VII
Get Well Soon
Finally, the sun rises from its sleep and bathes the whole land, even though the fortress was hiding behind the clouds, it hasn't changed recently, with its colossal rock floating high above the sky, it made sure that the stronghold of a dangerous mage withstand every elements from the weather.
Speaking of the climate, it had gotten cold lately, Spring season of Ionia has its chill especially on mornings, the temperature could align from the coldness of winter, sometimes rain can fall at any time without specific warnings, how treacherous it can be for anyone who lives near mountainous areas.
Slumped on her bed was a grumpy mage that almost thrashed the furniture, she can't sleep well because of the cold, but she felt so vague, her body was warm and her breath was releasing hot air from her body, in fact she can't think straight because her head was painfully aching like someone's hammering her skull.
She got up and sat. Suddenly, her head sting a little followed by with a sneeze, she grimaced on how she have fallen sick despite of harnessing an inbound potential.
"Pathetic." She said while she rubs her nose because of the cold. "I am powerful. What I have got is a stupid cold!"
She tried to stand up but her weak body made her slump back to bed, no matter how hard she put on her power to lift herself, the results are not worthy.
"I hate this. Why.. Why did I have this sickness?!" Again, she was replied with a sneeze from herself. She was so agitated as she tried to collect her composure, making herself comfortable on the sheets.
The sound of the clock breaks the silence, her thoughts of finding an immediate cure for her illness were all mixed up with emotions. She remembered that time she was watched by the mages and elders from her youth. Whenever she was sick, they only put medicine and let her cure herself, she haven't recieved anyone taking care of her at all until she grew up as an adult.
But, she remembered something, back from last two days ago, on that very most day of raining on Ionia, she remembered how someone put warmth to her, someone who gave her a slight remedy of fighting an anticipating cold because of how she had let herself under the rain.
Someone who gave her medicine, even offering her to make herself home from an Ionian she had been seeing as her rival.
Immediately, she took the phone. Ahri returned the phone last night, though Ahri just tried some few numbers from the humans she have contacted with while she was having some explorations to the festival with Irelia.
She thought of borrowing that same medicine from the rival she had, dialing the number precisely to make sure she hasn't pressed any number other than the respective number of the one she has to call. Of course, she was keen on making call this time, especially on what happened to her first caller; yet she has no care to remember that putrid call she had received.
Now the ringing commence, she was nervous on what she was about to say but what choice does she has? Few more rings has been heard until it went off, a voice that was familiar boomed on the stereo.
"Hello? Good Morning." Irelia said immediately.
"Good Morning." Syndra replied weakly.
"Is everything alright?" Irelia worries as she finally got the thing due to Syndra's low-key voice.
"Fine. Don't mind me." Syndra denies of having problems, she just wanted to end this call after she was allowed to borrow the medicine.
"By hearing your voice, you aren't. Tell me what's going on." Irelia pressed.
"I said I am fine. Just let me get to my point, will you?" Syndra got annoyed a little from Irelia's questions. "I wanted to borrow something."
"Borrow? What is it?"
Syndra pauses, by the looks of their conversation, it seems she will be caught lying at any minute.
"That thing you gave me last two days ago."
"Last two days? That time when it's raining?"
"Yes, I want that."
"Hm.. I will come to your fortress, please wait for me."
Then, the call ended.
"What? What's that?" Syndra wondered why Irelia cuts the line after she demanded. "I didn't even said yes!"
She immediately jumped out from bed and went to the window, there was something coming straight to her line of sight, something flying.
"It's her! She was fast!"
Irelia stood the porch and knocks the door, Syndra panicked a little despite of her current situation.
"Damn it! I don't want to see her seeing me like this weak!" Syndra roams around her room thinking of ideas on how she will interact Irelia.
The knocking continues and it made the fortress have its noise, the mage got annoyed and let her power open the door for Irelia. The captain went inside without Syndra knowing untill she heard her door knocks.
"Syndra." Irelia called.
"How on earth did she know that THIS is my ROOM?!" Syndra murmured, totally shocked on knowing Irelia's clairvoyance.
"T-The door's open." She now called as the captain made her way inside.
Irelia gasps to see Syndra's condition, the mage was still on her dress, her bed was a mess and her bed hair was still at place, she gazed at those glowing eyes which are sullen and dull, giving her an idea that Syndra was not alright at all.
"You are fine, alright. But I see you having problems to your body." Irelia deduced, she gripped her kit that she have carried all the way here.
"So? Why don't you laugh now and see how your most wanted person of this COUNTRY look like?" The mage caustically snarled, her voice was low due to the cold.
"That's likely rude to laugh at people who is sick. It seems you have got a cold." Irelia placed the kit on Syndra's desk. "Would you kindly lay on the bed and rest instead of ranting how you wanted me to laugh at you?"
