• PM To Join • [Order of the Adunih] Healing Hurts

[Sephira]

Afternoon of the 29th of Cylus, Arc 718

The Order of Adunih’s outpost was a mess of activity following the events of the night before. Injured civilians from the collapsed area of Scalvoris Town lined the beds as healers worked to stabilize as many people as possible. While they were saving lives Sephira was trying to keep the contents of her stomach down as waves of motion sickness and blurry vision continued to rack her body. The consequences of over using her magic had been uncomfortable to say the least. The mage sat in a chair silently mulling the events of the past few breaks, her mind trying to grasp exactly what had happened to the Elements...her Elements.

Suddenly a woman in a gold cloak came bursting into her field of vision and grasped Sephira by the shoulder, guiding her to her feet. The Element stood, favoring her good leg as she was led to an examination table that was well lit by a pair of bright oil lanterns. A woman with pale hair followed behind the more experienced healer as she gestured for Sephira to get up on the table to be examined.

“You’re an Element.” The woman in the gold cloak commented, noting the flame shaped pin attached to Sephira’s collar. As she spoke the green cloaked healer began removing the mage’s coat so they could take a better account of her injuries.

“What happened out there?” the elder healer asked the bleary eyed patient while she began blotting a warm damp cloth to the cuts on her face, mopping up the dried blood.

“I’m not sure even I know.” The woman muttered, barely getting the words out as her eyes glazed over with the memories of the last few breaks. “And I was there.” She whispered, recalling the bloody fight with the Defiers, the death of the men who had turned on their fellow cultists only to die bits later for their treachery. It was all too much.

Her leather armor chest piece was removed, leaving the mage in her dirtied white shirt and black pants. Sephira was dimly aware of the Green Cloak carefully feeling her ribs before notating to the other healer that two of her ribs had been broken.

“Going to need stitches.” The gold cloak noted dryly, sounding a little irritated that she could not get any valuable information out of the woman.
“Or rather, Rami do we have any of the Raft left?” The green cloaked healer nodded before running off toward the nearest supply closet before returning with a jar of clear gel-like liquid.

The mage sat there numbly as the sticky gel-like bandage was applied to her cheek and the scrapes on her forehead.
“This will work similar to stitches and keep it from getting infected. One of our local healers created the stuff.” The green cloak said as she applied the medicine liberally.

“We’ll need to set your nose and give you a splint for your ankle Element, otherwise they won’t heal properly.”
Sephira nodded mutely, still consumed by her inner thoughts. The Elements were involved in some sort of cult that demanded women as sacrifices. None of it made any sense. Hopefully the other women made it out safely. Her friend Alva had been pretty banged up, hopefully she had already gotten the help she needed.

Dialogue|Thoughts

[Lavana Tharn]

Tharn

Lavana had managed to make it to the order of Adunih and wondered if her friend from a while ago would make an appearance. As amber eyes danced across fluttering faces hoping to see the woman she helped several trials ago. That saintly woman was probably out saving people, never would forget her. So sweet shed even scolded Lavana for fending the lunatic off of her and when she harmed him she tended his wounds.

She found herself disrobed of her shirt, as she stood still and grit her teeth trying to prepare herself for the shit show that was well on its way as the nurses leaned her down. There was chatter as she felt disoriented from pain medicine, not nearly enough but there was not enough to go around for everyone so what little she got she was thankful for.

It was nothing short of pure agony as they fished into her wound even with the drugs administered. As they pulled free the plug, and it gripped her firmly as Amber eyes narrowed in disbelief as it broke bloodied crust that dragged along the meat as the wound had been violently unsealed. Her muscles visibly tensing in agony, as she kept balling her fist as if to want to turn and punch one the nurses that held her do as it was quick but equally unbearable down as she writhed and wiggled in defiance strong enough to try and squirm free but there were to many hands on her. It felt like slithering and scraping sensation that left her with bewildered in shortened breaths.

It wasn't any better when the cloth filling came out, the water was fine as it rinsed and cleaned fibers of the material out but it still bled profusely. It was what came after that truly sucked as alcohol and swabs came in, scrubbing the inside of the wound as they cleaned it to prevent infection.

