Hello and welcome, I give you:

Chapter 3: Alien going on native

"Incoming!" Mary yelled as she helped three more Magic Knights get settles into their beds. Will was running left and right, taking vitals, peeking carefully under bandages and ensuring that the highest priority patients be sent up the single elevator up to the third floor. Nova, on the other hand, had a chart in her arms and was watching the mess happen before her eyes, frozen against the wall.

"What happened?" Will asked, peeling a bandage carefully away from a knight's abdomen to peer at the laceration. But, blood squirted all over him, making the tall mage on the bed groan. The healer quickly slapped the makeshift triage back on, securing it once more. "Priority one!"

"We had a bit of a scuffle with Diamond intruders at the border," the tall man standing at the entrance, supporting a frail-looking pale woman interjected.

"Ouch," Mary commented, inspecting a broken leg on the table. "Priority three here. Who's next?"

"Eleonora has lost a lot of blood," the tall man spoke up again. Mary rushed over, pulling up a chair and helping the woman sit down.

"Do you know her blood type?" The man shook his head. "Alright, we need O neg here. Nova, snap out of it and help us!" Nova jumped a bit, then shook her head and finally managed to kick herself into action. She rushed for the coolers which held their blood supply.

Nova slid down the door of her room after closing it behind herself. She pulled her knees up to her chest and let herself breathe for a moment. Oliver had left the capital almost a week ago. He'd promised to take a letter she'd written back to her family when he reached their village at the end of his trip. Nova had hit it off with Will and Mary quite well. They'd accompanied her on a small shopping spree, getting what the girl needed for her room and the daily necessities for the adjoining bathroom. They'd even helped her begin paining her medical space a pale purple color, one of her favorite shades. Yet, Nova still felt like an alien in the Healing Tower.

While on a daily basis their cases mostly consisted of regular patients which were taken care of by the senior members of the healing staff, she hadn't been prepared for the quick inflow of Knights straight from the battlefield. She could still remember the tall leader of the squad, from the Green Mantis, finally succumbing to his wounds and falling to the ground, causing a flurry of motion. He'd been bleeding internally for hours without anyone noticing. His adrenaline had masked the symptoms well. While Will and Mary had quickly started working on him, patching up the most severe wounds with magic and plugging the rest before they took him to Owen upstairs, Nova had been frozen. The best thing she'd managed to do that day was hand bandages and provide blood where needed.

She'd known that she wouldn't become a healer in a second. She knew that her training had mostly been personal knowledge and learned from books. She needed more instructions and most importantly, experience. Yet, she had never expected to simply freeze up. Freezing up meant that people died. She should've noticed that the squad leader was most likely to be severely injured due to the way he was standing and the fact that he'd been doing the majority of the battling. Yet, she hadn't. She'd failed.

"Nova, are you in there?" Owen's voice asked from the other side of the door, a soft knock on the wooden surface. But, the girl didn't move or speak. "Will and Mary told me that you did well today. Good work, keep it up." And she heard the healer leave.

Well? How had she done well? All she'd done was freeze up and miss the most elementary of things. There was nothing good in her work that day. Not a single thing. Ignoring the fact that she smelled of sweat and probably had blood crusted in her hair, Nova stripped and pulled an oversized old shirt over her head, crawling into bed. She didn't feel like showering. She didn't feel like eating. In fact, she didn't feel like doing anything that day. Nova fell asleep crying into her pillow that night.

"Would you like some rice omelet?" Mary asked with a bright smile, turning around from the stove as Nova entered the common area, freshly showered, but still unable to get rid of the swollen red patches around her eyes.

"Sure," the girl replied, walking over. She didn't feel much better after a night of resting. "Can I help with anything?"

