Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 627: Source ()

Neveah ventured further into the city, accompanied by Estelle alone since Everon was yet to return from where he had gone to.

Estelle had taken Neveah to a small stall where they sat for a short time, just observing the proceedings from a distance, while awaiting Everon,

However, when Everon did not return in a timely manner, Neveah and Estelle continued on.

They kept to the main streets since most of the side walks were occupied by the sick who had come out to receive their medicinal tonics.

The physicians gave out the tonics in an orderly fashion, and those of the infected who were still strong enough to move about assisted in serving those within the shelters that were too weak to make their way out.

"There, that is one of my physicians, let me get a closer look and get a medical report on the situation." Neveah said, gesturing to a particular shelter.

"I do not think it is a good idea to get too close, Veah. You might give yourself away or Demevirld might be triggered, Dante said to stick to the main streets when we are out." Estelle dissuaded.

"I will not go too close." Neveah assured Estelle.

Neveah walked over to the shelter she had pointed out,

Standing at the entrance and organising and dispersing the tonics was a physician she recognised, he was a nymph by race and had been dispatched from Dune City to Fort Scabbard in the early days of the plague.

He was one of the physicians Neveah had quite a few disputes with when she originally arrived at the White Dunes, however, they had since found common ground in their love for the healing path.

His name was Atticus and Neveah had not had a second thought sending him out here knowing he was one of the best Dune City had.

Neveah came up to his side and cleared her throat slightly to get his attention, keeping her gaze low so the hood did not slip even in the slightest.

Atticus glanced over his shoulder, his gaze furrowed in confusion. Neveah lifted her hood slightly, just enough for the physician to note who she was and his eyes widened.

Atticus was about to offer his greetings but Neveah quickly shook her head, stepping back slightly.

He understood Neveah’s message and excused himself.

"I will be right back, give out the tonics as I instructed." He said to another physician to carry on from where he had left off, before he walked over to Neveah.

"My Lady, I did not realise you had come to Scabbard!" Atticus exclaimed in a low tone, lowering his head slightly in a bow of respect.

"It was not made known and I should like that it remains so." Neveah replied.

"But of course, I will not speak of it to anybody." Atticus assured Neveah.

"Why has My Lady come out here? It is...not a place for you to be." Atticus asked in concern.

"It is not a place for anyone to be." Neveah replied quietly.

Atticus sighed but nodded his head in agreement.

"Walk with me." Neveah requested as she carried on down the street.

Atticus quickly followed after Neveah and they walked in silence for a short moment.

"What do you think of it so far? How has the past month been? Is a cure feasible?" Neveah asked the physician.

"My Lady, I must confess, it is truly a strange ailment, unlike any I have ever treated before." Atticus admitted to Neveah.

"The symptoms begin just like any regular flu, however as it progresses, it graduates into some extremely strange and disturbing symptoms..." Atticus trailed off. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Ashen skin tone, withering skin... I have heard of it." Neveah confirmed.

"The physicians have deliberated numerous times and we have constantly tried new methods of treatment in the past month, some have been more fruitful than others, delaying the fatal symptoms for as long as possible,"

"But in truth, nothing shows the promise of being a cure." Atticus confessed.

"What herbs have you tried?" Neveah asked.

"Iron husk roots, liconius, beetvine, these and other more common herbs for the treatment of flu." Atticus reported.

"Iron husk roots and beetvine are extremely rare and liconius easily degenerates, it is no wonder Scabbard is in constant need of supplies." Neveah murmured.

"Indeed. These herbs have proven to be the most effective but we do not have a large enough supply of them to make a pure extract for so many people and so we can only settle for a blend with other common herbs." Atticus confirmed.

"Iron husks and beetvine..." Neveah muttered,

"It is most abundant in Fae territory, is it not?" Neveah recalled what she had read in a book on herbs.

"Indeed. However, the Fae will not provide them and the Lord of Scabbard has settled for sourcing from the other great fortresses." Atticus explained.

"We can still provide the batches we have in store, if we were to ransack all the herb storehouses, but it will eventually be exhausted... the only lasting solution is a cure." Neveah murmured.

"I have not seen anything quite like this, My Lady. Not in all the decades I have served as a physician... I and a few of the other physicians speculate a magical origin, but there is no proof of such or trace of dark magic."

"However, Lord Mycroft instructed we were not to let such words spread to the hearing of the commoners and cause further panic."

"And even if it were to be black magic, we would still be helpless on a cure. Dark magic spells cannot be cured, only undone from the source of its origin." Atticus said with a shake of his head.

"Not cured... only undone..." Neveah murmured quietly.

Jian had also guessed the same, that the contagion was somehow linked to black magic and thinking about it now, Neveah recalled Demevirld had first reacted to sensing dark magic on the woman he had healed.

"The source of its origin..." Neveah thought, her eyes going wide slightly as she recalled something that had been rather unsettling.

"Atticus, take me to the nearest water supply for these parts... quickly!" Neveah instructed.