A Special Meeting

Apothecary Nathos did not miss sleep. It was only after death that he realized something: while alive, he had spent a full third of every day lying in bed. The proportion was astonishing. Now that he was one of the dead, a Forsaken with free will, he could make full use of that time for anything he wished. He could read, stroll around somewhere, or chat with others. At worst, he could lie on a cold stone bed and waste those hours away. Most of the time, however, Nathos devoted all his attention to work. Day after day, his work was repeated through an almost complete routine. Had he still been alive, he would probably have grown tired of such a life long ago. But death was different. Having something to do was far better than having nothing to do.

"The materials you requested are all ready, Grand Apothecary." The speaker was his assistant, Vesetus, a very fortunate Forsaken. When he awoke, both his mind and body had remained completely intact. Nathos had chosen him as an assistant not only for that reason, but because Vesetus had been a nimble servant before his death. After being raised, his consciousness had also retained its habits from life—serving others. It was what he did best.

Nathos was conducting a new potion experiment. Its effect was to anesthetize Forsaken and render them unconscious.

"Are they fresh?"

"They were all just picked. There is absolutely no problem." Vesetus replied. Nathos merely gave a satisfied grunt and lowered his head to continue his work. At times like this, Vesetus knew he could leave. The Grand Apothecary would not speak for the next several hours. Yet he did not leave. He stood where he was, seeming to want to say something, but hesitating.

Nathos noticed that