Luis came out of the forest where howls echoed as loudly as it can that scared the wits out of the families left in the town of Armeton.
"Sorry women, don't mind that sound, it is the effect needed for the cure to work. Let's wait for your men to come home and you will all go together with your children. While we are waiting for their return. Please help me to fetch some water from the river but wear these gloves that I made." Luis asked them as he handed out a basket full of white glossy gloves.
"What are these made of, Physician Luis?" A woman asked when she got a glove and touched it.
"These gloves are made of the same sap from the same tree those fibers came from. I'm also an Alchemist so it's easy to use those ingredients to solidify things." Luis informed them.
The women obliged as they grabbed buckets and prepared themselves to scoop some water but they were stopped by Luis.
"Wait, I need to call someone first." Luis interrupted them as he took his talisman and called his master.
"Master, can you help me find an ore or mineral which has warm or hot characteristics?"
"Like the one used on your baths?" Mufar replied.
"Yes!"
"Everfire Stones, when do you need it?" Mufar asked.
"Now!" Luis replied.
"Okay, coming there in 10 mins!" Mufar assured as he hangs up.
"Let's wait for ten minutes first," Luis informed the women.
Ten minutes passed and a space distortion appeared in front of them and a man carrying a large bag appeared.
"Here is a ton of Everfire stones for Luis!" The man exclaimed as he left the bag in front of them and left through the space distortion.
Before they can even proceed with what they're doing, a messenger came a minute after the delivery man came.
"To the town of Armeton, Marquis Agron decrees that no one shall drink water from the Elton River until the plague is still on! Those who are to disobey will face consequences!" The messenger announced and before he vanished, he was stopped by Luis.
"Tell Marquis Agron and Marquis Anthony that I will do something for this town that can help alleviate the plague," Luis told to the messenger.
"And who might you be?" The messenger asked.
"Ignacius Luis Delmont, the Physician who is helping to find the cure here at Armeton." Luis introduced.
"Oh! Okay, your words will be relayed." The messenger responded and vanished through the air.
Luis faced the women of Armeton.
"Let's get started, shall we?" Luis told them as he walked closer to the river together with the women of Armeton.
Luis manipulated the ground as he made a very wide hole like a pond then placed the Everfire Stones on it with the help of the women and they scooped the water from the river and transferred it to the man-made pond.
After the 8 hours passed, they filled the pond quarter way through.
"Thanks for your help everyone! Any moment, your husband will arrive. If they do, come with me together with your children and it's your time to be cured." Luis informed the women and a few minutes passed, a bunch of silhouettes came out of the forest drenched and wet as they approached their wives but Luis stopped them.
"Save those until all of you are cured, for now, finish what we have started. Group yourselves into three. A third will be harvesting the withered crops and place them neatly on the ground, a third will continue the task of filling the pond, and lastly, a third will rest and you will do the task after your women and children got cured. Got it?" Luis instructed.
Not a single objection appeared from their faces as they all nodded and gave the young man the respect he deserved.
Luis guided the women and instructed them on what to do as soon as they reached the steamy pond.
"Okay, what I want you to do is to soak your children as quickly as possible so they will only feel the pain once, then get on the water as soon as you're ready. Again, ask your children to let the fishes do their job." Luis added to the instructions he gave to the men.
Little did he know. Two people were looking at him from behind. It was Ikton and Lirio.
"So the pond is the cure, let's report this and claim the reward!" Ikton greedily smiled as they watched the women and the children soak in the pond.
"Do it now! A Royal Request is the key to be rich!" Lirio also got this greedy look on his face.
The two immediately reported the idea to the royal family as they were immediately called to the palace.
After four hours, Luis suddenly remembered that he should tell Marquis Anthony about the cure.
"Marquis Anthony, I forgot to say that I know a cure for the disease!" Luis exclaimed.
"Sorry lad, but two people reported to the palace and stated that they found the cure." Marquis Anthony stated as a hint of apologetic tone can be heard from his voice.
"What is the cure and who are the people who reported?" Luis asked.
"I think the names are, Lirio and Ikton. One has a long white beard and the other one has a bushy beard. They claimed that a pond near the Armeton can cure the disease!" Marquis Anthony replied.
"Oh, them... Those hypocrites! I will end their fallacy! Thanks for the information, Marquis Anthony!" Luis thanked and hanged up as an evil smile crept from his face.
"If that's how you want to play, I will give you the game you want!" He began to plan the steps he needed to unmask the two masked hypocrites.
Another four hours passed, and the women emerged with their children and there are no signs of scar or wound on them.
"Bring your children back to your houses and try to clean your houses using the water from this pond so there will be no sign of the disease from it," Luis explained as he leads them back out of the forest.
As soon as they got out, Luis signed for the third group to come.
"Your task will be to fish out all of the Crimson Bubble Blister Guppies out of the pond and transfer them to that pond that we made. Make it as quick as possible okay?" Luis instructed and the men nodded as each of them pulled a cart full of containers.
Half a day passed and every task that Luis asked the people was finished, the people looked healthy again as the place became peaceful and lively again.
