AN: I just realized the last chapter was practically all fluff. haha whoops… there's some romance in this one too...)
Date: 1/2/13 - (27 Apr 2020)
Chapter 20: Reunion
They arrived at their destination to find dying flames and burnt remains of what used to be Kerlin's home. In mortified silence the group walked around, trying to find clues regarding who committed the crime, although Nausicaa was almost certain this was Sarkil's doing. Without hesitation she sifted through rubble and dust and found no human remains. She was grateful that Kerlin at least did not suffer a terrible death by fire. However that only eliminated one of many possibilities; she had no idea if he had been captured or if he managed to escape altogether.
She noticed Findel frozen in place and found him staring intensely at a strange, linear formation of rocks. At first glance it would seem absolutely uninteresting but as she looked closer they seemed to have been arranged in segments, like words of a sentence.
"Meet, at, cave…?" He read slowly, as if he were reading a language he wasn't completely fluent with.
"What?" Nausicaa asked, not comprehending.
"The patterns in the rocks. Those are symbols several of us created when we were young lads." Lewis explained. "Is there a cave nearby?"
"There are rock formations about a mile away from here."
In haste the group trekked for another twenty minutes east of the site, until they came upon several large formations of rock amidst marshy foliage. One of the rocks had an opening dug into it, seemingly by Mother Nature herself, for it appeared raw in structure, yet had been polished over time. Findel walked up to the cave first, and stood at the opening.
"Almus?" The man shouted into the cave. "Are you in there? It's Lewis."
Silence responded, and for a moment the group wondered if Kerlin had truly been captured. Findel however, refused to give up.
"How did you know I would make it out this time?" Mystification found its way into his voice as he continued conversing with the black emptiness. "Everyone else who can read those symbols is either dead or thousands of miles away from here." Again no response. They were about to give up hope when their ears registered the shuffle of footsteps.
"Blind faith and gut intuition." A voice echoed out of the darkness, and the group gazed intently into the pitch blackness of the cave. The aged doctor gradually emerged before their very eyes, out of the heart of the cave.
"I figured you must have really wreaked some havoc back there, for them to come after me." Kerlin continued, a mischievous grin upon his face as he walked toward his best friend from years past.
"Unbelievable!" Findel exclaimed. Few additional words were spoken as the two aged men shuffled towards each other, both incredulous.
"Glad to see you alive." Kerlin chuckled heartily, his gnarled hands roughly patting his friend's shoulder.
"We thought that fire had killed you!" At this the doctor uttered a frustrated groan.
"Oh, those bastards burned everything to the ground - my home for twenty-seven years!" He exclaimed grumpily.
"I know. But at least you haven't been harmed." His friend comforted him.
"Oh they don't plan to harm me - they can't!" He barked defiantly. "My brother doesn't dare to actually kill me."
"Exactly. And if I know you, they didn't destroy everything. Am I right?"
"Well, I did salvage my most precious seeds and books before they bombarded my house."
"Then they are most rare indeed." Lewis smiled kindly into the eyes of his companion, and the two again spiraled into another set of joyous laughs.
"Still the same Lewis! Always the optimistic friend." Kerlin complimented, and Lewis gave a small cackle in response.
"Oh, well, just a little rusty. You're looking fine though!" The doctor waved away that last comment, and remembered that they were not alone.
"Where - where's the girl?" Kerlin asked, glancing around for Nausicaa. When he found her he slowly shuffled towards her, greeting her with a warm smile and a merry twinkle in his eyes.
"Thank you, my dear - for bringing him back to me." The kind old man took her hand and patted it lightly. Nausicaa returned the sentiment, glad to see the two friends reunited. Presently he pulled her towards the cave entrance. "Come; I have something to show you. It'll take five minutes. Everyone else wait here briefly."
The two of them walked together into the darkness, and turned a corner into another "room", not much more than another compartment carved in stone, but with the addition of a small fire and a random assortment of boxes. The man mumbled to himself for a few minutes, drawing out handfuls of leaves and roots from boxes here and jars there. Everything he gathered he then threw into a cup for a concoction over the fire; a minute later he handed the Princess a steaming cup of tea.
"Drink that." He ordered, as his voice turned grave. "I have absolutely no idea how you ended up in an execution room, not to mention how you survived." Then added with a slight tint of remorse, "Forgive me for sending you into such danger in the first place."
"How did you know?" The girl bounced back, stunned by his acute observation.
"The combinations of those toxins leave a distinct tint on the skin; I noticed the moment I saw you. Sarkil has a most merciless disposition even after all these years."
They continued chatting and Nausicaa quickly summarized the events that occurred in Merinth. Then she remembered to ask if purifying the toxins out of the wild cyathea temulsa might achieve the same medicinal properties as mulsa. The old man simply shrugged, having never tried it himself. He informed her that a large field of the wild variant lay just a mile to the west, and she decided she would have to experiment on her own.
