Maxine was minutes from arriving to Earth and she was amazed at how quickly she had gotten to Earth. She had expected it to take more than a week, but instead it took just three days. Apparently the conflict planet was far closer to Earth than it was to the Kavros clan's homeworld.
Maxine was rather excited to see Earth again, but also nervous about what kind of reception she would recieve since neither Emily or Silky would tell her anything about how most earthlings felt about her. However their silence was more than enough to let her know that she wouldn't be getting a warm welcome from Earth. At best, she would be ignored and at worst, they would riot and protest outside of the hospital that she would be staying at. Still regardless of how welcoming or unwelcoming her reception is, it would still be wonderful to be back on Earth.
As for the shadow world, Maxine didn't focus her attention too much in that direction since Nora hadn't stopped screaming from the moment she woke up. Guan's potions caused her to have nightmarish halucinations for hours on end and he only gave her short breaks to ensure her mind didn't break. It was obvious he wanted her to suffer for a very long time. The last time she had a moment of ludicity she tried biting her tongue off, but it was a futile effort. Guan had given her a Hyper Regeneration potion that healed her wounds almost as fast as she could cause them.
Maxine had almost reverted to calling Guan by his name again after seeing his cruel side, but she knew the desire for vengeance better than anyone. So she gave him plenty of slack, but she felt uncomfortable watching what he was doing to Nora Marks. Thus she tried her best to keep her awareness to her clone at a minimum.
At least, she understood why the Alliance didn't bother administering any punishments on Nora Marks. Falling into Guan's hands was a bad enough punishment for anyone.
Oddly, the Divine Marks clan saved themselves somewhat after announcing that Nora Marks was no longer part of their clan. They explained that they kicked her out because she had become too unhinged for them to tolerate her any longer. This announcement was mere moments before Nora Marks was captured by Guan.
As for their punishment from the Alliance, they were deemed to have automatically lost the war with the Kavros clan and were be placed under observation by another clan to ensure that they didn't break any other laws. It was a lenient punishment to say the least. Under normal conditions, the offending clan would have their ruling family annihilated and have more than half of their wealth given to the injured party. It was the recording crystal that Maxine provided that made their punishment as light as it was.
As the ship landed, she was jolted slightly and pain surged throughout her body. She knew her clanmates hadn't done it intentionally. Her obvious pain didn't stop them from moving her quickly out of the ship. Thankfully, they didn't have to take her out of the medical pod and moved her while she was still in it for which she was grateful. She wasn't fully clothed. In fact, besides some bandaging and a sheet covering her, she was completely naked inside of the medical pod. No one had wanted to aggrivate her injuries further by putting any form of clothing on her.
It took them less than a minute to get her out of the ship and into the building they landed on top of. She knew that this facility was the one that Emily worked in part time and it appeared to have all the latest medical technology available on Earth. However the medical pod she was in was at least a century a head of anything in the building.
She was quickly moved into a hospital room to wait until Emily arrived. She finally noticed a few beastkin children had taken up a few seats in the room along with Nina Cervantes. All of whom looked worried about her. She had no idea why Nina was there, but she understood why the beastkin children were there. She had promised to reunite them with their families if she could find them and they had wanted to stay with her to make sure she upheld her word.
The TV was turned on by a nurse and it was showing the news. "Breaking news: The mysterious Kavros Clan has brought one of their wounded to one of our Medical Centers specifically made for cultivators. As you can see in this image," the news anchor said in english as a blurry image of Maxine in her medical pod occupied most of the screen, "The wounded individual is clearly a woman, and due to the low quality of the picture, we are unable to ascertain her identity. Our on the scene reporter is attempting to get a statement from the Kavros clan." Wow. That was fast. I've barely been here more than five minutes and I already made the news. Strange how they neglected to mention the beastkin children. Still, it feels odd to hear english spoken after over two years of living at the Kavros clan.
"Maxine, you're awake!" Nina Cervantes exclaimed in alliance common when she noticed Maxine's eyes were open and rushed to the side of Maxine's medical pod, "You don't have to endure the pain for much longer. The healer will be here soon."
"I know she will," Maxine said as she felt her constructs hiding in Emily's shadow rapidly approaching, "I sense her coming."