"Tch. I didn't even said YES of having you a permission to intrude my fortress!"
"Stop being stubborn." Irelia cuts her. "You are sick, don't make me repeat this again."
"How dare you giving me orders?! Just because I have been this weak doesn't mean YOU have your advantage!"
"What is wrong with you?!" Irelia raised her voice, this made Syndra silenced. The captain made a last glare before she pulls out something from inside of the kit.
"What the hell is that?" Syndra asks.
"Thermometer." Irelia flatly replied, she went forward in front of the mage, she took Syndra's arm and lifted it, but Syndra immediately jumps and pulls away.
"What are YOU plotting?!" Syndra barked.
"Lay still. I am going to check your temperature." Irelia pushes herself again and tried to touch Syndra's arm.
"Get away from me!"
"Seriously?! After this mage demanded that thing while I was charmed last night, then she won't let me check her temperature?" Irelia snaps back, she crosses her arms and glared at Syndra.
"T-Thing?! THAT?!" Syndra finally realized.
"That is more worse than checking on someone. Did you know how that thing made me insomniac from the rest of the night?"
"Wait.. You.. You can't sleep because.."
"Of course. Thank you, Ms. Sovereign."
"But you FOLLOWED ME!"
"I am just compensating on what I have done against your shame. But that demand was indeed questionable.." Irelia's face made a slight pink as she remembered that time she have taken that first experience.
"W-Well.." Syndra blushed, realizing on what happened last night.
"So, will you let me check your temperature?" Irelia still pursued.
"Fine. Just..hurry up." Syndra now sat on the bed and let Irelia checks on her, she lifted her arm and placed the thermometer inside her underarm, the beeping of the device continued to repeat until it went off. Irelia pulls the thermometer and checks on the results.
"37.05 degrees.. Amazing, you have a fever. Congratulations. I recommend naming your temperature as.. Hot." Irelia chuckled, implying a hidden sarcasm behind her joke.
"Ha. Ha. Ha. Lame joke. Captain." Syndra smirked as she have taken a like of Irelia's joke. She find it somewhat adorable.
"It seems I have to take Hot away from your body." Irelia cheerfully grinned before she went to the kit again and takes out medicine.
"Hmph..lame." Syndra mumbled.
"What?" Irelia asks away to repeat Syndra's words before.
"Nothing. I said what does that technology do?"
"You mean, this thermometer?"
"What else?"
"It calculates heat."
"That's it?"
"Yes, some people use it for cooking, they often check the right temperature of water to make a right timing to add ingredients. It's convenient." Irelia explained.
"Interesting. Is that included to technology?" Syndra asks again from her curiosity.
"Of course. Well, I bought this from Piltover for medical purposes." Irelia went towards Syndra and placed the medicines.
Syndra wondered why there are two medicines that she have to take, she asks Irelia about it.
"This one is for your cold, and this one is for lowering your body heat. I hate to say we have to make a move on preventing your sickness to worse, or else you will be having a flu." Irelia explained while she lays Syndra down on the bed.
"Flu? What's that?"
"It's a mixture of cold, pains and fever. It was somehow contagious. Of course, your cold can be contagious."
"Then you should BACK away now! I have this cold and I may infect YOU! Don't blame me if you ever have got this sickness from ME!" Syndra shoved Irelia, she squirms away from the captain by moving herself away.
"That's why I have this." Irelia pulls out an item from the kit.
"Now what the hell is that? Is your kit magic or what?"
"It's a face mask, wear this." Irelia handed the mask to the mage.
"How will I wear this?"
"Like this."
Irelia placed the strings on both sides of Syndra's ears, the cloth covers her nose and mouth after she fixed the mask's position. Syndra took a hand mirror using her manipulative powers and brings it in front of her.
"What? Now I look like those NINJAS that Zed orders!" Syndra complained, her voice was muffled behind the mask. "He will LAUGH at me like an IDIOT!"
"Of course. But it will be laughable if he will be able to wear that while he was wearing a metal mask of his. Double trouble."
"A mask with a face MASK? Ha! I bet he will look a succumbed patient from that Kinkou Order." Syndra laughed but she sneezed afterwards.
"Really.. I don't want your cold to worse." Irelia sighed. "Wait, I will get you some water for your medicine." She scuttles away and went out from the room.
She stared at the door, waiting for the captain to come back, wondering why she take so long for only to get a glass of water for her to take the medicine. Still, her thoughts for the captain stirred, questions inside her mind baffled her and kept asking her again and again.
Why does Irelia taking care of her? She didn't even asked her to do it, what ponders her is that the captain pursues the activity by her own consciousness.
Bathed with thoughts, she stared at the window instead, she can hear the howling of the wind that slams her window, Spring winds can be threatening at some point due to its cold temperature, how she wished the season could end now.
