"Miss Mia! Please hurry!" A young female voice rang out ahead. "We have
to get back to Imil soon, or we may be stuck out in this storm all night!"
"I understand, Megan. Just remember, I can't move through the snow as well as you and Justin can on that sled!" She returned. Mia gazed into the sky; it had been snowing now for about an hour; it was also accumulating rapidly; it had already snowed four inches, and the snow showed no signs of letting up. Mia stared ahead at the dog-pulled sled that was ahead of her. Megan was riding on the front of the sleigh, while Justin was riding on the back. Both of the young kids were bundled up warmly in fur coats, and Mia had decked herself out with her warmest robes; she knew the journey back from Bilbin would be cold and arduous. There had been a major epidemic of the flu in Bilbin; it got so bad that they had to call for Mia all the way in Imil to get help. Mia had immediately responded, and arrived in Bilbin in near record-time. The journey back was far more difficult; the frozen Imil winters had begun. "Wait, you two. It's getting hard to keep you in sight."
"Okay!" Justin's voice called back to her; she could see the dog sled slowing up, allowing her to keep pace. Mia had allowed Justin and Megan to ride the sled; the walk through the frigid powder might've caused them to get sick. Mia and the sled moved through the snow for another hundred yards when Mia abruptly tripped over something buried in the snow.
"Miss Mia?! Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm okay; I just tripped over something."
"What was it?" Megan's voice called back, concerned.
"I don't know; let me check." Mia's form, now covered in snow, arose from the place where she had tripped. She bent over and started brushing the snow away from the obstacle she had run into. After a couple moments worth of work, she realized what she was dealing with and gasped. It was a person, lying face down in the snow. She flipped him over and nearly fainted at the sight of his face.
"Isaac?! Wha. . .?"
"Miss Mia! Is everything okay?" Mia didn't respond at first; she was too busy checking Isaac's vitals. He was faintly breathing, and his pulse was light and erratic.
"Megan, Justin! Get the sleigh over here now!" Mia cried to her assistants. They did so, and she told Megan to hop on to the back of the sleigh with Justin. Megan inquired why at first, but spotting the near- dead Isaac she was setting in the sleigh, she quickly complied with orders. "Get this person back to Imil right away, and have him placed into the spare room in our sanctuary, got it?"
"Mia! We can't just leave you out here! There's enough room on the sled for all of us! I'll ride on your shoulders, Mia!" Megan responded. Mia knew Isaac wouldn't have much time if he stayed out in the cold; and she knew it would be fruitless to argue with the young assistants.
"Very well. Let's go." Mia sighed, climbing on the back of the sled. She picked up Megan and put her on her shoulders, and ordered the dogs to mush. The dogs dashed through the snow on a direct bee line for Imil, dashing through forests, gullies and ranges, before finally reaching the town limits.
*************************
"Come on, let's go! We're never going to catch up to him at this rate!" Jenna shouted at Garet as they left the gates of Vault.
"Okay. Which way did he say he was going, Triad?"
"That way." Triad pointed in Isaac's proposed trajectory.
"Good! Team, let's move out." Garet returned.
"Not so fast." A light voice sounded. "You're not going anywhere."
"What?!" Garet spun around. He laughed at the person who was halting them. "Ivan, you goat! What the hell are you doing here?" He smiled, and slapped his friend on the back.
"My instincts called me here; I guess I now know why. The group is back together; but wait. . . where's Isaac?"
"That's who we're looking for, Ivan. Isaac just up and left Vale almost four days ago. We're out to find him."
"Very well then. Consider me a part of your search party." Ivan replied. "I'm ready to move out when you are."
"Good, because we're moving out right now!" Garet exclaimed; rejuvenated by the old friend joining their lineup. Garet turned to the direction Triad had pointed out and began marching. Ivan, Jenna, Triad, and Felix followed his lead into the plains north of Vault.
*************************
Darkness; total and complete; perfect. Nothing worldly affected Isaac, who was still in his unconscious state. How long had passed since he blacked out? Minutes? Hours? Days? He didn't know. All he knew was darkness; until finally, a sliver of light appeared on the horizon. It grew brighter and brighter until the whole of his vision was nothing illumination. Was he dead? Again, he didn't know. Slowly, he heard a melodious sound come to his ears. It must've been the angels humming their heartfelt songs within the gates of Heaven. The sound grew louder, and the light grew brighter until. . .
