163 Magic, Alchemy, And Epiphanies
***THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS 18+ CONTENT. LANGUAGE, BLOOD, GORE. VIEWERS DISCRETION ADVISED***
As Skye absorbed the calcium, collagen, and magnesium into her bones, she took extra care to funnel the majority of the magnesium to her joints. Her cartilage needed to be rebuilt with care if her joints were going to function properly. She also wanted to harden her bones as much as possible, to protect against damage later.
With the other nutrients from the broth nearly gone, Skye asked the doctor to pour a quarter of the milk onto her hand next. Tien nodded, then did as the princess had asked. As he created a steady trickle, Nurse Nora watched Skye slowly make the liquid on and around her hand practically disappear. She watched with child-like amazement, making Skye force a small smile through the pain.
Nurse Helen was stringently staring out the window. She wanted no part in the abnormal situation going on. It violated over have the ward’s rules, and even an actual law or two. She wouldn’t turn them in, but she wouldn’t help or cover for them if her job were to be put in jeopardy. Tien Gohan was a good man and doctor. She knew that he must’ve had a good reason to do what he was doing. As a low-flying bird went past the window, Helen decided she would speak with Tien later about it all.
For some reason, Skye’s mind felt clearer. Not because of the pain; it was something else. Her thoughts came quicker, her body was responding to her Shaman magic much faster, and with more precision. When Skye focused on where the feeling was coming from, she realized an odd energy similar to her Shaman magic was flowing throughout every fiber of her being.
Skye’s muscles felt relaxed and tense at the same time, and her skin felt thicker too. While looking at her hand, the princess also realized that her vision was incredibly sharp. Details of her skin, muscles, and bones registered at an incredible speed. She could also feel that her Earth magic was far more refined than before.
The information Skye needed to sort out the elements easily flowed through her mind’s eye into her will. Understanding the chemical compositions, stripping them down to the bare essentials, then rearranging them into the proper compounds felt.. second-nature. Like it was something she’d done all her life.
Water, Shaman, and Earth were the three traits Skye had, but something else was there now. She could feel a direct connection to every fiber of her muscles, every cell of her bones. Allowing her Earth and Shaman traits to synchronize. Combining mental images she’d recently seen of cross sections of bone, Skye began the actual rebuilding of her bones.
The marrow reminded the princess of porous lava rocks she’d seen in stall shops. As her bones began to take shape, Skye’s skin and blood started to change as well. The blood that had gotten on to the table was stripped of it’s iron, oxygen, and anything else Skye deemed useful. The remainder of the milk looked almost like a semi-translucent slime.
.....
“A towel please, Nurse Nora,” Skye asked with the hopes of the young woman backing up a bit.
Nora was leaned over the bed watching intently as the princess healed herself. She couldn’t believe that she had the ability to take raw materials, and create human parts from it. Nora had been obsessed with an ancient medical art known as Alchemy, just like the rest of her family. It was viewed as fantasy, but the premise behind the theory was spot on.
Alchemists believe in balance; the Equivalent Exchange Principle. Aside from the soul: a human could be broken down into various chemical compositions, just like anything else on the planet. No one knows exactly what a soul is, therefore no one knows the equivalent exchange for it. She believed that with the right ingredients and right amount of magic, a human body could be fully restored.
According to her family, Shamans were akin to Alchemists, but lacked the ability to manipulate anything outside the human body. Elementals were limited to their specific element. Then that was usually limited further by only having control over one aspect of the element. Her family had studied medicine for generations.
Her mother Helen didn’t care for their family’s odd interests, but never forbade her daughter from studying. Seeing the princess now reminded her of an old legend her grandmother had taught her about.
Skye had the trifecta: Shaman, Earth, and Water. The human body is seventy percent water, according to ancient medical texts. After seeing the princess restore herself, Nora was beginning to believe that Skye could be the first real Alchemist recorded since ancient times.. Possibly something even greater. As the young nurse handed the princess a clean towel, she made a mental note to ask the princess about her knowledge of Alchemy...
****
Tidas could hear his wife’s muffled screams of pain in the hallway. He paced back and forth; unable to block it out by turning off his Tank trait. He couldn’t stop himself from listening for it. He ran his fingers through his hair as he continuously sighed and paced just outside Skye’s door.
