Stepping into the crowded tent filled with wounded soldiers, Rasalhague fought back the urge to gag. The pungent stench of blood and infection, mixed with the agonizing groans, never got any easier for her to endure.
Linda, the nurse beside her, noticed the pained expression on Rasalhague's face. "You don't have to keep doing this if it's too much," she said gently.
Rasalhague's temper flared. "You expect me to leave?" Her voice rose sharply. "I'm the only one who can do this! Emperor Gaul himself ordered me to be here!"
Since her healing abilities had been discovered, word spread throughout Aquila, reaching even the Emperor, who insisted she serve as a battlefield nurse. Her power had become indispensable.
Rasalhague lifted her right hand. "This magic doesn't drain me," she muttered. "Other nurses can't keep up. They'll run out of energy before they've healed half of these wounds."
The deeper and more severe the injury, the more stamina it required to heal—a strain most nurses couldn't bear for long.
Linda sighed, "I'm sorry."
"Rasalhague," hissed Serpens, still coiled loosely around her neck, "don't snap like that. She was only trying to help."
"I know, I know. Just…everyone, shut up," she mumbled, moving toward a soldier whose leg had been blown off. He rocked back and forth, his groans a symphony of pain. Blood poured from the stump.
With a deep breath, Rasalhague knelt beside him, her eyes filled with pity. She placed her hand on the wound and closed her eyes. A soft green light enveloped his leg, and in moments, the bleeding stopped. Flesh knitted itself together, and though the leg was gone, the pain subsided, and peace washed over the man's face.
The tent grew silent. Nurses, including Linda, stared in awe. Without a word, Rasalhague moved to the next soldier, and the next, healing one after another, her energy untouched by the efforts.
———
When the last patient was healed, Rasalhague stepped out of the tent, breathing in the cool evening air. The sun was setting, casting a golden hue across the sky. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a sucker, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth.
"Cherry," she muttered to herself, savoring the flavor.
"So," Serpens spoke up, his voice low, "what now?"
"I want to speak to the Emperor," Rasalhague said flatly.
Serpens slithered slightly, surprised. "The Emperor? What for?"
"I think I could be of use on the battlefield."
"You? A child? And a girl at that? He's not going to take you seriously."
"I have venom running through my veins," she said with quiet confidence. "I should be of some use."
Serpens remained silent for a moment.
"I'm going to write a letter, asking for an audience with him," she continued. "He'll listen if it's from 'The Healer.'" A smirk crept across her face.
"Ah, yes. 'The Healer of Aquila.'" Serpens chuckled. Rasalhague was famous across Aquila for her healing powers, though none knew about the serpent's venom that coursed through her body.
———
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
"Thank you," a man said, his voice full of gratitude.
"No problem," replied the woman in camouflage, smiling as she took the wad of cash he handed her.
She walked into her house, where a young man with short blond hair sat on the couch, eyes glued to the TV.
"Hey," she called out.
"Yo," he responded without looking away from the screen.
The woman headed into her room and peeled off her camouflage jacket, revealing a lean, muscular frame beneath, and a pair of ample breasts. She was drenched in sweat. Catching her reflection in the mirror, she sighed. "I need a shower."
Her thoughts drifted to Rigel. Maybe she'd visit him tomorrow.
Grabbing fresh clothes and a towel, she headed down the hall to the bathroom.
———
Somewhere in Capella…
Bats hung from the ceiling of a dark cave, their silent slumber undisturbed. Deeper within, the cave opened up to a dimly lit chamber, illuminated by a single flickering torch.
A woman lay sprawled on a mattress, surrounded by snakes. Her long black hair was tangled and dirty, her clothes reduced to rags. Pale skin stretched over a gaunt frame, and her bloodshot eyes were rimmed with dark rings from countless sleepless nights.
Gnashing her teeth in frustration, she slowly rose to her feet, her back aching with pain. "Ahh," she groaned, arching her spine.
Snakes slithered toward her, crawling up her legs and torso. She giggled softly, her mood shifting to eerie joy. She raised her arms high, looking up at the cave ceiling.
"All that was taken from me shall be regained!" she screamed, her voice echoing through the cavern.
And then, she cackled.