Rayden gritted her teeth as the Imperial Chief Healer questioned Castiana’s safety again, thus the capability of her and her guards. Similarly, Deckard. Lord Wigram’s words suggested he was unable to protect me, his apprentice. I didn’t have to be a mind mage to see his anger.

The old healer quickly realized his blunder, too. “Please, no need to get upset. We’re all trying to prevent incidents like the attack on the barracks or the kidnapping of Miss Grey here in broad daylight from happening again. None of you like the presence of soldiers in the city, but how about a compromise.” Knowing that he now had everyone’s attention, he paused, almost as if enjoying the suspense. “No doubt, Agent Sah has made a mistake, one that will certainly earn him not too appealing assignments from his superiors in the future. I suggest he stay here and keep an eye on Miss Grey. Out of the shadows, without you having to deal with him most of the time.” He added knowingly, seeing my frown.

The idea of someone like him watching me all the time gave me creeps. “Is that necessary?”

“I’m afraid so,” said the Imperial Chief Healer. “I understand your concern. I’ve also taken a long time to get used to the constant presence of agents and guards around me. To be honest, there are times even now when I find it annoying, but I’ve gotten used to it, and I understand the necessity.” Why he saw it as necessary was not lost on me. I didn’t want to be kidnapped again, either.

“Just...”, it really gave me the creeps. Literally. “It’s...when someone watches me, it gives me the goosebumps.”

Words spoken without thought, yet caught the attention of all. Questions filled their stares. That alone almost sent a shiver down my spine and made me realize I hadn’t told anyone about my weird sense yet.

“Can you explain, Miss Grey?” the old healer asked. He was oozing with genuine interest, waiting anxiously for my explanation. I, searching for the right words, scratched the back of my neck. “It’s hard to describe. A strange feeling that makes my hair bristle up, and I just know someone’s watching me. I don’t know who, if he’s alone or where. That’s it.”

The Imperial Chief Healer gave me a thoughtful nod. “It’s not part of a skill. I take it?”

“No, just my beast side...I guess. So...” was it really necessary for Sah to follow me? I didn’t finish the question as I couldn’t shake the feeling that the old healer wouldn’t back down over his assignment in the city.

“Interesting, and I agree with you,” he said. My ears twitched. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Some of the more sensitive terrans are capable of the same or more. Add to that their sensitive noses, and you’ll find it quite difficult to sneak up on them.” Disappointing. Here I thought he agreed that Agent Sah’s presence wasn’t necessary. Instead, he blathered on about terrans, not hiding his fascination with my body. It made me shudder.

“Anyway,” he cleared his throat. “I believe a little training can help you with that. Actually, I recommend it. Because it’s either Agent Sah or a unit of soldiers. On that, I’m afraid I will have to insist.”

“Just Sah?” The Captain asked, doubt evident in her voice.

The Imperial Chief Healer smiled. “Just him, you have my word. Of course, your command will not be questioned as before, and you can use him if it doesn’t affect his duties. I think such a position could have assuaged the anger of his superiors and served as sufficient punishment. We can work out the details of his assignment later if that’s alright with you?”

Massaging the bridge of her nose, she closed her eyes for a brief moment. “It needs to be clear who’s in command. I don’t want to argue with him about it during his assignment here. Otherwise, I agree.”

“Excellent,” the Imperial Chief Healer exclaimed enthusiastically, looking at Deckard. “How about you? I don’t doubt that you can take care of your apprentice, but an extra set of eyes is always useful.”

Gritting my teeth, I resisted the urge to ask through the link for him to disagree. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see any better way out. What’s more, I had to admit that the old healer’s solution was mutually agreeing. No one came out a winner, but there was no loser either.

It just didn’t seem, I don’t know, fair, as if I was losing some of my freedom.

“Let me be clear! I don’t like an agent sniffing around my apprentice or me. If I find he’s sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong, I’ll deal with him.” Deckard said without hiding his intention to kill Sah, should it come to that. Would he really do that? I’d love to say no. But I didn’t know him well enough to say for sure.

“I’ll make sure he understands,” the Imperial Chief Healer assured Deckard before his eyes shifted to me. “A lot of pressure on you, isn’t it?”

“On me?” I wondered.

“The faster you get stronger, the faster all this will be over, don’t you think?” he pitched.

I couldn’t help but smirk. That was my intention from the very beginning. To get stronger so I wouldn’t have to live in fear, wary of others. Though I didn’t say it out loud and just gave him a slight nod. After all, the old healer was right. The sooner I become stronger, the sooner their concern for my safety and the need for Sah in the city will pass.

It wasn’t hard to imagine that Rayden would try to push me forward for the same reason. No, scratch that. Not just me. She doesn’t strike me as someone who would differentiate between people. Every junior guard will be pushed to their limits, along with me.

I could be wrong, but I didn’t think so.

Deckard, on the other hand, I had a feeling he was going to try to make Agent Sah’s job harder. Provoke him, perhaps. Hopefully not to kill. Even though his presence rubbed me the wrong way, I wasn’t so bloodthirsty.

