A/N: Time for something super sobering OTL.
Asteri had been trying to ask Sofia what was wrong every time she rushed past him with a new collection of items in her arms. She seemed to have such a sense of urgency to her actions that she couldn't address his confusion. The temple guardianess would mumble worried, incoherent sentences under her breath. Finally, Asteri managed to pull her aside to talk to her.
"Sofia! What in the name of the Heavens is the matter?" He snapped.
"It's Dynamis." Tears started to well up in her purple-grey eyes, "He's running a high fever."
Now, given that temple guardians lived so far away, and so isolated from society, the chances of them catching a cold or the flu was incredibly minimal. However, this also meant that they were hundreds of miles away from any hospital or medical facility, so they had to rely on traditional medicine.
Aside from multiple births, future temple guardians had no siblings. And, if a young one did not survive childhood, well, the parents would have to try again. It was always a concern of temple guardians if their child did not survive infancy.
But, Dynamis was different.
Having reached to age of seven, it was almost assured that he would survive to adolescence. However, being so young, his immune system was still developing. And, this left him more vulnerable and susceptible to disease than his parents.
It should not be mistaken that temple guardians are not unfamiliar with the difference between bacterial and viral infections. They are quite knowledgeable when it comes to medicine and disease, and are quite adept to treating disease. But, they still had to deal with the fact that they did not have modern medicine on their side.
Asteri placed the back of his hand to his son's forehead, drawing it back so quickly that once could have assumed that his hand had been burnt. Sofia wrung a cold, water-soaked towel and place it over Dynamis' forehead, trying to alleviate his temperature. When he started coughing, Sofia comforted him, whispering words of encouragement and telling him to rest. When she looked up, another look of helplessness marred he usually peaceful features. The obvious, grayed trails from her eyes indicated that she had been crying for quite some time. There was nothing Asteri could do but wait alongside his wife, feeling equally helpless.
As the days passed, and Dynamis' condition deteriorated, Asteri felt increasingly numb.
He hardly drank and slept, and he didn't eat. He knew that Sofia was loosing sleep as well, as she had to constantly take care of Dynamis. Every time he would pop in to check on Dynamis, and his son managed to give him a weak, sickly smile, Asteri felt like he wanted to cry, but knew better than to let himself loose in front of his son. The incense and spices Sofia had burning to help clear Dynamis' airways made Asteri want to vomit. He would sit in quiet, secluded places away from the silent chaos.
Night fell, and the stars were cold and unyielding. A single tear trailed down Asteri's cheek as he looked up at the blackened skies.
"If you planned to take him from me, why did you not take him in his infancy, not now when we have come to know him?" Asteri rasped.
The stars meerly twinkled in response.
"Surely, no parent should have to watch their child pass." He started to pace back and forth, never taking his eyes off of the stars.
"I fear that if we lose him, Sofia will never recover, surely you have seen her condition."
No response.
Asteri fell to his knees, begging.
"You have brought me to my knees, and now I plead to you on behalf of my son, spare him."
A star streaked across the sky.
That was all the stars had to tell him.
Dynamis had started to improve.
He could speak much clearer than he used to, and wasn't coughing as much. The joy on Sofia's face was priceless, as she was finally assured that Dynamis was going to live. It was obvious that she was refraining from hugging and kissing him, but that made everything more precious.
Occasionally, she would have to scold him when he sat up in bed, saying that he wasn't ready yet. Being a child, he of course, protested saying that he was well enough and had the energy to do so. But, Sofia had the last word.
A few days later, Dynamis was back to his regular self. He was running about, only making minor mischief. Of course, Sofia made sure that Dynamis didn't expend all of his energy, making sure he didn't get sick again. Now that things were back in motion, Dynamis was playing with his parents. Asteri and Sofia happily played along, happy that the will of the heavens was for him to survive.