The pain was intense like a molten slug had burrowed into her chest and sat there smoldering while being repeatedly stabbed. The mortal born couldn't figure out what was worse, being stabbed or being prepped for a surgical stitching as they poured there vile torturous liquid into the punctured flesh and scrubbed it out of dirt and grime with vigor.

It was horrendous and shed suffered a great deal, and suffer some more she would. Needle and thread, that jamed into her skin over and over and over and over slowly cruelty that was methodically monotonous as it continued until completion a tie a knot and a snip and Lavana had completed but one procedure.

Shed tried and managed to force herself up, but was quickly suppressed with force as she tried to struggle against it with no success as she found herself restrained by compassion. When the procedure was over they gave her help getting up.

The next shard retrieval as pliers began plucking bits of shattered tank glass out of her skin. It was slow going, as they'd pinch pick and pull those splinters and shed grimace flinching as they'd come out before being douse in alcohol when needed. It was a horrendous experience, not as severe as say scrubbing the grime out of stab wound, but it was like bathing in fire a truly miserable experience; it's own special treat really.

And the final piece, was working on the lacerations. She detected something humorous that perhaps maybe only Lavana in right mind would think was hysterical, as it led her directly

But her amber eyes stumbled upon a particular woman of interest as they lit up despite the dire circumstances. She might have been an Element but she hadn't been one of those cultists. And she smiled begrudgingly as she tried to work out being a bitch and being in pain.

"Hey fancy meeting you here, the gossip is I hear your getting a nose job" Lavana was quick to wince as the they started cleaning her cuts that were blown to the four winds across her body with good ole rubbing alcohol. She assumed the stinging was to let her know it's was working.

"Don'....Hey ouch, that fucking hurts." Lavana interrupted with a heaping dose of hurt as they were still fishing glass out of her. " Don't mind the free show, I won't charge you for it" Lavana cackled, and grimaced clearly trying to be enthusiastic while less then thrilled with her predicament. "So, what happened someone didn't get a promotion or something?"

[Max]

Max was apparently as stubborn to die as she was a patient to treat. The cultists had taken more than her gladius and her sense of safety (if she ever really had such a thing). Crippling her foot and leaving her a bruised, bloody mess in the hands of the Adunih healers made her feel weak. That blemish on her ego was perhaps the most unforgivable. The only thing that had been keeping her remotely docile while the yellow-hooded woman and her apprentices worked was exhaustion. She'd been in and out of consciousness since she arrived. Random spikes of adrenaline and memories of the trauma kept her from falling into that much needed deep sleep. How could she have? If the Elements couldn't be trusted, neither could the city healers.

Her broken ribs, slash wound, and minor scrapes had been routine to treat. Even the green hoods had the experience to see those injuries taken care of. Her foot, on the other hand, had been an entirely different story. Maxine was quicker to hurl a fist than let someone prod the gaping wound. After she'd struck the first, acting as hostile as a wounded animal, no apprentice dared to approach her again. Even the most senior healer had shaken her head at the sight of injury. She'd sent a small boy running out the door, and within a break, a young prodigy waltzed through the doors and to her beside with steady eyes.

Argus Hamilton-Smith looked far too young to surpass the expertise of the gold cloaked healer that had been tending her earlier. His fancy clothes and neat appearance made him out to be little more than a privileged rich boy than anything else. His title of professor had meant little to Max, and his cold, calculating demeanor send warning signals throughout her brain. He was smart above all else though. A short, gruesome explanation of what would happen to her should she refuse his generous offer to help and she quickly resigned herself to his care. She'd opposed being put out, and thus it ended up being the agony of the procedure that finally shut her down for a couple breaks.

When Maxine awoke the next day it was with a violent start. She shot up out of the bed, eyes wide and hand fishing for a gladius she'd forgotten was no longer on her person. By now the green cloaks had learned to fear unwarrantly approaching her and thus stood back with palms up until the fit ceased. A few glances around and she'd remembered where she was. Pain and soreness practically crushed her thereafter. Cringing, she gestured toward one of the green cloaks.
"Drugs," Max murmured.
"What?" he said dumbly, brow furrowed. "What drugs?"
"I need something. Bug berries? Purple Perl?"
"Those are illegal."
"I. Need. Something."
"Sorry, miss!" The look the Rusalka gave him suggested she was seriously considering straggling him. She threw off the covers and grasped the single crutch leaned against the wall beside her bed. Her foot was well-wrapped, but one touch down and she knew it could still bear no real weight. Each breath teased at her cracked ribs. Every sensation reminding her of last night's ordeal only seemed to make her that much more furious. She crutched to one of the healers' cabinets, yanking the door open and fishing through the jars of supplies until her hand wrapped around a familiar neck: a short bottle of rum. She was in the middle of happily indulging herself when she heard the word slip somewhere from gold cloak's lips: Element.