A clap of hands snapped me out of my reverie. “I’m glad we’ve come to an agreement here...a compromise if you will, acceptable to all parties. I was a little worried, to be honest.”

“There’s a lot of details left to be worked out,” Rayden argued.

He waved her off. “There’s a time for that, Captain.” He leaned forward. “Now, I’d like to get to the reason I’m here.”

Oh, yes, I haven’t forgotten, how could I. He didn’t come here to be a diplomat but to examine me like some kind of rare beast.

Rayden sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Not here, Lord. We’ve set up a room in the infirmary.”

“Excellent,” he exclaimed enthusiastically and stood up with the energy of a teenager, the old wise man’s demeanor gone.

The move to the infirmary was harrowing, like a march to execution. Neither Sage nor [Indomitable Will], the most powerful weapons in my anti-anxiety arsenal, worked. The room itself, despite the large windows letting in the rays of the midday sun, seemed to me like a dark, damp cellar. Not even the white sheets of the prepared bed changed that. My only consolation was the presence of Deckard, Janina, and Rayden. Though it may not have been her intention, and she herself has long forgotten, Captain kept her promise not letting me alone with the Imperial Chief Healer in time for my examination.

When the door closed, I looked at the old healer, whose eyes shone with eagerness and pure delight. In this aspect, he reminded me of Dungreen when he saw the mutations growing. Swallowing my scream, I stilled another shudder. What the hell was he waiting for?

“Um...” He cleared his throat and motioned to the bed. “Please.”

It was here, the moment when my nightmares were about to come to life. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, taking a few deep breaths to calm my troubled mind, reminding myself yet again that I wasn’t alone, that this wasn’t a cellar or Dungreen.

So yeah...bed. I slipped out of my slippers and looked around the room, at the soldiers and guards who were there. Knowing it would be pointless to ask them to leave, I took a deep breath to start unbuttoning my shirt.

At that moment, Janina jumped to me and grabbed my hands, stopping me. “What are you doing, Korra?”

Searching my domain to make sure I hadn’t done something unintentionally, like releasing a poison, I looked at her in confusion. “Getting undressed...for the checkup?”

The soldiers and guards, most of them at least, glanced at me. The Imperial Chief Healer let out a melodious laugh, and Janina sighed. “That’s not necessary. I’m sorry, I should have told you.”

“Oh...” I let out a huff, realizing my blunder. This was Eleaden. People here had skills, something I kept forgetting despite having them myself. Force of habit, as my mind kept drifting back to Earth. “So I’m supposed to...what? Just lie down?”

“Yes, and try to relax,” she said gently, letting go of my hands.

That was easy for her to say yet impossible to do so. When the Imperial Chief Healer approached the bed, my heart rate and anxiety only increased.

“I’m not here to hurt you, Miss Grey.” With his words, I was hit with what I would describe as a soothing touch that Marcus used on me after the mind attack, except the old healer didn’t touch me. I resisted him for a while with [Indomitable Will] before giving in, realizing that struggling was stupid. It wouldn’t do any good and would only hurt me. “Now, isn’t that better,” he said, his words sounding surprisingly calm and warm. “The few hybrids like you that survived had great difficulty with their mutations. I was able to help most of them to some extent.”

“Have you removed their mutations?” I arched a brow, trying to keep hope out of my voice.

“Cutting off a wing isn’t complicated, but I guess that’s not what you’re asking.” He said, shaking his head. “No, I’m afraid if I tried to remove what the experiments in Arda did to you, I would only do more damage.”

“I see.” The letdown I thought it would bring me was not there. Not even a hint of it. Why? Why the hell did I feel a sense of relief? I was human, and I wished to get rid of these mutations for more than a year. So why? Why didn’t I feel disappointed?

The answer wasn’t hard to come up with. Esu showed it to me. I wasn’t just a human anymore. I was a beast, too.

“The report said you had eight mutations. Is that correct?” The Imperial Chief Healer asked, and I nodded. Then when I took a breath to say more, he stopped me. “Say no more, just correct me if I’m wrong.”

He closed his eyes, and the hands he put over me began to glow faintly. The warmth spread through my body. “Let’s start with the obvious ones. First the tail. Quite long, structurally perfectly connected to the spine, as if you were born with it. Unusually long hairs and... glands under the skin, fascinating.”

At my slight nod, he continued. “A pair of symmetrical wings, small for flight. Despite their location on the lower back, they are skeletally connected to the pelvis. Quite nicely, I’d say. No peculiarities on the feathers...”

With a flutter of my wings, I let him know that he wasn’t wrong.

“Ears, they are like a gateway to your mind. They’re gorgeous.” My disgruntled grunt only brought a smile to his face. “Complete absence of human ears, replaced perfectly by mammal ones, species unknown. From observation, highly sensitive to noise.”

Despite his comment on my blatant body language, I twitched my ears in confirmation.

“Oh, the moss of the Esulmor mossbears. As far as I know, no one has managed to keep it alive for more than a day.” He marveled at the gift on my head. “You did. This just confirms that the essence of mossbears was used in the experiments. The mutation has clearly manifested by the antlers on the head. Hmm...firmly attached to the skull, no tears in the skin. Quite small considering the size of mossbear’s. Possible growth?” he mused.

