Ravin knelt on one knee to Jax’s level, resting his arms on his knees. He placed the wet cloth upon the boy’s neck, soaked from the basin next to the bed. The water was fresh, courtesy of Andrea. 

The ranger picked up the basin and carefully filled the canteen before offering it to the boy. Jax took small sips even though everything in him begged for more. He chose to breathe over drink, handing back the canteen with shaking hands. The coolness would help return the boy’s temperature to normal Ravin knew. 

“Did you know trees don’t die of old age?” Ravin asked, randomly. Jax glanced up at the ranger in confusion. His breath coming out in small puffs brushing against the others face. Ravin nodded. “It’s true.”

“People have found trees over a hundred years old. Some suspect there a few that date back over a thousand years,” Ravin said, fueling the confused curiosity. Jax looked at him astonished, blush slowly paining his skin. He never knew that. 

“How do you know?” Jax asked, his voice steady. He leaned forward in interest, desperate to know more. 

“You figure it up by the number of rings a trunk has,” Ravin replied. 

“Rings?” 

“Yes. When a tree grows in diameter, that is it gets wider, it adds on a ring that you can see when its cut,” Ravin answered, reluctantly demonstrating with his hands. The subject was not going the direction he had planned it too. Taking a but darker turn. 

“Cut? It that how they die?” Jax asked. 

“One way. Trees are murdered, killed by another. That is the only way they can die I suppose,” Ravin answered, sullen at the thought. The wonder faded as soon as it appeared. It was not the answer the boy had been expecting, but it was the truth. Ravin understood it was a little morbid to think about. Like the next strange fact on his list. 

“You know a quick way to calm someone down is? Confuse them,” Ravin said with a slight grin. He watched his plan unfold within the kids’ eyes. The boy stared, mouth falling open in shock. His panic was gone.

Ravin chuckled, clapping Jax on the knee as he stood. The boy flinched expecting pain only to receive none. He watched Ravin move about the room, picking up bottled and books laying about. Reading the covers as he went. 

“Now let’s get you some meds, aye?” 

“What is that?” Jax said, pointing to the bottle in Ravin’s hand. The slender glass bottle filled to the brim of a purple liquid. Corked off with a tag wrapped around its neck. 

He glanced at the tag, speaking as he read. “Vomit serum. One spoonful per day until the acid runs clear.”

Ravin grimaced, placing the bottle back on the table wiping his hand on his pant leg for effect. He knew modern medicine practices were more humane, but he expected more manageable ways. Not the best way to put it. Not this. 

“Where did she go?” the boy said, noticing their missing host. Ravin thanked the kid silently for bringing him out of the depreciating, disgusting funk he had found himself in. The wife had left to find the doctor while Ravin went to find Jax. Espy of the lack of the younger. 

“They will be back soon, ‘kay? The Doc was not home so the lady went to fetch him. Just be patient and wait,” Ravin said, speaking as if to a child. This kid was getting on his nerves with the questions. He did not need to get riled up right now. Besides, he was not a sapling anymore, he could control himself. 

“You’re not.”

He spoke too soon. His jaw clicked as he turned to look at the boy. The glare found the offender with a hand slapped over his mouth; eyes wide in shock of his own words. 

“You best watch that mouth of yours before it gets you into trouble,” Ravin said, going back to reading one of the doctors’ books. Skimming the words instead of reading the book. 

“I’m sorry,” a quivering voice said behind him. Ravin sighed, his annoyance dissipated at the sound. 

“You have nothing to be sorry for. Take it as a piece of advice. Where did you get that attitude from anyway?” Ravin asked, hoping to dig a bit into Jax’s past. His earlier confession was fresh within the ranger’s mind. His suspicions while died back were not completely gone. Jax froze as if struck. 

“I am on a quest for Arearis, I was sent to find help for my people,” Jax said, hesitantly as he remembered why he was free. The lightness in the room dropped a couple of degrees at the mention of the kingdom. 

“Why would you want to go there?”

“Who are your people?” Ravin asked, dropping the book where he found it. The kids wording is weird every time Ravin asks a personal question. He watched the boy fidget in his seat, while he himself searched the drawers of the desk, running a finger along the seams of the bottom. 

“Isendeare.” Ravin paused in his ministrations. Ice flooded his veins, stilling the fire within his heart. 

“You’re from Isendeare?” he asked, fearing the answer. His stomach rolled as the boy nodded. 

