“So, you’ve finally come to visit me. You know, it is customary to visit within the first two days.”
Zaira was crouching on the ground after a hard landing. She was finding it difficult to breathe, and her heart tightened at the voice’s tone. She squeezed her eyes tight before mustering up the courage to look up to meet the Preeminent’s gaze.
The Preeminent standing before her was not indigenous to this planet. See-through skin with subtle hints of blue and green throughout, black hair, and blue eyes with black starbursts pupils. The feeling and energy of this creature declared her Preeminent to whoever had doubts. When she finally met those eyes, to Zaira’s surprise, they were light, and a smile twitched at the corner of the Preeminent’s mouth. Zaira was lucky to have seen that playful edge as it vanished nearly instantly as the eyes looked over the newcomer.
“Simone!”
A tall blonde-haired witch in green robes emerged from the door behind the Preeminent.
“Get her inside.”
“Yes, mam.” Simone walked up to Zaira. “Can you walk?”
“Of course.” Zaira was a little taken aback by the question. She must have looked worse than she thought. The demon stood and straightened as much as she could, leaving her bent forward, but it was the first step forward that did her in.
She wobbled and would’ve fallen had Simone not caught her. Unfortunately, this also sent searing pain shooting through her body.
“I guess not.” She heard Simone mumble.
Zaira couldn’t help but growl softly at the comment. All she got was a chuckle in return.
“I’m sorry.” The witch said a little louder as she readjusted her grip. Her hand slid down to support Zaira at the hip. “Is that better?”
“Yes.”
Simone helped her into what had looked like an unassuming shack. The first room was a welcoming waiting room and kitchenette. They walked straight through, passed several doors, and into a back room. It looked like a hospital room, complete with two beds and it had many tools you would normally find in an examination room.
Simone led her to one of the beds. “Sit.”
Zaira did so, only letting go of Simone’s arm when she was properly seated.
“You should take off your glamour spells so we can help you better.”
Zaira studied the woman’s expression, the witch simply gave her a reassuring smile. Zaira followed orders and dropped the glamour spell over her torso.
The Yulmuth had only put on her face glamour and one to cover her naked torso. She hadn’t had the courage to dress before arriving. Simone surely knew she wasn’t wearing a shirt, the weaker glamour she had cast could not give the illusion of touch.
Simone audibly gasped at the sight of the wounds. Thoughts could be seen swirling in her eyes. Simone nodded to herself. The witch stepped off to the side, just out of view, and started prepping something.
“It's not hard to see why you are here.” The Preeminent said as she entered the room. Zaira noticed she leaned very heavily on a cane when moving. She had not noticed it earlier and understood why as when the Preeminent stopped moving she straightened and stood tall, the cane tucked against her, nearly hidden in the pant leg.
She looked kind and caring, nothing at all like the Preeminents of the last few provinces she had lived in. Especially odd was the lack of magical power and a signature to complement the raw power the creature exuded.
“Zaira… My name is Ime. Those are not natural burns. What exactly were you scuffling with?”
“Some sort of entity,” Zaira muttered.
“Not my field of expertise I’m afraid.” Zaira bit her lip as she felt tears well up. A hand covered hers. “But I can help. Well, I can get you help. Simone, I don’t suppose your training covers this type of wound?”
“I have seen these in a medical journal. I’m not sure what the best option will be, but this will help soothe the burns.”
Simone put a bowl of salve on a rolling table and brought it close to Zaira.
“Do you want to apply it yourself?”
“Yes, thank you.” Zaira squeaked.
She collected some of the balm on the tips of her fingers and spread it on her wounds. Simone was right, it was incredibly soothing, much more so than the blue cress mixture.
To her embarrassment, she couldn’t reach everything. The Preeminent, doctor, stepped in. Their relaxed demeanor and warm presence encircled Zaira trying to reassure her without words. But like an overtired toddler Zaira pushed the blanket away, her body so tense her muscles were aching.
The doctor followed up by dressing her wounds. Her hand moved quickly with minimal jostling. Zaira started at the floor trying not to bolt. The air stilled. The doctor’s voice pierced through the haze in her head.
“Why don’t you lie down and rest? You look like you are about to topple over.”
The doctor raised the head of the bed and helped her lay down.
A couple of tears slipped down Zaira’s cheek. Her head rested back, and she closed her eyes, allowing herself to breathe for the moment.
“Would you like some painkillers?”
