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 144: Kasca nodded.
Kasca nodded. “I am glad it helped,” Kasca replied.
“Indeed,” Jeron replied. “I wondered, if things weren’t too busy today, if I could speak with you about it.”
“I would be delighted,” Kasca replied. “The more healers with the remedy available, the fewer deaths and I suspect it will return next season.”
“That is our fear as well,” Jeron admitted.
“Well I will leave you two to discuss,” the magistrate said. “Perhaps I can send an agent to guide you back to the office around mid day?” the magistrate asked.
“That would be most acceptable,” Jeron told him.
The magistrate nodded and took his leave. Jeron shook his head. “Sir Warcam has received many accolades for your work this season,” Jeron told Kasca.
“Has he?” she asked.
“Oh yes,” Jeron said. “His district not only has a healer but a magical on at that and one who came up with a remedy for the Blood Death. He received requests from other districts in the city as well as outside of it. When the city officials were contacted by the capitol he was brought in to explain why his district fared so well.”
“That does explain why he was so helpful with both the clerks and the guards,” Kasca said with a smile. “He is welcome to the praise as it helped with dispensing during the worst of things.”
“Indeed,” he said. “I believe they were worried about someone trying to cart you off to their district as well. Both elsewhere in the city and outside of it. I had to assure our dear magistrate that the King had no plans to help you relocate in the capitol before he would bring me to you.”
“Always nice to know there is no mandatory relocation order.” Kasca felt a nervous flutter in her belly.
“Indeed,” Jeron said. “There hasn’t been a mandatory mage relocation in centuries and King Harton isn’t about to start now. However he is interested in the remedy as there is a very good chance the Blood Death will return.”
“I am happy to show you,” Kasca said, indicating her work room.
“Excellent,” Jeron said. He followed her back to the workspace. “I hope you forgive the personal question, but this is not your original home is it. Your accent…from the Isle of Cardor?”
“It is,” Kasca admitted. It made her nervous to do so but she didn’t think lying would help.
“The Overlord does not care for anyone other than himself to have magic if I remember correctly so your relocation is not terribly surprising.”
“Magic is a death sentence under the Overlord,” Kasca told him.
Jeron nodded. “So I have heard. But it has been a while since he has been heard from so perhaps the disease took him?”
“It did,” Kasca told him.
“You know this?” Jeron asked.
“When the disease struck the Isle he fled to this kingdom to escape it but he was already infected and died.”
“And you know this?”
“I was sent as a runner to the Sanctuary,” Kasca said. She paused and he nodded.
“I am familiar with it,” Jeron replied.
“It was there that I learned the Overlord fled,” Kasca began. Jeron leaned against the counter and looked interested in the story.
