A faded sign reading “Pelavora Infirmary” hangs above the door of the healer’s quarters, a simple, single-story structure. The door was slightly ajar, permitting a warm lantern glow to emanate into the late afternoon. Inside, sturdy wooden cots, shelves lined with jars of herbs and potions, and a central table scattered with bandages and tools modestly furnished the room. A middle-aged Half-elf with graying hair tied back in a neat tail stood near one cot, applying a poultice to a young sailor’s arm.
“Another one in need of tending, or are you just passing through?”
He looked up as Elec entered, his sharp eyes immediately sizing him up. Before Elec could respond, the healer’s gaze narrowed and pointed toward a cot near the back of the room. The healer’s tone sounded brisk and far from friendly.
“If you’re here about the survivor, he’s there. Still unconscious, poor soul. Fever’s come down some, but he’s not out of the woods yet. You’re not here to bother him, are you?”
“My name is Elec, and I sailed with Captain Jorn when we pulled the sailor from the sea. He suggested I should say some words to him, though he’s under. It may raise his spirits some and maybe wake him.”
The healer regarded him in silence, as if trying to gauge his honesty. He let out a soft sigh and wiped his hands on a clean cloth, nodding reluctantly.
“I am Sekis, the town’s healer. Tialha mentioned you when she stopped in. She had said you might drop by. If she says you can be trusted, I can’t see the harm in just speaking to him,” He said, gesturing toward the cot. “I’ve heard stranger things work in cases like this. Just don’t go shouting in his ear or causing a fuss. He needs rest more than anything right now.”
The older man stepped aside, giving Elec space to approach the cot. The survivor lay still, his face pale and gaunt, with dark circles under his eyes and a slight sheen of sweat still lingering on his brow. His breathing was shallow but steady, and his hands twitched as though caught in some restless dream. Bandages covered parts of his arms and chest. The room around the cot was quiet, save for the faint crackling of a small brazier in the corner, which kept the room warm. The healer watched Elec from a distance, his expression cold as he busied himself with tidying nearby supplies.
Elec sat next to the cot and focused his concentration. As he quieted his thoughts, he reached out with his mind. He sensed the thoughts of the scared healer and the equally nervous sailor he had been previously helping. A man sleeping on a further cot dreamt of mermaids singing to him. He took a deep breath, focused hard, and reached out to the man in the cot before him.
“Feel at ease, sailor, for we have slain the serpents, and you are safe.”
The survivor’s turbulent thoughts came to the surface, images clear though still fragmented and clouded by fear and confusion. The thoughts resembled pieces of a broken puzzle, and flashes of memory rose to the surface. Images of churning water, shadowed faces with glowing eyes that pierced the darkness, and the gleam of something enormous beneath the waves swam through Elec’s mind. The sailor’s breathing quickened for a moment before settling again. The faintest ripple of relief flowed through his thoughts, the shifting turbulence slowing.
‘Safe…’
The word echoed in the survivor’s mind, though it was tinged with uncertainty. Another thought surfaced, jagged and chaotic.
‘The captain… the treasure…the storm…the shadows…’
The man’s lips twitched, and his head turned a fraction toward Elec, though his eyes remained closed. His thoughts flickered with fragmented sensations: the roar of the storm, the icy spray of seawater, and a cold, oppressive presence that felt far too unnatural to be the sea itself. For a moment, a clearer thought surfaced: an image of an object, faintly glowing and etched with runes, clasped in the man’s hands as chaos erupted around him.
‘We…warned…not…disturb them…’
The man let out a faint groan, his body shifting under the blanket. Though he didn’t wake, the restlessness in his mind seemed to subside. The healer glanced over from his work, his brow furrowing as he watched the man stir.
“Well, that’s the most movement I’ve seen from him since he was brought in. Whatever you said, it seems to have gotten through. At least a little.”
“The healers here in Pelavor say you are to make a full recovery. Once you wake, we may be able to reunite you with your ship or crew.” Elec said.
The sailor’s body relaxed more as Elec’s calm words reached him. His breathing, though still shallow, became more rhythmic, and the tension in his hands and face eased. Faint ripples of hope flickered through the man’s subconscious, like the first rays of sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
‘Recovery…’
The thought echoed, followed by a fragment of longing.
‘The crew…the ship…home.’
Yet beneath it all lingers a deep undercurrent of dread, tied to the shadows and glowing eyes that haunt his memories. The name of the ship, the Silver Drake, flickered briefly through his thoughts, accompanied by a feeling of guilt and loss, though it’s unclear why. The sailor’s lips parted, and a faint, hoarse whisper escaped.
“…Captain…still out there…”
His head turned away from Elec, though his eyes remained closed, and his hand twitched as if reaching for something. The healer noticed the movement and quickly stepped over, his sharp eyes darting between Elec and the survivor.
“You’ve done something to rouse him,” he said.
Sekis checked the man’s pulse and then glanced at Elec.
“He’s not ready to wake yet, but whatever you’re saying…it’s helping. Keep going, but don’t overdo it. His body’s still weak.”
The survivor murmured something incomprehensible, and his thoughts flickered again, this time with a clearer image: a dark, jagged coastline, lit faintly by flashes of lightning, with something enormous moving atop the water.
‘The treasure…the warning…we never should’ve taken it…’
Elec waited for him to settle before speaking again.
“Lots of folks out here are looking to clear out the menaces in this bay. I’m certain they can use a man of your bravery and resilience to help guide them.”
The sailor’s body stirred again, his thoughts responding to Elec’s encouraging words. The fragmented chaos in his mind seemed to steady, if only for a moment, and Elec felt a flicker of pride emerge amid the fear.