There's a fucking Element? In here?!

She tucked the short bottle in the back pocket of her pants, trading up for the sinister-looking scalpel the professor had used to treat her foot. Pain was secondary to the homicidal thoughts on her mind. She rapidly crutched across the floor, throwing open a curtain with the sharp surgical tool raised to split open her enemy. "Oh," Max exclaimed in surprise, vengeful expression disintegrating. "It's you." She lowered the scalpel and dropped it upon a small table beside Sephira's examination table. It was an act that visibly pleased the gold cloak treating the woman. Maxine turned her gaze to follow yet another familiar voice. She rolled her eyes with a brief, knowing smirk. By now she knew Lavana's crassness anywhere. "What's wrong?" she called toward her without needing to turn around to find just where she was. "No one liked the potato sack look?"

The rum bottle came back out again. Her eyes settled back curiously upon Sephira, darkening considerably when they found themselves resting on her flame-shaped pin. Her fingers wrapped tighter about the handle of her single crutch. She took a drink of alcohol before gesturing the bottle toward the symbol of the Elements. "How can you fucking wear that thing?"

[Sephira]

The green cloak slathered more of the goopy substance on Sephira’s face as they pinched together the cut along her cheek. It stung faintly as the herbal components of the medicine took effect. The Element sat there silently as they administered the medicine before the gold cloak stepped around to take a look at the mage’s broken nose.

“Good to see you in one piece Alva.” She croaked out, her voice dry and parched from the events of the night, and likely from whatever knock out drug they had been dosed with. Sephira stared at the ground with bleary eyes while the gold cloak carefully examined her nose, taking into account where the break had occurred and how they would need to readjust it.

"Hey fancy meeting you here, the gossip is I hear your getting a nose job"

“It appears so.” She said in response to the somewhat indecent Lavana. The mage appeared to be in something of a haze as the healers rushed around her. The events of the last trial swam through her head as she tried to put together the string of events that had led her here. Flame Element Orric was somehow involved in this, she had not forgotten the part he had played before they had been attacked and abducted. As soon as she was patched up Sephira was going to head straight back to Redwood Redoubt to figure out what the hell was going on with the Elements. Someone had to get to the bottom of this.

In the middle of that muddled cloud of haphazard thoughts Sephira caught the sound of Lavana as the woman made another jibe at her. Her friend always knew how to lighten the mood.

“No promotion yet I’m afraid.” She said with a faint halfhearted smirk. Even in the worst of times, Lavana cracked her jokes and kept the mood light.

“I don’t know what that was Alva.” Sephira leaned forward slightly toward the other woman, a gleam of worry in her eyes. “Elements kidnapping women for some ritual...I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t been there myself.” There was genuine disbelief in her eyes, the mage softly thumbing the Flame Element’s pin at her collar as the healer stepped away for a moment, giving them a moment of privacy.

Suddenly in the midst of everything, the curtain to her right was torn back and a somewhat familiar face emerged into the light of a nearby oil lantern. She had been there, in the amphitheater.

The fury on the woman’s face vaporized almost instantly when she recognized her. Sephira immediately reached for where her sword would normally be sheathed when she noticed the scalpel in the woman’s hand. However her belt and saber has been taken away by one of the green cloaks, he had promised to have it cleaned and returned to her before she left the outpost. The blade was stained with blood, blood that she had spilled. The mage was certain that Wyvern had tasted blood before, it was an old sword, one wielded by her master before he moved to Faldrass and met her. She was certain that it would taste blood again if she ever found Flame Element Orric.

Sephira held her hands up passively instead when she realized that she was unarmed, but almost immediately the woman placed the scalpel down when she recognized the Element.

