Chapter 34: Stains Of Heresy!
Two hours of charging the Rod of Arafel with light energy later...
"The Rod is ready...This is it, Archon." Chris nodded.
"The Rod...fully charged, is every bit as powerful as i imagined." Lucien nodded.
"You should have no problem clearing a path into your city." Death replied.
"A path?" Lucien wondered. "No. I will clear the entire realm."
The Rod of Arafel began charging up with crackles of light energy.
"I will burn away the shadows...with Holy Light!"
Lucien raised his staff up high and unleashed a strong blast of light across the skies. The beam of Holy Light scorched the dark mists of the Ivory Citadel, dissolving the massive amount of Corruption Crystals blocking the Citadel's entrance.
"If you are to reach the Citadel, you will need wings." Archon Lucien continued as he whistled.
A screech echoed the air as Death, Chris, and Alito saw a huge armored griffin descending from the Crystal Spire's roof.
It had golden, scaly armor across its body, with greaves covering its legs. It had a pair of long white wings with golden hilts holding it.
Chris, Alito, and Death mounted on the griffon's back.
"Seek out the Scribe most ancient. He still wanders the ruins. He will help you...end your quest." the Archon smiled.
Chris frowned softly, sensing something might be amiss, but she could not put a hand on what might be wrong.
Archon's (Possibly) Suspicious smile - Flagged for further investigation.
"I suspect that the Archon wanted the Key for himself..." Chris spoke softly as the Griffon flew its way towards the Ivory Citadel.
"You mean the way he hesitates when he says 'He will...end your quest.'?" Death wondered.
"Yeah. Remember what the Crowfather said? Some amongst the angels might use the Key for their own purpose. We must not bet against the Archon going against us; the Key has immense power and he might want to use it for his own controversial purpose." Chris nodded.
"We need to plan out a prevention plan." Alito replied.
"Don't worry...we can kill him if that's the last thing I have to do." Death frowned.
"Even when he has the Rod of Arafel?" Alito wondered.
"Just because the Archon has the weapon of massive power, doesn't mean he is invincible. If he cannot handle the Rod properly, he is toast. Remember what Uriel said about Hestus?" Death replied.
"Right...that's at least one concern placed down." Chris sighed in relief.
"Always be prepared, I know." Death chuckled.
The team could see the Ivory Citadel hovering upon an island in all of its glory. The ivory-shaped tower had many network of stairs connected to it. The clear round-arched windows of the Ivory Citadel had beautiful murals about Hellguards. The conical spire of the Citadel was so high that it touched the cloudy skies, embracing in its conquest.
The curtain wall was made of beautiful, glistening ivory, as with the main building.
"Wow...the Makers sure do know their architecture design bloody well." Chris looked on in awe despite her calm demeanour.
"They are not the Makers for nothing, I guess." Death shrugged. "After all, I grew a bit bored of it."
"Huh? Why?" Chris wondered.
"I have been through many worlds, and I have seen structures like these billions of times. Maybe because I venture the White City often to reinforce the Balance, as I do for Hell. I felt...meh." Death shrugged once more.
"Saturated with the designs I guess." Alito simpered.
"That's the price of being a Horseman for eons, mind you." Death replied.
"Point noted." Chris simpered.
After landing on the Citadel's entrance, the trio could see Hellguard corpses scattered around, rotting in Corruption.
"Damn...Many gave their lives just to fight off the hate that has given life..." Chris looked on in concern.
"We have to hurry then. Or War is lost." Death frowned.
Upon opening the Citadel's door, the trio met their eyes upon a group of Corrupted Hellguards. Except this time, the Corrupted were holding broad blades.
"Hellguard Champions...Stronger versions of regular Hellguards; be careful." Death frowned.
"Our combat systems won't completely recover till an hour later. That's not going to stop us...though." Chris frowned.
"Let's go!" the trio shot out as they mow past the guards with little to no effort thanks to Death's ghouls and its luring spell.
Chris and Alito unleashed rapid shots of ice and wind slicing and freezing the wings and armor of the Corrupted, allowing Death to move in for the kill with shockwaves from his Slice of Death or brutal one-two spine rip from his Possessed Scythe.
As the trio ascended the Northwest Stairs of the Ivory Citadel to the next level, they saw several blue circles on the walls.
"Wonder what those are..." Chris wondered.