He woke up. His eyes shot open; Isaac became aware of his new environment. He wasn't dead, nor was he in the snow, for that matter. His head still throbbed, his sinuses remained congested, and every muscle in his body ached. Isaac felt terrible chills running through his spine, so much so he sank back into a near stupor. Finally realizing he had to see where he was exactly, he looked down. He was in a bed; and a very warm one at that. There were several layers of heavy blankets weighing down on him, and his head lay in a soft pillow. The room around him was made completely of wood, but insulated with a strange gel-like substance. This looked like a room of a house; the room also had a fireplace, a few chairs here and there. Isaac slowly rolled onto his back. The humming started again, and this time he was sure he heard it. It was beautiful; relaxing. It was the only sound that did not throb in his burning ears. Isaac rolled to face where the sound was coming from, and saw a figure standing next to the fireplace, stirring something within a pot hanging from the fireplace wall. Isaac couldn't make out a face, so he tried to push himself out of bed. Every nerve ending in his body screamed out in pain, and Isaac groaned; he couldn't move at all. The figure turned after hearing his moan, and slowly approached him.
"You're finally awake." A calming voice said to him. "You were lucky, Isaac." He turned to see his savior; he still couldn't tell who it was. "How are you feeling?" Isaac moaned in return, struggling to speak. "Just relax." A blue light soon enveloped him, and he felt some of his strength return. Now, with eyes at full capacity, he turned his head.
"Mia? Am I dreaming? Where am I?"
"You're not dreaming, and you're in Imil. How are you feeling now?"
"Like I was stomped on by four horses, three goats, seven dogs, and the spirit of Kirin."
"Funny, you almost look like that." Mia joked lightly. "You were in terrible shape when we found you in the snow. If you had been out there an hour longer. . ."
"What's wrong with me? I can hardly move."
"Well, you caught the bug that was going around, first off. The flu bug causes weakened muscles and congestion in the head and chest, generally. Because of your lack of proper weather gear, you caught a nasty chill; giving you an awful fever. That big gash in your side did nothing to help you either. You passed out primarily because of loss of blood and overexertion. After you passed out, you got some mild frostbite and a case of hypothermia. A normal person would probably be dead now." Mia pulled a chair next to Isaac's bed. "You'll be down and out for awhile, Isaac. Best to just relax now." Isaac kept his eyes focused on her.
"I just wish we could've met again under better circumstances."
"It's okay." She smiled. "Just tell me, what were you doing out in the middle of nowhere like that? Where are the others?"
"There aren't any others." Isaac replied, weakly. "I came alone. Second, I just went where fate took me."
"What are you talking about?"
"Fate; it's where it took me." Isaac responded, coughing heavily afterward. "How long until I can get moving again?"
"You'll be out for a long time on this one, trust me. This isn't as simple as a snake bite or a scorpion sting. If only the Water of Hermes was still flowing from the Lighthouse. . ."
"You mean it's stopped?"
"Oddly, yes. I checked all throughout the Lighthouse and found no trace of a problem; the water simply stopped flowing. . . Though I sense something higher at work here." Mia gazed out a window into the snow covered landscape. "If there wasn't an epidemic here right now, you'd probably be on your feet by now."
"Beg your pardon, Mia?"
"You see, many people in Imil are sick with the flu right now, and I have to heal them. That takes Psy Power, remember? I can only use Ply so much before my power gives out. If so many people hadn't been sick, I could've used a lot of power and healed you almost all at once. I'm sorry, Isaac."
"Don't be." There was a pause when nothing was said, until Mia stood from her chair and walked back to the fireplace and stirred what was in the pot again. This time, she plucked a wooden bowl from the mantle of the fireplace and poured some of the liquid into it. She walked back over to Isaac.
"You'd better eat something to get your strength back up." Isaac sat up with a struggle and pulled his hands from under the covers. They were both heavily bandaged, and he could hardly move his fingers at all. "The frostbite. It got your hands; luckily it wasn't serious, so it Plyed right off; though it's a good bet your hands are still partially frozen."