Oh...It’s you

It was the voice of someone who had been looking for a suitable face to pummel after the events of the trial before. It would be wonderful if it was that simple, if there was a single person responsible for all of this death, but that wasn’t the case. There had been dozens, perhaps a hundred or more elements in that amphitheater, and there was plenty of blame to go around.

"How can you fucking wear that thing?"

The words struck the Element with the force of a blow and she went back to idly thumbing the flame shaped pin. She seemed to go into a daze again, scenes from earlier playing inside her head. Memories of the men who had turned on the cultists to protect her and the other women flashed in the woman’s mind.

She leveled her gaze at Max, her eyes dim with memory and the sting of betrayal.

“Six of them turned on the others...they died defending the women.” She said softly before her eyes hardened. “A Defier drew the breath out of them like water from a glass.” Sephira paused before continuing, her voice sharper and biting as the effects of her Overstepping began to wane.

“I’m still an Element because someone has to sort this shit out. They didn’t die for nothing.”

Dialogue|Thoughts

[Lavana Tharn]

Tharn

"Listen it's ok Sephira, I understand and don't worry about it. Get some rest!" Her mind fluttered at the desperate look in Sephiras eyes, those cultists would have to pay for this shit. They had gone too far with the wrong bitches, and exacting revenge was definitely on the table. "We need to gather strength, to finish this shit. I'm not letting this go unanswered, no fucking way I'll follow them to the ends of idalos."

Did Lavana just hear what she thought she heard? As her ear perked at the words bug berry. Yea shed like to pop a handful and zone out for a bit, of course shed prefer to smoke them but it wasn't like it was going to be on the agenda.

Apparently asking for pain medicine was a cardinal sin when you had holes in you, kind of a cruel joke the irony in that. But her eyes seemed to light up when she recognized the voice of her compatriot who was asking for just a little relief. As the nurse was still tweezing slivers from her form that made her particularly uncomfortable shed live without.

As she watched Max come through the curtain with murderous intent wielding a scalpel hoblin on crutches. Her Amber eyes widened with a sadistic smirk of pure delight only to realized who she was going for. "Whoa chill, shes cool." her commentary had been all but uneeded as they recognized each other and the tension quickly faded.

Typical snarky comment from Max let her know everything was good, they were all friends here no need to get physical. She wanted them both to conserve her energy and beyond that the mortal born wanted to get even.

"Bitch, Please! You dont got a leg to stand on. You know even Kura said it was ~gallant~ regalia." As she brought her hand to touch her bare chest without thinking "fuuu...." as she grimaced in disbelief that she tapped her freshly sealed wound. But despite this Lavanas spirits had been raised from the presence of the two women; motherfucking survivors. "All those noble tarts in Rynmere will be trying to copy me but alas they will fail for my sack is still bigger then theres!" Lavana tried to maintain her composure or lack there of as she sort chuckled with giddy glee.

Shed let Max point out her flame pin and keep her mouth shut. Lavana knew shed lied about her name, and knew it was coming. But Sephira had earned it, and maybe it was time for her to know it as shed allow it to progress. She had a lot of respect for the mage, but it wasn't the spark or the elements that defined her. The mortal born had seen passed it and felt remorse and guilt for not revealing it sooner.

Lavana didn't care that six elements that had drugged her and dumped her into a pit and forced her to murder people had turned coat. And while shed had a moment of weakness and delved into darkness to find her strength she was in this for herself. It wasn't about the sacrificed, it wasn't about cult traitors, it was about what her heart desired; sugary sweet revenge.

"I got you, don't worry we will see it through." Her tone more serious then usual

[Max]

Her lips pressed into a line at the joking mention of her injury, and while her eyes were locked on that damned pin, it became clear that not even Lavana's quips could lighten her dark mood. The proximity of her friend should've tempered her. Yet it was because the imperial was here that Maxine's deep-seeded anger refused to fall from focus. She'd watched an Element-aligned Mer create the sealed wound on Lavana's chest with the bone dagger. It wasn't a mental image she was soon to forget. The Mortal Born was determined not to be so hard on the Element in their midst. Much to Max's surprise, she was overwhelmingly empathetic. Faldrass volcano might as well have frozen completely over.

