Morning all and welcome to the Fifteen Minute Novel. Here I take the start of a story idea and work on it for fifteen minutes a day. I started with an old writing prompt that interested me, cleaned it up a bit to fit the basic outline of the story I want to write and then set aside fifteen minutes each week day to see it grow. Each morning’s writing starts with the last sentence of the day before. And so now we have the story of Kasca…
Day 139: Thus far everyone was being reasonable, but she suspected this would not last.
Thus far everyone was being reasonable, but she suspected this would not last. She could only hope for the best and keep doing what she was doing.
The disease was spreading and one morning as she worked, Darien showed up with a second clerk. “This is Marston,” Darien told her. The magistrate saw the numbers and thought we might need more help. He can send more guards if they are needed.”
Kasca turned to Marston. “Have you contracted the Blood Death before?” She asked.
“I have,” he told her. Kasca nodded and collected the appropriate vial, handing it to him to drink.
“Welcome,” she told him as he passed the empty vial back. “Darien can show you the ropes and hopefully we won’t need additional guards.
“Hope not,” He said.
Marston shadowed Darien for the morning and once he got the hang of things, began working a separate counter to split the crowd into two lines. When Kasca emerged into the front of the shop to either assist of cast a cleansing spell, she saw the doors were propped open and stretching out of the door. She saw her guards had more to do than glower and at the end of the day reminded them to let her know if they needed additional assistance, since the magistrate offered it.
A week later the extra guards were requested and Darien suggested that she not come out into the shop until the end of the day f at all possible. When those waiting saw her they became more unruly as though pushing forward to see her directly would help them more.
She saw the effects and conceded it was a good option.
Kasca stayed in back and the shop ended up staying open later. It was a full on crush and Kasca wished she had an assistant to help with the non magical parts of the processing. There were no assistants to be found. The magistrate tried. All they could do was keep things orderly in her shop and that was all.
She began sending slightly larger batches to the physics and physicians in the hopes of splitting the crowds. The magistrate sent guards to watch over the shipments as they left her shops and went to their destinations after someone tried to steal them.
After an attempted night time break in, where Kasca’s protections repelled potential invaders, two guards bunked down inside the shop each night. Kasca made certain they were fed, but that generally involved sending one of them to the market to collect something ready made for all three of them. Kasca spent most of her waking hours turning ingredients into the necessary potions in the hopes of staying ahead of the infected. She did not wish to see what would happen if she ran out.
Supplies were coming at a steady pace. The city officials, knowing she needed the ingredients for the benefit of the city, made certain that the ingredients were available. Since others needed them for less life-threatening reasons, she had a temporary corner on the market. She paid the regular price for the ingredients so no one felt taken advantage of even if other customers might have felt slighted. Many of the suppliers came from outlying areas and were willing to take part of their pay in medicine. Since they were small batches and easily hidden away by those taking them with them there were no need for extra guards. Kasca knew the vials would make their way to those outside the city who might be infected as well.