"Well, how am I supposed to. . ." Isaac turned to say, when a spoonful of hot soup was shoved into his mouth. The soup had hardly any taste, but it seemed to revitalize him from the inside out after he swallowed it.
"That's how you're supposed to eat, Isaac. After you finish, we probably will be able to take those bandages off your hands." Mia continued giving Isaac soup, despite the fact that he felt miffed about being treated like a child. However, because he was without strength, he could do nothing to protest. After he finished, Mia removed the bandage-tape from his hands. There were no visible signs of frostbite, but Mia had been right about his hands feeling frozen. Isaac shoved them under the blankets to warm them.
"Sorry I can't stay with you right now, Isaac. I have to make my rounds and make sure everyone is recovering. I'll be back in a little while. If you need anything, call for Justin or Megan; they'll help you out." Mia smiled, leaving the room and exiting the house. Isaac rolled over onto his back, trying to relax. Though he couldn't help but think about Vale and his friends. He missed Garet and Jenna; this had been the longest time he and Garet had ever been separated. Isaac missed Jenna, too; her smart remarks and quick wit were always uplifting. He then thought back to Ivan; Isaac missed his younger friend, who was the wisest of all he knew. Then he thought of Mia; the one who'd saved his life again. What was this, the twentieth time? He couldn't remember; he'd lost count at twelve.
Mia had always been the quiet one among his friends, often being soft- spoken and withdrawn from him and the others while fitting right in. She was shy, caring, and polite; basically the opposite of Jenna. While Jenna could be polite and caring, she played around by being rude and mocking; though she never meant a word of it. Isaac felt unusually glad to see her again, but he couldn't place why. Eventually, he stopped trying to think and lapsed back into a deep slumber.
Eventually, he was woken up by a light shake on his right shoulder. Isaac mumbled something quietly and opened his eyes. He looked into the face of a young red-haired girl; her eyes were emerald green, and she couldn't have been older than eleven. She smiled at him.
"How are you feeling, Mr. Isaac?"
"Like I was hit by the Judgement of Venus. Better than earlier, though." He said, trying to sit up. His head continued to throb erratically, and he felt no moisture in his mouth. The young girl moved her hand over Isaac's forehead; she quickly recoiled it.
"Your fever's spiked again. I better go get Mia. Justin, where's Mia?" She called to a young boy, about the same age.
"I don't know, Megan. She should be back from her rounds soon." The boy called back.
"Well, go get me a damp cloth; his fever's up again." Justin came in quickly with a dampened cloth and handed it to Megan. "Lay your head back, please." Isaac did what he was told, and the girl slipped the rag onto the middle of his forehead. "There, that should hold his fever until she returns."
"Thank you, Megan." Isaac replied. Isaac moved his hands to his face; the feeling had returned to his hands and he could feel his face sweltering; yet he felt chilled. His nose had cleared out for the most part, and he had a little more strength. The worst of it was his fever; and the damp cloth gave a blissful cooling feeling.
"You're quite welcome, Mr. Isaac."
"Please, just call me Isaac."
"Ok, Isaac. Now, let me see your tongue."
"Why?"
"It's a way to check how bad your fever is. Just stick it out so I can look at it." He shrugged, but obeyed. The little girl gasped, and then recovered a second later.
"What? What's wrong?"
"You're tongue's so badly coated, it's nearly white. That equates to about a 104 degree fever, doesn't it, Justin?"
"I believe so. Mia will know for sure." The young boy walked into the room. Justin was a little shorter than Megan, but he looked a little older. He had brown hair and eyes, and his face showed a highly intelligent person with a knack for medicine. Both of the young disciples wore pure white robes, stretching all the way to their feet.
"Are you feeling any better, Mr. Isaac?" Justin asked, politely.
"It's just Isaac, and I feel better than earlier. Tell me, how long have I been here?"
"Well, Mia found you almost two days ago; you slept for about 19 hours when we got back, then Mia said you were awake for about an hour, then you slept for another 14 hours. You've been sleeping a lot; that's good. Mia also has been using Ply on you intermittently, which explains the speediness of your recovery." Justin replied.
"I've been sleeping for that long?"
