"Good, I'm surprised you were able to heal both legs pletely like that. Every bone was broken," Oriphusa says. "You even caught the artery that was cut. Well doing that side first so you stop the bleeding. It seems you learn fast."

  "Sure," I mumble. It's not like I barely know how to pronounce my letters or anything. Holy, I'm not sure why I'm learning how to do this quickly.

  "Well, I'm running out of monsters and mana. Just o, and it should tell us if you heal Sextia soon, at the end of the week, or if I may o get it started," Oriphusa says. The maid brings over a small cage with a rat in it. "This isn't really a monster, but it works. It is missing the front leg and I've healed it over so it won't bleed. Your job is to cut the wound bad regrow the small leg. I only have the mana to show you how to cut the stub bad then remake it. So the rest will be up to you."

  "Ok," I say. I don't know if I have the mana to do this. Healing uses so muana than sex. I won't run out of mana for at least two days with just my toud aura going off. I think it's been just five hours, and I'm almost out.

  Sure, it makes sehat healing takes a lot more than making people feel lust and joy. But the difference is a bit rger than I thought it would be.

  "Alright, ready for me to start?" Oriphusa asks.

  "Yes."

  The rat squeaks in pain as the cut es through. Blood starts pooling before the scab heals again.

  "Just like that. You have to take enough off so you have a good, base to work with, but not too muo point in wasting the mana. Especially right now when everyone is low," Oriphusa says.

  I've never done any damage with my mana before. Just used it as a distra once I guess.

  I gh the standard motion and think about cutting the rat's leg just a tad. I feel a sharp razor run down my arm just before the leg gets chopped.

  "Heal it," Oriphusa says. "Hurry, don't let your patient bleed out."

  She 't and me, so I take a sed to see if the razor cut me. But my arm looks fine, so I return to the ugly rodent. I start building out the bones, veins, muscles, tendons, nerves, and everything else our skin covers. Slowly, I build out the leg.

  I make it to the paw? Hand? I don't know what they call the rat's stupid little foot thing. I guess this is why she had me rebuilding hands so much. These damn tiny ass bones. Sure I don't have to truly build them or know what they look like. But I have to keep focused on what es , and each time I finish, I have to ge my focus just a bit.

  I don't really have the mana to correctly get the skin et the fur.

  "I think that is the best I do," I say. The rat's arm is furless and scarred. But it should work, I think.

  Oriphusa just watches with me. Waiting to see if it will move.

  Slowly, the rat starts to put weight on the new limb. Finding that it holds, it scurries to a er, hoping to get away from the ohat keep cutting it.

  "Hmm, good enough. You really didn't have the mana to pletely finish it. This one would need a cast to keep it set right for a few weeks," the healer finally says. "Good enough for the first time remaking a limb. Now, would you like to kill the beasts or maybe for the house?"

  "My Lady," Aurora says. "If I may."

  "Yes, Aurora," I tell her.

  "It would be best for the house to take them. We did pay for them," Aurora says. "We see if Alzi or some of the maids should be the oo kill them, but we hahem, Lady Oriphusa. Thank you for today's lesson."

  "Yes, thank you," I repeat. I don't know why this mana thing is so easy once you know what to do.

  "You're wele. It is o train someoh such a gift. Most healers don't learhey have anywhere he amount of mana you have, but I don't think a single one pick up on this as quickly. I'll be baorrow to start going over what to do when you run out of mana," Oriphusa says. "The best healers o be prepared for a fight that wear out even your mana supplies, and I think you will grow to be among that crowd, Lady Alzi."

  "Thanks," I say. Am I really good at something other than sex?

  "Well, I've had enough of this screeg, so I'll take my leave," Oriphusa says.

  "Goodbye," me and Aurora say as the Lamia and her maid leave the garden.

  "Now that she brings it back up, they really are fug annoying," I say to Aurora. " we leave?"

  "You should kill them, my Lady," Aurora says, pulling out a sword. "The beasts are caged, tied down, and weak. You should be able to kill them quickly."

  "Do I have to?" I ask. The blood is already pooled in most of the cages. How much worse will it get if I start killing them?

  "Please, my Lady. It is best to take what you oh tth," Aurora insists, thrusting the hilt towards me. "I help you. We'll move the bde together."

  "Do..."

