Chapter 42: To live with the guilt
Evander:
We make it back to Toyuomi with Otto in the wagon. The old man does snark at me, from time to time, but I don't mind. I deserve this, for being this stupid. Now, that I have someone tell me that I had no right to stray from the healing arts, I see the truth in these words.
With a renewed gusto, I throw myself into the work in the clinic. The only thing I regret, not as much as pissing off the Dread, but quite a lot, is that Ren and I missed Sabien's first Yule celebration.
The baby is happy as can be, and seems to be growing ok. As soon as Otto sees the boy, he takes in a deep breath.
"This is a necromancer," the old man says. I shake my head.
"Sabien grew in the womb of an infected woman, but surely, that doesn't make him a necromancer?" Not that I know much about what makes a necromancer different, apart from their mana.
"Which turned him into a necromancer. With such a core, as his, he can deal a lot of damage," Otto says. "You should cut off his core from the rest of him. Just as you did with me."
I suck in a breath. The last thing I want, is to cripple my son.
"Out of the question," Ren says, as he goes to the crib, and takes the baby out. "Sabien is not getting crippled."
It seems, we are thinking something along the same lines.
"Is there no other way, to make sure that he will be fine?" I ask Otto.
"If even I couldn't control myself, then what chance does a baby have?" The old necromancer looks sad, as he looks at Sabien. Ren has the baby pressed to his chest, and hugging him like a plush toy. Sabien's blue eyes are practically twinkling at the contact.
"We can get a rune to do the job," Ren says. "There are runesmiths in the adventurer's guild."
"The dead people in the baby's future are on you," Otto says, and then sighs. "I know you don't want to deprive your child from his power, but think: without control, what is power worth?"
In the end, we decide to disagree, and carry Sabien to the adventurer's guild. He looks at every direction he can. The snow falls even now, and his knitted hat is almost white with snowflakes. Sabien pokes out his tongue, and does his best to catch a snowflake. Ren chuckles at his antics.
When we make it to the guild house, the warmth that comes from inside is a pleasant change. We make a beeline for the item shop. If there is one rune that can serve our purposes, then it can be found either here, or it can be custom-made.
"Oh, you are back," the clerk greets us. "And why is junior in here?"
"We are looking for a rune, which can keep the Dread from his mind," I say. She looks first at me, then at Sabien.
"Is the child a necromancer? You know, if you don't enroll him in classes for self-control, he might cause an outbreak," I don't want to even entertain the notion. As far as I am concerned, Sabien will never cost people their lives.
"We will keep it in mind," Ren says. Then, he gives the woman a dazzling smile. "Can you search for what we need?"
"No, since we don't sell mind-altering runes in here. Don't try to find them with the runesmiths, either. The Guild Master has forbidden such wares from being sold," I look at Sabien, who is now sucking on his thumb.
He is the very picture of a cherub. I don't want for him to ever be taken over by the Dread.
"Surely, you know where we can find someone willing to sell?" I ask. She wavers for a bit, but then takes out a map.
"There is this runesmith, a pride demon. Real piece of work. His prices are the stuff of legends, and not in a good way. Yet, if there is anyone who can make sure your baby has full control of himself, and that without any pain, then it is him," she hands us the map. I can see, that this is not in the Kojimikian Theocracy. Rather, in Nayo. No other place but the capital, Kodaina. Right in the midst of the tropical rainforest. "I don't advise for you to leave the baby in here. From what I heard, Harry needs some blood from the person who the rune is for, to make it."
"Thank you for your help," I tell her. She smiles, and then points at a baby carrier.
"You might want to buy a couple of things, before you move out. No wagon can move through the rainforest. There are no roads, or so I have heard," she begins to pile things on the counter. I can see a bottomless bag, that has the sticker with the writing: Healer supplies, good for a month.
"Wait? You can sell medicine in here?" I ask her. If I have only known that, I wouldn't have been negotiating with the officials.
"Nothing to the quality that a healer in the employ of a clinic gets, but it can still save lives. I know you have an almost unlimited supply of Goron root, but there are some poultices and potions, that might help you out, in case you get a bump in the road. With the Dread being back, there is no telling what will happen to you, en route," I nod, and then let her ring all the purchases. It all totals to 100 gold coins. Something that I have, from all the bounties I cashed in.
When we leave the guild, Ren takes a hold of my hand.
"Cheer up, people in Nayo aren't so backwards as those in here. At least, you won't be called a sodomite," Ren tells me with a boyish grin. I sigh, and give his hand a light squeeze.
"Yeah. I just hope Sabien doesn't catch a cold. He is so tiny," I say, and let Ren lead me back to the inn. When we go back to our room, Otto is reading. The old man really likes the child. I just hope we can convince him to come with us. If there is a rune which can keep the Dread out, then he needs to have it, as well.
