A polite knock at the front door woke Exill up the next morning. Judging by the sunlight, it was eight in the morning, around the time Envy usually wrapped up her morning exercises. He looked askance to find her snuggled into his side, an angry scowl marring her beautiful features when the incessant knocking continued.

Looking down to lift her heavy leg off his hips, he was struck by the sight of what lay below. Her black dress had rose up, fully exposing pale thighs and much of her underwear. Feeling something else rise up, he quickly clambered out of bed and closed the room door behind him.

To his left, Tsarra had also been dragged out of bed by the constant knocking and was halfway to the front door. Turning to see he was also awake, she stood aside, and allowed him to open the door.

Councilman Coran stood under the eaves of the cottage with light morning rain pattered down on the lawn. His daughter Dyna clung close behind, on the lookout for the murderous vampire.

“I’m sorry to disturb you so early in morning, but it didn’t seem right to visit yesterday after closing hours, not to mention reports of people disappearing come night fall. Would it be alright if I came in?”

Vividly remembering Envy’s threat of castration, he reluctantly invited both of them inside; only because he couldn’t think of a polite way to leave only the sly vixen outside, alone in the morning rain.

“How can I help you Councilman? Exill asked as the guests seated themselves at the table.

“Please, call me Coran… well, the matter pertains to my daughter. I understand she may have been a bit… direct in her dealings with your mistresses. She has come here to apologise for her actions and asks for a second chance to learn under your tutelage.”

Prompted by a noise behind him, Exill looked over his shoulder to see Envy standing in the doorway, arms crossed and an unkind look on her face. At the same time, Tsarra was abashedly playing with her ring under the table, not knowing how she felt about being mistaken for a mistress. The well-dressed man nudged his cowering daughter forward, prompting her to speak.

“I-I’m sorry for offending your mistresses…I would like another opportunity to work and learn under your generous wings.”

Exill decided to be diplomatic in his refusal, “While she does show potential as a Healer, I’m afraid we are far too busy dealing with the barrage of patients to teach her anything. I accept her apology, but I must respectfully decline.”

“That is understandable… however from my daughter’s perspective, you must understand that opportunities like this rarely come by in a small town like this.” Councilman Coran shared a knowing look with him, “It would mean a lot to claim she was under the tutelage of a will-blessed individual like yourself, no matter how brief. Perhaps I can also convince the other council members to provide a… tax relief for the generous services you are providing to Virigo.”

Sensing Envy walk up behind him, digging her fingertips into his shoulders, Exill knew the decision was out of his hands. He decided to pass this ticking time bomb to the next person.

“What do you think I should do Tsarra?”

She shot him a betrayed look, surprised by the sudden responsibility thrust upon her shoulders. Knowing Dyna was a wily girl, she didn’t want her anywhere near her mentor but was too polite to express her wishes.

“I think it will be alright.” Envy said, startling everyone seated on the table. She had a predatory grin while looking down at the intrepid girl before her.

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“I’m glad we have come to an understanding.” The Councilman rose to his feet, patting his daughter’s head while turning to leave. “Don’t forget my invitation to our family’s hot springs! Even the King himself comes here to relax several times a year.”

With those words, Coran excused himself, donning a wide brimmed hat to protect against light drizzle. Exill closed the door, as an intense atmosphere befell the overcast interior of the clinic. Envy broke the silence first by listing the terms of Dyna’s internship.

“You will arrive here half an hour prior to opening and leave an hour after closing. At the cost of your offending limbs, you will not lay a finger on the Witchdoctor. The purpose of your stay is to learn, and if I catch you flirting even a little, you will be asked to leave immediately. Have I made myself clear?”

Dyna pouted but reluctantly nodded to the terms. It was not like she had a choice in the matter. As the Dwarf and the chastened Vixen began to prepare for the day’s operation, Envy led Exill to the side, whispering so only he could hear.

“I thought the threat of castration from your ‘mistress’ would be enough to deter you from inviting that sly fox in. Did my warning sound like a joke to you?” Her normally amber eyes flashed crimson with passion.

He was tempted to respond with a lecture on matters of polite society, like not leaving your guests out in the rain. However a more pressing question formed on his lips.

“Why did you accept?” He had fully expected her to chase Dyna out.

“I told you people change, and besides… the more money we earn, the faster you can set me free.” She then turned away back to her room, to change into her more practical day clothes. Shaking his head at the added responsibility, he walked over to Tsarra to check over a few details.

“Looks like we’ll have to go to the market tomorrow, I’m sorry I didn’t wake up earlier.”

“… It’s okay, I also slept in.” The Dwarf demurred while organizing the patient’s records.

“So, the only major surgery scheduled today is that merchant in the evening, and another two for limb regrowth right?” Seeing Tsarra nod in reply, he continued with the instructions for the day.

“Great, keep up the fantastic work you have been doing. Dyna should shadow you this morning and answer any questions she may have about how you triage patients. After gauging her ability, use her to heal simple injuries that don’t consume that much mana.”

Walking over to the pouting girl who was mopping the floor, he repeated the instructions given to his apprentice. “In the afternoon, you will join me in the treatment room and observe, and even assist me with healing.”

Dyna’s eyes brightened at the prospect of spending time with him alone. Checking to see Envy was still changing in her room she lowered her voice while making an odd request. “Would it be alright for you to roll up your sleeves… just a little?”

Releasing a pent-up sigh, Exill ignored her and went outside to draw water from the well. Already, three patients had lined up outside despite the morning rain and they greeted him warmly.

“The Clinic isn’t open for a while yet, but please wait inside, out of the rain.” Exill ushered them to benches near the entrance and resumed his task of fetching water.

The light rain felt refreshing as he followed the branching lane towards the well. A shiver ran down his back when the squat two-storey building came into view again. It felt out of place among the cluster of cottages and the feeling that he was being watched grew stronger than ever.

Leaving the buckets near the well, he gave in to curiosity and approached to investigate. The crumbling whitewash revealed a rheumy underlayer on the decrepit building, and the mouldering, tightly sealed shutters offered no hints on what lay inside. Sensing movement, his eyes snapped up to the single window upstairs where a curtain hung, swinging restlessly inside. A slow creak emanated from the entryway as the door cracked open, offering an indistinct glimpse into the morbid interior.

“Oh hell no… I’m not stepping into that.”

He didn’t need an accumulator to realize he was just a few steps away from an Aberration. There was a familiar discordant sensation that raised his hackles on a primal level. Backing away from the enticing whispers emanating from inside, Exill quickly ran to the buckets and hurried back to the Clinic.

“Are you alright? You look strangely pale.”

Resenting her short stature, Tsarra reached up to brush his clammy cheeks, checking the temperature on his forehead. It would be terrible if he somehow caught a cold after getting wet in the rain.

“Do not go near the well.” He said, addressing the women who had gathered around in consternation.

“Why, what happened?” Tsarra asked, wondering if he had been struck by some fever.

“It’s dangerous… look, I’m fine, I’m not sick. There’s something out there in that two-storey building and you shouldn’t go near it.”