"Why don't you cut up those tomatoes and give us some salad to go with the omelet?" Mary instructed, smiling kindly, almost sympathetically. Mary was shorter than Nova and had a head of dark auburn hair. It was a bob cut, the strands going into her eyes pulled back by a green headband. Her eyes were dark, as well, a chocolatey brown color that seemed almost a honey hue when the light hit them just right. Though, unlike Nova's slim figure with little to no curves, Mary was rather plump in comparison, blessed in all the right places. She wore sundresses which showed off her figure well and typically had a white apron in the front, both for cooking and working with patients. Nova hadn't learned much about the young woman's magic, other than it was some kind of a mud attribute.

"Is that food?" Will walked into the common area in his pajamas, wandering over to the coffee pot and pouring himself a generous amount. He was weak in the mornings, as the newcomer had learned. He was also very different from anyone Nova had ever seen. With bright red hair in messy curls around his head, typically pulled back into a short ponytail at the base of his neck and pale blue eyes, he was a looker. His frame was slim and tall, towering over both girls. Though, the thing which Nova noticed the most were Will's arms and hands. Everything about him was lanky, and his fingers were long and worked quite fast. He used a type of healing Fire Magic, which lit up when he snapped his fingers. It was always quite endearing to watch him work.

"We're making some omelet," Mary grinned. "Will Owen be joining us? And Lizzie?"

"Still asleep, the both of them," Will commented, dozing off on the barstool he'd chosen for himself at the counter of the kitchenette. "I know Owen was up all night watching the Knights, but Lizzie has been holed up in her room for a while. I have no idea what she's doing."

"Probably new research," Mary shrugged. "Shall we eat?" Nova wordlessly helped them set up the meal, hopping onto a free barstool and munching on the delicious food Mary had made. "Nova, do you want to handle post-ops today?" The girl's head snapped up in response.

"Oh, I-I don't know if I-"

"Nonsense, just do your best," Will interjected with his deep baritone. "We'll be there to help out if you need anything." When Nova looked over, she saw the both of them smiling hopefully at her.

"O-okay," She conceded.

It was utter chaos. Apparently, during the night, another group of Magic Knights had arrived at the tower, all in various state of injury, which left the healers with an absolute mess that very morning. It turned out that sticking a group of Green Mantis and Black Bulls Knights together in the same room meant an ongoing competition war. They shouted at one another, challenged each other to fights and threw items and magic spells across the room without pardon. Nova felt like she'd walked into a proper zoo once she'd descended the stairs with all of their charts. She ended up standing in the doorway flabbergasted for more than a moment.

"Black Bull peasant scum!" one of the Green Mantis Knights shouted, the one with the broken leg and arm, his grimoire floating next to him as he hurled a water ball at the opposite side of the room, where the two members of the Black Bulls were sitting on their beds, looking rather unperturbed by the action. The one on the right, who seemed to be sporting some kind of a rough look countered it with a simple fire spell.

"Wanna take this outside, bug?" The boy smirked right back in a challenge.

"Damn straight!" The Green Mantis replied.

"Not fair, Magna! I was gonna fight him!" The other member of the Black Bulls was quite familiar to Nova for some reason. Blonde messy hair, blue eyes and that maniacal grin on his face. Indeed, something was painfully familiar about him.

"Let's go, then!" And the Green Mantis knight started pushing himself up in the bed with one good arm and leg. "I can take you even with this handicap, just like my Captain can take yours anytime!"

"Oh, for Wizard King's sake!" Will appeared behind Nova, a frown on his face. "Sirs, please get back in your beds," he rushed over to the more injured Knight, pushing him back onto the mattress. "You're not well enough for this kind of-"

"You butt out, non-combatant!" The Green Mantis Knight yelled, fighting against the pushing.

"Fucking hell, Will," a new voice sounded from behind Nova. She turned to see a busty blonde bombshell standing there, her hands on her hips. One arm went up, the slender, pale fingers pushing her glasses up further on her nose, showing off the enchanting amber eyes. "Sedate them all if they won't cooperate. I can't work with all this racket."

"Oh, hey, Elizabeth," Will huffed, half-turned to look at the beautiful healer. "Owen said we shouldn't sedate them due to-"

"Then knock them out, or I will!" And the blonde left, the room briefly descending into silence at her appearance and disappearance. Then, chaos erupted once more, this time more members of the Green Mantis included.

