“Okay, Beryl, after I perform the cut, follow along like this.”

Hatsumi guided her hand along one of the chicken's breasts, bringing attention to a specific point.

“I’m going to puncture the chicken's lung and make two separate lacerations. You need to focus solely on healing the punctured lung first; otherwise, the chicken will die.”

After finishing her direction, she focused her gaze on the face of the adolescent Lamia. She was hesitating, clearly conflicted with what they were about to begin. Hatsumi explained before they’d started that it wouldn’t simply be one wound. They would go over at least half a dozen types of injury.

“Beryl... Beryl.”

Hatsumi nudged the girl, who was staring at the animal pinned under her hand. Beryl gulped nervously before looking back up to meet Hatsumi’s eyes.

“Beryl, before we start this, I need to know if you ARE ready.”

Hatsumi said, her expression stern.

I can guide her, but all the same, if I force her, then she’ll fail.

Hatsumi thought, awaiting some form of confirmation. After a moment of waiting, Beryl swallowed once more before looking to Hatsumi and nodding.

“I’m ready.”

Beryl, appearing to have steeled herself for what was to come, answered flatly. Nodding in response, Hatsumi brought out a steel needle, a throwing weapon given to her as a decoration that she kept on hand for its utility.

“You two.-“

Hatsumi grabbed the attention of her daughter, Kiyomi, and the third party member, Vaughn.

“This is just as much for your confidence as it is hers. With developed faith in your healer, you should be able to act with more confidence in almost any situation.”

The two other children nodded, focusing intently, albeit with a level of obvious distaste nearly on par with Beryl’s own.

“Okay, I will start with the laceration first. To give you a better chance, the puncture will occur last.”

Hatsumi said, looking back to Beryl. With another nod from Beryl, Hatsumi began her work. Using her claws as she did with her own hand, she made two randomly placed lacerations on the chicken's body. The animal weakly attempted to struggle, unable to fight back against the greater strength, nor its rope bonds. Blood began running down the bird's feathers, prompting a reaction from Beryl, who attempted to reach forth and begin her work before being stopped.

"I'll make the puncture now..."

Hatsumi signaled, now readying the needle along the bird's spine, aiming just to its side. With a swift movement, Hatsumi plunged the needle through the back and into the chicken's lungs. The animal convulsed once before falling limp, its own wounds already beginning to overtake it. Everyone flinched as Hatsumi yanked the needle free, startled at the animal's reaction, and the small trail of blood that followed.

"Now, Beryl, put what we discussed to practice."

Hatsumi ordered, now staring intently at the girl.

"Y-yes, ma'am!"

Beryl responded weakly, bringing her hands forward quickly and steadying them just over the wound. She began to sweat nervously as mana flowed forth from her hands, struggling to focus and maintain concentration on just the puncture itself. After a few moments, the chicken began struggling once more, even letting loose a few brief clucks.

"I-I did it!"

Beryl's face lit up for but a moment before Hatsumi interrupted.

"Don't become distracted; focus until its condition is recovered. It still has lacerations and it's losing blood!"

Looking back down, the chicken was still actively bleeding, just not to the degree it had with the puncture. She brought her hands back down, and resumed healing, a new sense of confidence exuding from her as her expression calmed. Looking to Kiyomi and Vaugh, Hatsumi was relieved to see the demeanor of the two relax as Beryl's confidence grew.

"Almost... there..."

Beryl squeezed the words out, guiding her hands along each laceration, closing them and growing fledgling feathers in place. with each passing moment, the animal calmed down and its struggling lessened.

"Aaaaand, done!"

Beryl said confidently, exhaling with a sigh of relief as she slouched, relaxing back onto her tail. Hatsumi began to inspect each place she had placed a wound, finding fresh skin and new feathers where old ones had been torn or broken. Bringing one of her ears to the chicken, she was unable to sense any difference in its breathing compared to before the training began.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"Well, Beryl... good job."

Hatsumi sighed, looking back to Beryl.

"Now, next wound scenario."

Bringing her head back up, Beryl stared at Hatsumi as if she'd just said something unbelievable.

"Next?"

Beryl's question was only answered by another wound forming on the bird, resuming the bird's behavior and tense atmosphere from earlier.

The next half-hour passed, yet it seemed closer to a few hours in and of itself for those present. Beryl managed to pass each scenario that Hatsumi presented, prompting encouragement and praise from her party members that flanked her on either side. With the testing and confidence-building over, Hatsumi began drawing her lesson on healing to a close. With a sigh, Hatsumi began addressing the three.

"Alright, so, your confidence in your healer should be secured for now. In time, that confidence will grow and turn into absolute trust."

Hatsumi took the chance to speak one on one with Beryl once more.

"Beryl, that trust is something a healer will come to treasure, and those around you will hold that same trust as something not to be thrown around. They will put their lives in your hands, that trust can not be regained once lost. Do not abuse it."

Hatsumi maintained her stern expression, attempting to drive home her point. Beryl simply nodded in return, her demeanor calm and collected. With the instruction out of the way with the bird, Hatsumi looked down to the animal that lay on the ground, exhausted.

