[Grand Healer: lvl ???]

Seeing the Imperial Chief Healer’s level, I swallowed. So far, the system has shown me three question marks on a person only once. The man was standing next to me. As with Deckard, it wasn’t just a number I didn’t see that gave me pause. It was my instincts, yelling at me in warning to beware, to not let my guard down. The old man, standing in front of me with his hands clasped behind his back, was a level three hundred powerhouse.

He stared at me, intrigued by something only his blue eyes could see, surely using a skill or two. Whatever it was, it gave me goosebumps. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, a shiver ran down my spine. I managed to suppress a growl, not the shudder.

“Peculiar,” said the Imperial Chief Healer with interest in his voice that deeply unsettled me. “Apparent control of all limbs, without visible complications.”

In response to his murmur, I almost bared my teeth at him, and would have if Deckard’s hand hadn’t landed on my shoulder. “Easy, girl.”

His remark was not something I appreciated, unlike his firm grip, which put me at ease. It took me back to Esulmor, though. Like Esu’s words, his seemed to have a deeper meaning behind them. Cautioning about the soldiers standing by the walls and their response, would I have taken offense to the old healer. A reminder that all the old healer could do was to stare. And he did.

That is until Janina scolded him.

“Mentor!” Her crisp voice echoed through the silent room, making some soldiers stir. The Imperial Chief Healer blinked, realization dawning in his eyes. He’d made a mistake, revealed his intentions too early and too blatantly.

He straightened up and cleared his throat. “Apologies, my curiosity got the best of me. Miss Grey, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

I forced myself to a slight nod, unable to say the same. An unwinnable fight with a young mossbear sounded more appealing than being here with him.

“You haven’t changed either,” Janina sighed with nostalgia, returning his earlier remark about Deckard.

He chuckled as a guilty old man caught staring at young girls. Of course, he didn’t give a damn. “So far, I have only seen the horrendous results of these experiments in Arda,” he said, as if to justify his behavior, then fixed his eyes on me again. “Seeing you is simply marvelous.”

“She’s my apprentice,” Deckard stated. Oddly enough, it made me twitch, nearly shove his hand away. His possessive tone, coupled with the dread from the presence of Imperial Chief Healer, took my mind back to the cold, damp basement, where Dungreen thought of me as his property, a thing he could do whatever he wanted with. Just a twitch, a brief lapse of insanity, and the helplessness I faced there.

A twitch I immediately regretted, feeling a twinge of shame. The hand on my shoulder was not my master’s, but...my mentor’s. It was not to keep me down but to reassure me. His words a warning to the Imperial Chief Healer, not a show of dominance over me.

“That was made clear to me,” the old healer said, glancing at Captain Rayden and back. “I received a report from Sah prior to my arrival mentioning it, a thrilling read, full of the dead and monsters. Trouble, as always, following in your footsteps.”

“Not my doing,” Deckard objected. He didn’t say it, yet I felt his thoughts were on me, on the source of these problems, this time.

“So you say, yet you made her your apprentice,” pointed out Imperial Chief Healer. “Quite bothersome, if I may say so.”

Deckard shrugged, undaunted by his calm attitude like I was. “It’s my right.”

“And I do not deny it to you, just don’t claim you’re free of blame for the mess the Captain and I have been sorting out.”

My ears perked up, Lord Wigram’s statement piquing my curiosity. What else could the two of them be discussing but me? The old healer himself suggested it.

“Fascinating,” he commented on the slight movement of the sails on my head, which had not escaped his eyes. Then, with his attention back on Deckard, he mused. “Sah’s actions did more damage than I thought. In regard to that, I’d like to set a few things straight before the hostility I feel here goes any further.” He paused to take a breath and collect his thoughts. “It is regrettable, but there has been a misunderstanding of the aims of the Sahal Empire. First and foremost, the Emperor has no intention of replicating the research carried out in Arda.”

“So the Empire is not interested in me?” I dared to interrupt him with my gruff, dry-throated voice, hoping.

“It is,” he said bluntly, no lies hidden in his voice, no malice. “That’s where the misunderstanding lies. The Emperor does not want hybrid soldiers for the Empire. His only interest is to know their capabilities and what danger such soldiers pose to it.”

It was good to hear that they didn’t want to start their own research. Still, it didn’t allay my fears. “What difference does it make?”

“How refreshing...” He chuckled, delighted by something only his mind perceived. “It makes a massive difference for your life, Miss Grey. It means it’s not so important what makes you tick, but how much noise you make.”

“Eh? Meaning what?” I said, careful with my words, as I had no idea where he was going with his odd reference. Did they want to study me or not?!

“The Emperor intended merely to observe you, to see your growth. Even help you with it,” he added, his tone of voice making it clear that this was no longer the case.

I licked my dry lips. “Help? How?”

The amusement gleamed in his eyes. “He’d let you train with his soldiers, send you to dungeons or labyrinths like Fallens Cry, providing you with equipment and generally everything you need to grow.”

