I hope you will enjoy this chapter :D

Chapter 23: The disease

Varisa was the small village where they were headed and its population numbered just over four hundred in total, including the underage children and the elderly. Nova was starting to feel apprehensive the closer they flew to the distant settlement amidst the meadows and. The gear she was wearing felt uncomfortable. The eye-shield glasses, imbued with Elizabeth's magic, were tight around her head, covering her forehead and a large part of her cheeks. The mask she wore under it was a bit stuffy to breathe through, but she was managing. The white clothes, consisting of a shirt, pants with thick suspenders, almost like overalls, and a jacket, all pristine and radiating enchantments, were stuffy. She was too hot on her broom, in spite of the cool wind.

Will had made them stop just a few miles outside of the possible infection zone, where he had distributed Elizabeth's new protective gear and made certain they were all properly clothed in it before allowing them to get close to the village. He checked their sizes, how they had buttoned the suits, whether there were any tears or gaps, etc. Only after he had argued for a moment with both Magna and Theo regarding what they could and couldn't modify when it came to the outfit had Will allowed them back onto their brooms. They appeared almost like some kind of a white-clad execution squad on brooms, their travelling cloaks billowing around them as they flew into Varisa.

Nova and Will were the first two to hit the ground on the main road into the settlement, just outside of the gates. They waited for a moment until their whole group was on foot, before walking the last stretch of the road. Varisa was encircled with a wooden fence, spiked on top, and they neared the main gate together, moving as a unit. Even Luck had stopped attempting to cause trouble, either due to Nova's bribe or because he had understood the severity of the situation. She was willing to bet on the former.

"Who goes there?" A voice called from the watchtower. Nova looked up, reminded of her last mission with the Crimson Lions and the small Trifton and its inhabitants. However, they were further north from that place, and much closer to Spade now.

"My name is William Igneus, I'm a healer from the Capital," Will called back. Nova glanced at him, seeing the severe look on his face. It surely was the first time she'd heard him introduce himself with his full name. "My team and I have come to answer the request for medical aid."

"Open the gates!" Was the only invitation into the village they got. Will looked down at Nova, nodded and then turned to the rest of the group as the gate rose.

"Remember what duties you were assigned to and always keep a cool head," he instructed. "No matter what we find inside, a state of panic mustn't be incited." Then, as the gate opened towards the inside of the village, he once again addressed them, this time looking away from them. "I trust you all with my life." Nobody replied to that. There was no need to. The situation was so dire that words after his proclamation really were unnecessary.

As they walked through the gates they were greeted by a single guard who had dark bags under his eyes. He was wearing a pair of black pants and a loose black shirt, telling them that he was in mourning, but Nova could still see the muscles underneath the clothing. He surely worked in the fields as his day job. Which further piqued her interest regarding him being the one manning the gates.

"You've come, then?" The man asked and Nova recognized the voice which had previously greeted them from the gate. "What's with the outfits?"

"This is merely a precaution," Will quickly stepped forward, extending his hand out. "As I've already said, I'm Will, a healer. This is my colleague Nova," she nodded her head as the two shook hands. "And these are our escorts, Magic Knights from the Crimson Lions and Black Bulls."

"I'm Nicholas," the man said. Nova estimated him to be in his thirties, but his face almost seemed older. Perhaps it was the tired expression or the dark bags under his eyes. "As you can see, the illness has made able-bodied guards scarce. We don't know what to do anymore." Will's expression turned sympathetic as he looked around the empty streets in sight.

"I understand," he said. "We will do whatever is within our power to help with the situation." Nicholas breathed a sigh, his hand rising shakily to his collar and pulling it down. It revealed a red rash along his collarbone and probably extending down his torso.

"It may not seem as much, coming from a mere farmer, but any help will be much appreciated," he told them somberly. "Our healer is dead. His assistants are in dire condition. The village elder passed last night. We've stopped counting." Will glanced back at Nova and they nodded to one another.

"Is there a place where we can set up? Somewhere where the infection hasn't spread yet?" The healer asked. Nicholas shook his head.

"It's everywhere, I'm afraid," he told them. "We tried to separate the women and the children, but some of them have come down with fever." Will frowned.

"What about an abandoned house? Or a barn?"

"There is one just next to the church," Nicholas told them. "It's just down this road, to the right." Will nodded, offering a smile to the clearly broken man.

