The special housing wasn't very special looking in Zero's opinion. However, he understood why it was necessary. There were only three cosy huts in the special housing zone. They were located on a small hill beside the farm and quite hidden from view with the tall river grass in front of it. Behind the special houses was a steep and rocky cliff where the feast cave was. The special housing was in a very protected area and built strategically with the topography of the forest in mind. Whoever designed it had to be a very wise person and Zero respected them.
"Karris lives in the small hut with the vegetable garden. Grandma Moppo is in the house behind with the flower beds. We will be visiting them first. I'm sure Clowis would be glad to show you around the village later. He lives in the third hut closest to the river with Amaraline."
Zero smiled. All three huts had their individual personalities and he tried to imagine how their occupants would turn out to be. He already knew Clowis and Amaraline but he was still slightly to meet Karris because she was going to be the first human he would meet. Zero did like the idea of meeting Grandma Moppo as she sounded like a warm and friendly person. The flowers in her little garden that were also well tended to spoke volumes about her nurturing nature.
Hua Tuo cautioned Zero about falling into the river as they crossed it by jumping from stone to stone. It was rather slippery with moss and Zero wondered how the less athletic occupants of the village managed to cross it. Clowis would have no problem hopping over the stones but for Karris and Grandma Moppo or even Amaraline... Zero feared for their safety.
"Don't look so worried. Grandma Moppo is a half fae. They usually travel using the fairy ring near her house. However, the ring leads to feast cave so it's easier for us to hop across the river. You can see the farm from here. This river leads to the small stream there so it is important not to contaminate the water source here."
"We're not allowed to wash anything here?"
Hua Tuo hummed. "No washing of bandages or bathing here. There is an underground well slightly further away from the huts that they use to draw water from for those purposes."
Zero grinned. "Understood! Are we seeing Karris or Grandma Moppo first?"
Hua Tuo stopped for a bit. Grandma Moppo usually eats with Karris and takes care of the pregnant lady. With any luck, they might catch both ladies at Karris' house.
"Let's try Karris' house first. Remember what I told you about babies? I need you to be on your best behaviour. They can hear us talking and can understand us."
Zero put a finger to his lip and nodded. The physician then walked up to the door and knocked it.
The door swung open with a creak revealing a woman with fair skin, dirty blonde hair pulled into a messy bun and pale blue eyes. She was in her early twenties but the dark circles around her eyes made her look a lot older. The tired expression changed when she saw Hua Tuo and welcomed the doctor in, only to notice a small boy behind the doctor.
"Oh my! Are you the rumoured apprentice everyone was talking about? I heard that you made quite the impact at the feast with your speech last night. Sorry that I wasn't there to hear it. Did you enjoy yourself?"
Zero blushed at the woman's compliment of sorts and decided that Karris would make a great mother. Her child would definitely be loved.
"Good morning, Ms Karris! The feast was fun last night, thank you for asking. I'm Zero, a doctor in training."
The lady blinked at the young boy's eloquent manner of speaking and smiled. "Karris is fine. Why don't you come on in and have a seat? Grandma Moppo should be arriving soon."
Hua Tuo and Zero were ushered into the living room and Zero watched as Karris waddled slowly to the kitchen to make some tea. She seemed to sigh every few minutes and rubbed her tummy. Zero also observed how her feet swelled and her back seemed to ache.
"Is that normal?" he whispered to Hua Tuo who was also observing her.
"For a pregnant human woman with a normal human baby, yes. However, there could be some other symptoms that we do not know about with a half-vampire child. Believe it or not, Karris has been pregnant for almost two years now."
Zero's jaw dropped. "But shouldn't a normal pregnancy last about nine months?"
Hua Tuo smiled. "Remember what I told you before we left? This is a village for outcasts. Their conditions can be very different. In a normal human pregnancy, it is about nine months. For a normal vampire pregnancy, it can be anything from ten years to fifty years - something that would kill a human woman to go through. For a half-vampire and half-human baby... nobody is sure. There have been a few records over the years but it varies so drastically. Not many mothers survived because their babies syphoned off all the energy from their mothers to grow. When their mothers died, they too died. Some couldn't bear the long pregnancy and committed suicide. Others didn't live long enough to give birth to their child. The few who successfully gave birth didn't live to see their children grow into adults. Vampires can live for several hundreds of years on average with some living for thousands. Humans live till eighty at most and for a vampire fledgling, they take at least two hundred years to become teenagers. Half-vampires live for a shorter period of time but even so, it takes them sixty years to finally become a teenager."