"If you'll just let me," Nova started nervously, flipping through the chart in her arms, "inspect that wound. It shouldn't take too long." The blonde boy on the bed regarded her with an eerie smile which put her on edge. She felt like an unsuspecting rabbit being stalked by a clever fox.

"Sure!" Though, his tone of voice and cheery demeanor contrasted the menacing smile. As Nova placed down the chart and then carefully unwrapped his abdomen, the Black Bulls' Knight raised his arms helpfully, letting her inspect the deep laceration on his stomach which had been stitched together and treated with salves. "Say, you learn any battle magic yet?" The boy asked.

"Eh?" Nova stopped her hands from moving, for the first time really looking carefully at the Knight. Then, it all clicked. "You're from the exam!"

"Yep!" The boy grinned. "I remember you, too. Not much battle magic, but strong mana. So, did you learn any combat stuff?"

"Umm, combat really isn't my focus," Nova elaborated, resuming her work.

"Oh, I see," the boy looked disappointed, despite the smile on his face. "Too bad."

"Luck, who's that? Your girlfriend?" The other member of the Black Bulls wanted to know. Nova briefly looked up at him, but didn't comment. Instead, she focused on cleaning the wound, taking samples to test for infection and then re-applying the salve she'd prepared for it.

"Don't you remember her, Magna? She's from the Knights' Exam. She got no offers." The blonde boy was a menace, Nova decided then and there. With a sigh, the girl tuned out the two Knights exchanging comments about her previous failure, turning her back to the bed in order to enter the updates into the chart. Luck Voltia, it read on top. She dug through her brain for the information and recalled his name. The Cheery Berserker, Luck Voltia. He'd gone overboard in his one-on-one fight, Nova could remember that clearly. The lightning shimmering in the air, cracking as he wrapped it around his shoes in order to slam the opponent repeatedly into the floor. That maniacal grin on his face as he did it, as well.

"Ouch!" Nova jumped, whirling around. She directed a glare at the blonde boy on the bed, who kept cheerily smirking up at her. "Did you just zap my butt?"

"No?"

"Okay," Nova shook her head, returning to her chart. She was jotting down the blood pressure and the temperature of her patient when another shock went through her behind and legs. "For Wizard King's sake!" She whirled around again, only to be met with yet another clever smirk. "Oh, forget it!" And Nova stormed away from the bed, ignoring the snickering boys behind her.

"Alright, next up on our list is Mr. Maverick," Elizabeth said, flipping through the planner in her hands. "Can you give me the rundown of his chart?" The blonde bombshell turned to Nova, waiting, as they walked down the street together.

"Of course," Nova smiled. Finally, after days of being completely overwhelmed, she was in her element. Going door to door in the Capital and visiting regular patients had turned out to be much like what she was used to doing back at home. It consisted of making their usual remedies in the morning, then packing those up along with supplies to conduct exams on site and then following through the usual checklist. "Elias Maverick, thirty-eight, owns a grocery stand at the local market. He presents with a chronic asthmatic condition, which is worsened due to his work in the fields during the day. He has a check-up every three weeks and gets regular medication to manage his condition. Currently, we have him on a combination of inhalers and herbal remedies. His condition has shown improvement with the turmeric treatment."

"Good job, you've been reading," Elizabeth smiled at her. "Would you like to lead this exam?"

"Oh?" Nova brightened, jumping in her spot, the heavy bag over her shoulder jingling. "Would that be alright?"

"I think you're capable," the woman shrugged. "I don't see any reason why you can't handle a routine exam which you already know by heart on your own."

"There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to," Nova agreed with a small smile. She readjusted the strap of her bag, pieces finally falling into place. She felt, at last, like she had a place at the capital.

The scalpel had inscriptions on it. Nova flipped it over in her hands once more, feeling the unfamiliar weight. The scalpel which the Surgeon of Death had used before was heavier than the ones she was used to working with. It had unfamiliar inscriptions etched into the handle, as well as a blade, following the edge of the sharp metal in a way that made her uneasy. It was like the whole design was poured from the letters into the tip of the scalpel. Once she'd cleaned it, after numerous washings, the runes had proven not to be black or rusted, but actual dips in the otherwise smooth metal. It was marvelous.

