Idea One

Prologue

The prison always needed a Shield, and for the two hundred and twenty three years it stood, it always had one… until now. Over the last year the arrangements had been made, the training undergone, and the examinations completed, but none of this mattered with the lifeless body that adorned the chipped wooden floor of the modest cottage. The red orange flames licking upwards in the fire pit cast dancing shadows on the man’s body as the Official Prison Representative, Cayste Ramsin, bent down for a closer inspection.

The dead didn’t faze him, at that thought he caught himself in a tangent trying to remember just when he had crossed that line, the line that meant you had seen so much death in your life that it was just part of it now. He shook the thought to the back of his head for later pondering as he observed the dead Shield at his feet. Getting a closer look at the weather beaten face of the older man, the representative’s heart seemed to drop in his chest. A dead Shield one week until term commencement wasn’t even the biggest part of his problem. He desperately wished it was, no, the problem was pronounced in the veins of the man’s face and body and how instead of the regular blue hue, it was pitch black.

“The Sickness” he whispered, frightened and astonished.

Due to his long career and repertoire of experiences, Ramsin knew better than to utter impossible at the scene in front of him, but this was something that he had never come up against. He rushed out on quick heals and not realizing he had been holding his breath, inhaled deeply once he was outside. The sun had fully set now and the night was chasing away twilight fast. Gesturing to the two Guards that rode with him, Roban and Croalt, he instructed them to burn down the cottage. Roban, a short stocky fellow with a rounded face and apple red cheeks, made a move to question the representative who waved him off before he could form words.

“You’ll be glad of it. It’s for all of our sakes.” And with that he walked away toward his horse.

The uneasy tone in the representative’s voice had the two Guards on edge. Ramsin was a military veteran, one of the most feared Generals in the King’s army, and if he was on edge, then something was terribly wrong. Despite the fact they were going to burn the place, the Guards were hesitant to approach it, thinking some evil might attack them before they could set their torches to the wood. They quickly got the task over and done with, and the light from the blaze lit their way as they walked back to where the representative was now balancing a flat stone layered with paper on his knee, writing with a quick steady hand. The men thought he had composed himself from the grim scene in the cottage, but noticed he still had a restless look in his eyes as he handed one of them a letter addressed to the King’s first General, Rokal Grimst.

“Take this to the palace.” Ramsin instructed.

“But then where are you off to sir?” Croalt asked. Aware that he was questioning a higher ranking officer, Croalt figured he would rather know how to answer his boss at the prison than worry about offending Ramsin.

Ramsin took a second to look at the Guard, but understanding where the question was coming from, and just who Croalt worked for he answered “In a week, the most dangerous prison in our land is about to be unprotected for the first time in the history of its existence, the inhabitants of which will walk freely out of it unchallenged putting everyone in the country at risk. I’m going to find the next unlucky soul who has to serve as our Shield.”

Chapter 1

The boy was going to die. His mass of curly chestnut brown hair was slick with sweat and stuck flush against his forehead. With the effort it took him to breathe, his cheeks should have been bright red, but instead they were the pale white of one who would soon be making the trip across life and death. I was supposed to be just walking by, on my way to see a recovering patient of mine when I witnessed all of this happening.

Poor Jay was doing his best with the boy, but it was of no use. I walked in closing the curtains behind me and set to work. Jay knew me well and almost seemed relieved to back off for a bit. Upon laying my hand on the boy’s arm, still chubby with remaining baby fat, I could tell his time wasn’t far off and so I began the process. I began utilizing the healing gift I was born with.

Initially people would say I was lucky, but the gift commands a great deal. To outsiders, I would look like a sorceress, magically taking away the maladies that ailed people, but to me it was all a struggle of focus and meticulous work. The boy was breathing easier, but I wasn’t. As per the routine, I heal someone, and then I sit down and take a few minutes to myself. The focus and hard work I could handle, and most of the time I welcomed it, but the after affects was another thing itself. Given my limited training, I was only able to heal someone if I transferred the pain and injury to myself. As I saw the bright blue eyes of the boy staring curiously at me, his nose crinkled in confusion, I didn’t mind the pain so much. Jay gave him a final overlook, appearing satisfied with the boy’s health he lifted his head and winked at me before going to get the boy’s mother.

