Fantasy RPG Forum - Standing Trials

t was chaos here, the place was burning, people were hurt and there were entire areas of the place just destroyed. Ne'haer was in ruins and Faith could not sit around in the only building which appeared undamaged and wait to find out what it was that they were here for. She was here on a holy mission for Famula and she was determined that every moment would be spent in service to her beloved Immortal. So, she had asked Master if she might exit the building and he had given her two instructions; take a weapon and don't get killed.

So it was that, when Symbri was brought to the medical bay that the medic who treated her was a young human woman. She had come here wearing a sword, which was now flung into a locked box where other things important to the medics were kept, she had long jet black hair which she wore tied back and pale skin. Her eyes, though, were the most striking thing about her, as they were such a pale ice blue that they were almost like silver. She watched as they lowered the young human down and Faith stepped foward with a smile. She looked like it was harrowing work, because it was, but her smile was genuine.

As she stepped into view, it might be that Symbri noticed that her eyes were not, in fact, the most unusual thing about her appearance. The young human medic, maybe 20 arcs old at most, was a slave. There was no doubting it, she wore a collar and both of her shoulders were branded. One with an old brand, out of shape and obviously one that she had worn for a long time. The other one, however, was much more recent and was a clear shape, not an arc old and in the shape of a rose. The young woman smiled gently and took hold of Symbri's hand. "Now then, they tell me that you don't want to be treated because there are those more needy? Well, I promise you, we are working in a system, and it's your turn. The most serious cases first, then the next and the next. You don't want to break that system, now, do you?" Her voice was gentle and she sounded like she fitted in more to a library than a hospital or medical bay.

"Let's have a look shall we? My name is Faith, what's your name?" she asked, pulling over the trolley of equipment that was there and she smiled as she saw the wound "Oh, I'm just going to clean this, alright? Now, it might sting, so why don't you tell me a story. Make it a good one, and then you won't notice the sting so much". She was careful and meticulous as she cleaned the wound and she listened to the story, asking questions and so on, but never once lifting her head.

The antiseptic that she put on there stung, there was no doubting it, but Faith was gentle where she needed to be and quick where gentle wouldn't help. She had to make sure that the wound was clean, so that there was no chance, or less chance, of infection and she knew that the antiseptic cleaning was painful, but it was a necessary pain if she was to be able to stitch up her patient.

It's always a pain to try and argue when you know you're in the wrong, and when the pail skinned woman approached her and began to speak to her Symbri looked away before slowly shaking her head, she didn't want to mess up a system if they really had one, it wasn't worth being stubborn over anyway.

Not wanting to look at her wound, trying to escape it's existence Symbri tried to lock eyes with her doctor, and force a grim smile. A story? Symbri didn't really have any amazing stories or tales to tell, but she'd try.

"you know, I'm not sure I know too many stories... but Uhm... ooow... Anyways, you know I came to this city right before the attacks happened, grew up on a little farm, wanted to leave cause as much as I loved my ma and pa, I wanted to do things with my life... came to Ne'haer to be a dancer of all things."

Chuckling at the thought Symbri winced in pain as the laughter along with antiseptic made it feel as if a hot poker was being jammed into her ribs.

"Oh... the Names Symbri by the way.... But yeah, I wanted to be a dancer, but now... I think... I think i'm a soldier, I don't really know what it means to be a soldier though. But I'm trying my best.... I was on the frontlines the very first night, I hadn't planned to be ya know, but there was a kid trapped in a house, and... well I ended up tangled with a unit of militia.... I guess I've been fighting ever since... it's funny Uhm... if you don't mind me askin ya, do you know when it is? I think the fighting started on the second... but I lost track of days since then..."

Letting out an involuntary groan of pain as the woman worked on her.

