Challenge #04769-M020: Not Infallible

It's not often the immortal wizard gets sick. But no one is perfect. Fortunately, hir dragon friend, and pet cat, are there to cheer hir up. -- Anon Guest

There are worse places to fall ill than the middle of nowhere. A forbidden temple, a rift between worlds, doorways to other planes, for example. Thus, Wraithvine was lucky that ze always had hir portable tower. No matter where ze was, ze could have a hearth and a comfortable bed. Unless it was an anti-magic zone. Those were always trouble.

This was not as troublesome as it could have been.

Not to say that it wasn't a sack of armpits, just that it was a lot easier to weather while ze endured. The Eternal Wizard bundled up in a cot by the fire, sleeping in snatches. Wearing the most comfortable clothes ze owned. Tellingly, ze wasn't wearing hir wizarding hat. Which was a sure and certain sign that ze wasn't feeling very well at all.

A Wizard without their wizarding hat is not a Wizard at all.

There was no wizarding happening from Wraithvine today. Possibly not for the remainder of the week.

There was, however, chicken soup and ginger ale. There was also a large fluffy cat making biscuits on Wraithvine's hip, purring fit to rival a thunderstorm.

Bibrid dished up another bowl, setting it conveniently close for Wraithvine's reach. He felt the Elf's brow, then dished out more ginger ale. "Still think you're lucky the gods won't let you die?"

Wraithvine's answer was an inchoate mumble. Ze briefly stirred, but only to put a kerchief to hir nose and evacuate a lot of mucous. After a five-minute nap, ze summoned enough energy to sip some ginger ale and take a couple of spoonfuls of soup. Ze closed hir eyes and croaked, "I prefer it to the alternative." Another spoonful of soup. "I don't prefer this though."

"I don't think anyone would," said Bibrid. "Better to ride it out than cure it. Or you'll go and catch it again."

"That's the bit I hate the worst," rasped Wraithvine, dropping back off to sleep.

[Photo by Cyprien Delaporte on Unsplash]

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