I was sitting in the study we had at the hospital, reading a volume about chronic diseases on the cellular level when Jay walked in from his shift. We were at that point of friendship where he just simply sat beside me and began talking knowing I would eventually look up from my book. Marking the page, I met his eyes as he began lecturing me about using my gift. This occurred every time I would use it, and as unwelcoming as a lecture sounds, I was eternally grateful for it. With each talking to just as scolding as the rest, deep down it meant that he was looking out for me, and with a childhood full of up and suddenly leaving places, I was thankful. I had moved from village to village all over Malinak growing up, so friends were difficult to keep.

“…the boy’s case, fine, I understand and it was just us, but how about Miss Traynor’s case last week, or Mr. Lawrice’s the week before? Tora! You’re going to be packed up and shipped off to the Malgrade’s Institution before we know it! And never mind my take on it; wait until you have to deal with Rayva’s temper if you ever leave. I actually may pity you Tora, a trip to Malgrade’s regarding your gift may be better than facing her.” Jay leaned in and lowered his voice at that last bit.

“Well if you’re so terrified of her temper, then how are you dating the woman?” I teased, knowing full well that he was hopelessly in love with Rayva. I couldn’t blame him though, I loved the girl myself, she was my best and oldest friend. I always laughed when I saw them together; Rayva was gorgeous and confident with her ebony skin and long flowing onyx black hair, while Jay was shy and quiet with pale skin and blond hair with red undertones. I laugh, but I have never known a better couple.

Rayva constantly had a look on her face that said she was ready at any moment to prove you wrong about something, and with her unworldly intelligence she probably could. This is how we knew straight away that Jay was a good guy, because when she corrected him, a senior resident at the hospital, without even a blink of her eye, he simply replied that she should stay on at the hospital so as to correct him more. It was one of the first times Rayva’s advanced knowledge wasn’t met with a dirty look, a smug sexist remark, or an annoyed condescending tone that implied she should let the “professionals” know what’s best, and so we welcomed Jay in our group because he welcomed us. Unfortunately, not all doctors at the hospital felt this way. Due to our younger age, and gender, Rayva and I had to work hard for respect at the hospital, but we eventually got it. Not that we cared, we didn’t pay too much attention to what the other residents and doctors thought, there was no time between our studies and work, also Rayva already knew she was well above them anyways.

“Ah, my Rayva, it’s the charming way she constantly reminds me she’s better than me at almost everything.” He crooned sarcastically, just as Rayva was walking up to the table.

“What are you two conversing about over here?” Rayva’s unwavering voice rushed across the table at us.

“Oh, just us dating”

“Ah yes, you’re welcome by the way” she flipped her hair and gave Jay a look as if to say you’re amazingly lucky.

I giggled internally, because I know on the inside she felt like she was the one who had lucked out in the relationship.

“Now what were you really talking about?” her eyebrow rose and her lips pursed as I slumped my shoulders back into my chair and Jay opened his mouth.

“Our friend wants a one way ticket to Malgrade’s”

Rayva’s eyes were instantly aflame with frustration and worry. She was quite a sight to behold when she was preparing to launch a full verbal assault on you. I bet she could even scare the King breathless.

“One day you’re going to walk outside the hospital and be half run over by the King’s army carriage, hauled off to the institution for Gods know how long for questioning and experimentation!” on that last thought I winced, a brief childhood memory of a metal slab with straps, and a scalpel being held much too close to my skin. I willed the image away like I always did, down into the familiar dark forest of memories in my mind where I dared not adventure. Not yet at least.

“So I am to intentionally let people die then?” I retorted. Not angrily, for this was a discussion that was held many times, and it was difficult to argue when if the tables were turned, I would feel the same fierce protectiveness over Rayva.

“So we’re supposed to just stand back and watch you get dragged off to Malgrade’s?” Rayva countered, her jaw tightening and lovely dark brown eyes narrowed. It was a never ending stalemate.

