Chapter 13 The Visitors

Evernya stirred awake from the morning sun. She sat up and stretched out, but froze mid-stretch.

How did I end up in my bed? The last thing I remember was the delicious-smelling trout sliding in front of me. Damn it, did I pass out again? I didn’t even get to taste it! That means I made Meira carry me again. I need to stop this habit of passing out!

She climbed out of her bed, not even bothering to check her bedhead-proof hair. She glanced down at her body, finding she was still wearing most of her clothes, minus the jeans. After a quick search, she located them folded on the dresser. She grabbed the form-fitted jeans and attempted to pull them on.

Five minutes of wiggling, yanking, and swearing later, Evernya slipped the tightly fitted jeans up her legs.

Evernya took a few stiff strides before she adjusted to the jeans squeezing her legs. The downside of those resizing enchantments is it is a bitch to get clothes back on. There has to be a trick to getting them on and off. Even if there is a trick, I think I will ask for shorts and a tank top or just go shorts and a sports bra, but that may be too much skin for going out in public places even though I’ve seen other women working out in similar outfits. Maybe it’s a shifter thing, but I feel better showing more skin. Especially since I overcame the hurdle of seeing myself naked. It felt like the last barrier before I felt natural in my new body.

Evernya glanced at the open bathroom door. On the topic of being naked, when was the last time I bathed? The no scent issue makes it hard to tell when I need to wash. Can I even get dirty? As crazy as having no scent is, immunity to grime is a whole another level of crazy.

Evernya shook her head to banish the absurd thought as she exited her bedroom, arriving in the living room a few minutes later.

When Evernya arrived in the living room, she found Meira in her usual spot, watching the morning news. Evernya plopped down on the recliner to Meira’s left and joined her, watching the news. Interesting, apparently cursing people as a part of hazing is a thing and not the verbal type. I would hate to get hazed by a curse. Though it’s interesting, I won’t learn much from the news without a basic understanding of the area and the people. How am I supposed to know the significance of the Minea summer solstice festival? Sure, I can guess what it means, but that loses the impact. It must be something important though if Meira marked it on her calendar on her tablet the moment it got announced on the TV.

After a half-hour of news, Meira stood up to make breakfast while Evernya laid back, brainstorming the question barrage she would aim at Meira today.

The sound of the doorbell interrupted her ever-growing question queue, causing her to jump at the sudden unfamiliar noise. Her ears rotated toward the door as her nose sniffed the air. To her surprise, she failed to sense anyone at the door, causing her to tilt her head in confusion.

Meira came rushing in from the kitchen to grab the remote, bringing up camera footage of what appeared to be the beginning of her driveway on the TV. Standing at the intersection of Meira’s driveway and the road were two muscular male shifters with similarly shaped ears and tail as Evernya, but brown instead of black. They were leaning against the hood of a lifted white pickup truck, waiting impatiently.

Meira’s mood soured as she recognized the pair. “Damn it! I was hoping they wouldn’t catch wind of this yet.” Meira turned towards Evernya before ordering, “Stay here while I take care of our guests.”

“Why are they just standing in the road?” Evernya inquired, watching the screen with interest.

Meira strode toward the door while speaking. “I have a barrier to keep mana beasts above a certain grade and uninvited intruders out. The alarm you heard was my warning when someone tries to enter my barrier uninvited. Most places people live out here have similar barriers, as it is a necessity in this dangerous world.”

After Meira left, Evernya returned her attention to the TV to watch the scene unfold. About a minute later, Meira landed just inside the barrier, but close enough to talk to the catkin.

Evernya’s body vibrated with excitement upon witnessing Meira’s landing. She can fly! Didn’t she say she was an air sorceress? It must allow her to fly! Awesome! I wonder if I can fly.

“Hello, betas James and Charles. Why are you here interrupting my breakfast?” Asked Meira curtly.

“Cut the crap, we know she’s here,” Charles interrupted in an irritated manner.

