Lind followed Garnt to areas of the clan complex that were of far higher quality than the training area or his courtyard. There had been several herb gardens glimpsed that had been curious, but he resisted his curiosity. The father they walked, the more fancy the robes became of not just the adults, but the guards as well.
A strange pressure also exuded from every person, but Lind did not worry about it. He kept walking until they stopped outside a door. It was strange. There was no door knob, yet it was clearly a door. How was it supposed to be opened? Lind looked at the adult and teenager and saw them looking nervous.
"Are you sure we should let him see?" The young servant questioned Garnt but the large man nodded and knocked. Lind saw a flare of light before the door swung out into the hallway. Lind was really curious but pushed it back as an elder servant grimaced at them. He was thinned gray hair and stared at the younger servant.
"I sent you for an alchemist and you brought me the lower court instructor? What is wrong with you?!" The pale green eyes of the young servant flinched but he then looked at Garnt and clearly wanted him to be a shield in this instance.
"The honorable Grade 2 alchemist is at her assessment, but her son has access to her stored medicine. He needs to know what is wrong to help the young Miss." Lind immediately felt sweat breakout on his back. He understood after these few months that the Frey Clan had a young master and young mistress. They would be extremely high profile people. Why in the world would something happen to either of them?
The old servant looked hashly at Lind and for some reason, extreme disgust showed on his face. Lind really wanted to know why people looked at him like that. Now was not the time to find out. Lind bowed politely to the servant.
"I have helped my mother, but I need to know what is wrong before opening the storage." Lind was on a limb, but he hoped it was something simple. Lind saw the dark blue eyes of the elder servant fill with disdain but then nodded. Clearly, it was common sense to learn the issue. Lind was allowed inside but Garnt was not. This rattled Lind, but he moved into the vast courtyard.
Lind had thought his courtyard was luxurious, but his comparison was the utilitarian lifestyle of Earth's barely cleared middle class. True luxury was before his eyes. The courtyard was full of fancy decorations and silk drapes. Gold, silver, and other precious metals made up the lining of the walls and arches. Lind knew this was truly the highest class in front of him but it was pushed to the back as labored breathing entered his ears.
He followed it to a drenched young woman. Sweat and irritable scents filled his nose as he saw a very sick girl. She was coughing on top of wheezing. Lind moved on instinct. The elder servant moved to intervene but stopped suddenly. Lind ignored the oddity and took the pulse of the girl. It was erratic and her temperature was very high.
Lind had not seen anyone like this since being reborn, but he had seen similar symptoms in his old life. He carefully put his ear to her chest and heard the gurgle of liquid. Lind was not sure what they called it here, but he knew what was wrong. He did not know what his mother could make to fix this! Panic was fleeting but then he recited the herbs he knew.
His mother had taught him well. The herbs effects were dictated by 3 things. The inherent abilities of the herb, if it could be enhanced, or if it could be modified by combinations. In this case, this girl needed a miracle.
"Well?!" The elder servant had been surprisingly patient but Lind nodded as if he had some ideas. He truly did but it would only give some easement on the breathing, not cure the issue.
"I should have some cream to help but I need to check. How long has she been like this?" Lind knew time was an issue. If he could get the adults to get his mother back, that would be best, but Lind knew it would not be easy. The Alchemist Guild was very powerful from the conversations he had overheard.
Lind quickly moved to leave but the elder servant stood over him. A pressure he had felt several times since moving outside his mother's courtyard fell on him. Lind stared passively at the servant and was rewarded to see surprise flash on his face.
"Go, quickly!" Lind nodded and continued. He saw Garnt waiting out in the hall and smiled up at him. Lind then jogged back to his home. He had not lied exactly. His mother really had a cream but it was not made. Lind knew what he needed and could actually make it. Creams did not need the pot and could be made quickly, but it would not be enough.
It was pneumonia. Lind was sure of it. The bubbling in the lungs meant that the girl's lungs were filling with liquid. The cream would help breathing, but it would not solve the issue. Lind had hope though. He knew the herbs of his mother's garden like the back of his hands.
He stopped in the garden and quickly gathered what he needed for the cream. He had helped make this before, so Lind was confident on that step. What he needed after that was something he could make that was not a pill but could help. This world did not have antibiotics or other advanced medicine but the pills his mother made seemed close.
Lind thought as he used the mortar and pestle to break down the herbs for the cream. It was like when was given a new puzzle on his birthday or Christmas. Lind loved puzzles in his old life and the issue here was a puzzle. This world had a strangely powerful medicine in alchemy. Lind could not make pills. He had no idea how his mother made them, but there had to be a way.