"We will quickly set up our base and get started. Is there a large surface area where we can start treatment?"

"There is a town square in the middle of the village," the man said, pointing behind him.

"Can you gather all the infected who can move to the town square for triage?" Nicholas didn't seem to understand everything, or perhaps he wasn't paying attention, but he still nodded despite the clear confusion on his face. "I will go to the ones who can't move after we've administered the first doses of medicine." Then, Will turned to the group. "Nova, ask Mr. Nicholas about everything you need regarding the source," he instructed. "Magna, Leopold and Theo, you will come with me. Finral, walk the perimeter and set up your magic." He glanced at Luck, then smiled. "She's in your hands."

"Yes, sir," the group chorused and sprang into action.

Nova bent down to the ground, taking samples from the final wheat field. She scooped up some of the soil into her glass eprouvette, before straightening. She closed the sample, putting it back into the box Elizabeth had given her before she left. The box of goodies their inventor had prepared was more of an alchemy set. It contained everything Nova could imagine she would need for properly identifying the source of the disease. Next, the healer cut some of the leaves from the crops, putting them in a sample bag, as well.

"How's it going?" Luck asked, peering over Nova's shoulder to see her work.

"Almost done," she told him. Nova was hyperaware of the Magic Knight standing behind her, and this time, at least, it had nothing to do with her irrational crush on him. In the moments when she was alone with him, or had a break from thinking about the rather urgent situation of the mysterious disease at hand, her mind wandered back towards that moment in his room, with all that nakedness. Nova knew that, rationally, seeing his legs was nothing special. Luck usually wore those skinny pants which exposed his calves. But, still, there was something that hit different about seeing him in his bed and only in his underwear and a shirt. Her sleepy brain had retaliated immediately, and rather immaturely, by giving her the idea to take off her own pants. She was still embarrassed at the mere thought of what she'd done.

"Say, Magna said something odd," Luck said conversationally, making Nova look up at him from her crouched position. He had his hands behind his head, looking out into the fields, keeping watch over anyone attempting to leave or enter Varisa.

"Oh?" She asked. She figured that Luck had come to her for some clarification, again. It wasn't that unusual, after all. Nova had realized that oftentimes the charismatic battle maniac missed social cues and she had begun to wonder if the new wave of psychological research applied to him. Whether he truly sat somewhere on the newly defined spectrum of something called autism, or if he was simply oblivious due to his upbringing, she wasn't certain. But, it did sometimes cross her mind. Perhaps she ought to search out the writer of that paper and consult him directly.

"He was saying how if I was attracted to you that would ruin our friendship," Luck bluntly stated, making Nova's breath stop in her lungs. Her face instantly went red, but then she forced herself to calm down. She knew how Luck felt about romantic attachments. She knew that there was no hope of her feelings being reciprocated. This was merely for his clarification on whatever Magna had put into his head. "Is that true? Does attraction ruin friendships?"

"Hmmm," Nova considered it for a moment, then stood up. "What do you think marriage is?" She asked, turning to the boy. He thought for a moment.

"A legally binding contract which encompasses personal assets and living arrangements," Luck replied after a moment. Nova nodded.

"But what of personal feelings?" She asked. "Who does one many? How do they choose said person?" Luck's brow furrowed and then he shrugged. Nova smiled gently at him, stepping closer. "Doesn't one choose a good friend to enter such a contract with? To spend the rest of their lives together?"

"And share assets and have children?"

"Exactly," Nova agreed. "Attraction is part of that. If I'm going to spend the rest of my life, having children with someone, living with them, trusting them with everything I am and everything I own, I'd want them to be my friend, too." Luck's face brightened with a wide smile.

"I think I get it," he told her. "You're friends with the person you marry, but you should also feel attracted to them."

"Not just physically, though," Nova continued. "Physical attraction is important, but you should also be in love with their mind."

"Like who they are as a person?" He asked. She nodded, turning back to her box of samples.

"Because you'll grow old together," she explained further. "If you're just in love with how they look at that moment, the marriage won't last. You must love this person dearly, want to spend a lot of time with them and want to keep them around forever, even though they annoy you sometimes." She giggled at that, thinking of her parents squabbling often. Luck was silent for a moment while Nova labeled samples and arranged them into her box.

"Then, will you marry Magna or me?" She whipped around at that, looking up at the Mage incredulously. However, she was met with that curious look Luck often had. Like he was completing some kind of a puzzle in his head, still seeking the pieces to the middle of it, while the outline existed perfectly arranged. Nova sighed. Her heart really couldn't take him sometimes.