"Do you still alter plants?" She inquired.
"No, not anymore. After seeing how mulsa was used, I lacked the incentive and the equipment to do it safely. I saved the handbook," He piped up, pointing to a pile of books in the corner. "Feel free to take it and try to make sense of it if you like." She smiled at the kind offer, and pondered how this man could possibly be related to the villainous king she furiously battled several days ago.
"Doctor, are you truly Sarkil's brother?" The man chuckled at her question.
"Yes, born and raised in the same family. Our interests and personalities were entirely different though, so many people have gone so far as to suspect that one of us was adopted." She wondered how Kerlin ended up living most of his life banished from the land his brother ruled. He seemed to have read her mind and revealed his past to her briefly.
"You denied your place as ruler?" She squeaked in surprise.
"Yes; I hated politics. I had no aptitude or desire to handle foreign relations or economic policies."
"Did he try to kill you?"
"No, he won't kill me." The physician-scientist replied. "He is a lonely, pitiful man after all; such is the plight of those in power."
"I would advise you to stay away from Merinth from now on," he continued. "He does hold grudges and may still try to harm you." The Princess nodded in understanding, as they began walking back out to rejoin their friends.
"Lewis, old friend, where do you intend to go now?" The sage scientist questioned.
"I have nowhere in mind. I originally hoped your abode in Belden Swamp would have room for one more inhabitant, but seeing that even you are on the run..." Silence hovered for only a second before the doctor piped up again.
"Shall we travel together?" Kerlin posed, as a smirk and lively twinkle spread across on his features.
"Shall we?" Findel prodded, mulling over the idea as his expression mirrored his friend's.
"You're a free man now, and I have nothing to tie me down. I could travel with you and search for seeds along the way."
"Are we not too old for this?" Findel retorted hesitantly.
"Ha! Old is a useless word. As long as we have breath in our bodies I say we are young enough." Lewis contemplated a moment longer, then threw his hands up in the air.
"Alright then, why not?!" He laughed, clearly entertained by the idea.
"Wonderful! There's only one thing left to do." Kerlin then turned to the princess standing nearby.
"Nausicaa, you now own what little remains of my library and seed collection. It's not everything I had in the swamp, but I saved my most valuable books, seeds, and medicines." The girl was completely rendered speechless for a moment.
"What- no, I couldn't possibly!"
"I am about to travel the world which means I need to pack light. I would feel very relieved to know that my collection is safe in your hands." He smiled warmly before continuing. "Besides, it is the least I can do for you. Not only have you outsmarted my brother for me, but you have brought back to me a treasured friend."
"I… I don't know what to say…" She replied, still astounded. "Thank you, thank you so much!" She felt honored to receive such a prized collection of knowledge, from the most renowned doctor across the lands.
Eventually the group decided to head out, leaving two adventurous seventy-year olds to pack for the trip of a lifetime. Nausicaa bid both of them a fond farewell, wishing them safe travels and good health.
"When you have finished your travels, come to the Valley, both of you! Replant your garden in our land, and teach me the rest of your knowledge!" Nausicaa shouted to them as she was leaving, to which the men agreed enthusiastically and waved goodbye.
The party waded back through the marshes toward the aircraft, stopping only to gather a decent amount of temulsa to take home. As soon as they boarded the airship Nausicaa ordered the books and seed collection to be deposited in her room, while she scavenged the ship to find containers to hold her temulsa specimens. From the kitchen she nabbed several jars to experiment with root propagation with temulsa stems. In the mechanics room she recovered some modest metal bins to hold the larger plant samples, complete with roots and all. Drawing inspiration from the lab at the base of her tower back home, she placed the troughs and jars on the deck, filled them with water, and submerged the plants in them. She obviously couldn't keep water running constantly, and settled with changing the water multiple times a day, depending on their limited water supply. After all, they were flying several hundred feet in the air without a permanent water source.
When she was finished, she turned around to find Asbel leaning against the doorway, watching her with a slight smile on his face. His eyes held a spark of liveliness, illuminating the enchanting amber depths.
"What is this? Aircraft upgrade?" He drawled mischievously; the girl sent him a dirty look, but a smile pulled the corner of her lips and lit up her eyes. She confidently strutted toward him with a playful air.
"That," she declared, slipping her hands around his middle. "Just might be more of your mother's cure." His eyes widened in delightful surprise.
"Really?"
"Mhm. It's the wild version of mulsa, called cyathea temulsa. "
"No way. Can I see it?" He piped excitedly, freeing himself from her to go inspect the plants. He walked over and knelt down to observe the leaves closely.
