Chapter 6: The Dogs of the Institute

Erica had burst through the doors to the Willowcreak medical centre like a raging bull, and the sound of the doors slamming open could be heard several streets away. “Where’s William!?” She yelled at the elven doctor who sat in the reception.

“He’s not here.” She responded coldly while looking over her nails. “He’s still at home with his sickness.”

“Don’t lie to me, you stuck up cow. I am done with all your fucking lies.” Erica exclaimed as the attitude of the woman before her only fed her rage.

“No matter what you accuse us of I can’t bring you someone who isn’t here. Go home, I am sure your daughter needs you-” Lore’leia began but was quickly interrupted by the palm of Erica’s hand colliding with her cheek.

“How dare you? After what you did?” Erica said through gritted teeth as she grabbed the woman by the collar of her robes.

“You dare touch me? What exactly did we do? Try our utmost to find a cure for your daughter? Who do you think you are?” The elf exclaimed in a frustrated manner as her cheek reddened from where Erica had slapped her.

“No matter what happens from here on out, Molly dies. I would suggest poisoning her.” Erica responded coldly and Lore’leia’s face suddenly lost its colour.

“How…? What? What is that supposed to mean?” The woman asked as if trying to save face, but Erica had no interest in answering her question. She pushed the woman to the ground and walked towards the door leading further into the medical centre, the door forcefully slammed open and dented the wall where it collided with the doorknob.

Down the hallway she heard hastened footsteps and sprinted forward, spotting the back of the man who poisoned her daughter sliding into a room down the hall. The backside of his slick, greasy looking hairdo made him highly recognizable, and Erica marched forward as quickly as she could, with newfound confidence born from the rage she had been filled with since she learnt of her daughter’s death a few minutes ago.. “Guards!” She heard the elf yell behind her but she didn’t care. There was nothing left for her anyways, she had to hear him tell her the truth. If she was arrested after it didn’t matter, she had to know the truth.

Running to the door she pushed her entire body weight against it, and shortly after she could hear the clinking noise of the door's iron key hitting the floor on the other side. Knowing the doctor had dropped the key on the floor, she pushed against the door with all her strength yet it refused to open much more than a few centimetres as the doctor was pushing back against the door from the other side. “Let me help you.” The voice whispered as the soothing heat graced her back. For a brief moment she felt a surge of strength flowing through her body, and she fell forward as the door suddenly flew open before her. Surprised by how she had so effortlessly pushed the door open, she briefly glanced at her hands. This shouldn’t have been possible, as the man before her was without doubt much stronger than her.

After catching herself in the moment she turned to the man who was desperately pushing himself away from her, as he too had fallen to the floor once the door slammed open with the force of a boulder fired from a catapult. His right cheek flared bright red where the door had likely hit him, and he even looked somewhat dizzy as he struggled to get to his feet.

She quickly got on her feet and marched aggressively towards the doctor, who had only just barely made it to his feet when she pushed him up against the wall behind him. “Tell me you didn’t do this!”

“What?” The doctor asked nervously, his facial expression riddled with guilt.

“Tell me you didn’t kill Molly.” Erica asked through gritted teeth.

For what felt like forever, William didn’t answer and an unbearable silence filled the room. The man looked as though he was in serious pain, yet he had no serious injuries which would warrant the frown plastered on his face. “I’m sorry…” he muttered as Riley barged into the room. There were more words that left his lips but Erica couldn’t hear them, all she could hear was a painful ringing in her head. Her legs gave in and she fell to the floor as tears streamed down her face.

“They did this…” The voice repeated, putting an end to the ringing noise inside her head. “They took her from you, she could still have been saved.”

Erica wanted to cry, yet every fibre of her being was overwhelmed with rage which caused her blood to boil. The voice was right, it had been right this entire time. Yet Erica hadn’t listened and as a result these pathetic excuses of medical ‘professionals’ had been allowed to murder her sweet, innocent child. Molly had died, scared and alone, all because these monsters gave themselves the right to end the life of a kid that wasn’t theirs.

Without a word she got back on her feet before lunging at doctor Witherbark. “Who gave you the right to take her life, you pathetic worm of a man.” She yelled as her fist collided with his stomach.

William bent forward somewhat and clutched his stomach as Erica prepared to strike him again, only to be stopped by Riley grabbing her arm. “Stop this, we didn’t have a choice.” Riley pleaded, but Erica had no interest in hearing his words.

“You chose to end her life, you chose to stop trying… and you said you didn’t have a choice? She could still have been saved but you chose to take the easy way out.” Erica argued furiously moments before her knee collided with his crotch, and his face lost all colour as he collapsed on the floor with a pained grunt.

Her head pounded in a way that put all of her past headaches to shame, yet she could still clearly hear the heavy footsteps and clinging of metal rapidly approaching behind her. She grabbed a blue ceramic vase which stood on the cabinet to her right and turned towards William, whose expression now conveyed fear instead of guilt. In a frantic manner the man quickly bolted for the door behind Erica, only to get hit in the back of his head by the vase which she had mercilessly thrown at him. Covered in water and purple lilies he desperately crawled towards the door when he was stopped in his tracks by Erica’s foot stomping down on his back. Though before she had the chance to say anything three guards burst through the open door and pulled her off the man.