“I’m so careful about it though –”

“It’s typically when one assumes their being their most careful that one gets caught” Rayva interrupted.

I hated always being stuck in this middle ground. I truly loved my friends, but I see the fading look in someone’s eyes and the memory of a familiar pair of fading eyes hits me followed by an overwhelming sense of guilt. No, I can’t just let the patients die. I can understand Rayva’s point though which makes things all the more difficult and we hadn’t even begun talking about my burning out.

It had only happened once so far, where there was an extremely difficult case. This woman was dying of an illness that had rapidly spread through her body, so rapid it almost seemed unreal, like she was wasting away before our eyes. The other doctors had no idea of what to do, this illness hadn’t been seen before and even Rayva was coming up short. While the other professionals were conferring in the study, I snuck up to the woman’s rooms. As soon as I entered there was this strange aura hanging about the bed, like a curtain of certain death. It almost gave the room a feeling if that’s possible, like it was saying to any who entered, you cannot help, she is gone. Well, I liked battling the odds, so I approached her and laid my hand on her arm.

The shock was instant. This indeed was nothing I had encountered before, the way the sickness attacked her cells was unnatural. Usually something like this had an entry point, somewhere in the body where it all started and spread, but not this, this just consumed the woman. Thinking back on my studies and experience from past patients, I began with the heart. If I could get her heart pumping normally again, oxygen and blood circulation would improve making my job easier. I began to stretch my power toward her heart and was instantly shut down, like the illness was a sentient being and had formed defenses pending my attack. Sweat ran into my eyes before I could wipe it away. Sweat was a bad sign; usually it hit me after an hour of work, but a few seconds? I looked at the woman’s eyes and laid my hand on her again. This time I had prepared myself for the shock and resistance. I stretched toward her heart more aggressively and had made some progress as my heart began to constrict with slight pain and the woman took an easier breath. But that would be the end of my success, as black dots invaded my vision and pain shot up my arm. I don’t remember hitting the ground. Rayva claimed I was convulsing when she found me. The verbal lashing I got from her the following week had been one for the ages.

The opening of the study door put a halt to our conversation and my reverie. It was Therolt calling us up for the meeting. His eyes rolled as he said,

“Time to discuss Dr. Srivars treatment plan.” He gave us a sympathetic look and turned away.

We all looked up to the ceiling as if some merciful God would rescue us from the conceited, bigoted, condescending Dr. Srivars.

We were not picked up from our study chairs in some divine miracle and placed somewhere lovely. Instead we found ourselves sitting on one side of the head doctor’s office, looking into the beady obsidian eyes of Dr. Srivars who sat on the other side. He wasn’t the head doctor-thank Gods- but he had the higher seniority and wouldn’t let you forget it. Poor Rayva had to constantly restrain herself in his presence to the point that her nails punctured the skin in her palm. The meeting hadn’t even begun yet and I already felt like I was going to have to help Rayva with her bleeding hands tonight.

Hands clasped behind him, back straight, and chin tilted up in his false air of superiority, Dr. Srivars walked across the room to the case studies pinned to the wall. The papers fluttered from the breeze coming from the open window. Most of the windows in the hospital had to be opened. It was in the thick of summer now; even putting my untamed brown hair up in a ponytail didn’t help matters. I turned my attention from the stray strands of hair sticking to my neck to Srivars who turned to the three of us.

“While you were away on your rotation in the outer regions of the country for the last month, we experienced an aggressive sickness that was difficult to track, and even more difficult to cure. The first few victims died, but I was able to quell the symptoms,” His voice didn’t waver as he informed us of the victim’s deaths, but picked up into a slurry of self-righteousness as he went on how he alone was able to treat the symptoms, Rayva game me a look then that said a junior resident most likely did the research,

“I can now slow down the virus’s progress and eventually stabilize the other patients. The remedies provided by Dr. Therolt can cure the patients but with hindering side effects. Now I cannot speak for our comrades, but I for one would like to actually be of use to our patients. You lot may be satisfied with Dr. Therolt’s version of “treatment”, but I will strive for more” Again with the ‘I and My” as if there weren’t other doctors in this establishment that weren’t working their fingers to the bone.

