Chapter 23:

Elin walked into the room. The room was dim, curtains pulled, but not entirely dark. Some light seeped through the curtain, and the curtains themselves being mostly translucent, made it so that the room had sufficient light.

In the room, Elmyra seemed to be looking after Miss Violet who was lying on the bed. She seemed to look after for Miss Violet after 10 o'clock unless someone else would be look for her.

Her breathing seemed to be irregular, strained, and weak. Her eyes also had large crescent shaped dark circles under them, as she was weighed down by the weighted blanket. The skin under her nose seemed a bit irritated; it seemed she bled often from her nose, her eyes were similar. She seemed to have lost a lot of weight, her finger tips were pale, as one of her hands snaked under the blanket off to the side. It was probably a similar case for the legs too. Her long dark purple hair covered her eyes, as they provided a momentary relief from the light which pained her retinas even through her closed eyelids. Her lips were dry, irritation of her skin around the corners, as she would cough up blood every so often. Moist towels on her forehead to keep the fever down.

The room was messy, but it was kept dirt free. There seemed to be a few books lying about, a canvas stored at a corner folded for convenience, the floor also seemed to have paint stains, a pallet kept somewhere high on a showing rack, which seemed to contain a few northern souvenirs, a small wooden boat necklace was kept outside of the showing rack, it seemed it had been picked up recently.

Elmyra who was shocked at the sudden suddenly stood up with her left hand partially stretched towards the door where the 'intruders' came from, and her right curved pointed towards the elbow of her other hand. Both her palms were open but remained slightly closed. Her 'will' seemed to fluctuate a bit, suddenly-

"Urgh- UGH", the solidified 'will' inside Miss Violet seemed to react with one another as she moaned from pain.

"Stop, madam Elmyra it's me…"

"O-Oh, Mr. Elin, you are back?"

"Y-yes…madam Elmyra now, please step aside…I will start the curing process…this will be a painful process for Miss Violet, so please stay with Mr. Reynold and support the patient…"

"A-alright…"

Now, the curing process began.

Violet was slowly made to sit upright on a chair temporarily, as the mistletoe needle needed to be prick just above the nape, where it would circulate throughout the body and even numb the thalloid nexus which was located in the brain. Reynold held Violet with one hand, and the other supported her back. Elmyra also seemed to do the same. The only way to alleviate the pain, even a bit was through the use a divine or alchemy potion, or a potion that would not conflict with the dual neutralized poison used in the cure; a holy potion worked best.

Eleanor had been given one of each, the alchemy potion she would administer before the curing began, and the holy potion, after about 30 minutes when most of the pain would disappear. It was very necessary for this treatment to be unimpeded, that is, no use of will, even the slightest would only magnify pain and reduce the chance of survival of the victim. The patient should also not come into contact with any sort of 'will' fluctuations for about a month after the treatment.

Eleanor took out the red colored potion, and fed it to miss Violet, the potion ran through her throat refreshing her body slightly.

"Miss Violet, this process will be a bit painful, so please hang on alright, don't give up", Elin said as he took off his helmet and placed it on a corner of the room.

His hair had dirt stuck on it, and while moving here some of that dirt seemed to have stuck on his face. It made it look like he had come running after making the cure.

Reynold who had his heart beating very fast, but trying to remain calm was infinitely grateful towards Elin, and even more regretful for his action.

Miss Violet opened her eyes slightly. She was so weak that opening her eyelids were tough on her body. The solidified will clotted her veins, as she got heartburns every few hours, coughing up blood due to internal injuries, she almost died a few times due to heart attacks, but she held strong. She held strong for her lover, the life she had yet to live, her dreams she had yet to fulfill.

She barely nodded her head at Elin's words she could barely hear through the migraines, and tinnitus. Blood gushed out of her nose, as this was the first time in a while she had to sit up straight, her muscles constantly feeling like a sword was being stabbed through them every second. But she did not back down, the freedom was so close.

Elin slowly made his way towards her back. Elin slowly removed the purple hair which covered the nape, and put them in front of her chest. Elin could see the bones of her spine. It was extremely hard to imagine the pain Violet was in.

Before Elin began, he looked at Reynold. Reynold looked back with dark circle, but his eyes contained a small shimmering light.

"This will be extremely painful for her, the potions will only help so much", Elin seemed to say.

"It's ok, as long as she is alive", he closed his eyes slightly, but not fully.

He didn't dare to close his eyes, he was too tired. If a momentary rest, even closing his eyes, Reynold knew he couldn't stop his body from falling over from sleep deprivation. But, he managed to push out a meek smile, signaling as if, he was alright.

Elin took in a deep breath. He slowly opened the suit case and looked at the needle, a size of a feathered pen, long and thin, shimmering a warm blue color. Elin first washed the area around the nape with a lump of cotton, which he had covered in surgical spirit. Then, he took of the armor which covered his hands, and washed it with the same surgical spirit which he used to hold the needle.