He sounded like a crooked salesman, hoping that I’d fall for his sweet deal. No, thank you, it just seemed too good to be true. There had to be a catch. A doubt confirmed by Deckard, whose voice echoed in my mind. “Yeah, you’ll just have to sign your soul away for a few years or a couple of decades while you also have your duties, as they call it. The leash is more fitting.”

The few times he talked about his life in the army, he seemed to remember it fondly. That’s why I was struck by the resentment he felt now. What caused it? As curious as I was, it was his burden to carry, and I didn’t wanna pry.

“I see.” My lack of enthusiasm was not lost on the old healer.

He smiled understandingly and sighed. “As I said, the man has done more harm than good.” Then his eyes took on renewed energy. “Before we continue, how about we sit down? I’m old.”

“You always claimed that age has no effect on you, I remember,” Janina uttered as she headed for the table.

He gave her a questioning look. “Did I?”

“…and that your mind is sharper than mine,” she added, finishing her point with ruthless precision. Squinting, I looked at the old healer again, trying to see through the illusion. Janina sowed seeds of doubt in my mind, making me question the Imperial Chief Healer’s age. It was when Deckard motioned for me to take the chair between him and Rayden that it hit me.

He was a healer, surely with a way of keeping himself in great shape. He may as well have been a lot older than he appeared, and I thought. Not that it mattered much.

As I tried to settle into my chair, hair on the back of the neck bristled up. The source of the unease was the old healer’s stare. He was caught up in the fascination of the movement of my wings and tail. Unlike before, he refrained from making any comments. That didn’t make it any less irritating.

“Ehmm.” Janina cleared her throat to regain his attention. “So...”

The old healer smiled, ignoring her scorn, and gestured to Rayden. “I think it would be better if the Captain continued.”

Rayden scowled, tired of his antics. “Well, when you two came, we discussed your apprenticeship, Grey. The Imperial Chief Healer is not opposed to it and, given the situation with Esu, agrees that it would be most appropriate for you to remain in Castiana.” She paused, and I realized there was a catch. As Deckard said, there is always one. “What I don’t agree with is the unit of imperial soldiers permanently stationed here to oversee your growth...and safety.”

Ah, the leash.

“The Emperor is concerned about the possible threat of hybrids,” the old healer said to Rayden, turning serious for a moment. “In the north, the shattered Terran Federation and Terrans fleeing from monsters driven by who knows what. Each new message from the scouts, if it arrives at all, darker than the last. The threat of mindless armies controlled by mind mages from the south is not as eliminated as the public thinks, and you know it, Captain. They are in our midst and more influential than we thought and now Arda to the west. We need to know what to expect, if anything.”

I bit my lower lip, realizing how little I knew about Eleaden. Like some ignorant peasant, and that’s how I felt around the people I was sitting at the table with. It was a hard truth to swallow, especially since I wasn’t without blame. The absence of the internet or similar information medium was the excuse my subconscious was trying to come up with, and surely, it would have been easier to learn about the world that way. But to be honest with myself, I didn’t make any effort. When the matter of the Terran Federation came up, I didn’t ask what happened. Instead, I was drowning in my own misery.

Yeah, another excuse. It is easy to make them up, yet they all leave a bitter taste in my mouth.

“What about east?” I asked when no one spoke. Sahal struck me as a mighty empire, unshakable, domineering. The merit of my ignorance. The Imperial Chief Healer made it sound as if the Empire was going to fall tomorrow, enemies attacking it from all sides. Hence my question.

The old healer’s blue eyes shifted to me. “Pardon me, what?” He wasn’t the only one who paused at my question.

Clenching my fists under the table to get rid of the trembling in my voice, I cleared my throat. “Um...east. You mentioned west, north, and south. I’m wondering what’s in the east.”

There was a gleam of confusion in his eyes before amusement at my daring replaced it, and he chuckled.

“Korra!” Janine admonished me softly. Like the Imperial Chief Healer, she interpreted my question as scorn.

“It’s quite alright.” He stopped her with a gesture. “As far as we know, there is no danger from the Great Seas except for the storms ravaging the coast. I was just trying to put into perspective the dangers of research in Arda and the importance of understanding it.”

“Don’t,” Deckard said through the link of union rings when he saw me take a breath to respond, to correct my meaning. “They don’t know how ignorant of this world you are, and it’s better to leave it at that.”

Then he leaned forward. “So you’re saying we’re going to have a squad of soldiers on our ass all the time?”

“Not how I would put it,” said the Imperial Chief Healer. “If I understand correctly, you train in the labyrinth. They can hardly follow you there unless you take them with you. I’d imagine something more like regular checkups and reports about your apprentice’s progress.”

Deckard snorted. “Not much difference, huh?”

More reports? I hated just the thought of the ones already done. They invaded my privacy, stripped me naked in front of anyone who read them. And then the imperial soldiers standing around with their smug looks plastered on their faces. The very idea of dealing with them on a regular basis didn’t sit well with me either.

