The steps of Aiken’s black boots echoed through the hushed streets of Uni. The two of them walked quickly and around the corner of the long concrete street. At the far end was the entrance they came in from and a few steps further down, closer to where they were now was the clinic they passed. But the path was empty, only Aiken and Luna occupied it and there was no light emitting from the window of the clinic, signaling no one was inside. Yet Aiken continued walking down until he reached the front of the clinic and peered inside. A few wooden chairs with light cushioning lined up opposite of the door against the wall that sat beside a wide wooden desk that was tall and probably forced most folk to tip toe so they can look over it. Behind that desk was a closed black door where Aiken assumed the doctor did most of his work.
“It was worth a try. But I guess we missed him.”
Suddenly, Luna darted between Aiken’s legs, her body leaning low to the ground, mirroring the grace of a predator on the prowl. She bared her sharp teeth and emitted a menacing growl.
“I’m so sorry!” A man’s shivering voice echoed as his raised his hands in fear. “I thought you were the doctor!” He yelped. “D-d-do you know the doctor?” The man stuttered.
Aiken tapped the back of Luna’s head and took a step forward. She immediately stopped her growl and took two steps back, sticking her head around Aiken’s legs. Never breaking her stare.
“I don’t know the doctor but I heard something’s been happening with the kids in town and was curious about the specifics.”
The man’s gaze was sunken, the under of his eyes black like the night that was creeping in as though he had been locked away and immersed in tears.
“Are you a mercenary?” The man’s shaky voice shivered. He crossed his skinny fingers as if he was praying for something.
“Something like that.”
“Then… maybe you can help us?!” His voice grew loud suddenly.
Aiken raised his hand, interrupting the man’s excitement. “I still don’t know the specifics of what’s going on and… my services aren’t free.”
"Perhaps we should bring you up to speed on the details and discuss compensation later.” A different voice interjected, its timbre distinct. "Mr. George, how fares your daughter's well-being?"
“She’s been the same from when we last saw each other.”
"Steadiness is preferable to volatility. It signifies that her state has not deteriorated.” The unfamiliar voice declared, emerging from the shadows. He then inclined his head respectfully, proceeding to walk past Aiken and unlock the entrance to his clinic. “After you.” The man smiled and ushered the two of them inside.
Out of the empty street and now inside the empty and silent clinic, the man took off his wool beret from his head.
“The name’s Ezel but everyone in Uni calls me the doctor.”
“Don’t you find that odd?” Aiken asked.
“Not necessarily, since I’m the one that instructs them to call me doctor instead.”
Aiken gives the doctor an odd stare before shrugging his shoulders. “Whatever works for you.”
The quartet entered the physician's private chamber, where he performed his examinations and surgeries. It was a spacious room, adequately equipped with all the essentials and instruments one might anticipate.
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“Do you bring a dog with you everywhere you go?” The doctor asked.
Luna bared her teeth, and growled but Aiken swiftly raised his hand, soothing her.
“I’d watch how you speak about her, it’s easy to lose the structure of your face even if you’re a knowledgeable doctor.”
The doctor’s eyes widen and he raises his hands up weakly and in defeat. “I apologize.”
“Also, she’s not a dog, she’s a Balvin but that’s another conversation for another day.”
“Right… apologies.”
“So, what’s this situation with the sick kids and the cure for it being in the forest?” Aiken asked.
The doctor settled into a chair opposite Aiken, resting his head against his hand in contemplation.
“Almost a month ago, we had a festival commemorating the end of the hot and humid summer and celebrating the beginning of the cold winter. It’s a yearly tradition at Uni, and is meant to bless the town with good luck for a bountiful harvest of crops and for protection in case a harsh winter awaited. The young ones were particularly animated, relishing the festivities, their favorite time of the year next to personal milestones or notable holidays like Christmas. This was a time when they could linger outside into the late hours, for all parents partook in the festivities. However, during that festival, an unexpected phenomenon graced the skies above us.”
“A phenomenon?” Aiken questioned.
“A formidable and elongated figure, with a slender tail terminating in a feathery plume, possessed massive obsidian wings and an ebony regal head resembling that of an eagle.” The doctor explained.
“A dragon…” George muttered.
Aiken raised his hand and dismissed his assertion. “No, it may sound like a dragon but if it has the head of an eagle then it’s a griffin.”
“But griffins aren’t black.” George said.
“That may be true but griffins don’t just become dragons because their colors changed, and dragons haven’t been sighted for ages. So, even if it were a dragon why would it appear at a quiet town up north?”
George, unsure of how to answer only shrugged his shoulders.
“What did the griffin do?” Aiken turned back to the doctor and asked.
“It cried...”
“Cried?”
“It hovered over Uni, as if it was searching for something, and then it let out a deafening shriek before turning its body toward the forest and flying away.”
Aiken furrowed his brows at the doctor’s retelling. The ogre said something got the children sick and that the cure for it was in the forest being guarded by something, and yet the doctor’s story didn’t align with that sentiment.
“Interesting… but from what I heard, the children got sick and the folks of the town were told the cure was in the forest.”
George nodded his head at Aiken’s words.
“But your story doesn’t mention any of that. So, if the children got sick, what got them sick?”
The doctor's fingers drummed lightly on his desk, his eyes unwaveringly fixed on the duo before him. In silent contemplation, he grappled with the simplicity of the question, but his mind remained an empty canvas, devoid of answers, for he harbored the weight of a profound truth. His gaze shifted to George, and in that moment, he lowered his head into his hands, overwhelmed by an undeniable sorrow that found solace in silent tears.
Aiken shifted his gaze to George who was sitting right beside him. “Could you tell me the different things your daughter has been feeling?”
"Well... she hasn't shown any signs of illness, no fever or the like. However, since the festival, all she does is lie in bed. Calls from her mother or me go unanswered; she doesn't acknowledge our voices."
Aiken nodded his head and sighed. “Normally I wouldn’t care for the specifics…” He turns his head to the doctor. “But you’ve got something to acknowledge. How you plan to deal with that is up to you. If you want me to handle your griffin problem, then I’d gladly take the job for 2500 gold under the condition that you tell the truth to all of the families affected before I leave town. If not, I’ll just leave now. Either choice doesn’t bother me.”
“Wait! You can’t!” George jumped up from his seat, yelling in dissatisfaction.
Aiken raised his hand. “This isn’t your decision to make, it’s the doctors.”
The weight of the unspoken truths hung heavy on the doctor’s shoulders. He sobbed silently into his palms as he feared what would come with his truth. But how long could he hide behind the lie? Did he hope for the griffin to show up and attack the town? Was his plan to take it to his grave? If it was, Aiken wouldn’t allow it, and he knew that to be the case. So, he lifted his wet face and gazed at George with sadden eyes.
“You’ve got a deal swordsman.”
“I’ll go check out the forest in the morning.” Aiken then turns to George. “I wish you luck.”
With a tap on his shoulder and a soft whistle, Aiken called for Luna's attention. Without a word, he turned away, and the two swiftly departed from the clinic, leaving George and the doctor to their much-needed conversation.
Aiken returned to the tavern, paying 100 gold for a two day stay in a room. He and Luna spent the rest of the night resting, preparing for their new assignment.