Zero did some math and cringed. He pitied Karris and her unborn child even more. It was a tragedy. The child wasn't made from love and now Karris wouldn't live to see her child grow up before she dies. That is if she makes it through the pregnancy...
There was a weak knock on the door before Zero could delve into darker thoughts. Karris seemed to liven up when she heard it and opened the door.
A very short old lady appeared. Zero didn't know that there could be adults shorter than him. The old lady stood at his chest height holding a wooden branch that acted as a walking staff. What's stranger was how the staff seemed to be sprouting leaves! Zero didn't know what to think. Grandma Moppo looked scary with her pointed pixie ears and her eyes that were black even at the sclera. She had honey-brown skin, a round face and a sturdy build, giving off the impression that she had a strong character.
"Good morning, my dear. I see that we have guests."
Her voice sounded warm and Zero relaxed a little. First impressions were usually inaccurate and Zero was glad he didn't make any assumptions about what kind of person Grandma Moppo was based on her appearance. Her eyes unnerved Zero slightly for they appeared to look right through him but her voice and bubbly personality completely won his heart over.
"Oh my, oh my... who do we have here? He's such a cutie! Is he your grandson?"
Hua Tuo smiled and looked at Zero. "Why don't you introduce yourself to Grandma Moppo?"
Zero gave the old lady a bright smile. "I'm Zero, a doctor in training! Nice to meet you. Grandma Moppo."
The fae-dwarf cooed over Zero and pinched his cheeks playfully.
"He's a cute one," she mentioned, turning to Hua Tuo as she took her usual seat.
Hua Tuo nodded. "That, he is. How have you been lately? I heard from Clowis that your knees are acting up again."
Grandma Moppo sighed and rubbed her aching knees. "Old age is taking its toll on me. Whoever said that longevity is a blessing should try experience living a few hundred years with bad knees... The medical ointment you gave me the previous time helped for a bit. I can walk to the farms now without taking a break. However, visiting the twins can still be a challenge."
Hua Tuo went over to the old lady and asked for permission before examining her knees. He pressed on a few spots and Zero observed everything silently. After a while, Hua Tuo looked at his disciple.
"What do you think Zero?"
The brunet stood up at attention and became serious. "I think it is Osteoarthritis."
Hua Tuo smiled. This was too easy for Zero. "How would you recommend treating it?"
The brunet frowned. "Medically, the liver and kidney should be nourished to boost blood production and circulation activity. Acupuncture should be administered periodically to encourage better blood circulation to reduce the pain. There is no permanent solution for it."
Hua Tuo nodded. He couldn't have said it better and Grandma Moppo smiled. She'd known long before that there wasn't a permanent cure for something that came with old age.
"However," Zero added on. "If we added healing magic to strengthen her bones and rebuild the worn out cartilage, there is a chance that it can make a complete recovery."
Grandma Moppo seemed surprised by Zero's determined answer. Hua Tuo was similarly startled by Zero's insight. He wasn't good at magic even though he knew the basics as a Sage God. He taught Zero the basics of revival magic and healing magic to encourage speeding up the body's natural healing process. However, he had never tried targeting a certain cell to regenerate in an abnormal nature. After all, that level of magic control was beyond him.
Grandma Moppo looked slightly hopeful and Hua Tuo felt troubled. He turned to Zero who looked apprehensive.
"Theoretically, it should work. However, I do not have that level of control in magic to accomplish such a thing. We will talk about this later but for now, let's help to prepare the tonic for Grandma Moppo shall we?"
Zero didn't feel dejected. In fact, he felt nervous. Did he go too far by mentioning healing using magic? Were doctors supposed to include magic in their medical skills? Worse still, if it turned out to be impossible, has he given Grandma Moppo some kind of false hope with his words?
Grandma Moppo saw the myriad of emotions flicker across Zero's face and smiled kindly. "Don't worry too much about it, child. If it works out, that's good for everyone. If it doesn't, nothing changes. I can see now why Hua Tuo has finally decided on accepting a disciple. You might be able to surpass him after all..."
Comforted by the hand on his head, Zero nodded. "I shall prepare the tonic now!"