The kid escaped from Isendeare and is trying to get to Arearis for help of all things. This kid had a death wish. He did not know how lucky he was to be alive. Which meant that Jax did not know, Ravin thought. 

“You can’t go there, I’m sorry.” He spoke, unable to say the name. “Come with me.”

Jax looked at Ravin, confused as ever. His signature expression it seemed. He couldn’t not go. They were counting on him. He would not give up that easily. Jax shook his head with vigor. 

“I can’t. They need me. They need help,” Jax said, standing with his claim. “Why would you say such a thing? You cannot ask that of me. They are-“. 

“Dead.”

“They died, Jax.” I am sorry. He couldn’t make himself say it. To Ravin, those words held no meaning for remorse. In his mind, they were a filler for the words you didn’t know how to say. To comfort their distress. 

Like the wide-eyed stare of the misty ocean eyes. Tears threatening to spill over in tandem. Dull eyes left in a daze of disbelief and sorrow knowing deep down his words were true. 

This isn’t how Ravin wanted to break the news, but what’s done is done. Now he had to reap the consequences. It would have to wait till later time as would mourning.  

“Jax come with me. I know somewhere where it is safe. It’s what they would have wanted,” Ravin spoke softly. He could still complete the mission if Jax really is one of them. It would have to do. 

“H-How? Why… I don’t understand,” Jax muttered, his voice breaking against his breath. Tears flooded his view. It was all for not. They were dead. How could he not have known? How did this stranger know before him? 

The sorrow clogged his pipes preventing him from forming words that were coherent over the sobs. The harsh cries tore what was left of his throat. A weak hand gently grasped the bruised appendage as he painfully whimpered. 

Ravin clenched his jaw. There has got to be something he could do. So far all he has been able to do is throw salt into a blistering, gaping open wound. Though, he is sure Jax has at least one of those. 

He is entirely out of practice for handling this kind of thing. Emotions were not really in his skill set. Physical ailments, however, with which he could deal. 

Going back to the task of finding a pain medication was an easy choice. Twice the speed as before of filtering through the tonics. The muffled cries powered his speed. 

Scarlet Fever. Poison Oak. Pregnancy Remedy. Wort Feet. Lizard Tongue. Clout. Vomit Serum again. Why are there so many bottles of this shit? What kind of doctor is this?

One that does not deal with pain, apparently. Or took it with him…. Which would explain why Ravin could not find it. 

That does not help either of them at all right now. The kid had to be in serious pain right now if his nerves are not shot already. 

“Breath bith. I’m looking,” Ravin said to sooth the partially concealed, rancid set of coughs. His knee knocked against the open drawer grabbing his attention. 

The worn scratched edge of the drawer’s bottom stood out against the clean polished wood. A slightly to wide crevice between the bottom and the side wall. Allowing enough space for a knife or a fingernail to wedge inside. 

The false bottom popped up at the pressure. Ravin lifted the faux wood out of the compartment. He raised a brow, picking up the small leather bag. 

A cross-body bag would be a better description based on the long strap that accompanied it. Made of excellent quality leather that was hard to get in these parts. Also, expensive especially on a doctor’s salary. 

A silver clasp adorned the dark hide. The shining polish stunning to the human eye. A flick of the wrist revealed its untold secrets to all. 

Secrets being an incredibly old book, dried out herbs, and a wadded-up rag. An extremely exciting bust of a discovery. Ravin glanced back down at the drawer’s compartment for the hack of it. The drawer itself held more promise than the bag in his hands. The tag read as clear as day. Pain Reliever. 

Hidden within the confines of the desk. Who would have thought? Not him but we are not talking about that. A few drops of this will make Jax right as rain, for a few hours at least. 

Ravin turned to show the kid his discovery. Things may be going right for once. “We’re back in business kid-“

Ravin paused, his words trailing off. His gaze hardened at the sight before him. 

Henry stood near the bed, facing Ravin. His calloused hand pressed over Jax’s mouth with his sickle aimed dangerously at his throat. The man sneered at the ranger as he pulled the boy’s body back against his own. 

“Let him go.” Ravin said, his voice becoming ice cold. He tensed watching Henry inch them closer to the door. 

“You’re in no right to make demands, demon.” Henry said, body leaking hatred and fear into the air. More so the former. He tightened his hold on the boy, yanking his head backwards. Jax whimpered in pain. 

The sound set the ice ablaze. His ember eyes seemed to glow in the dim lighting. Ravin stepped forward once before coming to a stop. The sickle dug into Jax’s frail skin threatening to tear into him. Henry smiled darkly. 