"Maybe," she answered. "If the attraction is there, I surely love you both dearly as friends," she replied as honestly as possible. For a second, she briefly imagined the two separate lives, one with her married to Magna and the other married to Luck. "I think marriage to either one of you would cause me a headache, though." She giggled. When she glanced at Luck, his face was pensive.

"Then, why would you marry either of us if you knew that we are troublesome? And what would that mean for the other one?" He asked after a beat, clearly hyper-focused on the topic. Nova stood, taking her bag of samples up with her. Luck immediately extended his hand for it and she allowed him to carry it.

"Careful," she warned as he hoisted it onto his shoulder with a nod. "Well," Nova began, leading the way back towards the village. "I would marry one of you if the feelings needed for it were there, for starters. I think if two people love each other in that way, the trouble is worth it. There is no ideal partner out there in the world for anyone. You learn to live with the good and the bad, while the good outweighs the bad. And if the situation changes, you divorce. But, that's just my take on it, might be best to ask someone else, too, to get multiple opinions."

"And the other one? Would you stay friends?" Luck asked.

"Why not?" Nova grinned at him. "If there are no competing feelings, I don't see why we would have a falling out over a marriage." She turned to the boy, looking at him curiously. "Exactly what did Magna say to you?"

"That it was odd that we were naked together in my room and he was asking if I was attracted to you," he put it bluntly, making Nova's cheeks heat up at the memory and the insinuation.

"Well, are you?" She asked. "Attracted to me?"

"No." Her heart sank at the immediate denial.

"Then where's the issue?" She asked, all the while telling herself that the issue was hers, and hers alone. "Don't worry about it too much, I'd say. I mean, if feelings are there, then tackle that topic." She ignored the way her heart squeezed at the bright smile her companion gave her.

"Right, we'll burn that bridge when we get to it," Luck cheerily agreed.

"Cross, Luck, cross," Nova huffed, correcting.

"Cross, burn, same," he retorted cheerily, speeding up.

"Careful with the samples!" Nova called out, running to catch up with him. She knew, though, no matter how much it hurt, she wouldn't stop chasing after Luck, probably ever. Indeed, she loved both him and Magna too much to let her crush get in the way of their friendship.

Nova was mostly isolated inside their base with Theo and Finral in order to properly do her work, in peace and without interruptions. Before leaving with her team from the Capital, Elizabeth had entered Nova's room in the dark, thrusting a wooden box inside the girl's hands.

"These tools could provide useful," the woman had awkwardly said. "Read the manual on the way." And with that, she'd left. Nova had spent the majority of the night, while Luck slept in her bed and Magna dozed off in the chair next to her, reading through the detailed notes. The kit inside the box, which proved to also have a strap for easier transportation, really did have all the essentials one could ask for. From various glass sample eprouvettes to flattened glass which could be used to take a closer look through the microscope at the samples, it was secure, imbued with complex magic and definitely crucial to Nova's work.

She'd begun with the samples of the soil, diluting them in various substances, using her magic as Will told her to in order to speed up the process of chemical reactions, and then she'd examined them. It had taken her the whole evening and night on the first day of their stay. It was Theo who walked into her workspace, an area separated by clean sheets to prevent any kind of cross-contamination, every few hours to remind her to take a water, food or bathroom break. He'd been very gentle in his manner, almost fatherly somehow, and it made Nova miss her family all the more in that moment.

Around the early morning hours, when the roosters sounded in the otherwise deathly quiet village, Nova emerged from her workspace with no more answers than she'd gone into it with the previous day. She found Finral and Theo playing cards and sipping coffee. They both looked tired, but not exhausted.

"Morning," Nova greeted.

"Hey, Miss Nova," Finral immediately perked up. "How is the work?" Nova shook her head.

"Nothing substantial," she sighed, plopping next to the Mage on the bench. "I found out that a few fields need to have their crops rotated soon, in order to maximize production, but that's about it." Her head sank down to the table, her whole body going limp in its sore state. She couldn't feel her legs anymore, other than the soreness in her feet.

"No closer to any answers then," Theo concluded. "You should get some sleep, we can wake you in a few hours." Nova rolled her head to the side to look at the Knight. He had a pensive look on his face, watching the way her arms hung down to the floor in order to relax.

