“Maybe you’re going to teach me a thing or two about humans.” There was something to be said for leaving things to fate and not always calculating your next move. She seemed so light and happy. Where was the baggage that weighed us all down?
“I think that’s true.” Just then the doors burst open. A large broad man in simple clothing entered. His beard was overgrown and he looked quite unkempt.
“Breakfast is over. It’s time for your medical examinations,” and just like that, our tryouts had begun.
-7-
We followed the large ma
n from the breakfast hall to another cabin.
“Humans to the right. All others come over here to the left.”
Half a dozen ladies left the crowd and stood on the right. They smiled and played with their clothes nervously.
“You all are going in first.” I flashed Vivica a thumbs up. Would she be okay on her own? What type of questions were they going to ask? For some reason I felt nervous for her. The humans herded into the open doors. Once the doors closed shut, the man held up a small basket.
“There’s an extra step for the rest of you. Before you enter, you will need to drink this potion fully. It will get rid of any magic or deception spells that you’ve cast. Your true forms will be revealed within five minutes of consumption. For those of you that don’t want others to know what you actually look like, I suggest you drink the potion and hustle into the examination room. The doctors will be waiting.” Groans and murmured protests echoed throughout the crowd. The man shrugged and pointed towards the woods. “If you don’t like it, you can leave now. Fair is fair. We don’t want anyone to have any additional advantages. Like we said, we take this vetting process very seriously. The shapeshifters want to know what they are getting without all of the fluff.”
I’d never been much for beautifying spells. They were exhausting to keep up and the magic was very shallow. I wondered how many of the faces that surrounded me would be unrecognizable in a few minutes.
“One by one. There you go.” We began to form a line and slowly filter up the stairs. Each woman grabbed a potion, uncapped the lid, and swallowed its contents. After peering into their open mouths, the man waved in woman after woman. I counted the number of women ahead of me. There were fifteen or so. Could this small cabin hold enough doctors to check us all? I remembered the bathrooms. They must use shapeshifting magic on these cabins, as well as the entire surrounding forests. Who was maintaining all of this? How did they have enough energy to keep it up all the time? They really must be desperate for more manpower. The population would need to be a certain amount to sustain it. The line continued to move forward. I guess there was enough room. I now stood several women behind the man handing out the potions. Could they be using disrobing magic? My magic was tied to the elements and the earth. If I stayed as a breeder, would they let me learn from them? Finally, it was my turn. I took the small potion and uncapped it. Tossing it back, I wrapped my lips around the tiny opening. A salty fizz poured down my throat. Hmm. Not half bad.
“Open your mouth. Wider.” I stretched my mouth as wide as it would go. “Go ahead. You’re fine.”
“Thanks.” I bounded up the steps and entered the doors. The ceilings spanned at least twelve feet. The inside of this cabin resembled a train station. Several booths were spread in front of me with various markings. Check-in was the furthest from the left. I headed into the booth.
“Welcome. Name please?”
“Catalina.”
“Surname?”
“Do you think there’s another Catalina?”
“Point taken.”
The receptionist typed for a minute.
“Witch?”
I nodded.
“Room 36E. Go down the hallway and take a left. Fourth door on your right.”
I followed her directions exactly and ended up in front of an open door labeled 36E. A small wrinkled man was sitting behind a desk when I entered. He was writing some notes on a pad.
“Come in dear. Have a seat. I’ll be right with you.” He motioned to some chairs against the wall without looking up. His name tag said Dr. Haven.
I sat down and began fiddling with my sleeves. I hadn’t been to a doctor since I was a young girl. Witches usually went to each other for ailments. If our tinctures, potions, and magic couldn’t fix it, there was most likely nothing a doctor could do for us anyway. I studied Dr. Haven. His wrinkles gave him a distinguished appearance. He was short and round with square-rimmed glasses perched halfway off his nose. A large mole sat smack dab centered on his forehead. Could he be…a warlock? His clothes were human-like, a white lab coat over some dress pants and a button up shirt. What would a warlock be doing in a shapeshifter camp? How had he become a part of this? He continued to scribble. His pen scratched the paper rhythmically. Would he write the same number of notes for me? After a few minutes, he lifted his pen from the paper and tossed it onto the desktop. It landed with a heavy clink. How much could that pen possibly weigh? Dr. Haven looked me up and down and tented his hands. “Now my dear, we’ve got limited time to get to it. I’m going to ask you some questions and then give you a physical exam. Is that alright?” Is that alright? It wasn’t as if I had a choice. I mean, I wanted to become a breeder, so this was the path. What a strange question. Interesting man, perhaps some thought the appearance of choice was disarming?
“Do what you gotta do. I want to make healthy babies.”
Dr. Haven smiled and stood.
“Are you sexually active?”
I nodded. Quite active.