Chapter 99: Masks

Syryn was sitting beside his patient as he watched Rei realign the broken bone on Gosan's other leg. A makeshift splint created from bamboo and leather, courtesy of one of the other guards, was lying next to the healers.

The purple masked Rei worked on the broken leg with professionalism. Syryn had deduced his competence and thus left him to bind it by himself.

"Gosan, you'll have to bear with the pain," Syryn informed the now semi-lucid navigator. The effects of valerian root were wearing off and the pain would hit him soon. Sweat beaded the man's forehead so Syryn wiped his skin with a damp towel.

"How far are we from Nua?" He asked Rei.

"Two and a half days. His highness chose the nearest detour but we're still far off from home."

Syryn sighed. Nearly 3 days while travelling in the company of a sick man was torture of a special kind. He didnt have that kind of patience. The longsuffering alchemist placed a tinted bottle on the table where his used tools were kept.

"There's exactly thirty grams of Estranise in here. Administer three grams in a cup of water, four times a day. Are you familiar with the aftercare process of a knee disarticulation?"

Rei nodded. "I've worked with patients like him before."

"Great. Come to me if complications arise. I've got more Estranise on me so there's no need to skimp on it if he starts showing signs of infection." Syryn had been liberal with the hemostatic potion so there hadn't been any need to stitch up the skin. A tiny pipe was still left embedded in the flesh for drainage and that was a potential source of infection he would have to watch out for.

"Thank you," Rei informed him. Syryn was about to tell him the medicines weren't free and that Riaku would have to pay for them. "For saving Gosan. If it weren't for the presence of a competent healer like you in our party, I fear to think of what would have happened to him."

"I-" Syryn wanted to say he wasn't a healer but what was the point of it? He was on his way to Nua for healing business. "Why are you on guard duty if you're pursuing healer studies?" He asked instead.

"Rei isn't really my name," the guard told Syryn after a beat. "Rei is the mask. The person wearing the mask becomes the mask."

"So what does that have to do with you being a healer and a guard?" Syryn asked him.

"The previous Rei was killed but his replacement is still in training. I used to be a guard before I resigned to train as a healer. You can think of me as a temporary substitute for the new guard who will take his rightful place as Rei in two month's time."

Syryn surmised that this Rei must have been a highly skilled guard if he was being called in even after his resignation.

"Aren't you missing important healer classes if you're spending time playing guard?"

"Yes," Rei answered. "But I was blessed with the opportunity to watch you work. I learnt a lot from it too so it more than makes up for what I'm missing."

Syryn had never been told that he was a good teacher. Rei's words indicated that he had done a good enough job of lecturing during the amputation. Maybe he needed a protege, he thought. Or two. Like Neiro and Blaze. But Syryn wasn't a healer. He wasn't qualified to take apprentices. Who the hell was spreading the word about him being a healer anyway? He had to ask Riaku about it so he could go thank them after giving them a beating.

"Can you check on him as well?" Rei asked quietly.

"Who?"

"Prince Riaku."

The alchemist raised his brows. "Why?"

"I cannot speak of his secrets without being permitted to. You'll know if you see him."

"I can check on him later if you insist," Syryn said, mildly confused about Rei's implications. "I'd like some refreshments and a bath before doing anymore work."

Rei dipped his head. "It is best to catch him when he's still weak. The prince will recover and you won't have a chance to question him if you wait too long." 

What the hell was Rei talking about? Syryn wondered. If the prince was going to recover without his help, why should Syryn help him?

"Everyone just loves speaking in bloody riddles around me," Syryn muttered as he exited the room. The doorway opened up to the flat-topped roof where a guard in a yellow mask was watching the perimeter.

"You, Wen? Soka? Fei?"

"Soka was killed," he respectfully told Syryn. "I am Wen."

The alchemist awkwardly nodded. "Okay then Wen, take me to Riaku."

"His highness is occupied," Wen informed him. "We cannot disturb his rest at the moment."

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"It's an emergency. I really need to speak with him, Wen. You cannot bear the guilt of a dead Gosan, can you? Because if you don't take me to Riaku right now, your navigator might die."

The mask impeded Syryn's vision of the guard's expression. "I will ask the prince for permission to bring you."