A slender hand appeared which seemed un-befitting of his whole appearance. Elmyra noticed this but, remained silent. Now was not the time.

Elin raised his hands, with the needle held like a pen, but his middle finger extending slightly outwards, away from the needle. He dipped this needle into a vial which contained some sort of paste, which stuck onto the needle. He used his middle finger as an aim, to trace the area around the nape. Just above her spinal bone, he felt a small beat.

thump!...

 ...thump!...

 ...thump!...

It was an incredibly small and irregular heartbeat. Then he slowly brought the needle near the aim, and then made the needle touch the aim.

Elin took in a deep breath.

Prick!

At first nothing seemed to happen. Violet did not even feel the needle being inserted into her body. But just as she heaved a sigh of relief, unbelievable pain rushed at her throughout her body starting from her head.

The migraines she had felt to this day couldn't even amount to the fraction of the pain she was feeling at the moment. The tinnitus which was once just as strong as a distant bell now, was as if the bell was in her head, being rung every second. The pain moved from the head to her body. She felt as if every single bone, her ribs, femur, hands, fingers were being broken again and again. She felt like her nails were being ripped apart from her hands, and feet. It was incredibly painful. It was more painful, because it had been almost 7 months since she had been

"AH-ARGH-ARRRGGGGHHH-", Violet began screaming from the pain, her voice coarse; this being the first time in weeks having to let out her voice.

But, as she screamed she felt her voice box rip. It was very painful, but she couldn't help but scream.

Reynold had never expected this. When the needle was inserted into his wife's nape, nothing had occurred, but as everyone thought Elin's accounts were an exaggeration; his wife started to convulse with pain. Blood began gushing out of her nose, ears, and mouths. She gripped Reynolds arms so hard, that she began bleeding, as one of her fingernail was slightly ripped off from her finger.

Reynold felt weak, the weakest he had ever felt. He felt weak when his wife was infected with this god forsaken disease, he felt weak when he had to ask for help from Francis to get to the capital, he felt weak when he had to ask for potions, he felt weak when he had to ask for money for the guild request, he felt weak as he saw his wife slowly be consumed by this disease, unable to do anything; but still he felt weaker.

"Mr. Rey-"

"REYNOLD HOLD HER! FOCUS"

Reynold suddenly woke up; it seemed the sleep deprivation had almost got to him, as he held his wife's hand with more strength.

Violet in pain, started to convulse even harder.

Reynold couldn't help to look at the pain his wife had been suffering. He held his wife tighter, so that she couldn't move, move and hurt herself even more.

This continued for about 25 minutes, where it seemed Miss Violet's body was tiring itself out, after all there is only so much pain the human mind can take at once before going unconscious; but as if a bad joke by the devil, through the use of this cure, the patient could not be unconscious, or under anesthesia, as the being unconscious could hinder the medicine, and the treatment might not be fully completed as the thalloid nexus could remain functional.

But, the cure itself was designed to make sure the patient could not go unconscious by slowly, by delivering a small irregular points on pain throughout their bodies. The reason being an unexpected, and unique reaction between the mistletoe branch and the neutralized poison, which produced another alchemical ingredient inside the branch itself, which 'awoke' the mistletoe's natural immune system which irregularly reacted with the poison to create shocks of pain.

After the thirty minute mark, aside from Miss Violet's body occasionally flinching from the pain of the mistletoe's immune system, she seemed stable. Elin took out the yellowish-golden potion from his waist and fed it to Miss Violet. Her body briefly began to glow a warm golden color, before the glow swiftly disappeared like a lie.

Elmyra let go of Violet's hands, as she fell on Reynolds arms.

"Don't let the needle fall out, it must remain there until the branch becomes completely black", Elin informed as he fell on the ground.

Although he had the least to do, he felt very tired. Now, he had to remain and ensure the medicine was working well. Reynold picked up his wife off the ground, and put her on the ground, her back slightly away from the wall, his hand applying gentle pressure on the needle. He sat on a chair.

Elin stood up from the ground, and got another chair then sat next to Reynold. Elin picked up Violet's hand, and checked up on her heart beat.

Thump! Thump!

Thump!

It was much better than before, she seemed to be stabilizing.

Rosalind, who had been watching from beyond the door, immediately fell to the ground on her knees, crying. Elmyra walked up to her and helped her up, her eyes also moist ready to tear up.

"…thank you…so…much…", Reynold's dry eyes became moist as warm tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I-I…I'm so sorry for all-", he said, his face scrunched from trying to hold his tears.

"It…it is fine, Mr. Reynold…it doesn't matter anymore…", Elin did not look at Reynold.

He only checked up on Violet's condition, counting the beats of her heart, her rhythmic breathing, the momentary pain which forbade her from going unconscious, for he knew; this situation would be too much for him to handle. If he were to 'let himself go', to feel emotions, it wouldn't just end badly for him. So, he looked ahead, taking deep breaths, only focusing on the task at hand.

