The Healer

Chapter 7: Bearing The Weight

I WAS RUMMAGING THROUGH the piles of books later that evening after dinner. I asked Exene for a copy of their medical records. Yes, their medical records.

I let a breath when I found the book that looked exactly how Exene described it: brown, thick, dusty and old. Agad ko itong kinuha. I need to study this later tonight.

* * *

I was walking down the halls when I saw a familiar stiff posture up ahead. He was playing a-what look like a dagger in his hands. If I didn't know this man, I'd be terrified. He stood straight when he noticed me.

"Lily of the West," he said in his straight voice.

"You know, you can just call me Lily. It'll save you breath, I'm telling you." I crossed my arms. I have to equate the intensity of how he stiffly stood. Whether he noticed my effort or not, he did not show it. He shrugged and sauntered towards the door of the clinic.

It was when he sat down, removing his black jacket that I saw the huge wound on his arm. I gasped.

"What in the world happened to you?" Agad kong ibinaba ang hawak na libro at lumapit sa kanya. I checked his arm. A huge slash. Probably from a knife. Or a sword.

"Do you actually intend to hurt each other while practicing? Because if that's the case, I'll be out of medicine in no time and I need more healers to heal you all." I muttered but he just stared at me blankly.

"This is not from practice."

Hinigpitan ko ang hawak sa kanyang braso but he didn't rven flinch.

"That hurts." Was all he said.

"Then where did you get this? Did you cut yourself?"

"I am not sure what makes you say that, Lily of the West."

"Drop the 'of the West' for goodness' sake! Wash your wound over there." He walked to the faucet before I went to the shelf where I kept all the anti infections I concocted. These guys need to slow down with their use of weapons.

"Did you get into a fight?" I asked as I sat down on the chair in front of him while checking his arm. Some of the blood has already dried up but it's still bleeding a little. Agad kong kinuha ang malinis na tela and poured one vial of liquid on it. Agad ko itong ipinamunas sa kanyang sugat.

"There were syndicates roaming around the city. It's my job to eradicate them." I tried not to shiver at that.

"Syndicates?"

"They're thieves, actually. They've been stealing from the palace. Some of them have been captured and interrogated if they have any connection to the Monarch."

"Monarch?"

"It was an organization a few years ago that wanted to take over the throne."

I wasn't sure if I understand all he's saying but I continued to listen.

"So? Were they connected?"

"They aren't. This is another group of delinquents. I interrogated one member I captured. Apparently, this group is headed by a man named Apollo."

"That's quite a godly name for a delinquent."

He ignored my comment. "He's been kidnapping teenagers and sold them for slavery."

I fell silent. Selling teenagers for slavery. I didn't know such cruel things still exists.

My mouth went dry.

"Are ... Are there a lot of them in this place?"

"Yes. But we're hunting each of them down. As of now, we received a piece of news that Apollo has fled. Walang nakakaalam kung nasaan siya ngayon but I'm still going to hunt him and his group down and I'll make sure no one will be left alive." As innocent as he looks, as brutal his words are.