"Why is she taking so long? What is she doing?!" Syndra was having impatience, she stood up and tried to move, her world spun a little before she held the doorknob, making her way downwards of her home.
What she invites her was a savory smell from the kitchen yet the smell subsided by just seconds due to her cold, though she haven't used it once in a while; she only uses it for boiling her tea and that's it. She orders food using her phone and asks delivery as usual, and it sums up that she somehow admits that she can't cook.
Her eyes widened as she saw Irelia cooking, this was her first time seeing someone using her kitchen and it was her rival of all places, she have doubts of seeing Irelia as a rivalry opponent, in fact she isn't acting like one.
"I told you to lay down and rest." Irelia spoke, her behind facing Syndra, she kept on stirring on something.
"What are you doing? Witch experiments?" Syndra pouted, waiting for Irelia to reply.
"Is this you call 'Experiment'? It's food. For you. As a patient." Irelia showed Syndra a porridge, steaming with chicken broth on a bowl.
"I am not worrying on what are you doing. I am worrying why are YOU taking so long!" Syndra shoved herself away and went upstairs.
"Hm.. Ahri was right. She acts like those people in animé thing." Irelia sighed and finishes cooking. She prepared everything for the grumpy patient who was literally waiting for her.
She have brought a tray for Syndra, she saw Syndra sat on the farthest edge of the bed, a sigh escaped from her lips before she placed it on a small table which is located at the corner, pulling it near beside the bed.
"Hey. Im-patient." Irelia called.
"What did you just called me?!" Syndra got the attention and faced Irelia.
"Hm.. My puns are not working. Oh well." She gathered the utensils for the food, ready to ingestion.
"You and your puns." Syndra finally positioned herself on the bed.
Irelia was hoping to give feeding for Syndra a try, she knew that Syndra may not eat her food alone despite of her attitude, feeding her may give her attention for the mage to finish it, of course Syndra will not deny such thing that was nearly impossible to her.
"Would you let me feed you?" Irelia asks permission first before trying anything.
"W-What?!" Syndra immediately got flustered. "You..You wanted.. to feed me?!"
"If it was okay. If not, then I will place it here and wait for you to finish it while I prepare a cold compression for you." Irelia honestly stated, she waited for the mage's reply.
"She.. She will feed me?! Like what happened last night?! I-I am not going to let this offer slip by." The mage thought as her face reddened.
"So. I will leave it here then?" Irelia was anticipating to stand up but Syndra snaps in.
"I didn't even said YES!"
"So..?"
"I think..I have said yes." Syndra blushed and glances away.
"Hm.." Irelia snickered, she went back on sitting and took the spoon. "She can be smooth, somehow."
"Ah." Irelia mouthed, making Syndra imitate the action until the porridge contained spoon reached her lips.
The food have tickled Syndra's tastebuds as she chew the soft rice of the porridge, it was worth of craving.
"How was it?" Irelia asks criticism.
"Not bad. This is not a typical porridge, isn't it?"
"It's called Congee. Simply put, porridge."
"Hm. You knew more than that Mutt after all.. Maybe I could learn from you."
"Never knew that the grumpy Sovereign wants to learn from me."
"Grumpy?! Me?"
"Like, of course? Your face really calls annoyance most of the time." Irelia scooped again and pointed at the mage. "But right now, I am just sticking calling you Im-patient. "
"Hmph." Syndra began eating, slowly she chewed the food well until it breaks down into pieces before she ingested it.
Afterwards, Syndra took the medicines and then she slumped back to bed and sighed, she felt so much better whenever Irelia cares for her movements. By just now, Irelia went downstairs preparing for her compress to ease the fever, she really wanted to see Irelia inside her room rather than outside, she felt the worries again because the captain took so much long downstairs.
Unfortunately, Ahri's voice came out nowhere from her subconscious mind, giving her chills with hindrance from the fox's voice.
"Missed her?"
"Oh, you liked her. That's the fact!"
Syndra took her pillow and covered her head, she just can't deny the annoyance of the fox creeping subconsciously inside her hearing.
"For God's sake! Why am I hearing that MUTT'S sultry VOICE?!" She sworn to herself that she was guilty of having contacts with the fox.
Suddenly, the door of her room opened, creaking on the rusty door's fulcrum attached on the door.
Irelia holds a small basin and a cloth, she sat beside the mage who was slumped in a weird way; having her head on flat covered with a pillow.
"What are you doing?"
Syndra jumped, she fixated her position and coughed a little.
"What took you so long?" She evaded the question by asking.
"I have a hard time locating this small basin, pardon me."
"I see, I thought you are preparing for a cold compress."
"Here it is."
"But it's just only a bowl with water and a cloth. What of it?"