Nova felt out the odd energy emanating from the blade with her own, chasing the tendrils with her mana. Though, no matter how far she followed them, she couldn't get to the end of them. They were like endless roads which led somewhere where she couldn't reach. It was, indeed, a marvelous piece of a magic item.

The girl jumped as a portal opened in the middle of her room, a familiar head popping through. She stared into the bored-looking dark eyes of the captain of the Black Bulls. He gave her a once over, taking in the loose white shirt and brown baggy pants which hung from her waist casually. They were stained from her work in the herbal garden at the very top of their tower. Though, the man seemed to make up his mind quickly.

"Goldin, right?"

"Yes, sir," Nova confirmed.

"We got the right room this time," Yami said back into the portal. "Come, girl, you have work to do." Nova stood, grabbing her pouches from her bed and a pair of baggy work boots, before stepping through the portal. However, she didn't expect to find herself in a fairly fancy environment, instead of a sickbay or some kind of a battlefield. One look around told her exactly where she was.

"Your Majesty," Nova bowed to the blonde Wizard King who simply gave her a kind smile.

"No need for that, Nova," Julius Novochrono brushed her formalities off. "We know each other too well for that already." The healer nervously laughed, quickly assessing the situation. The Wizard King, the captain of the Black Bulls, an unfamiliar brown-haired mage and the two troublemakers from her emergency room were all there, standing around her in a rather relaxed manner. "A new dungeon has opened and I'm sending out a team to assess the treasure inside it," Julius told her. "You're going to be assigned to this team if the need for medical attention arises."

"Yes, sir," Nova saluted in the traditional way of common soldiers of the kingdom.

"You two," Julius turned to the two boys, Magna and Luck, as Nova recalled. "Nova is a civilian on this mission, it's your duty to keep her safe. Is that acceptable?"

"No problem, sir," Magna replied with an easy, confident grin. "We'll get it done."

"Alright then, Finral give them a ride," Yami piped up and the unknown mage nodded, opening his grimoire. A portal appeared in the room, shimmering in the air. "Go and surpass your limits." Nova couldn't help but muse about that last piece of advice as she stepped through the shimmering space, feeling a little sick to her stomach from the teleportation.

Luck proved to be an expert at sensing mana. Even in the Grand Mana Zone, which was a vast desert of unstable winds, he led them without a hitch towards their target. The three talked little, due to the sand flying into their eyes and mouth whenever they opened them. Nova took up the spot right behind Luck, holding onto his loose tunic from time to time, just so that she could close her eyes and give them a break from the harsh hot wind and the grains which were flying everywhere. Finally, she felt her hair stop whipping around her neck wildly, despite the tight braid she had it in, and she opened her eyes, blinking owlishly.

The small group was standing at the entrance of some kind of a tomb, tall stone wall around them, creating a cove in which the wind wasn't as harsh.

"Is this the dungeon?" Nova asked.

"It's the highest concentration of magic here," Luck shrugged. "I've never been to a dungeon before, but this is what they're described as."

"Let's go in and find out," Magna eagerly added, leading them through the tall doors. It took them a moment to break through the entrance, which was two stone slabs imbued with magic that simply did not want to move, before leaving behind the hot desert wind behind. As soon as they stepped into the cool interior, an eager Luck first, then Nova, and finally Magna, the girl sighed in relief. The dungeon obviously had great isolation, due to the thick tone, making the temperature pleasantly cool and the air just a tad stale. Nova felt the sweat on her skin go cold, creating a thin layer of sticky substance where stray dust and grains of sand caught and stayed. She knew that she would come out of the dungeon looking like she'd been working for days on end in a coal mine.

