Chapter 24

24

- Anter’az -

“A vral?” Chief Korr’ax asks, incredulous. “You climbed into its web? And you didn’t get stung?”

I look up at the full moon. “A vral is fast, but stupid, it turns out. I was able to divert it with a simple stick that I used to beat on the strands of the web. The vral thought it was surrounded by prey, and it turned its stinger towards me. I grabbed it and made it shoot its venom into a pot.”

“Remarkable,” the Borok and Tretter chief says. “Ridiculously dangerous, but remarkable. And the venom will work?”

I glance in at the cave where Alba is lying down, watched over by the other alien females. “I tried everything else.”

Korr’ax looks out at the dark jungle. “And you knew you would be trying that one, too? We were surprised when Dror’iz returned with you such a short time after I sent him to get you.”

“I started walking this way about noon yesterday,” I tell him. “When I met Dror’iz in the woods, I was well over halfway. Chief Korr’ax, we healers like to use our medicines on ourselves before we try them on others.”

He frowns. “You used the vral’s venom on yourself first?”

I touch the new leather band on my right upper arm. “I had to find the right dilution, so as not to harm Alba. I used too much venom on myself, Chief. And now I’m feeling the effects. Excuse me.”

Dizzy and starting to see big, black spots in front of my eyes, I stagger into the cave and look down on Alba.

“She’s cooler,” the woman called Astrid tells me. “She sleeps easier now.”

I bend down and touch her forehead. “Still a fever. But not as hot.” I check on her back, where I scraped off the dirty stuff and applied the vral’s venom. It was so diluted that I’m almost surprised it had any effect at all. My plan was to use a little bit at a time until it worked. But it seems like it works now. There’s no more fluids coming out, the wound looks dry, and the redness that covered her back has shrunk a great deal. The Ancestors have answered my prayers.

“Please wake me up at sunrise. It may be difficult, but I ask you to not give up.” Supporting myself on the wall of the cave, I allow my knees to give in as I slide down to the floor.