Lament of the Slave

So Marcus and the Captain were in the army, did they retire to Castiana? Or were they transferred here? Who else was there with them? All the guards? I doubt it. If I wasn't mistaken, the City Guards were not part of the army.

"Becca, right?" I asked the woman to make sure.

The healer smiled and nodded, "Um-hmm, senior healer, Becca Hill, but you can call me Becca. You're Korra, aren't you?"

I bet everyone in the infirmary listened to my conversation with Marcus. I couldn't blame them. Being in their place, I would listen too. Still, it was annoying.

"Please call me Korra and not lass, like that jerk," I blurted out, begging her with my eyes.

She chuckled, "Okay, Korra. What did you want to ask?"

Yeah, good question. What did I want to ask her?

Was my brain so scattered that I couldn't remember what I wanted to ask, or was it merely the fatigue I felt despite what time it was? It wasn't even noon yet, and my eyelids were closing with exhaustion.

Ah, I remembered my question.

"Were you in the military too, Becca?" I asked the Senior Healer.

"No," she shook her head, sighed, and continued, "I grew up here in Castiana, never traveling further than the nearby towns."

"That's ..." I hesitated.

Becca grinned, "Sad? Many people think so, but I'm happy. I don't want to travel the world when I see what can happen to people only here in Castiana."

"You mean me?" I asked.

"Not just you," she shook her head.

I looked around the infirmary, which, despite its size, was without other patients. Either the healers were so good that no one lay here for a long time, or rarely did anyone gets hurt.

Suppressing a yawn, I asked, "Who else?"

"Who do you think this infirmary is for? City guards. The guards dive into the depths of the labyrinth as part of the training. Despite being accompanied by healers, the treatment of their injuries sometimes requires more time and resources than the healer has with her. So they end up here."

"Patrolling the city can be quite dangerous too. We may not have to defend the city walls from hordes of monsters, but dealing with seekers is just as dangerous." she explained, thinking for a moment, "I used to work for a seekers company. Some seeker seeks conflicts intentionally. Mostly they are frustrated by the failures in the labyrinth or because one of their friends has died. It's not for nothing that they're called deekers."

Yeah, death seekers. I guess I shouldn't tell her I want to be one. The irony was that I wasn't a seeker yet, and yet that was why I ended up in the infirmary.

Why did I want to be a seeker? That was the question that brought me here.

Fucking Imperial Agent!

If it weren't for him, none of this would have happened. Why was he so interested in me? He could have warned me not to resist interrogation, and didn't have to attack me right away.

"Hey, Korra!!" Becca raised her voice, shaking my shoulder.

I looked at her nervous expression, wondering what might have frightened her so much, "Yes, what happened?"

"You've been gone for a while," she told me, relieved. She sat back in her chair, much calmer, and added, "You didn't respond to my questions, just stared into space, crying."

"What?" I asked, wondering what she was talking about. But when I reached for my eyes, I found that I was indeed crying. I wept so much that tears ran down my cheeks.

I wiped the tears with the back of my hands and looked at Becca, "I don't know what happened! I spaced out a little."

"You've been thinking about what happened in the interrogation room, weren't you?" the healer asked, bringing my mood even lower.

"You too can tell what I'm thinking, like Marcus!" I sighed, pondering," Is it really that easy to discern what I'm thinking?"

She chuckled, "It's true that it's easier to tell than on other half-terrans or terrans. Marcus is especially good at that, but that's not why I said that. What do you think Marcus tried to distract you from?"

"Ah," realization dawn upon me, "from remembering the attack."

"Exactly," Becca nodded, "It's for your own good."

"Why?" I asked, wondering what was so bad about it?

She took my hands and looked me in the eye, "Because, as a while ago, you can get lost in your memories, and then it's much harder to wake up from them. It's especially dangerous to fall asleep in this state. If you don't want to spend a few extra days or even weeks in bed, try not to fall asleep."

"But I'm so tired ..." I objected, remembering that Marcus had ordered her to make sure I didn't fall asleep. Was it really that dangerous?

The healers certainly knew more about this than I, and I wasn't going to argue with them. It was just hard not to think about how much I wanted to sleep now, that I knew why I couldn't.

Becca nodded, "That's normal, especially if you've been defending yourself and judging your condition; you've been defending yourself hard. I didn't want to listen, but Marcus said your [Indomitable Will] was tier five, right?"

Seriously? She didn't want to listen, but she heard this too? But I couldn't blame her. I blamed Marcus. He told my secret to everyone in the infirmary.

I nodded but didn't answer, angry at the man who was god knows where.

"It's okay," Becca exclaimed, "I'm not saying this because I want to know your skills, but to make you realize you've done well compared to others. Basically, you only have mild symptoms, but at the same time, because you fought back, you're tired now. I don't want to give you hope, but I think you could be in your bed at dusk."

