Oh.

Cocking my head up to peer into the blind dwarf's face, I squawk in shock. The hands molding the soft metal to my wing was fast and efficient. Much faster than Greenie.

The contraption he'd made was cradling my wing in a matter that worked to decrease the pain.

I'd really thought he was going to kill me. But he was trying to heal me.

This felt like a repeat of my first meeting with Greenie. Except back then, there wasn't a worried-out-of-his-mind goblin hurtling towards us as fast as his feet could take him.

MASTERRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!

"Krwaaaaaaaaaaeii!!!!!!"

Unmoved by the menacing bellow that rings out behind us, the dwarf continued to make adjustments on my wings in a no-nonsense manner. He was even kind enough to press one of his hands to my still-bleeding wound, deftly using his other hands to bend and shape the silver metal over my torn up wing and chest.

BANG!

The fall to the ground was not too bad for me, thanks to the dwarf's short stature and the fact that he'd been sitting on the grass.

But the dwarf didn't look too well. Greenie had body slammed him, and unlike the Minotaur who'd been unaffected, the dwarf had gone flying, spinning over the ground like a lumpy brown, hairy, soccer ball.

"Cras sit amet pulvinar odio!!"

Throwing up his hands in disgust, the dwarf shakes his fist in the general direction of where he thought Greenie was.

Too bad the direction he faced was nowhere near where Greenie was.

Greenie stood right over me, crouching in a protective-

AH!

NO GREENIE DON'T STAND RIGHT OVER ME!

Master? Hurt?

Greenie jumps to the side, thankfully.

His loincloth was the type that didn't tie under the legs. Which had me looking up his…

If I was some prepubescent boy and Greenie was a girl, this might have been an enjoyable experience. As it was, it was quite UNenjoyable for me.

Just the sight of his hanging-

Whatever. It definitely made me feel worse.

And the Minotaur whuffing in laughter to the side didn't help. If he still had arms he would probably be rubbing his belly with the deep laughter that thrummed out of him. I was glad at least the hag was still out, beads of sweat dripping off her forehead.

I check to see if he'd dropped any of the clay he'd luckily brought back when he ran back here. Though some of the blue-grey clay slipped through his thick fingers, most of it was still there, in his cupped palms.

Maybe it was Greenie's luck. Whatever it was, I was thankful.

Appraisal!

[Blue Mulligis Clay: A strange clay made of absorptive materials. Formed by a mixture of plant matter, rock mineral, and other natural matter.]

Absorptive was exactly what I needed. I just hope it worked like the clay face masks I'd aggressively collected in my old life. The masks I'd used in my previous life had been vital for my complexion, with all the breakouts that happened with my unbalanced and overstressed work life.

In theory, they should be able to draw out impurities. And the absorptive in the clay description was giving me a good feeling about this.

Master, hungry? Greenie feed Master.

His tentative tone makes me look up to see him trying, and failing to ball up the mud.

I'm not eating that Greenie. I need you to put it on her back.

I nod towards the lady, who I'd injured with the Peck that had deeply cut open the skin of her back.

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And then me.

Greenie roughly rolls over the lady, getting the clay over her shoulders, and packs it on. I had to remind him to take the woman's rough tunic-dress off. Which he does. By ripping it off her shoulders with his new strength. My goodness, my Greenie needed some work when it came to treating a lady. I'd thought her skin was brown because of all the dirt that covered her, but it turns out I was wrong. Even under her tunic, her tough, leathery skin was a pale shade of brown underneath the flakes of streaky dirt.

More, greenie. Her wound was bigger than mine.

She was pregnant for pete's sake! Even if she was a dying woman, a pregnant woman would always take precedence!

His greasy hair flies back and forth as he vehemently shakes his head.

Master's clay!

Greenie was shaking his head at me, in a rare demonstration of disobedience. Seriously, we didn't have time for that.

The faster you can get her injury covered, the faster you can heal me.

He stands up, trying to come towards me.

No. My body is much smaller than hers. There'll be more than enough to cover me. Besides, we can go get more. Make sure to cover her entire back.

He takes another step towards me, the precious clay dripping off his hands.

No. Greenie.

My tone makes him acquiesce, slapping on the clay without any care until the open wound I'd pecked down the lady's green-tinged skin was covered in it..

And then turned to me.

