By the end of the intensive training session, Shan found himself feeling thorough-ly exhausted. Lanni, noticing his fatigue and dedication, directed him to visit Loka so she could examine his eyes and formally approve the exercises he had been practicing. Alt-hough none of the exercises were particularly comfortable, Shan reflected that they were all certainly preferable to the ordeal of not blinking. That was not something he should do. He eventually located Loka in one of the healing chambers. As he entered, he no-ticed she appeared distressed, her back to him, leaning heavily against the wall with one hand pressed to her forehead as if to steady a wave of dizziness or pain. “Are you alright?” Shan asked with genuine concern, tentatively resting his hand on her shoulder to offer some kind of comfort. “Don’t…” Loka’s initial reaction was to pull away, but she caught herself mid-motion when she noticed that she couldn’t read his health. Her eyes flicked down to his hands, now covered with the gloves typical of her profession, and then back up to his face, perplexed. “You don’t like reading people,” Shan clarified, deducing the root of her confu-sion. “Considering that I’ll be here every week, I thought it would be considerate to wear a pair of healer’s gloves. It seemed the right thing to do.” Loka’s expression softened into a small, appreciative smile. “Thanks,” she re-sponded, her gratitude evident despite the brevity of her words. With the initial awkwardness out of the way, Shan’s concern refocused on her well-being. “Now, what’s wrong?” “It’s just that, sometimes…” Loka began, her voice trailing as she grappled with the reality of her abilities. “Sometimes I read things—emotions of patients—that are un-comfortable, things I wish I hadn’t sensed.” Curious, Shan inquired further, “Are there experiences you enjoy reading?” Loka afforded herself a rueful smile as she considered the question. “Very little.” Determined to get to the heart of her troubles, Shan prodded, “What’s bothering you?” “I shouldn’t discuss the private matters of patients,” Loka demurred, her profes-sionalism rising to the forefront. "Then who do you talk to? The other heaters in town?" At this, Loka’s expression darkened into a scowl. “No,” she responded sharply. “Those shade-blasted…” She stopped herself, abruptly letting the curse evaporate into frustration. Shan, persistent in his desire to help, suggested a compromise. “Then talk to me. You can speak of the problem without mentioning any names. I promise I’ll keep every-thing confidential.” Loka hesitated, evaluating the risk in her head. “You’ll know who it is once I de-scribe their situation.” Undeterred, Shan broadened the scope of their discussion. “Then who else is there for you? Do you have friends or family you can lean on?” The question seemed to hit a nerve, and Loka’s voice was tinged with a mix of resignation and sorrow. “I don’t have a family,” she admitted. Shocked by her admission, Shan asked, “What do you mean by that?” "I mean you're not the only one with parents who didn't want you, only back then, in Ertonia, there were no foster homes. When I was born, my mom asked my dad if he wanted me but he was too busy. I didn't fit into my mom's plans. She was going to let me die. There was another woman who'd just had a baby at the healer’s. She took me in. That was Chapado. I grew up with Lanni’s great-grandmother.” Loka’s gaze wandered with the weight of her memories. Shan, now privy to her tormented upbringing, suggested another avenue of solace. “In that case, why not seek the ear of a friend?” Loka shook her head, her expression etched with concern. “I’m just worried about someone,” she confessed, the weight of her thoughts evident in her voice. “An augmenter?” Shan guessed astutely. “Given your tone, I’d say you’re worried about one of the kids.” She offered him a weak smile in acknowledgment. “Perhaps,” she conceded, her admission wrapped in a shroud of uncertainty. Shan leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper, as though sharing a secret. “You’re probably fretting because, without proper training, an augmenter could be left vulnerable,” he suggested, piecing together the puzzle of her worries. “That would be a definite concern if that were the situation,” Loka agreed, her gaze drifting away for a moment as she considered the implications. “And given how people around here view magic, a child with such abilities might not only be denied the necessary training but could also face persecution,” Shan contin-ued, his voice laced with empathy for the hypothetical situation. “Exactly,” Loka acknowledged a hint of distress in her voice. But then, as she re-alized she had inadvertently confirmed his suspicions, she quickly added, “If a child here were an augmenter, that is.” A flicker of curiosity passed through Shan’s eyes as he asked, “Am I an augment-er?” “What? No. Why would you think that?” Loka asked, slightly taken aback by the sudden change in the topic of their conversation. Shan shrugged a casual gesture that belied his intense curiosity. “Lanni’s been teaching me magic, but she couldn’t test for augmentation yet. She said you could tell me. I thought that if I were an augmenter, then Shri could train alongside me. She follows me around enough as it is.” Loka raised an eyebrow. “And who said it was Shri we’re talking about?” Even Shan couldn’t suppress a knowing smile. “It’s quite obvious her magical abil-ities are awakening. And you think she’s going to be powerful, don’t you?” “Power is not something I can just ‘read’; she’ll need proper testing for that. But you’re right, we’ll work with her,” Loka admitted, considering the possible futures such abilities could forge. “Chapado trained Grandpa Nim. Kritalla is an augmenter, as is Lanni to a certain degree, and I’m receiving training too. Shri might inadvertently learn by watching us work or seeing me practice.” Loka’s smile broadened, this time with genuine warmth. “That’s a plan I can ap-preciate.” “And,” Shan added with a hint of cunning, “she can keep her abilities concealed until she’s nineteen. Then, if need be, she can find refuge somewhere safer.” “It’s far from ideal, but it might just work,” Loka conceded, nodding in agree-ment. “Thank you, Shan.” “For what? I merely speculated based on your reactions—you never confirmed if my suspicions were indeed correct.” Shan’s eyes twinkled with a mix of humor and intel-ligence, fully aware that Loka had, without words, affirmed all he had deduced. “So, what can I do for you?” Loka asked Shan. “Lanni wants you to check my eyes. We worked on my mage sight today,” Shan responded with a hint of concern in his voice. Loka nodded understandingly. “Lanni can be overly cautious when it comes to eyesight. It’s because her brother lost his sight. Her first husband was blind, and there have been vision issues with other children in his family. Go ahead and take off one of your gloves, please.” Shan followed her instructions and removed a glove, revealing his hand. Loka carefully took it in hers, her touch gentle yet professional. “You’ve definitely put some strain on your eyes, but I don’t see any lasting harm,” Loka reassured him after a moment of examination. “Thanks,” Shan exhaled a sigh of relief. “It appears that your time spent soaking in the tub is contributing positively to your recovery,” Loka commented with a small smile. “It really is,” he agreed, his voice tinged with a mixture of surprise and gratitude. “I never realized just how severe my condition was before.” “You’ve never known any different, Shan. It’s all been normal to you. But consid-ering this, you might want to think about requesting to be stationed near the ocean. The natural environment could be beneficial for your condition. If you explain your situation, I’m sure they’d accommodate your request.” Shan pondered for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly. “I don’t know about that. Right now, nobody knows about my condition. I’m not sure I want to change that. You say I’m not a freak, Loka, but there’s no one else like me.” “You should discuss this with Lanni. Talk to her about what it means to be differ-ent,” Loka suggested gently. Shan considered her words. “I have. She sensed I was not fully human because of the strength of my mage abilities. Lanni opened up to me as well, saying she too was unique in her own way.” “She is indeed, and you can trust her, Shan. If you allow Lanni, she’ll both aid you with your abilities and protect your secret,” Loka assured him with a confidence that was comforting. “I’ll think about it,” Shan murmured, more to himself than to Loka, a thoughtful expression settling across his features as he contemplated the future and the complex tap-estry of his identity. #fantasy, #magic, #dragons, #hiddenlands