As Zero left, Karris looked at the young apprentice and his teacher. "That child.. he's not human, is he?"
Grandma Moppo smiled and Hua Tuo shook his head. "It'll be nice if you could teach him about humans and share with him some stories. Zero's existence is quite the enigma but the closest to what he is would be a God."
Karris looked nervous and Grandma Moppo had a thoughtful expression. "Is it alright to let such a young and naive God to be travelling around without a guardian? Someone might use his powers for bad."
Hua Tuo looked at Grandma Moppo and smiled. "He has a guardian... however, they made an agreement to train and become stronger in two years before they went on their adventures. Zero doesn't have any memories of the past so everything is new to him. His way of thoughts can be slightly concerning at times but he means well. His curious nature is something I worry about so I'm hoping that he will learn a lot from this trip. There is only so much a can teach him back at the hut. He's a fast learner."
Karris giggled at the physician's tired expression. "Now I'm curious about what he did. I'm guessing there was never a boring day with him?"
Hua Tuo looked horrified. "No! Never... I wouldn't dream of a boring day with him around. If ever a day with Zero becomes boring, I shall have to worry about the safety of Endow Hill."
Grandma Moppo chuckled. "Did he set fire to the fields or something?"
Hua Tuo grimaced. "He took apart my waterwheel..."
At that, both ladies laughed and Zero wondered what they were talking about from outside. The herbs were found easily and he was currently grinding them into powder with his pill-making set. He was concentrating on making the medicine that he failed to hear silent footsteps coming closer.
"Good morning, Zero. Did you sleep well?"
The soft voice startled him badly and Zero yelled when the pestle fell onto his leg as he dropped it. It didn't hurt and his body was healing the wound rapidly. The bruise that was supposed to be there disappeared and Zero turned around to see Amaraline.
"Good morning, Amaraline. I slept well. Are you alone? Where is Clowis?"
The young fortune teller giggled. "Big brother is still in bed. He has a bad headache."
Zero blinked. "Cleo has some pills that may help with his headache. I can accompany you there, just let me finish this first. Grandma Moppo is still waiting for the medicine."
"Oh no, it's alright," Amaraline said. "I can get them myself. Big brother mentioned about giving you a village tour today. Maybe you could come and find us after you finish?"
"Sure!" Zero beamed. Amaraline waved goodbye and left swiftly. Zero then turned his attention back to the herbs he was grinding.
***
"I'm done," he told Hua Tuo.
The physician didn't even have to look at the work done. He knew that Zero didn't cut corners when it came to making medicine. Hua Tuo had just finished the acupressure massage treatment and was about to move to acupuncture.
"Good timing, Zero. You can place that over there. We're about to start the acupuncture treatment. Can you sterilise these needles?"
Zero obeyed quickly and returned with the sterilised needles in less than a minute. Hua Tuo blinked. Sterilising the needles required hot water and it took about ten minutes for the water to boil. How did Zero manage it so quickly?
"I cheated a little,' Zero admitted. Magic was certainly handy and Zero conjured a small flame on one of his fingertips.
Hua Tuo didn't have the heart to berate Zero's abuse of magic because it was efficient. If Hua Tuo had the gift for magic, he would've taken advantage of it too. However, Zero was going to be in charge of all sterilising work from now on. Hua Tuo refused to wait ten minutes for the water to boil each time when Zero could do it in less than a minute.
"Alright. Now watch closely, we will begin your training on this when we return."
"Yes, sir!"
Hua Tuo swiftly inserted the needles and Zero noticed how sometimes the physician would flick the needles or rock them. Some were inserted deeper than the others and Zero made sure to file the questions away for a later. He noted that some of the places Hua Tuo inserted needles into weren't in the exact position of where the pressure points were supposed to be.
"Does it not hurt?" he asked Grandma Moppo who had been silent ever since the start of the treatment.
She smiled. "No, it doesn't. Hua Tuo is a very skilful doctor although I admit that I was afraid when he did it for the first time. I've never heard of such a strange treatment method before but it certainly worked wonders when I tried."
Karris smiled. "Without Hua Tuo, many of us would have suffered greatly. I still remember the time when Lovina wasn't in village and Camie got injured while fighting off a Berserker Bear King. Roovan flew at top speed to fetch Hua Tuo within a day. Without Hua Tuo, Camie might have died."
