Khan, Ssarak, & Leith: Part 2
With each step, fire seemed to race up Khan’s limb leg causing his jawline to tighten. The very nerves in his leg seemed to protest his attempt to walk casually and aimed to make him double over in agony, his knuckles growing whiter by the moment when they trailed down the hallway. The track back to his office seemed much longer now than earlier, his mind unoccupied by the chatter the Rheven-ari provided and forced to endure the silence there. Twice, Khan feared he was about to collapse when he stumbled in his set pace and jerked a hand outright to catch himself from falling flat on his face into the floor. His breath was heavy upon reaching his office door as he pushed it open, gently gesturing for the pair to enter first.
After they did, he limped toward his desk.
Trying not to groan in pain, Khan plopped down into his seat and felt the pressure relieved from his knee. His hand rubbed the throbbing joint until the ache subsided then turned to the two students. A glass container, tall and narrow, was covered over by a red cloth but soft tapping could be heard underneath. Naturally, Khan ignored it in favor to address the to students. From the wall behind him, Zaad materialized in his dark sand self with a light, unimpressed smirk at the pair.
He turned to Khan and gave raised eyebrow, a command made telepathic obviously. Then slowly spread his shape over the room, becoming thinner and thinner until he was nothing but blackish dust within the room. Through none in the room could hear it, Zaad was created a static for any unwanted eavesdropping plants or beings alike. Khan finally gestured to the two seats seeming to wait for the two to sit within them.
Ssarak became increasingly aware of Khan’s injuries the longer he walked with him. Normally, he did not have much reason to be around the Headmaster for an extended period, but now that he was paying close attention to it he could see that he was having trouble moving. Heading into the office, Ssarak took a seat across from Khan after the demon Zaad had done...something to the walls of the room.
Since Khan said nothing at first, Ssarak decided to begin. He gave the Headmaster a look of concern, having to do no acting for it to be genuine.
”I...was unaware that your injuries were this severe. Though, the archmage did say in his letter that your condition was worse than it should be. Uicle was the one who indicated to me that you needed your medicine. He seemed to want me to be quite...harsh towards you. That is not what I intend, though I have no doubt that Uicle will be quite upset the next time you speak with him.” “Few of the students do, a fact I’m actually happy with. Last thing any of you need to do is worry about me as much as for the challenges you will face in the future, namely on the missions and graduating through that’s a ways off. Through to be honest, few people would be uninjured when coming face to face with a nightmare messing around in their head. The demon attack left scars on everyone as I’m sure you’re aware and some things are best left unknown no matter how much they will help to have knowledge of them.” Khan stated gently, his hand still rubbing his leg. Zaad’s red eyes peered at him, feeling the demon clawing into his skull with his usual sass.
“Boss, having Kudd messing around in your head is no minor issue. That vial you had me hiding wasn’t exactly normal for your usual behavior, even the doll, Lucilia, could see you were hiding something. Telling someone can’t exactly hurt, can it? Zaad almost sounded pleading, until Khan shut him out.
Ignoring Zaad’s advice, Khan leaned further into his chair while listening to Ssarak reply, adding only a bit about Uicle. [color-goldenrod]”As for Uicle, it’s not the first time he’s yelled at me for such minor things and it won’t be the last. I think it’s pretty bad when I feel worse taking my medicine then when I don’t, so there’s one big reason I prefer not to take it. Besides, the stuff tastes terrible.” [/color]
Leith sat down, glancing at the container that had noise coming from it before looking at Khan.
”I can think about the future later. Besides, people are going to worry about you. It’s just what they do.” He gave Khan a dry look at the mention of the medicine tasting terrible.
”Of course it tastes terrible, it’s supposed to. I don’t think I’ve had any type of medicine that tasted pleasant.” He chuckled.
”Tastes terrible.That’s the lamest excuse for not taking medicine. As for feeling worse after taking it, it could be a sign that the medicine is working.”Khan sigh, agreeing with the gesture, but kept firmly to his chair. He knew his last comment was pitiful and childish one, immediately regretting his mention.
“True, but doesn’t mean I enjoy it. Even Yarsomere Dragonspit doesn’t get rid of it. And that stuff overpowers even the drinker, so that’s an accomplishment in itself for the medicine. As for working, I don’t know. Without it, I can actually walk without the cane and if it wasn’t for the lacking memory issues, I wouldn’t consider what I’m doing dangerous. If you could believe, I didn’t need the cane this morning as you can ask a student Baulder, I was actually walking perfectly fine. Whatever Norschtalen poisoned me with, it wasn’t Tiien based. I fear it might be much worse…” Khan’s eyes shifted to the table and leaned back further, his hand had stopped rubbing his leg and rested on his chair arms. In a more thoughtful and lower voice, he added an afterthought.