“We have come to bring her to pay respects to her Alpha.” Announced James in a commanding tone

“Who is this she you refer to?” Questioned Meira, feigning confusion.

Meira’s denial of their target’s existence prompted Charles’ face to redden with rage, but James stuck his arm out to stop him from doing something stupid before whispering, “Even if you could beat her in a fight, you can’t even get to her. She is behind her barrier.”

“We have a summons for the female catkin you claimed to appear before Alpha Wittke. By law, she cannot refuse a summons from her Alpha.” James announced, displaying a paper to Meira, which she ignored.

Meanwhile, back in the house, when Evernya heard why these catkins came, her eyes glowed brightly before she blurred out the door, following Meira’s scent.

“The summons would be legally binding if she were within Alpha Wittke’s territory, but she is under my protection within my territory.” Meira refuted.

“It doesn’t matter. The Wittke clan is the only catkin clan in the area, and she is a catkin, so she must follow the summons. Besides, isn’t she feeling the weakening already? It’s been months since she arrived. Are you preventing her from leaving? You know it’s illegal to interfere with the Magical laws governing our races.” Charles accused.

Upon finding out they didn’t know Evernya was a female alpha, Meira relaxed, but outwardly her expression didn’t change. “We are still outside Alpha Wittke’s territory. She could join another clan. She doesn’t have to join his just because it’s the nearest.” Meira refuted, ignoring their accusations.

Unable to take the blatant disrespect, Charles snapped, “What right do you have in denying our clan a strong female catkin? You know how rare it is for females to be grade four so young!”

Meanwhile, James froze upon sensing someone approaching fast.

Interesting, so they think she is grade four likely from the damage she did at Druth magical’s. It explains why Alpha Wittke sent two betas to handle her summons. Thought Meira, before she too froze, sensing the fast-approaching presence.

A few seconds later, a blur stopped next to Meira. This blur was none other than an extremely pissed-off Evernya “I Refuse to bow down to anyone!” Roared Evernya, releasing the full force of her mana aura on instinct.

The sudden release of the strong mana aura forced both male catkin to their knees. Even Meira stumbled back a step out of surprise. When Meira got a better sense of Evernya’s aura, she paled.

That’s not a normal alpha aura. It has an almost ancient feel to it. Why does it feel familiar? Thought Meira then her eyes widened as she came to a realization.

How does she have those genes!? No wonder her appetite is ridiculous, and those glowing eyes should have been an obvious indicator. Meira thought now, shaking from the implications, if what she thought was true.

After her freak out, she came back to her senses to find the betas were about to pee themselves from the abnormally powerful aura.

Meira took advantage of the sudden arrival of her kitten, barking, “Get out of here betas! She won’t calm down until you leave. Can you see now why she hasn’t come to your Alpha groveling for a position in his clan? She does not need to. She is already an alpha, and she is under my protection. Now begone!”

The betas didn’t need any further prompting as they crawled toward their truck. Once inside the truck, they spun the truck before fishtailing their way down the road.

Once the catkin duo left, Meira turned to calm her kitten. But as soon as they were out of sight, Evernya’s aura deflated as she swayed on her feet. Meira rushed toward her kitten to catch her before she collapsed.

Once she had Evernya in her arms, she noticed how pale and sweaty her kitten was. She could hear quiet moans of pain as her kitten’s body lightly twitched.

Evernya tried to remain conscious despite the pain, but her body had other plans. Her senses became distant until everything went blank, going limp in Meira’s arms as consciousness left her.

Damn it! I should have known this would happen! Her body can’t handle her power yet. She must have run at over two hundred kilometers per hour to get here so fast. That kind of speed requires a lot of training to maintain for even a few second burst. Yet she ran for over five kilometers!

Meira lifted off the ground and flew home with her kitten in her arms. As soon as she landed outside her house, she rushed up to Evernya’s bedroom. After placing her kitten safely in the bed, she ran various scans and confirmed her guesses on Evernya’s condition.

Poor kitten, you just recovered from your last injury. We really need to get your mana veins stronger. This cannot continue to happen. Next time, you may need surgery to repair the damage.

