Chapter 162: Awaken

POV Eliza

“Aaah!” Eliza

I awoke from my sleep with a start. I was having a very strange dream. I dreamed of a medieval city with a large arena where bloody battles took place. I dreamed of stabbing other people with a weapon, causing them to fall to the ground, gasping for breath. I had never held anything bigger than a bread knife in my hand. But the feeling of the blade meeting resistance was astonishingly real. I could still feel the echo in my right hand and the smell of blood in my nose.

I also had particularly vivid memories of three people, a woman and two men. I could picture the woman in particular. She had cat-like features. Large, pointed, furry ears and a long, slender tail. And she was beautiful, simply gorgeous. But why? Why did I dream of a beautiful young woman who wasn't human? Had I watched a fantasy film in which this story took place? I couldn't remember.

My reflex was to cover my face with my hands, but I couldn't. My left arm was fixed in a tight sling and couldn't be moved. I reached my head with my right arm, and it was also heavily bandaged. I could clearly feel pain in my head, as well as in my abdomen. It felt as if I had broken several ribs. I didn't understand.

I looked around and didn't recognize the room. The room was small and made of stone. It also seemed peculiar, somehow old-fashioned. The walls were plastered white. The furniture consisted of a bed, a small table, a chest, and a chair. All of them were very simply crafted and unadorned. The bedding was made of a simple fabric, perhaps wool or linen. The mattress was uneven and uncomfortable. The bed also looked more like a couch than a real bed. However, the room was clean and tidy, which improved my first impression. Where was I?

Then I noticed the next strange thing. My skin color was very dark, almost black. My fingernails looked as if they had recently been partially torn off. I also had several calluses on my hands that I hadn't had before. Had I always had such long fingers?

A strand of hair fell into my face and I noticed my hair color. It was white. What was going on here? Was I still dreaming?

Then I heard noises approaching from beyond the only door in the room. It sounded as if several people were approaching, and apparently very quickly. A short time later, the door almost flew off its hinges and slammed against the wall with force. The cat woman I had already seen in my dream stormed into the room. When she saw me, she immediately came closer and hugged me tightly.

“Leo, you're alive! I'm so happy! I was really worried and thought you had died.” Cat woman

“Ouch, ouch, ouch!” Eliza

Hugging someone tightly while they had broken ribs was a bad idea. And a very painful experience that I would have gladly done without.

“Ah, sorry, I didn't realize you were injured. What happened to you? The bandage on your head looks bad, and so does the sling on your arm.” Cat Woman

“If I may, I'd like to say something about that.” Man

Unnoticed by me, a middle-aged man had entered the room. He was wearing a type of uniform that was completely unfamiliar to me. But his clothes were gray and white, and he wore a long coat. He also had a rather striking brooch in the shape of a coiled snake on his chest.

"The patient is suffering from a severe head injury with concussion. That's why she was unconscious for a day. She also has a broken left arm and two broken ribs, as well as several cracked ribs. Fortunately, she has no internal bleeding, which is probably the reason she is still alive. Nevertheless, I am astonished and amazed. I have never met anyone before who survived an encounter with the Minotaur after their group cowardly took off." Man

At least I now had an explanation for my injuries, even though I had no memory of them. But there were still uncertainties about who I was, where I was, and why I was there. However, something like a vague memory was slowly forming in my mind.

“Ahem. Did she suffer any permanent damage? Will she recover and be the same as before?” Cat woman, concerned

"It's too early to say at this point. Initial treatment has been provided in accordance with the contract. Any further treatment would require additional payment. We offer various elixirs and potions. In addition, you can book the services of our white mage. He can then use magic to heal the patient.

It is not yet possible to make a definitive statement about any lasting damage. The broken ribs and arm will heal on their own over time. The head injury could cause problems. Until some tests have been carried out, we cannot rule out the possibility of mental damage such as memory loss." Man

“Please, not again.” Cat woman, agitated

“What do you mean?” Man

“It's not important. When will the tests take place?” Cat woman

“In the next few days. Now that the patient is conscious again, our expert can get to work. So I would ask you to be patient a little longer.” Man

So that's how it is, although I'm still missing a lot of information.

“Leo, how are you doing? Can you remember me?” Cat woman, curious

The cat woman looked at me expectantly. So my name was Leo, presumably a short form of a longer name. That surprised me, and I slowly began to suspect that I was a different person. This was definitely not a dream. Above all, the pain I was experiencing spoke for itself.

“Leo?” Cat woman, worried and anxious again.

I looked at her and she seemed somehow familiar. I had the feeling I knew her name, and a vague memory formed in my mind.

“Betty?” Eliza

“Yes, I'm Betty. You haven't forgotten me. I'm so grateful you haven't lost your memory again. Sniff.” Betty, with tears in her eyes

The cat woman was obviously called Betty and knew me in this form. According to my vague memories, I knew her too. She was the beautiful woman from my dream, which was not a dream. She had already mentioned twice that I had suffered from amnesia once before and she was afraid that I had a second bout because of my head injury. Apparently, my memories were only blurred because of my concussion. Hopefully. The future would reveal more details.

“I would now like to ask you to leave the patient. She is still seriously injured and needs rest above all else. You can visit her again tomorrow.” Man

“I understand. That's fine. Leo, I'll definitely come and visit you again tomorrow. I'll bring our two men with me too. Get well soon. I'll bring you something tasty to snack on.” Betty

Betty hugged me again, but this time very gently. As she did so, I noticed her body odor clearly. It wasn't unpleasant, quite the contrary. She smelled of soap and herbs and something else I couldn't quite place.

“Please take good care of her. See you tomorrow, Leo.” Betty

Betty then left the room, but not without turning around once more and giving me a broad smile. Then I heard her footsteps receding.

"It's good that you've regained consciousness. I'll leave you alone for today. We can talk tomorrow about the events that led to your injury. I'll have your food brought to you. You must be hungry after not eating for several days. You are very thin, so you should quickly give your body the calories it needs. If the portion is not enough for you or you prefer something else, let us know. There is a small bell next to your bed. It will call someone. I will leave you now. Get well soon." Man

I listened to him attentively and nodded at the end. When he had left the room, I finally had time to think.