“Right now, people worrying about me is the most dangerous part.” Ssarak had not known of the nature of Khan’s injury beforehand. Based on the nature of his symptoms, he had assumed it to be physical in nature; perhaps some kind of terrible trauma that he was still struggling to recover from. But a poisoning, that was much more sinister. Khan seemed to imply that it was demonic in nature, which meant it could have wholly unnatural properties.
”Every unit needs an effective leader, and for the College, that has been you. It is only natural that we would worry about your health. Do you truly believe that there is anyone else who could fill your role as effectively as yourself? Anyone who is knowledgeable, powerful, yet still diplomatic? Someone who everyone at the College would respect? You know your staff better than I, of course, but no one comes to my mind. Lucilia is intelligent, but some of the decisions she had made would cause me to be frightened if she were in the leadership position. Uicle too is powerful and intelligent, but if his reaction to Ovak’s letter is any indication, he can also be angry and impatient. Satori is the teacher whom I know the best, and yet, I do not feel like I know her at all. Her mind is impenetrable, literally and metaphorically, but if her display at the opening feast was any indication, she has no issue bringing harm to the students. Tyrael...I do not believe I need to elaborate on him.”As he spoke, Ssarak’s eyes glanced to the Headmaster’s cane. The fact that he claimed to feel worse when taking his medicine did complicate matters, but that only meant that there was more for Ssarak to learn.
”Of course, even ignoring all of your skills and responsibilities, I would not wish to see you come to harm. Perhaps, if I may ask, could I know more about this medicine? I assume it treats the effects of the poison? What does it do, what are the side-effects, and who created it?” “Leaders don’t end up crippling themselves because of empathy over another's troubles. If I’m the leader of this, I’m a rather sorry excuse for one and not the best choice. I’m still trying to understand Ovak’s reasons for choosing me over other candidates to be completely blunt. Everyone has their flaws, Ssarak, I don’t think I need to tell you that which is what makes us mortal.” Khan admitted, his voice clearly unsure of himself. When the question about his medicine drew his attention, the Esyire narrowed his eyes and seemed to study Ssarak for a moment deeply. After a moment or two, he inhaled to continue.
“As for the medicine’s details, Ovak and Lucilia are the only two that actually know the contents. I merely drink it. Which is what I did this morning after Uicle sent another student to ensure I did. According to Lucilia, Ovak made the first two vials and gave her the list of needed ingredients as well as instructions on how to concoct it. A list, which, to my recent discovery is running low due to the difficulty in harvesting the ingredients. Some of them can’t be grown here. As for treating the poison, I assume so because I’ve not had Kudd in my head since.”Khan nearly bite his tongue off at letting the name slip from his muzzle. Most mortals, from Esyires to humans, knew Kudd to be some from the stuff of nightmares and fiction. A type of forgotten boogeyman that had long since vanished with different stories, versions of the truth and understanding of his origins. Which in the end, made Khan’s uttering the name sounds like a child being fearful about a monster lurking under his bed. The headmaster sighed, not denying or correcting his slip, as he waited for the ridicule to come.
While Khan’s mention of having Kudd in his mind was certainly concerning, it was not unbelievable to Ssarak. Uicle had already informed him that Kudd was behind the demon attack, so it made sense that he would be involved with Khan’s health issues. However, the detail of Khan’s answer that he found the most useful was that it was actually Ovak who had originally created the medicine. Obviously, if Ovak created it, then he had reason to believe that it would treat the condition. Though, Ssarak was starting to feel that the argument that the medicine was worsening his symptoms was merely an excuse to cover up the real issue.
“You say Ovak created the medicine…” Ssarak began, looking to the side and pausing for a moment as if in thought.
“I would like to ask about him, the archmage. He seems like an old and unimaginably powerful man. He stopped the demon that would have destroyed the college, and he uses magic in a way that I cannot begin to comprehend. But…he is distant. Esoteric. All I know about him is what I have said. Could I know more about him, what he can do, and more importantly, who he is?” He asked. It seemed as if he had gone to an only marginally related topic at a strange time, but he had a reason for asking.
“You’re not the only one that has pondered over Ovak, I’m afraid. Many have, in his earlier years as archmage, tried to test his worth through a challenge. I will admit I’ve seen him do things with magic I wouldn’t have believed unless I seen it myself. Sadly, it’s at a price. His body is decaying from the inside because his body is confusing his arcanite used for existence, his soul, for fuel for his magic. Many believe Ovak can see the future, or rather it’s many branches, through he’s never denied or stated this rumor was correct. The more I spend time in his company, the more I’m starting to wonder if it is true. Then again it’s impossible to know because no other known mortal has ever had arcanite before.” Khan stated simply, his mind grasping for everything he knew could recall over the archmage.
