Paperwork.

There was nothing Zane loved more than a well-organized, legally binding document. His dealings brought him to all corners of the world, even sad decrepit shacks like this one. But, as the woman pawed through the paperwork terrified, he was reminded that it was not a universally shared affection.

"It's rather straightforward. Your loved one... errr..." He flipped to the front of the document for a name. "David! David is suffering from Lolenal's Hunger. This terribly painful disease strips away all of David's muscle mass and cognitive abilities until he remains a husk of his former self. Based on current body mass and mental performance, I would give him about..."

David's wife looked in desperate horror as Zane mouthed out numbers forming calculations in his head.

"About one week, give or take a day."

She cried in response, throwing her face into the pile of paperwork in front of her. Zane reached out and pulled the documents back before she could contaminate his beautifully crafted documents with any of her repulsive fluids.

"Ryna, Ryna... Calm down this is why I'm here." He pulled a kerchief from the pocket of his expertly tailored suit and handed it to her.

"I've been sent from the Temple Aramaz at the request of someone close to you and David. I can heal him, right here and now."

"You would do that for us?" Ryna replied, looking through her fluid-filled eyes.

"I would." Zane began organizing the relevant documents and pointed out a section for Ryna to read.

"Designated agent has been permitted to heal Asw-aswle-"

"Aswlein fever, Ciroguey tongue, Erretilitus, it's a very long list. I apologize," Zane leaned forward and pointed halfway through the laundry list of allowed ailments.

"Lolenal's Hunger," Ryna said as a smile crept over her face. "Please do it. The children need him. I need him!"

"Very good. Now we simply need to discuss the terms."

"Terms?"

"It is very simple, don't worry. The Temple requires payment in the form of a variety of services. Observations, labor, and special services, where the value is proportional to healing performed by the Temple."

"Slavery?"

"No, no, nothing so crass. Some observations last mere minutes. And this whole process has to be consented to hence the... paperwork." Zane let out his last word with a shudder.

"What will they have me do?" She asked.

"Unfortunately, I have absolutely no idea. But seeing as you're in good health, I would guess observation, that's entirely just a guess. If you are nervous about the process, you can always choose to split the payments."

"Split?"

"Well, we at the Temple follow the words of Aramaz very closely. Consent is key. We usually seek out those suffering themselves to agree to the terms of our contracts—however, Mr. Porter isn't cognizant enough to agree to anything. Hence why you're the one talking with me today. Unfortunately, you can't sign for David because he's an adult."

"What does that have to do with split payments?"

Zane straightened his tie and removed a small ledger from his inside breast pocket. "Latthew and Mason are both below fifteen, correct?"

"Yes, but I don't see why-"

"You, as their guardian, have full rights to prescribe any obligations under the bindings of Aramaz."

"I don't understand."

"The payment would be their assistance to the Temple Aramaz. And would reduce any services you would need to render." Zane leaned in, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Aramaz is very gentle when assigning duties for children."

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"You want me to sell my children?" She asked, stepping up from her chair.

"No, no, no, Mrs. Porter, you misunderstand. I simply thought Latthew and Mason would want to help save their father's life." Zane raised his voice, knowing the children were somewhere close in this tiny home.

"We want to help!" The pair rang out as they barged through the only other room in their shack that Zane hadn't entered yet.

The boys clamored to their mother, not reaching even chest high against her frame. She looked between her two sons and back to Zane standing past the table he repurposed as a workstation.

"They just want to help their father," Zane said through a painted smile. "Your conditional start dates aren't set in stone either. So logically splitting the payments would mean the most time you could spend together as a family."

"It's just... I don't know what they would have to pay." She said, looking down at her two boys.

"Neither do I, unfortunately. But I can tell you what your boys would receive, more time with their healthy father and mother."

She stood silent in deliberation, looking down at the documents sprawled across the table.

"Fine." She said.

"Wonderful, you've made the correct choice Mrs. Porter," Zane replied, shuffling the documents together and removing three pieces from the stack.

"This one is yours, this one is Mason's, and this one is Latthew's." He laid the sheets and a quill before her, removing a large onyx box from his bag.

She took the quill, hesitantly signed, then slid back the sheets to Zane. He reviewed them from top to bottom and opened the onyx box on the table, revealing a brass handle. He pressed a brass stamp against the bottom of each document. It left the imprint of a serpent consuming the sun and its ring, the symbol of the Temple Aramaz.

"Excellent, everything seems to be in order." Zane stuffed his documents into his bag and threw it around his shoulders.

He headed to the bedroom with evident haste and stood beside a bedridden David Porter. The man was wasting away and reeked of wasted food and rotting flesh. The sight and smell disgusted Zane, but it was part of his job like any other. He placed his open hand against Porter's head and allowed Aramaz's energy to flow through him. Runic markings filled with divine intervention emanated from Zane's palm as he alone watched them spread from Porter's head throughout his entire body. Once covered in enough sigils that Zane could no longer see flesh, he pulled forward the correct ones. Clearing blood, bile, and brain, he focused on these until Aram's holy light consumed Porter's entire frame.

His family looked on in confusion, unable to observe any of the Celestial workings. But as Zane removed his hand, his family was elated as color immediately returned to David's face.

"Dad!" Latthew shouted out. Maybe it was Mason, but at this point, Zane couldn't be bothered to keep track.

"Where am I?"

"You're home, Mr. Porter. Aramaz has saved your life. Your cost has been paid." Zane turned to leave.

"Where's my family?" David asked, looking around but only seeing a stranger in his home.

"They'll be back very quickly, Mr. Porter. Or at least whenever Aramaz's will decides it."