My loathing for Srivars may seem unwarranted to others, but Rayva and I learned quickly that he was the slimiest of weasels. After completing our research on a fever that had struck in our first year of residency, Srivars not only dismissed our work by blatantly suggesting we should look elsewhere for careers that would better suit our gender, but used our research to treat the patients, and gain the superiority in the hospital that he had now. Up to that point I thought the term, “my blood was boiling” was only metaphorical. My hands still clench at the memory, as they are clenched now so I took a deep breath and focused on the case studies on the side wall.

“What side effects are the patients displaying?” Jay asked.

*change“Muscle fatigue, general malaise, and in some cases headaches.” Dr. Srivars spat out as if it was personally all Therolt’s fault for this, never mind Therolt being the one who actually found a cure, which now come to think of it was probably why Srivars kept hacking at the side effects. If this were his cure, he would make it seem like a gift from the God’s.

“Well, those are not classified as ‘hindering’ side effects, besides better off with brief muscle fatigue then death.” Rayva said pointedly, not without a little venom in her voice. Seeing the oncoming storm, I took up my mantle as buffer.

“Well, while it was brilliant that Dr. Therolt could concoct a cure so rapidly, and it seems to be working with some side effects, if there is a way to provide treatment with even more limited side effects, then that would be the best course of action. Has there been any progress with that area Dr. Srivars?” I learned the best way to face a foe is with absolute reasonableness, which in turn makes them extremely irritated. To my delight, Srivars’ jaw clicked right than left as he slightly clenched his teeth together. He likes confrontations, more so proving others wrong, and so hates it when someone is being diplomatic.

“Well the researchers in Sternost have previously seen similar cases, and they have a remedy that not only treats the virus and cures the patients, but has become a basis for other treatments. My connections in the country report it as some sort of medical breakthrough.” He annunciates ‘my connections’ as if he were the creator of interprofesionallism, as if he alone had the intelligence to network with other doctors, and the rest of the medical profession just followed in his wake. I scold myself for picking at everything he says, it’s just difficult to stay on task when the person speaking makes you want to pitch your head in the ground at the sound of their high and mighty tone.

“Would we have access to these reports from Sternost? From my knowledge their borders have recently become difficult to cross. Sensitive medical documents such as this would take time to be reviewed before being allowed in Malinak I would think. And Dr. Therolt’s treatment may need to remain while we review the information from Sternost and complete our own tests on the substance.” There, even more reasonableness, I’m on a roll!

“The borders are difficult,” Srivars conceded, “but my connections can get us the list of ingredients required, and the directions of use. We could have it ready for distribution within the month.” Srivars finished pointing his chin in the direction of the head doctor, Dr. Benest who had been contemplating silently in the background. He was a fair man, which made him an excellent boss, but also meant that he took everyone into account, including Dr. Srivars. The flaw in this plan was obvious, and I could see Rayva practically bursting with contradiction from the corner of my eye, but we sat silently while Benest weighed his words.

“In previous years multiple new viruses and diseases have plagued our poor people with no warning or trace. This universal remedy is an advantage we sorely need. We could fight these rapid outbreaks with a fast acting medicine. We wouldn’t be caught off guard nearly as much as we have been, especially in the last few years. But even as I am saying this your faces fill with doubt, especially you Rayva. Dear woman, you look as if you’re about to combust, do share what you want to –”

“We cannot assume that this remedy that just so happened to fall into our laps will fix everything without consequences or limitations!” she took a breath and steadied herself for a calmer approach. “Even if it did cure an illness or disease, we do not understand the process of the medication, the way it works, why it works, possible long term effects, possible contraindications, compatibility with other medications or conditions and the list goes on. There are just too many things that we don’t know about. I want to help as much as the next doctor, but if it’s with this new medication, I want the information before administering it in to people. In regards to this new sickness, I believe it’s better to have the patient’s cured with side effects than treating them with something that we barely know of.” She finished with a huff as if she had momentarily run out of fire, but knowing her, the embers would burn into flame again shortly.

