Time seemed to tick slowly for Ryraso as he worked in Isavine, the capital city of Awacia. Ryraso wasn't even sure why he had taken the post up. Only that going home wasn't an option anymore and to stay in Navat, healers had to have an invite. To get an invite they needed sighs of a connection to the link or for their mentor to sponsor them; Ryraso had neither. It hadn't stopped him dreaming of the green forest.
So with no other options, Ryraso had taken the position offered and moved in with Isst who was also living in Isavine. Ryraso came still half numb in grief and was not helped by the fact he wasn't really wanted there, at least not anyone but the directors wanted him there and that was only so they could say they had the country boy who gained a pass. The other doctors didn't give a damn about him. Ryraso had the skills yes, but so did everyone else there. He was just a novelty.
He was put into the free clinic as a junior doctor with a note on his file so people knew he was the one to go to about K'nairi. Bluntly it was a joke. The k'nairi only lived up north and Isavine was in the south. It wasn't like there was a lot of k'nairi flying about. It just gave to snobs more to tease him with.
His days in Isavine were filled with minor injuries, and watching as other doctors got to do the more important operations. The more interesting stuff. He was confined to the free clinic to work on the country folk. His evenings drinking at the pub with Isst and his warrior friends, normally drinking them under the table. Living with the k'nairi had given him a good tolerance for moonshine. Or occasionally treating the ones who hadn't bothered to get checked out after their training duels. The high priest Jun rarely let the guards get treatment on duty, so Ryraso was basically working as an underground doctor in the evening and as a free doctor during the day.
"Ryraso!" Isst yelled, slamming Ryraso's bedroom door as he walked in, the smell of coffee filling the room as Isst was carrying a cup. "Time to shift. You're on duty soon," he said loudly, shaking Ryraso's shoulder. Ryraso growled and swatted his hand but Isst just continued to poke him.
"Piss off," Ryraso groaned into his pillow, still waving his hand to bat Isst away.
"Come on!" Isst teased, tickling gently with one hand as he sipped his drink. "Can't let your colleagues finally give you an excuse to get you fired," he said cheerfully.
Ryraso flopped with a loud exhaled. "Then stop getting your colleague pouring liquid ethanol down my throat!" he complained, forcing himself to sit up nursing his head. "I swear Wiljam's moonshine is illegal."
"Quite possibly," Isst chuckled cheerfully. "Come on. I need to shift as well. Important day today at the palace," he grinned. "The birds are in the city."
"The Royal triad has come to meet the High Priest. They are not birds," grumbled Ryraso, stealing Isst's cup of coffee. Ryraso grimaced at the taste, Isst preferring a stronger taste to him. "Your taste in coffee is as bad as your singing last night. What Millie sees in you is anyone's guess."
"Sorry Ry, but I can't show you why Millie loves me. She'd be very unhappy with us and want something from you that you wouldn't be willing to do," Isst said with a wink. Ryraso rolling his eyes. Isst's beloved was an interesting woman. "I'll remember to refer to them as such should my lowly self meet them."
"Who knows?" Ryraso commented, not letting Isst have his cup back, instead downing the rest of the coffee. "The Winglord isn't noble born and neither is Consort Dyn'ad. Maybe they'll want to try the royal guard out in the sparring ring," Ryraso teased.
"I hope not," Isst groaned, not wanting to have to deal with the fallout of being destroyed by the k'nairi Royals, even if they were famous for being deadly fighters. "Still, you better remind your superiors that you're trained to treat the k'nairi. This may be your chance to get a promotion if something happens."
Ryraso snorted. "If your superiors are half as good as they claim to be, I won't be needed."
"I wouldn't test fate," Isst shrugged.
As it turned out, Isst's superior's weren't very good at their job as Isst ended up meeting the royal triad, partly because Winglord Tai'ray was poisoned. The Royals had been walking with the high priest through the courtyards of the palace and the Winglord collapsed next to his station. Consort Nel'os and Consort Dyn'ad panicked, everyone yelling at once. Isst ended up on the ground near Consort Nel'os as Consort Dyn'ad's wings unfurled out wide. In the confusion, he met Consort Nel'os eyes.
"Doctor Ryraso at the Isavine hospital had a k'nairi medical circle pass," Isst found himself saying before the royal could attack him. "Clinic doctor, first floor, second treatment room." Consort Nel'os looked at him with narrowed eyes before nodding and grabbing his mate and disappearing, Consort Dyn'ad remaining still looking about to kill someone. Isst blinked slowly, as the reminder that Consort Nel'os was one of the few magic users in history able to transport washed through him.
Ryraso had been finishing up a normal injury when Consort Nel'os appeared in the room with his mate. "Poison!" Nel'os yelled. Ryraso blinked twice, pushed the finished patient out and helped Nel'os put Tai'ray on the table.
"What kind?" Ryraso asked, fingers already pulling out the normal anti-venom for the poison which effected the k'nairi. Without really processing who he was treating, Ryraso quickly taking control of the panicking K'nairi and treating Tai'ray, saving him almost effortlessly.