“And where do you suppose that unit of soldiers would be stationed?” Rayden asked sharply, her dissent to the idea plain in her voice. “Who will command it?”

“That...” the old healer pondered. “That’s not an easy question to answer. I’m no fool, and I can see the tension the presence of the imperial soldier’s causes.”

“You’ve only been here two hours, and Colonel Gill and I have already had to deal with four incidents.” She reminded him.

The old healer smiled, regret in his eyes. “My intention is not to add to your problems but to find a meaningful solution. We need to know the extent of Miss Grey’s growth and make sure nothing happens to her.”

Meaning they didn’t want me to fall into someone else’s hands. Rayden didn’t take his allusion to the inability of the city guards well. I could feel her anger, even though she looked relatively calm. “A mind mage attacked us. Shouldn’t the fucking intelligence have warned us? Well, and then again it was your agent who let her be taken. Not me!”

“Regrettable decision, that’s for sure,” he said. “….but I’ve seen the city walls, and from the reports you’ve given me, the number of guards for a city of this size is vastly lacking. I don’t mean that as an insult, Captain....” he added quickly. “Quite the opposite, it is remarkable that you have managed to keep order in the city with so little force. Seeing the master guards, Lord Egerton would be proud of you.”

Figuring he wasn’t talking about the current City Lord, I used the union ring. “Why?”

“It was General Egerton who pushed for the creation of the special units. San took his idea to the city guards,” Deckard explained.

That the old general was able to push something like this through in the Empire spoke of his influence. From what little I’ve pieced together, he must have been a great man.

The Imperial Chief Healer held up his hand to stop Rayden. “Believe me. The City Lord will not like to hear from me. He has been entrusted with the care of the city, and his administration of it is...shall we say, inadequate. It is entirely within the Emperor’s power to appoint another lord if he sees fit.”

“Could it be...?” Rayden stopped mid-question.

“No, not yet.” Quenched her hopes the Imperial Chief Healer mercilessly. “But I would be most delighted if you would accompany me to the palace later. However, I believe we have strayed from the original topic a bit.”

He leaned back in his chair. “Convince me that no one can get to her, that there is no reason for me to leave a unit of soldiers here, and I won’t do so.”

The silence that ensued was proof that his statement had taken everyone by surprise. Then there was a moment of tension when they tried to sort out their thoughts and come up with an answer. I was no exception. Janina was the first to do it.

“I can give her a checkup. I can certainly replace whoever you had in mind, mentor.”

He smiled. “It was you from the start, Nina. Anyway, that’s just the physical aspect of Miss Grey. What about her fighting potential? We know that’s best tested in actual combat. What happened in the Esulmor Woods is proof of that.”

“Am I not enough?” Deckard asked.

The old healer smiled sadly. “As much as I trust your word, you are a former soldier, a seeker now. Apologies, Deckard, but I’m afraid this has to be done under the oversight of someone from the military.”

Raising my hand like a kid sitting at the school desk, I drew attention to myself. “What about the city guards? They’re part of the military, right?” My ears twitched as both the soldiers and the guards in the room grunted in disapproval.

The old man’s eyes lit up. “Truth, though often forgotten.” He gestured for me to continue.

“Captain Rayden told me about her plan to form junior guards...did she tell you about it?” I said, careful with my words, glancing to my right where the woman in question was sitting. He nodded. “An excellent idea, if I may say so. Are you suggesting you join?”

“No.” I shook my head. “More like whether it would be possible to join without being a guard. They could tell you what I’m capable of.”

Even though it was my suggestion, it didn’t sit well with me. It would still mean that I would be under a watchful eye, what’s more of the people I would be fighting with. Still, if it has to be, I’d rather it be city guards than imperial soldiers.

“I’m sorry, they’re just recruits, not full-fledged guards,” argued the old healer, rejecting my proposal. “Even then, I would be skeptical.”

“We are sending at least one master guard with them into the depths,” Rayden said. “Is that enough?”

“And you’re willing to let her join your junior guards? Without enlisting? I would think with your limited budget, you’d be against it.” he said, wondering.

“It seems you weren’t listening. She’s my apprentice!” Deckard grumbled loudly, implying that he would bear the cost.

“My memory doesn’t serve me that well anymore.” The Imperial Chief Healer made himself look like a forgetful old man everyone knew he wasn’t. Then his face grew serious. “And your master guards will be willing to do that? Observe her, write reports.”

“They’re doing it now so we can train the junior guards accordingly, pick up on their mistakes. The reports would only get higher than my desk,” she said simply.

The old healer nodded. “That is an acceptable solution. Well thought, Miss Grey.” Although he seemed to mean the praise sincerely, it did not warm my heart. He forced me into it, and I didn’t like that. Not missing my frown, yet without saying anything, his gaze shifted to the others. “Her potential is one thing. What about her safety? In the labyrinth, no one can get to her, but in the city...” he let the question hang in the air.