"This can cure Gullera?" He breathed, in awe that such delicate leaves could hold so much power.
"Possibly; this is still toxic," She explained, coming to stand by him. "The man-made, non-toxic imitation from Merinth is in my room. Kerlin said I could try purifying this and see if it can also heal."
"Amazing." He declared, and continued to observe the plants.
Speaking of Kerlin reminded her that she had a stack of books and an extremely interesting seed collection waiting for her, and decided to leave Asbel on the balcony with the temulsa.
"I'll be in my room. Don't stay out in the cold for too long." She lovingly reminded him, as she headed back.
Once inside her cabin she excitedly sifted through her new possessions: Kerlin had left her with about ten thick volumes on medicine, a few of his personal scientific notebooks, and many little boxes containing seeds, leaves, and roots of medicinal plants.
"Medical Emergency Kit." She read on a medium sized leather case. The label was interesting enough, but its worn out handles and discolored appearance further incited her curiosity. Out of all of Kerlin's belongings this was the oldest and most used; she gently lifted it up as if it were a fragile antique.
Sitting down once more she opened the case and found a fascinating assortment of vials and medical instruments ranging from scalpels and blades to elaborate syringes. She realized the potential usefulness of this treasure chest in the near future, and quickly began familiarizing herself with the contents. Using his books and personal notebooks she searched for definitions of chemicals, purposes of herbal extracts, and instructions for the medical tools. Salicin was a painkiller, valapotriates was a sedative, Origanum vulgare leaves can be rubbed onto skin as an antiseptic…
"'Catechin is a chemical known to instantly clot blood, and is derived from the plant Potentilla fragarioides.' Interesting."
Eventually she came upon the tiniest black vial in the entire case, and held it up for inspection under the light.
"Edrophonium," she read, and speedily searched for it in a glossary. "'Edrophonium. A toxin derived from the Physostigma venenosum plant. Will stimulate respiratory muscle contraction.'" She paused to think for a second.
"Why would you ever want respiratory muscles convulsing in a medical emergency?" She mumbled to herself. Sedation and blood clotting agents made sense, but stimulators? She scanned the medical handbooks and couldn't find an appropriate use for Edrophonium, for the books only mentioned it as a chemical compound that caused hyperactive respiration. Putting the vial back into the case, she made a mental note to ask Kerlin one day and moved onto the next item.
"So much for this shirt," Asbel muttered grumpily to himself, staring at the tattered hole in the fabric where Nausicaa had torn away. He hadn't had the opportunity to change out of it either - and it was nearing a week now. His shoulder movements were extremely restricted, either due to pain, or from the uncomfortable dressing that Nausicaa perpetually heaped over it. He had done his best staying clean without actually washing his upper body, but he had reached the point where he could no longer tolerate the sweat and grime on himself and was dying to change into clean clothes.
"Do you think I can at least change into a new shirt?" Asbel asked Nausicaa plainly. In all honestly he would have done it days ago without hesitation - but he learned the hard way that she had the better judgement on how far he should exert himself after sustaining a traumatic soft tissue injury.
The Princess looked up from one of Kerlin's well-worn books on infectious diseases.
"I don't see why not. You can move your arms now?" The girl inquired matter-of-factly.
"Somewhat, though I haven't tried overhead motion." he replied candidly.
"Give it a try," She encouraged with a medic's warm but authoritative tone. "Just be careful."
She strolled over to his belongings to find a random clean shirt, and out of the corner of her eye watched him fight with the material. He seemed to be successfully elbowing and writhing his way through most of it, but then flinched at the hardest part of getting it past his shoulders. Noticing his difficulty she traipsed back towards him.
"How about I help you?" She nudged, smiling amusedly at the half clothed sight before him; he grunted in agreement. She approached him and gently hiked the rest of the garment over his shoulders and head, saving the hurt shoulder for last. The man obediently remained still for her, seated on the bed.
She had never seen him shirtless, and it distracted her tremendously, until she felt herself blushing. His body was masterfully made: broad shoulder frames despite having lost a little of its original fullness, muscles that were sleek and well-defined, a supple abdomen that may have turned softly padded after a week of inactivity, and sun-kissed skin that looked so luxuriously smooth it took Nausicaa all the restraint in the world to stop herself from trailing her fingers across it. He was so beautiful that she ended up marveling unabashedly, and didn't care if he caught her staring.
"Had a good look?" He finally asked, with a dizzying combination of a shy but self-satisfied expression tugging the corners of his lips.
She responded by way of a sheepish smile and he saw her bite her lip unconsciously. It was an endearing gesture that drove him slightly insane.
Nausicaa mentioned something about getting a towel and a basin of water so he could also do a quick wash-up; Asbel replied it was a good idea. Two minutes later said water basin appeared and she wrung the towel and was about to apply it to his skin when he leaned over to place his hand over hers.
