Dreisterne

CHAPTER 7

The healing temple smelled of crushed herbs and candle wax, its quiet halls reverberating faintly with the murmurs of Healers and the occasional shuffle of feet. Dreisterne followed the head Healer down a narrow corridor. They stopped before a small, sparsely furnished room where they could see Ms. Noble lying peacefully through its open door, her face pale but serene under the glow of a nearby lantern.

The head Healer shut the door before he turned toward the trio, his expression grave. "She is sedated..." he began softly, "...following a particularly violent bout of delirium. The Spice has left its mark on her body and mind. It may take weeks, perhaps longer, for her to recover fully. The samples you brought, Mr. Nachtwasser, were..." He hesitated, searching for the right words. "Unprecedented. Far stronger than anything I've encountered."

Harald straightened, his cape sweeping as he folded his arms. "Apparently so, mein Herr," he said gravely. "I believe such a concoction is no mere accident of alchemy. Whoever devised it has not only a sharp intellect but a devil's heart to match. The mountain of gold they would amass would come at the cost of untold lives."

Nathan gave a curt nod. "We believe Chef Skinner is at the centre of this. The recent surge in Spice addicts, the mind-altering drinks for his staff, even the underground network linking his businesses. It all points to him."

The head Healer's face grew darker with every word. "This is troubling indeed. We must make this known to the City Watch at once."

"Be wary," Harald interjected, raising a finger in caution. "There are whispers of corruption among the local governance. One Sheriff Brian Briggs may have ties to this conspiracy, and we shouldn't discount the involvement of the Watchmen as well. To whom you report must be above reproach, or else our efforts may be undone before they begin."

The head Healer gave a solemn nod. "Then I shall tread carefully, and so should you three. In fact, you could perhaps lie low for the time being while the authorities handle this."

Nathan, Harald, and Keith expressed their gratitude, the latter offering a casual, "Cheers, guv," with a tip of his non-existent hat. As they turned to leave, Nathan opened the door and froze, his eyes locking with those of a girl standing down the hall. Nathan instantly recognized the Healer who stared at doors, but she hurried off before he could say anything.

The Healer glanced over Nathan's shoulder and let out a soft chuckle. "Ah, that's Sister Mirelle. A peculiar one, but harmless. She has a strange fixation on doors, claims they 'whisper secrets' to her. She's new to the temple, but her talents in mixing herbal remedies are undeniable."

Nathan nodded slowly, though his unease lingered. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen her somewhere else before, and it persisted as the trio left the temple, Keith nudged Nathan with his elbow. "You alright there, Nate? You look like someone nicked your custard tart."

"I'm fine," Nathan replied tersely. "Just... something about her. I think I saw her before."

"We all saw her before, mate. Right after we stepped through the city gates all those weeks ago." said Keith.

Nathan shook his head. "No, mean somewhere else. I..." He took a moment to recall what was about the Healer that struck him as familiar. Then, the way she ran down the hallway just now crossed his mind. "It's the way she ran. I think I did see it, but where exactly...?"

Harald stated, "You need to be more specific about that detail, Herr Festivus. It could be important."

Nathan sighed, nodding in agreement. "True. I'm so sorry about that, but I really can't recall."

"But then again, she did stand very close to Ms. Noble's room before she scampered off," Keith shrugged. He turned serious for a moment, "D'you reckon she's spying on us?"