Chapter Text
Zirus headed up the many flights of stairs to the king's quarters. Two knights stood guard outside the doors. Zirus paused for a moment then looked at them. “No one may be allowed to enter this room under any circumstance.” The guards nodded to him then Zirus walked past them into the room.
The king lay on his bed, he appeared to no longer be conscious. The servant and maid still sat by his side, the maid still holding the cloth to the king’s forehead.
Zirus walked to the bedside, he looked at Darwim. The king was still shivering. He reached a hand down, motioning away the maid, and placing the hand on Darwim’s forehead, there was no change in his temperature either, “Have there been any new symptoms besides fever and chills?” He turned to look at the servant.
“His majesty woke up once and became sick with blood.”
Zirus frowned, Darwim was getting worse, there wasn’t much time left. “Leave us.” Zirus spoke to the maid and servant, looking back over to the king. The maid placed the cloth to the side, on the edge of the bucket. She and the servant left swiftly after.
Zirus waited until the doors closed before moving to the other side of the bed and grabbing the bucket to move it off the chair and onto the floor. He waited a moment, simply staring at the king before sitting in the chair. He placed his elbows to his knees resting his head in his palms. His foot tapped anxiously on the stone floor, the sound reverberating through the room.
The king was young, only about a few months older than Zirus. Darwim was unmarried and without an heir. There was no family left that could take his place. Without a ruler Lystican was doomed to fall.
Zirus' heartbeat was racing through his chest. He had the chance to save his kingdom. He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to take the risk though. Balcor’s words echoed through his head, ‘Do you wish now to betray everything you have stood for, everything you have worked towards,’ the answer rang through his head. No.
There was a tapping sound from the window. Zirus looked over and his heart fell. Acroden was perched on the windowsill outside. They met eyes, the hawk seemed to be challenging him to make a move. Now that she was here it was clear the king had very little time left.
Zirus stood from the chair and rolled up the sleeves of his nightshirt. He took a deep breath and placed his hands on Darwim’s chest.
He focused on his hands willing all his energy towards them then he began to mutter, “Ic e urhhle in licsare mid am sundorcrftas re ealda.” as he finished speaking he slowly removed his hands from the king’s chest.
He quickly grabbed one of Darwim’s wrists, checking for a pulse. There was nothing. “No,” Zirus checks for a pulse under the king’s jaw. Still nothing. “No, no, no,” Darwin was dead.
Zirus fell to his knees, folding his arms over on the bed and resting his head atop them. He felt tears swelling in his eyes, he had failed.
“Zirus?” A voice sounded from above him.
He sniffled and looked up to meet his brown eyes with bright blue ones. Zirus stood up quickly, his brow furrowing in confusion. He lifted his arm to wipe away his tears. He removed the arm to look at the man once more.
“What are you crying for?” The man before him was laying on the bed, just as he had been before, only this time he was alive.
“You’re alive.” Zirus breathed out in disbelief.
“It would seem that way,” Darwim smiled, his curly brown hair was damp and sticking to his forehead in places due to how much he had been sweating. Other than that he seemed to be completely rejuvenated. “I’m not certain I remember what happened though,”
Zirus didn’t know how to respond, too awestruck to think coherently. He had somehow managed it, he had saved the king.
Zirus turned to look at the window, Acroden was nowhere to be seen. It was over, Darwim was alive.
Zirus turned back to Darwim to see his brow furrowed. Anxiety rose in Zirus' stomach. Darwim looked up at him, “I remember words, people talking, then just you talking.” He paused and sat up in his bed, his eyes seemed to be sorrowful. “Zirus,”
He remembers, he knows what Zirus had done. Zirus decided to speak before the king could continue. “I couldn’t let you die, sire, I knew I needed to save you, and I broke the law to do it. I’m sorry,” He trailed off tears growing in his eyes once more.
“So I didn’t just imagine it then.” Darwim paused, “You used magic to cure me?” He said it as a question more than a statement, as if he wasn’t fully sure he was right. It was clear he wanted Zirus to provide him with an answer and so he did.
“I admit it, I was born with magic, I’ve always had it but I rarely used it until now. But I understand the law, I know what must be done.”
“Tell me honestly, if I had not remembered what you had done would you have admitted to your crimes?”
Zirus hesitated for a moment, “No sire, but I did not plan on staying either.”
Darwim nodded in understanding, though Zirus doubted he understood anything of the situation. “And what were you to do when you left?”
“I was going to save the little honour I have left, sire. I know however, that is no longer possible,”
“And if it was?”
“Then I would do as I had planned originally.”
Darwim moved his sheets aside and shifted over so that he was sitting on the edge of his bed. “I cannot have you killed, Zirus. You are a good man and you saved my life. However I cannot let your crime go unpunished.”
He stood up, now nearly half a head taller than Zirus. He began to speak once more, now looking down at the mage. “You will leave Lystican immediately, I cannot promise that word will not spread of your magic. But I can promise you your honour. You will be remembered only as a skilled physician and a loyal subject to me and the kingdom. You must make leave from the kingdom at once and leave your things behind.”
Zirus didn’t know what to say, the king was letting him go, “Thank you my lord,”
“Thank you, Zirus, for saving me. And I’m sorry I had to do this. You must go now.” Zirus bowed to the king and turned, walking away from him. As he neared the doors he looked back one last time, meeting Darwim’s gaze, Balcor was right about the king after all.
With that Zirus opened the doors and exited the castle.
It didn’t take him long to arrive at the outer city. He looked behind him one last time. There were a few trees scattered around the area he was standing in, their branches obscured his view in some places but he could see clearly everything he needed to.
The castle stood high above everything around it, the sky a light blue as clouds meandered by. The sun now beginning to rise, barely peaked over the citadel, bathing it in a golden light. Birds would fly around the towers of the structure every so often, their song carrying on the wind.
He burned the image into his memory, this was his home and he was never going to see it again. The thought was a painful one.
As he stared at the kingdom of Lystican he was uncertain of what he would do now. One thing he knew however, was that his story wasn’t meant to end here. The king had given him another chance and he was willing to take it.
A screech sounded overhead, looking up he saw the large figure of a hawk, circling above him. He watched as she dove down and landed on one of the trees nearby, her eyes were a bright yellow even in the shadowed forest.
Zirus met her gaze, this time he felt no fear as he looked at the hawk, instead he felt safe. She was seeing him off into the next page of his life. This was her saying goodbye. Zirus was unable to find words to respond. Instead he took a deep breath and turned away, away from his home, away from his friends, away from his past.
His heart seemed to break a little but he forced himself to start forward, farther into the woods. As he walked away he said a silent prayer, pushing one last pebble off the cliff, willing it to be the start of change.
Please let Darwim rule justly and fairly, but above anything else, if at all possible, please save my people.
As he continued on he felt a presence with him. He had one last though as he stepped across the border;
Perhaps wishes can be granted.