General Happenings Part 2: [Xanthus]

[Xanthus Battus]

General Happenings Upon the Forth Layer
Part 2: A Mission of Grand Proportions [Xanthus]

Prologue—Dear gods Protect These Children

“What’s wrong with her?” the doctor asked with worry heavy in his tone. He stepped through the wooden door of a quaint house. It was dimly lit inside the main room which housed a small kitchen and dining room and a living area to the far right. Through the dark hallway to the back, the doctor suspected the rooms for sleeping and washing. He approached the fireplace where a simple pallet covered with bedding and sheets held a frail girl. He bent down to get a better look. He noticed her blond hair seemed lack-luster and without the bounce and shine of young life. Her eyes were closed, almost shut in immense pain. He reached out to touch her forehead.

“She’s too warm!” he exclaimed after a moment. “How long has she been like this?” he questioned through intense, dark beety eyes.

The mother and father standing behind him looked to each other for the answer.

“I believe,” the mother spoke up, running a pale hand through her red hair, “since two evenings ago.”

The doctor turned to the mother. “What was she doing before she became sick?”

The mother’s eyes rolled up toward the ceiling. She was trying to remember. “I think,” the father called from the kitchen, pouring himself some ale, comforting it with his right hand. “…she was playing in the garden near the graveyard. But I’m not too sure…” his voice faded out. He took a long drout of his glass draining it to the bottom.

The doctor turned back towards the dying child. He lifted her thick, pasty lids. The blue in her eyes seemed to be fading away. He pulled her hands from under the blankets, inspecting her fingernails. They had long since turned black, and were beginning to fall off. He then threw the covers off her entire body, causing the unconscious girl to shiver even while caught in the suspended world between life and death.

The doctor’s eyes widened in horror. He nearly fell back onto the floor. “Dear gods…”

“What?!” the mother exclaimed peering in closer.

“…when did the welts appear?” he said steadying his wavering voice.

“Yesterday.”

“Yesterday….dear gods…dear gods.”

“What’s the matter with her? What’s wrong with my daughter?” the father nearly yelled, coming from the kitchen.

“I…I cannot help this child.” The doctor replied, gathering his bag and coat.

“Hold on there just a minute!” the father said rather forcefully. “What do you mean you can help her? You’re the doctor! Do something!!” the father shoved the doctor in his chest.

“I…I cannot help her.” He repeated.

“No!” the father boomed, “you help her!!”

The doctor took one last look at the nearly dead girl before the hearth. He closed his eyes in prayer to the gods to protect her poor soul. “Do you have any other children?” he asked.

“What?” the father said.

“Do you have any other children?” the doctor repeated.

“Yes…” the mother whispered from her place on the floor beside her ailing daughter. “We have three sons.”

“Where are they?” the doctor asked.

“Out in the alley playing with some of the other village boys. Why?” she father said.

“I need to get to them!” the doctor said with haste. “They can get the same disease from their sister. I must get to them to apply medicine.” He grabbed his bag, no time to retrieve his coat and dashed for the door. The father ran after him.

While they ran down the row of small houses, a yelp of ‘heeeelllllppppp’ was audible even to those hearing ears miles away. The old doctor picked up his pace. The father ran up head.
In the alley, two blond haired boys lay convulsing on the ground. The other village boys darted from the valley as the doctor and father arrived. The old doctor pushed passed the burly young men.

“What happened?” he heaved, dropping to the ground beside the two shaking boys.

One other boy, with red hair, stood to the side, his face contorted in fright. A hand was to his mouth as he stared.
“Drel!” the father yelled, dropping beside his only standing son, wrapping his arms around him. “What happened to your brothers?”

“I…I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know….” The boy stammered in disbelief.

The doctor opened his bag pulling out two bags of different herbs and a pestle and mortal. He crushed the leaves into a paste with the addition of a blue liquid. He looked up towards the red-haired boy, “Tell me exactly what happened?”