Death's pet crow, Dust, cawed as he flew inside a room just a few strides from where they are, towards their right.
"There are four door guards, and there are only three of us. Ice and Wind clone is not possible unless we wait for another fifty minutes." Chris shook her head.
"I have Soul Splitter, remember?" Death asked.
Death split himself into green and purple Deaths as they went for the North and South side switches. Chris and Alito stood on the east and west side switches. The door guard drops and the mechanisms prevented it from rising up; giving off a 'click'.
The two Deaths dissipate shortly after as the Death broke out of the Grim Reaper statue. Chris and Alito soon joined Death in opening the door, leading to a room with many blue circles upon the walls. Chris's Project Tundra scanned through the blue Circles.
Blue circles are made of a special stone that, when applied a specific spell, materialise portals that can allow people to traverse from place to place.
There was a skeleton cube held by four chains levitating in mid-air. Death slashed the cube several time and opened the box's content. A small blue glob with lines resembling an electron shell rose out of the box and attached itself upon Death's right arm.
The blue portals were glowing bright as Chris scanned through Death's new gadget.
Item Database: Phasewalker
Description: Strong Arcane Magic can be used to create a rift between two blue circles, summoning two portals to teleport from side to side.
Death shoots two blue magic shots at two blue circles - one at the bottom right, one at the top left.
"Let's go, we're close to our destination." Death nodded as he entered the bottom right portal and leapt out from the top left portal into the top right platform. Chris and Alito followed suit.
"Nice...You are thinking with portals..." Chris grunted.
"Well, that makes traversing a lot easier." Death agreed.
Thanks to Death's new gadget, the trio were able to traverse from platforms to platforms, clearing Corrupted Crystals by transferring Holy Light from orb stands to orb stands via portals, and leaping from ledges to wooden stakes for climbing. Within thirty minutes, they reached the other far end of the Citadel, where there are clumps of discoloured Corrupted Crystals along the sidewalks.
"This is it...the Scribe." Chris took a deep breath.
"We can do this, my Lady." Alito nodded.
"Might as well force him to give us if he refused." Death frowned.
As they slammed opened the door, the trio saw a majestic collection of records, dictionaries, books, and other readable documents.
Bookshelves after bookshelves were filled with thick books that have ancient scribing that only angels could recognize. The atmosphere seemed holy and ancient, a testament to the age of the Ivory Citadel - eons.
A large and chubby angel with two medium-sized wings, wearing only white tattered clothes around his hip area, descended down from one of the bookshelves using his reclining chair.
He has wrinkled face and skin, small green eyes and a chubby mouth. Folds of fat could be seen on under his chins, and a big potbelly, as well as chubby hands.
The chubby angel, however, had big black blobs wrapped around its body and the chair.
"The Scribe, corrupted!" Chris frowned.
"Face me!" the Scribe screamed in anger.
As the Scribe charged up a powerful Corrupted Energy beam, Death shot at one blue circle at his back and another at the left blue circle.
The Scribe shot a big Corrupted Blast towards the trio but they managed to dodge it. The Blast passed through the first portal and came out from the Scribe's side, knocking him unconscious.
Chris and Alito piled on their projectiles as Death sprinted forth and delivered a powerful uppercut, followed by a strong flipsaw.
The amount of damage dished out woke the Scribe up and unleashed a corrupted light barrier, rendering the trio's attack invulnerable temporarily.
The Scribe rose high up the air, charging up corrupted energy.
"Don't worry, Death! Our augmentations are active now, all that needs recovery is my combat system and that's ten minutes!" Chris frowned.
Death nodded as he shot one portal beam from his back, and another at the top right.
The Scribe descended fast and slammed upon the ground, unleashing a powerful electrical field. Chris and Alito managed to resist the attack by using their electrical shielding ability that they used against Achidna back at the Land of the Dead.
Death managed to leap backwards into the portal behind him as he came out from the other side. The Scribe summoned two Corrupted Hellguard Champions by his side.
Death summoned three ghouls to lure the Corrupted champions and unleashed a powerful shockwave upon his two victims, all while dodging the Scribe's Corrupted rapid projectiles attack twice in a row.
Death quickly moved in for the kill with a Harvestor Revenge.
Chris and Alito, having dodged the projectiles successfully with acrobatic flips, unleashed four ice and wind javelins towards the Scribe's belly.
