43 (704) - Matthas, Come Out!

Ilesias Mahid sat on a stack of marble blocks, looking over the head of one of the site healers... a Yeoli innovation, to have at least two medically trained on every construction site. He tracked the search for Matthas by the whistles echoing all the way from the lake.  He set his teeth as the medic pulled his forearm straight.  He'd fought past the flash of agony to see Jorasa get the Coronet out of the area.  Then Gian had managed to corral his charges that had scattered like a covey of quail when Ili screamed.

The marble slab had smashed his blocking arm, then fallen and ripped his trousers, leaving a bleeding gash from knee to ankle.  He was fortunate that the heavy slab had slid sideways and not crushed his foot, boot and all.

His leg had been the first tended, and was a minor throb under the hot, swollen pain  of his arm. “It is fortunate, honoured Mahid,” the fessas medic said as he laid a fast loop of setting plaster splint on the arm.  “...that the slab didn’t hit the joint.  That would have needed Haian skill.”

“Yes,” he gritted. His injuries were there, like recently splintered teeth, in his consciousness, but he had to keep his focus on the hunt.  That scorpion had to be caught. It was a stain on the Mahid that he was still at large, still alive and not only unsworn but actively attacking the Imperium. “He’s like a cancer cell.”

“You...all... will be like a good immune system then,” the fessas sniffed.  “Just let that set before you do anything... your own medic should put a more permanent cast on, after the swelling subsides.”

“Thank you.”

The man picked up his bag and trotted down to the nearest ladder to slide down to his colleague already working on okas injured in the building accident.  Ilesias tested his feet and balance, slowly getting up.  The blood drying in his boot squished and crackled but the leg on that side held him. His head was steady.  He took another swig of the water full of remedies and slung the container on his belt.  I’ll need that again, soon.

He headed over to where the searchers had gathered, in the  opening in Holy Alley where the sculpture fountain trees began.  “Janirias.” He addressed the Coronet’s personal guard.  “Anything?”

“No, Ser.” The man jerked his chin to indicate Amitza sitting on the other side of the pavement.  “She says she can out-wait him, he disappeared around here and we’ve searched the whole University wing overlooking.”

“Excellent. I’m going to have this seen to and check on the Coronet Reg---“

A voice whispered out from the Plaza, thinned by sheer distance, despite the acoustics of the Presentation balcony.  “Maaaaatthas.... Maaahid... the Godssss call youuuuu.  You’re done. Come home.”

“What?” Janirias turned as if he could see through the row of buildings between them and the Presentation plaza.

“Come out, Maatthhhaaasssss.”

“It’s the Coronet. He’s trying to appeal to a crazy Mahid.”

“It could work.”

“Maybe.  Tell Amitza not to move.  We’ll send out a page and keep some of the guard out here to back her up in case she’s right.  Or if the Mahid comes crawling out of the hole he’s in, in response to young Ilesias’s calling.”

“Matthasssss!  Let it go.  Give in to the Ten. Maaaaaatthasssss.”