Depthless Hunger

"I have evidence to present!" The other cultivator supported Zin Nim to one of the speaking positions, a platform across from Shen Yu Yei, while the old woman spoke. "The poisoner's companion volunteered, of her own will, to endure some of the poison that our goddess is struggling against."

"You let her near?" Shen Yu Yei clenched both fists furiously. "They're working together, can't you see that?"

"Then why would she help Mei Bai? More importantly, why would the poison do such harm to her?"

That wasn't as effective an argument as it should have been, judging from all the murmurs and conversations. Some of those listening understood what they were trying to say while others were baffled, and many rejected the argument instinctively. Zin Nim coughed several times, then spoke up in a somewhat scratchy voice.

"I am immune to all my companion's poisons," she explained. "The fact that a drop of this poison harmed me is proof that she could not have done it."

"And we're supposed to take your word on that?" Shen Yu Yei demanded. "She could easily have kept a deadly poison in reserve... why should you be immune to all of them?"

"As the elders can confirm, my companion uses poison as part of her fundamental essence. I am immune so... so that we can be intimate." Zin Nim was blushing, but kept her back straight. "No poison she created could possibly harm me so much."

The revelation sent shocked whispers all throughout the chamber and Omilaena smiled despite herself. Truthfully, the logic wasn't airtight, but Zin Nim's personal confession seemed to have an impact. Given how sloppy the case against her was, maybe that would be enough. More importantly, it was cute that she would admit they were together when it came down to it.

"I have artifacts that work against poison!" Omilaena called over the noise and silencing spell. "I can demonstrate them in front of all of you, and if you accept, I can try to use them to cure Goddess Kir Mei Bai."

Even though Shen Yu Yei spluttered about it all being an act, this argument seemed to resonate with the audience. Omilaena was allowed outside the imprisoning technique, though closely monitored, and walked over to Zin Nim. After touching her cheek gently, she pulled out the Prana Jewel pendant and touched it to her forehead to try to draw out the poison.

Her technique still wasn't perfect, but it was enough: Zin Nim immediately breathed more easily, the blood vessels in her eyes became less inflamed, and the disturbance in her qi vanished. This demonstration had such an impact that Omilaena quickly raised her hands to the audience to capture their reaction.

"I can't guarantee I can do the same for the Goddess," she said, "but let me try. I can work to heal her while you find the real culprit."

Some still yelled out accusations, but the elders seemed to have been convinced. They gestured to some of the sect's strongest cultivators, who formed ranks and escorted Omilaena from the judgment chamber. Their route took them away from the main living area, across a bridge between mountain peaks to a heavily shielded area where Omilaena had never been before.

After several heavy doors, they were finally allowed inside a small unlit room. Kir Mei Bai lay in the center of a large bed, shivering as she tossed and turned. Her eyes were closed, as if she slept, but her face was sunken and it was clear the poison had taken a toll on her. Two cultivators sat nearby, one attempting qi healing techniques while another crafted a medicinal pill.

"She could well have died," the first said grimly, "but we fed her a Divine Remedy Pill. This is a great treasure that can only be taken three times in your life, and it only stabilized her for sixty days. The trouble is that the poison continually creates more of itself, growing stronger over time."

"How much did I help?" Zin Nim asked.

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"You took a drop of the poison into yourself, but it gained her at most a day. I fear most members of our sect would be killed by a single drop, and those who can endure it would quickly be worn down."

The truth was that Omilaena was in over her head: diagnosing an unknown poison was a challenge in the best of circumstances, much less bizarre Cloudspire poisons that didn't follow natural laws. Fortunately, the Prana Jewels also worked outside her normal arts, so they would be a better start than nothing.

"May I approach?" Omilaena asked. When they gave approval, she bent down beside Kir Mei Ban and gently touched her forehead with the pendant.