“We were running and playing and they fell over-- over and they begun to shake…”

The doctor applied the paste to both boys’ faces. He pulled out a vial of yellow liquid. “You,” he pointed to the father, “get down here and hold his mouth open.” The father did as instructed to each of his sons while the doctor poured the liquid down their throats.

“What do we do?” the father questioned voice full of emotion, after some time.

“We carry them back to the house…I fear they have contracted the same disease as their sister.” The doctor said, “go and get two men to carry them, you and the other boy follow me.” The father left for a bit and returned with two weary neighbors.

Back at the little home, the mother bent over her child convulsing, rocking with tears. The two blonde boys were laid on the floor, the red haired one stood in a corner, still afraid.

“What is it Marylin?” the father dropped beside his wife. The doctor dropped to the other side.

“She’s….she’s…she’s dead…” The father pulled his wife into a hug. The doctor closed his eyes again in silent prayer.

At the exact moment, the wooden door heaved in, and four men stood outside.

“Where is the doctor?” one of them, a large man, with a round belly and a heavy mustache called from the front of the group.

“Here.” The doctor said limping towards the doo, reaching for his cane.
He saw the grim faces of the four men. “What has happened?”

“Our children…they’re dying.”

The doctor sighed, “Dear gods, protect these children.”

[Xanthus Battus]

Part 2: A Mission of Grand Proportions [Xanthus]

Place: castle fourth layer of Heaven
time: high noon
day: Wednesday

Xanthus was in the Castle’s library, thumbing through a stack of books. It was one of his off times from rotations in the field, so he was preparing a presentation on the history of two diseases to a group of low leveled medical students and his superiors. He had been at the castle on the forth layer of Heaven for two weeks now, spending time with Setsuna and Kirara between researching for the presentation.

He sat at a large brown oak desk, towards a secluded corner of the library, behind rows of science and medicine books. He stood, going over to the window peering out into the high noon daylight. Currently, he’d rather be anywhere but researching. Unfortunately, this was the most unfavorable portion of his job as a Healer. He sat back down, and turned to a fresh page.
Some time later, foots steps approached his table.

A figure stood there waiting for his acknowledgement. He raised his head. “Yes?”

“Master Xanthus, your presence is being requested at the Ahabiel Monastery on the 8th layer of Heaven. The need is of the upmost importance. This cannot wait.” The steward read from a scroll of cream parchment with the red and gold symbol of the monastery.

“Do you know what this is about?” Xanthus asked.

“No, sir. But most of the first level healers have been contacted; a few of the second leveled healers, and all of the Master healers, who are not currently occupied elsewhere.” The young man replied.

“Who calls for this meeting of urgency?”

“The Grand Healers of the monastery. Master Xanthus, please come quickly!” the boy added with urgency.

Xanthus stood quickly. He spotted a near-by librarian. “Excuse me, miss?”

She turned towards him, “Yes Master Xanthus?”

“Could you have someone put these books in a special place, so that when I return later, I will not have to search for them?”

“I can arrange it.” She replied.

“Thank you.” He quickly grabbed his notes and bag and hurried after the messenger.

*******


I created a system for the classification of healers. First they are medical students in training. Then the levels goes as: Level 3, Level 2, Level 1, Master Healer, Grand Master Healer. I just thought it would be helpful to put this in now.


more to come.........

[Xanthus Battus]

Sorry for not posting in a while, for anyone who is actually reading this. I forgot all about this, although I already had a couple pages typed, I just haven't uploaded them.

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Place: 8th layer of Heaven, Healers Meeting Hall of the Monastery of Ahabiel
Time: just after 1:30pm
Day: still Wednesday ("days" are only included to give readers a since of time frame)

Xanthus rushed into the Healers Meeting Hall in a whirlwind of robes. Most of the called Healers were present and already filling up all of the seats. The Grand Master Healers, four in total, sat at the head of the room behind a long table. They had an intense, almost threatening look upon their faces.