“Let go of me!” She yelled as two of the guards tightened their grips around her shoulders.

“She’s clearly not well in the head.” She heard the voice of the damned elven woman as she peaked into the room. “Please get her out of here before she seriously hurts any other medical staff or the patients.”

The two guards pulled at her while a third helped William to his feet and he threw Erica a worried glance as guilt returned to his face. Though it did not take long before he turned his back to her, seemingly unable to look her in the eyes. Erica wanted to scream, yet no words could leave her mouth. Her vision blurred from the tears which she failed to hold back, as she did her best to struggle against the grips of the two well-trained men which held her down. She knew at that very moment that she had lost everything, and she couldn’t help but feel hopeless. How was any of this fair? Why her? Why Molly? Her thoughts spun out of control, crashing into one another like ocean waves on a stormy night, and only once they had calmed did she realise how quiet things were. She could barely move her head as a paralysing feeling overwhelmed her. As if time itself had slowed around her, everything moved at a fraction of its normal speed, yet her thoughts seemed unaffected by the phenomenon before her.

“It is unfair, is it not?” The voice said, though it was no longer a wsponded before anyone else could. “I’ve never seen anything like it. A single touch from her hand greatly heated up metal and seared flesh as if it were bacon.”

“This is… deeply troubling,” the man muttered, his anger giving way to unease. “And you think she used these abilities to retrieve her daughter’s body?”

“Given what she’s capable of, it wouldn’t surprise me,” Lore’leia replied. “As for her intentions… I can’t even begin to guess. That’s what scares me.”

“Does she know the nature of the disease her daughter suffered from?” he asked.

“I’m not sure,” Lore’leia said thoughtfully. “From the way she rambled during her attack, I’m not even certain she’s in her right mind anymore.” She hesitated, then added with a convincing air, “Possession is a possibility that should definitely be considered.”

The man’s expression darkened. “I’ll report this to the Institute and request additional personnel—someone equipped to handle both the potential national threat of this pathogen and the danger posed by… Ms. Rivers, you said?”

“That’s correct. Ms. Erica Rivers,” Lore’leia confirmed, shooting a warning glance at the other doctors, silently instructing them not to interfere.

“If she truly is possessed or a powerful caster, she’s a grave danger—not just to Willowcreek, but possibly to the entire region,” the man said, his voice growing quieter. “And if she has access to Night Pox… the implications are terrifying.”

“I can say without a doubt that she poses a threat, at the very least, to the people here,” Lore’leia said. “Given how bitter she was, I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s targeting those she holds responsible for her daughter’s death. All four of us are likely in danger, and so are you, considering she probably sees the Institute as having betrayed her. Frankly, I suspect she’s still in or near Willowcreek—there are too many loose ends for her to leave just yet.”

“This is all… highly concerning,” the man said, his face draining of color. He swiftly pulled a piece of paper from a bag on his hip and scribbled on it. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the paper into the air. It folded itself into an elegant bird and shot out the window with astonishing speed. “The Institute will send someone to collect a sample of the guard’s remains. May he rest in peace. I’ll also reach out to the Order of the First Dawn and the Arcanium Index for assistance in this investigation. Their expertise will be invaluable in locating Ms. Rivers and ending this madness.”

“Hopefully, finding her will lead us to the girl’s missing corpse as well,” Lore’leia added, crossing her arms.

“Prepare the samples by this evening. I’ll take my leave now.” He spoke hurriedly, his anxiety evident as he practically fled the room, eager to escape the cursed village.

“This evening? Wouldn’t it take longer for them to arrive?” Penelope asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

“Those who work directly with the crown have access to more efficient means of transportation. They’ll be here by morning at the latest, though I expect them to arrive sooner,” the man replied.

“Wonderful. I’ll make sure someone is here to greet them, no matter what time they arrive,” Lore’leia said with a sigh of relief, though Penelope recognized it as nothing more than a facade. Lore’leia was, after all, an excellent liar—unlike the rest of the doctors working at the clinic.

“Yes, yes, very good… I am not equipped to handle this, so I’ll leave it in the capable hands of my associates and wish you all the best,” the man said hastily, nervously waddling toward the exit.

“Safe travels,” Lore’leia called after him, her tone calm and composed. The rest of the doctors stood in uneasy silence, unsure whether she had just saved their careers or doomed them all. For several moments after the man’s departure, Lore’leia remained motionless, her gentle smile masking whatever thoughts churned beneath the surface. That was, until Riley spoke.

“You just lied to a representative of the crown…” he said, his voice tinged with disbelief.

“Incorrect,” Lore’leia shot back sharply. “I simply withheld certain truths. And you should be grateful—this might be the only thing keeping us off the chopping block.”

“No, you’ve just made everything so much worse,” William muttered, his shock and frustration evident.