‘Bravery…’
The thought felt distant, but there’s a spark of acknowledgment, as if a buried part of him is grasping at the notion of his courage. Yet, under that pride lies guilt: a heavy, suffocating presence. The sailor’s fragmented thoughts flickered once more.
‘We took it…we broke…warning… the bay isn’t safe…’
His fingers twitched again, the image of the glowing artifact surfacing in his mind. It felt tied to the bay, to the serpents, and to the strange lights and shadows that lingered beneath the waves. The survivor’s lips parted again, and this time a clearer whisper escaped, though it’s still weak and raspy.
“…the captain said…cursed…”
His breathing hitched, and he stirred again before falling silent, settling once more into a restless but deeper slumber. The healer stepped closer, his brow furrowing as he observed the man’s movements.
“Whatever you’re saying, it’s reaching him,” Sekis said, his tone now more curious than before. “It’s like he’s fighting to come back to us. You may have given him something to hold onto.”
He glanced at Elec with a small nod of respect.
“You’ve done what most couldn’t. Keep speaking, if you feel it’ll help. He’s holding on stronger now than before.”
The faintest ripple of resilience echoed through the survivor’s thoughts, though the guilt and fear still clung to him like a stormy tide.
“Do not worry, sailor. We will return it to them in the deep and restore peace to the bay. We may need your guidance in doing so.”
As Elec spoke, his soothing words seemed to reach deeper into the sailor’s fragmented thoughts. The ripple of resilience grew stronger, pushing back against the heavy currents of guilt and fear that dominated his mind. The mention of restoring peace to the bay and returning the artifact to the depths sparked a faint glimmer of clarity.
‘Return it…’
The thought surfaced, carrying with it an image of the glowing, rune-etched artifact. An unnatural light emanated from its core. It shifted in his mind, now surrounded by chaotic flashes: serpents twisting through dark waters, the Silver Drake tossed in a storm, and her captain standing defiantly on deck. A dark ship pursuing. Elec felt the sailor’s subconscious struggle to focus, as if trying to align his fragmented memories into something coherent. The survivor stirred again, his hand rising before falling back to the cot. His lips parted, and his hoarse voice whispered.
“…don’t…break the seal…Captain…”
His breathing quickened for a moment, and Elec felt the man’s thoughts surge with urgency before fading back into disjointed fragments. The healer stepped to the cot, his eyes narrowing as he checked the sailor’s pulse and temperature again. A dull ache formed in the center of Elec’s head. While he had headaches before, it felt more like a cramped muscle than his usual fare.
“He’s fighting to wake up,” Sekis murmured, his voice a mix of concern and wonder. “Whatever he’s holding onto…it’s connected to what you’re telling him.”
The older Half-elf looked at Elec with a faint frown.
“But tread carefully. He’s teetering between recovery and collapse. If he pushes himself too hard…” He trailed off, letting the weight of his words hang in the air.
“With your aid, sailor, we can restore the seal and bring peace back to these seas,” Elec said.
As Elec spoke, the sailor’s mind stirred once more, a slight tremor running through his body. The words seemed to anchor him, pulling him back from the fog of unconsciousness. Elec’s calm assurance, combined with the healer’s presence, provided the spark needed to guide him out of his dazed state, even if only for a moment.
‘Restore the seal…peace…’
The sailor’s thoughts, though still fractured, formed around these concepts. Once again, the image of a glowing, runic artifact flashed in his mind, and now it also brought a deep sense of foreboding. The ache in Elec’s head grew more pronounced.
‘It must return…will rise…’
His hand twitched, fingers stretching toward the air, as though he’s trying to reach for something just out of grasp. His eyes flickered beneath his eyelids, but they didn’t open fully yet. A low, raspy breath escaped his lips.
“Seal…broken…gone…captain warned…”
He muttered, his words incoherent, but there was a tremor of fear in his voice, and the urgency grew in his thoughts. The healer watched with growing concern. The sailor’s thoughts circled a central truth: the artifact, whatever it is, has a profound significance, tied to something larger than just the wreck or the sea serpents. Something powerful, something that can either restore balance or unleash chaos. Elec gently clasped the sailor’s shoulder.
“Rest now, for you are among friends. There will be plenty of time for you to show your strength in the days to come. Just know we are here for you and ready to restore the seas to their rightful ways.”
The tension in the sailor’s body eased. His breathing, while still shallow, slowed as he relaxed into the warmth of Elec’s words. The fractured thoughts in his mind settled, the chaos giving way to something quieter, more peaceful. There’s still a lingering unease, but it faded into the background, replaced by a sense of calm. The sailor’s lips moved, his voice barely a whisper.
“Restore…the seas…”
His fingers twitched once more, and the sense of urgency in his mind faded into a more passive, resigned acceptance. The healer watched, his expression softening as he saw the shift in the sailor’s condition. Elec let the connection slip away, the pain in his forehead subsiding.
“You’ve done well, Elec. He may not be fully awake yet, but I can see the difference. We’ll keep an eye on him for the next few hours, but I think he’ll be stronger tomorrow.”
The Half-elf moved to adjust the surrounding blankets, giving Elec a quiet nod of approval.
“You’ve given him something to hold on to. Let him rest now. We’ll take care of the rest.”
The room felt quieter now, and the air seemed less heavy than before. The sailor lay still, and the sense of dread that once permeated the room dissipated. Elec gave the healer a polite nod as he stood up, careful not to disturb the sailor’s fragile state. That is the longest I have read someone’s thoughts yet, Elec thought as he rubbed his forehead. His hand came back clammy with sweat.
“Thank you for allowing me to speak with him,” He said, his voice tired and sincere. “I’ll leave him to rest then. Please keep me informed if there’s any change.”
The healer returned his nod with a small, appreciative smile.
“You’ve done well, Elec. Let him rest now. We’ll keep him comfortable.”
