In a world constantly plagued by pandemics, she had witnessed everything her country had gone through. In times when people often turned to her for help, she, a skilled mage and a doctor of medicine, created and sold remedies to cure diseases.
She lived in a dense forest, hidden from everyone's sight. There was only one person she trusted to handle transactions outside, the one who distributed the medicines she created.
"Jauna, is this everything?"
"Yes, that's all of it. Before you head back, buy me some bread and cat food."
"Understood."
Right then, the vehicle that would carry the products to town arrived.
She was currently 260 years old. It did not show in her appearance. Anyone who saw her would think she was only in her twenties. She was a deity from another planet. She wanted to be independent and not rely on anyone. She had arrived on the human planet hundreds of years ago.
Because she had the ability to create antidotes, she turned it into her livelihood. Only a few knew of her existence, since almost everyone who had seen her had already died.
She had no husband or lover because she knew they would only die before her, as human lifespans are limited.
When she finished producing antidotes, she busied herself by taking care of her cats. She had many of them because spaying was not common in her time. Some of the cats died naturally. Some left. Others stayed.
Her favorite bread was egg pie, and whenever her steward brought it, it became her way of celebrating the completion of her tasks.
There were times when she wandered into town to observe the state of people's lives, sometimes in places with few people, sometimes deep within thickets.
One day, a silver-colored cat entered her home, wounded and bleeding. She knew it was not an ordinary cat.
"Help me," it said through telepathy after she carried it and placed it on the table prepared for treatment.
She placed her hand on the injured part, and the wound slowly began to close as the cat gradually fell asleep.
After treating it, she wrapped it in clean cloth and allowed it to rest. She would speak to it once it woke up.
"I'm here, Jauna."
Faram arrived, now a man in his forties. He had been young when Jauna took him in. He had been completely orphaned, one of the survivors of a war between nations. He was only five years old when she adopted him and made him her steward. He never built a family of his own, dedicating himself instead to serving Jauna. He had also saved enough money so that if he ever wished to retire, he could.
"Why is there a cat lying here?" he asked, noticing the silver cat wrapped in bandages.
"Just leave it for now. I don't know where it came from either. It was already wounded when it arrived."
"Here are the things you asked for. And this is the payment from the medicines I sold to the pharmacies."
"Thank you."
He placed food and water in bowls. One by one, the cats gathered to eat.
"It's already night. I'm going to sleep. Leave a lamp for light," Jauna said as she excused herself.
At midnight, the cat returned to its true form and became a well-built man. He had silver hair, muscular arms, a broad chest, and a tall stature. He searched for Jauna's room. When he entered, he slowly approached the young woman, observing her from her face down to the shape of her body as she lay on her side. His gaze returned to her face. He leaned closer and kissed her as a sign of gratitude for healing him. Then he turned back into a cat and left. He decided he would return another time, as he still had matters to attend to.