Everyone followed the Realmfleet Revenants into the abandoned base and shivered. Yes, it was creepy looky with the eeriest of atmospheres, but it was also bitter cold. “Sweet Mordek,” shivered Arsha, “this is frigid!”
“You’re not kidding,” agreed Foresna. “Who keeps a base this cold?!”
“It was only a few degrees warmer, believe it or not,” replied Blenter. “All heating elements were shut down a few days ago.”
“Well, the sooner we confirm the unaccounted 51 life signs, the happier I’ll be!” grumbled Malnar as she rubbed her arms. They all arrived at a large door.
“No one was granted access to this room, save for the Council,” explained Eltan. “The locking mechanisms are located at the top.” Arsha fired a few magic blasts from her wand. The door then dropped into the floor and revealed what, or rather, WHO, was inside! It was Oyed and the Divine Ones! They were huddled together, but unconscious and had black spots all over their skin! Arsha opened her communicator.
“Arsha to Endeavor!” she called. “Divine Ones and Titan located! They have severe frostbite! Emergency mass teleport at my location to the nearest and warmest medical area that can hold them all!” Everyone was surrounded in a teleport spell and vanished.
Several tents filled Frigandor’s central plaza. The Divine Ones and Oyed were all split between the medical tents and the doctors got to work. Marshii and one of the men in the Larkentha’s Blue Rose Harem looked over Mordek. “He’s definitely reading as a mortal Dwarf,” muttered the man.
“And the frostbite’s really severe,” remarked Marshii. “Check for gangrene.”
“Gangrene located in his right foot. It’s way too severe. He’s gonna have to lose the foot to survive. In fact, he’s gonna need surgery to get rid of the other areas.”
“Understood. Advise the surgery tent that they have another patient, one that requires amputation of his right foot.”
Mordek was on a surgery bed with Marshii and other surgeons in their scrubs. He had a mask that delivered the anesthetic. “Everything’s ready,” reported an Orc nurse.
“We will now begin amputation of the right foot,” said Marshii. “Temperature of healthy foot?”
“97.2 degrees Marthan,” replied another surgeon. “Average healthy temperature for a Dwarf.”
“Temperature of diseased foot?”
“4.82 degrees Marthan,” answered a third surgeon. “It drops just above the ankle.”
“Touch response?”
“None.”
“Pulse?”
“Stops just above the ankle,” said the second surgeon.
“And skin coloration is all black due to dry gangrene,” recalled Marshii. “Right, we’ll sever the limb a little higher than the start of the infected area. Bone saw.”
“Bone saw,” replied the nurse as she handed Marshii the saw.
After a few hours of surgery to remove the foot and discolorations on his skin, Mordek’s eyes fluttered open. The anesthetic had worn off and he was slowly regaining his senses. “…Th…the Heights…?” he mumbled.
“No, Frigandor,” replied Marshii as she stood by his bed. Mordek turned his gaze to her.
“…Doctor Borontho?”
“Hello, Lord Mordek.”
“…Not a god anymore,” said Mordek as he recalled what Dr. Borg did. “No need to call me a Lord. Depths, no need to call any of us Lord or Lady.”
“Depends on where your life takes you financially,” chuckled Marshii. Her smile faded again. “There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just say it; we had to amputate your right foot.”
“…My frostbite was that severe?”
“Your foot was gangrenous. There was no way you could survive on that thing. We had to surgically remove frostbitten areas on your body. Your foot was the only thing we couldn’t save.”
“My siblings?”
“Twelve others had to lose a limb or extremity, but you’re all alive. …Unfortunately, so’s Oyed and he didn’t need amputation to survive.” Mordek growled.
“Because, of COURSE, he’d be alright!”
“If Arsha’s Blood Contract is anything to go by, Oyed’s on borrowed time.”
“Well, there’s that mercy. …Dr. Borontho, I’m a grateful man. You saved my life, and I can never repay that. None of us can.”
“Just live out your best life, that’s all the payment I ask. Now, when Oyed’s recovered, we’re gonna be interrogating him. I have a feeling he’s gonna talk, given that Dr. Borg betrayed him.”
“His vindictive nature should give us the advantage. In the meantime, am I medically eligible for a prosthetic foot?”
“As a matter of fact, you’re all medically eligible for prosthetics.” Mordek smiled
“Perfect. I shall spend my recovery time deciding on what kind of foot I want.”
“That’s how most amputees spend their recovery time,” chuckled Marshii good-naturedly. “…You know, you look good with pupils.”
“Pardon?” asked Mordek.
“Your eyes, you have pupils now.” Marshii handed him a mirror to show what she was talking about. Mordek looked and saw that his eyes did indeed have pupils.
“…It’s really interesting how pupils make an eye look much more inviting,” he mused.
After everyone recovered, Oyed was placed in the Endeavor’s brig. All the guards on shift had a chance to make fun of him for a bit until Arsha entered the room. She faced Oyed’s cell. “Finally,” grunted Oyed. “You know, you took your sweet time getting here! I’m surprised my foot hadn’t fallen off!”
“Some of your children had to lose that kind of extremity,” replied Arsha. “Now, what happened? How did you and your children become mortal and when did they start planning to take your places?”
“That scheming bug, Borg, drained us of our power and immortality! All of our Divine Mana has been drained and bottled up!”
“Your Divine Mana?! Is she nuts?!”
“That mantis of a scientist has the idea that blending my Divine Mana with my children’s will give her and her fellow Council members godhood! …However, I didn’t expect the aftermath would involve-”
“You being force-fed pizza?”
“YES, ME BEING FORCE-FED PIZZA! HA HA! LET’S ALL HAVE A LAUGH AT THE EX-TITAN!” Oyed then drew in a breath. “I’m only gonna assume that you found security footage of Yulduk and one of the robots torturing me like that.”
“Yep!”
“Well, I’ll destroy him for that. In fact, I will destroy the entire Realm Trinity Empire for turning against me! Cytanek Yavenag Borg will die and YOU, Arsha Royana, will be the instrument of my vengeance!” Everyone stared at Oyed, then looked at each other. Oyed was confused as to why everyone was doing that. Everyone then collapsed, clutching their sides. Oyed was REALLY confused now. He then saw them shaking in some form. A thought then formed in his head. “…Really?” he asked in a deadpan voice. Arsha managed to turn over as she laughed like a wounded harp seal. In fact, everyone was laughing at Oyed for the audacity of his request. Oyed simply sat on his bunk and waited for the laughing to stop.