Sabatsday, 9th of Juno, 470th Year of the Fifth Era

Serena had quickly arrived at her father's call. The situation had proven chaotic with the illicit injury of the Prince of Nabolga. Josias had helped clear up the path for her and a couple other Gorian healers who had also come rushing towards her father. When they arrived, the situation looked a little grim.

Silua was writhing and shivering, his body pale and sweaty with the blood flowing from his wound refusing to clot properly. He looked very much worse for wear. He was frothing a little from his mouth and his pupils were beginning to shrink.

"His pulse is very rapid but it's also very weak." Ludwig said as he continued to lay his head against the man's chest to listen for a heartbeat "The stab wound wasn't too deep and didn't quite hit his heart. I don't hear much murmurs."

"But his symptoms, it would mean…" Serena said as she halted herself. Her father only nodded before he told her to help him.

"It's the effects of poisoning." Ludwig said with a serious expression as he rolled up his sleeves and held his hand over the man's wounds "...The point of entry is obvious but I don't know what the poisoning agent is. If someone could fetch me the blade that wounded the prince it would be most helpful. Serena, did you bring any clean rags with you? I need to help stop the bleeding."

"Yes, I always bring them with me. This will hurt a little bit, Lord Prince." Serena took out some clean rags from the bag she usually carries with her. She had cast a fiery aura spell around the rag to sterilise it further before pushing it against the prince's wound to dab it.

"Ruth! I need your help here. Your powers are the most helpful here." Ludwig called out to Ruth Hutabaru who had arrived at the scene as well. "We don't know what manner of poison or venom is affecting the Prince, but your recovery spell would help in cleaning his blood stream. I know this will be a little taxing on you especially considering your mana reserves…"

"Don't worry about it, Amang. I've been training my mana reserves and they should be adequate to help stabilise the prince." Ruth said as she immediately knelt next to Serena and put her own hands over the wound. Her hands started glowing with a bluish hue as she started injecting her mana into the prince.

All the while, Serena was still dabbing the flowing blood, periodically changing the rags while Ruth continued to exercise the toxins out of the Prince's blood flow.

While all of this was happening, a middle-aged man had arrived at the scene. He looked like Silua but with a goatee and a diagonal scar over his nosebridge. He had a look of terror and worry etched all over his face.

"What is happening here? Why is my son like that?!" The man looked frustrated as he held his head while not daring to look at Silua's wounds.

"It is serious, yes, but we have it under control for now, King Poda. Your son's beginning to stabilise…" Ludwig said as his attention was still upon his patient. "I dare not claim any foul play but it is clear signs of poisoning, Lord King."

"...Poison?!! Those damned Saorma bastards, I swear to the ancestors when this is over, I shall…!"

"Argghhh!!!" Silua had groaned as he was still sweating profusely. Ruth had stopped for a bit to let her mana recover slightly before she pulled up a rug to wipe his sweat. She then held up the rag in front of Serena for her to heat up. Once it was heated, Ruth folded up the rug and placed it on Silua's forehead before continuing her healing.

"Please… I beg you, Tuan Guru, help my son!!" The King said as he knelt to the ground next to his son's head. Not long after him, a woman had also come rushing in – the king's wife and the boy's mother. Unlike her more panicked husband, the queen only had reddened eyes and tears streaming as she touched her son's face.

"Don't worry, King Poda. The worst of it's come to pass already. His breathing is beginning to calm and his heartbeats aren't as rapid." Ludwig then called out once more to Ruth who was also beginning to sweat from exerting her powers. "Ruth, how is it going on your end? Are you holding up?"

"Not a problem, Amang." Ruth smiled though her face betrayed her weariness "Just a liiiitle bit more and… I think fifteen minutes is enough already."

"I think we can start closing the wound, father." Serena said as she let go of the rag that was helping to dap Silua's wounds.

