Chapter 12: The Dark Forest
IRIS finished changing into her horse-riding gear right as the sun had fully set beneath the horizon—these clothes covered as much of her skin as possible. Then she added gloves, plus a scarf in place of a face mask. To collect the scabs, she gathered some equipment: a silver knife and spoon, a jar for safekeeping, plus a handful of other things she thought she might need, all packed carefully into her sling bag.
“Aren’t you overdressed?” asked a playful voice.
Iris turned in the direction of the door and found Sauge standing inside her bedroom, glowing faintly. How did she get in here?! I didn’t even sense her presence, and I’m generally pretty good at that!
“I thought you weren’t worried about catching soilpox.”
Iris laughed. “And I’m not! But I could still catch any number of other diseases, Lady Sauge. And since I don’t know what your plans are for me, I figured I may as well prepare myself as best I can.”
“A good mindset to have,” she chuckled.
Sauge could tell that she was committed to this undertaking, and yet Iris showed no signs of having a messiah complex. This was something Sauge found interesting about her.
“Before we begin, I must warn you that we fairies are invisible to the average human. Anyone you encounter will think you are alone. Understood?”
“Yes, my lady. But not to worry—I have a dagger, and I know how to use it.” Iris clenched her fist in determination.
“Ah, yes. Daughter of a knight. Well then, allow me to bestow upon you my blessing.”
“Huh?”
Iris stared in surprise as Sauge planted a kiss on her forehead. Then, slowly, panic set in. Wha?! Another fairy blessing?! W-Well…it was one thing when it was just the little ones, but…when a human-sized fairy does it…I mean, I know we’re both girls, but still…! My eyes widened and my face burned.
Meanwhile, Sauge grinned mischievously. “So long as you are shrouded in light, nothing will harm you, not even germs. Now then, let us be on our way.”
“Whoa…”
Iris looked down and found that her body was engulfed in a misty purple glow. The next moment, Sauge grabbed her hand. Instantly, Iris felt weightless. Sauge slid one arm around Iris’s waist and scooped her up like a toddler. Startled, Iris clung to her neck.
“Gyah! What’s happening?!”
“Hahaha! It would appear you’re still capable of feeling fear after all.”
“Of course I am!”
“How delightful.”
As Sauge laughed, the world warped around them.
“Nngghh…!” I’ll never get used to this! Ugh, I feel sick!
Apparently, Iris’s knightly lineage was highly incompatible with any form of magic. While this meant she was naturally resistant to most spells, she was also viscerally repulsed by any physical contact with them. Clinging tightly to Sauge, Iris squeezed her eyes shut and waited until…
“It’s over now.”
At this, Iris timidly opened her eyes. The area around her was pitch-black—far too dark to be illuminated by a faint purple glow. This was the oppressive darkness of a summer night. Somewhere out there, she could detect a foul odor—the smell of death, mingled with the smell of beasts—and she could hear muffled groans, too. There were people here, though not many.
“Where are we?”
“At the Cavern of Death in the Dark Forest, north of the royal capital.”
“…Looks like we’ll need a light source.”
“Fairies!” Sauge called.
In the next instant, a handful of fairies appeared all around Iris, glowing like fireflies. But of course, other people could only see the light. With the fairies’ soft glow as her light source, Iris squinted in the darkness. Faintly, she could make out a few figures, huddled under dirty, tattered blankets.
“Townspeople who contract the plague are abandoned here. For now, there are only a small number of infected living here.”
Iris swallowed hard. She could see what appeared to be a mother and child, both covered in soilpox blisters, groaning in pain. The mother’s blisters were still small, scant, and white, suggesting she was in the early stages of infection; the child had already reached the scabbing stage but appeared limp and lethargic. Judging by their chapped lips, they were severely dehydrated.
How could any of these people possibly recover from their illness out here in the middle of nowhere? Iris kneeled beside them, pulled out her canteen, and poured some water into the lid.
“Here, drink this.”
The mother looked at Iris with trepidation as she offered her the cup. “Please don’t! Kill me if you must, but please, spare my child!” The desperation in her voice pained Iris.
“It’s just water with a bit of salt. It’s safe to drink,” Iris explained. Then she took a sip to prove it to her. “I know you must be parched.”
Iris offered her the cup again. Tears fell from the mother’s eyes. Tentatively, she took a sip. Then, once she had confirmed that it was safe, she pressed the cup to her child’s lips.
“Thank you,” the woman whispered.
“Oh, it’s no trouble. In exchange, I’d like to take a sample of your child’s soilpox scabs. Would that be all right?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “This part here?” She offered Iris her child’s hand, which was covered in grisly scabs. Iris could tell the poor thing must’ve been clawing at them, desperate to relieve the itchiness. It reminded her of her own experience with soilpox.
Iris pulled her gloves off. If Souge was to be believed, she would be safe from germs. Using her sterilized knife, she carefully cut along the edges of each scab, making sure not to nick the skin. Then she used the spoon to scoop them up and transfer them to her collection jar. After she had collected all of them, she rubbed camellia seed oil into the skin to keep it moisturized.
“That feels good,” the child sighed happily.
“Is that some sort of special medicine?” the mother asked.
“It’s sold at a local cosmetics store under the name ‘Camille’s Camellia.’ It’s not very expensive.”
“Oh, Camille’s oil! Yes, I’ve heard of it.”
She smiled, relieved…and Iris summoned her courage.
“Could I ask you to ingest one of these scabs?”
“What?”
“You’re still in the early stages, correct? It’s possible we could still save you.”
“With a scab?”
“I’ll use magic to sanitize it into what’s called a vaccine. I haven’t tested it before, so I can’t promise anything, but it’ll prevent the disease from worsening if all goes well. You would be my first trial patient. Of course, you’re well within your rights to decline—I understand the thought is frightening and nauseating. But if you’d be willing, it would mean a lot.” Iris bowed her head.
“Nauseating? I’m a mother. Trust me, I’ve seen worse,” the woman laughed. “The only thing that nauseates me is the thought of what might happen to my child if I die.”
Iris could feel the pain in her eyes as though it were her own. All the more reason for you to test my vaccine!
“Right now, my chances of surviving are already low, so I’ll do whatever you ask.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!” Iris clasped her hand. “I promise, I’ll do everything I can to make this vaccine a success!”
Silently, Iris asked Sauge to use her magic to transform the scabs into a sanitized vaccine. Just lift the jar and make your wish, came the reply. Think hard about the outcome you desire, and I’ll lend you the power to make it happen.
“Please! Transform into a sanitized vaccine!”
As Iris held the jar aloft, Sauge put her hands around Iris’s, and the jar began to glow. Then the scabs inside turned into a sparkly silver powder. To anyone who witnessed this, it would look as though Iris had cast the magic herself.