  "Please, my Lady. The amount of healing you've dooday, and I know the maids have small injuries you work on tomorrow after your lessons. You will get a healing ext," Aurora says, ing my hand around the metal. "Do this, and we will rex in a different garden for lunch. Just you ahen afterward, you do what you wish."

  "Sex?"

  "If that is what my Lady wants."

  "Children?"

  "That is forbidden by Princess Elora, my Lady," Aurora says.

  "Fine, I want to be alone in my room," I say.

  "Very well, my Lady," Aurora says. "Please let me guide your body, my Lady, and do your best to remember where I strike. You shouldn't o fight, but it is best to know how to finish a beast in case you o."

  She pulls me over to the screeg monkeys. Side by side, we push the thihrough the bars and across the beast's neck. The howling turns into an eerie cough. Bubbles of blood push out as the beast struggles to breathe. Then, it es to a stop.

  Dead.

  The sed thing I've killed in my life.

  "We have more to do, my Lady," Aurora says, pullio the cage.

  We gh the monkey-lookis one by one, each death as gruesome as the st. Their trapped bodies keep them from putting up a fight.

  All they do is yell and screech. The noise never ends and never gets quieter. The beasts just scream more. Begging for their lives, but Aurora won't let them keep it.

  Not that I wish for them to live, either. They would have s tearing me limb from limb. But I always thought others would do the killing.

  "I don't know if I tinue," I cry out. "The noise and blood. I i i. It's too much."

  "I know my Lady. Taking a life, even ones as vile as these, is hard. It will never be easy. But it is a need," Aurora forts. "My Lady, these were captured in different attacks. Each was trying to kill your people. They don't scream for their life. They scream to take your and your loved ones' lives. They wish to kill us. They could've stayed in their forest and lived, but they came out looking for blood. Let them have their own instead. I'm here to help and support you, my Lady. You do it."

  "Ok," I say, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

  The dogs e . Their red fur almost hides the blood as it seeps from their ned hearts. Aurora decided I should see more than just necks getting sliced, I guess.

  She started getting bolder on where we stabbed. Hearts, necks, eyes, stomachs. Everywhere that would kill the beast somewhat quickly, she said. I should have a good list of pces to strike in case some are blocked.

  Not that I carry a sword around anyway.

  "Are we done?" I ask. The smell of blood fills the air. The more disgusting matter has made its presenown in the air. But I would prefer not to think about that. Just the slight thought has me gagging and terrible memories threatening to rise.

  No, blood is enough for me.

  "Yes, my Lady," Aurora says. "Another maid will e by to up. We have a short walk to lose the st and sight."

  "Please," I say. The sword disappears into her ring, and she takes my arm, helpi of the disgusting area. My ears still ring with the echoes of the monster's haunted screams.

  "My Lady. You did well today," Aurora says. "You showed a very important noble your power. You proved you be a healer. Like I said, tomorrow, you heal people and take the step on your jouro be a healer like you were meant to be all those years ago. After the week is through, we help you set up a shop aarted healing people from the nearby cities. Your wives may take you on trips and you heal those that you pass by on the road and iowns you stay at."

  "What about births?" I ask.

  "I have a lead on Kelly," Aurora states with a smile. "Someone has set up a potion shop around the time she left the brothel. I didn't get the name of the owner, and she doesn't work there often. Doing a lot of house calls, but I think it is the women you are talking about. I will ask her about Alzi and have her write a letter to you. I hope to get you to a point where you read some of it. But I will read it to you, and we see if it is ihe right woman. If it is, she will get an io e teach you about being a midwife, and we see if Princess Elora will let her into the family."

  "Thank you."

  "I am here to serve the family and you, my Lady," Aurora says.

  My maid, my ass.

  Pregnant bitch.

  "Is something wrong?"

  "Are you going to be fih eight kids?" I ask.

  "If I have you, I will be fine, my Lady," Aurora says. "I trust that you see me through this."

  "And they will be my kids?"

  "Yes, they are your kids—our kids, my Lady," Aurora assures me. "They will call you father, me mother, and Shy sister. If you wish to breastfeed them, I will certainly wele the help. If you wish to py with them, I would be gd. I hope you love them."

  "I will," I say. "But they aren't my first kids. Mommy is carrying those."

  "I am not fighting for first or sed or third, my Lady. I just wish you love them and I'm happy to hear you will."