The safest option would be to limit her mana output until she can handle it. But if I restrict her, I don’t think she would trust me ever again. She forgave me once, but I don’t think she will ever forgive me again.

A few hours later, Evernya woke up. She tried to sit up, but her body refused to respond, twitching in pain at the slightest attempt at movement.

Meira jumped to action upon noticing her kitten’s awakening. She used an application of air magic to hold her kitten still as she ordered, “Don’t move! You are suffering from moderate mana vein overload, with inflammation along most of your mana veins. Even if you tried, you won’t be able to use any mana for about a week. Stay in bed and avoid moving.”

After receiving a shaky nod from her kitten, Meira continued, “I am proud of you for standing up for yourself, but doing what you did was stupid. First of all, is the physical damage you did to your body just after recovering from two Severe MVO. You’re extremely lucky you didn’t rupture a mana vein.”

Evernya paled, as Meira added, “The other consequence is by now, Alpha Wittke knows you are a female alpha. Which will cause many more issues for us.”

“I thought being an Alpha means I will be free of clans,” Evernya questioned before groaning in pain from even talking.

Meira’s face flashed with worry as she explained, “If you were legally an adult that would be the case. Unfortunately, you’re not. You’re of age, but you haven’t taken the shifter stress test to qualify as an adult shifter. Humans love to make things difficult, having tests, and registration for everything. Basically, it’s a stress test to see if you can handle being alone in public without shifting and hurting people. A shifter needs to pass this test or an adult chaperone must accompany them in human-controlled areas at all times.”

Meira’s expression turned serious as she continued. “Which means if you enter a human area such as Druth, you are under the control of the area’s catkin clan, which is the Wittke clan. I was hoping to sneak you into the test without him knowing, but it seems it is no longer possible. So Alpha or not, you are a minor and thus a responsibility of the Wittke clan, at least within Druth.”

A disgusted expression formed as Meira added. “Using his legal right, he could detain you once you enter Druth, then he could keep you restrained until you go into heat, removing your ability to stop yourself from having sex with him. Which he will do since a child of two alpha shifters is always an alpha themselves, giving him the heir he desires.”

“I thought I wasn’t a catkin?” Evernya whispered, trying to mitigate the pain of talking.

While stifling her own anger, Meira explained, “You aren’t, but you are a feline shifter with the appearance of a catkin, so Sespina will categorize you as a catkin, remanding you into his custody. I’m not even sure he could impregnate you or if you go into heat, but I would rather not find out.”

Evernya glared at the ceiling, rage bubbling under the surface at the possibility of being under the control of another alpha. Her mana acted up, but her mana veins couldn’t handle the stress, causing her body to seize up in pain, forcing her to lie limp on the bed.

After a few seconds of silence, Evernya whimpered, “What can we do? I refuse to become his heir incubator. I would rather die.”

Meira fell silent for a minute, deep in thought, before replying, “Well, we can’t do the test in Druth because of his connections there. It means we have to try a different approach. To pass the shifter stress test, the young shifter must handle a stressful environment for an extended period while a qualified person observes the shifter’s reactions. I checked while you were unconscious, and luckily, we know someone who qualifies. I don’t know how he is with how bad he messed up with his treatment of you. I mean, slave bands aren’t that rare and it should have been a huge red flag.”

“He owes us for what he put you through, so we may have the test in a different location. And I know the perfect place allowing us two knock off two birds with one stone, and Alpha Wittke will never expect us to take this route. At the mage’s test, you will probably face discrimination and insults as a shifter in a human-dominated area. It should be a stressful enough environment for a shifter stress test. Since you can’t do a full shift, I’m sure Dr. Fisher will be ok with you taking the test surrounded by humans your age.” Explained Meira, calming down Evernya momentarily, knowing she had a workable solution until Meira continued.