It was only after the poison was gone from the Winglord's system that he let it sink in. Unfortunately, after Ryraso had already yelled threats and curses at Nel'os in front of the hospital directors who had come in having heard the nurses talking. The head of staff who had turned distinctly red and put him on probation immediately for the amount of disrespect he had shown to a monarch even if he had saved said monarch's life. The only reason the man didn't fire him straight off was in case something else happened while Tai'ray was in the hospital.
Ryraso left the office and found Nel'os waiting for him. He turned and bowed to the Consort deeply. "You have my apologies Consort. I should have controlled my tongue around someone of your status," Ryraso said, partly because of the man standing in the doorway with a look of warning on his face.
Nel'os' eyes flashed over at the man. "Have you forgotten your language lessons already?" Nel'os asked in k'nairi darkly.
"No, my lord," Ryraso shook his head. "But cursing in k'nairi rarely has the same effect here." he spoke in k'nairi, the official looking slightly nervous.
"I imagine so," Nel'os nodded. "You need not apologise to me, Healer. You did your job and I was in no state to help you. You have been with humans too long if you have forgotten k'nairi can be very difficult if you are not assertive."
Ryraso's eyes flashed at the official who was still looking ready to kill Ryraso. "We are not in Navat, Consort Nel'os. K'nairi behaviour or not, I am still expected to act in a certain a way. I did not and will suffer the consequences for it."
Nel'os frowned and looked at the official. "I will sort this out. Do not worry," Nel'os promised, sounding more friendly now that Ryraso was talking in k'nairi. "You saved my mate's life. You should be rewarded for that not punished." He tilted his head and nodded to himself. "Go. We will talk again. The Winglord will want to meet you. It is unusual to find a healer with a pass so far south."
"Which is how I got the job," Ryraso smiled sadly. "Until you wish to see me again Consort," Ryraso bowed again and left, able to feel Nel'os' eyes on his back until he left the corridor. He went straight to the pub where he joined the warriors who were drinking in disgrace. It had not been a good day for any of them.
As promised, a few days later, Ryraso was summoned to the palace where Tai'ray was recovering. Ryraso found himself incredibly nervous, knowing the power the man had but at the same time, he had to go. The k'nairi respected bravery, if he didn't go chances were Ryraso would lose his reference from the healer council.
Isst escorted him to the corridor. "Stop dragging your feet Ry," he ordered as he led the way, nodding at other guards as they crossed paths. "You agreed to come," Isst said, ruffling Ryraso's hair.
"Isst!" Ryraso growled, having tidied himself up more than normal before coming to the palace. He moved his hair back into place. "LIke you wouldn't be nervous," he grumbled softly.
"I would but you and I both know they won't care how you look. They care about how you act. So remember to speak the right language this time," Isst smiled at Ryraso. Ryraso rolled his eyes and nodded. They turned the corner to the corridor to find Nel'os and Dyn'ad sitting outside of the room. Both looked directly at Ryraso immediately. "Right. I'm off to work. Good luck," Isst smiled, patting Ryraso on the back within view of the royal consorts before running off.
Ryraso glared at his friends escaping back before pulling himself together and approaching the room. Nel'os and Dyn'ad were playing guards, apparently not trusting the human royal staff anymore. The two looked him up and down calculatingly as he approached. Two beautiful creatures, who were fully able to rip him limb from limb and looked ready to do so if needed.
"You're late," Dyn'ad commented darkly in human, giving the human a look which would send lesser men fleeing.
"I was working," Ryraso growled back in k'nairi, keeping his head high, despite feeling uncomfortable.
Nel'os let out a dark chuckle, Dyn'ad shifting behind him. Both of their wings unfurled in a manner Ryraso knew as threatening. The only thing which was giving him credit at the moment was the fact he wasn't backing down. "Liar," Nel'os commented, as Dyn'ad's talons rested on Ryraso's shoulder, not pressing but there, making Ryraso aware of every little movement he was making. He felt like a prey animal under the two men. "Your boss wants to get rid of you."
Ryraso shrugged, trying to remove the hair without saying it out loud. "Just because I'm not working at the hospital at the moment, doesn't mean I don't have patients. Consort Dyn'ad had fun with some of the guards yesterday. Not all of them can afford the fees to a proper healer."
"And your friend is a guard," Nel'os nodded slowly. "They are not worth your skills but I suppose in the human world, you take your allies where you can get them."
"Certainly I look after my friends where I can," Ryraso agreed cheerfully, trying not to show how unnerved he was by having Dyn'ad behind him and out of his sight.
Nel'os smirked at him clearly able to see through Ryraso's unruffled rouse. "I guess you better go in and stop the Winglord from waiting then," he smiled. Dyn'ad pushing him forward to the door. Ryraso turned slightly to glare at him and nodded to them both before opening the door and entering the inner sanctum.