The Scribe materialised his Corrupted Whip to slap Chris and Alito. The two maidens managed to dodge the whip, but their weakened combat systems caused them miss spotting another whip heading their way.
The two maidens managed to grab hold of the whip just in time, but their lack of combat systems meant they have no way to counter the whip.
The Scribe's chair spun on the spot, attempting to loosen Chris and Alito's grip on the whip. The two maidens, however, slowly crawled their way. Chris leapt towards the Scribe's head and kicked his teeth in, with Alito following suit. The two maidens managed to land safely thanks to their magnetic dampeners, nullifying fall damage.
"I thought you will never be able to get out of that attack." Death said in an amused manner.
"We ain't sitting ducks; we improvise." Chris replied calmly.
The Scribe's rose up again, charging up for a Corrupted energy beam.
Death saw a cracked blue circle right below the Scribe.
"Let's finish this..." Death grunted as he shot a Phasewalker blast on the blue circle below the Scribe and another at the top right.
The Scribe did not notice what happened and unleashed a sweeping laser down the line, only to find out that the laser passed through the portal below him, came out of the top right portal, and blast him down. The Corruption that attached itself on the chair diminishes into thin air.
"All you...Death." Chris nodded.
"Pleasure's all mine." Death transformed into his Reaper Form, grabbed the Scribe's face, spun a few time to build momentum, and threw him down like a slingshot. The Scribe's fat body crashed beside Chris and Alito.
The Pale Rider powered down, took out his dual Possessed Scythe, and approached the chubby angel. The Scribe rubbed his forehead in pain and raised his right hand, frightened by the Pale Rider's advance.
"Where...Is...The Key?" Death frowned.
"Mercy, Horseman!" the Scribe pleaded.
Death planted his dual possessed scythe near his neck and cuffed it.
"Where is it?!" Death raised his voice.
"Please! I'll tell you everything!" the Scribe begged.
"Death, the Scribe is freed from Corruption. He should bring us no harm whatsoever." Chris spoke calmly.
Death retracted his weapon and stood down.
"Shoot, Scribe." Chris frowned.
"It was...chaos. Even the most noble among us abandoned his sense, and took up his sword. It happened to the Archon. It happened to me..." the Scribe replied.
"The Archon? Wait...what?" Alito gasped.
"It was that damned pool! Their use was forbidden for a reason. Whatever vision he saw within, rent his mind." the Scribe frowned.
"The pool...you mean the pool to Earth at the Crystal Spire's peak?" Chris wondered.
"Yes! The Corruption spread from him. He made this city a slaughterhouse, while professing his own purity! Eventually, the Archon fled to the Crystal Spire to make his home permanent...He took the Key with him." the Scribe sighed.
Death, Chris, and Alito clenched their fists and frowned in disgust; they were tricked by the very Archon who claimed to help them...
The trio, however, kept their cool and proceeded to ask him more question.
"The Archon called you 'Scribe.'...Who are you?" Death wondered.
"I am Jamaerah. Once I was chief scrivener, here in the Ivory Citadel. I recorded things past, things present, and the ever-changing future - for mine, is the second sight. To see through the eyes of others...it is a gift few angels tolerate. Even the Hellguards have their secrets. The Archon wished to learn them...but he saw too much." the Scribe sighed.
"Curiosity kills the cat, I suppose." Alito sighed.
"How could the Archon be corrupted?" Chris wondered.
"Something dark took root inside of him, used him as a puppet, to spread black hate. Perhaps it says much, that we could not tell the difference." the Scribe shook his head.
"Fear and Pride..." Chris frowned.
"Corruption is behind this, yes?" Death wondered.
"His own pride caused him to be infected with Corruption. There was a battle...I can see it...The Archon fought off waves of the Corrupted. His blows shattered the city. Pray, you fare better than stone - if he is in your future." Jamaerah sighed.
"Future? No. Fucking. Way. We are going now!" Chris frowned.
"What? But...he's has the Rod now!" the Scribe frowned.
"The Best..." Chris activated the waypoint teleporter aimed for the Ivory Citdel. "Isn't always the best."
Spire's Peak
The Archon shook his head, clasping his head in desperation, as he looked over the Portal to Earth.
"NO!" the Archon shot out in fear as he turned around and saw Death, Chris, and Alito approaching him.
"The Key, Archon...we know you have it!" Death frowned.