"you know I used to worry about being pretty and making sure everyone was impressed with my dances too, it was so fun being the center of attention, men lining up to give you gifts and all that silliness, I dunno, it was kinda amazing being seventeen and already getting noticed in the city... I was gonna perform at the Vhalar festival... Hehehe, but now, now i'm just happy on a day when nobody dies, Is it weird? In some ways this war? if you can call it that has really put life in perspective for me, I think I'm so afraid all the time that fear has lost it's meaning to me, but... hrmm I don't think I know what I'm talking about... I think I'm rambling sorry... But what about you, you're doing work i could never do, you have any good stories?"


letting her eyes Close Symbri tried to tune in on her doctor and tune out the pain, if she could ignore it she'd be in good shape, she just needed to find that place in her brain, that place that was always calm and resolute, it was hard to find these days what with the war and all, but she knew it existed.

aith smiled a gentle smile as the woman shook her head. She wanted to not be any trouble, was arguing as to who should be treated before her and so on. "It's alright" she said, gently stroking the woman's hair away from her face "Or at the very least, it will be alright", she amended and she tried to work as quickly, efficiently and effectively as she could. As she did, though, she spoke to the young woman, trying to keep her mind off of what was happening. "A dancer? That sounds very interesting. What kind of dance do you do?" It was something to keep the woman talking, keep her mind busy and hopefully that would help the pain levels, too. Or so Faith hoped. It made sense to her but then she didn't like to mention that most of her patients had been of the dead kind. Probably best avoided as a topic, she considered.

"Symbri. It is a pleasure to meet you. A soldier? Maybe a soldier and a dancer. I am a chef, usually", she explained, pleased that she was nearly finished "But war makes all of us something other than what we are. The first battle I was in, afterwards I threw up", she smiled and took a second to glance at Symbri with a slightly ironic lift of her lips "I don't know what's worse. Feeling like that or that it gets easier". The girl spoke about what had used to be important to her and Faith recognised that her whole world view had shifted and moved; the young slave felt nothing but concern for the dancer in front of her and she sat so that she had a better view of the wound before she started to sew it. Because of the analgesic nature of the antiseptic cleanser, and the analgesic cream she had put on, she did not think that Symbri would feel it, so Faith didn't draw attention to it. The mind, after all, was a very powerful thing and she had noticed that what people believed was often mirrored in their bodies. Therefore, she just said "Last bit now, nearly finished", as she stitched the wound.

"Stories?" She had asked Symbri, after all, so it was her own fault to be asked back, Faith considered, but she really didn't know any stories. Except "Well, my owner has a cat that I am fairly sure is a failed necromantic experiment. It is a being of pure evil, I know that. I have the things back home and I am going to bathe it when we get back." It would be when, Famula willing. It would be when.

Finishing up, she looked at the stitches and smiled a grim smile to herself "Done. I would advise that you do not exert yourself for the next two trials", she explained, using a cloth to wipe her hands as she looked at Symbri. Who was, Faith considered, likely to just get up and go back out to the front line. So, with a prayer to Famula that She forgive her this manipulation of another soul, Faith continued "If you get into another fight, it will rip these stitches more than likely. Whilst that might or might not kill you it will mean that you can not fight and another, fit, soldier will have to bring you back here or leave you to die. I would not wish anyone to have to make that decision, to be forced to leave a battlefield or to leave a colleague to their death, would you? But once you have rested, if you wish, you could help around here. I can teach you some basic field first aid, whilst you assist me." She made the offer and left it there. If Symbri took her up on it, however, Faith would insist that she rested for at least four breaks as otherwise she might still be shaking from the blood loss and would be no use to her, or the patients she cared for.

But if she chose to go back out there? Well that was up to her too. It was not a slave's place to argue with free men and women, afer all.

Biting her bottom lip Symbri tried not to tear up, she knew it was stupid but the thought that she'd be out of commision for a little while was mortifying, one moment of stupidity was going to cause her many a moment of painful waiting, she felt as if their might be deaths on the frontlines that could'v been prevented if she'd been around. But... she didn't want to get someone hurt by being their... she hated to admit it but the woman was probably right.

Listening to the woman's story however Symbri furrowed her brow a bit even if the thought of a demon cat was mildly amusing, the woman had said her owner, being owned by others was a foreign concept being raised in a place where slavery wasn't a thing, but then again perhaps it would be better not to speak on things she didn't understand.
"I'll... I will help if you'll let me, I don't wanna be useless to anyone. So uhm... I'll leave myself in your care, How long do I have to rest for. I'm starting to feel better already"

The last part being lie was accompanied by a thin smile, she could tolerate pain, she'd have a harder time tolerating being useless.

"When did you learn to be a doctor? Where you fixing people up before it became something that you had to do, or are you doctor of circumstance? I mean, either way I think you're doing a good job. Just ya know, if you weren't sewing people shut what would you rather be doin, if you don't mind me prying, you said you were a chef right? What kind of food do you like to cook?"

