Chapter 212: No-Name

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Chapter 212: No-Name - link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/122693410

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Chapter 212: No-Name

'Really?! It can be removed?!'

The gnome woman lifted an eyebrow, hands pausing mid-motion. "Marcus never told you?"

I shot him a glare. "Somehow he forgot."

"Did I now?" Marcus crossed his arms, unfazed. "Far as I recall, I told you best not to mess with it till my wife or mentor had their say."

Annoyingly, that was something he had said. But he never mentioned the damn thing could be pulled out completely. "And… and if you do? You’ll be able to fix everything?"

"Maybe." Not exactly the confidence I was hoping for.

He sighed. "Look, Lass, we’re healers, not flesh shapers. We heal. That means putting a body back the way it thinks it should be."

Much to my dismay, Lieutenant Janina, still standing over me, nodded. “Unfortunately, Marcus is right - there’s a chance your body has already accepted this state as the way it should be."

“Shit!” The word burst free before I could bite it back. No shame followed, just the urge to let fly more.

"That’s one way to put it, lass.Still, don’t pull your knickers down yet - our mentor might have some insight.”

“Have you told him?” Janina asked, eyes narrowing.

The words made my gut twist. Last time Marcus had spoken about sending me to Wagon’brei, but we agreed otherwise. Better to hunt down the mind mages than spend my life cowering under the Imperial Chief Healer’s watch. That was why I agreed to act as bait - I didn’t want the imperial family’s notice. I just wanted to live free. But now…

"Yes, I did," Marcus confirmed with a nod.

My chest tightened - if only for a moment. That mind-mage bitch just had to come here and made things worse. Far worse. Rayden had no choice but to report about what had happened with the Shadowbreakers - thus, inevitably, about me - to her superiors. I would have thought it should be the City Lord, but apparently she didn't feel that way.

Anyway, if one more person knew, what did it matter now? At least Marcus made his mentor sound like a man with a decent spine.

"And?" Lieutenant Janina pressed when he didn’t go on.

"He’s caught up in Wagon’brei right now, but he swore he’d come soon as he could."

"What?!"

"He’s coming here?"

"The Imperial Chief Healer is paying a visit, sir?!"

"Hold your knickers, lasses." Marcus raised both hands as the three women pelted him with questions. "He sent word - he’ll come when he can. Though, now that I think on it… after what happened here, wouldn’t be strange if Sanysia - er, Captain Rayden - sent him word herself."

Instinct had me trading a glance with Elira. Same thought crossed both our minds. Was he the one she had sent that message to behind the City Lord’s back? If so, the trust folks had in him spoke loud. Just had to hope they weren’t wrong.

The helplessness to do anything about it sat ill, so I latched onto another thought. "He’s your mentor, right? You said so."

"Yes, lass. Why? Need me to explain what a mentor is?"

Guess my lack of common sense had left a mark - or maybe he got my body language wrong this time. Either way, I gave him a weak smile. "No, I know what it is. Just... wondering what it’s like being an apprentice to one. Is it, I don’t know, restricting?"

"Restricting?" Lieutenant Janina arched a brow, giving me a look I was a sourpuss. "Marcus, have you ever felt restricted?"

Thinking about it, he actually nodded. "Many times."

"What the fuck, Marcus?"

"Oh, come on, Cuddles. How often has he told us ‘don’t do this, don’t do that’?" The Chief Healer grinned, unbothered. "I’m glad for it. To me - tits, to a lot of us - he was the uncle we never had. Made sure we didn’t go down the wrong path."

"He guided us, taught us - like a real mentor should," Lieutenant Janina went on. "We were damn lucky he took us in."

They hadn’t outright said what kind of authority he had over them, but there was no bitterness in their voices. That was enough to ease my mind.

Marcus leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, eyes flickering with interest. "What’s with the questions, lass?" Then his brows shot up. "Wait - you're thinking of getting a mentor? Hah! Don’t tell me you already have one?"

Damn body, always giving me away. Still, neither he nor Janina seemed to know about Deckard taking me in. A little secret I couldn’t help but savor - maybe even have a bit of fun with. 

"Um-hmm."

"In just a few days?" He let out a low whistle, then frowned. "Not my business, but who is it? Tell me you didn’t just go with some no-name off the streets..."

"We met our mentor on the street," Janina reminded him.

"That was different."

"Was it?"

"Different time, Cuddles - wars, blood, all that mess. You remember."

She crossed her arms. "And what makes this any different? Only time shows a person’s true colors. It's like in marriage."

"That a complaint, Cuddles?" he teased. "You knew who you were marrying."

"Yeah, a big fool," she shot back, flashing a toothy grin before turning to me. "Still, I get what the fool’s saying. Not everyone has got what it takes to be a mentor. Some just want the title to puff themselves up, others like having someone easy on the eyes - or easy to keep close."

'Was Deckard like that?' No. Definitely not. He didn't even see me as a woman. To him, I was just a girl - annoyingly so. 

Anyway, giving a brief glance to Elira, who had trouble keeping a straight face this whole time, I nodded back to the gnome woman. "I’ll keep that in mind. But what if he turns out like that? Can I, you know, leave - stop being his apprentice?"

"Of course, Grey," Lieutenant Janine said. "He’s not your master. You’re not bound to him. You can walk anytime."

"Better cancel the contract with him first—might be a hassle, though," Marcus said, rising from his chair to stand beside his wife. Even on the stool, she barely reached his shoulder. "But if you give me a name, I could have Travis look into him."

"Y-you’d really do that?"

He flashed a broad smile, but regret lingered in his eyes. "I owe you that much."

‘Why?’ The question nearly slipped out before it clicked - he meant the bait business. He had talked me into it, after all. His guilt was well-earned. A relief, really. To him, I wasn’t just some fool to be used. Still, the thought of a little payback made what was coming even sweeter.

Elira wasn’t even bothering to hide her grin now. I shot her a look, then showed my own teeth. "Doubt you’d know him - he’s got a funny name."

The gnome woman chuckled, shaking her head. “He won’t be the first or the last. I’ve heard plenty.”

Marcus, though, took a more measured approach. "Hard to change that one when you're out of age and have the Lattice in your head. Don't worry, I won't laugh."

I leaned forward, letting the words drag out. “His name is… Deckard.” I let the words settle, grinning at their puzzled faces, Sage wagging behind me like crazy. “So? Heard of him?”

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