Max's eyes returned to Sephira's face when the woman countered her, reminding her some Element cultists had become turncoats for their cause before the life was literally sucked from their lungs. It was a fair point...but not fair enough. "Four of us were already dead long before we all spilled blood in the amphitheater," Max revealed coldly with a brief, stray glance toward Lavana. There were details from that incident perhaps best left unshared. "Those women, they died for nothing. There's nothing to sort out about that. Vega was already in flames by the time your six switched sides. They deserve to rot where they were felled." She paused only to take a drink from the bottle. Every sip was bringing her closer toward dulling her nerves. The process would've been far quicker if she was permitted to use less than legal substances in combination with the alcohol. Bug Berries would've at least mellowed her out.

"Far more than a handful were involved. We don't have enough hands between the three of us to count the number of masks I saw," she pointed out, unconcerned with keeping the details of the kidnapping under wraps for fear of what civilians around them might overhear. The corruption within the Elements went deep. It wasn't an infection or a minor wound. It was absolutely necrotic. As far as she could see, there was no saving this military organization once tasked with defending Scalvoris and keeping law and order. Like a dead limb, the only thing to be done was lop it off. "The people will know. The Elements will lose their authority, and then they'll lose Scalvoris. It'll start in Almund I'd bet. Either way, you're sailing a sinking sink..."

And coming from someone who has deliberately sunk their fair share of ships...

"Abandon it while you still have a lifeboat." Max turned her attention toward Lavana, who she realized had a solution that very much piqued her interest. More rum passed her lips. Then, feeling generous, she held the bottle out for either of the women to indulge themselves if they so chose. "Now if someone's suggesting a hunt, that's something I can get behind." Clearly her friend Earth Mask had defied logic and survived the robust hole she'd put in his throat. He was out there somewhere...living. The mask meant he could've been literally anyone. She could ignorantly pass him in the street and never have known. That idea alone was more frightening than any other thought that had crossed her mind before. Max needed to pay him back in kind for what he'd done. More importantly, she'd needed to slay her monster before his presence in her nightmares brought her to fear falling sleep.

[Faith Augustin]

There had been some kind of an incident down at the docks and Faith had come into the Order, well aware that there would be a need for every hand. That was yesterday and other than snatching a few breaks sleep and popping home to visit the babies, she'd been here since. There were a group in Room 4, Faith was told, and they wanted her to check on the foot and the lacerations. Also, on the woman who'd decided that wielding a scalpel was a good idea. Faith had nodded her head and gone in, when she'd been told about it by the gold cloak who'd come out. She'd picked up her bag and made her way into the room. Where she was met with three women, each of them one of the injured. As she walked in, Faith looked at the one who was talking, and offering something liquid which was probably alcoholic. "I'd say a hunt might not be the best idea right now." She said with a soft smile. The woman who spoke did so in a soft voice, as she entered. She was short, five foot four and with very pale skin, jet black hair and eyes such a pale shade of blue they seemed almost silver. She had a tattoo of an intricate pattern on both wrists and one on her neck. Also, her nails combined with those tattoos seemed quite out of place on the conservative dress of the young woman. "Hello. My name is Faith and I'm here to just check up on you. One of the dangers with any wound is infection, and I have some medicine that will help. With your permission, of course."

Some of the others in the room whispered and nudged each other as she introduced herself, but the quietly spoken human woman seemed to not notice. She walked in and put her bag down on the desk. Looking between the three of them, she saw Sephira's pin and she nodded at her. Just a gentle, soft smile lifted her lips. Then, though, she was on to her list. "Max?" Faith said to the woman of that name and she turned to her. She was the scalpel wielding one. "Alright, the risk of infection for you is on that foot. I'm going to give you a salve," she said with a glance at the wound, looking at Argus' work with a critical eye. "That will need to be put on it whenever the bandages are changed. You can come here to have that done, or you can get someone to do it for you. I'd advise against doing it yourself as the way you'd have to bend your foot might well open your stitches." Whichever Max would prefer, Faith said, they could bind the wound for her, or someone could do it. Either was fine. "If it starts to feel hot, or swells suddenly, you need to come back here. I'm going to give you some herbs to put in tea, too, they will help you stave off infection." This close, the young woman didn't look to be yet twenty, seeming to be in her late teens, early twenties at the most.

