They only saw flames around the ruins of the city, in contrast to the monster who caused all the destruction. A woman with glowing blue hair, wearing white clothes befitting a mid-winter snowstorm, strode slowly through the flames. Her white eyes were tightly focused on them.

But who is them?

They are...are...who are we...

"Teka,___ _l_se." they heard as something pushed them back. Looking up, they saw a man with his hands up ready to protect them.

"__ ___ _____?'' The words spoken were slurred and nearly impossible to make out but they could tell that the man protecting them wasn't the target of the woman's rage, it was themselves.

Teka opened her eyes slowly. Her mind was filled with fog. She couldn't remember what happened. She fought someone, she lost the fight,

"You awake?" she heard as someone took a seat not too far away. Something hit the floor, likely metal as the shadowy figure began shining something into her eyes, "hmm, sense numbness, of course."

Her arm, whatever it was, began to move before it was slowly and painlessly pierced by something thin. Something was entering her body through her arm. Was it bad? Were they working for that lady? What did-

"FUCK FUCK FUCK!" Teka yelled as her mind cleared. It was like a switch, the fog had disappeared and her memory had returned. Her anger rose as she remembered that sickening feeling that stopped her. Somehow she had faltered...she was shaken... but why?

Teka smacked the bed as an answer to the question, "First 'L' in a while?"

"How could I lose?" Teka sighed, unable to process the lingering emotions that had taken root within her mind.

"Who cares, just get stronger." the other party advised conjuring a fire in the shape of an apple "That's what I did."

"Oh yeah?" Teka huffed, staring at her guest. Her eyes almost twitched at the sight of an old, dirty bandage covered with several strips of paper wrapped loosely around the person's head and shoulders. A single eye peered through the darkness of the bandages, burning into Teka, preventing her from speaking.

"Yeah," the other person said, their voice clearly mechanical but reverant as they continued. "That's what I did when my master beat me."

"Master?" Teka asked

"You and I have the same master, though you call him a god." he replied with certainty while shrugging. Dealing with people like this is nothing new for the atheistic combat healer. He extended his hand covered in red and green garments "Madaraku."

"Teka." She answered, shaking his shockingly cold hand "wow you're cold."

"Sorry, it's genetics." Madaraku apologized, before sighing and clutching his head in muted exasperation "wow! now I have to ask."

"Ask what?" Teka asked, slightly frightened by the disgusted look in Madaraku's eye, but something told her it wasn't because of her.

"You should just put your spare clothes on." Madaraku said, rising to his feet quickly like the stool he once sat on was made of fire. The glint of disgust in his eyes changed to sadness as he picked up a bag and placed it on the bed and left with a solemn "I'll be waiting outside."

After pushing herself up, Teka looked down at her feet. In addition to bandages, she wore a train bra and shorts. Her eyes were drawn to the bag in which she had given the officials the spare clothes. Getting up, she slipped into her clothes, scanning for peepers before getting dressed. As long as Aravisa's walls separated the medical area, she was safe from being seen.

As Teka examined the black wall, he commented, "They really spared no expense." The product must have been of high quality, maybe even military grade? It wouldn't have surprised her, this area likely had a lot of powerful people, so it made sense for the use of high tech military grade equipment here. Better technology leads to better security, such as in hospitals and prisons."Was stuff like this chump change for them?"

As she walked out of the area, she noticed Madaraku fiddling with some strings like decorations.

"How about that question?" Teka inquired as Madaraku gripped what looked like a bird feeder filled with teeth and fingernails. Wordlessly he ushered her back into the area,where he stood across from her with his dark talisman ready for use.

"Do you like Micha romantically?" Madaraku asked calmly,causing Teka to stiffen.

"That's what you wanted to ask me?" The purple eyed lady stammered out, caught off guard by the question.

"Just wanted to save you some heartache." He answered with a shrug "Micha doesn't respond well to romance. So I want to know if you do?"

Even though Teka could not deny the ache in her heart for that fairytale romance, she answered with much consideration.

The insanity of her mind berated herself for even considering being a god's bride. It is likely that she wasn't the strongest of her deity's followers and wasn't the most physically endowed either. Additionally, she did not want her children to be foresaken. Overall she really could see no reason for her god to be romantically interested in her. Therefore, what was the purpose of being romantic towards him in the first place?

"I don't think so." Teka replied. Her words elicited no movement from the bird feeder, indicating that truth and lie were equally valid. Madaraku sighed at the answer, as expected of a newcomer. Sadly, he did not accept vague answers when it came to something like this.

"Why?"

"Because I'm not the most suitable choice." Teka shrugged while pointing at her body. "I'm not that attractive or powerful."

"Romance isn't determined by looks or power you know?" Madaraku frowned, slightly annoyed by the answer. In response, the bird feeder shook, indicating a truthful response from the purple eyed girl. "Big bosoms and an ass are only two-sixteenths of what men want in a woman."

"OK?" Teka replied innocently "but what's with all the questions?"

"Like I said, I want to save you the heartache." the bandaged man sighed,unsummoning the dark talisman "Micha isn't interested in romance,not that I blame him."

"Difficult break up?" Teka asked, hoping it wasn't what she thought it was.

"Well more or less." Madaraku nodded "if you ask Micha about romance he'll just say "I'm focusing on my projects,i don got no time for no hoes!" like hes a hoodrat."

"Geez Louise." Teka laughed at the thought of her god dressed as a streetfighter while smoking a cigar "thats funny as hell!"

"I know." the young man nodded before standing up and stretching. "Well anywho you should probably leave, in person interviews are in three days and letters will be sent out tomorrow so be ready."

"Oh boy, better get a good night's sleep." Teka groaned, not liking the fact that she couldn't rest. "Where's the exit?"

"Just keep walking straight down this hall then you'll see a bunch of desks, you should be able to find your phone or whatnot there." the healer instructed, pointing in the two directions she could go "Then find a door with a green exit sign and just walk out."

"Thanks for the help." The young lady said, beginning to walk away before she was gripped at her neck.

"Oh and one more thing," the young man warned, his voice filling with a killer's intent. A small amount of Madaraku's insanity was showing through. The desire for a strong opponent,a worthy battle, even at the cost of mutilation, that was what drove him to utter ever so coldly. "Don't get in the way of the master, be a worthy student and surpass all."

"I will." Was the reply to the silent threat from her senior who nodded.

"Very well." After saying these words and letting her go, he bowed like a nobleman and walked away. "See you around, try not to die, OK? Because I won't be here."

"Yeah." Teka answered, still unnerved by the unusual healer. "See you around."