Zaira looked at the doctor and took a moment to decide. That salve had already done wonders, but perhaps her nerves could use some. “Maybe something light?”
“Of course. I’ll go get them for you. I’ll also contact a colleague for a treatment plan.”
“Thank you.”
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
The doctor smiled at her and left the room. Zaira closed her eyes again yet found herself speaking instead of resting.
“Are you her apprentice?”
“No, I’m her niece-in-law. She occasionally kidnaps me to use as an assistant… Would you mind me asking? What are you?”
Zaira opened her mouth, but the following words were not hers.
“She is a Yulmuth. Quite a lovely one, and powerful, I’m sure you can feel that.” Simone nodded, a small smile on her lips, and the Preeminent’s attention turned to Zaira. “Though I must say I’m surprised. We don’t see many of your kind in the Overworld, much less Terra. Here take these.”
The Preeminent gave her two pills and a glass of water.
“Thank you.” Zaira’s eyes flicked to the intimidating woman before swallowing her pills.
The Preeminent looked satisfied and limped her wait to a nearby chair, stiffly sitting down.
“Simone, would you mind leaving us?”
“Yes, mam” Simone stood, glanced at Zaira, and vanished. Her signature also vanished, leaving no doubt that she had teleported away.
The claws on her right hand started lightly scratching at the back of her left hand as Zaira looked to the Preeminent.
“Now, while we wait. It's time for formal introductions, don’t you think? I have questions for you. And I’m certain you have questions for me. I am Ime, one of two Preeminents in the non-human province within Saanich, Nodin is the other. I take care of the immigrants to this land and their descendants; Nodin takes care of the ones who have been here as far back as their generational memory goes. I’m sure you’ve heard of us, despite your reluctance to pay your respects.”
Zaira turned her head away. She had been inviting trouble.
“What are your questions for me?”
Zaira’s head whipped around so suddenly she felt faint. She wasn’t going to get a chewing out?
“Nodin… Is an Animikii…” She started hesitantly. Ime nodded. “He belongs to this land… What are you?”
Zaira couldn’t help the question. She had mulled over the question many times, even before moving to this land. Ime had been mentioned in her research, but Nodin was the face of this land. Much was known about him, his power, bravery, and generosity. But Ime lived in the shadows.
“My species is extinct. What I am is insignificant. But who I am, beyond a Preeminent in Saanich, may be of interest to you. I am Ime An, child of Death, founder of the very first interplanetary empire, goddess of whatever mortal whim says I am.”
Zaira’s eyes were wide, heart in her throat. Their signature wasn’t there to be felt, but that feeling, the feeling you got when someone told you they were a god and you just knew they were telling the truth. The creature in front of her did not exude crushing power in its signature, not because it was weak, but because it was so powerful that it could completely hide its signature from an Akal.
Zaira had also heard of the Preeminent before, only back then he was Ashoka. In fact, if she remembered correctly, she believed she and Ashoka to be about the same age. Ashoka would have known her species; Ime was the prime candidate to identify her species.
So why hasn’t she called my bluff?
The Preeminent leaned back in her chair and smiled, fingers interlaced in front of her.
“My revelation unnerved you. But not in the way I was expecting.”
Zaira looked at her hands, claw scratching harder, trying to mask ‒ everything. She was exposed and she suddenly regretted leaving her cave very much.
“Ash – Ime…”
“It's alright.” The god reassured.
The soft tone was soothing, a balm. The calm was purposeful. Zaira was dizzy trying to figure out what to feel around this creature.
“What are you doing here?” Zaira whispered. Whether to herself or the Preeminent, she didn’t know.
“Why, isn’t obvious? I’m retired!” The god raised their arms and posed with a smirk. “Though it seems retirement for me ended up meaning having my peace interrupted by creatures who subsequently made me Preeminent.” The Preeminent caught Zaira’s questioning eye. “Oh yes, I moved to this land back when only animals inhabited it. Then I ended up dabbling in medicine after…events.” The Preeminent waved away the unspoken events. “It's odd. Healing wounds, instead of causing them.”
Zaira looked at the god with childishly wide eyes. She had stopped picking at her skin, her pain at the back of her mind, waiting for and hoping for more details to sink her teeth into.
“But, enough about me. Who are you?” The Preeminent leaned back, amusement painting her face, but eyes focused, analyzing the demon on the bed who was nearing pink in color when she should be red. The doctor was hoping to hear her mirror chime with a message soon, the Yulmuth needed immediate care.
