Prognosis

While Zeatt looks for the answers to Khord's affliction, Sophia nervously awaits and realizes the depth of her love.

35.

Prognosis

 

Several hours later, Zeatt sat in the bridge of the Autumn Maid slowly going through the handwritten notes that filled the huge tome that outlined most types of undead creatures found in the world.   It was a very slow, tedious process that was nerve-wracking for Khord, who was anxious to find out how he was afflicted. 

But the wait was much worse for Sophia, who had been forced by her mother onto the open deck of the airship when she began seeking to calm her nerves through her usual habit.

 

Eleazar and Aurei sat with the Matron as she poured through the exhaustive tome while the others were gone assisting the King in restoring order to the city of Southgate.

 

Though she really felt guilty not being out with the others helping the poor suffering people of the battle-worn metropolis, Aurei savored the time of rest and both she and Eleazar sat there glassy-eyed, deep in the odd Elven sleep that many Elves used in place of traditional sleep.  

 

Neither one had realized that they had lapsed into the state, but both were lost in memories. Though it wasn’t a dream that they could share, both of their thoughts were on reviewing their blossoming relationship and how it had developed.

 

Khord also grew weary of waiting for his adopted mother to find the information she was looking for and he finally stood up and went out onto the deck to find Sophia.   To his relief, the sun was setting, which made him feel much stronger.   Sophia was leaning against the railing, looking out at the sunset and nervously chain-smoking Dart’loxinchu cigarettes.

He looked at her for a long moment and in spite of her terrible addiction, she looked absolutely beautiful in the fading daylight as her waist-length white hair flowed in the gentle breeze.

He went over to the railing and leaned next to her, as always exposing himself to the thick passive smoke of her Dart’loxinchu with its coffee-like smell.   

He had long grown used to the stuff; to the point that by now it was only a mild irritant, but he didn’t want her to know that, because he always had hope that she’d quit.   

 

Yet he knew she wouldn’t, for it was part of her persona and her smoking and his annoyance at her for smoking had turned into some sort of ritual between them.

“Hi” He said, waving the smoke away.  This usually caused her to just exhale a plume of smoke in his face with a playful grin, but she just looked at him with somber eyes.   He had never seen her look so worried.

“Hi” She replied somberly, “Has she found anything yet?”

“No, not yet.    Have you used up your supply of Dart’loxinchu yet?”   Again he tried to stir her up.   This almost always got a response from her.

“Almost.”  She replied flatly, “Khord, I’m scared.”

“You went hours today without any Dart’loxinchu; don’t be scared, you can do it!” He kidded, hoping this would lighten her mood.  

Sophia frowned, “Please; you know what I mean!   I’m scared Mom’s going to find that you have turned into something terrible.”

“Well, I haven’t yet.”

“Yet.   It’s almost nightfall; who knows what will happen then.”

“Don’t worry, Sophie, I don’t imagine it is too serious or your cousin and Eleazar would have chopped me to pieces by now.”

His lightheartedness seemed to make her more upset, “How can you be so casual about it?!  Don’t you care that I’m scared I’m going to lose you?”

He went over to her and she slipped into his arms.   Her body was warm and familiar, and she had her usual smell of Dart’loxinchu smoke, which tonight, amazingly, seemed to only make him hunger for her more.   Surely if he was undead he couldn’t feel such intense physical attraction. 

 

“You’re not going to lose me, Sophie.” He whispered to her, caressing her flawless cheek.   “At least not for a long, long time.”

She shook her head, “No, don’t say that.”

He sighed, “Sophie, you know I’m going to age; I’m not like you and mother.”

“I’m not going to let you grow old!”  She snapped with fire in her eyes that always made her even more beautiful to him.

“Well, there’s not much you can do, I’m afraid.”

“Oh really?   I’ve already started doing something to prevent it.”

“What could you possibly do?”

“Do you remember that time last autumn when I gave you that salad with the chopped up apples in it that you said tasted funny?”

Khord thought back for a moment, “Yeah, I think so.”

“Well they weren’t apples.   They were Faesidhe Fruit.”

“Faesidhe Fruit?   But the tree didn’t produce any white fruit last year!”

“But it did produce its regular yield of fruit.  I had a really tough time getting some.   That fruit reduces aging, you know.”

“Well, yeah, but not all aging.”

Sophia frowned when he said that, “Well it is a start.”

“Sophie, it’s not Yesh’s will that I am immortal.”

“It’s MY will that you are, and one way or another, you will be!”  Her eyes glowed brilliant red.

“I’m not afraid of aging or dying, Sophie.”

“Well, I’m not going to let you do either one, because I am scared to death of seeing that happen to you.   I need you, Khord, and I love you!”

Before he could reply, she kissed him with her usual passion and he fought a strong desire to sweep her up and take her below deck.