"Yes. Don't concern yourself with that; though if you don't want to sleep anymore, I wouldn't be surprised. Just stay in bed until Mia returns." Justin returned, and on the conclusion of his statement, a wooden creak was heard in the next room, coupled a sound of blasting wind. Next the sound of a person shivering sounded, and Mia walked into the next room.
"It's got to be the coldest winter in ten years out there." Mia remarked to her young disciples. "How's Isaac doing?"
"I've been better."
"Oh, so you're awake, are you? How long have you been up?"
"Not long."
"Miss Mia, his fever's gotten bad again. I think it's around 104, but I can't be sure." Megan replied.
"That's bad. Let me see your tongue, Isaac." Isaac stuck out his tongue and Mia looked at it closely. "You were about right, Megan. His fever is about 104, but it looks like it's going down. Good thinking about the damp rag, too."
"How's the town, Mia?" Justin asked.
"The epidemic has more or less died out. Only a few young children and elderly people remain sick."
"That's great news! You may finally be able to get some rest, Mia!" Megan exclaimed.
"It's been a busy season for you, Mia. Just sit down and relax." Justin said. "We can take care of Isaac."
"By the way, what time is it?" Isaac asked.
"It's probably around 8:30 PM," Mia replied, looking at her hourglass in the corner. "I should get to making dinner."
"I've already started it, Mia. It should be almost finished by now." Justin replied. "Megan's been busy keeping an eye on Isaac for the past couple of hours."
"Thank you, Justin. Let me look in on it." Mia walked over to the fireplace, where she peered into the pot. "The soup smells good, Justin. Thanks again."
"You're welcome." Justin replied, eyes closed. Mia stirred the broth for a few moments, and turned to the mantle, picking up four different bowls and filling each carefully and setting them back onto the mantle. Justin and Megan promptly took their soup, while Mia delivered one to Isaac in his bed.
"How are your hands, Isaac?"
"They're fine, thanks." He replied, accepting the soup from her. "Thank you, Mia."
"You're welcome, but thank Justin for making it."
"Thank you, Justin."
"You're welcome." He replied between spoonfuls of soup. Isaac carefully inserted a spoonful into his mouth, careful not to burn his mouth on the piping hot liquid. Isaac instantly tasted the soup; a nice change. It had a spicy kick, something he wasn't expecting to be able to taste given his fever. The soup had the same effect as the earlier batch on him; energizing him almost fully. He glanced at Mia and Megan, who looked a little surprised by the soup.
"Justin! You added too much pepper!" Megan exclaimed, fanning her tongue.
"I thought it was bland." He responded.
"Well, the soup IS supposed to have a bite, but I think you overdid it a little with the spice, Justin." Mia responded. "Imil Pepper Stew isn't meant to be overwhelming, just warming."
"Sorry. What do you think Isaac?"
"I think it's good!" Isaac responded, slipping more of the meal into his mouth.
"It's probably because you can actually taste it." Mia responded, smiling.
"Actually, it really does have a nice kick."
"Too nice, if you ask me." Megan responded. After a little while, the soup was drained from the pot, Isaac and Justin eating two bowls apiece.
"Wow, you certainly put it away, didn't you, Isaac?" Megan asked.
"Isaac has always liked to eat." Mia replied, stifling a giggle.
"Not nearly as much as Garet, if you remember." Isaac replied, smiling broadly. His strength had returned, and it felt like his fever had gone down considerably.
"Ah, yes. Garet could pack it away, that's for sure." Mia smiled.
"Remember the night before Colosso in Tolbi? Garet ate enough food to feed ten people in one sitting!" Isaac laughed.
"I'd rather not remember; it's amazing he didn't get indigestion the next day." Mia returned, setting her bowl back on the mantle; it joined the other three already up there. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. It's been a long day. Megan, Justin, don't stay up too late. I don't want you to get sick too. Isaac, that goes double for you." Mia pointed. Isaac smiled, but didn't reply. Mia walked into a room adjacent to the room, and closed the door. Isaac turned his eyes on Megan and Justin, who were both studying him.
"So, it sounds like you and Miss Mia had quite a number of adventures together." Megan said.
"Yeah, we did."
"Will you tell me and Justin about some of them?"
"I'm not much of a storyteller, Megan."
"Please?" She asked, giving him the irresistible 'cute' look.
"It might be interesting. I'd like to hear about some of your travels, Isaac." Justin replied.