I attempted not to look absolutely gleeful as the vein on Dr.Srivars’ head began to pulse with fury. I mulled over his proposition with distaste, not in hatred, but as a doctor who is responsible to the people. I myself have seen what happens when one forgoes the consequences to further themselves. It seldom ends well.

“Dr. Benest, as good as Rayva’s intentions are you cannot deny the intelligence of my plan. I simply want the best for the people,” by best he means best pay grade, “ and Rayva being a junior member of our medical staff can’t possibly sway your position on this matter. This medication has been working in Sternost splendidly, I simply would like to take advantage of this success in benefit for our people. Really this meeting is more of an update for these three, not a discussion.” He finished with a snap.

A mere few seconds before Rayva was to open her mouth to declare war; Dr. Benest thankfully opened his mouth.

“It’s been my experience Dr. Srivars that the experiences of many are more valuable than the opinions of a few, no matter how intelligent those opinions may be. The medication is being utilized in Sternost you say, but has the results been able to be duplicated? You cannot deny that Rayva has a valid point. I truly wish to help our people with this onslaught of sickness, but I would rather be confident in the treatment we give them rather than regret our ignorance to this new medicine we would be preaching about. With that I have decided to give this treatment a chance giving the correct testing be completed first. The current procedure shall stay in place until further information is gleaned from our research. Thank you all for your input, you are dismissed.”

The fakest of complacent smiles painted itself on Srivars’ face as he tilted his head at Benest and turned toward the door. He was gracious enough to spare Rayva and me an unkind snarl as he exited. We soon followed his path outside the office and down the stairs to the main entryway. I spotted the doctor who would be relieving me from my shift. I hadn’t realized it was that time already; time did seem to shoot past while worrying about the lives of other people as compared to your own. The fatigue hit me and I began to be happy to leave, but realized that Rayva and Jay still had five hours to go. I turned to them to speak but Rayva was in the midst of cutting me off.

“Go, you look as if you need three days of rest.”

“Oh thanks, always the gentle soul, careful not to tread on anyone’s pride or feelings.” I replied.

“Well I’m not going to say that you look like the beauty of the ball when you appear otherwise, and throw your vanity away already, it doesn’t do you any favors! Go get some sleep woman!” she gave me a gentle shove towards the door.

“Better do what she says or else she may just drag you to your house by your hair.” Jay added as if Rayva was contemplating it at the moment. We split up, and as I turned to give them a wave goodbye, I caught them walking toward the stairs smiling at each other while she bumped his side with her hip. I sighed as I watched them, glad that they had one another. Despite Rayva’s aggressive intimidating nature, she was a good woman and so deserved a good man.

I pushed the heavy doors open to the main street bustling with the day’s business. A customer was haggling with a tailor over an expensive piece of silk dress material when a midnight blue carriage shot into my line of view. I launched myself backwards to avoid being bowled over by the massive black stallions that charged toward me. As I collected myself against the walls of the hospital I took notice of the sigil painted on the door of the carriage. If a heart could actually sink into one’s stomach, mine certainly was doing so now. Men baring that same sigil over their chests exited the carriage and made straight for me. Before I knew it my arms were hoisted up as was the rest of my body, and pulled toward the carriage steps. As I was shoved into the darkness inside, I wondered whether I was more frustrated with the King’s men, or at the fact that Rayva once again was completely right.

Chapter 2

I was too deafened by my pounding pulse to notice that the carriage had veered the opposite direction from the palace. Usually what happened to people who showed signs of magical heritage were they were carried off to the palace for questioning on their ancestry, family, occupation, and places where they had lived previously. Depending on what the palace interviewers found, they could be shipped to Malgrade’s for further observation. Experimentation was never mentioned, but just like any other difficult topic, no one spoke about it, but everyone knew it was happening. The other option was if they found you fit their guidelines, you were enlisted in the King’s army to wherever your gifts would best suit the task. Seeing as I was headed in neither direction of the two facilities I should be going to, I began wondering what could possibly be worse than the palace or the institution, because when my heart needs me to calm down my mind is right there formulating every possible horrible idea it could think of.