CHAPTER 38: AOC [6] - THE DOCTOR

Rion’s steps quickened as his legs moved by themselves, and Karhun followed him without a word.

A few minutes later, Rion stopped before a hut that had nothing hanging around its walls.

It was the hut that he had first opened his eyes in, the hut that had given him his most precious gift — life.

His heart wasn’t beating like a drum, nor was the warmth caressing him; he wasn’t doing it out of his love or passion. Instead, he was doing it because he wanted to.

A strange joy began to bubble inside him as he stepped forward and knocked at the door of the doctor’s hut.

Tkk! Tkk!

He waited at the door with bated breath and soon, a minute passed in wait, but the door didn’t open.

’Did something happen to her?’ He frowned and knocked louder this time.

Tok! Tok!

"Who?" A soft, feminine voice came from inside the hut.

He exhaled in relief and replied, "It’s me, Rion. I’ve come to see you, doctor."

The doctor went silent and the sound of something falling down resounded from the inside.

"hO! rehtoM!" (Oh! Mother!) She yelled in a language that he didn’t understand.

He furrowed his brows and turned his head towards Karhun to ask, "What did she just say?"

Kahrun shrugged and replied, "I didn’t understand anything."

He frowned, turned his head back to the door and thought, ’I’ll ask her about it once she steps out.’

After a few seconds, smoke flooded his vision as the door creaked open.

He waved off the smoke with a sharp wave of his hand and looked at the doctor through the haze.

She was a slender woman with a face so beautiful that even Lara, a former princess, could only be considered average in comparison to her. Her long, black hair cascaded down, ending in nature’s green that hid both of her ears. Her clear, ethereal green gem-like eyes reflected the world dressed in green, and her ivory skin gleamed with the softness of the sunlight.

She wore a colourful tribal gown and green gem accessory on her forehead with a long, bone smoke pipe resting in her slender right hand as she gracefully blew out the smoke while leaning against the doorway.

Rion enthralled by her beauty, froze at the spot and thought, ’Was she always... this beautiful?’

He had never seen her after his birth because she was a shut-in to the core, and he was simply too disoriented to care about such things during his time at the hut.

She lowered her smoke pipe and asked in a flat tone, "How long are you going to stand there like an idiot?"

Rion came out of his reverie and quickly replied in a stuttering voice, "S-sorry doct—"

"Zaelyane."

He blinked a few times and mumbled, "What?"

She took another puff and said in the same flat tone, "My name is Zaelyane."

’Huh? It doesn’t sound like a Dhaevrak name...’ he frowned in thought.

Seeing his frown, she muttered in an unbothered tone, "Why have you come here? Do you have any kind of disease?"

"No, I came to give this to you." He answered while showing the leather pouch to her.

She raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is that?"

He opened the leather pouch and answered as the aroma of the cooked meat began to push back the smell of smoke, "It’s the meal from my first hunt."

She furrowed her brows and waved all of the smoke away as she asked, "Why are you giving this to me?"

A wide smile appeared on his face and he answered in gratitude, "Are you not the one who helped me get this life of mine? Then why should you not have a part in my achievements?"

She blinked a few times, and a faint smile creased her face.

She slowly raised her hand and softly said. "If that’s what you wish,"

He stepped forward and placed the leather pouch in her hand. She flashed a bright smile, her hair fluttered slightly as she turned back and closed the door behind herself.

"I’ll savour it," she commented from inside.

"Let’s go," Karhun mumbled and turned around to leave, but Rion didn’t move; instead, he continued to stare at the door with wide eyes.

"What’s wrong?" Karhun asked with a confused look.

His voice pulled him out of his reverie, he looked at him and muttered, "Nothing..."

Karhun frowned but didn’t ask any further and both of them began to march towards their next stop.

Rion’s face, which had held a smile till now, held confusion as he thought, ’Did I see it wrong?’

He closed his eyes and replayed everything in his mind. A few moments later, he exhaled softly and mumbled, "I don’t think I saw it wrong?"

Karhun, who heard his mumbles, muttered with furrowed brows, "What?"

He turned his head towards him and replied, "Nothing, I was just talking to myself."

Karhun nodded and both turned their head to the road.

’Her name is enough to know that she is not a Dhaevrak... but for some reason, she gives me the same feeling as the tribe members. The only person I haven’t felt that feeling from is Marin,’ he remarked inwardly in confusion.

He exhaled deeply and continued his thoughts, ’It doesn’t matter if she is a Dhaevrak or not but is she even a... human? I did see her ear when she walked back in and it was in no way the ear of a human... it was long and sharp... or is it possible for humans to have such pointy ears in this world? I know too less to assume its possibility.’

He thought of everything, yet due to the unexpectedly serene beauty of her, he forgot about the strange words she had muttered.

Those who said that beauty meant nothing had simply never met anyone beautiful enough. Beauty had always been a lethal weapon — an untamed poison and it had dealt a blow to him.

~~~~~~~~

A/N:

Maaah-llo! LazyGoat here!

I would like your opinions on whether I should use this custom format for fantasy languages or not.

Such as -

"hO! rehtoM!" (Oh! Mother!)

Here, the words inside " " are the ones that Rion hears... and ( ) is its meaning.