"Come on!"
"All right, all right. Where should I start?. . ."
"I understand, Megan. Just remember, I can't move through the snow as well as you and Justin can on that sled!" She returned. Mia gazed into the sky; it had been snowing now for about an hour; it was also accumulating rapidly; it had already snowed four inches, and the snow showed no signs of letting up. Mia stared ahead at the dog-pulled sled that was ahead of her. Megan was riding on the front of the sleigh, while Justin was riding on the back. Both of the young kids were bundled up warmly in fur coats, and Mia had decked herself out with her warmest robes; she knew the journey back from Bilbin would be cold and arduous. There had been a major epidemic of the flu in Bilbin; it got so bad that they had to call for Mia all the way in Imil to get help. Mia had immediately responded, and arrived in Bilbin in near record-time. The journey back was far more difficult; the frozen Imil winters had begun. "Wait, you two. It's getting hard to keep you in sight."
"Okay!" Justin's voice called back to her; she could see the dog sled slowing up, allowing her to keep pace. Mia had allowed Justin and Megan to ride the sled; the walk through the frigid powder might've caused them to get sick. Mia and the sled moved through the snow for another hundred yards when Mia abruptly tripped over something buried in the snow.
"Miss Mia?! Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm okay; I just tripped over something."
"What was it?" Megan's voice called back, concerned.
"I don't know; let me check." Mia's form, now covered in snow, arose from the place where she had tripped. She bent over and started brushing the snow away from the obstacle she had run into. After a couple moments worth of work, she realized what she was dealing with and gasped. It was a person, lying face down in the snow. She flipped him over and nearly fainted at the sight of his face.
"Isaac?! Wha. . .?"
"Miss Mia! Is everything okay?" Mia didn't respond at first; she was too busy checking Isaac's vitals. He was faintly breathing, and his pulse was light and erratic.
"Megan, Justin! Get the sleigh over here now!" Mia cried to her assistants. They did so, and she told Megan to hop on to the back of the sleigh with Justin. Megan inquired why at first, but spotting the near- dead Isaac she was setting in the sleigh, she quickly complied with orders. "Get this person back to Imil right away, and have him placed into the spare room in our sanctuary, got it?"
"Mia! We can't just leave you out here! There's enough room on the sled for all of us! I'll ride on your shoulders, Mia!" Megan responded. Mia knew Isaac wouldn't have much time if he stayed out in the cold; and she knew it would be fruitless to argue with the young assistants.
"Very well. Let's go." Mia sighed, climbing on the back of the sled. She picked up Megan and put her on her shoulders, and ordered the dogs to mush. The dogs dashed through the snow on a direct bee line for Imil, dashing through forests, gullies and ranges, before finally reaching the town limits.
*************************
"Come on, let's go! We're never going to catch up to him at this rate!" Jenna shouted at Garet as they left the gates of Vault.
"Okay. Which way did he say he was going, Triad?"
"That way." Triad pointed in Isaac's proposed trajectory.
"Good! Team, let's move out." Garet returned.
"Not so fast." A light voice sounded. "You're not going anywhere."
"What?!" Garet spun around. He laughed at the person who was halting them. "Ivan, you goat! What the hell are you doing here?" He smiled, and slapped his friend on the back.
"My instincts called me here; I guess I now know why. The group is back together; but wait. . . where's Isaac?"
"That's who we're looking for, Ivan. Isaac just up and left Vale almost four days ago. We're out to find him."
"Very well then. Consider me a part of your search party." Ivan replied. "I'm ready to move out when you are."
"Good, because we're moving out right now!" Garet exclaimed; rejuvenated by the old friend joining their lineup. Garet turned to the direction Triad had pointed out and began marching. Ivan, Jenna, Triad, and Felix followed his lead into the plains north of Vault.
*************************
Darkness; total and complete; perfect. Nothing worldly affected Isaac, who was still in his unconscious state. How long had passed since he blacked out? Minutes? Hours? Days? He didn't know. All he knew was darkness; until finally, a sliver of light appeared on the horizon. It grew brighter and brighter until the whole of his vision was nothing illumination. Was he dead? Again, he didn't know. Slowly, he heard a melodious sound come to his ears. It must've been the angels humming their heartfelt songs within the gates of Heaven. The sound grew louder, and the light grew brighter until. . .