Syryn waited on the roof. They were at the top of a cliff accessible only to the avians. From his vantage point, Syryn could make out a small part of an azure lake that was hidden behind tall trees. The avian guard had flown in the direction of the lake.

"His highness will see you," Wen told Syryn after his return. The teen raised his arms and waited for the avian to carry him. To his surprise, he was lifted in a princess carry by Wen. He had no complaints since it was a more comfortable position to be carried in. And then to Syryn's delight, they began heading towards the lake just as he had hoped.

Golden sunlight sparkled across the dappled blue surface of the beautiful lake. At the edge of the waters stood Riaku, feet bare and his loose pants soaked at the cuffs. He looked like a man whose soul was crushed by the weight of something too heavy to bear.

"Riaku, why the long face?" Syryn asked as he approached the man. As he got closer to the prince, Syryn noticed how pale he looked.

"Wen says you need to speak to me about Gosan."

Riaku stared into the distance and allowed the soft laps of the lake water to further soak his trousers.

"He's fine. Saved his life when Wen was talking to you. You on the other hand look terrible."

Syryn was now right next to Riaku and he could see the droplets of fresh blood streaming down through his dark sleeves and falling into the water.

"You weren't injured when we were cutting up Gosan. What gives?" Syryn asked.

"Just do as you are told to, healer. These other matters do not concern you." The edge in his reply was dulled by how little of an effort Riaku had put into sounding intimidating.

"It's not like I care about you," Syryn replied. "Treating a prince will get me more money you see. Pardon me for trying to make some gold out of your misfortune."

"Wen, take him back."

The yellow masked guard bowed to the prince. Syryn smacked the offending hands when they reached out to princess carry him again.

"What's your problem? You look like shit and you're even injured but refuse help," Syryn snapped at Riaku. "Are you a masochist? Your guards are just wary enough that it makes me think they're more worried about you than of a hidden enemy. Let me guess, you accidentally cut yourself up while doing something stupid and that's the reason you don't want me to look at it." Syryn was making a randomly wild guess based on the fact that he had not sensed a single enemy since they'd touched ground.

"You're abnormal in the head aren't you?" It was spoken by the veiled guard that stuck around Riaku. "I've never seen anyone act so fearlessly disrespectful towards his highness. From the impressive stunt that you pulled in the path, I already knew you were insane. Now I'm thinking you're just dumb."

"Aren't you speaking too freely for a guard?" Syryn shot back. "Such a white knight. It sounds like someone has a crush."

Syryn saw a tiny smile appear on Riaku's face. "She's my cousin. Emi rarely lets her guard down. You've made quite an impression on her, Syryn." The prince had said his name this time.

"No he hasn't!"

"Oooh! am I special to you Emi? I only date men but I'm willing to make an exception for you." It wasn't cheating if he was just saying empty words meant to annoy his target.

"You're not my type," she replied coolly.

"What's your type then?"

"Older and more manly. Like Wen."

Oh! Syryn thought. She was bold. He recognised his kin and liked her already. Wen was right next to him and had heard everything but was presumably too embarrassed to act like he had heard Emi's declaration.

"I am turning 17 next year. I swear I'm manly," Syryn replied. While he bantered with Emi, the alchemist gently pulled at the sleeve on Riaku's shirt. The prince did not resist his touch and it made Syryn bolder.

Fingers clasped around the prince's hand with care, he lifted it up higher then peeled back the blood soaked sleeve. Emi had gone silent and was watching Syryn's actions attentively.

"I'll need my kit," Syryn solemnly told the prince. The skin on his entire arm was sheared off horrifically. Some parts were gorier than others but it was an overall shit show, the only words Syryn could think of for Riaku's bloody arm.

"Magic will have no effect on it," the prince told Syryn. "I appreciate your help but it won't be necessary."

Hemostatic potion was not going to heal it then. Syryn was up for the challenge. It was like treating an anti mage but worse.

"A thousand crowns on a bet that I can do something about that." Syryn was itching to know how Riaku had suffered such a trauma. Why couldn't it be healed by magic? He looked up at Emi whose worry was radiating through the veil. Syryn wondered if Emi's concern for her cousin could be used to ferret out some information.

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