Moonlight shone through the Elven library as Kiyoshi and Thalasar pored over ancient scrolls, their brows furrowed in shared frustration. Weeks had passed since Kiyoshi's decision to stay, weeks filled with tireless research. The source of the plague had been identified: the stolen children. But the revelation only served to deepen their despair.
The children, it turned out, weren't just victims; they were unwilling hosts to a rare virus housed within a specific type of berry – Necroshade.
Thalasar, his hand tracing intricate diagrams, let out a frustrated sigh. "It does not make sense. The berries are only potent when consumed by certain creatures, like mermaids. Why exploit children when they could just… harvest them directly?"
A young Elven scholar, her eyes wide with sudden realization, spoke up. "But Your Majesty, the berries are incredibly rare. They only grow in specific, remote locations on land. Mermaids who can consume them, cannot reach them in their natural environment," she explained.
Kiyoshi's eyes narrowed. "So… someone is using the children to… farm the berries?"
Thalasar's jaw clenched. "It would explain the child abductions, the movement around the kingdoms… But who could be so cruel? And why target children?"
"We need to find the cure, so we can save those children..." Kiyoshi's thoughts trailed off as he considered the implications. It was a maddening puzzle, one that seemed to defy all reason. But he knew they could not give up. The fate of Ivamis, Niameda and Arcane.
One afternoon, a shiver ran through Kiyoshi's body. A familiar weakness, a prickling sensation on his skin. He dismissed it as exhaustion at first, but the symptoms persisted. A cough, deeper than usual, followed by a sharp pain in his side. He could not be infected. Not here, not now. But the truth, cold and inescapable, settled in his gut like a lead weight. He had spent too much time with the scrolls, too close to the source of the plague. The virus, it seemed, wasn't as selective as they'd initially thought.
As the days turned into weeks, the plague tightened its grip on Kiyoshi. His strength weakened, and the pain grew more intense. He was bedridden, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Thalasar and the others looked on in horror, powerless to help their king and friend. They tried everything they could think of, drawing on their vast knowledge of magic and medicine, but nothing seemed to work. The infection spread, consuming Kiyoshi's body.
Kiyoshi, on the other hand, fought it with everything he had, the image of Nia, his love and his life, driving him to survive. One night, Captain Loran, his most trusted guard, and Thalasar entered his chambers, fully protected, their faces etched with concern,
"Your Majesty," started Captain Loran, "we must inform Queen Nia at once. She must be informed of your condition" said the captain as he kneeled at Kiyoshi's side.
Kiyoshi struggled to sit up, his face pale and lined with pain. His breath came in ragged gasps. "No," he rasped, his voice barely audible. "You mustn't tell her. I do not wish to trouble her...with my fate."
"Kiyoshi," Thalasar started, "you are gravely ill. We must…"
Kiyoshi shook his head weakly. "The children...we...must find them, and a cure." His words were slurred, barely audible. Thalasar understood. Kiyoshi, even in the midst of illness, was consumed by the mission they had shared.
"We will," Thalasar vowed, his voice firm. "Rest, Kiyoshi. You have fought valiantly. We will not let your sacrifice be in vain."
And with those words, Kiyoshi drifted off to sleep, his face paler than usual. Thalasar and Captain Loran looked at each other, sharing a silent understanding. They would carry on the king's wishes and find the children. They would find the cure.
The heavy oak door of Kiyoshi's chambers creaked shut, leaving Thalasar and Loran alone in the corridor. The silence was broken by the cough that echoed from inside the chambers, a reminder of Kiyoshi's deteriorating condition.
Thalasar turned to Loran, his face etched with worry. "He grows weaker by the hour," he said, his voice heavy. He sighed, his eyes meeting his. "We must send word to the Queen" he declared.
Loran stiffened, his gaze flickering towards the closed door. "But… the queen," he began hesitantly, "King Kiyoshi specifically requested…"
"I know," Thalasar interrupted, his voice firm but laced with compassion. "He believes he spares her pain, but ignorance will not cure him, Captain. The Queen, she deserves to know. Her strength, her love, it may be the very spark he needs to fight."
Loran looked conflicted, torn between his loyalty to both the king and queen. He knew King Thalasar spoke the truth..." Very well, Your Majesty," Loran finally conceded, his voice a low rumble. "I will send a message to Queen Nia."
As Loran hurried away, Thalasar turned back to the closed door, "Come on," Thalasar whispered into the silence, his voice a plea more than a command. "Fight. For yourself, for your Queen, for the children. Don't give up now. We need you."
With a heavy heart, Thalasar turned away, leaving Kiyoshi to his fate. Meanwhile, inside the chamber, Kiyoshi drifted in and out of consciousness, haunted by his dreams. He saw Nia, her face covered with worry, her hand outstretched towards him. He heard her voice, a soft melody urging him to fight, to return to her. He clung to that voice, that image, a lifeline in the storm of his illness. He knew he had to get stronger, not just for himself, but for her, for his kingdom, for the children they had sworn to rescue.
𝖂𝖎𝖙𝖍 𝖆 𝖉𝖊𝖊𝖕, 𝖘𝖍𝖚𝖉𝖉𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖇𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍, 𝕶𝖎𝖞𝖔𝖘𝖍𝖎 𝖋𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖙 𝖙𝖔 𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖓 𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖊𝖞𝖊𝖘...