The Firelands

60 - Fee Fie Foe Fum

3rd day of the forth Month, Worth's Moon

1:00am

The Skettle Woods in The Giant's Realm

"Zedkiel," Kalen said gently, pushing the elf's hair away from his face, revealing eyes that weren't focusing well, "Zedkiel, I want to check the bandages, you need to stay still."

"Alright," Zedkiel muttered, grimacing and gripping his chest, a spasm making his muscles lock before they relaxed again.

"Can't you just lick the wound or something? You have that weird saliva," Incendio said.

"It doesn't work like that," Kalen said, looking up from Zedkiel. "It heals wounds and only certain poisons, it doesn't work on everything and Elvin poisons are strange anyway." He eased Zedkiel's leg straight, resting it on the blanket that had been stretched out on the ground then pulled off the boot and pushed the trouser leg up, revealing the wound and Kalen's heart sank.

It was still bleeding. He didn't understand, it should have stopped. Despite Incendio's late suggestion and his rejection of it, he had already spread some saliva on the wound, without telling Zedkiel less the elf resisted. But it hadn't stopped the bleeding – and this threw Kalen. He didn't understand. What was in there that was affecting the chemicals?

"Theth," he said and Theth tossed him a roll of bandages. Kalen carefully removed the first set of bandages, grimacing at just how much blood there still was.

A cloth appeared in front of his face and he looked up to see Theth.

"You're going to need to wash and dry that before you put bandages on again," he said.

Kalen took it and it was soon damp to the touch. Carefully he cleaned away the blood, Zedkiel hissing as he touched the wound, then he dried the skin and proceeded to wrap the bandages. He pulled them tighter this time, not so much that it was completely constricting but he was determined to stem that blood flow one way or another.

He sighed, thinking about how far ahead the next town was as he rolled down the trouser leg again as Theth helped Zedkiel sit up, leaning him back against a tree trunk.

He looked so pale – and he was pale to start with – and he looked exhausted. And he kept rubbing at his chest, grimacing every now and then.

"What's wrong with your chest?" Incendio asked, dropping down beside then.

Zedkiel opened his eyes a slit to look at him. "What?"

"You keep rubbing your chest like it hurts but it's your leg that's bleeding. What's wrong with your chest?"

"Nothing, just hurts a little," Zedkiel muttered, closing his eyes again and grimacing.

"Why?"

Zedkiel was quiet for a moment, his brow furrowed.

"Do you have a bad heart?" Kalen asked and Zedkiel opened his eyes in surprise, looking at him but Kalen was just frowning at his leg. Suddenly his eyes widened and he snapped his fingers, pointing at Zedkiel. "Its nyxion isn't it!" he all but shouted, startling the others.

"It's what?" Theth said.

"Nyxion," Kalen repeated, "It's either nyxion or nayion."

"How did you know that?" Zedkiel muttered.

"Because I know a thing or two about poisons – even the ultra rare ones."

"Why?" Incendio asked.