The Endless Solvent

Long before Caelis was situated as the threshold between the East of savage Yscians and the cultured West, there were generations of Gaians that feared the strange blue men out in the untamed wilds would one day rise up and decimate any warm toned person they came across.

Pure bullshit, of course: the Yscians were as varied as Gaians in terms of culture and beliefs, just as Kuvanian clergyman would only begrudgingly be lumped together with the farmers who toiled out in the fringes of the Heart. But fear was a strong feeling few had the strength to argue against. In order to stave off the inevitable ‘blue invasion,’ the then emperor of Gaia had ordered watchtowers be built along the border of Gain territory. This border, of course, was completely made up at the discretion of court geologists with zero input of the Yscians. Many battles were held due to the ‘barbarians’ infringing on this border they had no idea about.

The establishment of Caelis eased the tensions between the two people. It was to Gaia’s advantage that Caelis played negotiator as it was expensive and tedious to send soldiers so far east to retain ‘their land’. The early king of Caelis (when it was simply under a patriarchy in the early years) tried something no Gaian even considered: he made allies with the Yscian, learned their languages and adopted their beliefs. Soon it was decided a brother and sister duo would inherit the throne of the kingdom as a symbol of how the Gaians and Yscians should be akin siblings like the sun and the moon. Different people, yes, but united under the same sky.

The watchtowers were kept as a precaution, but retired after a generation of gentle coaxing from Caelis. They oversaw no ‘blue invasion.’ They were left to the elements, towers of stone hidden between trees of a lush Verdant Forest standing but crumbling as an embarrassing reminder of Gaian paranoia.

Was he actually thinking that he was thankful for his people’s shameful past for once? Camaz thought sardonically to himself: yes, yes he was. When he saw the decaying stone tower between the trees, he knew immediately what it was. It was overgrown, it had shelter and space and it was remote from people. Perfect to hide Aris in while they tried to stop her from dying.

Verne carried Aris the whole way, cradling her carefully like a child after tying cloth straps around her to secure her to him. Camaz couldn’t fathom why the young man cared so much about his ward, but at the moment Camaz couldn’t give a shit. Neither himself nor Laell would have been able to haul Aris around on a cart for so long then lug her unconscious body even further. Then after setting Aris down on an available spot in the watchtower they broke into, he helped Camaz clear out debris and overgrowth in and around.

They each broke into their tasks without discussing it. Verne set off to find wood for fire and scouted the area to make sure they were safe. Laell immediately set to work in rune drawing on the available space around Aris. Camaz helped clean the floor so she had a better surface to draw on, then set to work on brewing potions from what little supplies they had left.

The young runist worked fast. No doubt she rivaled even Gardlo on speed and accuracy in her enchanting circles, but then again she had been adjusting and studying the same enchantment for days on end.

“It’s forbidden to use runes t-that would directly affect the solute,” she had told him.

“You won’t get in trouble. I’m forcing you to do it,” Camaz said easily. “You’re going to blame me if they ask.”

“That’s not the issue,” Laell said, red faced. “None of the students have experience w-with such enchantments. Because it’s forbidden.”

But to her credit, she did try her best despite it all. They were in completely foreign territory with what was happening to Aris’s solute. Laell managed to bring down her pain enough for her to be almost normal. Camaz stared at the glittering gemstone-like growth on Aris’s face, the effect even more prominent with the campfire’s flickering light. Will she ever be normal again?

A spasm wracked Aris’s body. Laell only glanced at her and didn’t stop scribbling with her charcoal. “The s-sleeping potion,” she said without looking up. “Just half a dose to keep her from waking. If she wakes she’ll die from the pain, she’s too weak right now.”

Camaz had a draught left from the last time and carefully walked around Laell’s intricate rune work to Aris’s body, dribbled the potion into her cracked, flaking lips, then carefully set her down again. Keeping her unconscious was one way to keep the pain at bay. It had gotten so bad at one point, Aris had a seizure. Whatever she did, it was destroying both her solute and her physical body.

“I felt her solute had cracks in it,” Camaz was finally able to say. Laell stopped scribbling for two heartbeats, then resumed.

“She’s going to die,” Laell finally said. She sounded exhausted, but she didn’t stop drawing runes.

“I can’t let that happen.”

“Often it’s n-not up to you,” she said. The charcoal stick became too short and she fished out a new one in her waist pack.

Verne returned with more firewood and started making torches in case they needed them. He also had two rabbits that he deftly skinned and roasted for them to eat - a poor meal compared to the luxuries of the Academy. But they haven’t had a decent meal in a long time.

Aris gave a raspy gasp and all three of them turned to watch her. The runes Laell drew rippled a glow, a few of them curiously squirming. The runist stared down at them, brows knitted together in confusion.

“What happened?” Verne asked.

“I-I don’t know,” Laell said. “It’s… it’s not me.”

A low moan escaped Aris and her gemstone eyes glowed. Then a familiar smoke-like substance bubbled up in front of her face. Camaz swore and reluctantly reached out to her through the Great Solvent. Aris’s giant monstrosity of a solute squirmed under his probing ‘touch’. The cracks felt like they were deepening.

“It’s falling apart,” he said to Laell. “Do something.”

Aris spasmed again and then her body started levitating as if drawn up by the strange smoke at her face. Laell scrambled to her feet and quickly drew more runes on the walls of the watchtower while muttering to herself. Camaz returned to trying to control Aris’s solute, trying to calm it. How would he calm it? He had always tortured people, forcing them to do things they didn’t want to do.

“I need blood,” Laell said.

Verne immediately left without saying a word, presumably to find a wild animal to drain. But Camaz calmly took out a pen knife from his waist cloth and took out a small glass vial they had on spare for Aris’s many medications. He slit a strategic part of his hand where it wouldn’t hinder his use of it and dribbled blood into the glass. “Here.”

They were definitely treading on forbidden territory now. Blood enchantments. Laell looked pale as she watched the dark red liquid gather in the vial.

“Again,” he said. “You can blame this all on me.”

“Sir, this b-better be worth it,” she whispered, then took the vial from him.