Chapter 5 Fire Beneath the Skin
It started with heat.
Not the "I forgot to take off my coat" kind , it's like the creeps in like night sweats clinging, soaking, dragging you under kind. My skin felt like an oven, my insides like soup on a slow boil. Every blink dragged heat across my eyes. Every breath burned.
I tried to sit up.
My arms said no. My legs agreed. My guts were doing a full frontal assault from the inside, and all I could do was hold on to the pain and curse through gritted teeth.
"You have fever" Aeren said, not looking up from the fire he was poking.
"Oh," I groan. "That's what this is? Thought maybe I was ascending to godhood."
He snorted that rare thing he did when my suffering amused him. Which, to be honest, was most of the time.
"If that's godhood, then gods sure are weak."
If I had enough strength, I would've beaten him for that off comment, or at least flipped him off. Instead, I just lay there sweating, aching, vibrating like a tuning fork in the middle of a war drum solo.
---
Eventually, the shaking stopped. Not because I got better. Just ran out of energy to shake.
That's when Aeren rolled out one of his infamous scrolls. Old parchment, edges frayed like dried leaves. It had a human figure drawn on it bare, outlined, and labeled in a tidy, ancient script I couldn't read. Looked kind of like me, if I were flayed and displayed at an anatomy exhibit.
"Today's lesson," he said, "is your body."
"Can we skip to the part where it stops trying to kill me?"
"No."
"Right. Just checking."
He tapped the scroll, unbothered. I could barely move and this guy wanted to do biology class.
---
He picked up a stick and etched three words into the dirt:
Toxin. Poison. Venom.
"Toxin is the umbrella. Any natural substance that harms such as bacteria, mold, animal secretions."
"Delightful."
"Poison hurts you if you ingest it, inhale it, or absorb it through skin or eyes."
"Like the tea you give me?"
"Yes."
"Great. Thanks." I sarcastically thanked him
"Venom," he continued, ignoring me, "is delivered through injection like fangs, stingers, barbs. Weaponized delivery. Active attack."
"So I've been drinking poison, not venom?"
"Correct."
"Delicious."
---
Then he said something that actually made me shocked well, more than the paralysis already had.
"Fever. Rash. Swelling. People think they're symptoms of death."
He looked at me, gaze even but weighty.
"They're signs of life. Proof your body knows how to fight."
"So... I'm not melting for no reason?"
"If you weren't burning, I'd be worried."
"Charming."
"Rashes, too. Inflammation means alert. Activity. Immune soldiers charging."
"Good to know I'm a warzone."
"You are. And war builds resilience."
He wasn't trying to comfort me. That was just Aeren's way. But weirdly, it helped.
---
The scroll looked more intimidating up close. The body diagram detailed, almost reverent was covered in tiny notes, like it had been studied a hundred times and revised each time with blood and ink.
"You train your arms and legs to fight. Good. But they're useless if your liver collapses. One arrow pierced and your training ends in thirty seconds."
He pointed to the diagram like he was reading a kill list.
---
Heart
"Pushes blood. Every pump keeps you alive. But stress it too much, and it either breaks or ruptures."
Signs of trouble: Chest pain, racing or erratic heartbeat
Watch for: Blood-thinning or thickening poisons from snakes.
Natural aid: Cooling herbs, rest, circulatory tonics
---
Brain
"The general. Controls your thought, breath, balance. If targeted by neurotoxins. You stop thinking, you stop fighting."
Signs of trouble: Confusion, double vision, tremors
Watch for: Spider venom, cursed fumes, enchanted mold
Natural aid: Cold compress, anti-inflammatories
---
Lungs
"You can go days without food. Minutes without air but beware that some poisons flood the lungs while others lock the muscles around them."
Signs of trouble: Short breath, wheezing, fluid in throat
Watch for: Inhaled toxins, magical fogs, venom that mimics drowning
Natural aid: Fresh air, steam infusions, plant saps
---
Liver
"Your first defense against poison. Filters it. Stores it. Tries to kill it before it kills you. Yours is... improving."
Signs of trouble: Nausea, yellowing eyes, overheating
Watch for: Accumulated exposure, multiple poisons
Natural aid: Light fasting, detoxifying herbs, bitter roots
---
Kidneys
"Filters the blood after the liver. You don't sweat? You don't piss? You're dying slowly."
Signs of trouble: Swelling, dark urine, dry skin
Watch for: Dehydration, venom overload
Natural aid: Diuretics, water, salt balance
---
Nerves
"The signal network. It's covered your Control, reaction, pain. Some venoms leave the mind intact but steal the limbs."
Signs of trouble: Tingling, numbness, delayed response
Watch for: Paralytics, spider-based or synthetic venoms
Natural aid: Time, massage, nerve soothers
---
Stomach & Intestines
"Where most poison enters. You absorb it. Or it burns its way out."
Signs of trouble: Vomiting, diarrhea, burning gut
Watch for: Tainted food, mystery liquids
Natural aid: Simple meals, binders, clay or charcoal
---
Skin
"Your first line of defense. It's a barrier and an alarm. If there rash at your body, your body trying to signal you."
Signs of trouble: Redness, boils, blackening
Watch for: Contact poisons, magical blood, cursed oils
Natural aid: Anti-inflammatories, oil salves, wraps
---
[System Log – Fever Achieved]
Sometime around midnight, the System chimed in.
Right after I coughed so hard I thought I'd eject my soul.
[System Log – Updated]
Internal Event: Toxin-Induced Fever
Status: Survived
Trait Unlocked:
[Resilient Body I]
"Your body has begun adapting to internal stress. Resistance to toxins and fatigue slightly improved."
Well, better than dying.
---
By dawn, I could sit up.
My muscles still trembled like soaked noodles, but they worked. That counted.
Aeren handed me another cup.
"Same brew."
"Of course it is," I muttered.
I drank. Swamp water and spite. Classic combo.
But I didn't collapse.
Didn't vomit.
Didn't cry.
Progress.
---
[Quest Panel]
[Quest Panel]
Category: Sub
Title: Fire Beneath the Skin
Clear Conditions:
Survive first toxin-induced fever
Learn basic organ functions and precautions
Reward:
Trait: [Resilient Body I]
+1 Endurance
Bonus Objective:
Correctly recall 3 body defense responses (e.g. fever, rash, swelling)
Bonus Reward:
Passive Skill: [Toxin Resistance I]
Penalty for Failure:
Temporary fatigue (cannot do physical tasks for 2 days)
---
That night, I sat on the porch, wrapped in a thin cloak still damp with old sweat. The forest stretched out like a sea of whispers. Trees swayed, and shadows danced not like ghosts, more like things waiting to become ghosts.
I'd survived my first fever. Learned about organs, inflammation, poisons, and not dying. Around here, that was practically a badge of honor.
Then I heard it.
Not a howl.
Not a growl.
Something in between a breath that didn't belong to anything with skin.
Something watching.
Aeren, sitting by the fire, sharpening his blade, didn't look up.
"Sleep tight tonight," he said. "Tomorrow, we test absorption through the skin."
I groaned. "Fantastic. Can't wait to rub mystery gunk into my pores."
He smirked.
"Good. You're learning."
---