"Would you like anything for the pain?" Faith asked. She didn't touch Max unless she asked first, but would check the wound if Max let her. Then, she'd move on to Lavana and smile at the mortalborn woman. "Hello. Can I check your wounds? And so she would do the same for LAvana and again for Sephira - always and only with the permission of the woman in question and she appeared to have no judgement in terms of the Elements. She offered each of them pain medication, but it was mild and with minimal side effects. She worked, quietly, letting them get on with their conversation. Each one of them, though, she asked if there was anything she could do, to make them more comfortable or help them.

Off Topic

Sorry. Bit of a naff post, but she's working working. Soz. Will do better next one, be more interactive!

[Kura Wolfsdotter]

Kura had been separated from the others, having fainted on the way. She didn't know it, but Faith had left orders that Kura was to be kept separate from other patients if brought in unconscious, a precaution for her bad wake ups. They followed it through exactly as she had said, and Kura woke up snarling and growling, her eyes gold as she was ready to tear into whoever was closest. As it turned out, whoever was closest was quite immune anything Kura might have done. While Cally did react to being punched in the face, she only paused a moment in thought. "You know, that doesn't actually hurt. Interestin'." she said, her tone mild as Kura's eyes turned back to blue. "You calm now?" she asked. Kura nodded and Cally let her up.

"How long was I out? And where am I?" she said, more curious than worried. If Cally was solid, Faith was here, and Kura took that to mean they were safe. She checked her side, cheek, and hand, noting that she had been rafted on the former two wounds, but the latter had evidently been a process. It was bound though, and she guessed it would recover. Possibly Faith's handiwork, possibly that of another skilled healer, either way it looked like good work.

"Couple of hours, you're at the Order of Adunih. The rest of the women who fought with you in the ruins are in another room with the general patients. Lavana needs some trainin' doesn't she? Lacks discipline, and I don't think she used her powers. But then, she didn't know her Domains when you two met, did she?" the ghost asked, sitting next to Kura.

Kura nodded at Cally's assessment of Lavana. "She's only recently learned what she is. And hasn't decided who she is. She's been on the run, I think, ever since Valtharn's betrayal. Her majesty will have called off her scouts now that she knows where Lavana is, so she can figure it out now if she wants." she said, standing up. "Well, let's go see how the rest are doing."

Leaving her room, Kura followed Cally into the room where the rest of the group was receiving their treatment. She arrived just in time to hear Max's disparaging comment on the Element Pin. However, she stayed in an out of the way corner, motioning for Cally to join her, listening to the conversation between the three fighters from the ruins. Vega, she guessed, was elsewhere due to the extent of her injuries. She didn't know Sephira, or the one called Max, all that well, though the latter didn't impress her much.

Then Faith came in and started to treating the trio, and at that point Kura stepped forward, with Cally behind her. "Roughly 100. All but one of whom are dead. This island isn't that populated, so having killed that many will be a notable blow to the cult. That being said, I don't believe they were the only threat. The Mauve Maiden, or at least it's Naerrik Captain, was involved. They'll need to be dealt with too." she said, her tone intent but calm. "But no, we won't lose Scalvoris because of the actions a group of masked cowards too afraid to act unless they can put their targets in chains first, and even then don't have the guts to show themselves." she said, shaking her head. "The Elements may be restructured, renamed. Can't say for sure. But the council will maintain control if we have the will."

Cally, who had thus far remained silent, stepped forward. "Sorry, I was in the ruin, and I think you're all missin' somethin'. This was the cults big debut, yes? Those four on the ground, the leaders, were probably the strongest members. They brought all their will, all their might, everythin' they could, they brought against you four, Vega, and those two that were followin' Lavana around. And they broke. Put at a disadvantage, with one of you not even knowin' how to bring her greatest gifts to bear or even what they are, and you won. Seven of you went up against more than 10 times your number, and you beat them so soundly that there's likely to be songs about that night. The survivors, that Earth leader, the guy from the entrance of the warehouse, white hat, they think they'll have struck a massive blow. I don't see that they accomplished anythin' except dyin' a whole bunch and accidentally destroyin' the docks. But now, everyone's gonna know they exist. They can't be hidin' so easy anymore." she said, her words earnest.