Xahthus quickly spotted Azov leaning against a far wall and approached him. “Azov,” he whispered, “do you know the meaning of this meeting?”

Azov shook his head, knowing there it was urgent and that there was no time for pleasantries, even to one such as a brother.
After the last few called Healers trickled in, the heavy wooden doors where closed, and the meeting was now in session.
The oldest and wisest of the Grand Master Healers, stood up, pushing his glasses upon his face. His counterparts, one other man and two women, set the tone with a serious and stoic face.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice.” The noise died down. “I trust you all are doing well.” He said through a raspy voice, looking upon many of the Healers’ faces. “But things are grave.” The room erupted in uncontrolled uproar, everyone asking everyone near him or her, what they knew.

“Silence.” a female Grand Mater boomed. Silence resumed.

“There is an unfortunate pandemic,” the Head Grand Master continued, “in the Mystical Realm. We just received reports a mere two hours time ago, of many youkai children amongst various groups of the realm falling ill, and many more have died.” The resonance of silence was so profound, a Healer would be afraid to sneeze at such a critical moment. “The doctors there cannot handle all of the cases of ill children, so we have been asked to help. We are to deploy to the realm and aid with curing the sick. Fortunately, this strange disease seems only to affect children, but we must move quickly, if this pandemic is to be controlled and eradicated.”

The Grand Master searched many of the Healer’s faces. “This is one of the worst outbreaks that I’ve heard of in my entire life, and I have lived for many, many moons. This will test your strength, and skill, but most of all your endurance. Some of you will not get a moments rests. You may have to travel from house to house administering medications and healings, then only to return to the first house, to make sure progress is being made.
“This is no time for novices or fear. All of you have been selected for this daunting task because you all have displayed tremendous skill in your area of expertise. I, we, depend on you, to get the job done and save the lives of the Fairy children.” The Grand Master concluded returning to his seat.

To his left, another Grand Master stood. She, like the Head, searched each of the Healer’s eyes. “We will split the Master Healers, Level 1 Healers, and Level 2 Healers up into teams. Each team will be assigned a specific area of the affected Youkai villages to work through. Necessary supplies will be forwarded, and will be there when you all arrive. The youkai’s have been kind in allowing us into their realm, we mustn’t fail. Please come up to the desk once this meeting has concluded, sign in and grab a packet. Each packet details the symptoms of the disease and other useful information. There are also pictures. But you must be warned, it isn’t nice, good, or well.” She returned to her seat.

The Head Grand Master, stood up again. “Meeting adjourned. Report to the gate of this layer in one hours time. This should give everyone ample time to gather their personal supplies and tell their loved ones goodbye.” The Healers begun to assemble, sign in, take a packet and leave.

“One more thing, the disease has the potential to change, while it doesn’t seem to affect adults, no Healer should rule this possibility out. Remember, the youkai are a strong bodied group of beings. They have natural protecting magic about themselves through the invocation of the Elemental Spirits, we, a mixed blend of Angles and other creatures do not have this natural ability. While we are not weak, we are different. Be careful.”

Xanthus and Azov stood line to check in.

“Ismene Wrighter, first level Healer.”

“Can you believe this, Azov?” Xanthus asked him.

“Jeffery Alexander, second level Healer.”

“No, I can’t…We’ve been Healers for a while, now, and I’ve never heard of such affecting a good population of the Youkai.” Azov replied.

“Jazmine Yael, Master Healer.”

“It’s really, unbelievable. I guess I’ll have to let Setsuna know what’s going on.” Xanthus said.

“Yeah…” Azov reached the desk. “Azov Hyllas, Master Healer.”

“Xanthus Battus, Master Healer.” They both received packets and headed for the door.

“Linus Ri’chard, first level Healer.”

Scores of Healers still stood in line, waiting to check in and possibly head to their doom…

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the next part will be posted shortly, hereafter.

