Beneath the Dragoneye Moons

True to the prediction of Julius and Markus, the Cholera bombshell, the revelation of what the disease was and how to fight it, completely derailed the rest of the meeting. Some couriers were brought in and dispatched, and suddenly everyone was interested in seeing what was going on, in being part of the action.

I’d lit the spark, carefully fanned the flames, and now I could sit back, and enjoy the roaring fire of action it’d become. Something like this was far larger than any one person could do on her own, but I did my part. I’d worked together with a team, we’d figured it out, then brought it to everyone’s attention. They had better tools than we did to actually fix, and solve the problem, and now that they knew what it was? It’d be easy.

Relatively speaking.

Kallisto, interestingly enough, had a good suggestion.

“Boil or Beer.” Was the slogan he came up with, to tell people how to safely get liquids. Boil your water, or drink beer, and I suspected there’d be no more beer in town by the end of the week.

I eyed Kallisto. Did he just inadvertently plant the seeds for another riot? The limited food coming into town wasn’t helping at all, although maybe if this plague calmed down the 3rd would relax, and normal trade would resume.

“Might not work.” Caecilius said sagely. “I tried something similar with sacks on heads, to stop the spread. Problem was, people didn’t distinguish between the two plagues, and people didn’t wear them right. When people, who thought they were doing things right, still got sick, it undermined the entire attempt. It was soon after the failure of the mass-heal event, and our credibility took an even steeper nosedive.”

Ouch.

“Let’s get out of here.” Artemis said to me, Origen beside her.

“There’s basically nothing we’ll be able to do at this point, might as well get back to healing people.” She said.

I looked around, pleased as punch with what I’d done. I’d half-hoped that between my demonstrated knowledge, and Markus’s apprentices learning from me that I’d be able to give a lecture on medicine, but it seemed like fate was conspiring against me once again. There was always next week.

Plus, I was regenerating mana into a full mana pool. That wasn’t helping people, not directly.

“Alright, let’s go.” I said.

The three of us worked our way through the temple, until I got to my work room, Origen off to gather more patients.

I didn’t have the map – it was still being stared over by, well, everyone, but I’d get it back soon enough.

We settled in for more healing, and a more or less normal day.

[*Ding!* Congratulations! [Constellation of the Healer] has leveled up to level 161! +10 Free Stats, +15 Mana, +15 Mana Regen, +15 Magic power, +15 Magic Control from your Class! +1 Free Stat for being Human! +1 Mana, +1 Mana Regen from your Element!]

[*Ding!* Congratulations! [Celestial Affinity] has reached level 161!]

[*Ding!* Congratulations! [Phases of the Moon] has reached level 152!]

[*Ding!* Congratulations! [Phases of the Moon] has reached level 153!]

[*Ding!* Congratulations! [Medicine] has reached level 152!]

[*Ding!* Congratulations! [Warmth of the Sun] has reached level 126!]

[*Ding!* Congratulations! [Oath of Elaine to Lyra] has reached level 137!]

I expected the day to be different somehow. For there to be music in the air, birds bursting into song. We’d figured out one of the plagues!

Well, there was music in the air, but that was Glacia’s doing.

The day wrapped up, and once again I was practically dragged out of my workroom, back to the Argo, where we locked up for the night, glowing inscriptions bolstering our defenses.

Useful things, inscriptions.

I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and happy. Another day to heal! From the sound of it, the outhouse had some broken pipes, so instead of dumping waste into the sewers, it had been dumping waste into the river. Which had been feeding the cycle.

A pair of wells were also identified, the map returned to me – apparently there’d been a bit of arguing over that, with Caecilius wanting to take control of it, but Julius had put his foot down - and we had a new color marker for “new” Cholera cases, to see if any more sources were identified, we could try to cut those off. There was a strong optimistic air.

“Morning sleepyhead.” Artemis said cheerfully, hands behind her back.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

“You’re far too cheerful and nice this morning.” I said. “What are you plotting?” I pointed my finger at her accusingly.

Artemis took one hand out from behind her back, placing it on her chest, looking all offended.

“Me? Plotting? I’d never.” Artemis said.

The fact that she was still hiding stuff behind her back made me seriously doubt her.

I looked around. The other Rangers were stifling giggles. Some coins changed hands.

“I feel like I’m being pranked, but I have no idea what’s going on.”

Everyone suddenly stared intently behind me, where Julius was. I whirled around, only to see his last finger curl down, the end of a countdown.

“Happy Birthday Elaine!” They all called out.

“Oh.” I said, pulling up my status.


[Name: Elaine]

[Race: Human]

[Age: 15]