“That spell…was at least seven circles strong?” The floor master asked the goblin healer. "I believe it would qualify equivalent to the strength of Prince magic? Or Empress?"

“…”

“If it had been any stronger he would have surely died.” She continued to talk to herself.

“His condition is deteriorating” The goblin healer said as he pressed a green wet bandage against the writhing skeleton. Sora’s eyes were bleeding; blood as black as oil.

“I have never seen such condensed miasma…” The healer said as he wiped the tears off.

“Can you not do anything about it?” The floor master sighed as she asked the doctor. She stood beside the healer staring at Sora’s condition.

“These symptoms are strange….” The healer said. “How does one attain so much energy with such a weak body?”

“Like a bowl overflowing with water?” The lady suggested.

“Yes…but this is far worse. This one’s body is about to explode. Can you see it, my lady, that pulsating aura flowing through him? I know of a potion made from the flower, venus petals, which has similar effects. However, I am uncertain the result would be like this.”

“A vessel holding more than it can hold is bound to break…. I am uninterested in the origins or cause of his illness…but I do want to know where he heard that name…”

“It would have been far easier to heal him if you did not poison him with your energy. It has taken me two days just to cleanse his body of your poison. If there wasn't a complication, it could have been solved long before ....now there still remains the question of his own excess energy….”

“Then simply drain the excess energy…” The woman suggested.

“I do not have the tools for that…I am not even sure if there exist devices like that to begin with…”

The woman frowned. “Then, let him die. Curiosity kills the curious.”

“Nooo!” A terrified girl cried out. It was Ai. She had been with the healer the whole time. After seeing Sora fall from the sky, Ai rushed with the healer to his side. However, when she reached him she found this woman carrying Sora; princess style. After that the healer was summoned to follow her and Ai quietly followed along. Since, then two days have passed and the healer worked tirelessly to heal Sora. The woman never visited once after dropping off Sora – that is till now.

The woman’s gaze shifted from Sora to Ai. “Who is this one…” The woman stopped speaking as she stared at Ai.

While the doctor explained the nature of Ai’s relationship with the skeleton, the woman gave a cold stare at Sora.

“Please save him!” Ai cried out as she looked towards the woman pleadingly.

“What is it to me? He broke the rules and must pay for his sins.” The woman was unusually cold, she did intend to save Sora but it seemed as though Ai did not understand that.

Ai was at a loss of words. How could she reason with this woman? After all she was a young child herself – not a world class orator or a debater.

“Please…”

“I will save him…but there is a price to everything…” The woman replied as she played with her hair; twirling them round and round on her finger. “You cannot hope to ask me of something without offering anything in return?”

“Ai will help in any way!” Ai replied sincerely.

The woman smiled upon hearing the response.

“Bind these to his arms.” She said as she handed the iron ball cuffs over. Where did she pull them out from? To Ai it appeared like a magic trick. The woman created to massive iron balls from thin air. Though the objects looked extremely heavy the woman held them up as if they were light as air. When she handed them to the healer, he struggled to hold them up – they were indeed very heavy.

“It will strengthen the core. And make him wear this eye patch – it will drain the excess energy flowing through him.” She said as took out an eye patch from her cleavage.

The healer looked at the woman with disbelief. “My lady….these are ancient artefacts?”

The woman pressed her finger to her lips and motioned the healer to be silent. She then turned towards Ai, “Come child…we have much to talk about. Let the sick and the healer tend to their respective roles.”

Ai was not interested in leaving Sora behind but she felt as though she could not say no to Sora’s benefactor.

She grudgingly agreed and left the room.

There was a cold smile across the floor master’s face; maybe she had intended to have Ai submit to her all along?

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Author's Note:

1. Chapter dedicated to all the readers!

2. A special thanks to RRL for being an author friendly site!