"You tricked us into the Ivory Citadel, expecting us to be killed by the Scribe's Corrupted power!" Chris clenched her fists.
"Your pride...is your fall!" Alito shot out.
Corruption spread through the Archon's face, cheeks, neck, seeped out of his Hellguard armor, and branched out on his wings.
"It...is MINE!" Lucien shot back.
He continued, "Even though he wanted me to...I couldn't destroy the key. Surely you understand, Horseman, I did what I had to do!"
The trio managed to peer into the well from afar and found out what happened.
Archon opened the Well, let the other Hellguards in and slayed them all...
"Opened the well...Protected the key...From the questions they asked...And from you..." the Archon explained.
"You expect me to believe your reasoning? I kill my brethren in the name of the Balance, and you kill the Hellguards in the name of your pride! You will give us the Key!" Death snarled.
"We don't care...You are not willing to open the Corrupted Well, and Corruption is going to fuck up the entire Creation while you claimed yourself to be pure! You are directly contributing to every single being's destruction...I am not tolerating your bullshit! Give us that fucking key!" Chris's eyes glowed intensely.
"Only I may bear the key!" Lucien growled as he unleashed a powerful bolt of light from the Rod of Arafel.
The trio attempted to block it, but the light bolt proved far too speedy for them to react. The bolt threw them back through several rock towers but soon stood their ground on a platform, injured.
Chris panted as she noticed her scorched flesh exposed into the air.
"This is not a weapon to be messed with...Fuck..." Chris winced.
Lucien teleported in front of the trio; his wings covered with branches of Corruption as the black, slimy substance ravaged through his neck and his armor. Crystals of Corruption began to sprout out from his pauldrons, and Corruption filled his waist belt with black and green slime.
"May the light of all that is holy destroy you!" Archon roared.
"Not of we get to you first!" Chris and Alito unleashed several waves of ice and wind projectiles towards Lucien's wing.
Lucien unleashed several bolts of light from his Rod of Arafel and stunned Chris and Alito when the bolts of light neutralised their projectiles!
The remaining four bolts struck Chris and Alito full force, throwing them back into a rock wall, blood spewing out from their mouth.
"Chris! Alito! Dang it...shouldn't have gone rushing headlong into things." Death frowned at the projectiles exchange.
Chris and Alito struggled to get up as their systems were near the final combat system rebooting sequence. Blood coated around their wrists and back.
Combat System Reboot Timing: One Minute.
Preparing to isolate the Rod of Arafel's energy shots.
Death managed to flip towards his right, managing to dodge the Bolts of Corrupted Light. The Pale Rider could feel the scorching heat emitting from the bolts.
Death managed to close in the gap quickly through sprinting, delivered a triple slash combo with his dual possessed scythe, joined his weapons into a huge scythe and unleashed a powerful cleave across the Archon's chest.
The Archon pushed Death back with a light barrier, rendering the former invulnerable, and rose into the air while charging a powerful bolt of light.
"The light compels you!" Lucien roared.
Death, however, managed to grab hold of Lucien with Deathgrip leapt towards the Corrupted Angel, and slashed him in a powerful flipsaw.
The Archon plummeted to the platform as he attempted to attack Death using his wings. The Pale Rider managed to dodge towards the side, transformed into the Reaper Form and sliced his Harvestor across Lucien's wings, limiting Lucien's mobility as a result.
Lucien however, managed to get back up and surprised Death by swinging the Rod of Arafel, which was glowing with Holy Light, towards the Pale Rider.
Combat System Reboot...COMPLETED.
*PIANG!*
Death's eyes widened when he saw Chris blocking Lucien's staff swing with her Lifebane.
Chris's eyes glowed blue once more, as she deflected Lucien's staff swing and delivered a triple slash across the Archon's chest.
"Well, that's just in time..." Death remarked.
"I could not possibly leave you for dead..." Chris frowned.
"Because I'm of use to you?" Death replied cynically.
"Because a warrior never leaves his buddy regardless of the crap they might be facing, even before, during, and after a mission! How's that for an answer?" Chris replied calmly.
Death's eyes widened; he never believed anyone would have said that, especially from a human, of all things.
"There's certainly no time to waste then...Let's fight this the proper way!" Death frowned.