"Alright." Ludwig nodded as he put his own hands over the wound and they started glowing a golden light. "Serena, help prepare some of the pills. The citrus pills if you will."

"Already on it, papa." Serena rummaged her bag once more to find a small pouch of pills. "I had it prepared for Josi here just in case but it seems like someone else would need them more."

Serena helped the others as they started finishing up on Silua's treatment. One final cleaning of Silua's wound with a rag washed by water magic, then the flesh had closed with Ludwig's healing. The Prince of Nabolga's face was still slightly pale and his eyes were still pinpoint, but his breathing was no longer ragged. He was no longer groaning much but instead looked like he fell unconscious.

King Poda had panicked for a second as he feared for the worse but Ludwig smiled as he put a hand on the king's shoulder.

"You have a strong boy here, Lord King. He'll be fine. All he needs is a bit of rest." Ludwig said as he finally got up and dusted his cassock and vestments off "However, if I may be so bold as to request that I put my nurse here to stay by the Prince's side for a little while? Her healing magic is special in that it has qualities to neutralise poisons through a yet unknown mechanism to us. If I would be so forward to ask this of you as well, Ruth?"

Ruth nodded resolutely. Serena smiled as she saw her excitement. Besides Serena, Ruth was the smartest of all the nurses and the closest one to being considered a physician among the native Halak women. And despite her frequent complaints during shift changes on difficult patients, Serena had to acknowledge that Ruth's dedication was one of the most admirable among her staff.

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King Poda didn't think too long before he nodded to Ephorus Ludwig's proposition.

"I am thankful to Tuan Guru Rapmasari for the aid. This is something that Nabolga shall not soon forget." King Poda even gave a slight bow to the old bishop. "We'll be moving my son to a more suitable location after this."

As soon as the Nabolga were about to move, the physicians and shamans of the Matanitao arrived. By their disheveled appearance, it looked like things were just as hectic on their end. King Poda's expression grew cold as he noticed them.

"If you may forgive us, lord king. We were caught up by the king of Saorma to treat his injured grandson first…" One of the physicians said. When the king heard that, his face flared and an intense aura shot out of him.

"How dare you help that treacherous snake and his brood?!" King Poda was incensed "Do you not know it was that ingrate who caused my son to be as injured as this?! Show me to the king of Saorma and the Raja Malim! This travesty can not be left unanswered! There will be hell to pay, I'll make sure of that!"

"Mercy, lord king, we are but humble medicine men privy to the instructions of our elders." The physicians and shamans were practically groveling at the king's show of aura. However, noticing their pathetic states, King Poda merely grunted as he turned his attention back to the Gorians.

"If you may excuse me, Tuan Guru, there are issues that I and my elders need to take up with the Saorma and the Raja Malim regarding this outrage." King Poda said to Ludwig.

"Oh, if I may, lord king. Goria would gladly offer itself as a fellow mediator on Nabolga's behalf. I will pass on a message to the Hulubalang and our warriors regarding this."

Though her father was giving the warmest of smiles, Serena could see that King Poda's expression immediately gave off the feeling of calculation. It didn't take too long for the king to weigh the consequences and options in his mind however as he gave the archbishop an affirmative nod.

"That would be most welcome, Tuan Guru." King Poda said as he immediately left alongside the Nabolga elders followed by Ludwig.

With that, the other warriors had put the prince on a litter before moving him towards the Nabolga encampment. Ruth shot Serena a quick glance and a smile before leaving with the Nabolga entourage. Serena shook her head as her colleague looked a little bit more happy than she should be in doing her task.

Serena shot a glance at Josias who was watching over her the entire time.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Josias asked with a confused look to him.

Serena raised her eyebrow as she pointed to the mess of bloodied rags, medical instruments, and medications littered upon the ground. Seeing this, Josias took a deep breath before sighing.