Kura laughed slightly. "She's right. With every advantage they had, 100 of them couldn't kill seven of us. Imagine how they'll fair when the whole island is huntin' them down. Even if we have to hire mercenaries to help do it, we'll run these bastards down." she said, grinning slightly. In truth, she knew they were a threat still. But they would be beaten, one way or another. There were always trump cards, after all. Then she turned to Faith and looked at her hand. "Is this your work, lass? That and keepin' me separate? And how long will this take to heal?" she asked, her tone curious.

Off Topic

Sorry for the delay. Every bloody thing got in my way and I had to prioritize moderator stuff and events. D=

[Sephira]

Sephira could only muster a scathing glare at Max, she didn’t care to explain her motivations or the fact that she would be weathering the storm with the rest of the Elements. It surprised her that only after the length of two cycles that she was ready to go down in flames with the Scalvoris military. After all, the Elements had become a home and a family to her after her master’s death. She had found a purpose with them, something she had never had before, even when Elias had been alive. That purpose had driven her to survive last night, to defend those that could not defend themselves. Sephira had been little more than a self-indulgent child on Faldrass, but the Elements had changed that. Purpose was a powerful thing.

“I’m sure there will be an official investigation.” The mage stated tiredly, she hunched over on the table, her right hand grasping where her ribs had been fractured. It was a dull ache, but more than enough to make her miserable.

“However, we can’t be sure that there isn’t corruption elsewhere. This happened right under our noses, who’s to say that it doesn’t go beyond the cult.” She bit her lip at the thought. This was something that was likely on everyone’s mind; that this was not the end, that perhaps the corruption went deeper than anyone had imagined. Who had started the cult, was it done in earnest or was it done simply to throw the Elements into chaos?

The woman went silent, seemingly lost in her own muddled thoughts when a dark haired healer entered the room. The women seemed to fall silent momentarily when she entered, allowing her a few trills to make an introduction and address each of them about their injuries. When she gave her name there was a spark of recognition in Sephira’s eyes. She had heard stories of Faith and her healing prowess.
The gold cloak from earlier emerged back into the room and approached the Element.

“Let’s see, one broken nose that will need resetting, fractured ribs and a twisted ankle. We’ve already taken care of the gash but you can handle the rest Faith.”

She stepped over to Lavana before recounting the other woman’s own injuries. “This one has a nasty puncture wound, it’s been cleaned but needs to be sealed and treated for infection.” With that the healer departed to tend to the other civilians wounded in last night’s events. It was a boon that Faith had arrived when she did, they needed all hands on deck at the outpost.

By that time Kura had joined them in the room, standing near the threshold as she listened to the conversation.

“A notable blow to the cult, but I suspect the blow to the Elements is far more damaging. When people hear about this, they will lose faith. ” Sephira replied coldly as she gazed at the floor before raising her eyes to Kura. She gave the woman a dutiful nod, they had fought together on that balcony and it was very likely that they would have been overrun if it had not been for the council-woman.
Suddenly the mage lifted her head, peering at the ceiling with a questioning look in her eyes.

“Is it possible that this was done too throw the Elements into chaos? I attuned to the Earth cultists when we were on that balcony; I felt their fear and doubt. Many of them did not want to kill the women, but they were being coerced...somehow.” Sephira fell silent again, her mind slowly working out the events that occurred the night before. Her hands clenched into fists as the pieces of the puzzle came together in her mind.
What if all those people had died at the docks simply because they were a means to an end? What if the cult has been a way to destabilize the military and leave Scalvoris vulnerable? Her mind raced at the possibilities, almost to the point that she nearly missed Cally speaking.

Lavana...

The name was unfamiliar yet similar enough to the name that Alva had given her when they had met in Almund.
Alvana Thorn.

The mage stated at the woman she considered a friend and ally with a look of suspicion. Had she been lied to, why would Alva give her a different name? They had saved lives together in Almund and fought together against the Cult. The woman had even ensured that Sephira was aided in her escape of the collapsing chamber. Why would she lie?

“Alva?” There was wariness in her voice that had not been there before, a frigidity that Sephira reserved for liars and criminals.

