Asuren had also fallen asleep but instead of recovering, his condition seemed to have worsen. His temperature kept on rising and he was trembling despite the thick blanket covering his body.
Thea tried all the first aid remedy she could think about but Asuren was not getting any better. She had no choice but to wake Henry up.
"What happened?" Henry jerked awake and glanced at Asuren. His eyes had quickly turned to silver. "This can't be…"
"Why? What is wrong with him?"
"His wound is cursed," Henry removed the bandage covering the injured shoulder of Asuren. The skin around his wound looked like it had been burned. "How can I not detect this curse earlier? Where did it hide? Was it too weak to be perceived?" he was looking intently at the cursed wound. "It must be the latter. This curse is growing stronger with the passing of hours. It is destroying his veins," he squinted and then carefully rolled Asuren on the makeshift bed to look at his back. There was an area there that was swollen and charred. "This is not the first time he suffered this curse. His old wound is reacting to his recent injury, making the curse more aggressive."
Thea was also gazing intently at the charred skin of Asuren. "This looked awfully similar to the wounds inflicted by the sword of my father."
"Is his weapon cursed?" Henry began writing on a long sheet of paper.
"Most of the time his weapon is cursed," Thea answered with a pounding heart. "He stabbed Asuren in the back with that sword. I can't remember if it was in that spot or if his blade was cursed at that time. But then… Asuren had quickly recovered…" she shook her head and then sighed. "Gia might remember. She also knows how to cure wounds like that. Let's go and ask her."
"I can heal him but I need all these rare herbs," Henry had given Thea a long list. "I don't think that your father did this. Isn't he recovering in a flower bud? Asuren also said that he had been stabbed by a seal bearer with pitch-black eyes. Does your father look like that?"
"No," Thea shook her head.
"This type of curse can be inflicted by any cursed weapon," Henry further explained.
"Right," Thea smiled. "We need to gather rare herbs to heal Asuren. Let's go and ask Gia. She is probably growing these herbs in her garden."
"She does but those herbs have not yet matured," Henry carried Asuren in his back. "I know all the herbs in her garden and those that can be harvested. We need to get those herbs somewhere else. Maybe Gia knows where we can find those herbs. Let's go."
"What's happening?" Asuren opened his eyes and was confused when he saw Henry carrying him. "Are we going somewhere? Is there an enemy? Is it Camus or the boar seal?" He slipped away from Henry. Though he remained standing, he winced and held his wounded shoulder.
"Your wound is cursed," Thea explained. "We will bring you to Indigo Ville. Gia is in that village. She might know a place where I can gather these herbs," she showed him the long list of rare herbs.
"Cursed wound?" he glanced at his wound and noticed the charred skin around it. "That blade is cursed?"
"We need to lift your curse before it spreads to your chest," Henry informed him.
^################^
Thea was worried when Asuren insisted that he was fine and he could still carry Henry to Indigo Ville. Though he did reach the village after an hour of flying with Henry on his back, as soon as they had met Gia and Juliann, he had collapsed from exhaustion and his worsening curse.
"What happened to his shoulder?" Juliann carried Asuren in his arms and rushed inside the healing facility. He placed his unconscious friend on an empty bed.
Thea immediately asked Gia about the list of rare herbs in her hand.
"His fever had gone up," Henry said after examining Asuren. "His pulse is getting weaker."
"Gia already told me all the possible locations of these herbs. I will be back soon," Thea promised before soaring towards Gailbreeze Mountain.
"Who cursed him?" Juliann asked again after Henry covered the wound with a clean bandage.
"This looks similar to the wounds inflicted by King Lisias whenever he uses his cursed blade," Gia sat on an adjacent chair. She looked exhausted.
"Thea also thinks that it was her father but any cursed weapon can cause a wound like this. Asuren said that it was a seal bearer that you encountered before," Henry informed them and looked around the room filled with cursed patients. "These fairies have the same curse."
"Yes," Gia wearily sighed. "Flesh eater curse. A few villagers found an enchanted cave, foraged food from there, and brought them here. General Kali already sent casters on that cave to cleanse it. I already taught them the correct counter spell. That place will be taken care of but the fairies here are still cursed. Brewing that complicated medicine is taking a lot of time and ingredients."
"I can heal them," Henry said but before Gia could say anything, the door of the ward had opened and a soldier entered. He looked terrified.
"Lady Gia, Sir Juliann, we need help at the gates. Three more fairies had turned into flesh eaters," the soldier reported.
"Henry, stay here," Gia said. "This place is safe. If someone turns into a flesh eater, they will be instantly sent to the gate of this village."
Henry nodded and as soon as Gia and Juliann had left, he continued examining the cursed wound of his unconscious friend.
^############^
Asuren woke up inside a healing facility that was a lot bigger and busier than the house of Gia. There were thirty beds in that room. Twenty-five were occupied including the bed he was using. He could not see Thea, Juliann, and Gia anywhere in the room. Only Henry was there, sitting on a chair near his bed and looking at the patients with his silver eyes. The patients were also staring at the extraordinary mortal with caution.
"Henry…" Asuren sat up and was surprised. He noticed that even though his shoulder was still bandaged, the throbbing pain had disappeared together with his fever. He also felt somewhat rejuvenated.
"Asuren," Henry looked away from the patients. His eyes returned to brown. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Asuren slowly sat up. "Thank you."
Henry shook his head. "I didn't do anything except put a bandage on your shoulder."
"Was it Gia?"
Henry shook his head.
"Juliann?"
"Not him. Not Thea either," Henry said. "An hour ago, I thought the curse might kill you. It spread faster than I expected and reached your heart. For a moment, your heart stopped beating and you had been covered with a golden glow. It saved you. The curse instantly disappeared and your skin returned to normal. Your wound is still there but already healing. I tried to examine that golden glow but it vanished as soon as your heartbeat returned. It didn't give me enough time," he sighed and then smiled. "I'm glad that you had gotten better without any counterspell."
"Where are the others?" Asuren was also wondering about that golden glow his friends kept on mentioning but no one had any idea about it. He had no idea about it. He had never even saw it. No one could give anyone an answer regarding that matter.
"Thea is gathering rare herbs. Gia and Juliann are at the gate of this village," Henry turned to face the cautious patients. "They are fighting newly turned flesh eaters."
^###########^