Upon Wings Of Change

Chapter 55

Taureen chuckled. "She has you there."

Aeria found it amusing as well. "True, for someone who claims to be unfamiliar with Kymari ways, you are quite intuitive."

I shrugged lightly. "Some things are clearer than others."

I could tell that they were trying to avoid any mention of yesterday's events. Their caution was in vain though; the Morning Song had cleansed my heart.

Taureen started with the oiling, and my muscles turned into putty. I half closed my eyes, but slightly resisted the desire to completely relax since I would probably fall asleep. My mindvoice would be reflecting my relaxed and entranced state of mind, "As much as we are avoiding the topic, what kind of fallout should I expect from yesterday's events?"

Taureen kept massaging the oil in. He knew the effect that the oiling had on me and was relying on its calming effects.

"Not as much as you are likely thinking," he said. "Aeria went before the Elders to tell the story, and by Draven's own words, he admitted to breaking the gate lock as well as his intentions to kill both of you in the park. The autopsy revealed that he actually had a rare disease that attacks the brain and causes irrational and obsessive behaviors. That type of disease does not show up in a normal checkup, but it will turn up in a sample of spinal fluid. It isn't contagious and tends to appear like cancer."

I could barely concentrate on the discussion with the heavenly massage, but I had to ask, "If he had survived, would this discovery have changed the outcome?"

Taureen shook his head. "No. The moment he noticed that he was contemplating murder of a Kymari, he should have gone to the hospital. It is well known that some blood imbalances can cause such tendencies, and they are easily corrected. He did not go, and that makes his plans intentional."

He massaged the back of my neck and my eyes slightly glazed over with the sensations. He continued, "Had he gone to the hospital, they would have found the cause within the hour and none of this would have happened. The disease he had takes decades to get to such an advanced stage. Without treatment, it would have only gotten worse. It had several other symptoms that he would have noticed a long time ago."

Aeria gazed at me in mild amusement as she changed the topic. "You sound like you are drugged. Is the massage that good?"

I glanced at her with a half-opened eye before sending her a mental feeling of what I was experiencing. She blinked slowly, looking somewhat dazed, and I was reminded of the first time that I had sent pure emotion to Taureen.

I let both of them hear me again. "Sorry, I should have warned you. If it makes you feel better, Taureen looked exactly the same way the first time I shared a strong emotion with him."

Aeria shook her head as if to clear it. "Well, I am certainly jealous."

Taureen glanced at her in curiosity. "What did she show you?"

Aeria responded, "I think it was how the massage felt in her mind. I have no idea how she can think straight like that. It is rather odd to have emotions appearing in my head when they are not my own."

"I know what you mean. Her emotions can be quite strong and single-minded to the point where nothing else can intrude. It does show how effective the oiling was when she didn't trust me though."

Aeria blinked in realization before asking, "How exactly did you two get to this point? I know from glancing at your training journals that she was far from thrilled to be your guest in the beginning."

Taureen hummed lightly in thought before answering, "To be honest, I thought she was just an animal until quite recently. The first time that I clearly recall her speaking to me was when we dodged the tree at the waterfall. We have been talking ever since."