Jessie treats Natasha, an elderly woman stricken with the "Sand Sickness" disease that slowly turns her body's living cells to inert sand. Natasha tells Jessie the story of how years ago, she met and fell in love with a Seldian nobleman when her dancing troupe was invited to perform at his estate. The nobleman promised to find her in the Silkdeep Empire and marry her, but she never saw him again.
Determined to aid Natasha however she can before the Sand Sickness overtakes the frail old woman, Jessie visits the Guard Headquarters and asks for Eagle's help in finding information on Natasha's lost love. Eagle offers to contact his brother Ray, a diplomat from Seldia, to dig into the case. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival Jessie's father and her fiancé Yuan Clesy, who have come to Lezak for a visit.
Over dinner, Jessie's father gives her the cryptic advise to visit the locked North Tower at midnight. She does, and her father produces the key. Jessie and her father climb the tower, and he reveals that the medical library and research lab at the top belonged to the Blue Doctor who last served Lezak twelve years before Jessie's arrival: Dr. Zai Gristen, the man who was once her father's best friend. Randy climbs the tower, and Jessie's father berates him for not telling Jessie the truth of the events surrounding Dr. Zai's departure. The two men argue as Jessie is sent away, and in the morning she finds her father has left the key to the tower in her possession.
Perusing Dr. Zai's research, Jessie finds notes on an experimental treatment for Sand Sickness that might prolong Natasha's life. She goes to visit Natasha, but finds the elderly woman has almost entirely been consumed by the disease.
In the clinic, Jessie calls for Eagle. Dr. Zai's research indicates that a medicine can be produced from the co-mingled blood of Blue People and a Seldian native. Eagle offers his blood for the medication, but also a warning — his wife Yuma died because of Dr. Zai's forbidden research.
Chapter 8 Provides Examples of:
- Blood Magic: While Jessie normally uses her blood in treating patients, in this chapter she tries to concoct an experimental medication from Dr. Zai's research that includes the blood of a native Seldian alongside her own Blue Blood. Dr. Zai theorized that combining the world's "three great healing arts" could produce a cure for Sand Sickness, though none of the other "healing arts" appear to involve the innate Blood Magic of the Blue People.
- Mercy Kill Arrangement: Sand Sickness is a terminal disease whose progress can only be slowed, not halted — even by Blue Doctors. In the final phase of the disease a sufferer's body turns completely to sand, though their consciousness seems to linger until they disintegrate. There is a ceremony involving a kiss from a loved one that speeds up the process and releases the afflicted person from their suffering. Since Natasha has no family and her friends have all passed, she's asked Jessie to perform it for her.Jessie: Natasha, do you really want me to do it? I can ask Eagle...Natasha: I would be happy to be sent to heaven by a cute doctor like you.
- Nosebleed: Jessie gets a nosebleed when she sees the shirtless Eagle sparring in the courtyard of the guard station.
- Power Crystal: Downplayed — As part of her examination of a patient, Jessie uses a Hearing Stone to check lung and heart function.
- Reading Lips: As part of her Blue Doctor training, Jessie is able to read lips. This comes in handy when ministering to patients suffering from Sand Sickness, which paralyzes their vocal chords before killing them.
- Taken for Granite: The mysterious "Sand Sickness" slowly turns the sufferers' cells into sand, starting with the extremities and proceeding up to their torso and head. Eventually the entire body will dissolve into sand. Jessie's Blue Blood is only effective at slowing the disease because her blood can only repair damaged cells, not revive inert or dead matter. As the chapter progresses, the elderly Natasha's condition progresses from affecting her ankles and wrists to paralyzing her vocal chords.
- You Remind Me of X: Eagle is a native Seldian, and apparently a ringer for Natasha's first love from decades past. Because of this Jessie enlists his aid for Natasha's end-of-life ceremony.Natasha: Jessie, you're good friends with the Captain of this district's Police Force, yes? That man, Eagle?Jessie: ...yes.Natasha: He was born in Seldia, correct? He looks so much like that man I fell in love with...
