The Arcana: His Apprentice

We Must Leave Vesuvia, Now - Asra's POV

       A week has finally passed and I think I have a solution. I was taking a look around the library when I found an old spell book wedged behind some other books while I was researching medicines. I looked through it and found a particular ritual. The page tells us of a certain ritual of the Major Arcana, or those with similar aspects to them. If one can get them to drink the blood of a dying body, a new body will be in place for the dying one, meaning they will no longer die.

       I leave the library and start walking towards Lucio's wing to tell him this information. We haven't found a cure yet but we don't have enough time and I'd rather not stay here any longer. I make it to Lucio's wing and go inside. I see Lucio sitting up on his large bed, looking sickly and pale and his eyes bright red, a sign of the plague. He coughs into his sleeve and shoots a glare in my direction.

"What do you want Asra?" Lucio says, his voice sounding nazily and gruff.

"I have a solution to your...condition." I say, looking at him questionably.

"This better be good, I was just about to take a nap." He says, crossing his arms like a child.

"We haven't found a cure yet but we have another solution for your condition." I say.

"You haven't found a cure...?" Lucio says, standing up from his bed and wobbling on his feet.

"I hired you to find me a cure! Not put on a bandaid that will fix me temporarily. My goodness, you are just like your parents." He says, coughing and hacking.

       My parents...? What does he mean...?

"What...?" I say.

"Your parents...Aisha and Salim? You are all the same, putting temporary fixes on large problems. Keep this up and you'll end up with the same fate..." Lucio says.

"What are you talking about?" I question.

"They were in the same position you are in right now, working beneath me. And when they couldn't do their jobs properly, I had to take out the trash. So I had them thrown into the dungeons and let them rot to death." He says, snarling.

       I stay quiet, taking in everything Lucio has just said. He took my parents from me and feels no sympathy for them, when they're long gone. Lucio sighs and sits back down onto the bed.

"Fine, I might as well hear your 'solution'." He says.

       I can't say anything to "offend" him or argue with him or I'll be sent to the dungeons or hanged. I gulf quietly and take out the book from behind my back, flipping through the pages until I find the page on the ritual.

"There's a ritual that we can perform so we can replace your dying body with a new one so you won't be infected by the plague any longer." I explain.

"Why didn't you say that sooner?" Let's do it!" Lucio exclaims.

"We need certain circumstances to proceed with the ritual." I say.

"What circumstances?" He questions.

       I pull out my tarot card deck and spread them out beside him, showing each of the Major Arcana.

"We need one person to represent each of the Arcana and they have to consume your blood." I state.

"Gross! People won't just drink my blood willingly so how will we get them to drink it." Lucio asks.

"We can mask it with wine." I say.

"Okay, bud how will we gather those people all together so we can perform this ritual." He questions.

       I think for a bit getting an idea.