Fennel stayed until spring, and her companions stayed with her. She concentrated on only three things. Caring for her friends, learning new ways to help others from the guardian, and not dying.
The guardian, and her friends, had to keep reminding her that she came here to heal. After all, the seed did NOT actually create "heartless". It became a new heart. Heartless was simply a term used for those that allowed the heart to grow dark like blackened weeds, instead of strong and gentle, like the founding trees of a forest.
@internutter/challenge-04554-l170-seed-of-life -- Anon Guest
The first symptom was indigestion as the swallowed seed burrowed through her esophagus to make its way to her heart. Literal heartburn as the sprouts wrapped the wound of its own creation and the flawed heart that it was going to replace. For a month, Fennel was barely able to stand, gasping and weak, as the Hartsoke took root.
In the second month, her pulse was thready and hard to read. Fennel was bedbound and close to death. She could hardly whisper her daily prayers, and then in short gasps.
At the beginning of the third month, she fell into a swoon for an entire day. It was Greesh the Reprehensible who sat up with her, held her hand, and recited Fennel's prayers for her. The Kobold screamed their tail off when Fennel awoke and said, "I'm hungry."
Greesh said, "...for blood?"
"No, but I could really go for some steamed buns, garden veggies, and rice. Pity it's winter. I'll have to settle for pickled ones."
"No blood? No living hearts? No souls of the innocent?" said Greesh.
"Just dumplings. Pork dumplings if they're available."
That was her favourite before she undertook this journey. Greesh felt safe in running for the landing outside of her room. "She's awake! Get some dumplings!"
There were cheers from the grove below. Followed shortly by the thundering footfalls of Bastion as he charged up. He did open the door instead of crashing through it, as was his wont. "Awake," he cheered. "And you got some of your colour back!" He took over the chair that Greesh had recently vacated. "How are you feeling?"
"It aches," said Fennel. "It still hurts to breathe, and I can feel it... creeping into me. It's bizarre, but it's starting to beat with my heart at last. It's starting to work with me. Dawn lights a new path for us."
"You had m-- us worried," said Bastion. "It looked like you weren't going to make it."
"You know I was fine with that," said Fennel. "Each day is a gift."
Bastion looked at his toes, one leg bouncing as he wrestled with the next words. "I wasn't fine with you dying."
"I like you too," she cooed. "Now help me sit up, you big lug. There's a long path yet before I walk out of here."
Bastion the stoic made a tiny little noise and lunged into a fierce hug. "Don't die, all right? Don't die."
"Working on it," smiled Fennel.
[Photo by Kevin kevin on Unsplash]
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