Grandma Moppo hummed. "If I recall correctly, that happened last year. We really do have a lot to thank Hua Tuo for..."
Hua Tuo grunted. "Don't mention it. Without Coux's help to trade off some things for me, I would have to make the trip to human cities that I detest."
Karris chuckled when she heard that. It was hard to believe that anyone could hate humans so badly. Hua Tuo was a human once but his dislike for them amused her. Not to mention, there was another oddball in the village who was a human and hated his kind.
"Speaking of which, I think Wiser is curious about your apprentice. He says that Zero is the first human he doesn't feel repulsed by and wishes to meet him."
Hua Tuo raised a brow at Karris. "Zero isn't human."
His statement surprised the pregnant lady and Zero blinked. "I'm not human. Not yet at least. I still do not know many things to behave like one. Maybe you could teach me?"
Karris was surprised. "You wish to become human?"
Zero hummed. "Not really. But it would be nice if I could blend in and understand more about them. Humans are interesting. Actually, everything is interesting."
Karris beamed. "You should definitely talk to Qin Yun if you wish to know more about humans. She likes humans a lot and has lived among them before. As for Wiser... I wouldn't recommend talking to him about it. He's an odd person and even I cannot understand him despite being human like him."
Zero was intrigued. "There are many different kinds of humans I suppose?"
"Many," Karris agreed. "I can't speak for the rest but I think humans are very interesting creatures. Just when you think something is impossible, one human will find a way to make the impossible come true. As you know, humans do not have wings but yet, they've found a way to fly without magic."
"No way!"
Karris smiled. "Yes, they have. Humans have also found a way to breathe underwater for an extended period of time even though they do not have gills. They can also travel across the sea without getting wet. Some say that humans have found a way to destroy Gods in their previous world but nobody knows for sure. There are many interesting stories about them, both good and bad."
Zero was intrigued. Hua Tuo only chuckled at his apprentice's wide eyes. He had much to learn.
"Alright, I'm done with the treatment," he announced while removing the needles. "Sterilise them again and then we'll check on Karris. I can hear Clowis outside, waiting to give you a tour of the village."
Zero nodded and got to work. After Hua Tuo examined Karris' condition, Zero helped to reduce the swelling in her feet and pain in her back.
"He seems to be eager to meet his mother," Hua Tuo commented and Karris smiled.
"He does... recently I've been feeling stronger kicks. Sometimes, it hurts too."
Hua Tuo paused. "Have you counted the contractions?"
Karris shook her head. "No contractions so far. No normal signs of popping soon but he's growing bigger every day."
Hua Tuo frowned. It was worrying. "We might need to prepare you for premature delivery. At this rate, your body might not hold up."
Karris looked slightly worried and cradled her stomach. Zero saw that and held her hand reassuringly.
"Does the baby have a name?"
Karris shook her head sadly. "I don't know what name to give him."
Zero didn't say much and cast calming magic on the pregnant woman as well as pain-numbing magic for Grandma Moppo before they left.
"We'll be back in a few days, thank you for the tea."
Zero bowed and bade goodbye before they left. Outside, Clowis was pacing impatiently with the spear strapped to his back.
"There you are! Amaraline told me that you were here. Also, the pills really helped. Thank you, doctor."
Hua Tuo shook his head. "I'll be at the clinic. Come back before lunch, alright? Zoe invited us over. The children seem eager to play tag with you."
Clowis grinned. "I'll bring him back before lunch, sir. Zero, are you ready for the grandest tour of your life?"
Zero grinned and hopped over excitedly. "Yes! Can we see the Sky Bridge first?"
Clowis laughed. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Now hop onto my back and hold tight, we're taking a shortcut."
Zero was puzzled by what Clowis meant by a shortcut. His screams of initial terror morphed into those of exhilaration after Clowis took off. Although Clowis couldn't fly, he had very powerful legs that propelled him to great heights with every jump. Clowis could even jump in mid-air, impressing Zero.
Hua Tuo watched them leave and grow smaller in the distance. He shook his head. Clowis was going to be a bad influence on Zero by feeding his adrenaline junkie side. He wondered if Zero would ever travel normally once they returned. For now, he would return to the clinic and research in detail about Zero's suggestion to use healing magic to cure osteoarthritis.