But while they were still kissing, the bridge door opened and Zeatt stepped outside, holding the huge book in one hand while marking a page with the other.   She was taken back for a moment, seeing them in each other’s arms, but only for a moment and then she realized that the sight actually pleased her greatly.

 

They looked at her anxiously and she went straight to the point, “I’ve found it.”

Sophia looked panic-stricken but Khord’s arms around her steadied her.

“Well?”  Khord asked.

“They’re called Lumborthor.”

“Shade masters?”  Sophia asked, quickly interpreting the Elven words.

“More correctly, ‘Lords of the Shades’, but yes, that is it.   According to Bishop Ohallem’s notes, they are a very rare type of creature; sort of a pseudo-undead.   Holy Water or blessing spells are about all that work against them.   They are powerless until they cover a living person.   Then they slowly take control of that person until his mind and will are one with it.   Next it releases its victim and this victim will do or say whatever command the Lumborthor gives them.  Their victims are more like zombies than anything, though they seem alive and somewhat self-aware.”

Sophia’s hands flew to her mouth, “So Khord is one of these zombies?!”

“No, no; let me finish, child.   The ‘zombies’ are only those whom the Lumborthor has finished draining of their mind and will.   Rori’s father was also one of these things, but Ohallem said that if one is captured and strongly interrogated that they will be cast off by the Lumborthor and will die rather than reveal anything about their master.   That is what happened to the Senator.”

“Well, what about Khord?”

“I’ll explain: according to Bishop Ohallem, the Lumborthor can only be killed when it is in the process of draining a person of their will.   So the creature, if attacked will usually eject its current victim and try to take one of those attacking him, as it did with Khord, since it figures the new victim’s companions will be loath to attack it when their friend is underneath.   This is why it attacked Khord and ejected the other one.”

“But that still doesn’t tell us about Khord!”  Sophia was growing rather impatient.

“To kill the thing, holy water or a blessing spell has to be cast upon it when it has a person under it, consuming his will.   When this happens, and if the person’s willpower remains strong, the death of the Lumborthor will not kill the victim as well.   Instead, at the death of the Lumborthor, they become Lumbpic or ‘Common or lesser Shades’”

“Oh no; what does that mean?!”   Sophia was trembling as she waited the dreaded news.

“They are a type of Shade, but somewhat different.   Direct sunlight for an extended period of time �" an hour or more�"will kill them.   The brighter the day, even if they are not in direct sunlight, the colder and weaker they feel.   Light based magic is very harmful to them and if they are killed they turn into a shadow or a ghost.   In darkness or dim light, they are actually somewhat stronger than usual and can move quietly and unnoticed.”

“They are not true undead, though, and spells against undead do not work against them, though light-based spells certainly will.   Since they are not true undead, they live like normal people in all ways, except that they can’t stand bright light.   Darkness restores them and after an extended period of time will completely heal them.   They are immune to disease too.”

Sophia’s eyes brightened, “What about aging?”

“Aging?”  Zeatt asked, glancing down at the text, “Wait a minute and I’ll see what it says.”

She read for a few moments, turned a page and read for several more moments.

“Well, it doesn’t really say, but it mentions a human thief in the eastern desert who was a Lumbpic, and due to his condition, led a very successful career as a thief for over 400 years until killed by the Sultan of Pognostra.”   

 

“Another one, he writes, was a Halfling Lumbpic that was banned from his community after the destruction of the Lumborthor that attacked him. He became the legendary pirate Moonless Tom; and Moonless Tom is still said to be prowling the night seas of the south sea after 500 years, and we’ve all heard the tales about Moonless Tom and his fondness for the ladies.  He sounds very young and alive.     So I’d say they don’t age.”

 

Sophia let out an excited little squeal and kissed Khord.

“You’re excited he’s a Lumbpic?”  Zeatt asked, confused.

“No, I’m excited he’s like us, mother!   I can keep him out of the sun.”

“Sophia, don’t you understand?   There is no cure for this except death.”  Her mother tried to explain, baffled at her daughter’s reaction.

“Thank Yesh!”   The girl grinned happily, “He won’t age, mother!   I don’t care what he is as long as he is with me and acts like his obnoxious self!   I want him to get on my nerves and annoy me to death forever!”

“Uh… thanks.”  Khord responded, unsure what to think about his new found condition.

“Sophia; Khord may not be as thrilled with the news, you know.”  She said with a discerning look.

Sophia just snorted, “He’s a Drow, mother; none of us like bright days anyways, so it’s really no big deal.   Besides, I’m quite sure I can keep him well occupied while he’s hiding out from the sun.”

“Sophia!”  Zeatt exclaimed, as Khord somehow managed to blush with his jet black skin. 

Reviews

[Elina]

"...seemed to only made him hunger for her more." I think you were wanting "make," rather than "made."
"...they can’t stand bight light." I believe you were wanting "bright," here.

[Eddie Davis]

Correct on both accounts, you are amazing, Elina.