"That doesn't sound bad," I smiled weakly.

Of course, it would sound even better if I had my own apartment, my own bed. I had to hope that the innkeeper Byron would not rent my room to anyone else, otherwise there was a risk that I would spend the night on the streets.

"But you can't fall asleep," She reminded me.

Yeah, that's easy for her to say. "Don't you have coffee?" I asked her.

"What's coffee?" she asked, confused.

What? Wait, what? If she doesn't know what coffee is, does that mean there's no coffee on Eleaden?

...

"Hey, Korra, talk to me!!" Becca asked, shaking my shoulder.

"I'm back," I said, still shocked by the news.

I loved coffee, so when I found myself in that cellar without its daily supply, it was hard. I thought I had already recovered from my addiction, so it surprised me at how hard the news about the absence of coffee on Eleaden hit me.

"You've been out longer than before," she said, worried about me.

I checked to see if I was crying again, but this time my eyes were dry. I cried over the loss of coffee months ago.

"Try to relax, tell me about the coffee. Maybe we have something similar here," Becca said, trying to distract me, not knowing I wasn't out this time because of the attack.

She was right, they could have had something similar, so I shrugged, "It's a drink, black, its taste is hard to describe, though it's probably best described as bitter, although it can also be sour, sweet, or even salty. Its biggest advantage is that after consuming it, you feel less tired, more awake."

"Hmm," She thought for a moment, "Sounds like a stamina potion or a focus potion to me except that taste."

"So you don't know anything tasting like that?" I asked, fearing the answer.

She shook her head, "No. Sorry, but it sounds interesting."

"That's okay, I just remembered the coffee. It's been a long time since I've had it. Anyway, I'd appreciate something against exhaustion!" I tried to change the subject.

"If you're physically tired, a stamina potion would be enough for you, but that's not your case," Becca said, thinking aloud. "You're mentally tired, so focus potion is better for you, but I can't give it to you."

"Because...?" I asked, not finishing the questions.

"Because the potion has the opposite effect on the victims of a mind attack," Becca explained, but quickly continuing, "I don't mean that it will put you to sleep. It's a potion to boost your concentration, your awareness, but unfortunately, the victims of a mind attack focus more on what happened to them after using it."

"I see, so no potion then. What about magic? Like the touch Marcus used on me or Captain Rayden's aura. Only with the effect of keeping me awake. Don't you know anything like that?" I asked, suspecting a similar problem.

The Senior Healer nodded, "I do, but do you really want to lie here for a few days? It's best if your mind heals on its own. Just give it time. Korra."

I sighed in frustration, "Then some water, can I have it? Or is it a problem too?"

I guess Becca was used to grumpy patients because my rude tone didn't bother her. On the contrary, she was frustrated that she hadn't brought me water sooner.

When she brought me a glass and a jug of water, I immediately gargle and rinse the mouth with it to get rid of the aftertaste I had after vomiting. Only after that did I drink to quench my thirst. The cherry on the top was a candy I took.

I was wondering why she stopped working as a seeker, so I asked her. As it turned out, she became a healer because her father used to be one. She wanted to follow in his footsteps. When she became a healer, she started working in the same company as him. Golden Lions was the name of the company. It focused on collecting materials from the labyrinth on the floors of a hundred and below, so very dangerous work.

In time, she simply had had enough of the danger which was everywhere in the labyrinth. She no longer wanted to see her friends die before her eyes, unable to help them despite being a healer.

It was insensitive of me when I asked why she hadn't saved them as a healer, but I asked before I could think through the question. In any case, it seems that not even a healer could cure someone whose body was burned to ashes or cut in half. That made me think about [Never-Dying]. This skill would allow me to survive such an injury if it can still be called just an injury. At least according to the skill description. I didn't plan on getting cut in half, just to check it out.

Finishing her work with the Golden Lions was not so easy for Becca, because the contract obliged her to work for them for another three years. She had to pay a pretty hefty sum of money to redeem herself from the contract. Anyway, she succeeded, found a job with the City Guards, and was happy there.

What more could one ask for, right?

Maybe one day, Korra.

I could only hope that one day I would succeed in what she did—doing what I enjoy, being happy surrounded by my friends and family. That would be enough for me.

Thoughts of my family brought me to tears again.

Just then, Marcus chose to arrive.

"Good news, lass," he called out loud from the door so that the entire infirmary could hear him.

I'd rather strangle him right now, but I wondered what good news he had in mind. From the door, he headed straight for my bed, with his carefree smile.

He grinned as I looked at him with my teary eyes. "Ah, I'm glad to see you again too, but excuse me if I don't cry about it."

"I didn't cry for you!" I growled, wiping my tears.

