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Nirrn

Nirrn’s tail lashed out instinctively against the tunnel floor.

His scales scraped the stone with a sound that shattered the underground silence.

He cursed inwardly at his lack of self-control.

But watching her deliver that baby with such skill and confidence had stirred a sense of recognition in him.

And the way she’d orchestrated the evacuation of her patients with those two helpers, her movements controlled and purposeful, had only intensified the feeling.

They stood alone now in the dim space, his orange scales catching what little light filtered down the tunnel, casting golden reflections on the rough stone walls.

The human female spun toward the sound he’d made, her fingers white-knuckled around a bottle of disinfectant. “If you’re here to spy on me for the Jorvlen bounty hunters, I suggest you leave now.”

Her voice remained steady, but Nirrn’s keen eyes caught the slight tremor in her hands as well as the way her pulse jumped at her pale throat. He moved forward slowly, his tail sliding silently now across the ground.

He cleared his throat. “You should not be doing this alone. It is extremely dangerous. Not only for the patients but for you.”

She barked out a harsh laugh. “What are you even doing down here? You have no right to spy on me or tell me how to help my people.”

Her gaze dropped to the medical insignia on his shirt, and her lip curled.

“Oh, I see. You’re one of them. Part of the system that puts a price tag on survival.

” She gestured around the makeshift clinic with her free hand.

“These people can’t afford your regulated care.

They need help—real help—not bureaucracy and bills they’ll never be able to pay. ”

Nirrn’s scales bristled at her accusations, though a part of him recognized the truth in her words. He’d seen too many turned away from proper medical care, their conditions worsening while they waited for approval or struggled to gather the necessary funds.

“The Jorvlen health care system is broken,” she continued, her voice rising with passion. “It serves the wealthy while the rest suffer. I’m just doing what needs to be done.”

Nirrn’s tail coiled tighter as he studied her fierce expression.

The dim light caught the sheen of sweat on her forehead, evidence of the long hours she’d spent caring for others today.

His medical training screamed at him to point out the risks of her doing that.

But something much deeper suddenly stirred within him—admiration for her and for what she was trying to accomplish down here.

Without thinking, he blurted out his praise of her and her work.

“Your suture technique is exceptional. That laborer’s wound—the placement, the careful consideration of muscle tension.

And that breech birth…” He shook his head, his scales catching the light.

“Few could have managed that with such skill.”

“I don’t need your approval or praise,” she snapped back. She turned away from him, organizing and gathering supplies with sharp movements.

He pressed her further. “Why waste such talent in the shadows? Any clinic would—”

She spun back to face him. “Those places? Where they turn away the sick because their social status isn’t high enough? Where they report injured workers to their Jorvlen masters?” Her laugh was bitter. “I’d rather work in a sewer.”

The truth of her words stung. How many times had he watched the system fail those who needed it most? His tail shifted restlessly against the rough floor.

He took a deep breath. “The authorities will not be merciful when they find you. And they will find you eventually.”

She glared at him. “Then I’ll move. Set up somewhere else. These people need someone on their side.”

Her raw dedication to help the less fortunate called to something that had been dormant within him from years of bureaucratic compromise. His scales rippled with an unfamiliar protective urge.

“Who are you to lecture me anyway?” She jabbed her finger close to his scaled chest. “Standing there in your clean uniform, judging from your position of privilege. You have no idea.”

“I’ve seen enough down here to know you’re putting yourself at unnecessary risk.” His voice came out rougher than intended.

“Unnecessary? Tell that to the mother who just delivered her baby safely instead of bleeding out in some back alley. Tell that to the man who can still use his arm because someone was here to stitch it properly.”

The pure passion in her voice resonated through him like a physical force. Why did her words affect him so deeply? Why did every fiber of his being want to shield her from what was coming? The intensity of his feelings for a stranger—a human no less—defied logic or reason.

His muscles tensed as he opened his mouth to explain the unfamiliar pull he felt toward her and her dedication, but heavy footsteps suddenly echoed through the tunnel. His tail lashed against the ground as three Jorvlen bounty hunters emerged from the shadows, their leather armor creaking.

“Well, well. The infamous underground healer.” The lead hunter sneered, his scarred face twisting. “You’ve been causing quite a stir around here lately.”

Her fingers tightened around the bottle she was holding. “Get out. This is a place of healing.”

“Oh, we will. Once you pay what you owe for running this illegal operation.” The lead hunter’s eyes gleamed with malice. “Five thousand credits should cover our… discretion.”

“I don’t have that kind of money.” She backed away slowly.

“Wrong answer,” the lead hunter growled.

Before Nirrn could react, one of the other Jorvlen bounty hunters lunged forward, grabbing her from behind. She struggled violently, but the hunter’s grip was iron. The bottle crashed to the floor, antiseptic splashing across the stone.

The lead hunter invaded her space, his slimy face within inches of hers. “Listen here, you little parasite. Either you pay up now, or we’ll make sure you never treat another patient again.”

He pulled out a dagger and pressed it against her throat. She went still, but her eyes blazed with defiance. “I help people who can’t afford your extortion. I won’t apologize for that.”

“Then maybe we should leave your body here as a message to others who might get similar ideas.” He pressed the dagger deeper, drawing a thin line of blood.

Nirrn’s scales rippled with pure rage, his tail coiling tighter beneath him.

Every instinct in his body screamed at him to protect her, but violence wasn’t in his nature.

He was a healer, trained to mend, not to destroy.

Yet watching that blade be pressed against her throat, her blood trickling down her neck, awakened a raw primal instinct within him—something that made his muscles tighten dangerously and his eyes narrow with a singular focus. The tunnel air grew thick with tension.

Then, the scent of her blood hit his nostrils, and something in him completely snapped.

His tail coiled deadly tight, his muscles bunching beneath his orange scales as raw power overrode his healer’s training and discipline.

Without conscious thought, he struck out violently.

His powerful tail propelled him forward, and he slammed into the lead hunter with enough force to send them both crashing into the stone wall.

The dagger clattered to the ground. His hands, usually so steady with surgical instruments, wrapped around the lead hunter’s throat in a deadly vise grip.

“You dare draw her blood in a place of healing?” The words came out in a snarl he barely recognized as his own.

The other hunter released her, and the third hunter stepped closer, both drawing their weapons. Nirrn’s scales bristled at their approach, glinting in the dim light. His long tail swept low, knocking one of the hunters off his feet.

“You’re actually defending this human trash?” the lead hunter wheezed through Nirrn’s grip. “What kind of Niri are you?”

Nirrn tightened his hold. “One who recognizes true goodness when he sees it.”

The third hunter lunged with a short blade. Nirrn released the leader and twisted away, but not fast enough. Steel scraped across his scales, drawing a thin line of blood along his broad shoulder. The burning pain only fueled his blind rage.

He caught movement from the corner of his eye.

She was backing away, her expression a mix of shock and something else he couldn’t identify.

The distraction cost him. The lead hunter had recovered his dagger and now all three advanced on him, spreading out to flank him in the narrow space of the underground clinic.

“Looks like we found ourselves two problems to solve tonight,” the lead hunter sneered, twirling his blade. “A traitor and an illegal healer.”

Nirrn’s tail lashed violently against the ground, his breath coming in heavy pants.

He wasn’t trained for this. His muscles already burned from the unfamiliar exertion, and the three armed opponents were more than he could handle.

But as he watched them circle closer, he knew with absolute certainty he would die before letting them harm her again.

The hunters moved as one, their blades glinting in the dim light. Nirrn coiled his tail deathly tight, preparing for what might be his last stand.