“I… I am Zaira. I work for the angels. Search and rescue.”
The Preeminent smiled. “And that’s why you are not too intimidated by a god. How long have you worked for them? I hear they aren’t easy to work with.”
“About three hundred years. They... are not difficult to work with. Just, aloof. I think the actual job is the most difficult.”
The Preeminent closed her eyes, a sad smile briefly appearing on her face.
“Why did you move to Nanowin?”
“I needed a change… Bad memories in Europa. Rushka said they could transfer me here.”
Ime wanted to question the demon further on these ‘bad memories’. But the Yulmuth was working for the angels and had obviously passed their standards, so why force information out of the woman? Her signature, whilst well hidden from most, hinted strongly at her being an Akal, an old being. She had reached an age much older than what a Yulmuth usually reached. And any creature who reached that kind of age was a potential friend to a goddess.
“Why Terra?”
Zaira shrugged, then flinched at the pain in her torso. “Seemed like a good idea at the time. I’ve switched planets a few times now.”
“Fair enough. I’ve done the same over the years.” The Preeminent placed her cane solidly on the floor and leaned on it to stand. “How about we get you under the covers? You should get some sleep.”
The doctor helped her get comfortable. The wounds were oozing again. The doctor promised they would be in as soon as they received word on Zaira’s treatment. As the doctor left the room, Zaira asked one last question.
“Preeminent?”
“Ime, please.”
“Ime. You were Ashoka?”
“Now that is a name I haven’t heard in a long time.” Ime cocked their head and smiled. The Yulmuth had given them her age with that question. The goddess looked forward to discovering the past of someone nearly her own age.
“Um... yeah. So, I was under the impression you were male? But?”
Ime barked a laugh. “Male, female, in between. Depends on my mood. I don’t care about pronouns. Though if you need a guide, I can shift my body to match my mood.”
“Oh.”
“Now go to sleep. You need it.”
Ime left. The room was silent. Her eyelids were heavy, but Zaira made sure she would only doze. She rested her horns uncomfortably on the headboard and stared into the only light in the room. She was here for these dammed caustic wounds, not her self-harm.
----------------------------------------
Zaira managed to stay awake or doze her entire stay at the Preeminent’s home. Her stay was much longer than she anticipated. Fours nights. Her hand was starched raw, but her face felt great.
She found the hospital to be mostly devoid of creatures. The goddess truly did seem to want to be retired. She found out the only patients they had now were emergencies and an occasional demon. Nodin was a regular visitor, she heard them speak often. Through the walls, she heard them speak about politics, but also about their families.
Simone came over to help administer Zaira’s treatments. She was very down-to-earth and caring. Zaira would likely enjoy the visits if it didn’t feel like they were peeling her skin off at every new treatment. The mattress was shredded from Zaira’s claws digging into it to cope with the pain. Thankfully, the process always ended with a soothing liquid.
On the fifth day, Zaira was ready to go home and sleep. Her wounds were still like fresh burns, but she couldn’t feel the earlier putrid magic that had been emanating from them. They would start to heal normally now.
“Aren’t we the eager beaver? Dislike me that much?”
Zaira gave them a small. “No.”
“Good. I guess you are excited to sleep in your own bed tonight? You went from death’s door to Hypnos’.”
Zaira nodded. The doctor had offered her sleeping pills during her stay. The demon had refused on the grounds that they tended to have side effects. She wasn’t being entirely dishonest; she had tried sleeping pills before. The issue was, she had no trouble falling asleep, and they didn’t help with what awaited her on the other side.
“Are you sure these will heal well? I don’t want to let you go only to have you come back tomorrow.”
“Burns are nothing.”
Zaira’s thoughts suddenly jumped to Simone’s wife, and she instantly regretted that sentence. Simone had mentioned in passing that her wife was a burn survivor. Burns were definitely not nothing for the overworlders. “I have blue cress at home. Thank you. How much do I owe you?”
Ime waved her off. “Nothing. This is what I do in my retirement, I enjoy it. Though, perhaps don’t wait until you need my help to visit again.” Ime smiled. “Don’t be a stranger.”
The Preeminent’s friendly demeanor was stored away. Ime made sure to look her in the eye. Zaira stilled.
“However, I am not dumb. You are hiding something. I do not know you. The angels trust you, so I have given you the benefit of the doubt. However, I will find out. And if this secret of yours endangers anyone, I will have you removed. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.”
“I know, thank you.”