1 hour passed. Miss Violet's rhythmic processes became regular, her breaths now stabilized, stronger than before. Color seemed to reappear on the tips of her fingers, and legs. Now, each time she flinched, her eyes seem to open up more which she previously couldn't do due to pain.

2 hours passed. The mistletoe needle dried up. Reynold slowly removed the branch stuck about a third of a finger's length into his wife's nape, prompted by Elin. Violet, whose breathing and heartbeat now stabilized was out of danger. Now she only required rest, some medicine, and no contact with 'will' fluctuation of any kind, for about the next two weeks.

As soon as the needle was removed, and the irregular momentary pain was gone, Violet seemed too tired to remain awake as she fell asleep.

Elin stood up, as she did. His job here was done.

"She should be asleep for about 2 days…don't forget everything I have said, rest, medicine, and will; don't forget"

Reynold had been tearing up for the last two hours nodded his head. Rosalind had also entered and sat next to Reynold, after a bit had a notebook on her hands with what Elin had said scribbled on them.

"…thank you…", she said as she watched Elin leave.

As Elin was leaving, Elmyra looked at him. She looked a bit concerned, as she spoke in a very small voice.

"You should also take some rest, you must be tired…"

"Um…thank you, but I still have to complete some quests before I return"

"I-um…yes…please…do so…and thank you…truly", Elmyra stuttered as she spoke unable to contain her happiness, choking from the tears which appearing from her eyes.

***

The battle for Reynold's family was over. It was a tried and true battle where they had come out on top. But, for Elin the day had just begun, he still needed to make it through the quests; where he was positive that those in opposition to the baron's family would try something.

He made his way towards the town hall, many stared at him. Some stared at him as if looking at a soldier going to war; some as if a mouse feeding himself to a tiger; some as if a knight making the way to fight demons; some as if this was just a very exciting situation.

As soon as the doors to the town hall opened, all eyes lay on him. The atmosphere was bloody, about 20 adventurers sitting them, one in particular in the middle of the pack, like the leader. He was probably Kinsen.

He was someone with a big body, who wore leather armor which covered his chest, a black fur coat resting over his body, scars across his face. Long black hair tied behind his head as he hunched over the seat towards the door. He had a huge club resting beside him leaning on the receptionist's desk. He looked at the door, shining silver armor walking into the hall; someone of mediocre height, someone who probably hadn't even passed his adolescence; he looked at the man. The man's face held no emotion, only a straight face with a slight frown to them.

The man was not from this town. He was someone who was presumed to have been hired by Eleanor's extended family, to keep the able bodied people in the town in check. Nobody knew his actual reason, it was only presumed, and even Francis presumed he was a whistle-blower because he arrived at the town when the extended family 'took' control, and was the first one to just focus on easy to complete tasks which only worked due to the additional bonuses the town hall would give, even though he was more than qualified to do other, more dangerous missions. The others followed him, and saw him as a leader due to his stature; and they betrayed the town they had been living in.

Elin looked at the man he realized was Kinsen, and then to his side was someone familiar.

Asher seemed to be worse for wares; he seemed to be wearing some armor. He seemed tired. It seemed he was beaten recently, and he was hiding the injury through armor.

Elin did not say anything. He looked at Kinsen, then at Asher, and finally all the other showoffs who seemed actively hostile towards him. But, he stood strong; none of them could even hold a second against him in battle. Only this Kinsen could give him a bit of trouble.

Thud!

Elin walked inside, the doors of the hall seem to close with a dull sound.

Looking at the missions' board, as if nothing had changed, Elin took 3 quests he found interesting, some of which he had not seen before.

[Troll subjugation], [Death rose gathering], and [Ingredients for provocation mist potion]

All in all, these quests would get Elin 45 silvers (30, 10, 5) upfront and with the bonus, he would get 58 silver and 50 copper.

Elin strode in front of the only receptionist's desk in the hall, where the man named Kinsen sat, like a king walking towards his throne. Elin looked at Kinsen, who intern looked back at him. If the atmosphere could kill, many would be dead; it was thick, and bloody.

"Move.", Elin spoke, his voice cold.

Kinsen did not speak back, instead he complied. He raised his hands, stood up and grabbed his club. Standing up and looking down at Elin, he was more than three heads taller than him. But, he did not insult, not even spoke a word, he only took his club made his way towards the missions board, where he tore off one random mission.

Elin put his 3 missions on the desk, when the beautiful receptionist quickly did her task, anxiousness written all over her face. She signed the tasks and handed them back to Elin.

SLAM!

The big burly arm slammed a mission on the desk.

"Eep!", the receptionist made a small sound, showing her terror at the current situation.

Elin looked at the mission.

[Long footed rabbit hunting]

.

.

.

"This will be interesting."