From Death, Life (Veldrys)

[Devero]

Timestamp: Spring 24, 510 AV Time: Afternoon Location: The Place of Purging Who: Veldrys Syntora knocked on her son's door. It had been several days since she'd seen her son, but she was giving him his privacy. After all, his brand new wife had just moved in with him. She absolutely loved Navara, she was the perfect counterpart for her son. But now was not the time for that. That same Navara answered the door, wrapped in a silken sheet. "Syntora! It's so nice to see you again, it's been too long!" Navara quickly hugged her mother-in-law and invited her in. Devero was sitting on a chair that Syntora had given him when he moved out. Devero looked at his mother, who was just a shadow of her beauty and grace. She'd been crying, that much was clear. But he knew better than to ask her about it. She would tell him about it anyways. Navara sat down on his thigh, wishing her husband would put on a shirt in front of his mother. He had a similar sheet around his waist, but it felt improper. His mother sat across from him, and looked up through bloodshot eyes. "Dev, darling, do you remember my friend Lisyna?" Devero nodded at her, he knew that they had grown up together. "She's in the Purging. She doesn't have much time left. I've been by her side for several days now. But I'm tired, so tired. Could you go watch over her? I can stay with Navara, if it's not too much of a burden." Navara quickly responded in kind, "Of course he will Syntora. Rest here, I'll make you up the bed." And that was that. Devero learned long ago that he couldn't win against Navara. She would always find a way to twist his words into a pointed dagger and stick him with it. Besides, his mother looked like she really needed this anyways. "Of course you can mother, I'll go now, your face tells me there isn't much time." He kissed his mother on the cheek, and Navara on her favorite spot on her forehead. In a bare whisper, "Thank you for taking care of her." Then he left for the Place of Purging. This was the place that acted as the true cornerstone for their city. Their race was born here among the deaths of others, and sometimes, in the deaths of their own. Devero forced himself to not think of putting Navara through this. He entered the Purging, and asked the first person he met, "I'm here to see Lisyna."

[Veldrys]

As a young apprentice at the Purging Veldrys had still cried over the many women who died at the Purging. He had even spoken out against the Harvest on occasion and urged Hellebore to try and find another way or at least make their deaths a little less painless. But that time was long past. He didn’t try to save them anymore. He only treated them with kindness and secretly wished that things were different. He had realized that there was no cure. Maybe a way to save his people and end this practice could be found somewhere on the surface, but any human cities were far from Kalinor.

Seeing all those deaths exhausted him, but he couldn’t stay away from the Purging either. He felt that he had a duty to his people, even if it affected his mental wellbeing on occasion. None of his colleagues saw the surrogates as what they were, as people. For them they were pampered prisoners, slaves, glorified walking incubators, but they didn’t look far beyond their ability to bear their venomous children and keep their owm women from sacrificing themselves. He agreed that it was better if they died instead of them, but still, they deserved better.

Fortunately the surrogates were not his only patients. He enjoyed the moments when he had the opportunity to treat a Symenestra patient. He even enjoyed treating those that were dying. It was comforting if he could make their death painless. Sometimes he would just sit next to a dying person, talk to them quietly and watch them It was strange, but the presence of those that were moving on to the next world made him feel at peace.

Lisyna had already been brought to the Purging a few days ago. Her time was drawing close. He had just been on his way to her, when Devero approached. He looked at the man for a moment. His face seemed familiar. Something about it reminded him of Shai, but since the man had hardly come to have a bit of smal talk, he decided not to comment on it. Instead he inclined his head. „I was just on my way to check on her. You can come with me. But I ask you to be quiet. She is very weak and doesn’t need any excitement.“