"What's the patient's condition?"
"Stable and unconscious for two days. So they are right on schedule. It seems Sophia is latching quite well. It's a delicate process."
"How is it delicate? I thought Parasites 'always win'?"
"They do. It's delicate because we don't want to damage the host's mind. Makes us bad guests."
"And if the host's mind is already damaged?"
"More of a reason. They need a gentler hand than most."
***
This dream of mine seemed longer than most. Although it was hard to track time when I dreamed, I was aware enough to know I had slept longer than usual.
[What about the battle Lark. I know you were told to stand in Line. Why was that?]
The voice was still with me. It was comforting, even if it made me sometimes remember things that hurt. This was not one of those memories. This was when I grew into my shape.
Sute had me stand in line with her to become registered protectors of our new home Haven. They were called collectively 'The Protectorate'. I remember her words clearly.
"Lark, these people will offer you a trade. They will think that it is an even trade, but it is in your favor. They will give you power, but you will have to work for them sometimes. But this is a good thing, as it promises you will have a job. You will never need to worry about going hungry, having a home, or finding purpose."
I didn't understand. But I trusted Sute. After they had healed my hand, and my mother had been swept into the breeze, Sute had come over and made sure I stayed near her. This made the woman that was always with her scowl. But the woman, named Flick, usually scowled, so before this dream I never seemed to notice.
Sute had pulled me from in front of the [gate], and ensured those first few days in Haven were a bit easier. She ensured I had spare clothes, a place to sleep, and she made sure that I was included as a new citizen of Haven. And when she wasn't busy talking to Lord Serin, the man with glowing tattoos, she would take time to check on me.
She was like the big sister I never had. So when they needed people to collect dirt or transport meals, I helped just as she did.
When I heard she was volunteering to fight, I followed. I was the class fighter, it was what we did.
The agreement to join the protectorate was a simple one. They would increase my Luck to 50. It was much higher than all my other stats. I would then train at my best skills. Sute, however, went a bit farther. I remember her talking to someone. She then came back. She was standing with a Lybringer man. I could tell by the glow. The Lybringers always glow.
"Lark, we know you are a fighter and that you are very talented. We have a gift and a request. The request is that I want you to fall in under Rachel, the Human representative, during this battle. She is leading the forces here in town to ensure the protection of the children and civilians. While most of the Protectorate are at the gate we want you to fight anything that attempts to come over the mountain. I will also be here in town, but I will be with the children in a secret place.
However, I know this will be dangerous, so I have asked our new friend Uriel to help me make you as strong as you can be."
My memories got foggy from that point, but I remember blacking out, and when I awoke I was much larger. I was easily a half meter taller than my already tall body. My frame was larger as well, and my horns were starting to crest past the top of my head. I remember because even bending through doorways, they still catch on things.
It was because of the perk. 'Body of the Mountain'. Looking back now with the voice guiding my thoughts, it was because they feared my survivability. They wanted every one of their citizens to survive this battle, even 'an invalid like me'.
Wait, where was that thought from? What is an invalid? These thoughts and memories are jumbled, and the longer they continue, the more confused i feel. Not the fuzzy confusion I am used, to but the confusion of too much clarity.
[Focus Lark. Focus on my voice. skip to the night of the battle for now. What were you assigned to do?]
My memories moved. I was standing on the roof of one of the larger apartments of Haven. Looking at it now I realized what was happening. Since it was night, we couldn't see the flying enemy that had bypassed our nation's natural chokepoint by flying over the mountain. So while the majority of the enemy threw itself at our gates and was slowly whittled down, the town was attacked by wyvern troop transports and winged kobolds.
Rachel's battleplan seemed flawless, as she instructed a few mages that could see them used [magelight] spells against the flying enemies. While these spells were inherently harmless, they did light the target up in the night and stuck to them.
Rachel's callous voice rang out. "Fire until the lights you see crash to the earth."She always scowled like Flick. But sometimes the world needed angry women.
[Where was most of the army if only a small force was left in town to guard the children?]
My memories shifted back to a strategy meeting I attended, and while I realized I couldn't understand what they were talking about when I initially watched the meeting, now with the voice I understood what I had initially seen.
Haven as a city and a nation is built a little differently. The entire capital region is ringed in very tall and sheer mountains, and most people passing it would assume it is just a bit of mountains, and the inside wasn't cratered like it was.
The only feasible way in or out of Haven is a small pass that Haven's river flowed between two ends of the mountain ring. The water came from a '[gate] to the elemental plane of water' and even with the voice I could not comprehend this. I just know the flow of water is constant and unending.
For Haven's defense, the only feasible entrance and exit into the valley that single pass, 200 meters of flat land. A fortified gatehouse and wall had been built there, and although we did not have more than a few dozen members of the protectorate, we had fended off the entire invading horde. The defense was unsurmountable. Plus I have heard Lord Serin has single handedly defeated a dragon.
[Thank you Lark. Now, lets go back to the memory. You were in the city, shooting down flying wyverns and kobolds. Was that all that happened?"]
No. After they stopped flying, we could tell several of the wyverns were still alive. Rachel noted that I carried an axe, and was the largest person there.
"So biggun, is that axe just for show?" At the time I did not understand what she was talking about. In a frustrated and slow voice she said, "I want you to take that axe and remove the head from every single thing with wings down there. Dead or Alive. Understand?"
This I could understand. Clear and concise instructions from the person Sute told me to listen to. It was not a difficult task beheading the monsters that had crashed to the ground. A few were still very much alive and angry, but a few punches and a swing of my axe and they fell before me.
[That sounds rather amazing, Lark. I am sure you received something for such an impressive feat. What happened after the battle? Were you promoted?]
After the battle I received a full time position in the protectorate at Sute's request. I also had earned the title, 'Terror of Dragonkind'. They did not promote me though. I had shown a lack of capability to lead, so I have always remained at my current rank. I was also told I had earned the right to individual property, but for the time I had to decline. I did not want to be late for my assignments, so sleeping in the barracks with the other full time soldiers was my choice.
[How many Skygge were there with you in the Barracks?]
After the battle? None. I was the only one. But it was ok. There were many Changelings, and they are sometimes fun. They were often more accepting of me than my own kind.