Lind thought over all the herbs he knew and as the cream turned mint green as it should, he suddenly had an idea. The cream would help with the airways, but then the girl could swallow a soup, right?!
Lind could not light a fire but he could make a broth to be warmed up. He just needed the right ingredients. He looked at the stores and smiled. He grabbed whisper oak, violet spore, crimson spindle, and lightning root. The first 3 come together to enhance the last one. Lightning root was a standard ingredient in his mother's pills for healing or recovery from illness, but Lind could only make a broth.
The root alone was not enough. Lind used the whisper oak and violet spore to moderate the violent nature of lightning root while the crimson spindle moderated the breakdown in the body. Lind hoped it would work as he milled the herbs and mixed them into water. He was not sure but the near 3 years he had observed and learned from his mother told him this was the answer.
Only one obstacle remained. In the almost 6 years Lind watched his mother, he had never seen her make a broth. Lind had to make sure they did not stop him. Even assuming the girl survived, the loss of her long capacity would impede her future.
Lind filled 2 jade vials. The cream was a known sure part, but the broth barely fit into the vial available. Lind carefully stoppered both and ran back to the room. No one stopped him, but more than a few guards looked at him harshly. Garnt was still pacing in front of the door.
Lind realized more than a few hours had passed but no alchemist had come. He prayed this worked. The door was opened and the elderly servant harshly examined the vials. The cream he nodded at quickly, but the broth inspired a deep frown.
"What is this?" Lind saw deep distrust in that elderly face. He had thought long and hard about it though.
"Normally, pills would be used, but the bubbling in her lungs makes that difficult. The cream will help when applied to her chest to breath, but the broth will truly clear up the issue. It will cause a lot of coughing and expulsion from what I was told." Lind saw a deep frown still on the servant's face but he nodded at last.
Lind then froze. Both the servant and he were male. Even though he was 5 and the girl was maybe 11 or 12, it was still inappropriate. Lind looked up and as if the servant could read his mind, he rang a bell. A young girl came in from a different door than the one to the hallway.
"Mia, please apply this cream to the young Mistress' chest per his instructions." Lind breathed a sigh of relief and quickly repeated what he had heard his mother say many times before. Clearly both had heard it before and nodded clearly. Lind turned away as the robe was opened and the cream applied. The elder servant joined Lind at this point. Lind noticed an oven or something close to it in the other room.
"Please light the fire for me." Lind moved over a stool and prepared a pan as the elder servant had the girl help Lind. Lind observed as the green broth bubbled and began to turn clear. It was an amazing transformation, but Lind could feel his own lungs clear up just from the steam.
"This is ready. Please help me administer it." The young girl nodded and blew on a spoon as she brought it to the sick girl's mouth. It took some doing, but the cream had begun to work its effects as she was clearly breathing easier. Lind saw the young Mistress finally swallow the first dose and he waved the servant to wait.
It could not have been a few breaths, but it felt like eternity to Lind. At last, coughing began and bright yellow crud blew out. It was more impressive than Earth's medicine. Lind nodded and observed the rest of the day as the broth was administered. The young Mistress would cough up a lot of phlegm and crud.
Lind had to remake both the cream and broth twice more before there was marked improvement. Color returned to the young Mistress' cheeks and her breathing became far easier. Lind breathed a sigh of relief in his mind and noticed that both servants looked at him with gratitude.
Lind was exhausted as he walked back to his courtyard. He had hardly slept rushing back and forth for the herbs he needed. Garnt was smiling ear to ear after one of the grade 1 alchemists confirmed the young Mistress was out of danger.
Lind felt pride as he moved back to his home. He was almost there when pressure slammed into his small body. It was not crushing though, just heavy. He looked up and saw a wiry old man with extremely fancy robes. Lind noted black lining with gold accents on his crimson robes. The emblem was not on his right lapel like others, but a golden necklace hung around his neck with the emblem instead.
"So, you are Mira's child." Lind felt fear. He had felt disdain and hatred from others in the clan, but it was nothing compared to the feeling of pressure from the golden eyes of this old man. Lind was certain this man could crush him with a finger.
"Y-yes sir." Lind found it difficult to speak, let alone stand.
A silver flash filled Lind's eyes as a collection of rings and rods intermingled landed at Lind's feet. It was a puzzle! Lind almost forgot about the powerful old man until he spoke again.
"See what you make of this. If you do well, things may change for you, young Lind." Lind looked at the old man and felt his fate was now in his small hands. Lind felt a pressure from within now. This puzzle held the future? His next actions would dictate all that comes after? Lind felt sweat break out on his back in rivers and carefully picked up the metal puzzle and began to look it over.