Dialogue|Thoughts

[Lavana Tharn]

Tharn

Lavana had kept her focus on Max and felt good about what she had to say, made her feel like the many mistakes shed made in the campaign were absolved and done with. That's right! Those elements forced them to kill each other, even if shed resorted to murder and hid behind the twins. Shed lost her control, and managed to turn a mistake into a boon.

She saw the look the Rusalka gave her with that stray glance and smiled in return as she felt assurance, Lavana knew it from the start they had eachothers backs and it went without saying.

Lavanas eyes were alight with a smile and hands were quick to go for the bottle of rum that was handed out on a first come first serve basis. The ex hound was feeling generous with rum, that wasn't often so shed get while the getting was good.

" Oh hey, before I forget Bitch. When I stumbled on that guy, we came across some piece of shit sword that looked like it belonged In a pawn shop. But then I remembered I seen this shitty thing before! What the fuck were you doing with it anyway Chopping wood?"

Lavana had gotten up to open the cabinet, she found her gear in there and was shuffling through an assortment of items before pulling out Maxs sword.

"Thank you by the way, id of never made it out alive without you"

After her duel with Sephira Lavana wanted ebon plate just like her older sister, as shed been dealt a mortal blow in mock combat. In practice leather armor had failed her miserably and now what used to be taken care of with love; aggrieved her. The mortal born wanted better protection against faster moving swords. Shed made up her mind, on a later trial shed part ways with it and get her some real armor.

Of course other things were taking place as the the idea of a hunt had been shot down by another familiar voice. Lavana knew this woman, she liked her and what she stood for but her methodology left something to be desired. She was happy to be looked over though as she nodded happily to faith.

Shed had a stab wound in her chest, cuts on her hands and forearms, lacerations, glass slivers being pulled from her form. She took the sampler package of pain and suffering really and had a little of everything going on and while it was uncomfortable shed reject harder drugs.

Of course her gaze fell on Maxs foot, she joked about it to cope. But Lavana couldn't shake the feeling like it had been her fault. She remembered it vividly sneaking off to go and try and win her mother's favor, she had a spear in her hand she could have double checked. Instead shed been frenzied by blood lust and had done a sloppy job, he had been right there for her to secure and now her friend was paying the price.

As she took a sip of the rum; just a taste. As she contemplated her failure in the heat of the moment. From start to finish that's all she saw, a collection of failures small and large.

Then there was a voice that brought her all the way back to when it all started. She liked Kura and had a good repoire with the council woman. Lavana had managed to let go of the fact shed notched an arrow at her when they first met, and was happy as she spoke about how they defeated like a hundred enemies. It was invigorating to feel redeemed by such a heraldic themed speech as she happily wondered about what domains those special gifts shed been given until it suddenly it came out.

Lavana, her name as she felt the proverbial thump thump of the wagon roll over her.

Bottle to mouth she kicked it back fiercly as bubbles billowed from the brown liquid visible through its glass shell as it was pouring into her mouth. She slouched and averted her gaze hoping that it had not happened the way that it had just happened. Did a ghost really just appear and blow up her spot? She didnt know what was scarier; those pain meds sounded great right about now.

Amber eyes retreated towards safety; Max. Wondering if she could see her discomfort in the situation. Lavana wanted out, as she felt anxiety and panic set in as shed been caught In a white lie. She didn't trust the elements, not before the incident and not after. But shed always wanted to correct this with Sephira, of course not like this.

"You never listened to me anyway, I told you in the infirmary after saving those two people during the super storm.

Told you I was Raskalarns Greatest Failure, did I not? Told everyone in that fucking room.

No one ever believes me"

As she averted her gaze to the door, as the cold reservation in her words stung. Shed fire back to let her know, to remind her of what happened. Lavana had no skill in deception, and her secret came spilling out in the process.

"Besides your an Element, I didn't trust them before and certainly not now after forcing us to murder people. I had to kill an old lady in a hole because we'd been drugged at a festival believing we were safe, Max is right that pin is a disgrace it's more then that it's a fucking disgrace.

Blame me, do what's easy!

Call me the fucking bad guy, at the end of the trial though it was me that came for you in your time of need.

Wasn't it?"