“Take another step and I’ll slit the boy’s throat,” Henry said, skimming the blade along the narrow column teasingly. He nodded his approval when Ravin did not move. 

“Good boy. Not so tough when your precious is all tied up,” The sick man snickered, backing toward the open door. Ravin tracked him, eyes never wavering from the threat. His face black with no reaction to the man’s words, much to Henry’s disappointment. 

The captor paused in the bedroom doorway contemplating himself. The boy was at his mercy frozen in fear within his grasp. It’s not like he would ever get this chance again. 

“I have heard the stories, you know. The tales of a ranger decked in black ravaged every village he passed. Igniting the towns and their people into flames. That death and despair follow him like a ghost,” Henry laughed. “I almost did not believe them until news of a settlement close to here was set alight. The Nordic Inn and several others burned to ashes. The Inn was quite famous for its beauty, I’m sure you’ve heard of it.” 

Ravin clenched his fist in anger, careful of the vile. He still needed it. 

Henry grinned crookedly. “So, you did. Well then you should be pleased to know no one made it out alive. It’s quite an accomplishment. I applaud you but my hands are a little tied up.” Henry jabbed for the fun of it. 

Ravin froze, hearing the confession. That meant… Malae. His heart burned, the fire begging to be released. He reeled it back in, catching Jax’s gaze. Whose terror and horror could not be contained. 

Jax stared at Ravin. He watched the sadness turn into something stronger, something bold and lethal. Ravin’s iridescent eyes danced more the longer he stared. 

He yelped, pathetically. His body ached from the abuse. The strands of hair pulled painfully from his scalp. The man’s hand tightened in Jax’s hair as weak arms reached up to stop the opposing pressure. He looked at Ravin, pleading for help. 

“A Magik with such an affinity for fire. One with your magnitude would fetch a hefty reward. Good thing the Amora Knights were nearby,” Henry said, eyeing Ravin’s physic. “They will have you taken care of before you can reach the edge of town. Ship ya off to Mozar, executed on the spot for your crimes.”

“If I don’t comply,” Ravin said making Henry grin. The man clicked his tongue ‘Tt’ tapping his finger on the handle in his grasp. Ravin frowned, glaring at the man. 

He slowly lifted his hands; palms open towards the duo. Ravin turned his head to Jax, smiling lightly at his confused face. “Everything is going to be fine; Duck.” he said, turning his glare back to Henry. 

Henry snickered, missing Jax’s calming state from his point of view. 

“It is truly disappointing. To be captured so easily. That is not like the beast that you are, but you aren’t all that,” Henry said, exiting the room with his back turned to half face the Magik and the entry door for his escape. He tugged on the fine hair of the boy as the boy dug his heels into the hardwood floors. 

“What’s disappointing is that you people never learn,” Ravin barked out. His patience runs dry. 

“Huh?” Henry hummed in confusion. 

Jax grunted, lifting his foot up into the air then rearing it back down as fast as he could into Henry’s groin. The kick held no more power than a light punch. It was enough. 

The location was a bonus. 

Henry doubled over, groaning in agony. His grip fell away from Jax’s head and his weapon, latching onto his trousers. Misty eyes clenched shut while he tried to breathe through the pain. 

The kid’s knees hit the ground the same time Ravin tilted his head to the left. Without wasting a precious moment, Jax crawled away from Henry as far as he could. He gasped fearfully watching Henry’s furious eyes turn to him. Snarling grin mounting onto his face with a satanic grin. 

“You sarding tantalian. You will pay for that,” Henry said, lunging for the boy. Jax screamed, curling into a ball with his arms covering his head. 

Ravin growled, tackling the man from behind. The ranger swept the man’s feet out from under him, landing a punch on his cheek as he fell. Ravin felt the bone grind beneath his fist. The man went down in a heap. 

Ravin unclasped his cloak to throw it over top of Jax, shielding his eyes from what he was about to do. Among other things. The ranger reached down and grabbed Henry by the neck, lifting him into the air as if he weighed nothing. 

“You think you know power? True power is a spectacle to behold not flaunted around by the likes of you,” Ravin growled, pulling Henry’s face close to his. His eyes glowed brightly like a fire in the night. Henry winced in pain as the hand squeezed harder, choking him.

“You don’t deserve the power,” Henry choked out, turning blue in the face. Already having lost feeling in his legs and the rest of his lower extremities. 

“You belong…. in….hell.”