The King of Saminu

Chapter 17

As the sun rose from its temporary grave, the light coming off of my hands dulled. A simple cause and effect that I had always known. But there was another effect that was taking place as my hands lost their power. The duller my hands, the higher Ellsk's fever rose. He had fallen asleep sometime during the night, the constant chanting of his foreign language dwindling until it turned into a raspy breath. Now, he was shuddering, his fever turning him into a puddle of sweat. I was even starting to lose my own composure. My legs shook from where I sat, Brann having brought a chair over sometime during the night to allow me some form of rest. My hands were shaking, but I had lost feeling in them hours previous. The only way I knew anything was happening was from the now faint glow of my gifts working.

    "Brann," I hissed into the dark room, and my fiance bolted upright, hair messy and a red mark on his right cheek from where he had rested all of his weight on his arm when he too had fallen asleep. He looked around confused, before finally realizing what was happening. After all, he had barely had any rest throughout the night. He had promised to keep me company, and he had fought hard to stay awake. But Brann had more duties than I could ever imagine having, and a night's loss of sleep could be detrimental to him.
"Is he okay?" Brann asked, sleep laced into his voice. I shook my head, looking down as my hands started to flicker. It was nearing five o'clock, and my gifts were wearing thin. Brann seemed to sense this, just as his strength would start to announce itself once more.

    "Can you help me carry him to the healer? I don't know if I have the strength to do so," I whispered, my voice soft. It wasn't pity for myself like usual. It was a statement. Brann sensed this, and he nodded, long legs quickly making his journey from the other side of the bed a quick one. Brann waited for the last of my powers to fade before he picked Ellsk up in one fluid movement, a look of concern plastering itself on his face.
"I'll take him to Lækua," Brann assured me. I nodded, following after Brann.
"He'll probably be more helpful than I was. He's a professional, with professional training," I muttered, stopping Brann in his steps.
"Don't doubt yourself. You're stronger than you think you are, Rensker," Brann shut down the negative thoughts floating around my head and continued walking. His legs carried Ellsk fast, and I had to almost run in order to help Brann open the door.

    Ellsk was coughing in his sleep now, which made me know this was no longer rest for the boy - it was unconsciousness. He was shuddering even worse now, eyes rolled back into his head from the placement of them underneath his eyelids. Brann knew this, and he started running in the same moment as I did. I threw the door to the infirmary open, leaving  a loud bang to alert the elderly healer to our presence.
"He's still not better?" Lækua questioned, closing a book and walking calmly over to where Brann had placed Ellsk on a cot. I grew frustrated.
"Can you start to heal him already?" I questioned, my voice a high pitched shrill. Both men winced at the sound.

    "No need to grow angry, miss. I'm just examining him," Lækua rolled his eyes, placing his hands on Ellsk's bare chest. I couldn't tell why it surprised me, but the glow of the man's hands that was nearly identical to mine came as a shock. I would have imagined a redder tone at the least. Lækua shook his head upon the examination, then looked to me.
"This isn't anything I've dealt with before. A new sickness, most likely. Either that, or this is something only Slifni has seen. Which may be the case, considering the boy's an immigrant. All I know is that he needs his fever broken quickly. Girl, hand me the third bottle on the top shelf next to my desk," Lækua demanded, and my face tightened at his disrespect. Even Brann prickled, and none of this was about him.

    "She has a name," Brann grunted as I rushed for the medicine, not having enough time to argue when it came to saving my brother's life. I handed it to Lækua, and he quickly uncorked it and dumped the contents over Ellsk.
"Why wouldn't you have him drink it?" I questioned, and I didn't have to see the healer's face to know he had rolled his eyes.
"Well, if you wanted the boy to choke on the medicine and quite literally drown, I could have force fed it to him," Brann stood up, dark circles visible underneath his eyes.
"You need to watch yourself, Lækua, or you may find yourself out of a job," The healer had the nerve to laugh.