“There is one problem with this option. The test happens in just over a week and won’t be happening again for six months. I hope you heal enough in nine days because otherwise, you will have to hide out here for six months or try our luck in another city. The nearest city to Druth big enough to have shifter and mage tests is over a day away because of bad roads and mana beasts. Most people travel by portal from city to city, but you don’t have a valid Id until legalized adulthood, forcing us to drive or fly. It just isn’t worth the risk to travel that far until I am sure you can defend yourself.”

“Will I heal enough in nine days? I can barely talk.” Evernya whimpered.

While trying to keep her worry off her face, Meira replied, “I hope so. You don’t have to be 100% for the test. The test itself isn’t strenuous besides the mana grade part, but that’s at the end. If you burn out after that, we are already safe.”

“Thank you for helping me,” Evernya whispered as her eyes drift closed, too exhausted to remain conscious.

I really hope everything goes according to plan. My poor kitten deserves to be free. Even if everything goes according to plan, I have a feeling I will be carrying her out of the mage testing room. Meira thought as she released her air magic hold on her kitten.

Over the next week, all Evernya did was eat and sleep, mostly sleep. By the fifth day, she could sit up, but not much more than that. Finally, on the seventh day, she escaped her bed and walked. She was sore, but she could at least move. Unfortunately, after five minutes, the soreness forced her bed back in bed.

Right after she collapsed on her bed, Meira arrived with her lunch, but when she saw her dejected kitten, her mood immediately soured.

“You tried to walk, didn’t you?” Meira guessed after placing Evernya’s lunch on a table, Evernya’s lap on the bed.

“Yeah, I lasted all of five minutes. How am I supposed to handle the test in two days?” Hissed Evernya, tail whipping on the bed, frustrated by her lack of progress.

“Lay down, let me scan you. You should be able to move freely by now.” Meira instructed, materializing her scanning wand and her tablet.

After Evernya laid back, Meira ran her scanning wand over her kitten’s body, displaying the results on her tablet. A frown marred Meira’s face as she read over the results. “Your mana veins are healing much slower than they should. Probably from hurting them several times in a short period. They are out of the moderate range, but still inflamed enough to hamper your body.” Meira reported.

After storing away the wand and tablet, Meira continued, “For a regular person, they could perform weak magic and move freely. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for you. To make it worse, there isn’t much anyone can do to speed up healing of mana veins, unlike other body parts.”

“Another reason they may heal slower is even though we limited your movement, you have been conscious. The two times before you were comatose for 90% of the healing process. The only solution I can think of is to keep you unconscious until we have to leave to get as much healing done as possible,” Meira theorized.

Should I trust her? She’s had plenty of opportunities to take advantage of me and she hasn’t. At least I don’t think she has. So I may as well go along with her plan. It’s not like I have much choice either way.

After the moment of silence, Evernya responded with unconcealed frustration, “If it will help, you can knock me out. I can’t do much as I am anyway.”

“To put you under far enough, I need to place a device on your head. It will send and keep your body in a coma until removal.” Meira warned.

Evernya eyedI’d the blue ring-like device Meira materialized from her storage device, questioning, “If a device existed, why didn’t they use it on me at the hospital?”

“Unless it is an overly powerful enchantment, the wearer can resist the sleeping enchantment, making it unpractical for sedating unruly patients. Even if they had one powerful enough, there is no way they could have got it on you and they didn’t know you would react violently to place it beforehand.” Meira explained.

“Relax and don’t resist the enchantment. Even in your injured state, you should have no problem resisting. I will wake you up when it’s time to go.” Meira commanded as she approached her kitten’s bed.

Evernya relaxed as Meira placed the blue metal ring around her head, at her forehead. The ring resized to fit snugly in place before glowing. Almost immediately, Evernya felt a powerful desire to sleep. After a moment of hesitation, she gave in to the enchantment.

A foreign mana flooded into the mana veins in her brain, forming a compulsion on her mind to sleep. Within a few seconds, Evernya’s eyes became heavy, forcing them to drift closed. After only thirty seconds, Evernya succumbed to the effects of the ring, placing her in a deep coma.