He woke up. His eyes shot open; Isaac became aware of his new environment. He wasn't dead, nor was he in the snow, for that matter. His head still throbbed, his sinuses remained congested, and every muscle in his body ached. Isaac felt terrible chills running through his spine, so much so he sank back into a near stupor. Finally realizing he had to see where he was exactly, he looked down. He was in a bed; and a very warm one at that. There were several layers of heavy blankets weighing down on him, and his head lay in a soft pillow. The room around him was made completely of wood, but insulated with a strange gel-like substance. This looked like a room of a house; the room also had a fireplace, a few chairs here and there. Isaac slowly rolled onto his back. The humming started again, and this time he was sure he heard it. It was beautiful; relaxing. It was the only sound that did not throb in his burning ears. Isaac rolled to face where the sound was coming from, and saw a figure standing next to the fireplace, stirring something within a pot hanging from the fireplace wall. Isaac couldn't make out a face, so he tried to push himself out of bed. Every nerve ending in his body screamed out in pain, and Isaac groaned; he couldn't move at all. The figure turned after hearing his moan, and slowly approached him.
"You're finally awake." A calming voice said to him. "You were lucky, Isaac." He turned to see his savior; he still couldn't tell who it was. "How are you feeling?" Isaac moaned in return, struggling to speak. "Just relax." A blue light soon enveloped him, and he felt some of his strength return. Now, with eyes at full capacity, he turned his head.
"Mia? Am I dreaming? Where am I?"
"You're not dreaming, and you're in Imil. How are you feeling now?"
"Like I was stomped on by four horses, three goats, seven dogs, and the spirit of Kirin."
"Funny, you almost look like that." Mia joked lightly. "You were in terrible shape when we found you in the snow. If you had been out there an hour longer. . ."
"What's wrong with me? I can hardly move."
"Well, you caught the bug that was going around, first off. The flu bug causes weakened muscles and congestion in the head and chest, generally. Because of your lack of proper weather gear, you caught a nasty chill; giving you an awful fever. That big gash in your side did nothing to help you either. You passed out primarily because of loss of blood and overexertion. After you passed out, you got some mild frostbite and a case of hypothermia. A normal person would probably be dead now." Mia pulled a chair next to Isaac's bed. "You'll be down and out for awhile, Isaac. Best to just relax now." Isaac kept his eyes focused on her.
"I just wish we could've met again under better circumstances."
"It's okay." She smiled. "Just tell me, what were you doing out in the middle of nowhere like that? Where are the others?"
"There aren't any others." Isaac replied, weakly. "I came alone. Second, I just went where fate took me."
"What are you talking about?"
"Fate; it's where it took me." Isaac responded, coughing heavily afterward. "How long until I can get moving again?"
"You'll be out for a long time on this one, trust me. This isn't as simple as a snake bite or a scorpion sting. If only the Water of Hermes was still flowing from the Lighthouse. . ."
"You mean it's stopped?"
"Oddly, yes. I checked all throughout the Lighthouse and found no trace of a problem; the water simply stopped flowing. . . Though I sense something higher at work here." Mia gazed out a window into the snow covered landscape. "If there wasn't an epidemic here right now, you'd probably be on your feet by now."
"Beg your pardon, Mia?"
"You see, many people in Imil are sick with the flu right now, and I have to heal them. That takes Psy Power, remember? I can only use Ply so much before my power gives out. If so many people hadn't been sick, I could've used a lot of power and healed you almost all at once. I'm sorry, Isaac."
"Don't be." There was a pause when nothing was said, until Mia stood from her chair and walked back to the fireplace and stirred what was in the pot again. This time, she plucked a wooden bowl from the mantle of the fireplace and poured some of the liquid into it. She walked back over to Isaac.
"You'd better eat something to get your strength back up." Isaac sat up with a struggle and pulled his hands from under the covers. They were both heavily bandaged, and he could hardly move his fingers at all. "The frostbite. It got your hands; luckily it wasn't serious, so it Plyed right off; though it's a good bet your hands are still partially frozen."
"Well, how am I supposed to. . ." Isaac turned to say, when a spoonful of hot soup was shoved into his mouth. The soup had hardly any taste, but it seemed to revitalize him from the inside out after he swallowed it.