"Which way, Luck?" Magna asked as they took a few steps inside, only to come upon a crossroads. The blonde boy stepped forward, looking from one entrance to the other, assessing all five of them. Electricity seemed to sparkle in the air, along with the feeling of swelling magic. Though, due to the high concentration of energy in the Grand Mana Zone, Nova could barely feel the change.

"Just not that way, please," the girl shamelessly begged, pointing to the entrance on the far right. There was something off-putting about it, even though it had the best lighting out of all the paths.

"Tough luck," Luck grinned at her, pointing to the entrance which gave her the heebie-jeebies. "That's where the mana is the strongest. I'm not sure if it will lead us to the treasure room, but I've heard that magical tools from dungeons give off a feeling like this," with a shrug, the blonde mage headed for the passage on the far right, smiling cheerily all the while.

"It'll be fine, Miss Nova," Magna tried to reassure her, patting her shoulder as they followed the blonde. "Luck might be a little off his rocker, but he's superb at sensing mana. And, in a fight, the two of us can do pretty much anything. We'll keep you safe." Despite the reassuring words, Nova didn't feel too comforted. The well-lit corridor had torches on each side, showing them the way down into the center of the dungeon. Though, there was a feeling there. There was something in the air which put her on edge. Mana? Perhaps it was the mana of the place which she could sense.

There were no passageways which connected to the one they'd picked, leaving the mismatched trio to walk for hours, mostly without breaks. Somewhere along the way, Luck and Magna started a funny little game of who can zap the other with magic without them noticing. Nova didn't participate, but she enjoyed the way Magna would squeal whenever Luck's lightning spark caught him.

Finally, the ground evened out, the two boys stopping their game, their faces becoming more serious. Luck took the front position again, walking before Nova who had been leading them until then. The passage opened up, this time to natural lighting. The girl couldn't help but glance around in awe. The space they'd come to was a wide room, with a delicate rug on the floor, woven probably by the hands of the ancient ones, the design intricate and mysterious. There were seats and tables made out of rock, like some kind of an oriental dining room. And, around the spacious circular room, there were golden gates. Doors which seemed to go as far up as the eye could see, before the sunlight coming seemingly from nowhere forced one to turn their eye away.

"Well, where now?" Magna asked, looking from one golden door with gems to the next, before turning to Luck. The blonde boy was standing in the center of the room, taking in the space, his head tilted to the side as he sensed for the mana.

"I… don't know," he finally said.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Magna's hands rose in exasperation. "You're the mana-sensing expert here. So, c'mon, give us a direction. Or at least guess a direction!" Nova ignored their banter, coming to one of the doors, the second one to the left and inspecting the designs of gems and golden veins.

"When I say I don't know I mean it, Magna," Luck protested in the background. "They all feel the same."

"Then guess!"

"I can't guess!"

"What about this one?" Nova brought the boys out of their argument, making them come over and take a look at the door she was curiously peering at. "There's something written here," Nova squinted, trying to make out what the golden veins spelled out in their circular and winding letters.

"I can't make that out," Magna squinted, as well, his head obstructing Nova's field of vision as he got too close. Then, the boy yelped jumping back. "Luck, now's not the time!" He turned to his Squad mate, glaring. Luck still had that smile on his face which he always did, but he raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Wasn't me," he defended.

"Ouch!" Nova jumped, certain that she'd felt electricity on her leg. She rubbed the sore spot, before looking to Luck, who tilted his head to the side, as if waiting for an accusation. But, Nova didn't accuse him. Instead, she looked down, under her feet, before she realized what was happening. "Oh, crap." And chaos erupted all around them.

Hope you all enjoyed!

Reviews:

Myherogal22:
Hi! Thanks so much for the review :D I'm glad that you like my story and I hope that you'll keep enjoying it in the future :) I'll do my best to update regularly :D

Tora3:
Heeeey! So nice to hear from you again! How have you been?
The manga/anime is really good! I definitely suggest it :D
Okay, I'll take your preference into consideration when the poll closes :)
Awwwwwww you're reading the story even if you aren't into the animeee xD I'm flattered! I hope you'll enjoy Nova and her adventures :D
All the best!