Chapter 223: POTENTIAL DISEASE OUTBREAK

Chapter 223: Chapter 223: POTENTIAL DISEASE OUTBREAK

She touched the ground harder.

The pieces almost connected.

Almost.

But something was missing.

Her breathing became shallow.

The First Rot Heart.

The twins.

Swanly.

Soren.

The Seed.

The Nest.

Recognition.

"No..."

Thalara rose too quickly.

Her blackened hands trembled.

"This is bad."

The dead forest remained silent.

Thalara looked toward distant Ironwood.

Her expression darkened.

"Very bad."

...

By the next day, Swanly had developed a new problem.

Her children had decided they were helping.

This was disastrous.

Kairo appointed himself captain.

Nobody appointed him.

He simply became captain.

He drew a line around the cub sleeping area with a stick.

"No one crosses without telling me."

Miko looked down.

"I live here."

"You can cross."

"What if I don’t tell you?"

Kairo frowned.

"Tell me anyway."

"That makes no sense."

"It is a rule."

Nilo sat nearby with a small collection of pebbles.

Each represented a water source.

Nobody knew that yet.

Eira and Sira sat inside Kairo’s sacred protective line.

Eira stared at it.

Then crawled across.

Kairo gasped.

"Eira!"

She kept going.

"You crossed the marker."

Eira looked back.

"No."

"You literally crossed it."

"No."

Kairo looked at Swanly.

"Mama."

Swanly was writing symptoms.

"I heard."

"What do I do?"

"Move the marker."

Kairo stared.

That had not occurred to him.

So he moved the marker around Eira.

Problem solved.

Sira clapped.

Kairo puffed his chest.

Excellent leadership.

Then Sira crawled across too.

Kairo closed his eyes.

Yet still he took his patrol seriously.

Every few minutes he walked around the sleeping shelter.

Checking corners.

Checking windows.

Checking his sisters.

Copying Kael’s exact expression while doing it.

Swanly caught Kael watching.

His golden eyes softened.

"That is you."

Kael frowned.

"He walks differently."

"He is literally copying your walk."

Kairo passed.

Shoulders back.

Tiny serious face.

Kael’s mouth twitched.

"He does not."

Kairo turned to Miko.

"Stay behind the marker."

Kael: "..."

Kael stared.

Swanly laughed.

"Definitely you."

...

Nilo helped differently.

He never announced it.

He simply remembered.

"This water came from the northern spring."

Swanly looked up.

"How do you know?"

"The male with the shoulder scar drank it."

Nilo moved one pebble.

"The female with fever drinks western catchment."

Another pebble.

"The male who hears the heartbeat drinks from storage."

Swanly stared at him.

Nilo looked worried.

"Did I do it wrong?"

"No."

She crouched.

"You did this yourself?"

He nodded.

"You said you needed to remember water."

Her heart squeezed.

Her quiet baby.

He had made a symptom map with stones.

Swanly kissed his forehead.

Nilo’s ears went pink.

"You’re helping Mama a lot."

His tail moved.

He immediately hid it.

Swanly pretended not to see.

...

Miko’s contribution was different.

Miko climbed onto a roof.

Again.

Swanly looked up.

Her soul left her body.

"MIKO!"

He waved.

"Mama!"

"GET DOWN!"

"I can see farther!"

"YOU CAN ALSO FALL FARTHER!"

Kairo slapped both hands over his face.

"This is embarrassing."

Nilo looked up.

"Very."

Miko crawled toward the edge.

Swanly’s heartbeat stopped.

One section of the roof shifted.

CRACK.

Miko froze.

Eira saw it.

Her little face became cold.

"NO."

Miko looked down.

Sira waddled over.

Grabbed Miko’s ankle.

Then sat on his foot.

Miko stared.

"What are you doing?"

Sira looked up.

"No."

"You are sitting on me."

"No."

"You ARE."

"No."

Miko looked at Swanly.

"Mama."

Swanly folded her arms.

"Your sister is right."

"She’s a baby."

"And yet she has better survival instincts."

Kairo looked deeply ashamed.

"Our baby sisters are parenting him."

Nilo nodded.

"They should not have to."

Miko gasped.

"Traitors."

Eventually Kael climbed up and removed him by the waist.

Miko dangled.

"I was helping."

Kael:

"No."

"I could see the sick area."

"No."

"I saw three guards."

"No."

"I saw a bird."

Kael sighed.

"That is probably what you climbed for."

Miko considered.

"...Maybe."

Swanly nearly threw a sandal.

...

By evening Swanly could barely feel her hands.

Notes.

Questions.

Water sources.

Symptoms.

Children.

Food.

More symptoms.

Someone coughing.

Someone complaining about scars.

Someone else hearing the heartbeat.

She sat at the low table.

Kept writing.

Kael arrived.

Looked at her.

Looked at the untouched food.

Said nothing.

He picked up Eira.

Then Sira.

Both babies protested.

Kael ignored them.

He deposited them with Kairo and Nilo.

Miko immediately offered Sira food.

Swanly did not even look up.

Then Kael returned.

Took Swanly’s wrist.

"What?"

He pulled her up.

"I’m working."

He walked her toward the wash basin.

"Kael."

He washed her hands.

Swanly stared.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"I still have things to do."

"They will still exist after you eat."

He dried her hands.

Then sat her down.

Swanly immediately started to stand.

Kael put one hand on her thigh.

She stopped.

Golden eyes met blue-gray.

"Sit."

Swanly’s face warmed.

"You are bossy."

"Yes."

He picked up food.

Held it toward her mouth.

Swanly stared.

"I have hands."

"I know."

"I can feed myself."

"I know."

"Then why..."

"Open."

Her ears heated.

She opened.

Kael fed her.

Swanly chewed.

Glared.

He looked completely unbothered.

Another bite.

She ate.

Another.

"Are you going to do this until I finish?"

"Yes."

"That is ridiculous."

"Eat."

Swanly rolled her eyes.

Then leaned slightly into him.

Kael’s arm settled around her waist.

His thumb rubbed gently along her side.

Possessive.

Protective.

Quiet.

No teasing.

No fight.

Exactly what she needed.

Swanly looked up.

"Thank you."

Kael’s expression softened.

He kissed her forehead.

Then her temple.

"Stop trying to carry everything."

"I’m not."

He looked at the mountain of notes.

Swanly followed his gaze.

"Fine."

A little.

He fed her another bite.

Behind them:

"Mama!"

Swanly closed her eyes.

"What?"

Kairo stood at the entrance.

His face was pale.

"There is another fever."

Swanly stood instantly.

Kael did not stop her.

Then Nilo appeared behind Kairo.

"Another one too."

Silence.

Swanly’s stomach dropped.

Two new cases.

Within minutes.

The System exploded into view directly in front of Swanly.

Its golden panel flashed bright red.

HOST WARNING.

HOST WARNING.

ABNORMAL CLUSTER DETECTED.

Swanly went completely still.

The next line appeared.

POTENTIAL DISEASE OUTBREAK.

Her face changed.

Kael saw it.

Soren entered at that exact moment.

"What?"

Swanly stared at the glowing warning only she could see.

Then whispered:

"We have a problem."