“It’s a risk I’ll just have to take,” Zollin said sadly.
Chapter 12
The giant metal doors swung open silently on well-oiled hinges. Like all other examples of dwarfish workmanship, the metal doors were well made. Hammert met Zollin at the gate. He had a look of skepticism on his face, but also grave concern. Zollin assumed they had tried everything else to no avail and Hammert was desperate.
“We’ve tried to quarantine the sick,” said the fat dwarf. “This way.”
He led Zollin to a large chamber that was used for feasting. The long tables had been pushed against the walls and pallets had been set up for the ill. The room smelled of sweat and vomit, but Zollin had been prepared for that. He didn’t waste any time and went to the nearest dwarf and knelt down beside her. It was a young, female dwarf, the size of a newborn human baby. Her face was covered in sweat and her skin looked ashen. Zollin let his magic probe slowly into the dwarf. Their anatomy was completely different from humans’. They had similar organs, but they were in different places, and many functioned differently. Zollin didn’t try to understand the anatomy; he was simply looking for something that was causing the illness. It took a long time. There were many hormones and antibodies that were completely foreign to Zollin, but at last he noticed a virus. At first, the virus seemed like a natural part of the dwarfish physiology, but as he spent time watching it, learning its function, he saw it attack and devour a simple protein in her bloodstream and secrete what looked to be a waste product.
Zollin then followed the waste, which found its way to the dwarf’s very large liver, but the organ was flooded with the same antigen. It caused the liver to overproduce bile, which accounted for the vomiting and high body temperatures. Zollin continued to search but found no antibodies for the virus; instead the dwarf’s body was reacting to the problems in her liver. Zollin stood up and stretched.
“Can you take me to someone who has been sick longer?” he asked Hammert.
“Yes, did you discover anything?” the fat dwarf asked.
“There’s a virus and I need to confirm what is happening.”
“What’s a virus?” Hammert asked.
“It’s sort of like a parasite,” Zollin said. “Only it mimics a natural part of your body and multiplies by invading and taking over your natural cytokines.”
“What’s a cytokine?” Hammert seemed suspicious.
“Look, our bodies are all made up of various parts that work together. Dwarves, like humans, produce cytokines, which are various types of proteins that help the different parts work together. They’re pumped into your blood by the various lymph nodes and organs. Right now, the virus is attacking the cytokines, feeding on your body’s natural protein and producing a waste product that is overloading your liver, causing it to produce more bile. The fever and vomiting are a natural result of the stress on your liver, and my guess is, after a dwarf has been sick long enough, and not eating anymore, the virus is attacking the dwarf’s body to get more protein.”
Hammert looked at Zollin through narrowed eyelids. It was obvious that he was trying to decide if he believed Zollin or not.
“Just take me to someone who’s been sick the longest,” Zollin pleaded.
Hammert led the way. He knelt beside a very sick-looking dwarf. After only a few moments he realized that his prognosis was correct. The virus was eating the dwarf alive. Zollin then turned his magic on Hammert. The fat dwarf had no idea that Zollin was probing him to see if the virus had infected him, but it took only a few moments to confirm that it had. The buildup of virus waste just hadn’t overwhelmed his liver yet.
“Okay,” Zollin said. “Here’s what I need. Do you have arkhi, or ale of some sort?”
“We brew potato beer,” Hammert said.
“Fine, that’ll do. I’ll need some of it and food, too. And the patients will need food. Something high in protein, but not too spicy or flavorful.”
“I can do that,” Hammert said. “But how will we know that you’re actually helping anyone?”
“Watch and see,” Zollin said.
He let his magic dive back into the sick dwarf. He started with the liver and removed as much of the virus waste as possible. The easiest way was to move the waste into the dwarf’s stomach with the excess bile and then cause the dwarf to vomit. Once that was done, Zollin began attacking the virus itself. He needed to slow the progression of the disease so that the dwarf’s body could make antibodies to fight the virus. It took over an hour, but when Zollin was finished the dwarf’s fever was going down.
“He’s still sick,” said Hammert when Zollin stood up.
“Yes, he is. But hopefully, his body will have the time to fight the disease naturally now.”
“I thought you said you could heal them.”
“I am healing them. Look, the virus is basically eating them alive. Your body will naturally fight and kill the virus. It creates antibodies which basically hunt down and kill the virus. Once those antibodies have been developed by your body, the virus can’t hurt you anymore. The problem is that the virus has found a way to mask what it’s doing so that your body focuses on the waste problem with your liver and all the while the virus is eating you alive. I healed the liver, so now the body will turn its attention on what else is making it sick. Give him a little time and he’ll be okay.”
“How can I be sure you’re not just blowing smoke?” Hammert asked. “We’re just supposed to take your word?”
“Hungry,” said a very weak-sounding voice.
Both Zollin and Hammert turned to the sick dwarf. His eyes were open and he was licking his dry, chapped lips.
“What was that, Warik?” Hammert said as he bent close.
“I’m hungry,” said the sick dwarf.
“I told you,” Zollin said. “Feed him something rich in protein.”
Hammert hurried out of the makeshift sickroom, and Zollin went back to work healing the dwarves. He spent several hours working with the sick dwarves, using his system for healing their livers and getting the excess bile out of their stomachs. By the time he finished he felt so tired he thought he might just fall over and pass out himself. It wasn’t the exertion of magic but the intense mental concentration that taxed his system so much. He ate some of the mash that had been made for the sick, a stew made of goat meat and potatoes. It was bland, but it was warm and filling.
Zollin wanted to lie down and sleep but he knew that Brianna would be worrying about him, and he needed the other dwarves to find a few things for him. He staggered up the short steps that led to the balcony over the gate. He found three of the four dwarves asleep but Bahbaz had stayed awake, keeping Brianna company as they waited for word from Zollin.
“Hey,” he said in a tired voice.
Brianna and Bahbaz scrambled to their feet.
“I think I’ve fixed the problem,” he continued.
“Are you okay? You look really tired,” Brianna said.
“I am, but it’s nothing a little rest won’t cure. I’m getting ready to get some sleep. I need something from you,” Zollin said to Bahbaz.
“How can we help, southlander?” the stout little dwarf asked.
“The people here are suffering from a virus. It is very contagious, but your body can fight it off if we can boost your liver function. Is there something that dwarves do naturally to help their livers? Any kind of medicine or herb that might be used?”
“Most dwarves have hearty livers,” Bahbaz said. “Although I know that sometimes dried cave lichen is used for dwarves who’ve had a long turn at the barrel.”
“I need some,” Zollin said. “Can you get it for me?”
“I think so,” Bahbaz said. “How quickly do you need it?”
“Rest now and see about it in the morning. I think everyone in this village is going to be sick. If we don’t find a way to help the people who aren’t showing symptoms yet, it could spread to the other clans.”
“We’ll find it for you, wizard. Rest assured of that.”