"How old did you say you were?" The Healer asked as she accessed Griffin.
He refused to get naked to hide his glowing chest tattooing thing, but the Healer worked regardless, getting his vitals through pulse waves of healing rays that came in the form of green lights from her hands and measuring tools from the pouch at her waist.
"Nineteen." Griffin replied.
The Healer looked up at him. Her eyes were covered by a leather blindfold with a flower sigil on it, but he could feel the eyes behind watch him.
"You're nineteen. But….. you're fully matured. You said you ran from the Goblins?
"Yea." Griffin replied shamefully.
"Your muscular density would justify you being able to crush one with your bare hands. To be honest, I'm surprise the arrow penetrated your leg. You did say that happened, right?"
Griffin nodded as he looked down at his leg. She scraped away the soap wood crushed into the wound to reveal barely a scab. He was shot two hours ago. Through the leg. Aghila wasn't even fully healed.
"I think I remembered incorrectly…. Heh." Griffin managed.
"Either way, you're practically a newborn with a body this strong. Surely you're from a very strong family. A hybrid family perhaps. You have muscles and tendons that I haven't seen. And these claws would suggest you're capable of manifesting a Wyld-Form but that's exclusive to Elder Elves….."
Griffin didn't have any sort of intelligent excuse to make as the Healer looked up at him.
"Well, you're healed. I detect no infections and a stable Mana Flow. I'll bring in the Diviner." The Healer said before leaving the room.
Griffin sat alone in the wood walled room for a few minutes nervously. The bed beneath him gave under his weight to the point that he could feel the framing underneath.
"Don't panic." Razira said suddenly.
"Yea, obviously."
"As long as they don't know your origin, you're ok. Plus, if word gets out that you're some hybrid elf with an advanced body then maybe you'll find a teacher who can help grow your strength. It should also keep the Elves from testing you. In theory." Razira said.
"That theory sounds dumb as hell." Griffin thought.
"Fuck you, cat-face." Razira spat.
The door into the healing room opened and smells of cinnamon adjacent herbs and animal blood.
Griffin watched the Diviner walk in and felt fear fill him at the sight of her.
She was like a mummy wrapped in leathers dyed black by berry ink. Sigils were written in bioluminescent fluids all over the wrappings. She wore a cloak of animal furs with shoulder guards made of hundreds of fangs held together by what smelled like tree sap.
When she walked into the room, it was like she floated above ground, never moving her legs. Like some sort of mummified wraith.
It didn't help that she wore a bone white bear mask with deer antlers.
"Hello, Griffin."
Griffin nodded, "Hey…"
"High-Daughter Aghila tells me you saved her life."
"Only after she saved mine." Griffin shrugged.
"I don't particularly enjoy gazing into the future, but I can say confidently your actions have saved the Timber-Panther populous. So, with that being said, how about we fix your fragmented mind, Griffin, Savior of Panthers?" The Diviner asked. She sounded like she spoke from two voices. Once was male and the other was female.
"Uhhh... I don't—"
"No fear." The Diviner interrupted as the eye symbol carved into her bear mask glowed, sending a eye shaped sigil into Griffin's face in a blast of magic he wasn't familiar with.
He flinched— but only after a blinding blast of sunlight filled the room.
The Diviner screamed and was sent crashing into the far wall with bits of her leather wrappings catching fire and steaming, leaving the room smelling like burnt berries and leather.
Griffin stood up, "Oh shit— I'm so sorry…. I don't know what happened— was that me?"
"It was. But not on purpose. This is good." Razira said with a grin Griffin could hear.
The Diviner rolled around on the floor, loosing all of her mystical aura, "Ahhhhh my eyes…. Ahhhhhh..."
"You're happy this happened?" Griffin thought in reply to Razira's comments.
"Yea. Obviously. You have psychic magic defenses. That's good. You can't have your mind controlled or messed with. With a body as strong as yours, that's a serious safeguard." Razira said. "Use your brain, dumbass."
"You don't have to end every discussion with an insult, did you know that?" Griffin replied.
"Focus on the Wyld Elves that are about to kill you for harming one of their own—"
"WHAT?!"
Two Healers burst into the room, looking from the wounded and half-burned Diviner back to Griffin, the feline dark skinned lion-mage-man who towered over everyone in his crappy goblin armor.
"I….I—"
"He's got passive psychic defenses stronger than anything I've ever seen….." The Diviner sat up with her back to the wall.
As the Healers approached her, she said between labored breaths, "Peering into his mind felt like reaching into the sun... what a cruel burn... I believe you'll need a more perceptive individual to answer your questions and mysteries."
Before Griffin could say anything in reply, the Healers hauled up the wounded Diviner and guided her out of the room. Assumedly to her own room to be tended to.
In their wake, Aghila stood at the doorway. The giant Timber-Panther seemed so out of place in the building.
"Psychic defenses are incredibly powerful Reaction based Spells. You were in the care of a powerful Mage. Or, you have incredible magical defensive abilities of your own." Aghila said.
"I plead the fifth, man." Griffin said with a sigh as he itched his head.
Aghila turned her head in confusion, "You what?"
"I— I don't know. I don't know anything." Griffin said.
"Of course. But don't panic. In spite of your delirious condition, you saved a life and escaped assault by a swarm of Goblins." Aghila said.
"Thanks to you." Griffin replied.
"We make a good team."
Griffin smiled. Then he remembered being mauled.
"Come on, there's obviously not much more to be done for you here." Aghila said. "There's someone else that could help you."
"Someone else?" Griffin replied as he followed her out of the room.
"Yes. But I'm sure you'd like a break from all the poking and prying for a while." Aghila said. Her long tail swayed as she padded down the hall.
"….yea, honestly." Griffin said under his breath.
"Then ive got something else planned for us." Aghila said.
"And what would that be?" Griffin asked.
"Well, you're among Oakenfang Wyld Elves. In order to live here, you have to serve a purpose. You have to serve the Clan. Magic is complex and takes years to master— I hear you're young. Hunting on the other hand takes strength, speed and patience. I hear your body is uniquely powerful for your age. So, we will go hunting. That way we can either bring up some old memories or relearn some old tricks."
"….cool." Griffin said.
"Cool." Aghila repeated. "Your phrases are so foreign. I wonder where you're from."
"Don't." Griffin thought in reply.