"Well... with that... we'll continue preparing lunch while you three calm down from this."

Hatsumi brought the steel needle back out, reaching to grab the bird in order to put it down.

"Wa-wait!"

"Mom, no-!"

For some reason, Beryl and Kiyomi suddenly interrupted Hatsumi's attempt to move on with slaughtering the miserable animal that was placed between them all. Hatsumi hadn't foreseen any of them doing much more than following her instructions. When she looked up, Beryl seemed unwilling to budge, and her hands positioned to snatch the bird away, just as Kiyomi had posted herself in front of the bird in order to shield it.

"K-kid's... it's lunch..."

Hatsumi attempted to piece some words together, as she was still thrown off by the display given by the two girls.

"I can't let you kill it! Not after all that!"

Beryl was now slowly pulling the bird closer to herself, bringing it up and clutching it to her chest, small tears forming in her eyes. Looking up to Kiyomi, she was staring back up at Kiyomi intently. Locking eyes with her daughter, Hatsumi could have sworn she was attempting to plead with her eyes.

"Girls-I..."

Hatsumi let out a heavy sigh, unable to combat the scene in front of her. Looking to Vaughn, the boy was sweating, but he seemed ready to move at any moment, awaiting a signal from the other two.

Well... at least they seem ready to move together already... God's this is a headache.

Hatsumi thought to herself, looking down as she took a moment to collect her thoughts.

"Okay, we won't kill the chicken... we need to figure out what to do with it, though. We already bought it from the owner."

Beryl hesitated to speak, seemingly unsure of what words to use.

"I can't... we don't have a home yet... Mother Cressida and Sophia wouldn't allow me to take care of it..."

Beryl said, dejected at her ability to hold sway on the bird's future past saving it from its fate.

"Mama?"

Kiyomi drew Hatsumi's attention, looking up to her and appearing sad; even her own tail was drooping, laying against the ground.

"Kiyomi, we can't take care of a pet, no-"

"I can take it."

Hatsumi's attempt to reject her daughter was interrupted by another unforeseen interruption as Vaughn volunteered to care for the bird.

"Vaughn, your father would need to decide on that."

Hatsumi said, attempting to keep the boy's parent in mind.

"Pa actually wanted some chickens... I started building a small pen next to our wagon since we won't be moving any time soon. You both will be able to check up on her."

Vaughn trailed off his sentence as he looked to Beryl and Kiyomi, who were both now relaxing as solutions were coming to pass. Beryl, who was still holding the bird close to her chest, nodded with a smile.

"Thanks, Vaughn."

"No... problem."

Vaughn seemed unsure how to respond but did so the best he could. Kiyomi herself was rather silent past the rejection from Hatsumi, yet was evidently relieved that the matter was resolved seemingly in an instant.

Maybe I should have put some forethought into that one... maybe if it were a lizard, they wouldn't have felt as bad?...Ah... well, it's too late to dwell on it.

Hatsumi settled with letting things be as they were, deciding to break the news to Callum instead that he wouldn't be eating lunch with them... that he would be finding his own.

It was my gold anyway...

----------------------------------------

"You good, Beryl?"

"Yeah, thanks for the backup there, Kiyomi."

"No problem."

Beryl was thanking me currently for my help in saving the chicken we were currently coddling. When we realized Mother was just about to kill the poor thing, Beryl was moved to save it; probably feeling guilty for the, in her eyes, undue suffering. I felt compelled by some core emotion to intervene and help, but it felt... strange. It was reminiscent of when 'Kiyomi' would sometimes guide our intentions or actions, but it was linked to my own feelings as well.

I wonder if it could be my personality shifting some?... Let's not dwell on it; we saved the bird. That's a good thing.

Moving on, I looked to the chicken that was now beginning to relax in Beryl's arms, its head now bobbing as it looked around its environment.

"So, you have a chicken coop, Vaughn?"

I asked out of curiosity since he'd mentioned it. I didn't know what either of them really did when stuck at home, so hearing what they'd more than likely been up to when at home was new.

"Yeah, from what Pa described, our new home will be built around the wagon. Something about 'we don't intend to move again. This will be my final home.'. he went on some grand rant when he went back to drawing something at his desk... I can see it thought... Pa's getting up there in years."

Vaughn shrugged, shifting his position as he laid back into the grass.

"First thing he had me make was a wire coop so we could have fresh eggs. It should be safe enough from foxes and snakes. It would have been a lost opportunity... and... I couldn't... let you two cry over the chicken... "

Vaughn trailed off, looking away slowly, managing to give off a somehow endearing attempt of an explanation.

Did... did he really do that for us? Was he... is Vaughn soft? Ugh, I don't like feeling good about this!

I felt myself blush, so I'd turned my head away to try and hide it, just to see Beryl trying to stare off into space for the same reason.

Fuck you, Vaughn! Thank you! But also, fuck you!

I began screaming internally.

Hormones, yeah, let's chalk that up to hormones.

From there, the rest of our day began to pass, marked by a sudden vocalization.

"What do you mean I have to go get myself lunch from somewhere else?!"

Callum was heard yelling from inside the smithy.