"What?" Nina asked as Emily threw the door open before running to Maxine.
"Hey, Emily," Maxine said in english and she felt Emily's spiritual sense probe her body. It focused where her ovaries were or what was left of them.
"You idiot! Why didn't you tell me you were hurt this bad!?" Emily yelled at Maxine, "I don't even know if I can heal this or where to even begin."
[Completely restoring her reproductive ability will be nearly impossible, but as long as you follow my directions, you will be able to restore sixty to eighty percent function back to Maxine's ovaries,] Guan said calmly to Maxine and Emily.
[If you know how to do it, why don't you do it?] Emily asked angrily.
[I do not possess divine essence and if I were to try without it, I would only be able to restore ten, at most twenty, percent functionality to her ovaries. I might be able to triple that if I had the proper healing potions on hand, but that is my limit,] Guan answered, [Divine essence is perfectly suited for healing whereas my poison essence is more suited to killing.]
[Fine, but I won't be able to heal Maxine's ovaries in one sitting. The damage is too extensive and I don't have the essence reserves to pull this off,] Emily said firmly.
[Don't worry about that. Maxine can mimic divine essence and can provide the raw energy that you need. You simply need to direct it. As for why she can't heal herself, it would take almost all of her focus to tolerate the pain caused by this procedure and produce divine essence,] Guan explained. I would be surprised if it didn't hurt. Emily will be literately putting all of my scattered eggs back together into their proper place while reconstructing my shattered ovaries.
"Could you and the children leave the room?" Emily asked as she opened the medical pod and placed her hands on Maxine's stomach as she told Guan, [Okay, just tell me what to do.] Nina Cervantes and the beastkin children left the room quietly, but Maxine noticed a strange jealous glare directed at Emily from Nina. Fuck! She really is into me. I need to set her straight as soon as I can. I do not need drama of any kind right now.
Guan started telling Emily what to do. Maxine couldn't care less what was said since she felt a sudden sharp pain in her lower body. It took every ounce of willpower to keep herself from screaming as she started to convert essence from her clones, main body and constructs into divine essence. She felt Emily gently direct her converted essence to where it needed to go.
It was a grueling experience. She grit her teeth to better tolerate teh pain and watched Emily heal her through her spiritual sense. The scattered fragments of Maxine's ovaries were slowly moved back into place as if they were part of some elaborate jigsaw puzzle as they were healed back into place.
Even through all of the pain, Maxine marveled at how skillfully Emily worked. She was far more skilled at healing than Maxine could have imagined. Emily must have been healing people regularly ever since I left Earth to be this good at it. I'm proud of her.
Once the last fragment of her ovaries were healed back into place, the sharp pain from her lower stomache subsided leaving only a dull ache in it's place. She tried moving slightly and immediately regretted it since it felt like she had just been stabbed. She was still very tender.
[Maxine, the procedure was a success. Emily was able to repair your ovaries to eighty percent functionality,] Guan said happily, [Although as you have noticed, you will be tender for the next day or two while your healing factor, as the earthlings call it, repairs the rest. Your remaining injuries should be fully healed in six days as long as you drink one of your healing potions.]
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Maxine opened her eyes to see Emily panting and covered in sweat as she staggered over to sit in a chair. Even with me providing most of the energy, it still took a lot out of Emily. I wish I could do something nice for her.
"Thank you, Emily," Maxine said weakly.
"You're welcome," Emily answered.
Maxine was about to tease Emily when the door opened and Silky poked her head into the room. Unfortunately, Silky saw Maxine and tears started falling down her cheeks as she ran towards Maxine.
Maxine clenched her teeth expecting Silky to leap on top of her and cry in earnest. Thankfully that didn't happen. Instead, Silky grabbed Maxine's hand with tear-filled eyes before saying, "Mama, please, tell me you will be alright. I don't like seeing you hurt."
"I will be alright. I just need some rest and I should be on my feet soon enough," Maxine reassured Silky, but that didn't seem to calm Silky down at all.
"But, but isn't there a way to make you better faster? Can't Emily heal you?" Silky asked and she looked at Emily off to the side.
"She already healed the worst of it. She is too tired to do anymore today," Maxine said soothingly, "Maybe tomorrow, she will have recovered enough to heal the rest."
