author's note. Chapter 12 - 14 are rated Mature.  Be sure to check those out before reading this chapter~!

Chapter 15 | Marrens Eve

   "That's what I'd like to report." Rufus held his side as he took a seat on a bench across from his superior.

   "Sixteen. What happened to the rest?"

   "Earlier, when we arrived in town..."

   "You were ambushed. I was told. But none were heavily injured except for you."

   "That's true, my lord. Just that, they kept us in the town hall for hours before her ladyship came in with the Dame. But by then, some... some had lost their consciousness. Turned. Turned from the blood around them."

   Perplexed, Aleksi took a moment to respond.

   "So, they do drink our blood."

   "That had been the Dame's deduction, sir. But we'd– I'd seen it for myself."

   "Are you also infected?"

   "No, my lord, but–" Rufus caught himself.

   "Go ahead. Tell me."

   Rufus hesitated to speak.

   "The Dame spared a few."

   "A few what?"

   "A few Infectus and you should know, she is also exhibiting changes. Small, but they're there."

   Aleksi sat beside Rufus and leaned back, crossing his arms.

   "Can you tell me more about that?"

   "Throughout our journey, I had observed the Dame. I knew that my job had been to watch over her."

   The young lord nodded. "I wouldn't have assigned my personal knight if not for that."

   "Yes. So, I thought it important that I keep an eye on her. On our first night, she had healed that young knight. I cannot ask aloud, but if you'll permit me to confirm..."

   "It's true. She is."

   "She has, over the eight days, used her ability to heal anyone that she can. The smallest of injuries are healed by her during the night. What I'm saying my lord is that she has been acting based on her emotions. She did the same to save that child, Jojo. Jojo had exhibited turning but the Dame pleaded that the girl be saved."

   Rufus recalled the hour that passed as he told the Marquess the strange behaviors of Asena.

   Some hour before.

   The town hall had grown a tad quieter after Rusen and János left. Rufus and his nurse went back to laughing at their unfortunate encounter.

   Jojo's appa's small wound would not heal. The healer struggled to keep it close as it reopened whenever he left it unattended. Meanwhile, Jojo was growing impatient. She didn't want to be locked up anymore.

   "When is Teacher coming by?"

   The healer in charge of her gave a vague answer she did not appreciate.

   "When is that?"

   "When they are ready," the healer answered again with equally waning patience.

   "And. When. Is. That?" Jojo tried again.

   But the healer did not relent, instead, she smiled and walked away.

   That was not good.

   "Samchon says, you shouldn't ignore people. What a bitch."

   Jojo's appa snapped his head. "Jojo! Who taught you that?"

   "Samchon."

   He sighed, "don't copy him."

   "Why? Cause he's dead?"

   Sometimes, Jojo's appa missed his wife profusely. This was one of those times.

   "No, because that's not a nice word."

   Jojo was ready to make a comeback, but Jojo's appa doubled over in pain.

   "Appa!"

   "The wound won't heal," the healer turned to Rufus for guidance.

   He didn't know how to help.

   The blood around his wound would not stop. He'd tried to cauterize and even press on the would, but nothing. In the wake of his attempts, they'd accumulated a large amount of Jojo's appa's blood.

   Rufus hadn't noticed it earlier, but some of the people around him looked hungry. He'd thought that the father was infected, but all the attention the man was getting would say otherwise.

   "First off, burn those. The rest of you healers should go outside–"

   The door of the town hall opened. The smell in the room moved around. Jojo was the first to jump into action. She stood guard before her father and snarled at those who coveted openly.

   Rufus, instinctively, covered his healer.

   "Go," he whispered to her as he tried to turn her away from the oncoming fight, "now."

   She trembled behind him. She'd never been in a close combat situation before.

   "And you?"

   "A knight's job never ends."

   The other healers tried to escape, but some had caught the attention of their rabid patients. A healer screamed.

   "What's happened!"

   A red-headed lady burst through. She'd been busy talking with someone that she hadn't taken notice of the situation until the scream.

   Another healer shouted, fighting off their assailant.

   "Kill the infected!" A knight shouted.

   The other knights on guard had no clue how to tell which were infected unless they were already attacking.

   Jojo bit the ear of a man that tried to get at her appa. But this made her even more agitated. The clarity in her eyes disappeared. Her mana weighed the untrained down. This briefly enabled some of the knights to rescue others.

   The lady ordered. "Clear the room, healers." 

   Asena watched as Jojo lost herself. Both curiosity and something deep in the pit of her stomach stopped her from making a move.

   "Lady Denica, we will deal with the Infectus," Rufus pulled on the arm of the red-head.

   "What of you? Of his Ventosa knights?"

   "I'll keep them as safe as possible. Your safety is most important."

   The chaos in the room didn't slow down as Jojo started to hunt. Understanding this, the little girl took to her feet quickly.

   The little girl honed in on the injured Rufus, though she made sure to keep her appa in a safe place. Again, a surge of mana was released. A heavy pressure weighed the remaining people down onto the olive floors.

   Denica groaned as she tried to get back up. All the while, Asena still had not stepped inside.

   "Sen! Õekene!" Denica shouted for her.

   Waking her up, Asena realized just how irrational she'd been just then. Taking a step inside, the weight of the mana fell on her. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Denica.

   "I'll be using that."

   "Don’t!"

   "Then you'll deal with this?"

   Her sarcastic tone made Denica raise a brow.

   "No, then?"

   Asena planted her feet on the ground, literally as vines grew from the base of her feet. A physical pentagram was drawn out on the floor using the vines. And once she'd gotten a good footing, she pressed a gem on her vambrace, pulled out a stone, and began with work.

   "Dame Asena was able to contain the mana, as strong as it was. It drew a lot from the little girl."

   "And what then?"

   "Lady Denica had sentenced the little girl to death, but the Dame seemed assured that the child would not do it again."

   "My sister, what did she say?"

   "Her ladyship allowed it, but the girl and her father are being watched carefully. They are the only two left who exhibit symptoms. Would it be farfetched to say that she's grown attached to the girl?"

   "If she were a normal person, no. Jojo's her student after all, but for Asena, it's rather bewildering. Anyway, good job keeping nash volk safe. You may rest now." Aleksi patted his knight on the shoulder as he stood. "Oh, have you seen Rusen?"

   "Last I saw him was with the Chief of Port, Jonás Bella."

   Aleksi bid his knight goodbye and made his way to the damaged town hall.

   "Alek!"

   "Deni."

   She glanced around him but did not see the person she was most eager to see.

   "Your fiance is not with me."

   Disheartened, she pursed her lips and groaned.

   "Where would he be? Shouldn't he greet me first?"

   "Did you not see him at the hall?"

   "No?"

   "I did send him here first," Aleksi thought back.

   "Well, he isn't there. I just came from there. I helped the healers get sorted after the attack."

   "I heard."

   "From?"

   "Rufus."

   She nodded thoughtfully. "Then he told you about Sen?"

   "Where is she?"

   "I had her sleep. She's... to put it lightly, agitated. I've seen the marks too. It can't be healed, Alek. Rather, it gets worse if you try to heal it. Neither Unda nor Seed."

   "Magic then. It feeds on our magic."

   "Can't say for sure. I've never dealt with anyone else with markings like those."

   A few people passed by, bowing to the lord and lady.

   "Let's talk elsewhere."