The Pale Rider saw the wounds inflicted upon Chris. The Rod of Arafel inflicted wounds upon her body; cuts and blood were everywhere, and her armor parts were corroded, broken, torn, or tattered.
Yet Chris and Alito were standing strong...
"That's the Chris and Alito I have come to respect...Now let's go!" Death shot out.
"I fear no evil!" the Archon roared.
"Because you are evil!" Chris charged upon the Archon.
The latter unleashed another barrage of light projectiles towards the trio.
"Sunder's Ability activate - Shielding!"
A protective orb made of intense light surrounded the Icy Maiden as the projectiles struck the orbs, absorbing the damage inflicted upon Chris as she deflected some shots away.
Chris clashed her Lifebane with the Archon's Rod of Arafel and managed a quick ice blast with her left hand, freezing the Archon's mini-wings.
The Archon keeled over as Chris unleashed flurries of slashes, some of which managed to hit Lucien's critical area and inflicting a deeper gash upon his body.
Death summoned three ghouls to attack the Corrupted Archon and managed to get in three slashes upon the latter, the possessed scythe drawing blood and flesh from him.
Lucien roared as he let loose a powerful burst of energy shield, blasting Chris, Lifebane, and Death away and summoning four black mini-wings on his back.
The energy shield scorched some of Chris's vital mechanisms within her body as her system had not adapted to the damage yet, but Chris managed to stand her ground still.
Systems Damage: 50%
"The Light from the Rod is strong indeed..." Chris frowned.
"You sure you want to risk your life just for this?" Death frowned.
"I don't care if I'm going to die or not, all I want is to see your brother safe, and my dimension freed from the disruption! I need no reason for doing my duty and I rather die protecting someone than be a coward like a headless chicken!" Chris frowned.
The Archon teleported to the far end of the platform and began charging up corrupted energy. Charging towards the fray, Lucien unleashed a barrage of Corrupted Light shots once more.
Chris joined Lifebane by its hilt and twirled it just in time to form an icy windshield. The Shielding ability Chris and Alito downloaded surrounded the two Maidens body, further mitigating the damage taken from the bullets.
Lucien delivered a strong swing that destroyed the ghouls, injuring him with three explosions to his face and a powerful shockwave from Death's Slice of Death.
With another sweep, Lucien unleashed a line of Corrupted Light bullets, but Chris was better prepared this time round and dodged it completely.
Only to have Lucien teleporting straight towards the Icy Maiden, preparing to strike her down with a light-imbued slash.
Chris, having studied Lucien's attack pattern, clashed her Lifebane with the Rod of Arafel. The vibration, because of the clash, caused the Corrupted Archon to flinch for a moment and lending an open window for Chris to land a couple of critical slashes, all while braving the corrosion aura that Lucien had upon his body.
Systems' Damage at 70% - Critical Condition
Lucien quickly recovered and clashed his Rod of Arafel' with Chris's Lifebane once more.
"The Key shall be mine!" the Archon screamed.
"We won't let your selfish rule come to pass!" Chris shot out.
"Not if I kill every one of you!" the Archon's eyes glowed as he surprised Chris and Lifebane with a powerful blast of Holy Light to break the tie, sending a scorched Chris flying over to the other end of the platform.
Burnt scars revealed parts of Chris's mechanical augmentations and blood were seeping out of Chris's body and limbs. The Icy Maiden's in-built visor constantly blurred out, badly damaged by the light that scorched her systems.
Tactical Options: Failure to response
Combat Systems at severe damage
Weaponry System badly damaged
Regeneration system down to 15%
Chris saw Death struggling with Lucien's assault; the Pale Rider managed to dodge all the bullets that the Corrupted Archon unleashed, but the former was thrown back during a clash with the Archon's Rod.
"I will end your lives, so that you may reborn again!"
Lucien rose into the air, grabbed a huge boulder with the Rod of Arafel, and lifted it above him.
Chris bit the flesh upon her lips, struggling to get up as flashes of her memories with her parents come into play.
I want to seek solace...
I want to find the meaning of humanity...
I want to protect the innocent beings in my world...
I want to prevent history by saving War with Death...
This is for every innocent being living in my world...
This is for the Fuschia...
This is for Alito...
I have moped from the age of eight to the age of ten...
Not anymore...
I know it's going to be hard to find solace...
But this will be my aim, my resolve - to carry on the Fuschia's last will, and to find the solace I have wanted for!