"...I'd be happy to help you clean, dear…" Josias said with less than an abundant amount of enthusiasm. Serena chuckled before giving her beloved a quick peck on his cheek. It would seem that her kiss must have had some sort of magical effect. Josias looked like he had been infused with a year's worth of energy and mana after the kiss. And so the two got busy with tidying up the mess.

***

After the evening came, Josias had decided to visit the recovering Prince Silua in his encampment. He was accompanied by Serena as well as his cousins Sadrach, Safira, and Hesekiel. The Nabolga encampment was about half an hour's walk away from the Gorian one, at the other side of the Dolok Mulajadi summit. It wasn't as large as the Gorian encampment, but it was still respectable.

When the entourage gave their introduction and declared their intentions to the encampment guards, they were given no trouble and were allowed inside the encampment. Some of the guards funnily enough even asked to shake hands with Josias as they had recognised him from his victories. They of course especially were enamoured by his single-handed victory over the Hutaraja. Sadrach and even Hesekiel could only laugh at Josias. Sadrach teased him the most, calling him 'Soditaluhon' ironically.

The entourage were guided by one of the warriors to Silua's tent. It was a rather spacious tent judging from the outside. Just as they were about to enter the tent, Silua's mother – the queen of Nabolga – had exited from the tent. Her face was calmer but her puffed up eyes betrayed the fact that she had spent most of the time crying.

Josias greeted the queen first as he performed the salim to her and introduced himself as well as his entourage. The queen's face brightened as he told her their intention to give a short visit and to pick up their sister Ruth. The queen had expressed that she was happy her son had made new friends and told them he had actually come not long after they brought him to his tent. However, Silua had fallen back asleep shortly after waking up and took a few hours to rest.

The queen informed them that Silua had just woken up again less than an hour ago and gave them permission to visit him. She excused herself as she was going to get something to eat for herself and Silua but nonetheless she welcomed the Gorians inside first.

Josias gave a small whistle as he entered Nabolga's tent. It didn't seem too fair to him that his peers were given their own spacious personal tents yet he had to share his own tent with his companions. Regardless, if it helped with the recovery, have at it.

When they entered however, they were greeted by the sounds of cheerful laughter and two people talking. Josias raised an eyebrow as he saw Silua having quite the invested conversation with Ruth. Josias gave his own cheeky smile as he saw the scene before he slightly elbowed Sadrach and whispered, "Looks like this ito of yours has found herself a new fascination, hahaha…"

Sadrach shook his head as he started rubbing his nosebridge. Josias laughed as he gave Sadrach a pat on the back. And it would seem Josias' laugh had startled the two people talking as they finally took notice of the entourage's presence.

"...I hope we aren't interrupting anything here…" Josias said with a grin as he saw a faint blush appear on Ruth's face.

"I would be lying if I said you weren't but I would also be lying if I said this wasn't a welcome surprise." Silua said with a slight chuckle. "I honestly didn't notice you lot cared about me all that much, hahahaha! Besides the visits from my companions, you're all about the only ones who've come to visit."

"Well, what can I say? We've grown a healthy respect for you, especially since you led us to that amazing victory in the first round." Josias said to which Silua only waved his hand. "But also we came here to pick up our sister Ruth here besides just greeting you."

"Oh well, regardless, don't be a stranger! Wait a minute while I lay out the carpets and cushions…!" As Silua was about to get up, Ruth had stopped him while giving him a slightly terrifying stare. Seeing this Silua sat back down as he laughed and sighed.

"Remember what we told you, Lord Prince." Ruth said sternly before she got up "You must get as much rest as you can and I'll worry about my family… Anyways, where're the carpet and cushions you were mentioning?"

Silua pointed to a direction where there was a rolled up carpet and some cushions. Josias and the other boys helped the women with setting up the place. Once it was all set up, the Gorian entourage sat themselves upon the carpet. There was a lot to talk about. One of the topics to talk about caused Josias to laugh as he said with a smile.

"So when should we expect the wedding, eh?" Josias laughed as he cleared his throat.

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