The Blood Verdict

The Hall of Healers smelled of dried herbs and old death. It was a long, windowless chamber carved from dark stone, its walls lined with shelves of vials, powders, and jars filled with things Agor didn't want to look at too closely.

The last thing he needed right now was something scary to dream about.

The air was thick with the scent of crushed leaves and burnt resin, meant to ward off sickness—but it only made his stomach churn.

Agor quietly sat on a wooden bench, his fingers twitching against his knees. He wasn't alone. Garrick stood nearby, arms crossed, watching the door with the air of a man expecting trouble. Beside him, Kaelis rested a hand on her sword hilt, young as he was he knew she wasn't there to protect him.

Agor shivered at the thought of the sword coming his way.

The only one who looked entirely at ease was Elyria, the town's healer whom they had come to meet and rightly so; she didn't have anything to loose.

The old woman moved with the slow grace of someone who had seen a hundred years and expected to see a hundred more. She was wrapped in layers of deep blue robes, her silver hair twisted into intricate braids. Her face was carved with wrinkles, but her green eyes were sharp, amused even, as they studied Agor like a puzzle she intended to solve.

"You're the one they dragged in with a the scent of those creatures, right?" she said, voice rasping like parchment over stone.

Agor hesitated. "Yes, ma'am."

"And now they want to know if you're still you, if that blood hasn't corrupted you."

Another hesitation. "...Yes, ma'am."- Agor finally spoke.

Something about her tone made him very comfortable and relaxed . Asides Garrick no one had made him feel relaxed since he came to Eaglestone.

Elyria chuckled, shaking her head.

"The way these fools talk, you'd think you were going to grow extra eyes and start eating your own fingers." She reached out, her hands surprisingly warm as she gripped his chin and tilted his face up.

"Let's see what all the fuss is about, then."

She moved quickly, pressing her thumbs against the sides of his throat, feeling his pulse. Then she examined his hands, checking his nails, the softness of his palms. She muttered under her breath as she pried open his mouth, peering at his teeth like he was some kind of livestock.

"Bit pale," she murmured. "Could be blood loss. Could be something else."

Kaelis shifted. "And?"

Elyria gave her a look as if she were a particularly dumn student. "Woman I'm not done yet"

Kaelis opened her mouth, then wisely shut it.

Agor barely had time to brace himself before Elyria reached for a small iron dagger. She flipped it easily between her fingers before pressing the tip against his forearm. "Try not to scream," she advised.

Before he could even react, she dragged the blade across his skin. A thin line of red welled up instantly, bright against his pale flesh.

Garrick tensed. Kaelis' fingers curled tighter around her sword, ready for the unexpected.

The healer ignored them both. She lifted Agor's arm, watching the blood flow. Her gaze flicked from the cut to Agor's face. "Feel that?"

Agor swallowed. "Yes."

"Good. You're not too far gone, then."

She let the blood drip onto a small silver plate, muttering a few words in a language Agor didn't recognize. The liquid shimmered—just for a moment, as if something unnatural stirred beneath its surface. Then it darkened. Thickened. Turned a shade of black so deep it looked like spilled ink.

The room went silent.

Elyria sighed, wiping the dagger on a cloth. "Well, that's unnatural."

Kaelis took a sharp step forward. "What does it mean?"

"It means what you already know," the healer said, turning back to Agor. "The boy's been touched by Enju blood. It's inside him now."

Agor felt his stomach turn to ice.

"But he's not fully changed and he doesn't look like one yet ....." Elyria added, as if that made anything better.

Rhaskhar chose that moment to arrive.

The door slammed open, and the High Commander strode in, armor clanking like an execution bell. His bald head gleamed under the flickering lantern light, and his scarred face was carved into a mask of distaste. He was flanked by two guards in dark red cloaks, their hands resting on the hilts of their weapons.

"Well?" he demanded.

Elyria sighed again, turning with the same slow amusement, as if Rhaskhar were an impatient child demanding his supper. "The boy's blood is tainted, but he's still human. For now."

"Then we kill him."

Agor stiffened.

Kaelis' hand was on her sword before she even seemed to realize it. Garrick shifted ever so slightly, muscles coiling beneath his leather armor.

Elyria only raised an eyebrow. "That would be an awful waste of resources."

"Commander Rhaskhar, please think this through "..she added.

Rhaskhar's lip curled. "The Enju don't leave survivors. If he's alive, it's because they wanted him to be."

"Or because he fought to live," Kaelis chipped in.

Something in her tone suggested she wanted the boy to live.

"Or because he got lucky," Garrick added, voice calm but firm. "Either way, he's still standing. And he hasn't turned to any creature "

Rhaskhar folded his arms. "Not yet."

Elyria wiped her hands on a cloth, entirely unbothered by the tension in the room. "His blood is mixed, not fully transformed. I can monitor him. If the corruption spreads, we'll know soon enough."

"Or we could end it now and save ourselves the trouble," Rhaskhar countered.

Kaelis exhaled through her nose. "The Council will want a say."

Rhaskhar's scowl deepened. "I would have to brief them on this matter, am very well certain that though they may appear concerned about this whole matter , we both know better"

"they would want to turn him into some sort of weapon"- kaelis chipped in.

Elyria, however, only smiled. "Oh, I'd love to see that, truly. Unfortunately, you'll have to find another meal, Commander.

The boy stays alive and is just 10 years old, what harm could be possibly do."

Rhaskhar stepped forward. "He's a danger."

Elyria didn't move, but her voice turned sharp as a blade. "Then let me be the one to judge that."

The silence stretched. The two guards flanking Rhaskhar tensed, as if waiting for an order.

But Garrick was faster. He stepped fully between Agor and Rhaskhar, folding his arms. "You forget yourself, High Commander. You're not king here."

Rhaskhar's hands curled into fists.

The air in the chamber felt heavy, thick with the unspoken weight of everything that could happen next.

Then—abruptly—Rhaskhar turned away, scoffing. "Fine. the boy stays here under your watchful eyes, healer." He threw one last glance at Agor, dark with warning. "But mark my words—if he turns, if he so much as breathes wrong, I'll cut him down myself."

With that, he spun on his heel and stormed out, his guards following close behind.

The door slammed shut behind them.

Elyria let out a long breath, shaking her head. "That man is going to die of an ulcer one day."- she said jokingly.

Kaelis exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "If we let him live that long."

Garrick said nothing, his gaze settling on Agor.

The boy swallowed. He wanted to speak, to ask what this all meant for him, but his throat felt tight.

Elyria crouched in front of him, studying his face. "Looks like you've been granted a little more time, boy. Let's see if you make good use of it."

Agor met her gaze and nodded.

He intended to.

Even if he wasn't entirely sure how yet.