Chapter 211: Loosen Up

Author’s note: Hey guys.

Next chapter on Thursday.

Enjoy this one!

Chapter 211: Loosen Up - link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/122541610

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Chapter 211: Loosen Up

"Easy, lass," the Chief Healer said, pressing a cookie into my hand as if I was some sulking child. I took it anyway, nibbling as I shot him a frown. "Before that growling turns to barking, let’s get one thing straight. We’re healers, not Frederic Dungreen."

'That was supposed to convince me?' It didn't matter that I failed to hear the lie in his words, or that his wife nodded. "Even saints can do cruel things."

"Saints?" Elira echoed, frowning at the expression. She wasn't alone in that. However, not in the mood to dwell on how my weave had twisted the concept into something, this place had no word for I didn't give them a chance to dig deeper.

"What I'm saying is that people can do cruel shit under the guise of goodness, justice, or whatever." The bark in my voice didn't sit well with me. The man hadn’t earned my spite. If anything, he had done the opposite. Still, the words spilled out.

"You sound like our mentor," Janina chimed in, dark eyes glinting with something close to nostalgia.

"Y-your mentor?" Marcus mentioned him before. ‘Was it the… the…?’

"Yeah," the gnome woman murmured, nodding to herself. "He used to say things like that. And I saw plenty to know he was right. Marcus, too."

"What Janina is trying to say is - that if we ever crossed that line, he'd have our asses."

"And is he here to stop you?" I asked, voice quieter than I meant it to be. Did I even want the answer? If he was here in Castiana, it meant that despite their strength and status, he still held power over them. If not… I might be screwed.

"No, he's in the Wagon'brei," Marcus said, having a hard time reading me this time.

"He's the Imperial Chief Healer," Elira leaned towards me, whispering.

'Ah, him,' a spark flared in my memory. The man was no mere rank-and-file healer, but one serving at the imperial court. Did that soothe me, though? On the contrary. Involving him might mean getting deeper into some political mess - something I wanted to avoid and the reason I agreed to be bait in the first place instead of being sent to him, as Marcus suggested.

“Lass, look…” Marcus sighed, the usual warmth in his voice gone. “None of my healers - Janina and me included - will touch you ‘less you allow it.”

His wife spoke firm. “We vowed to heal, not to harm.”

“You vowed - like swore?” The thought rang familiar. ‘Something like the Hippocratic Oath?’

Marcus gave a short shake of his head. "It's not an oath like the Oath - that would be too binding and in some cases could endanger the patient's life.But aye, we hold to a pledge.” His voice gentled. “If it helps, ask what you need, lass. No harm in questions.”

Had plenty. "What exactly is it you’re looking for - in my head?"

"How the Lord of the Forest put your mind together," Janina said, not one for sugarcoating. "Would be easier if the beast itself showed us, but… well, doubt we’ll get that lucky."

'Well…' Esu loathed Thought Fuddlers. 'Maybe if I explain it to him...'

"Lass?"

Oh, sorry, I just—never mind." I popped the last of the cookie into my mouth, letting the warmth of the hot chocolate settle before speaking again. "W-what about weaves? I mean, I have...," My tongue nearly ran ahead of me, but I stopped short. Too much? Maybe not. Sandoval always said the Slave Array and its weaves were some of the best known. "I have an [Indomitable Will] weave, and the fourth circle says: Certainly not a trivial task to put back together what was shattered, be it your sanity, memories, reason, or character, it does not matter."

Both healers shared a quiet, knowing smile. “That’s another problem.”

Janina nodded, fingers wrapped around her cup, taking a slow sip. “An attack might come from a weave with unknown effects, but a patient’s own weaves can twist their treatment—for better or worse.”

“A fine thread to walk,” Marcus said. “That’s why a healer keeps learning, always.”

Like it or not, what he said made sense. How could I expect help when no one with the same problem would even let them close? For Tit’s sake! Maybe there was already someone out there carrying a beast core, but since they never went to a healer, here I was - stuck with a ruined womb. A stretch? Sure. But still...

“I’m ready for the checkup,” I forced out, trying for confidence. Hard to pull off with Sage pressed close to my chest, my wings wrapped around us both like a shield.

Janina’s long ears twitched, dark eyes sharp with excitement. “Excellent. Lay back, get comfortable.” Then, as if afraid I would change my mind, the gnome woman literally pushed me to lie down onto the couch.

"Loosen up. You're too tense," she said, pulling a stool out of her spatial storage, climbing up on it. “First, I’ll check your body. That means hands on your chest and stomach.”

She wasn’t asking permission, just letting me know. I gave a slight nod. Without pause, her small hands pressed against me, warm and firm. Her eyes shut, and something - mana, energy, whatever it was - spread through my body, feeling its way through bone and muscle. 

“No damage… Tail’s part of the spine.” Her brow furrowed. “This wing-to-pelvis structure, though… Never seen one like it, but it looks fine.” A beat of silence. “Any trouble moving your wings?”

“Not really. Just that I can’t fly.”

She didn’t so much as smirk at my sarcasm, only gave a slow nod. “Their position is unusual for an aviator. So is your heart."

My breath caught. Of course, I knew my heart wasn’t normal. The last vile concoction that bastard Dungreen made me drink had changed it - mutated it. Each beat hammered through my veins, rattling in my ears. And when they shoved the core into my stomach, it fought for power with it. Essentially, my heart was the reason my body accepted the core.

Oddly enough, Marcus hadn't mentioned anything about my heart the last time, though.

"Calm down," Janina said, catching my racing pulse, her voice steady and soft. "It’s bigger than it should be - for a human - but looks fine otherwise. Could be your body adjusting to the mutations. Or to your overall ability to shift into beast. That one is hard on the body. Speaking of - turns out you weren’t lying, Marcus. She does have a core."

"Tits! Janina! Can't you watch your tongue?"

"It’s… it’s all right, sir," Elira hurried to say, realizing he meant her. "I already know about her—uh, the core."

"Oh, do you? Well then, I take it back, Cuddles."

"You’d better," Janina said back, never breaking her concentration. "Hmm… a pea-sized core, wrapped in tissue. Marcus told you what it did, didn't he?"

"Yeah," I nodded, not keen on explaining further.

"Good. Far as I see, it's no threat to you. Also, I don’t think the core is what changed the tissue. More like your body’s response - trying to shield itself."

"A way to integrate the core, to make use of it," Marcus offered.

Janina gave a small nod. "Could be. Either way, unless you want to remove the core, I think it's better to leave it as it is - messing with it might put your life in danger."

My ears perked up. "H-hold on. It… the core can be removed?"

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Author’s note: Janina was a bit of an overlooked character in the previous version, as was Rhys (the Warden Master). In this one I wanted to give her a little more space, flashed her character out a bit more, make her more interesting. In doing so I did it again, and what was supposed to be a max of half a chapter turned into a lengthier part - I hope you don't mind. :)

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