Even though the effect was much less pronounced than with Zin Nim, it produced gasps. Omilaena could feel a source of vicious qi that she presumed was the poison itself, and it definitely lessened... but not enough. Soon the Prana Jewels were saturated, unable to drain any more poison until they purified themselves.

"That may have bought her another week!" One of the healers looked toward her with tears in her eyes. "How often can you use that artifact?"

"Not enough." Omilaena sat back and groaned as she thought about the math. "Whatever this poison is, it was designed to work on a Sky Soul, so it must be incredibly powerful. I would need to know more about its exact nature, or to strengthen the jewels somehow. I could help as much as I can, but it won't be enough."

Faces around the room fell and Omilaena did her best to copy their expressions as if she was heartbroken about this, instead of just relieved. Getting locked down here would have been a huge pain. Before the healers could speak up again, one of the elders coughed into her fist and spoke up.

"There's something else more important: who was the real culprit?"

"I don't know what this special meeting was," Omilaena said, "but it sounds like an important political event. If someone wanted to poison her then, they wouldn't use something that worked immediately and risk reprisal. They might have used something that would appear later... did Mei Bai do anything unusual before she fell ill?"

"Oh!" That got several murmurs and one of the healers nodded. "Yes, she rested after her trip, then she went to cultivate for the first time, just before she fell ill. The poison may have been lurking in her meridians, and was activated when she circulated her qi. Truly, you are a master of poison."

That had honestly been a lucky guess, but it was about time that something went her way. Omilaena nodded as if she had expected this. "I'm afraid I don't know enough about your poisons to know what this may be, but I suspected that was the case. Given time, I might be able to drain more of the poison from her..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"You don't have much time. She has at most sixty-five days remaining, and we could use two more Divine Remedy Pills to earn her another four months... by taking occasional drops we might be able to extend that another month or two, but that is our absolute limit."

After mostly remaining in the background, the elders surged forward again, as if they needed to take control of the situation. One of the old woman grabbed Omilaena's shoulders and pulled her to her feet with surprising strength.

"We task you with finding a cure," she declared in a ringing voice. "If you wish to confirm your innocence, help us save the Goddess. We will contact everyone we can, but poisons used against Sky Souls are dangerous and extraordinary indeed. The Pureflower sect is depending on you."

Omilaena bowed respectfully and was soon escorted out of the chamber. She remained silent on their way back to their quarters, just supporting Zin Nim - there was so much to say, but none of it could be said while they were under heavy watch. They didn't have a chance to speak until they had been escorted all the way outside the walls, to a Pureflower vessel.

"You didn't do it, right?" Zin Nim asked quietly.

"Of course not." Omilaena rubbed her hair teasingly. "All your arguments were sound, and they didn't have much of a case. I wish I could say I'm surprised they targeted me, but I'm not."

"It was that bitch Shen Yu Yei." Zin Nim scowled skyward. "I should have realized that she was jealous of me... but it doesn't matter now. Do you think you can cure the Goddess?"

"Truth is, that's going to be a problem."

Zin Nim turned to her with wide eyes, as if betrayed. She had so much faith in her...

"Look, there are a lot of things about Cloudspire poisons that I don't fully understand," Omilaena explained. "They tend to come and go, which doesn't match natural poisons. There's a major qi element that causes it to generate more of itself. I don't even understand why this Divine Remedy Pill can only be used three times in a lifetime."

"It must have a limit..." But Zin Nim was smart enough to understand a tautology, unlike some of the people Omilaena had known, so she frowned and paused. "I suppose there must be some principle behind it."

"I think our best chance is to strengthen the Prana Jewels. I'll need examples of other powerful poisons, so maybe I can learn something at the same time. It sounds like we have a time limit of a few months, so I think we have a shot at saving her. But if we can't..."

Omilaena looked over her shoulder at the pristine sect walls and didn't finish her sentence. It was unnecessary: given what had just happened, if they couldn't find a cure, they probably shouldn't come back at all.