Der arme Heinrich
Der arme Heinrich: Muse A suffers from a mysterious disease that can only be cured with the blood (or death) by Muse B and only if they willingly sacrifice themselves. Muse B accepts death to save Muse A. Bonus: Muse B refuses or doesn’t want to die, and they search for another cure. @finalvlog
They had called it the Starscourge. An almost poetical name – but it was not in any way beautiful in reality. Lying in the bed of one of the rooms the King of this county had given them, Loqi tried to recall the past days. Though it was hard, his mind drifting off and coming to a halt as if he was trying to walk through a swamp.
They had entered this kingdom from the north – an old alliance of King David and Queen Tova. Alex had been certain to find hospitality here. And they had – King Somnus was strict, but he honoured past alliances and opened the castle’s gates to them.
But on their way through the villages, something else had found them, too…
Loqi remembered making a half-hearted joke when they had come past this one village that had been completely empty. He had intended to ask for the right path, but found no one there. No life at all. No human. No animal. Not even birds singing in the skies. It had been unsettling. Returning to Alex then, he had just shrugged and they had carried on.
And on their way here the dizziness had started. The exhaustion. The coughing. And the fever.
Alex’ healing had always brought a temporary relief. But the sickness came back each time, worse than before.
The last night camping before their planned arrival here, Loqi… he couldn’t recall what had happened. The memories were hazy and foggy. Alex had told him, though. He must have collapsed, writhing and coughing up black ooze. And Alex had been helpless with his healing. Only being able to grab him, haul him onto his horse and ride through the night till he had arrived at the castle.
And now he lay here. Two days later – he was conscious. But Loqi knew nothing was alright or improving. He had seen his body. It was as if the veins beneath his skin were being filled with black liquid. His blood replaced by something cursed. And it would break from him in coughing fits or drip from his nose.
They had called it Starscourge and they had said there was no healing.
You just got worse and worse. And when it reached your head, your brain… you lost your mind. Turning rabid and a danger to anyone else. King Somnus had dealt with this in a practical manner: he had killed everyone who had been inflicted by the Starscourge. He suggested the same here, called it mercy. But Alex would not allow it. Coming again and again, trying to heal Loqi over and over. And failing.
Loqi had never seen Alex in such a state. Desperate and furious at the same time. He had yelled at the much older king just now. And silence had followed after.
Loqi’s eyes wandered in between either of the royals. Somnus stood there, arms crossed. He did not lose his temper from being yelled at by Alex, he had always been calm and silent. But his eyes were ice as he glared down at the young prince. They were here at his mercy. And Somnus was the one who knew the most about the Starscourge… but he also saw that Alex would not give up.
The older king sighed and shook his head before driving a hand through his dark hair.
“There is another… possibility. There have been some few cases where one gave their life for the other. It had always been healers. People with pure abilities of light… like yours. But it is ridiculous to exchange one life for the other. Especially-”
Alex didn’t even let Somnus continue, already at the side of the bed. “How?!”
Loqi’s own mind needed another moment to understand… but when it all clicked in place, he shook his head, slowly, groaning and stopping to not make the dizziness worse.
“No...”
No way. That would not happen. This Somnus was crazy. He had watched this scene, now just making a gesture with his hand, before he left Alex and Loqi alone.
And Loqi repeated himself. Shaking his head more fervently this time, weakly pulling his arm away from Alex. He needed to lean back into the pillows and suck in breathe, before he could speak.
“Fuck this… you won’t… I didn’t drag your ass out of the ruins… and through all these kingdoms just for this. No...”
Because this was crystal clear to Loqi: he would never accept Alex doing this for him. It didn’t make sense. Alex was the prince. He was the rightful King. Their people needed him. He was a healer – the last one of their kingdom left over at that. He could never let Alex sacrifice himself. Never. Even though he knew Alex would do so in a heartbeat. He couldn’t allow that.
“You can go on with a new guard… but I can’t exist without my king.”
Closing his eyes, as if he was too tired to talk about this, Loqi squeezed Alex’ fingers with his own for a brief second.
“You’re worth… so much more. More than me.”
Loqi tried to grin at that, but it was more of a weak smile, blemished by the Scourge’s darkness trickling from the corner of his mouth. And he could almost not bare the look on Alex’ face. What was it? Horror? Fear? Defiance? Stubbornness? Helplessness?
“I won’t take your life, so don’t even try… I would just toss it away and follow you... probably to kick your ass for this. No. You won’t do that. You won’t... we will find something... else... yeah? Easy, really...”