"Has Will made any contact?" She asked. Finral nodded.

"He checked in a few hours ago, he sent Sir Leo," the Mage said. "There has been substantial progress in triage, but not much with treatment. And a letter arrived from a nearby village, from Miss Mary." Nova forced her head up.

"What did it say?"

"A merchant's cart, carrying cargo, along with an armed escort had passed a few days ago, bound for the Capital," the Mage told her somberly. "Some people are already sick there." Nova grit her teeth.

"Dammit," she cursed, fists clenching. "Does Will know?" The two Knights nodded. "Anyone gone after them?" Nova asked further.

"They sent Luck and Magna, as Nicholas has managed to round up a few villagers to keep everyone in quarantine," Theo told her. Nova nodded, then dropped her head back down to the table again. There was a moment of silence, where the two men exchanged glances, and then continued their game. Nova's brain was working overtime, however. In a few minutes, her head shot up again. She reached over to Finral, who was next to her, grabbing his arm urgently.

"Merchant!" She exclaimed, then jumped up fully.

"Merchant?" Finral repeated, watching her rush to the tables usually used for tool storage near the walls of the barn and grab protective gear. "There was a merchant's cart, yes." Nova turned to the two as she stripped out of the simple clothes she wore under her lab gear and began pulling on the white suit Elizabeth had prepared for them all. The two men looked away awkwardly, Theo blushing profusely.

"No, no," she attempted to explain, hopping on one foot while she got the other one into the pants. "The merchant, what was he selling?" She zipped the pants up and secured them to her waist with a belt.

"What?" Finral asked, but Theo was following.

"The letter didn't say," the other Mage said.

"Damn," Nova took her shirt off and grabbed the white protective one, then pulled on a pair of gloves and a mask. "Can you get Will on the line?" She asked Theo, already putting her goggles on. With a nod, the Mage activated his spell and connected them to Will. A buzz sounded in the air, and then they could hear the healer talking to someone, urging them to drink. "Will!" Nova immediately called out.

"Nova? News?"

"The letter Mary sent, it said a merchant had passed through," the girl said, walking over to the table where Theo and Finral were.

"I heard," Will sighed.

"The cargo," Nova continued. "We need to find out what the cargo was!" A moment of silence and then.

"You don't think…"

"I do!" Nova interrupted. "The soil doesn't show anything, and I think the plants will be a dead end, too. I think it's-"

"Rodents," Will completed her thought. "Mr. Nicholas, has there been an increase in rat activity recently? Or squirrels?" Nova waited with baited breath to hear the answer.

"Somewhat within the previous month," the man replied in a raspy voice. "But we have cats for that and they did their job." Finral and Theo both seemed confused at the line of the healers' conversation, but they were listening intently in silence.

"Where are the cats now?" Will instantly asked.

"Umm, well, we don't really keep tabs on them," Nicholas replied. "They're free to roam."

"Has there been less of them?"

"Now that you mention in…" Will didn't wait for the man to finish.

"Nova, go! Go, go, go!" He immediately said, and then there was a commotion. "Mr. Leopold, pass me that bag, we need to switch medicines!" Nova was already halfway over to the broom storage, grabbing hers, when she turned to Theo and Finral.

"Were Magna and Luck wearing protective gear when they left?" She asked, panic growing inside of her. Now that the picture was more complete, she knew those symptoms. She knew exactly how dangerous of a thing they were dealing with.

"Um, only goggles I think," Finral said hesitantly, which made Nova curse. She rushed towards the barn door, her broom in hand, whipping around only to pass her last message.

"Send a letter to Mary, get it to her as fast as you can, it's the plague!" And then, Nova pushed the doors open, hopping onto her broom and zooming off before she was even out the door.

In the morning light, with the sun slowly rising, Nova flew low to the ground while in Varisa and then shot up into the skies. She set her course for the nearby southern village where Mary was supposed to be holding down the line, before considering the situation.

The merchant had left before Mary arrived. With his destination being the Capital, and in order to avoid the health checks of the main road, he would be taking the southern pass. It was well-known to anyone who had any interest in the Black Market and the sale of illegal, or semi-legal, goods, that those who sold them only travelled via the southern pass. While it took them over more challenging terrain, it had fewer and laxer checkpoints, which were often easily passable with a substantial bribe. Nova knew about them, because the Wizard King had proclaimed his action against such activities publicly at some point before her arrival to the Capital. He had promised to fight crime more meticulously, starting with said pass, but it hadn't born much fruit, as almost anyone was willing to comment in the Capital. After all, the sales of such items were lucrative for both the country and the nobility.