“It’s not like it could get worse than it already is,” Lore’leia said dismissively, her tone condescending.

“Are you serious? Do you honestly think they won’t see through this? The churches know what to look for in cases of possession,” William countered desperately. “Do you have any idea what happens if we’re caught lying to the crown about something this serious? Forget exile—that might end up being the best-case scenario.”

“We’re the only real witnesses to any of this,” Lore’leia snapped. “As long as you all keep your mouths shut, everything will be fine.”

“Are you out of your mind? You can’t seriously—” William began, but Lore’leia cut him off, her voice sharp and commanding.

“Listen to me. We’re running out of time, and I need all of you to do as I say. Go prepare the guard’s body for the Institute’s arrival while I craft a believable story. All you have to do is stick to it. Got it? I am not getting sent back to Eryndoril just because some lunatic decided to steal her kid’s corpse.” She punctuated her words with a pointed jab at William.

“I hear Silfa Serine is nice this time of year,” Riley muttered under his breath, earning an irritated glare from Lore’leia.

“I am done living in trees, you hear me?” she hissed, her voice taking on the venomous tone of an angry snake. “I’m not going back to that fey-infested hellhole, I don’t care if it’s my birthplace. Do you even know what it’s like there?”

“I’ve heard it’s beautiful…” Penelope ventured cautiously, trying to defuse the tension. But her attempt only seemed to provoke Lore’leia further.

“Beautiful? BEAUTIFUL?! You don’t know what you speak of,” Lore’leia snapped, anger twisting her normally calm features. “We don’t have mundane filth like the rats and pigeons that plague your cities. No. Instead we have fae dragons the size of cats. And just like cats, they would gladly hunt you for fun.”

“When I was a maiden child, my grandfather gifted me a wolpertinger to bond with. For you humans, that is a winged rabbit with small horns. His coat was so white it glowed in the light of the moon and his horns were majestic, a sign of his champion heritage. I named him Puca and he was my best friend.”

“One day, we were in the forest when a cloud of fae dragons attacked us. We must have strayed into their territory by mistake. Puca fought fiercely to protect me as I fled. I watched them bite him over and over, their wicked claws like needles and their screeches like cruel laughter.”

“By the time I found a guard and returned, Puca was gone. I searched for two days and found nothing. But every night when I returned home, something in my room stunk so bad I couldn’t sleep. On the third day, I opened a closet drawer and found what was left of Puca. The fucking fae dragons had left him there for me.

“Every time I think of my Puca, all I can remember is that awful smell. So tell me how beautiful my homeland is again, you stupid humans. Please. I know exactly how much elder blood and serpent nectar it takes to seal a bargain with a fae dragon matriarch. Death will be a gift when I’m done with you.”e once peaceful land. So the immortal one stepped down from the great beyond and granted beings of all races a gift of great power, she tasked them to use it to bring peace to the land.”

“My father was among those who received this gift, alongside his brother. But not all used these gifts for the sake of peace, and jealousy caused some of the giftless to turn against the gifted. My kind, few as we were, were among the few who managed to preserve peace. Until one day a temptress; my mother, stole my father’s heart. Through her, our species thrived, but she caused a great divide within us as she had not only stolen the heart of my father but also that of his brother.”

“She poisoned the minds of both my father and his brother, turned them against each other and soon war ravaged our kind. Me and my siblings were forced to choose a side, and so we did. It was a slaughter as the great strength between the forces involved brought casualties to not just our kind but also those of the mortals of the time… The skies were dyed red from the bloodshed, as death rained from above and destroyed the land below… Until the other gifted got involved.”

“A man which you mortals now know as Aelius the God of the Sun stepped forward with the intention to end the war. But he was a foolish man, a man who stepped into a conflict he knew nothing of. He gathered many other gifted and they forced themselves into the war, choosing the winner without understanding the reasons behind the conflict, and they chose my father’s brother, and by proxy my mother.” As he spoke his deep, gruff voice took on an increasingly disappointed tone, yet behind the disappointment she could also hear the resentment. Simply saying the gods name seemed to have awoken feelings of anger and rage within him which he struggled to contain.

“My father, enraged by the actions of the other gifted, rained down fire upon the world, and was as such crowned the God of Rage. Yet his anger was justified but no one chose to listen.”

“I alongside some of my brothers and sisters chose to confront the Sun God and the other gifted, accusing them of meddling in business they did not understand. That the wretch who poisoned the minds of two once inseparable brothers had been crowned the winner by their foolish actions… and their response? They locked us up and tossed away the key. For countless years I have been sealed in this prison, and while my body cannot move, my mind still functions. They once called me Dror’Khanik, and the followers of Aelius crowned me the Enemy of the Sun.”

Erica was stunned, if what this being said was true that meant not only that she was speaking to a demigod, but also a dragon which was almost as ancient as the gods themselves. “Once you are set free, what happens then?” She asked carefully, her path now filled with uncertainty.

“Once I am free… I will end the war within dragonkind, and I will make the sun god pay for his misdeeds against our kind. When the day comes, I will personally devour the sun.”