Chapter 6 Part 4: A warning

“What happened?” he asked, feet already carrying him to Mei’s side. She lowered the male Kasai to the ground.

“Suke was poisoned. Didn’t you hear me?” Mei growled before looking back. Jun frowned.

“Will it be safe here?” he asked, shifting to move his right hand to Suke’s arm.

“Oh, I’ll make sure of it.” Mei grumbled as she looked to several spots. Jun peered briefly, the landscape remaining still. However, with her tracking something out there, he could only trust her judgement. He closed his eyes, concentrating. This was too early. His heart began to race as he sent his prayer into Suke. Mei briefly looked back before jumping up into the trees, weaving away.

The distractions gone, Jun probed. The poison was capturing more parts but it remained central around the heart and along some lines where he could sense the brain was trying to communicate from. Jun licked his lips. It wasn’t remotely similar to what he had practiced with. Suke’s stomach was chaotic and Jun stabilized it, but his efforts refused to yield results. The issue was further in.

“Silver Flame.” Jun muttered.

‘It’s alright. It’s the nerves. Focus on those communication lines.’

“So you can read my thoughts.” He mumbled then refocused as he heard her chuckle. As Jun began to follow her instructions, the bile from Suke’s stomach grew and Jun jerked as Suke convulsed, a gag, then wretched. Jun’s nose wrinkled and he shifted back.

‘There’s not much time.’ The Silver Flame chided. Jun bit back a retort as he held onto Suke’s arm, forcing his prayer towards the heart and nerves.

This time, he saw it. Something was keeping the cells around those communication lines open. The cells were wearing out. It faintly reminded him of drowning. He forced them closed and Suke gasped, clutching at his chest. Jun shifted the prayer around the heart. There was a rhythm, a pattern, like breathing air and these cells weren’t doing it. But he couldn’t sense the poison like he had in his practice session.

“Where?” he muttered. His mind flashed to the crude drawing Mei had shown of a cell. He could sense it. One of the receptors was smothered with something foreign. Jun looked for more cells like this and there were many. His heart stopped. Could he fix this? He paused and took one breath before diving in. More cells were being afflicted, he needed to take down the source and secure the healthy ones. Some would have to be sacrificed, but others he could save. With methodical decisions, he searched for the source, something in the lungs. He carefully burned it, letting the Silver Flame guide his actions. He followed the paths and burned off the dying cells, as he fostered new growth. This was familiar. Healing. He straightened, limbs becoming steady as he saw Suke’s face relax, his hand calming and his motions stilling. Then he tackled the remaining cells, experimenting on what was too far gone or not. As he burned the blockade, some cells died on the spot, others fell dormant. Jun warmed them and a pulse began in earnest.

As Jun finished, sweat poured down his nose. He fell back, resting on his good arm and rolling his head, breathing heavily. He would need to remember to breathe when he focused. As he made the mental note, Mei appeared again. Her eyes scanned him and Suke before she pulled at her mask.

Jun noted the bit lips before she hid them again.

“What is it?” he asked and she closed her eyes with a gentle sigh.

“How are you doing?”

Jun frowned. She never asked him that. With narrowed eyes he rose to his feet. “Is there someone else?”

She stiffened, eyes flicking up and then away.

“…Yes.”

Jun looked to Suke whose pale complexion hadn’t faded yet. He made the decision.

“Where?”

Mei’s eyes cast into the woods and Jun took off in the general direction, calling on the Silver Flame.

With his prayer circulating, he found another Kasai, Mei’s guard, Kallum, clutching at his right arm, eyes staring off in the trees.

“Kallum,” Jun greeted and the Kasai briefly looked at him before silently returning to his vigil. Jun shrugged. The man was like that. He closed the distance and Kallum shifted his hand, showing a scrap of paper in his clutches. Jun shook his head and gripped his right wrist, bringing the limp hand to the Kasai’s shoulder.

He closed his eyes and searched, heart calming as he found the cuts. One thought rang in his head. No Poison. Jun searched the cells, finding it easier to see them individually, and fostered their growth. The wounds closed, though Jun noted the way Kallum flinched as he shifted them.

Once more, he was presented the paper and Jun took it, freezing as he saw the twin dragons on the wax seal. He looked at Kallum who bowed slightly. Jun let out a huff before tucking the letter into his belt. With as stealthy a step as he could muster, he moved back and rejoined Mei and Suke.