Chapter 16: Life/Death Crisis

"That is nonsense, Erland. Your father is right there. He is probably busy. Tell me everything, I will fill him in later. Okay?" said Gunhild.

"Ugh...Okay."

Erland explained everything to his mother. How he was hypnotized and how Svend suspected him. He also told her that he thinks that Svend still has a grain of suspicion towards him. Gunhild's face became grim. She became anxious. Her heart started beating fast and she fell on the ground. She somehow made it to her room and laid herself fown on the bed at the exact moment.

"Mommy. What happened to her?" Hilda's face became gloomy. She placed her mother's head on a pillow, gently on the bed, and opened the drawer of the side table. She looked for her pill, but there was none.

"Oh, Lords. Can you please stay here with mommy? I have to go." said Hilda and rushed downstairs. Erland followed her sister along and asked,

"Where are you going?"

"To get momma's meds. You stay here and help her." Hilda ran away.

Erland looked for his father. His suspicion was correct, the workplace was empty. Then he moved inside of his house. There was a gloomy silence. He was stormed with everyone's questions.

"What happened to her?" said a woman.

"Her heart is beating fast. She needs help. Please help her." Erland pleaded.

Two of the women headed upstairs whilst some stayed downstairs.

"Can you all look for help outside?" said Erland.

"We can't. There is no doctor in this area. The ones who headed upstairs are the only one who knows a little bit about these. Let's just pray for now. You are her precious son. Lords might hear your prayers." said one of the women.

"Nonsense! Why would Lords help us if we don't even try?"

"You are already trying Erland. Have patience." the woman faintly smiled to give him hope. It frustrated him more instead.

"(I just told her about the whole thing that happened. Why did she get sick? Is there something behind this?)" Erland looked grim.

Erland came at a realization. "The present..."

He took the present and headed upstairs. He placed it under a pile of dirty cloths. The place was dark which created an advantage to hide anything.

"(This should be safe here. I was worried that someone would open it.)"

He looked at his room. His mother was still lying down, motionlessly.

He headed outside holding a lamp. He looked for some herbs nearby. He picked a small portion of every single herb he could find. He headed home. He massacred the kitchen and did the exact same thing. With the amount of turmeric he could carry, he left.

"What are you doing?" said one of the neighbors.

He restlessly rushed upstairs without answering anything.

"Can you make some medicine with these, please?" said Erland. He breathed heavily.

"Some of it will do. But these aren't enough...Oh Lords." said the woman who was sitting by the bed.

"It isn't working. She needs a doctor, we can't help." said the woman who was continuously pressing on her chest.

"I'm back. Will these do?" said Ceol and slammed the door.

"These are the same herbs Erland brought but much more...Yes these will at least keep her alive for a bit more if the Lords permit." said one of the women. They told Ceol to go out and started taking care of Gunhild. It looked like she felt better but still it wasn't enough.

"(How do you give CPR again? DAMN IT...)" Erland started to pull his hair.

"What is the thing called when you give air to the people having mama's sickness?" said Erland.

"Huh? No we can't! We are lucky that she is a married woman. The one who can do it MUST be her husband." The woman who fed her the herbs looked furious.

"Stop THIS NONSENSE!(N-no, mom's gonna have trouble if she hears loud noises.) Can you two step aside?" Erland looked furious at first but then he looked calm and gentle.

"Go away honey. You are a kid, what do you understand about these? The Grand Hierius forbids this."

"Can you two just get the hell out?" said Erland with a cold expression, struggling to keep his anger in.

"Erland, don't say anything like that. Your mother will feel worse." said Ceol.

Gunhild's condition was getting worse. Her breaths suddenly became less and less frequent and her pale skin was starting to lose even the faintest amount of life in it.

There was a sound of someone opening the main door.

"Ladies move aside please." said Svend.

The ladies moved aside. Erland and Ceol were taken outside as well.

But some of the ladies started taking advantage of the situation and started to spit nonsense to their heart's content.

"Didn't we see that doctor coming here often?"