"Okay," Silky sobbed and all of her eyes opened as they turned red, "At least tell me who hurt you. I want to make them hurt just as bad!" Maxine almost laughed at that, but stopped herself because she knew it would hurt to laugh.
"Grandpa Guan is already taking care of it. Trust me you don't want to know what he is doing to the lady that hurt me," Maxine told Silky and thankfully, her words seemed to have calmed Silky down.
"I heard you got injured again, but I didn't think it would be so bad that it would leave Emily exhausted from trying to heal you," Claudia, her birth mother, said as she walked into the room, "And I thought after you left to go to your 'clan' you wouldn't have to fight again and here you are covered in injuries. At least, you managed to save those kids from those cruel people." Someone seems to have very loose lips. I wonder who told her where those kids came from.
"I couldn't just watch them being beaten," Maxine said defensively.
"So, you did save them!" her mother said smuggly and Maxine felt dumbfounded, "I saw the bruising on the arms of that little fox-eared boy just outside your room and I made the assumption that you saved him since we both know you would never hit a child." Well shit. I guess mom knows me best afterall.
"You're right. I wouldn't hit a child," Maxine said and decided to change the subject, "So, when will my new sibling be born?"
"Not for another six to seven months according to the doctor," her mother said while gently stroking her belly, "I only hope I'm not being used as an incubator again."
"Guan didn't say anything about that to me," Maxine said honestly, "In fact, I think he may have given your body a little push to make it so that you could have kids on your own."
"Good, he owes me that much for raising you," her mother said.
Maxine was in a great mood even though she was in pain. She was surrounded by her loved ones, but that joy turned to anger once she saw who was on the TV. Zabel Nodd was talking to a reporter. Someone had muted the TV, but she was able to read his lips, "That's the young miss of my Kavros clan. No one else within our clan, aside from the Matriarchs relatives, have that silver hair and they all possess abnormal height except for Maxine." For the breifest of moments, Zabel Nodd's eyes turned scarlet while he talked. That bastard! Not only did that fucker cause the war, but he is fucking me over again while I'm too injured to deal with him. At least we know where he ran off to now. But why Earth? He could have gone literately anywhere else, and no one would have found him. Is he really that stupid? Or is he just crazy? And I definitely didn't like how his eyes flashed red for a second. God, I hope he isn't a Shadow Demon. Regardless, he needs to be punished for causing that senseless war.
Maxine reached out with her spiritual sense and found Nina Cervantes, [Tell the others that Zabel Nodd is on Earth.]
[What?! How do you know that?] Nina Cervantes asked.
[Turn on the TV and switch to the local news channel. You will see him,] Maxine answered.
[They have been informed,] Nina Cervantes said after a few moments, [Is it alright if we come back in? The children are worried about you.]
[Give us a few more minutes. I still want to talk with my birth mother for awhile longer,] Maxine answered.
"Maxine, what's wrong?" Her mother asked with concern.
"I just spotted a criminal from the Kavros clan and I needed to tell one of my companions about it. That's all," Maxine said reassuringly, "So, do you have any names picked out yet?"
"A few, but...," Claudia said while looking sad, "John wants a paternity test to make sure it is actually his. I can't believe he doesn't trust me even after everything I have done for him."
"Mom..," Maxine said weakly since she didn't know what to say.
"You should divorced that asshole," Emily said bluntly, which drew everyone's gaze straight to her, "He beat both you and Maxine for years and you didn't tell anyone about it. That should've been enough to prove how loyal you are to him and yet he still pulls that shit. He doesn't deserve you."
"Grandpa Johnathan beat mama and grandma?" Silky asked disbelievingly before angry tears started falling down her cheeks, "Why?! Did you do something wrong?" Mom didn't tell her? That's surprising.
"No, we did nothing wrong, It was all him. He drank beer and wine to get drunk and he became violent," Maxine said sadly as memories of his abuses came to the forefront of her mind.
"But he always regretted it after, Maxine," Claudia said without any real strength behind her words.
"If he really regretted it, he would have stopped drinking that filth a long time ago," Maxine retorted harshly.
"That's right. He should have," Emily agreed. Claudia looked at the ground in shame.
"Hello? Is it okay to come in?" Nina Cervantes asked in english.
