The Mantis Corruption - Book Three - 17. Chapter 17 - The First Organic Mechanic of Teshon City

After moving into Gate Town, Olona focused on using her skills to help people. Her days were spent healing the injured, and Olona enjoyed her practice. Some locals were hesitant to accept treatments with the bizarre machines that she used; most were unfamiliar with or at least unsure of the arts performed by organic mechanics.

When Olona and Tisa left their shack in the Spritehood, they moved into the first floor of an empty building that they discovered at the edge of Shifton. Over the next few weeks, Olona’s practice grew, and she started treating people in their new home.

She and Tisa moved upstairs into the space above, and the ground level became Olona’s storefront and care station. It was not long before the shop was thriving. Weeks turned into months, and her practice became popular across Teshon City. New people came to her daily.

“Welcome to the First Organic Mechanic Shoppe of Teshon City,” Olona called out as a bell rang and a woman opened the front door. “It’s our six-month anniversary! What can I do for you?”

“You fixed me neighbor’s leg,” she replied to Olona. She was wearing an eyepatch. “I was just wonderin’ if’n you couldn’t do something for me eye. It’s goin’ on me. Can’t see nothin’ out of it for near a year now.” She lifted the patch.

Olona put down the joint she was smoking and asked the woman, “Are you in any pain?”

“Nah,” she replied, “there was a dull ache for a while when me vision first started fading, but it don’t hurt none.”

Olona raised her hands. “May I touch your face?”

The woman nodded and Olona gently felt the space around the orbital socket.

“I can replace your eye with a mechanical one. It’s a procedure that is not approved by the organic mechanics guild where I trained,” Olona said, and the woman looked nervous, but Olona continued. “I’ve actually given myself an optical upgrade. I’ve got my own partially mechanic eye. So, let’s see what we can do for you.”

During her days, Olona mended injuries, helped people with worn-out joints, and gave strength to folks who had grown weak.

One evening, Tisa came home to find Olona in an excited state.

“Tisa, I met a man from Xin today!” she declared. “He let me copy a map he owned and explained why there are so few people who have ever made the journey from here to there or vice versa. Take a look!”

She pointed at a roll of parchment on the tabletop. “Help me spread this out.” Olona’s drawing was scratchy, but she started indicating different sections of it. “The man said these mountains that separate Xin from the region around Teshon City are virtually impassible. Also, it’s apparently almost impossible to sneak through Gunge.” Olona shot Tisa a proud expression. “We did,” she added with a smile, and she continued. “He told me there’s also some sort of treacherous ocean phenomenon that doesn’t let any seafaring vessels travel south of Hazel Cove.” Olona indicated a section of the ocean and said, “Whatever’s in the water starts below that region and stretches out into the ocean. I guess it goes up, encircles Teshon Harbor, and connects to the land far to the north of the city. He didn’t know if it was a massive coral reef or some sort of underwater topographical anomaly, but he said that ships can’t go between this region and Xin.”

“Strange,” Tisa said.

“So, because of the mountains and oceanic barrier, coupled with Gunge,” Olona added, pointing at it again, “it’s only possible to make the journey on foot, and almost no one’s done it. The Oselians must have known some way to deal with whatever is out in the ocean. Maybe their warships smashed it, and it regrew, or maybe whatever it is appeared afterward, I don’t know,” she concluded.

“Well, I guess that explains that,” Tisa replied.

“We did something that very few others have accomplished,” Olona said in amazement. She put her arm around Tisa. “We are pretty impressive,” she added with a smile. “I wonder what else we are going to achieve.”★