"That's how you're supposed to eat, Isaac. After you finish, we probably will be able to take those bandages off your hands." Mia continued giving Isaac soup, despite the fact that he felt miffed about being treated like a child. However, because he was without strength, he could do nothing to protest. After he finished, Mia removed the bandage-tape from his hands. There were no visible signs of frostbite, but Mia had been right about his hands feeling frozen. Isaac shoved them under the blankets to warm them.
"Sorry I can't stay with you right now, Isaac. I have to make my rounds and make sure everyone is recovering. I'll be back in a little while. If you need anything, call for Justin or Megan; they'll help you out." Mia smiled, leaving the room and exiting the house. Isaac rolled over onto his back, trying to relax. Though he couldn't help but think about Vale and his friends. He missed Garet and Jenna; this had been the longest time he and Garet had ever been separated. Isaac missed Jenna, too; her smart remarks and quick wit were always uplifting. He then thought back to Ivan; Isaac missed his younger friend, who was the wisest of all he knew. Then he thought of Mia; the one who'd saved his life again. What was this, the twentieth time? He couldn't remember; he'd lost count at twelve.
Mia had always been the quiet one among his friends, often being soft- spoken and withdrawn from him and the others while fitting right in. She was shy, caring, and polite; basically the opposite of Jenna. While Jenna could be polite and caring, she played around by being rude and mocking; though she never meant a word of it. Isaac felt unusually glad to see her again, but he couldn't place why. Eventually, he stopped trying to think and lapsed back into a deep slumber.
Eventually, he was woken up by a light shake on his right shoulder. Isaac mumbled something quietly and opened his eyes. He looked into the face of a young red-haired girl; her eyes were emerald green, and she couldn't have been older than eleven. She smiled at him.
"How are you feeling, Mr. Isaac?"
"Like I was hit by the Judgement of Venus. Better than earlier, though." He said, trying to sit up. His head continued to throb erratically, and he felt no moisture in his mouth. The young girl moved her hand over Isaac's forehead; she quickly recoiled it.
"Your fever's spiked again. I better go get Mia. Justin, where's Mia?" She called to a young boy, about the same age.
"I don't know, Megan. She should be back from her rounds soon." The boy called back.
"Well, go get me a damp cloth; his fever's up again." Justin came in quickly with a dampened cloth and handed it to Megan. "Lay your head back, please." Isaac did what he was told, and the girl slipped the rag onto the middle of his forehead. "There, that should hold his fever until she returns."
"Thank you, Megan." Isaac replied. Isaac moved his hands to his face; the feeling had returned to his hands and he could feel his face sweltering; yet he felt chilled. His nose had cleared out for the most part, and he had a little more strength. The worst of it was his fever; and the damp cloth gave a blissful cooling feeling.
"You're quite welcome, Mr. Isaac."
"Please, just call me Isaac."
"Ok, Isaac. Now, let me see your tongue."
"Why?"
"It's a way to check how bad your fever is. Just stick it out so I can look at it." He shrugged, but obeyed. The little girl gasped, and then recovered a second later.
"What? What's wrong?"
"You're tongue's so badly coated, it's nearly white. That equates to about a 104 degree fever, doesn't it, Justin?"
"I believe so. Mia will know for sure." The young boy walked into the room. Justin was a little shorter than Megan, but he looked a little older. He had brown hair and eyes, and his face showed a highly intelligent person with a knack for medicine. Both of the young disciples wore pure white robes, stretching all the way to their feet.
"Are you feeling any better, Mr. Isaac?" Justin asked, politely.
"It's just Isaac, and I feel better than earlier. Tell me, how long have I been here?"
"Well, Mia found you almost two days ago; you slept for about 19 hours when we got back, then Mia said you were awake for about an hour, then you slept for another 14 hours. You've been sleeping a lot; that's good. Mia also has been using Ply on you intermittently, which explains the speediness of your recovery." Justin replied.
"I've been sleeping for that long?"
"Yes. Don't concern yourself with that; though if you don't want to sleep anymore, I wouldn't be surprised. Just stay in bed until Mia returns." Justin returned, and on the conclusion of his statement, a wooden creak was heard in the next room, coupled a sound of blasting wind. Next the sound of a person shivering sounded, and Mia walked into the next room.