"Yeah, he looks good. Why does he care about that Gunhild so much though? Is he married?"

"I don't think so. He looks too young right? Oh, I heard that they knew each other even before Erik. Maybe it's just the bond of the past?"

Meanwhile, whilst Gunhild was almost dying, the neighbors were gossiping about her. It raged Erland so much that it could be seen in his eyes as if he's second away from reawakening his power once again.

"How can you all say so many things when you two know nothing? How long since you've met my mother? Three years? Ten years? Still far from the day she married. Don't shut me up because I am young. I know exactly which is right or wrong-" said Erland.

"Exactly you say? Then why did she tell us that you were asking the ladies to do such thing? It would mean her lips would touch another one's- You should be more polite little boy."

"(So this is the side they were hiding from me the whole time. The side my family has been hiding from me...No wonder they seemed too good. Are they planning on robbing my mother's things if she- No no no.) Ceol, please help me." Erland pulled Ceol out of the house.

"Stay here, I will bring something." said Erland.

"What is it?" said Ceol who was anxious as well.

Erland brought the box carefully so no one could see it. One of the neighbors noticed. "What is this?"

"This is the present we got, not you." said Erland and rushed towards Frode with a frown.

"Yeah mom. They got it, why are you asking them about that?" said a kid who was standing beside the woman.

The woman gave the girl a death stare.

"Ceol. Please take me to the central Naos." Erland pleaded.

"Sure but-" Ceol hesitated.

"This box looks fishy, even mommy thinks that. I know some people of the Naos. Please take me there. Maybe they can help us.(Maybe that is where dad is as well...)"

"*sigh* I don't know. But you have to promise me not to let go of me or not to go far."

"Okay I promise. Now take me please."

Ceol took Erland on his shoulders. He ran as fast as he could.

"Wait, don't run. Svend left his carriage over there." said Erland.

Ceol pushed the coachman out of the carriage who just lit up a cigarette. The old man yelled out. Right at the moment, Erland grabbed the man's mouth. "Don't. Yell." said Erland with a creepy smile.

The old man was startled for a moment but he soon pushed Erland far away. He yelled-"Help me!"

Ceol pulled out a knife and in a moment, ripped everything apart that attached the horse with the carriage. The neighbors came but it was too late. They have already left with a horse.

After quiet a long time, they reached the Naos by crossing a river, long yet shallow. The Naos had huge tombs. It was made in white and blue. The architecture was exquisite. Erland did not pay any attention to it and started to go in.

There were many people who were wearing dark colored robes as well as ordinary people. There was a huge statue of a person who didn't have any mouth. The person was wearing something ordinary. The person's dress was neither of a female neither of a male. He had no beard, no hair or any eyes. Some priests were worshiping it. One of them was Arne.

"Arne! It's me! Can you please-" Erland couldn't finish his words.

"What is it boy? Don't you know that you must not disturb anyone while they are praying?" said the man who stopped Erland in his way.

"Please Sir, let us go. This is a matter of life and death. Can you help us?" said Ceol.

"Life and death? Hah! What do you think of us as? Celestial priests? We cannot revive someone from their death nor heal them. The best we can do is give them our blessings-" said the man aggressively. It was certain that he was a priest himself.

"We don't only do that, Hierius. Please leave the matter to me." said Arne who just got up from his prayer.

"Arne. Please help me. My momma will die!" said Erland.

Ceol grabbed his mouth. With a calm voice he said,

"Don't say such things here Erland. It's a holy place."

"Lords aren't that dumb to accept whatever a person says my child. Tell me what happened." said Arne with a soothing smile.

"Ceol, can you please stand aside? I will tell him a lot of-" Erland couldn't finish his words.

"I understand." said Ceol and stood far away.

"What is it, my child? You look restless." said Arne.

Erland filled him in about everything. He did not hide a single thing except their names.

"Can you please show me the box?" said Arne.

Erland gave him the box. He touched it. The moment he touched it, he felt an uneasy sensation. Erland went towards it to touch it as well.