“Esu hinted at it.” The King of the Woods said my antlers would grow with my strength. How could I keep something like that a secret?

“Ah, the fact that you can talk to beasts so effortlessly is unmatched both among humans and terrans. The other...hybrids aren’t capable of that either.” He noted. “Maybe it’s the number of experiments you’ve suffered through that makes the difference?”

Yeah, I was more of a beast than they were, and yet I looked more human than most of them. Glad for that, I felt bad for the others. It wasn’t fair. Meeting them was not something I wanted to do, though, not now. It would just remind me of the horrors I went through.

“Well, look at that,” the Imperial Chief Healer said with admiration. “The density, the thickness. Your hair would be the envy of every lady in the Capital, quite a few men, too. You wouldn’t believe what they’re willing to give for potions.”

“Can’t healers...cure baldness?” It didn’t seem to matter what planet it was. People had the same problems.

“We can, but if we did, we wouldn’t be doing anything else. Revitalizing hair roots doesn’t last forever, and the older a person is, the shorter it lasts. The same applies to age and health. Healers can keep you in good shape, prolong your youth and age, but even we can’t fight time...or death forever. For that, you’d need a time mage or a necromancer. I don’t recommend that, though.” He let out a chuckle. “Anyway, your hair looks more like...”

“...mane.” I finished for him.

“So it does,” he smiled, pleased he wasn’t wrong. “Do you have an idea of the beast?”

“I...” I stopped short. “Lioness, of some kind, that’s all I know.” There was a chance he could tell me more about me. I needed to show some trust. That’s what Deckard taught me.

“Quite a wide range of species fall into that, but fascinating nonetheless. What else has been done to you? Let’s see.” he muttered, concentrating. “Minor mutations here and there, nothing major, mostly just fur or plumage, larger canines...how could I have missed that. Your eyes. They have a shining layer that nocturnal beasts have. Do you see at night? No...it doesn’t seem so reflective.”

“Not on a full night,” I said to his loud musing. “I can see well in the gloom.”

“Dusk, dawn, the sky full of stars and moons. To see the reflection of that light in them must be marvelous.” If I didn’t know he was fascinated by my mutations, I’d think he was in love and flirting with me. It gave me a chill...and something to think about. I never thought to check my eyes in the moonlight.

“Hmm...” hummed the Imperial Chief Healer. “No other major mutation manifestations on the outside. Deeper then? Lord, is that...?!”

Remaining silent, I waited to hear what he would say. My insides were a mess. I didn’t have to be a doctor to know that.

“Something wrong?” Janina asked, taken aback by his startled look.

He ignored her. “No. It can’t be... hold on. Not that I’ve ever seen one, but all indications are...” He paused and then used some sort of magic or skill. It bristled up my hair, yet according to my instincts, it was fine, not threatening.

“Silence spell, you didn’t have to do that, Lord. Look under your feet.” Rayden pointed out to him. Like the old healer, I searched my domain, finding a metal plate engraved with runes under the bed. “Active since you approached the bed. No one but us can hear you.”

“Very thoughtful, Captain,” the Imperial Chief Healer complimented her. “And very reckless of me. Surely you trust your men as I trust those who accompany me, but...”

“Better to be cautious than sorry later, right?” she finished with a nod.

Janina approached us. “What’s got you so upset, mentor? Is something wrong with Korra?” A question I would also like to know the answer to. Was it really that bad?

“Wrong? Did you see her heart?” The mention of my heart made me feel a little better. I assumed he was talking about the other parts.

Janina shook her head. “Not really. The last time I treated her, I was just checking for injuries.” Her gaze shifted to me. “May I? I need to touch you, though.”

After I gave her permission, she came up to me and placed her hand gently on my chest. When she focused, she tilted her head, almost as if she was trying to listen to my heartbeat. “Unusually strong heart, larger too.”

“Look at the mana flow,” her old mentor guided her.

She did and gasped. “Traiana’s tits! It’s like...she has a second heart that pumps mana.”

“No, it’s just one heart,” clarified the old healer, thoughtfulness unmistakable in his voice. “Only one part is made up of tissue, the other of mana. Four chambers instead of two. Two for blood, two for mana.”

Okay, I had no idea what they were talking about. Four chambers? Pumping mana? What the bloody hell! Isn’t that something I’m supposed to be aware of? Notice it? Huh? I sighed to myself, soothing my racing heart. My control over mana was more lacking than I thought. It wasn’t anything weird, though. After all, I was self-taught.

“It mixes the mana with the blood, pumps it into the veins?” Janina looked questioningly at her old mentor, a hint of fear in her eyes. “Wouldn’t that mean it’s...”

He nodded, a bit pale. “The mana heart.”

“Fuck...why didn’t you say anything, girl?” Deckard cried out, yet despite the disbelief, his hands remained in his pockets. On the other hand, Rayden seemed to be trying to keep the headache from setting in by massaging her temples.

Mana heart? Never heard of it.