Iron Bullet Legacy

Chapter 3: Heartsick

Heartsick

Sitara's POV

What time is it? The sun is too high in the sky for it to be early. I must've fallen asleep upon returning to bed last night, by some miracle. More of a coma than anything else, though. I can feel it in my neck.

I haven't had to heal wounds like Torryn's since the war. Ailments, minor injuries, and the occasional hex, sure, but not so many lacerations or anything seemingly urgent, let alone on a human. My magick is all out of whack. I don't work on humans nearly as much as I did. Peacetime has been pretty good to the health of all people.

The practice should've opened over an hour ago. I pull myself together and hop down the stairs two at a time, only to find Lennox calmly juggling a.m. routines and restocking.

"Mornin," she hums, identifying my presence without so much as a glance. "I tagged and shelved the tablets you crafted yesterday." 

"Sorry I slept so late. I meant to do that myself." I scan her work, straightening a few stray products on the salesfloor. Everything's in order as it should be. How could it be anything less? There's no reason for me to rush down these days.

My hair has yet to regain its pigment and my hand still aches.

"Oh, Torryn responded well to the brew, so I gave him solids earlier. Don't eat the leftovers. It's a human recipe and you won't like it."

Not really hungry anyway. "Did you check the wounds on his torso yet?" They should've closed up considerably during the night from the residual magick circulating through him.

"That's next on list." She moves around the room with one of our wick torches, replacing the candles that have burned too low. Her life will be easier when she doesn't have a reason to keep so many lit.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him today."

"Are you sure you feel up to it?"

"Just focus on the practice, Lenny. You've done great."

Torryn is hastily flipping through a grimoire in the back room. He's too lively for me so soon after I've woken up. It's like he isn't even injured. I guess some people just bounce back that quick.

I need to meditate.

"Ah, Sitara!" He turns the book towards me. "What do all these symbols mean?"

Good morning to you, too. The grim is an old introductory guide I bought to show Lenny some basics way back when. "You probably wouldn't be able to read them even if you were holding it the right way." I flip the text around and define a few of the scripts on the page. "Fire. Storm water. Counter clockwise."

"Lennox said it was a spell book, sort of."

I prepare new gauze as he continues to scour the pages. "Well, we are mages, after all."

"It's normal to you," he squints at the symbols, "but we don't have many on our side of the veil."

"It's uncommon for humans to use magick." Their bodies aren't really built for it. Although neither is mine, realistically. "I want to check on your wounds and change the dressing."

He gently lays the open book beside him. "By all means, doc. Work your magic."

I roll my eyes, but I don't think he even intended the pun.

In the daylight, I'm able to take a better look at Torryn. His black hair is tightly nestled up in knot, with strays framing his face. He's much more energized, smiling despite sitting before me in bandages. The gauze absorbed most of the blood left on his skin from the procedure. His face is less marred, thanks to the vervian salve, but I'm more concerned about making sure this gash on his stomach closes.