Meanwhile, back to falls. Ikton and Lirio brought the Royal Physicians of the royal family behind the falls into the pond.
The water looks clear but the steam is lesser than before.
"There! That water can cure the disease!" Ikton exclaimed as he pointed out to the water.
"Since you two still have the blisters, why not try and get in the water, if what you're saying is true, as long as you soak your body in the water, you won't feel the pain after a few minutes." One of the Royal Physicians asked.
Ikton gladly obliged as he soaked himself until neck, half an hour passed and the pain didn't fade and instead it intensified. He howled like a mad wolf as he immediately gets out of the pond and as soon as he got out, the old man fainted from the intense pain.
"Is this the cure that you're saying? How come that happened to him?" One of the Royal Physician raged as his face became red from anger.
"You're just wasting our time with these false claims! Arrest them, men!" Another Royal Physician ordered as Royal Guards took the men and some blisters even popped when Lirio was grabbed which induced great pain that made him faint.
When the Royal Physicians got close to getting out of the forest, they saw bright lights and loud cheers from the distance and saw that the Armeton Town, which is desolate and almost lifeless, became bright and lively.
They immediately ran towards the town and saw the people dancing and laughing as a feast was made.
All of the meat came from the beasts they hunt inside the forest and the herbs they gathered. Even Luis contributed some of the meats and herbs he has.
"Who is the mayor of this town? Come forward and explain to me what happened here?" A Royal Physician announced with a loud tone that can be heard all around the town.
"I am the Mayor of the town! Greetings to the Royal Physicians!" A man stood up and walked in front of the Royal Physician. Surprisingly, it was the man of the family who Luis visited first. He doesn't look like a mayor because he was living the same as the townspeople.
"Care to explain why are your people celebrating instead of resting because of the disease?" The Royal Physician asked.
"Replying to the Royal Physician, we are celebrating because we are all cured!" The mayor replied as he took off his shirt and revealed his skin without a single sign of blisters
"So, it means that what these two said are correct? That pond really cured you?" The Royal Physician asked again.
"Replying to the Roya-"
"Sorry to interrupt but, to the Royal Physician, that pond didn't cure the people in Armeton. It was these guys that cured them." Luis interrupted the Mayor and pointed at the pond where small fishes are swimming inside steaming pond.
"Wait, are those..." The Royal Physician exclaimed.
"Yes, the Crimson Bubble Blister Guppies. I also thought that they're extinct but I discovered them in that pond and transferred them here so the townspeople can take care of them." Luis continued.
"Why did you do that?" The Royal Physician asked.
"From what I read from the old records regarding the Crimson Bubble Blister Guppies, they only eat dead or rotten things, since they survived inside that pond where nothing can die but themselves, I believed that they survived because they fed on the dead guppies. If they are here, the townspeople can feed them with their withered or rotten crops so they can reproduce and probably help disinfect the Elton River in the future.
"Thank you for the information young man, may I ask who is the Physician who cured the people?" The Royal Physician asked and all of the people pointed at a single person. It was the young man in front of him.
"Oh! I will report this matter to the Royal Family immediately! Enjoy your healthy night people of Armeton!" The Royal Physicians left and the celebration continued.
After the Royal Physician left, a little girl came to Luis.
"Hi, big bro!" The girl tugged his robe.
"Eli! Respect him! Call him Physician Luis!" The mother of the girl reprimanded.
"It's okay ma'am! What is it, little sis?" Luis replied.
"You are so amazing back then! You healed all of us like a God! I wish someday I can be a good Physician like you!" The girl said with sparkling eyes.
"Your name is Eli, right? I have the perfect opportunity for you!" Luis stood up and hold his bowl, he struck it repeatedly until he caught the attention of the people.
"There was a legend saying that when Crimson Bubble Blister Guppy is present, a great Physician will be born in that place. It was said that when people took care of them, they will ask the Gods to bless a child in that place and when that child freed the guppies it means that they have the potential to become a Physician!" Luis told them the tale.
"Now, try your luck and maybe the guppies will pray for you," Luis said and handed a bucket to the little girl. The girl dipped the bucket in the water and as soon as the whole bucket was drenched, a handful of guppies entered the bucket.
"They are blessing you, Eli, you will be a great Physician someday!" Luis smiled and guided the little girl as they poured the contents of the bucket to the river and watched the guppies as they swim away.
----------
23rd day of Summer Year 104th of the Senician Calendar.
A cure was found from the Epidemic that spread through some towns. The cause was the River of Elton, but the creature who was believed to be extinct appeared and saved the town of Armeton.
The people of Armeton took care of the creatures as they slowly released them in the river. From monthly, to annually and the release of the creature became a festival called the Crimson Bubble Festival.
Because of the abundant number of the Crimson Bubble Blister Guppies in the Elton River. It steamed from the hot bubbles the guppies emitted and it became the Steaming River of Elton, the river that can cure skin diseases.
The Crimson Bubble Blister Guppy became the sacred animal for the townspeople of Armeton and the pond that they built for them expanded and became a sanctuary.