Lawrence watched as his younger brother with empathy. He knew the pain of waiting outside a room, wishing for your loved one’s recovery. Skye’s situation was nothing like his late wife’s had been, and the outcome would be as well. Feeling like Tidas needed to hear it, Lawrence stopped him and attempted to give him a kind of pep talk.
“I know you’re mad at me, but hear me out please?”
Tidas glared at his brother; “Oh, I can’t even Tell you how Big of an understatement that is..”
Lawrence swallowed hard before he continued; “I get that, I totally do.. Jus-Just hear me out, alright?”
Tidas crossed his arms over his chest; “You have thirty seconds..”
Lawrence explained his point of view from the moment Shasta rounded the corner with Skye in her arms. He stressed that Skye had been fine from their sparring, and that it was the damage to her hand and arms that concerned the doctors. When he got to the part about Skye not wanting him to know, fury flashed in his eyes.
“She didn’t want you to worry; can you blame her? Everyone knows how much you care for her, and how much work you have right now. Between Marco cutting the budget for your Public Works projects, the preparations for going north, training the new recruits... I mean, when do you sleep even?! I never see you away from your desk anymore, except the occasional dinner.”
Tidas gave a strained laugh; “I sleep and eat enough; that’s not the point-”
“Are you sure? I mean, you obviously hardly spend time with Skye anymore. Is it really that surprising she didn’t tell you? Not because you’re not around to notice, which by the way; not on her for that..”
Tidas glared at Lawrence, urging him to get to his point; “Ok look, all I’m saying is that how can she tell you things when you’re not around to hear them? Or feel comfortable telling you things that she Knows will worry you when you’re already stressed out to near overload?”
The anger slowly drained from Tidas’ expression as his brother’s words clicked. He was still mad that Skye didn’t tell him she was in pain the whole time. No matter how busy he was, he would Make time for her. She was the most important anything to him; if she wasn’t happy, then there was no point.
Skye told him that studying was taking up a lot of her time, so it was fine that he was working so much. Tidas hadn’t thought that the reality was that she was studying so much Because he was always so busy. The only time he saw her lately was when he showered and changed, and when they ate dinner. They shared their day with each other and chatted, but it had been quite a while since they’d spent real time together.
Tidas wasn’t sure how long he’d been lost in his own thoughts, but it was clearly long enough for Lawrence to become annoyed. He’d said Tidas’ name several times, waved his hands, and snapped his fingers in front of his face. He even shook his shoulder slightly, but got no reaction. In a final attempt that always worked when they were kids; Lawrence licked his pinky finger, and stuck it in his brother’s ear.
“Ah-Whoa! Gross! What the Hell, Law!” Tidas used his sleeve to try and wipe away the spit in his ear.
“I was trying to get your attention! Geez, you’re as bad as father with how you get lost in your head.. What were you thinking about? What I said, right?”
“Maybe,” Tidas said, not wanting to add to his brother’s hubris, but it was too late.
“You should; I’m a smart guy,” Lawrence’s expression had a seriousness to it as he continued; “And keep in mind; not all of us still have that kind of opportunity.. But would kill to have it..”
Lawrence’s eyes held heartbreak as he reminded his little brother not to take the time he has with his wife for granted. Tidas remembered how thin and sickly his brother had gotten after Anastasia had passed. To squander his time with his wife in front of his brother was akin to a slap in the face.
With the small reality check, Tidas said; “I get your point.. I’ll talk with Skye about it.”
“Talk? No yelling, or screaming because she loves you and didn’t want to worry you, or trying to justify your stupid-”
Tidas scoffed; “I get it! I get it! No arguing or yelling; just talking, alright?! By the gods, you’re a pain in the arse..”
“Just here to keep you humble, brother,”
Lawrence smacked his brother’s should twice right as the door to Skye’s room opened.
Nurse Helen poked her head out and asked; “Prince Tidas, will you please have a servant fetch some regular clothes from your quarters for the princess? She’ll be ready to go back to her own quarters and rest up in about half an hour, but she will need something aside from her torn armor to wear to get there.”
“I’ll do it; I need to inform Peggy of what’s going on anyways. She may be worried,” Tidas replied to the nurse, then turned to his brother; “Will you stay here until I get back?”
Lawrence smiled a soft smile as he agreed, prompting Tidas to ask what brought it on. Lawrence chuckled lightly as Shasta worked her way into his mind again. He patted his brother’s shoulder one final time and said with a grin; “Nothing, you’re just the second person to ask me that today. First one was cuter though..”
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