not about the poison. Within her body, it's completely frozen. I think it's more of a reaction with her power, as if it forced its way into her skin. Did you notice anything in particular at the scene?"

Keyn took the time to think for a moment without remembering anything in particular. In a way, it was logical that he did not keep any memory of it. Everything had happened very quickly, and it was extremely dark. He did not expect Yaena to intercept the Wayfarer's breath. If only he had paid a little more attention to details, he might have been able to lead the doctor on a tiny lead.

"No, nothing at all." he said, fatally.

"I see. It's not serious." Grond reassured him, putting his hand on his shoulder. "Eliza has gone to the manor to search for information. The nobles have books that will surely be able to inform us about this. Let's wait wisely for her return tomorrow."

"It may be too late."

"Let's be optimistic. I'll go and rest for a while." he said, yawning. "I stayed up all night, and I had to watch over her today. I'm exhausted. You should take her upstairs, it will be more comfortable than this old dirty couch."

Kheyn nodded, took Yaena in his arms and followed the doctor, who held the door wide open. The spiral staircase leading to the upper floor was in the hall, facing the large door of the tower. The rooms were not very luxurious, but she would certainly be more comfortable there.

He laid her gently on the bed and kissed her forehead, concerned about her condition. As he was about to leave, Yaena held him by the hand. She slowly lifted her eyelids and looked for Keyn with her eyes, as if she was having trouble seeing. He leaned over her, smiling, and tightened his hand on hers. She was as lovely as ever.