Once Symbri got to talking, she was oft rather hard to get stopped, her motor mouth compensating for the pain she was feeling. Wincing as she forced herself to sit up Symbri looked at the wound across her side and grimaced, it occurred to her that her stomach exposing dancing outfits would reveal the ugly wound. Whispering to herself Symbri tried not to let the sorrow in her voice overcome her.

"nobody is gonna want a dancer with such ugly scars.."

aith smiled and nodded her head "Well, that is good, that you are feeling better", she said in her usual soft tone. "You will feel better still if you get a few breaks sleep. Once you have, you will be invaluable. In that time, your body will have started to make the blood that you have lost, so you will be less lightheaded and dizzy feeling. Your body could do that awake or asleep, but it is faster asleep", she explained. "So you will be able to help quicker." The young woman was very serious, Faith considered and she watched her with an interested, and serious, expression.

It was a question with perhaps a strange answer, Faith realised, when Symbri asked her how she became a doctor. She answered, though, as she was finishing up the stitches and then putting the dressing in place "I am not a doctor, I don't suppose. Not by trade. But I knew a little bit before, but I really started using my knowledge when I was involved in a battle. I was being transported, from one place to another when we were attacked by undead. People got hurt. I helped them, it was all I could do. I couldn't fight, although I tried", she smiled a slight, sad smile as she recalled thwapping a zombie with a frypan "Then, there was a civil war and more people got hurt and the shadow beasts started attacking." She let a small sigh escape her and she looked at Symbri with a genuine expression "I suppose, in truth, I've just realised that there are always more people who are injured. It's never ending. So I just have to do my best. You will be a great help, thank you. We were attacked on the way here and I think I've broken a couple of ribs, so I have to be careful. You can help. Sleep first"

It was the last words that Symbri spoke that caught Faith's attention, though, and the young slave who had been turning to go to clean up turned back to her patient, knelt next to the bed and took hold of Symbri's hand. "I do not know many things, but I know some. I am not a wise woman or a clever woman, but I understand some things and I tell you honestly that there are people out there, in here and in every slum, poor quarter and slave pit who will not care about your scars. Bring them light and joy and dance for them, if no one else will have you. If you ever come to Rynmere, I know some people who might well help you dance, scars and all." She pointed, then, to the slave brand on her shoulder "They see past the scars and see the person. If they can not do that, then they are at fault, not you. Rest now, four breaks, and I'll be back to put you to work. Alright?"

With that, she left her patient to rest. But she kept an eye and four breaks later, she would indeed go back to check on the young dancer whose scars, to Faith's mind, were far deeper than the ones on her flesh.

Nodding slowly Symbri accepted the woman's words, she didn't know if she quite believed them but she accepted them nonetheless. Then, Smiling weakly at eh doctor Simbry took one of her hands for a moment.

"Thank you, I really mean it... uhm... I.. I.. don't admittedly know much... but if the worl has more people like you in it... than i feel a lot better about dying or getting hurt protecting it... I hope i can be more like you... someday Faith.... so... I'll sleep and get stronger."

Pausing for a moment Symbri pulled a Serious face for a moment, though it still was dulled by a tender smile.

"And please do wake me up so I can help you... ok"

Curling up Symbri turned her back to the people in the tent and begrudgingly succumbed to the darkness of sleep, it wasn't the most pleasant sleep, unpleasant dreams stirred her as memories of the cities frontlines but it was sleep none the less, something her body had needed more than she was willing to admit. She was tired in more ways than one, She'd had to shut off her emotions, she hadn't cried once before the war had begun and she had always been the cry baby of the farm, emotionally drained mentally exhausted and physically battered the first real sleep she'd gotten in a while did her some good whether she knew it or not, if one watched her sleet her brows would furrow before smoothing out into more serene expressions as her psyche battled itself for her own sanity.

As her body curled into a tighter ball Symbri's mind found solace in the image of herself alone among the ashes of her city, it was dark imagery her mind had decided to show her, but what she got from it was that, the city needed her, her soul was pleading with her to be strong and defend the city she cared for even though every fiber of her wanted to run away, the imagery foretold of a future of her running away only to return to a city of ashes, but if she stayed perhaps the city might stand, perhaps it was egotistical to think the fate of a city hedged on oneself but the matter stood, no amount of pain or fear should make her flee the city, no matter how many ugly scars she acquired in the process.