Packing the remaining clay on me, with no hesitation. He was a lot gentler than me than with the hag, which made me want to speak up.....But I thought better of it when I glimpsed the look on his face.

The long canines peeking out of his mouth seemed to be quivering, the jowels shaking with- with- concern?

The cool clay getting packed over the splint the dwarf had put on me, and over the open wound on my chest, felt good. The throbbing, burning pain was lessening against the coolness of the clay.

"Crawwwk"

I croak in relief as Greenie gently dabs the clay over my wing and half of my chest. With my eyes half closed, I can hear the Minotaur and dwarf having some sort of intense conversation.

When it grows quiet, except for the old woman's occasional moans and groans, I crack one eye open as Greenie continues to paint me with clay.

Seems like the Minotaur was going to copy us. His powerful strides kick up the dirt as he heads to the far side of the lake where the reeds were, the dwarf distastefully holding onto his rope behind him.

"EEEerghhhhhhhhh"

Ssssssschk. Sssssschk.

What was that sound? Was the lady awake?

Harsh, fast panic runs through me. I didn't know how giving birth worked!!

Did you wake up?

The hag's green eyes were piercing, her eyes opened wide as cries of pain ripped out of her.

It comes!!!

Ssssssschk. Sssssschk.

My beak pops open in shock. And the noise was coming from her!

Her dark green hair was undulating wildly now, like snakes, as her face twisted into a horrible grimace.

Snakes!

Greenie get back!! Don't look at her!!!

Both of us whirl around in tandem, facing away from the lady and out towards the sparkling lake, where two figures were busy hunched over searching for clay.

The vague details from the mythology course I'd taken in high school was coming into play.

If her hair was undulating like snakes, that meant that she must be…

A Medusa!

Honorable One! Please! Take the seed when it comes!!

A Medusa?

I'd thought for sure she would be a tree nymph of some sort.

Confusion makes my gut feel queasy.

Honorable One!

Her mournful calls make me want to turn around.

We go? Master? Greenie gleefully asks me.

Ssssssschk. Sssssschk. Ssssssschk. Sssssschk.

The weird sounds kept going.

Master?

Honorable One!! she cries out, with Thought Transmission, the desperation radiating off her in waves.

Ahhhh. Forget it. I was overthinking. Again.

If she hadn't turned me into a statute before, then she wouldn't do it now.

I carefully turn my body to go to her side......and I freeze in shock.

The hair that was dark green and undulating wildly was now rooted into the ground, growing into the grass. And her fingers and bare toes that had been constantly digging into the dirt each time she curled up in pain on the ground....she was rooted in, the grass covering her up to the elbows and knees. That's where the sound was coming from.

Tendrils of long grass snake up her arms and legs, piercing into where her veins would be.

It should be a horrifying sight. Like that movie where aliens burst out of your flesh, a strange and terrifyingly dissonant scene.

I couldn't put my finger on it though. Her light brown skin colored with shades of green, the now-luscious long green locks thickly stretching into the dirt, matched with the nature surrounding her.

But it was somehow beautiful. She was beautiful.

The more she became one with the ground, the more the deep-set wrinkles on her features faded away. The pained frown between her eyebrows faded out, leaving her with ephemeral, innocent features that settled in peace.

Ignoring the supernatural element for now, I do my best to get to the open space between her spread legs. Though Greenie tries to run in and stop me, I painfully hop between his legs.

He doesn't try to stop me after that, knowing the pain he was causing me when he tried to stop.

Alright how was this going to work.

Greenie definitely wasn't going to help. He had his arms crossed, watching us from the side.

Sigh..I would have to deliver this baby myself...with one wing..

I guess I could try to make the baby's descent out of the womb comfortable by catching it with my good wing. And I could encourage the woman to push, like they did in the movies. Other than that, I was clueless.

Exasperated, I ask Greenie.

Can you at least get me some wet leaves that she could drink water with?

Yes..

Greenie come back fast!

He starts running off to collect what I'd asked him to.

Crawling up the undulating lengths of grass and flowering vines on the woman's leg, I carefully peel back the rough material of her dress to reveal her nether regions...

And blink like I had a nervous tic.

There was nothing there..

Not even a hole where normally, a baby would come out of. Completely smooth. Like her body wasn't made to give birth from this spot.

Errrrr......Where's the baby??

Carefully climbing back down, I examine the space between her open legs.

Honorable One???

Her tone sounds just as confused as I was.