"I can take it from here," his gentle, velvety voice drifted towards her.
"You only have one good arm," she pointed out, perplexity evident in her slight frown.
"No, it's alright." He replied. He knew that if she really did hand wash his torso she would be getting to know his body intimately, which would undoubtedly evoke a strong response from him physically. Moreover, self-hygiene was something a man should be able to do himself, and he disliked having her do such a servile thing.
Not wanting him to feel uncomfortable, she handed him the towel and stepped away. She wondered if perhaps he didn't want her staring, so she directed her attention to cleaning up the room a bit, still watching him in her periphery and sending occasional furtive glances. There were inevitably spots he couldn't reach, especially where even his uninjured arm could not bend on itself to touch. Nausicaa read him fairly well and knew when he was getting frustrated; silently she returned to his side.
"Allow me." She whispered, affection pouring out of her eyes.
Hazel eyes stared back at her, slightly apologetic but full of gratitude and wonder. She finally realized he didn't want to embarrass her; she would have to tell him that this was more of a delight than an inconvenience.
She began to wipe the salty sweat and sticky grime off his shoulders, neck, back, and arms...under his arm he squirmed, being the ticklish type and Nausicaa chuckled. The water soothed and refreshed his parched skin and he let out a contented sigh.
At some point Asbel couldn't tell if he was getting cleaned or caressed by her. Suddenly lips contacted the middle of his back, sending shivers down his spine; he growled appreciatively while his body ached for more. She seemed to have read his mind, for her lips followed the the trace of the towel, interchangeably leaving gentle kisses across his shoulders and the sides of his neck. Occasionally a droplet of water would leave the fabric and slide down his back, heightening his awareness of every inch of skin, until he was tingling all over from her every touch.
Now moving instinctively, her right hand slipped around his middle from behind to reach the front, sending a ripple of sensations through him. The muscles in his abdomen couldn't decide whether to relax under her touch or tense under the stimulation. Now that the sweaty odor had been wiped away, Nausicaa detected a scent that was uniquely his: mild, not exactly floral, but fresh and a little sweet, almost like rain over an open plain. She smiled and placed another kiss on the right side of his neck.
Asbel tilted his head automatically and exhaled. Somewhat roughly he pressed her hand into his skin and pulled her arm a little closer, savoring the intimacy and bemoaning the fact that she was still fully clothed. He pushed that last thought out of his mind for now.
"How is it that you're enjoying this more than I am?" He murmured; she emitted a lighthearted laugh.
For a moment they stayed there, until they could feel their hearts beating as one. Nausicaa hugged him closely to herself and rested her head against him; she had dearly missed holding him and appreciated the raw contact with him.
Gradually the embrace loosened, and the woman remembered she hadn't cleaned the wound itself. He had tried to but he couldn't even look at it, no matter how he strained his neck. Her fingers trailed across his skin as she drew away to rinse the towel, and even when she came back her hands found every opportunity to linger. All seriousness returned to her face as she steadied him with one hand and inspected the damage inflicted by the bullet. A scab had only partially formed, and the wound was still raw and sore; without a doubt it would leave a permanent scar.
Looking at the injury she felt her heart being ripped to pieces, as pain arose out of the depths of love and consumed her whole. Compassion was her second nature, which meant that she felt the affliction of those around her, especially of those she loved, and she took on their suffering as if it were her own. The wound had given him insurmountable torture: from the bullet tearing through flesh, to the nights of overwhelming misery, to days of excruciatingly slow recovery. A sorrowful tear rolled down her cheek on his behalf, as her heart grieved to see him tormented. The longer she looked at it, the more the wound became hers.
Watching every emotion pass through her eyes, the boy grew amused, and took her face in his hand.
"Shh. Stop that." He told her gently, wiping the tear away with his thumb. The expression on his face was one of intrigue and love; his eyes communicated the carefree contentment he currently possessed - like a man that has finally figured out the most important things in life.
"It doesn't hurt anymore. Not with you around." He guided her face towards him while he leaned forward to place a feathery kiss on her lips. Pulling away slightly, he lovingly regarded the teary-eyed, tender-hearted woman still holding onto him, and decided to use mischief lighten the mood.
"Now, can I get my shirt back?" He asked in a light-hearted tone, while a playful glint appeared his eyes. "Or do you intend on do you intend on being shirtless with me?"
Nausicaa was caught completely off guard; her eyes widened at the notion and her cheeks turned cherry-red. Asbel chuckled, incredibly satisfied with himself.
ps All except one of the plants mentioned in this chapter are real! I did my research on ethnobotany... it's incredible how many medicinal properties they have.
Thanks so much for reading all you loyal fans that are out there... you mean so much to me, it keeps me writing!