"Before I could proceed, let me have a permission first."
Syndra wondered what is the meaning of that.
"Well.. I want to.. wash you." Irelia admitted. She gave Syndra an instant blush that literally made her embarrassed.
"W-WASH?! ME?! WHAT KIND OF ACTIVITY IS THAT?!"
"It was not that serious. I have two proposals."
"And WHAT ARE THOSE?!"
"It's either you bath with warm water, or let me wipe off the heat from your body."
Those proposals are all vague for Syndra, she felt exposed whenever Irelia states those things.
"Basically, YOU are going to WASH ME?!" Syndra clarified; with her tone that was filled with doubt and probably excitement.
"Maybe." Irelia flatly replied.
"Maybe? Do you think I am enlightened with your answer?"
"What are you expecting anyway?" Irelia pressed further.
"I am JUST.. clarifying. I never had this." Syndra's voice have fallen at the end.
"I see, if it embarrasses you, I recommend you to have a warm bath. It soothes pains and it may lower your temperature." Irelia stood up and offered her hand. "Come, the bath is ready."
The two made a short stroll at the hallway, they have reached the bathroom without any worries, but Syndra was the most worrying, she doesn't know why; only it was because Irelia was trying her best to relieve her with her sickness.
They both entered the room, hot humid blasts Syndra's face as she saw the tub, steaming with lukewarm water, Irelia also prepared two buckets of warm water for cleaning purposes.
Irelia stood behind Syndra until the mage got hostile.
"Why are you still here? Don't TELL ME YOU ARE JOINING ME AS WELL?!"
"What? Me? Why would I?" Irelia glances away. "What makes you think that?"
"YOU are still here. Don't tell me you are going to watch me strip in front of you?"
"Seeing you strip? Is that what you're expecting?" A blush plastered across her cheeks.
"Look! You are BLUSHING!" Syndra pointed at the captain.
"You are blushing too." The captain snapped back.
"I have FEVER, so it's plausible!!" Syndra stomped the floor repeatedly, showing agitation.
"Haha~"
"YOU THINK THAT WAS FUNNY?!"
"I really like the way you stomp the floor like a spoiled child." Irelia finished her words and leaves. Syndra just got silenced after she heard those words from captain.
"Call me if you are done."
Syndra was now left alone, she stared at her bathroom that was fogged up from humidity, she now proceeds to wash herself using the lukewarm water that was placed in the buckets.
"Hm.." Syndra hummed, the warmth of the water made its way to her skin. "She prepared this for me just to make me feel better."
"Is she really my rival?" She wondered while she lathers soap across her body, then cleansing it with the water.
She sneezed at the moment before she could try the tub, it was inviting her to hop in with its water that was heated at the right temperature.
Her leg made its dip on the water until she finally soaked herself, she moaned as the warm water reached her senses, relaxing her from head to toe.
"Mnn.. How did she.. warmed this?" Syndra made soft ripples to the water. "It's perfect.. I am literally speechless."
But her subconscious mind wanders, the relaxation from her dip made her drowsy, she felt in need of sleep, the water is likely a lullaby for her, and then her vision darkened, leaving herself in the warm waters of the tub.
She was half asleep, everything was dark until she sees a light in front of her, but something was pressing her back, it was soft and it was comforting, her head has something underneath it, supporting her neck that would bring an ease. And then she felt something covers her, a warm, long blanket which induce heat that will help her fever to go down, it felt really good, her body was now in peace and unaware to its surroundings.
Suddenly, she felt a wet object that was placed on her forehead, wondering what could it be that brings a another comfort. It was Irelia who placed that object, it was the cloth soaked with water, she rubs the cloth each sides of Syndra's heat points to lower the temperature. Starting from her head until to the sides of her neck, she ran the cloth gently to avoid Syndra from waking.
Syndra was so helpless, she just watched Irelia took care for her just to help her relieve the sickness she has, her eyes was slit open to see the face of her doctor; a nurse perhaps, she was a patient that needs care, and that only person who cared for her was that rival she sees.
Finally, Irelia made the cloth wet again and placed it on top of her forehead, watching the mage sleep and monitoring her condition. A smile was made as she gazes down on her patient, she fixes the blanket to make sure the mage was covered.
And then.
"Get well soon." Irelia whispered before she rested her head, waiting for the time to pass by while she monitors the mage sleeping peacefully.
NOTE:Honestly, I find it cute whenever Irelia made puns, and yes, addition with Syndra's caustic attitude; she may find it lame. I really made this chapter so mundane that everyone can feel how a daily life of having this kind of illness in a cold weather. But due to the fact this story is about fluffs, it is expected!
And lastly, Im-patient. You know, an impatient patient? Get it? *sweat drop
Anyway! Expect fluffs in the next chapter!