Whipping Girl

Chapter 34: If it is Bright

Once Teival gave me the "list" I moved to somewhere a bit more secluded. With Death standing by me like a guard to ensure more privacy. The looks she shot anyone who got close caused them to turn around quick. This "list" was actually a huge stack of inconsistent and unorganized documents. Written by multiple different people. After Teival had handed it to me, he got called elsewhere, to my luck. I didn't want him to see me go through it either. In case I was wrong, if he caught on, it might cause unnecessary misunderstanding.


I was at the northeast side past the main kitchen just outside the palace. Where all the farm animals were kept. Mostly hooved creatures that ate plant life, but also a couple of birds who enjoyed grain. Most of them had a muted peach to brown colored fur and feathers. Which helped them blend in perfectly with the plains further up north, that they were from. 


The cages the prey animals were kept in were colorful and not at all discreet. Yet being surrounded with all magic beads and the barrier from the palace made that lack of discreetness moot. Nothing would dare trespass in the first place. It was one of the things I had most enjoyed about the kishi. How openly bold and threatening they were. It was what made them a good ally, and a terrible enemy. Especially with how many other allies they had. 


I sat behind one of the stalls where some steers were held. The large creatures kept their distance. The bright red wall I laid against prevented the wind from blowing away my papers. 


As I read through each page I kept thinking of how unmarred Teival's skin looked. Doing all the magic required of his position and he, a human, still looked so pristine. It was laughable.


I continued scanning each word as I looked for a specific reaction pattern to be noted amongst the failures. To be exact, the dark herb failures. The neutral herbs meant nothing to me, and there would be no light herbs. Light herbs normally were not for healing, and neutral herbs wouldn't reveal the cause I was suspecting. 


Finally, while the sun shown its brightest, and I was thirty-three pages in, I found an instance of a dark herb being used. I read the words carefully


"Devil's claw extracted at the Kalahi Desert. Applied topically to the silver lines of the curse. Once applied, patient's skin began to burn and patient displayed signs of extreme physical pain along the spinal column and the joints. The devil's claw was immediately absorbed by the lines and the side effects could not be countered with magic nor other herbs. Effects lasted from sunrise to sunset. After sunset patient began to heal at a rapid pace from side effects, but complained of intense emotional instability..."


There it was. 


Instability. A dark herb normally known for simple anti-inflammatory affects, doing the opposite and then affecting a part of the system it shouldn't even touch. It was the second part that gave it away. Only one thing reacted in that pattern to dark herbs. 


I stood up with the page still in my hand, leaving the rest on the ground. 


I breathed out, "Found it."


Death turned to me. 


"What Alpha?"


As she asked, she grabbed the other papers. Still keeping her eyes on me. Relaxed nonetheless. 


I answered, "The cause."


Death huffed, "They didn't?"


"No," I began to walk, "Kishi don't know enough about dark herbs to have caught this."


Death followed me as we headed for the kitchen second entrance. I moved quick but relaxed as well. I needed to remain in control and not let my anger get to me. A careless mistake like this should have never happened. 


"You know about herbs too? More than their doctors?"


"Yes."


Death sighed, "I thought you were a politician."


"Before that... I studied to be a doctor." I could feel my voice crack as I told her about my past. Memories poured in from that time as we walked through the kitchen. Weaving in and out between the many chefs and hot food expected for the midday meals. 


I remembered him. The way his curly gold and emerald hair would move with each slight change in his actions. That odd accent. The way the medicine he would give me glowed the same color as his deathly pale skin. His words were never kind, but everything else about him was to me. But that was the past. I'll never see him again. 


Still I couldn't help but whisper, "Like and old friend." 


Death questioned, "Why didn't you become one?" I increased my pace. Gripping my hand against the page more, crumpling it. 


"My father did not approve."


We reached the head medical room. I peered inside to see it was empty. I tried to guess the next possible spot. Turning on my heels, I headed west toward the adviser corridors now. 


Death commented, "I guess fate didn't approve either," I glared but looked down as she continued, "what a cruel joke."


"Fate is not a joke." I grumbled, accidentally emphasizing the word 'not' a little too much. 


Oblivious, Death just shook her head left to right. She sped up to walk ahead of me. Her words come out to casual for my taste.


"I guess when it's happened to you, it's not."


We're almost at the main door when an agulha pops out of it. 


The agulha starts talking as soon as he sees me, "Head Teival wishes to speak with you." I shoot the random Agulha a glare. My words are sharp. 

"That human will have to."

//Note from Author: Hey guys, just note I do have this story plotted out and ready so I will be continuing to post chapters even if a little slow. Again I remind if you want more chapters for a specific story of mine, just comment and I will focus updates on that story. :) Hope you are enjoying!!