I know that Alito will join me in my journey for solace...
We are not giving up...
Not now...NOT EVER!
Chris and Alito's dagger, that Valus gave them back in the Makers' Forge, glowed brightly once more. The hilts reacting to their determination pulsating through their bio-mechanical augmentations.
Overdrive Systems activated,
All systems temporary activated
Systems efficiency 300%
Reflexes systems up by three times the usual level
Combat System: MAXIMUM
Chris's eyes glowed blue intensely as she cleared her mind with a newly found resolve. She stood forth, tall and proud despite the heavy injuries on her body. Crackles of blue arcane magic surrounding her body as a burst of icicle energy rushed forth like a torrential wave.
Death's eyes widened as he saw Chris's newfound resolve materializing as a powerful aura shaping to be like Alito.
"So...That's the limitless potential of a human being...Heh, to think that she claimed her humanity is lost. I'm not losing out either!"
Death grunted as he summoned Harvestor and transformed into the Reaper Form.
Chris charged towards the thrown boulder, shot a massive ice beam to freeze the huge boulder, and shattered it by unleashing powerful icicle energy waves from the Lifebane.
The Archon's eyes widened with shock, fear filling his eyes as he had no time to react a charging Reaper Form Death. The Reaper impaled the Archon from his back, past his spine, and through his heart, killing him.
Archon's death cry echoed through Lostlight's dusty atmosphere...
The Reaper managed to grab both the Rod of Arafel and the Heaven Key before throwing the Corrupted Archon Lucien down into the bottomless pit...
Chris landed on the floor as her aura faded soon after. She stumbled back and forth, her body severely weakening due to the overdrive systems. Her vision blurred by the seconds as she felt her life and blood slowly draining away from her body. She slumped on the floor by her back, breathing heavily and her eyes turned into pale blue.
Alito followed, slumping beside Chris with lacerations upon her body, a small pool of blood caked her body.
Death powered down and quickly approached the Icy Maiden, lifting her up by her back.
"Chris and Alito are you alright?" Death frowned.
"What for are you helping us...Death...We don't deserve to live at all...if we are to suffer that kind of damage..." Chris coughed.
"Trust me...Chris, Alito...it would be more dishonourable to die. You might not think it is, but you will realize it in time...Besides, I do not wish to leave those that have helped me in my quest to save my brother for dead. Lest I feel guilty again." Death frowned.
"You haven't answered..."
"You have helped me, so shouldn't I, a Horsemen of honor, helped you as well? Besides, I don't want you to die, lest I feel guilty again about letting someone whom I have respected or care die." Death ignored Chris and Alito's protest as he cut himself on his left index finger and medicated the duo with the Blood from himself - The Blood of the Nephillim.
"What...are you doing, Pale Rider?" Alito winced.
"The Nephilim as a whole can restore Humanity...so several drips of blood could help restore a fatally injured person. Just stay still, for Pete sake." Death frowned.
Chris and Alito's body started to glow softly as their augmentations began registering the Nephilim blood...
System detecting high healing properties for Nephilim Blood.
Nephilim Blood merging with mechanical augmentations.
Nephilim Blood merging with arcane energy.
Nephilim Blood merging with Weaponry Systems.
Nephilim Blood merging with muscular, skeletal, respiratory, and circulatory systems.
Recovery from current condition - six hours.
"Rest well, Chris and Alito. By the time you have recovered, I will probably be able to get the Demon Key. You need all you can to defeat Absalom..." Death instructed.
"Death..." Chris spoke softly.
The Pale Rider stopped on his track without turning his head.
"Thanks..." Chris replied weakly.
"No...I should thank you." Death replied.
"Huh?" Chris wondered.
"I wouldn't have cared about my allies if they are not my kind. But I guess my respect for you has taught me about respecting an ally, no matter their races...Guess not all humans are bad after all..." Death nodded.
Chris was about to reply when Death raised his right hand back, signalling Chris to stop talking.
"Don't think about why for now. Just concentrate on finding the solace you and Alito desire and I'm sure those answers will come eventually, like what the Crowfather said." Death replied.
Death walked away, leaving Chris and Alito lying on the floor slowly slipping into a deep sleep as their bodies grew accustomed to the medication given to them.
Thanks, Chris...
You have given me more reasons to respect humans now.
You might not see it...but you are more human than yourself could have imagined.