"Yes, Nina. Come on in," Maxine answered since they were more or less done with their current discussion, but she immediately regretted it when the beastkin children rushed up to her. Their little hands were grabbing onto her wounded arms causing her to wince in pain.
"Easy, now. I'm not all the way healed yet," Maxine said to them through gritted teeth.
"Sorry," a foxkin boy said poorly in english as the three beastkin children released her, "We worried."
"I know, but I havn't forgotten about you three. My clanmates should be looking for your relatives, so you just need to be a bit patient," Maxine soothed them and even though it was painful, she lifted up her hand to stroke their cheeks one at a time.
"'Kay," the foxkin boy said.
"Who's she?" Emily asked out of the blue as she looked at Nina Cervantes.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I completely forgot to introduce you to each other," Maxine said apologetically, "Emily this is Nina. Nina this is Emily, my beloved." Emily blushed lightly. Maxine hoped Nina would take a hint from that one statement and not persue her any further. If not, she would have to say it directly.
"I think most people know that by now," Emily said.
"Seriously? How did they find that out? We weren't that open about it before I left Earth," Maxine said in confusion.
"Former ambassador Sutton revealed that we were still a couple and that verbal slip has made my life difficult," Emily complained, "You wouldn't believe the amount of grief I have gotten from all of my non-cultivator patients."
"He is definitely never getting reinvited back to the Kavros clan any time soon," Maxine said coldly, "By the way, which country is he from?" I'm going to make sure that idiot pays for his stupidity.
"No idea," Emily answered, "But he is no longer the ambassador to the Kavros clan. That's why I said former ambassador. In fact, I think he is a low end clerk now."
Maxine started laughing and immediately stopped as she winced in pain, "Ugh, please, don't make me laugh again." From respected ambassador to lowly clerk. I couldn't have come up with a more fitting punishment! I wonder who arranged that to happen.
"I wasn't trying to," Emily said.
"Well, it still hurt," Maxine complained to no one in particular, and decided to see how things have been going for Emily and the others, "So, how is everything going with you guys?"
That prompted Emily to talk about her studies. She was taking several advanced courses in human anatomy and biochemistry while still in high school. To Maxine, it was very boring since she already knew most of it from Guan's notes.
Silky on the other hand had been making arachne silk dresses and suites to be sold to the wealthy once a month to pay for all the food that she eats. Maxine was worried at first, but the more Silky explained, the more relaxed she got. Apparently someone had tried to kidnap her already, but the arachne twins, Mikari and Kena, dealt with that problem rather swiftly. The wouldbe kidnappers had their arms and legs broken before they were turned into the police. Maxine was grateful that was all that they did. She knew all too well what they did was extremely lenient compared to what they usually do to kidnappers.
After nearly an hour of chatting, a nurse came in and said, "Sorry, Emily. I know you want to talk to your girlfriend, but we need you for another patient. He's hurt pretty bad."
"Alright, Liz. Be right there," Emily said to the nurse before turning back to Maxine, "Well, I knew I wouldn't be able to talk to you all day. See you later, Maxine. Just press the call button if you need anything." Emily quickly left.
"Well, we best be heading home too, Silky. We promised Mikari and Kena that we'd make them Chicken Strips for dinner. And Maxine try to get some sleep," Claudia said before giving Maxine a gentle kiss on the forehead.
"I'll try mom," Maxine said, "Take care of grandma, Silky."
"I will, mama," Silky said as she left with Claudia.
"So, did they find him?" Maxine asked Nina Cervantes after everyone had left.
"No, they didn't. He vanished mere moments before they got there," Nina Cervantes answered. Well, at least he isn't stupid, but why appear in the first place. Unless,... he wanted to lure my bodyguards away. But why? If he's smart enough to figure out how lure my bodyguards away, he wouldn't kill me since that would just increase the number of people chasing him and change the orders from capture to kill on sight. In that case, I can only guess he wants to talk to me. I don't see why though. Still, it's best to prepare for the worst just in case.
Maxine tried to get comfortable in the medical pod and told Nina Cervantes, "Just make sure I have plenty of people using cloaking techniques stand guard inside of my hospital room. I have a feeling Zabel will be paying me a visit later, and unless he attacks, no one is to touch him. I want to see what he is going to do."