LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 37 “Beginning with the first mission. Part 2”
Chapter 37
“Beginning with the first mission. Part 2”
A spacious room in pale blue tones greeted them. In the middle of it an elegant bed that would fit three people comfortably, which was occupied by a six-year-old girl, who was sleeping peacefully on the white sheets.
“Is this your room or your daughter’s?”
“It is mine,” answered Artemis, and Kalysto immediately frowned, not liking what she saw.
“From now on, and until I manage to cure you completely, it is better that your daughter is not in contact with you. And that you are quarantined in your room,” Artemis was about to argue, but Kalysto cut her off. “You will be isolated for the sake of the others. Now, would one of you be so kind as to wake the child?”
“Galatea,” commanded Artemis, and immediately the guard did as she was ordered, approaching the little girl and shaking her shoulder until a pair of pretty pink eyes opened.
“Mommy?” murmured the little girl, drowsily.
“Hi, I’m Kalysto,” the former waitress interjected, stepping in front of her before the little girl ran into her mother’s arms. What’s your name?
“... “ The girl looked sideways at her mother before answering. "My name is Medea."
“Nice to meet you, Medea,” she smiled at her, trying to gain her trust. “Now I need you to do me a favor. As you probably know, your mommy is quite ill, isn’t she?” The girl nodded her head.
“Can you cure her?” she questioned, full of anxiety. Before falling asleep waiting for her mother’s arrival, Medea had overheard her mother talking to her grandmother about the coming of a heroine who would come to cure them all. But at some point, while waiting for the return of her mother, who had earned the honor of welcoming the champion of her people, Medea had fallen fast asleep. Although she would have liked to have been there to welcome her to the kingdom.
“Well," she answered with a calmness that filled the little girl’s heart with tranquility, “it will take me some time and I will need to do some studies. But to start doing it I’m going to need your help. Do you think you could help me, Medea?” The girl immediately cheered up, nodding her head and getting up immediately from the bed.
“Of course, lady champion, it will be an honor for me to help you save my people!” Kalysto found the way she addressed her very curious.
“You can call me by my name, and I will do the same for you. Is that all right with you, Medea?” The little girl, with a white complexion and the same shade of hair as her mother, nodded her head full of energy. “Tell me, is there any place on your body where you feel some kind of discomfort? It could be pain, itchiness or any other kind of discomfort ?” seeing that the little girl lowered her head and remained silent, Kalysto continued, “Have you noticed any purple or black spot on your skin in the last few days?”
“...I...ah...well...” Medea clasped her hands together uneasily in front of the long white pajamas she was wearing.
“It’s okay, Medea. No one’s going to be mad at you for that,” she assured her, “But I need to check a few things,” the girl almost looked as if she had been scolded despite the sweet tone Kalysto was using with her. And Artemis, seeing her daughter’s reluctance to respond, knew something was wrong and immediately felt guilty.
A thunderous sob escaped her lips, which caught the attention of Medea, who became alarmed and ran to her mother. Galatea and Kalysto immediately interrupted her.
“Mommy? Mommy, are you all right? What happened? Are you in pain?” she asked in despair, her own eyes filling with tears.
“It’s okay, sweetie. Please answer Kalysto’s questions. It’s important,” the girl nodded and turned her back on her mother to face Kalysto.
“I...” she started, but then bit her lip.
“Okay, Medea, can you tell me where it hurts?”
“In the back,” she whispered in a voice so soft that Kalysto could barely hear her.
“Can you show me?” Medea nodded and lifted up the long dress she wore as pajamas. Above the hem of her underwear, the three women could see the black stain extending from her lower back, down her left shoulder, and across part of her hip.
Artemis’ sobs became even louder, flooding the room.
“Don’t worry Medea, I can fix it. But it will take me some time and I need you to stand up, okay?” The girl nodded her head.
“Is it...is it going to hurt?” she asked fearfully. Her big pink eyes looked like those of a wounded puppy in desperate need of comfort.
“Of course not," Kalysto smiled tenderly at her. “But you must be as still as possible. Can you do that for me, Medea?” she added, the tone of her voice full of playful complicity, immediately gaining the trust of the girl who nodded her head, and for the next hour, Kalysto checked and healed the little girl’s body.