"Stay back. I have loosened the lock. This contains something...bad, Erland. We have to inform it to the government. They have to send out people after them." Arne stroked his chin.

"What about Zoe?" said Erland.

"She...needs to get cleansed."

"Cleansed?"

"Yes. You won't get it since you are so little-"

"Leave this aside. What about mommy?"

"Didn't you say that a doctor came?"

"But she is still sick. The neighbors hate us they aren't much of a help." Erland spoke with desperation in his voice.

"My...that is tragic. I will send off someone. She will be able to help. Wait outside for a brief moment. I wish that I could go but I have an important matter here."

"Okay! Bye Arne, I will bring you some goodies next time!" Erland rushed off to Ceol.

"Only you coming to me is enough." Arne waved.

They waited beside the horse. After a while, there was a golden haired woman wearing a white robe. There was a white horse beside her.

"Please lead the way." said the woman with boldness as if she senses how bad the situation is.

They got on their own horses and headed to Erland's house without any further ado.

It took them quiet a while to get there. The whole house was still at a silence even though gossips could be heard. The woman ran into the house immediately.

"Where is she?" said the woman from Naos.

"Upstairs?" said a little boy hesitantly. There were a few neighbors left at the moment.

"Move aside." said the woman and shot something sharp at Gunhild. After that she coughed a huge amount of blood. She opened her eyes for a moment. Then she closed them again.

"(Wha-What happened? Everything happened too fast. What DID SHE DO TO HER.)" Erland rushed to his mother.

"Don't fret. She will get well soon. Your grievance is her grievance." The woman assured Hilda.

"Really?" Hilda frowned with disbelief.

"Mr. Svend. I assume that you were applying your 'scientific' and 'medical' treatments a little bit too much. You could just bring her to the Naos." The woman looked at Svend.

"We will see how much it helps her, Evania. Don't get so full of yourself." said Svend and stood up.

"I guess I shan't argue on such matter as a Hierius. I shall go now. May the Lords bless you all, even you, Mr. Abaddon. " said Evania and left the house.

"(That was fast...)Can I talk to mommy?" said Erland.

Svend smiled at Erland and gently patted on his head.

"You did a great job. Yes you can, make sure not to stress her out. Make sure to check the pills once in a week. Buy new ones when it runs out." said Svend and walked towards the door.

Erland followed him along. When they reached the main gate, Erland asked,

"Svend. When I asked them about the 'giving air with mouth' thing they were angry, why?"

"Where did you learn about that?" said Svend with a faint frown, being slightly surprised.

"I saw it on Randi's book. She reads a lot of books after all."

"(Oh Lords...He has too much of a thirst for knowledge. What if he reads books totally not for him. Ugh...) Don't read any more books without permission. It is because you have to touch someone's lips with yours. Since a person's lover is only allowed to do that, it is counted as horrendous. I hate this way of thinking though."

"Me too!"

Svend gave a faint laugh at Erland's way of thinking even though he is a small child.

Svend headed to the carriage, looking at Erland with the corner of his eyes. The coachman gave a slight death stare at Erland because of what Erland and Ceol did to him earlier.

They left, whilst Erland was still worried sick. Ceol came from behind to speak to Erland. As soon as Ceol opened his mouth, Hilda interrupted.

"Ceol, stay with us this night please. We have no elder or someone who can protect us in our house." said Hilda with an embarrassed and rather pleading face.

"I have thought about that as well but then I thought about your parents' view on this." said Ceol.

"They are neither heartless nor nonsense Ceol. We need you."

"As my beloved lady says."

"You're flirty." said Erland with a neutral face of a child, seeing a cheesy romantic scene.

"Hehe..."

The night went by with Ceol being at their house, resting in the couch of the house, keeping an eye in case someone intrudes.

Erland stayed by his mother's side the whole time, holding her pulse with ear on her wrist, giving himself a reminder that his mother is still alive. Yet, Gunhild still was not showing even a single bit of improvement. She was sleeping like a corpse just like last night.