[Xanthus Battus]

Place: Heaven, fourth layer, Castle
Time: 3pm
Day: still Wednesday

Out in the hall, the two brothers departed. Azov went to their shared house still on the 8th layer and Xanthus quickly made his way back down to the fourth.

Xanthus unlocked and opened the door to Setsuna’s bedchamber. “Setsuna, are you here?” he called throughout the darkened chambers. He flicked the light switch near the door. “Setsuna?” He went over to the “living room” seating area, grabbed a duffel bag, and begin filling it with supplies. “Hey, Setsuna!”

The double sliding doors to the actual bedchamber opened. Setsuna stood there with her glasses upon her nose. She had been reading, down the hall in her chambers in another room. She eyed the standard duffel, “going somewhere?”

“Yeah, babe, there’s a pandemic in the Mystical Realm, so we’ve all be instructed to go.” He replied, walking past her into the bedchamber for his clothes from the closet.

Setsuna followed him to his closet. “What do you mean a pandemic?”

He emerged from the closet with a couple pairs of clothes. He placed them in the bag back in the outer chambers. “Many of the youkai children are contracting a rare disease known as “The Peste”, in normal terms. The scientific name is Bacillius Pestecillias.” He walked back into the inner chamber, and went over to a dresser for more clothes.

Setsuna shuttered. “What does the Peste do to these poor children?”

“Essentially,” he said, “they die. But symptoms that I know about are welts, blackened nails, unconsciousness, tremors.”

Setsuna gave a look. While Setsuna knew Xanthus was a Healer, and that that was his purpose, did not make it any easier for her. She always had the sinking suspicion that he would contract which ever disease he went to heal, and would die. She never voiced these opinions to anyone, despite the fact that she knew the genetic makeup of Celestials were not easily broken.

Xanthus went into the bathroom to grab a few toiletries and threw them into the bag. Setsuna was standing in front of her bed following him with her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.” She lied. “Do you need anything else?” she asked.
He came closer and stood right in front of her, “No.” He paused, brushing silver locks from off of Setsuna’s face. “What’s wrong?” he asked again.

“It’s nothing…just be careful, okay?” she replied.

“Okay.” He said wrapping her into a hug. He kissed her once, one long lingering kiss. “I have to go now.”

“Alright. I’ll tell Kirara you had to go.” Setsuna replied as she watched him pick up his bag and walk through the door.

***************
Setsuna is a little out of character here, but I needed the scene.

[Xanthus Battus]

Place: Heaven, gates of the 8th Layer
Time: 4pm exactly
Day: still Wednesday

Xanthus arrived at the gates to the 8th layer, personal duffel and medicine bag in hand. Most of the other called Healers had arrived by this time. They were all awaiting the Grand Master Healer’s further instructions.

Azov wondered over to Xanthus, baring his own standard personal duffel and medicine bag. “Ready to go?”

“I suppose so.” Xanthus replied. “When do we find who we’ll be working with.”

“I don’t know…” Azov paused turning to see their elder’s approach. “Well, there are the GMH’s, I’m sure they’ll give assignment.”

The Grand Master Healers approached slowly. They stood before the assembled group of Healers of various levels. “Here are the assignments,” one, a female said, “Each have been given a specific tribe and/or village to work with. Now go, and heal.”

The gate opened up, and the Healers walked through. They would each travel through the Hall of Champions until they reached the Gate to the Mystical Realm.

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Alright, this is the last update today, for a while, until I can write more to the story. I only like to update when I'm pages and scenes ahead of where I'm posting.

Thanks. Bye.

[Shirogane Setsuna]

So sorry for the long period of nothing. I've been terribly crazy/busy for a while. Also, I actually have to find where I put this story to see where I was at in it's process. Since it's been so long, I'm not entirely sure where I was going with this, so when I figure that out, I'll finish this up quickly. I hate to leave things unfinished.

For now, this story is POSTPONED.

I have a lot of other things (on other sites) to get out of the way.

I'll need quite a bit of inspiration to finish this story.