Chương 59: 059

An ache twisted through my spine as I straightened, the motion answered by a sharp crack that echoed through the clearing. Henry didn't so much as twitch, still snoring softly with Maya tucked into the crook of his arm, her small form almost hidden against his side. We hadn't made much progress today, Maya had wandered off more times than I could count, but after seeing the devastation she'd gone through before… I couldn't bring myself to care if we lost a few hours of travel.

Dominicus sat on the far edge of camp, watchful and silent, while Dura leaned against a nearby tree, arms folded, only a few feet to my right. At the sound my spine made, she winced in sympathy.

"Maybe you should take a break," she said.

"You've been buried in those books for hours, and that definitely wasn't the sound of a healthy back." I scrubbed my palms over my face and sighed.

"A break sounds incredible, but this needs to be done. If the tomes are here, we'll need to secure them." Time nodded, closing the book he'd been skimming and setting it aside with deliberate care.

"Nikolas is correct. We can rest once this is finished. So far, we have found no tomes, but there are still many volumes to sort through." He yawned, then scowled faintly.

"Though the task would be considerably easier if I would stop doing that." I bit back a laugh.

"You could just go to sleep. No reason for both of us to suffer." Considering he was still adjusting to being human, he probably needed the rest more than I did. Even Volpe was dozing nearby, the faint rings of light around him fading as he slept, leaving him looking like a garden variety black fox, albeit with two tails. Time shook his head.

"I will not place the burden solely on you and sleep. This is-." Another yawn cut him off mid-sentence. I mirrored it, barely managing to raise a hand in time. He exhaled slowly, irritation carved into his features.

"This is of the utmost importance. It would be unethical to abandon the responsibility." I leaned back on my arms, shoulders loosening.

"If it helps, I'm used to late nights and little sleep. Comes with running a twenty-four-hour emergency clinic." Dura tilted her head.

"You were a medic before taking your post with Karma?" I hummed, flipping over my satchel and catching the book that slid free.

"Still am, sort of. Not sure what the official term is here, but when I agreed to be Karma's Chosen, it was with the understanding that I'd help people." Time supplied the answer without hesitation.

"You are a cleric: a mortal who derives power from a spirit and uses it to, at least partially, fight with magic. Paladins are similar, though they are melee-focused and generally lack restorative capabilities." He straightened, his own spine cracking in echo of mine.

"Those who heal without a spirit are called herbalists, or medics if they do not use magic. Weavers, if they do." Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I nodded, committing the terminology to memory.

"Karma mentioned that only two magic affinities allow for healing, plant and light."

"That is correct," Time said, "unless Mana has released new tomes I am unaware of." His gaze lingered on me, curiosity flickering as his voice lowered.

"Plant affinity is generally the less popular choice, due to its… unique methods. Why did you choose it?" His eyes flicked to my ears.

"And why Beastfolk? Surely Karma informed you of the stigma attached to that race." I rubbed the back of my neck, the weight of his attention heavy even without the ageless intensity of his spirit form.

"She told me my job would be to expose assholes. Being the race most likely to run into them seemed logical." I shrugged.

"As for plant affinity, if someone's got the energy to complain about how I'm healing them, they probably don't need it that badly." Time huffed, shaking his head.

"To place yourself in such a position willingly. You are an odd mortal, Nikolas."

"Works for me," I said mildly. He studied me for a moment longer before continuing.

"I hope you are prepared for the consequences of that decision. While some towns–Latica, for instance–are more accepting of Beastfolk, many regard them as little more than animals."

"Then my job will be easy," I muttered.

"Once I figure out their punishments." The reminder, the spell, hit me like a brick. I groaned and dropped back onto the grass, the unopened book thumping against my chest.

"For fuck's sake. There's so much to do." Time sighed, his next yawn muffled.

"Indeed. But we will manage. As for your spell, perhaps we can devise something now. It must relate directly to Karma's domain." I closed my eyes, ideas colliding only to dissolve just as quickly.

"Honestly, her cockroach method was perfect. It didn't kill them, and they suffered until someone else ended it. But there's no room for redemption-." Something clicked. I shot upright, startling both Time and Dura.

"That's it! When Karma first showed up on Earth, she said she could sense my karma. That means I can tell the truly awful ones from the average assholes, right?" Time frowned, then nodded slowly.

"It should be a skill you possess. If not, it can be developed. Why?" I practically vibrated with excitement.

"Her approach worked, but too many people ended up as cockroaches. What if the spell measures how far gone someone is? If they can still change, still choose to be better, it reverts them." Time leaned back against one of the towering trees, their massive trunks casting long shadows as the fire crackled nearby.

"That could work. Truly heinous individuals would find the spell nearly impossible to break. However, if redemption is an option, they would need to remain… humanoid."

"I thought of that." My grin widened.

"What if the transformation happens gradually? It starts small–antennae, maybe–and progresses as they worsen. If they're irredeemable, they're turned into a cockroach immediately." Dura hummed, thoughtful.

"That's… terrifying. Not gonna lie." Then she grinned.

"I love it. That'd make the bad guys think twice." Time nodded, a faint smile touching his lips.

"Karma would approve. She cherished her approach to punishing the worst mortals, and being forced to abandon it was difficult for her." His voice softened.

"Well done. She will be pleased when she wakes." Something warm and uncomfortably squishy twisted in my chest. I shoved the feeling aside.

"Perfect. Now…" I stared up at the sky.

"…how the hell do I turn that into a spell?"