So, Nova knew her destination. She veered off the main road and took a shortcut above the woods, heading closer to the mountains and the river canyon which was a part of the southern pass. If she rushed, she hoped to get there before Luck and Magna made contact with the merchant's party. From the speed of her flight wind was howling in her ears, making her barely able to hear Theo's and Will's voices over the magical transmission. Will was calling for the proper protocol of burning almost every piece of clothing and disinfecting everything.

"I'll handle the merchant!" She yelled out, squinting down at the ground as she began to catch sight of a section of the southern pass. "They're probably on the southern pass, I'll go there first!"

"Burn everything," Will's words were almost inaudible, but she caught the gist of it. "We can reimburse the price of the cargo, but we can't allow for this to spread. Remember that it could be imbued with a curse. Whatever you do, don't get infected! Nova, don't get infected!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Mr. Will, she's leaving my ran-" Theo's words got cut off and Nova was left with only the howling wind in her ears. She figured that she'd gotten too far for his magic to transmit. It didn't matter, they all knew that she would handle it, and no matter what happened, she would do her job properly. Nova molded her mana, expanding and sharpening her senses, seeking out Magna and Luck's mana signatures. While she was rather skilled in controlling her magic, her range wasn't as wide as Luck's was. She wished that he'd stayed behind and was with her to help her. But, the dread in her stomach kept her going, kept her vigilant despite the fatigue, and forced her to push even more of her mana out, both into her broom and into her detection area. A spark glittered somewhere to the right in front of her, where the southern pass would go down the canyon next to the river. She couldn't see it yet, because of the woods and the nature of the terrain, but she recognized that magic. It usually sent sparks of anticipation down her spine and made her feel at ease. Then and there, it just made her feel apprehensive. Nova grit her teeth and pushed even more mana into her broom, flying faster. Soon enough, she was flying down the side of the canyon, towards the slowly rolling river below, where she could see sparks of blue and flashes of red near the waterfall.

"Fuck," she cursed to herself, realizing that the two Knights had made contact with the merchant's cart. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Nova flew towards the sight with dizzying speed, taking a short moment to encircle what had clearly become a battlefield. She spotted Luck facing off three guards, his boots activated, and Magna struggling with another two, his bat at the ready. "On the authority of the Wizard King, I order you to halt and submit your cargo to an inspection under the suspicion of an infectious disease!" Nova yelled out, slowing down and lowering herself into the middle of the camp. Nobody paid much attention to her, or her words, as the fight continued. She saw one man, a thin one, dressed in fine silks, reaching over to one of the crates from the cart. "No, stop!" But, it was too late, the man opened the crate, letting out a number of animals.

"Nova?" Magna finally spotted her, his voice coming from somewhere to the left of her. Nova watched in horror as some kind of hopping, exotic rodents poured out of the crate and began running around the chaos of the campsite.

"Magna! Burn the rodents! The little animals, get them all!" Nova yelled out, turning around and activating her Assistant Hands, grabbing onto Magna's two attackers by their throats. She mentally thanked Viviana for showing her that trick. The two were definitely started when they were forced flying back out of nowhere by their throats. "Don't touch them and burn them all!" She yelled to the Mage, who nodded and activated a spell. Nova trusted him. She trusted him with her life, and the wellbeing of the Clover Kingdom. So, she threw her broom to the side haphazardly and reached into her pocket, unfurling the Surgeon's scalpel from its seal. She wouldn't hold back this time. "By the order of the Wizard King, cease fighting and submit to an inspection!" She yelled again, but the two opponents just rushed at her. This time, she didn't fight the tendrils of dark magic as she raised the Surgeon's scalpel.

That's all folks!

Reviews:

AmericanNidiot:
Thanks so much for the review!
Luck is so oblivious, which I why I think he's such an amusing character to write, honestly :D He's been proving as an especially difficult romance pairing xD
Hope you'll enjoy the update!

Kalithesavior:
Thanks so much for the feedback!
I hope that you will keep enjoying the show :D
Best!

KEZZ 1:
Thanks so much for the review! I'm always happy to keep you guys entertained :D
Hope you enjoy the rest of the story!
Best!