Chapter 210: Duo

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Chapter 210: Duo - link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/122466494

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Chapter 210: Duo

The infirmary buzzed with quiet movement, far busier than I recalled. Nearly every bed was taken, at least in the wing Officer Travis Seamane led us through. Yet, we didn't enter into the nightmare I imagined we might. No panicked shouting, no wailing, no blood-soaked sheets.

Sure, the healers drifted from patient to patient, but they did so with no rush, just checking on the condition of their patients, who seemed fine at first glance.

One of the healers noticed us and stepped closer. "Officer Seamane, what brings you here? Are you searching for someone?"

"No, we've already questioned the ones most necessary. The rest can wait until you release them," he said, a paper flickering into his hand. “Captain’s orders - get Corporal Hakhe and Korra Grey checked. They had a direct encounter with the Mind Mage.”

The man sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Traiana’s tits. I’ll get the Chief Healer and Lieutenant Janina on it.” He took a step back, then hesitated. “Do we need to... you know, restrain them?”

“If that was needed, they’d be in cuffs.”

“Right. Of course, sir. Just a moment - I'll be right back."

True to his word, he was back before I had barely a chance to scan the beds in the room for a familiar face - like Elira's brother. Marcus was striding beside him.

"Lass!" His voice rang through the room, broad grin in place. “Didn’t expect to see you this soon. Eventually, sure, but not this quick.”

“Same,” I muttered, shifting under the weight of too many stares - all thanks to him.

“Things got a little out of hand, huh?” he joked, then gestured to Officer Seamane. "I’ll take them off your hands, Travis.”

“Very well, sir. Here’s the report.”

He plucked the paper from my hand and slid between me and Elira, throwing an arm around each of us. "Let’s go somewhere with fewer prying eyes, shall we?"

Without waiting for an answer, he started pushing us through the infirmary. Not to his cozy office - where I had last tasted chocolate - but to a room with a thick, unyielding door.

Inside, the room was quiet, almost inviting. Plush chairs, a couch, fresh flowers somehow thriving under the glow of enchanted lamps. A cozy space, if you ignored the shackles fastened into the walls.

A holding cell disguised as a sitting room.

"Make yourselves comfortable. My wife will be here shortly."

'His wife? Oh, right. The Lieutenant - Janina.' As if being here, locked in a small room, wasn’t enough, now I had to meet someone new on top of it.

“Easy, lass. You too, Corporal Hakhe,” Marcus said, settling himself into the armchair and reading the report. Marcus said, settling into the armchair and skimming the report. “Says here mossbears patched you up. Gate check cleared you of mind mage influence. Is that right?"

"Yes, Chief Healer," Elira said, trying to find a comfortable position on one of the couches, failing.

Marcus’ eyes sharpened as he leaned in. “Tell me - what kind of mossbear healed you?”

“I’d love to hear that myself,” came a soft voice from the doorway. The door swung shut behind a woman stepping in, her stride sure and steady - Lieutenant Janina, without a doubt.

[Master Healer: ₪₪ sigils]

The woman wasn’t what I had pictured. In my head, she stood as tall as Marcus, was as radiant as Rayden, and given the way Chief Healer himself spoke of her, as muscular as Rhys. Instead, she barely came up to my chest, all slim and sharp-eyed. Dark hair, big dark eyes, and pointed ears - not unlike Mr. Welkes.

‘Elf?’ No, not with that build. More like a dwarf - just less… hairy.

"Never seen a gnome before?" Her smirk held more amusement than offense. "Never seen someone like you either, Grey. I’d say we’re even."

'Ah, a Gnome? Not an Elf. Nor a human, or a Terr'den, but a Gnome?'

I swallowed. "So sorry, I didn't mean to stare."

“Strange you haven’t run into one of us yet,” she said, halting just a step away. Her gaze swept over me, one hand resting on her chin. “Then again, most gnomes don’t wander the streets much. So? What kind of mossbear patched you up? Can’t see a scratch on you.”

When I hesitated, Enola answered for me. "Mother Mossbear, Lieutenant Janina."

“Tits! You don't hear that every day." The gnome’s dark eyes lit up. “How’d the beast do it? Wrap you in moss?”

My ears perked up. 'She knew about the moss?'

"I almost forgot how much fun you are to talk to, lass," Marcus chuckled, his own wife raising a brow at his amusement. His eyes lingered on me, reading every flicker of hesitation. "Castiana’s hugged the edges of Esulmor for centuries. Wouldn’t be right if we didn’t know a thing or two about mossbears. Now, tell me, which one saved YOU?"

"What are you...?"

"Shh, Cuddles. Let her talk."

Biting down on my lower lip, knowing better than to lie to a doctor, I came out with the truth. "Esu. It was Esu."

"Oh my," Lieutenant Janine gasped, her face lighting up with sheer wonder. "The Lord of the Forest himself! Lie down—I must see it! Marcus, what are you - put me down this instant!" She all but howled as the Chief Healer scooped her up, holding her firm despite her squirming.

"I will, once you’ve tamed that spark, Cuddles," he said, casting me and Elira an apologetic smile. "Forgive her, lasses. This is why I’m the Chief Healer, and she’s in the Master Guard. Gets… carried away, sometimes. Now, how about some hot chocolate?"

A small whimper slipped from my throat, wings giving an eager flutter. My tail wagged without shame. "YES! Please."

"Fine, fine, I’ll have one, too," the gnome woman huffed, arms crossed. "Now put me down."

Marcus smirked. "Not sure I want to. Been a while since I got to hold you like this."

"If you don’t let go right now, you won’t ever get another chance!"

The Chief Healer only laughed, turning her in his arms and pressing a kiss to her lips. For all her grumbling, she didn’t pull away. Didn’t even pretend to. In fact, when he let her go, she quite willingly sat down in one of the armchairs and sipped happily from the hot chocolate he had given her. 

And I might have enjoyed mine too - if only she had stopped staring at me for half a breath.

Of course, we didn't just sit there in silence. That would be awkward.

"You sure it was the Lord of the Forest who healed you, lass?"

"I am."

"How sure?" Lieutenant Janine pressed.

"A Mother Mossbear healed me before that. And I spoke to Esu."

The gnome woman hummed, eyes alight with interest. "Fascinating. There are records of such cases, but they’re old. Very old."

I shifted in my seat. "I see," was all I could think to say. If anything, I wished I wasn’t... so damned unique.

"And?" The Chief Healer tapped the report. "Says here the mind mage broke your mind. That true?"

"WHAT?!" His wife yanked the parchment from his grasp.

"Sort of," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck and glancing at Elira for help. Didn’t remember much of it myself.

"She... she turned more bestial than before," the guardswoman tried to explain.

Lieutenant Janina’s eyes sharpened. "So you were shifted when she wrecked your mind?" A beat, then she added, "See, it's not impossible to put someone's mind back together, but it's damn hard and requires months if not years of recovery."

"Understanding what happened to you could help many," Marcus added, his gaze steady. He wasn’t blind to my scowl. "No tests, lass. Just questions. Mostly."

"It could help my brother too?" Elira cut in before I could even breathe a word.

Marcus gave a small smile and nodded. "Sergeant Hakhe’s on his way to recovery. But yes, a better understanding of the issue could speed up his recovery."

"And teach us how to fight back against these kinds of attacks," Janina added.

‘Were they serious? Trying to push me into - into what, exactly? No. Absolutely not!’

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