"It's got to be the coldest winter in ten years out there." Mia remarked to her young disciples. "How's Isaac doing?"
"I've been better."
"Oh, so you're awake, are you? How long have you been up?"
"Not long."
"Miss Mia, his fever's gotten bad again. I think it's around 104, but I can't be sure." Megan replied.
"That's bad. Let me see your tongue, Isaac." Isaac stuck out his tongue and Mia looked at it closely. "You were about right, Megan. His fever is about 104, but it looks like it's going down. Good thinking about the damp rag, too."
"How's the town, Mia?" Justin asked.
"The epidemic has more or less died out. Only a few young children and elderly people remain sick."
"That's great news! You may finally be able to get some rest, Mia!" Megan exclaimed.
"It's been a busy season for you, Mia. Just sit down and relax." Justin said. "We can take care of Isaac."
"By the way, what time is it?" Isaac asked.
"It's probably around 8:30 PM," Mia replied, looking at her hourglass in the corner. "I should get to making dinner."
"I've already started it, Mia. It should be almost finished by now." Justin replied. "Megan's been busy keeping an eye on Isaac for the past couple of hours."
"Thank you, Justin. Let me look in on it." Mia walked over to the fireplace, where she peered into the pot. "The soup smells good, Justin. Thanks again."
"You're welcome." Justin replied, eyes closed. Mia stirred the broth for a few moments, and turned to the mantle, picking up four different bowls and filling each carefully and setting them back onto the mantle. Justin and Megan promptly took their soup, while Mia delivered one to Isaac in his bed.
"How are your hands, Isaac?"
"They're fine, thanks." He replied, accepting the soup from her. "Thank you, Mia."
"You're welcome, but thank Justin for making it."
"Thank you, Justin."
"You're welcome." He replied between spoonfuls of soup. Isaac carefully inserted a spoonful into his mouth, careful not to burn his mouth on the piping hot liquid. Isaac instantly tasted the soup; a nice change. It had a spicy kick, something he wasn't expecting to be able to taste given his fever. The soup had the same effect as the earlier batch on him; energizing him almost fully. He glanced at Mia and Megan, who looked a little surprised by the soup.
"Justin! You added too much pepper!" Megan exclaimed, fanning her tongue.
"I thought it was bland." He responded.
"Well, the soup IS supposed to have a bite, but I think you overdid it a little with the spice, Justin." Mia responded. "Imil Pepper Stew isn't meant to be overwhelming, just warming."
"Sorry. What do you think Isaac?"
"I think it's good!" Isaac responded, slipping more of the meal into his mouth.
"It's probably because you can actually taste it." Mia responded, smiling.
"Actually, it really does have a nice kick."
"Too nice, if you ask me." Megan responded. After a little while, the soup was drained from the pot, Isaac and Justin eating two bowls apiece.
"Wow, you certainly put it away, didn't you, Isaac?" Megan asked.
"Isaac has always liked to eat." Mia replied, stifling a giggle.
"Not nearly as much as Garet, if you remember." Isaac replied, smiling broadly. His strength had returned, and it felt like his fever had gone down considerably.
"Ah, yes. Garet could pack it away, that's for sure." Mia smiled.
"Remember the night before Colosso in Tolbi? Garet ate enough food to feed ten people in one sitting!" Isaac laughed.
"I'd rather not remember; it's amazing he didn't get indigestion the next day." Mia returned, setting her bowl back on the mantle; it joined the other three already up there. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. It's been a long day. Megan, Justin, don't stay up too late. I don't want you to get sick too. Isaac, that goes double for you." Mia pointed. Isaac smiled, but didn't reply. Mia walked into a room adjacent to the room, and closed the door. Isaac turned his eyes on Megan and Justin, who were both studying him.
"So, it sounds like you and Miss Mia had quite a number of adventures together." Megan said.
"Yeah, we did."
"Will you tell me and Justin about some of them?"
"I'm not much of a storyteller, Megan."
"Please?" She asked, giving him the irresistible 'cute' look.
"It might be interesting. I'd like to hear about some of your travels, Isaac." Justin replied.
"Come on!"
"All right, all right. Where should I start?. . ."