The Crimson Mystic Legacy Chapter 11: Chapter 11: A Deal

Read chapter 11 of The Crimson Mystic Legacy by CRIMODAS on NovelPedia.

Uzi drifted off sometime after Dr. Voss dimmed the lights and threatened to sedate him if he tried sitting up again. Sleep came heavy; dreamless; the kind that stitches wounds in the dark. When he opened his eyes again; morning light slanted through the shutters in bright bars. The old man in the next bed was gone; the flowers remained; scent softer now; almost bearable. Dr. Voss stood three beds over; bent over a sailor whose leg was wrapped in glowing bandages. She adjusted a dial on a humming device; blue light pulsed across the man's skin. Uzi pushed up carefully; the shoulder protested but obeyed. "Doc. Kael; the guy who came in with me. Where is he?" She didn't look up right away. "One minute;" she squeaked; voice muffled behind her mask. She finished calibrating the device; patted the sailor's good knee; and pulled the curtain around him. Only then did she turn; peeling off gloves as she crossed the ward. Without a word she stepped out the door. Thirty seconds later she returned; a small envelope pinched between two fingers. "This came for you an hour ago;" she said; handing it over. "From your friend. He's already discharged himself; typical male nonsense; but he left this at the desk. Woke up two weeks back; same day he scribbled this out and hit the post office across the way. Left town that afternoon; haven't seen him since." The envelope was rough paper; sealed with a smear of orange wax. A single word was scratched on the front in sharp; slanted handwriting: Uzi. Dr. Voss folded her arms; stubborn curiosity burning behind her glasses. "Well? Open it. I'm off shift in ten minutes; and I'm not leaving until I know he didn't abscond with hospital property." Uzi broke the seal. Inside was a folded sheet and something small wrapped in cloth. The note was short; but raw; written in Kael's own hand: Uzi; You didn't need to write it twice, but, I guess to make sure. The thought is Uzi's mind would piss him off tomorrow morning for being rude. Thanks for pulling my ass out of that fire. You saved my life back there; no two ways about it. I'm a thief; always have been. Needed the coin to bust my brother out; he's rotting in some hellhole called the Pocket. Dictatorship run by shadows; no one knows who's pulling the strings. I've got to train; get strong enough to break in and drag him out. Some bastard tossed me like trash into the middle of nowhere; left me for dead. I scraped by; found that poison knight lurking in the woods. Thought killing it would toughen me up; prove I could handle what's coming. Failed bad; nearly got shredded. Then you dropped in; turned the tide. Headed north to grind. If you're reading this; you're alive. Good. Debt's mine now. Find me if you need payback ; Kael The cloth held a single bullet; glowing faintly yellow; the same color as the rounds he used to form his rifle. Uzi stared at the page; piecing it together. The toss into nowhere; that had Rathra's stink all over it; or one of his crew. The Pocket; Solus's prison state? It fits. Guilt twisted in his gut; Kael had been collateral in Rathra's chaos; just like him. But the thanks; the debt; the brother... Uzi didn't know what to think. Uzi folded the letter slowly; the paper crinkled loud in the quiet ward. I need to get stronger too; he thought; the bullet warm in his palm like a tiny heartbeat. Dr. Voss cleared her throat; arms still crossed; one foot tapping. "You know; I really need to know. I watched your bones literally stitch themselves together last night; fractures aligning like someone hit rewind. If you won't tell me how you got carved up like that; fine. But at least explain the healing. That's not normal; not even for mana-enhanced tissue." Uzi exhaled through his nose; long and tired. The room smelled of antiseptic and those cloying flowers. What was the point of hiding pieces anymore? "Alright," he muttered. "Why not." He kept the god part locked tight; no halo; no Otherworld; no Rathra dropping him like trash. Instead he start