Village Girl

The nurses of Yorksha village began their day all the same, at least on a surface level.

Early in the morning, upon hearing the chirps of the morning birds, they woke out of their sleep to tend to the wounded and ill of the village. However, today, they only spent a fraction of that time looking after all the ill. They had even noticed the disappearance of a sick woman in the corner of the village, yet they seemed to pay it no heed as though it was of little importance.

Over the past few days, their instructions had greatly varied, and it all started the night before when the village elder personally paid them a visit.

Although at first, the elder seemed disinterested, his demeanour then completely shifted. Now, they were tasked to focus most of their energy on caring for the new, poisoned adventurer.

They had begun to pool all their resources, especially that of the Rowa flowers all to save them, and as a result, even early on, they immediately noticed a decline in health from the patients they previously had.

Taylor was given the best of accommodations; a soft bed, a warm, secluded room, and good sustenance.

And even now, they slept like a child with that blackened face, barely managing to breathe as the light from the open window shined upon their white sheets.

"Good morning!" A sudden, silky sound emerged before the door was creaked slightly open revealing the figure of a young girl in her teens, bowing.

Her short brown hair fell awkwardly to her shoulders, her hazel eyes well complemented her slightly freckled, peachy cheeks, and her smile set the entire room ablaze with delight.

"Ooops! Sorry! I forgot you're still not awake!" She nervously laughed.

"Ohhh! Who am I apologizing for! You can't even hear me! And why am I talking to myself?" She knocked herself on the head before slowly closing the door behind her and walking in, gradually until she was hovering over the silent adventurer.

"Oh! You seem to be doing better for yourself today!" She noticed the subtle sound of breaths coming from Taylor's mouth and beating heart. "You know… I didn't notice last night because of all the panic and dark… But, you're really cute you know! Ah—" She caught her tongue and her face reddened shaking left and right.

"What am I doing thinking of this at a time like this! I gotta stop talking to myself!" She smacked her flushed cheeks before she noticed slight movements from her side, which made her shift her eyes down.

"Hmmm? Can you hear me? Do you like when I talk to you like that?"

"..."

"IRIS!?"

Abruptly, a new sound entered the room, a deep, strong, womanly voice that shot tremors all throughout as the door slammed open.

"Y—yes ma'am!" On instinct, the girl shot straight as an arrow and cleaned her white skirt.

"What on god's green earth are you doing right now young woman!?" The source of the voice was someone who Iris, the girl sat beside Taylor knew all too well, her hulking figure and black dress reminded her of a croaking raven, and despite her well maintained long black hair and blue-eyed, alluring looks, Iris had not once seen her more than her boss.

"I was checking the patient for a pulse and breathing! He seems to be doing just fine!" She responded timidly.

"Did you prepare the medicine?" Her gaze turned sharp.

"Yes!" Iris nodded. "I grinded it up when I came last night! It's right here on the table!" She picked up a small bowl of crushed petals and lowered it for her superior to inspect.

"Good! Now, feed it to them! We have little time! I've brought the next dosage with me and it needs to be administered as soon as possible!"

"U—understood!" Iris turned around and lowered her head towards the quietly breathing Taylor's open mouth with the bowl in hand.

However, just as her hand lowered to feed her patient, her body suddenly stopped, her eyes dilated, and her brain began to toil.

'This bowl… is it really the—'

'WHAT'S THE HOLD UP YOUNG LADY! I HAVEN'T GOT ALL DAY!!"

"Y—yes! Sorry!" Her body clumsily jittered nearly dropping the bowl's contents before promptly feeding it to Taylor and helping them swallow.

"Mistress Heather! We heard you scream! Is there something the matter?" Two women rushed into the room with visible concern, before their visage immediately calmed.

"At ease girls," Heather waved. " it's just Iris again, she can't seem to do anything right. I swear, if this adventurer dies, it's gonna be all on your head you hear?" With a deep sigh, she walked up towards Taylor.

And, immediately after Iris noticed, she took several steps back to allow Heather to do her work with her own, much larger bowl in hand containing pink paste that particularly caught Iris off guard.

"Miss Heather… That much paste… Where did you get it? Isn't that a little too much?"

"Not at all," She grabbed a finger swipe of paste and began rubbing it all over the darkened veins on Taylor's face.

"But… At this rate, wouldn't we run out of Rowa flowers for the other patients?"

"Naturally, but… Who cares about the rest of the patients!" Heather clacked her tongue in annoyance. "Did you not hear what the elder said? If we don't save this bitch, we're all as good as dead! We need them to slay the beast, but they're selfish pricks who won't do it unless they're friend is healed! Sacrifices have to be made! This is all for the sake of the village! Get that through your thick skull!" Heather wiped her hands from the excess paste before standing up and heading towards the door where those other two women stood, smiling and inwardly laughing as though they were amused.

"Ah— I'm sorry ma'am! Please forgive me!" She lowered her head, staring at the creaking wooden floorboards until she saw Heather's shadow turn around and walk away.

"Enough…" She took a deep breath. "The village right now is hosting a festival of sorts, it seems like the new adventurers have brought in some food. So, while I go and dine, I'm entrusting you to keep an eye on the adventurer. You'll have your turn to eat later on, that is, if there is any food left…"

*BANG*

The door slammed, and Iris was once again left in silence… Or at least, that was what she would have hoped.

"Did you see the look on her face!? What else would you expect from Iris, right ma'am? She can't even tie a knot!"

"I don't know why the elder even gave pity to her! She was better off dead like her damn parents!"

"Enough girls!" Heather's voice interrupted. "She might get on our nerves, but she still serves her purpose, keep that in mind… Don't antagonize her too much… As much as I hate to say it, we still need her…"

Their voices were low and their distance was long, yet even still, Iris found no trouble hearing their words clear as day. Ever since she was born, she was blessed with abnormally heightened senses, a gift was what they had told her. But to her, it seemed more like a curse.

Whether she wanted it or not, It allowed her to hear the truth, what people spoke behind her back and how truly hated she was. Her gift was especially useful in the medical field, as, since she was a child, she could immediately tell someone's health simply by listening to the sound of their heart and breaths. The village was aware of this, but not the true nature of her gift, to them, they simply saw it as life sensing, which was why they so freely talked with no restraints.

Despite this happening for so long, she had not gone a single day getting used to it. She lived a life of seclusion, hated by her peers with no outlet to vent, she still smiled, with tears of pain running down her face, she still found a single thread of happiness she clung onto and did not let go.

Her tears continued rolling down on the ground as the steps of her fellow nurses continued… Until they abruptly halted, a new, louder sound appearing ahead of them.

However, that was not the reason for Iris's reaction.

"Huh?"

A sound akin to a beating drum came, and the huffing of a raging tornado roared through her eardrums.

Her mind sunk into pure focus solely on those sounds. She had always had full confidence in her senses, yet now, for the first time in her life, she began to harbour doubt, as she turned around to confirm with her own eyes.

And, it only took a single glimpse for her to see it all… Her breath unsteady and her face sweating buckets, her legs galloped, nearly tripping over her muddy skirt as she lept to reach the door.

"MISS HEATHER I—!!" She screamed in a voice completely unlike her normal self.

However, that voice was immediately cut.

*THUMP*

She was certain that she had opened the door, yet there she was laying on the ground with a hurting nose as though she ran into a wall.

"What's the problem girl? Did something happen to Taylor?"

Ahead of her was a bloodied, armoured man she had never before seen. He and she were the same height, yet he seemed almost twice as tall, his ocean blue gaze staring calmly into her soul in a way completely different from what she was used to.

"S—sir adventurer! Your friend! He just woke up!! This is a miracle!!"