"What's the good news, sir?" Becca asked, as curious as I was.

Marcus looked at her, as if noticing her right now, "Good job, keeping her awake, Becca. Good news? That this lass will stay with us overnight."

"What?" I shouted, not regretting it. "Becca said if I didn't fall asleep, I could be home tonight."

By home, I meant that poor little room in the Broken Mug Inn.

"She didn't lie to you," he nodded, supporting his subordinate, "your symptoms are mild, and you're recovering quickly. A few more hours and you should be fine."

I was confused, "Then why?"

Instead, grinning, he answered my question with the question, "Are you sure you're not a shit shoveler?"

"I wash the laundry!" I said sharply.

"Really? Because you're pretty deep in shit," he said, almost laughing.

I didn't find it funny, not even Becca.

"Sir?" the Senior Healer asked, glaring.

Marcus looked at the two of us, and when he realized we weren't even smiling, he muttered, "The guys down in the mess hall would laugh their asses off."

"Sir!" she said sharply.

"Yeah, I see, you don't have a sense of humor," he sighed in disappointment, then looked at me, "Maybe you're washing the laundry, but you're still in deep shit. You stay here overnight for your own safety."

"But ..." I wanted to object, not having a good argument, but Marcus stopped me.

"Captain's orders, lass!" Marcus said, silencing me.

Becca frowned, "What's going on, sir?"

"We're going to have a long shift today," Marcus said, motioning for her to go with him. "Come on, I have to tell all the healers, and I don't want to say it more than once."

Becca got up to follow Marcus, but before she left, she turned to me, "Don't fall asleep, Korra."

Yeah, like I could now. Various scenarios of why I had to stay at the infirmary until morning raced through my mind while all the healers listened in silence to Marcus.

Of course, I tried to listen, but even my huge audio receivers didn't hear what they were talking about. I blamed some skill or magic tool for that because even though the healers were at the other end of the room, it wasn't a distance my ears couldn't hear them at.

I was even more curious about what Marcus was trying to hide from me. Was I in danger? Was I waiting for the verdict? I had no idea what was happening, nor did I want to guess the consequences of what had happened in the interrogation room.

My anxiety grew.

"Could I have another shot of that Soothing Touch?" I asked Becca as they disbanded their secret session, and she returned to my bed.

"Let me look at you," she said, walking over to me and placing her hand on my shoulder. This time I felt foreign mana flowing through my body, scanning it. It wasn't uncomfortable, but for some reason, it didn't work well for my stomach. Before she finished her examination, I barfed again.

Senior Healer waited until I finished before she said, "The potion we gave you is starting to fade, but we'll wait a while with another potion until your stomach calms down."

I wanted to tell her it was her fault, but I didn't have the strength to do so.

It didn't take long for me to get the potion, an hour later, my first meal. Of course, just something small and light so as not to unnecessarily irritate my stomach. It would be a great pity if I vomited an excellent steak right after eating it. But it led me to a different thought. Will I have to pay for my stay in the infirmary? For the food? How much did the potions cost?

"The City Guards are responsible for what happened to you, as well as for your treatment and the costs involved," Marcus told me when I asked him.

I was glad to hear that because my hoard was very small. It was more of a tiny pile, which has not grown today due to my stay in the infirmary.

I was worried about how upset Alyson would be and if, after all this, I can continue to work for her. I could only hope that she would understand what had happened to me and be benevolent.

In the end, I was allowed to nod off. I was so excited that it took me another hour to really drift off to sleep, grateful I didn't have a [Tail of Poison Empress] right now. I could only imagine how the healers would react if they found out I had died in their care during the night. Which I hoped, even without a dose of poison gas, would be a long night full of deep sleep.

I was wrong.

Shortly before midnight, I was awakened by the sounds of fighting in the barracks, and it wasn't some night exercise. I heard the guards train in the courtyard before. This sounded different. The guards fought the intruders inside the building, and whoever attacked them was approaching.

As the intruders entered the hallway in front of the infirmary, I pressed my legs to my chest, tail wrapped around me, and encased myself in wings, afraid of what would happen when they reached the infirmary. I knew this wasn't the right reaction, that I should prepare to fight, change my skills.

But the cries of men and women behind closed doors reminded me of the cries of slaves in the adjacent cells in the cellar. Suddenly I found myself back in the hell I escaped from.

When someone touched my shoulder, I shook with fear and fluttered my wing over the hand to drive her away.

"Korra, calm down. It's me, Becca," she said in a comforting voice.

I looked at her slowly, realizing where I was, angry with myself. I thought I was stronger than this. A little reminder of what happened to me, and I almost fell apart. I thought I had escaped Dungreen, but did I? Right now, I felt like I was sitting back in my cell.

"I'm fine," I lied, knowing she wouldn't believe me.