The young man moaned, breath gurgling through lungs that were doing their best to give up. His eyes wandered randomly, unaware of the worried old couple that hovered over him. Velastra put a cool hand on his forehead, feeling the heat from the fever that was killing him. Yes, the Silver Lady would call him to Her side soon.
She turned to the couple, a small frown on her face. "I'm afraid there is nothing more a healer can do for your son. I am sorry."
The father sunk to his knees, staring blankly for a moment. "There must be something... more medicine, better food..." he whispered.
Velastra put her hand on his shoulder. "His death song has already been sung. The Lady - " She cut off as the mother grabbed her sleeve and clutched it in a white-knuckled fist. Velastra fought the urge to shake her hand off, and remained still.
"Please! We will do anything," the mother pleaded. "You can't let him die!"
Velastra eyed the couple for a moment, assessing their desperation.
Slowly, with gravity in her voice: "Then choose."
"Choose?" Confused looks.
"The Lady has called for death. If it is not to be your son's, then choose another."
Both of them stared at her. And stared. The silence stretched. "Another... to die in his place?" the father said weakly. Velastra continued to gaze at them, impassive, and said nothing.
"We can't..." the father said, at the same time as the mother said, "Would that work?"
"You said you would do anything. That is the price. So, choose another."
The couple burst into argument, voices starting to raise. Velastra continued to watch silently, cool hand on the feverish young man, trying to hold him to the world until his parents reached a decision. Now that the burden of action is on YOU, it's not so easy, is it? she thought. She squeezed the boy's sweaty hand with her own. Ah, I am getting jaded. Sorry, young man. I do not think they will choose to save you.
Like everyone she had given this choice to in this new world, they didn't.
But he did. The father tracked her down a few hours later as she made her rounds around the small temple, blowing out the candles for the night. After a brief murmured conversation, Velastra reached out and rested her hand on his cheek, caressing it. "Go home, my dear, and try to get some sleep. Let your wife watch over him tonight, and come back tomorrow." She laid a light kiss on his cheek, whispered a blessing in his ear, and steered him toward the door.
He did not come back tomorrow, nor would he ever. But his wife's excited cries could be heard throughout the temple near mid-morning as their son opened his eyes and sat up, lucid for the first time in days.
She turned to the couple, a small frown on her face. "I'm afraid there is nothing more a healer can do for your son. I am sorry."
The father sunk to his knees, staring blankly for a moment. "There must be something... more medicine, better food..." he whispered.
Velastra put her hand on his shoulder. "His death song has already been sung. The Lady - " She cut off as the mother grabbed her sleeve and clutched it in a white-knuckled fist. Velastra fought the urge to shake her hand off, and remained still.
"Please! We will do anything," the mother pleaded. "You can't let him die!"
Velastra eyed the couple for a moment, assessing their desperation.
Slowly, with gravity in her voice: "Then choose."
"Choose?" Confused looks.
"The Lady has called for death. If it is not to be your son's, then choose another."
Both of them stared at her. And stared. The silence stretched. "Another... to die in his place?" the father said weakly. Velastra continued to gaze at them, impassive, and said nothing.
"We can't..." the father said, at the same time as the mother said, "Would that work?"
"You said you would do anything. That is the price. So, choose another."
The couple burst into argument, voices starting to raise. Velastra continued to watch silently, cool hand on the feverish young man, trying to hold him to the world until his parents reached a decision. Now that the burden of action is on YOU, it's not so easy, is it? she thought. She squeezed the boy's sweaty hand with her own. Ah, I am getting jaded. Sorry, young man. I do not think they will choose to save you.
Like everyone she had given this choice to in this new world, they didn't.
But he did. The father tracked her down a few hours later as she made her rounds around the small temple, blowing out the candles for the night. After a brief murmured conversation, Velastra reached out and rested her hand on his cheek, caressing it. "Go home, my dear, and try to get some sleep. Let your wife watch over him tonight, and come back tomorrow." She laid a light kiss on his cheek, whispered a blessing in his ear, and steered him toward the door.
He did not come back tomorrow, nor would he ever. But his wife's excited cries could be heard throughout the temple near mid-morning as their son opened his eyes and sat up, lucid for the first time in days.