“In order to reveal everything, I would have explain some of my own history, from the time I met him as a student here to present. Through even as long as I’ve known him, I can’t fully figure out how he knows some of things he does even no one else does.” Leith whistled at the thought of Ovak being rumored to see the future, or how it could go.
”It sounds insane to think that he could see the future… but if it is true. It has some huge implications if it does.” He frowned as he pause to think.
”He may have known that you were going to be poisoned. It would make sense as to why he had the medicine on hand.” He rubbed his forehead.
”Ah, it’s giving me a headache to think about.””That would make sense.”” Ssarak commented, wondering about what Ovak could know about events to come. It would seem strange that he had prepared to treat the poison if he had not known it was going to happen. Even Khan did not seem to know the extent of his ability.
”Ovak seems to be beyond capable, but...you did not answer the question of who he is. His background; how he came to be the archmage of the College. To most, or all, I imagine, of the students, he is a mystery.”Khan nodded in agreement with both statement, his mind had pondered many of the same issues over and over. It was what had brought him to the conclusion that was the main reason the College forever remained neutral among the state affairs within Tiien, never aligning with either Djarkel or Eania while in Ovak’s watch. Part of Khan, deeply, wished he could give Ssarak more information but in complete honesty, there was none. It was if Ovak had popped from the skies or thin air before becoming the next archmage which was before Khan’s arrival. The only one that could possibly answer the student’s questions were possibly Lucilia now that the Headmaster thought about it.
His hand rose to rub his temple gently in thought.
“I can’t tell you much. Ovak was archmage when I came to the college and when I try to discover records, there are none. I don’t even know if he comes from Yarsomere or in that region as no official scriber, and they keep extensive records, have any indications of Ovak’s birth. I’ve tried Eania, Djarkel, even Tidehome until at last I turned to ask Ovak himself. The answers I got were far too cryptic to be helpful as he merely stated: ‘Some things are better left to trust, rather than knowledge for the truth can sometimes bring fear and mistrust.’ If I knew or had any idea how to answer your questions, Ssarak, don’t you think I would end up with less questions now than I did back then? All I know, for sure, is that he knows things he shouldn’t. He’s not the only one with secrets in this school after all. His secrets are just the most obvious to you, even I have things I much rather not have known or want others to seek. As I’m sure you do as well. That make him something to fear when he doesn’t want to reveal it?” ”I understand.” Ssarak answered with a nod. It was curious that Ovak had not shared any details about his past, but it was not important at the moment. For now, he had gotten Khan onto the topic of the archmage: the one who had selected him as Headmaster, created his medicine, and sent himself and Leith to speak to him. It seemed that Khan respected and trusted the archmage, but doubted himself. Ssarak hoped to remind him of the fact that Ovak trusted in him as well.
”Would you say you trust the archmage?” He asked simply.
Khan nodded again, his eyes soften at the memory and how Ovak had gained his trust.
“He saved my life, Ssarak. Wouldn’t you if you were being possessed by a frighten monster like Kudd after being beaten and nearly killed. In the end only to have the archmage and the demonomancy teacher save you? Once again, Ssarak gave a nod.
”I certainly would.” He answered. He did not know of the details of the event that Khan described, but it was not important that he understand them at the moment. All that mattered was that Khan did.
”You trust in his abilities, and his judgment. If he created the medicine, then I am sure that it will aid you far more than it will harm you. Of course, I think that you believe that as well. As you said, you trust Ovak. Forgive me, but...there is another reason you have neglected your medicine, is there not?”Khan’s eyes averted Ssarak’s at mention of another reason. His vision avoided meeting the Esyire’s sight when he felt the guilt swell in his breast and tried to swallow it.
“Riddic, my twin brother, had the illness that blocked his mageblood. Despite the meds we tried, nothing worked. His illness remind me of how lucky I was through we were both came from the same egg. His illness is what drove me to contact Kudd in the first place and attempt to cure him, so the last images I have is of him weak and taking medication before I left.””I understand that pain.” Ssarak responded simply, and without a hint of uncertainty or hesitation in his voice. He found no need to elaborate any further, either on Khan’s experiences, or his own. It was enough to know that it was a painful memory which gave him the apprehension about his medicine.
”With everything you know about the archmage, and everything he knows about you, do you believe that he would put you in that position without warning you first?”
Gurkenkrater
Cath
StarfrostedFox
Not a Sayan
Raqueltrper
Love Dove