Then she spent the next half hour purifying Medea’s room. And as soon as she finished, she closed the notification windows that had been opened.
[The skill Purification has leveled up!].
[Jhil skill has leveled up!]
[The Dispel skill has leveled up!]
[The Purification skill has leveled up!]
Kalysto then took a break while she took a long drink of a revitalizing potion and checked the time on her cell phone. It was 3:45 in the morning.
It’s so early and I have a long day ahead of me. She wished she could have consoled herself with something, but this was what she had traded her life for, so it was best to move forward with what she could do for now, taking advantage of the fact that her supposed stay in prison would last a whole week.
Still, it is better to be cautious and return early, in case something happens.
As soon as she and Galatea were sure that all was well with Medea, they laid her down on her own bed.
“But I am not sleepy,” reproached the little girl.
“Even so, it is time for the young lady to go to sleep,” insisted Galatea.
“ But I want to see my mother,” she pouted.
“ Tomorrow you will be able to talk to her, but you will not be able to see her, nor touch her until I finish her treatment, or you will get infected again and that will make her very sad? Or do you want her to be sad again?” Kalysto asked the last question, pretending to be surprised.
Medea immediately shook her head.
“Then [Sleep well],” she whispered, activating her ability and forcing the little girl to fall asleep. Then she turned and looked at Galatea, who looked at her with suspicion. “It is likely that she will sleep more than usual tomorrow. Let her be, her body needs rest. But make sure she eats well and drinks plenty of water. We still don’t know how much wear and tear or damage the illness may have done to her body.”
Galatea nodded, and they both left Medea’s room, and headed for Artemis’ room, which was next door. But they both stood outside the door frame, away from Artemis.
“I will try to level up my skills a bit before I return to you. For now, you must remain in quarantine as we had discussed." This time Artemis didn’t even refute her, she simply nodded her head, thick tears still running down her cheeks.
“Thank you!... Thank you so much for saving my little girl!” And despite the unpleasant situation they were in, Kalysto felt good to feel so useful.
Maybe, this is what I was born to do. She thought to herself.
“I need you to grant me authority over Galatea. I’m going to need her help in organizing the other sick people.”
“Of course,” she assured her. And she looked at Galatea. "Give her what she needs and help her in any way that you can.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“In that case," Kalysto turned to Galatea. "I need you to prepare three rooms. In one I want you to keep all the more serious cases, in another all the newly infected, or the less serious cases, any sick that don’t fit into these two categories will go into the other room. Understood?”
Galatea nodded her head.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And please avoid direct contact with infected people, especially with the areas where the plague can be seen. They could be contagious. Get me enough handkerchiefs and gloves for the people who are going to deal with the sick, and give them to me first. After purifying them, you can use them as a preventive measure. If you can get a dressmaker who can make me a number of face masks, that would be very useful right away.”
“Face masks?” Galatea asked in confusion.
“It’s similar to a handkerchief, but it’s used to cover the mouth and nose to keep the airways from getting infected. It may be a bit of a nuisance to use at first, but it will be very useful. If you’ll allow me pencil and paper, I’ll draw you a picture.”
“Of course. If you will follow me, I will be able to give you what you have asked for.”
“Thank you” and before leaving, she turned to Artemis. “Have a good rest.”
“Likewise, champion of the fairies,” she said. Rejoicing for the first time, while surprise still flooded her once skeptical heart, that the young woman before her had been well chosen.
And she was relieved.
At the same time, in the forest of Los lamentos.
“ There is danger in these woods, but also a great opportunity for us. We must proceed with caution," commented Ereshkigal as he finished bandaging Gal’oth’s shoulder, which had been bitten by a giant venomous snake species that neither of them had ever seen before. The remains of which now rested embedded in thin branches around the campfire they had set up in their makeshift camp. ”Drink," he added, handing her a vial of potion, “this will help remove the remnants of the poison in your body,” he assured him.
Gal’oth did not even doubt his words and immediately brought the vial to his lips. Drinking the entire contents.
“You shouldn’t have done that, boy. You should never be so trusting,” he whispered, the shadows of the night dulling his old face illuminated by the fire, giving it a slightly terrifying air, but surrounded by mystery.