No Salvation (Closed)

[Clair Feldsky]

Clair finished pushing herself up off the ground, and pried her second hand away from the haft of the thunder lance, leaning heavily on the weapon as she did so. She had to stop and consider Richter's question this time. Was she alright? Her arms and legs were still numb from the shock that had been sent through her. The memory of the power sizzling down her frame left her in pain, and feeling drained, but she was still able to function. For now. Now that she was moving, she would at least be able to groan, and pull herself out of this mess.... Where was the door, anyway?

The falckoknight stood up, seeing Richter tending to Elly, and limped over a few steps towards where her other lance had fallen. Slowly, she leaned over and picked it up before taking it by it's lanyard, and letting it hang over her back.

"I'll be fine." Her voice still wavered from the ordeal, but she was moving. Not well, but she was.

"I hate magic...." Clair frowned, limping back towards the other two, and mumbling to herself disgustedly as she went. She ignored the static, and sparks still popping across strands of her hair in the aftermath. "...I hate spiders, and all magic. Except basic heal staffs. And of course, we don't have one of those around...."

Clair glanced down at Elly. It wasn't a pretty wound, but the vulnerary would do alot for it. She'd just have to go easy on the riding till she healed up. And the jogging too, for that matter

What was more troubling were the spider bites. A bite on her own leg, still tingled around one of the bites, and several patches of skin were burning. She'd been careful, and had been relatively spared from the spider gore.... At least, as much as could be realistically managed. Elly's bite could be nastier than she'd originally thought though.

The Ilian heard a voice coming through the wall. Aerious was going to open up the wall somehow, thank goodness.

"We're here! Elly's hurt!" Clair's voice didn't so much carry through the rubble as crawl and tumble. The truth was, they were all hurt, in varying degrees. Clair didn't think to say so as she called out though.

[Nayru Al-Saiduq]

Nayryu

>>NAYRODOKEEEEEEEEEEN

The clash of thunder rang true through the battered complex, a clarion call of times long past that called to her strongly enough to forget her surroundings for a moment. Ozone, raw and burnt, wafted through the world around them in its wake. Comforting, almost; a reminder of Arcadia, of people left behind. Nayru was halfway to smiling when she remembered that Elly was in there, that humans were not immune to being set on fire, exploded, or horribly mutilated by lightning, and that Elly was in there possibly on fire, exploded, or mutilated.

That was sort of a downer moment.

"Elly!" It came out as little more than a throaty whisper, a moment of horrific realization broken by Aerious's decision to rip the wall apart. ...Subtly. Even as worried as she was, Nayru couldn't help but wonder with a certain detached clarity how that would come across - but it was a little bit late to be worrying about their cover as perfectly normal human beings after the episode with the spider, she supposed. Why hadn't that come to mind earlier? It was so easy to pass one's self off as a human if all one engaged in were normal human activities, but as soon as you got involved in fighting and world-shattering events, up went the curtain.

Well, maybe they could worry about that later. For now - Elly. Nayru darted through the this sheet of falling dust and plaster as soon as she could do so without going through Aerious proper, ignoring the pain cascading through her body. Gone was any semblance of sinuous motion and grace; focused in equal parts on not collapsing on the spot and Elly's condition. She was not disappointed: a world scarred by the storm lay before her, the steaming remains of melted arachnids everywhere, those melted by acid and incinerated by light like entwined in grim harmony. The humans, too, were all a horrible mess; most - all? - were bitten or had at least suffered enough bloody scratches that she really couldn't tell which were left by the creatures' damnably sharp legs and which by their fangs.

She didn't much care, though. The girl lying facefirst on the ground was in horrible condition, though it seemed as though she had been taken care of. The male human. Richter? Nayru's appraisal of him skyrocketed as quickly as she skidded to a halt, trying to gauge the situation, taking in every detail she could despite the overwhelming prerogative to see to Elly. All that talk about a better world and teaching her how to fight, and she hadn't even been there for the girl when needed.

Self-recrimination later. Business now. Also slumping down as her legs gave out, ending up neatly on her knees in a pile of spider insides. It was so delightfully stupid and fitting all at once that she wasn't really sure whether to laugh or cry at it all. "Thank you." Only two words, but there was a strength to them, a weight bordering on fervency that spoke volumes of what she could not express on her own. She bowed her head somewhat, partially to show respect and partially because anything more extravagant hurt too much. "I - apologize for not being able to aid you." A glance at Elly. "I would have liked to. ...Will she survive?"

[Aerious]

[red]"Of course she will survive."[/red] Aerious spoke from outside, as he followed Nayru inside, though not quite with her fervor. [red]"With a will like she has, she won't die from something like this."[/red] Aerious wasted no time going over to the young rider and picking her up. It was an odd gesture, tender and kind, one that might not be expected from the jaded dragon. He glanced to Richter and Clair, and though he did not smile, his expression did show a certain amount of respect.

[red]"I apologize for dragging you into this. Had I known how dangerous it would be, I would not have brought her here. Your help is much appreciated, and it seems we are in your debt now."[/red] He paused, looking about the ruined church as small trails of dust fell from the ceiling in the wake of the melee. [red]"Though perhaps now would be a good time to take our leave of this place, and discuss what to do."[/red] He spoke, looking to Clair.

[red]"Can you walk? You both look like you took some nasty bites."[/red] He acknowledged. He figured they'd be ok, but it would be best to make sure. He looked to Nayru for a moment.

[red]"Nayru, would you mind leading the way out of the blasted fort? I can't with Elly..."[/red] He explained, nodding down the young rider he held.

[Clair Feldsky]

The Falcoknight fell silent. She didn't think they'd done anything special. Just killed some abominations, and almost failed to survive, allowing a reckless youth to endanger herself along the way. They'd stood and fought, true, but nothing struck her as particularly notable about that.

"Survival is something each of Ilia's children learns. Removing danger is something its soldiers do.... She'll be fine, I hope. The bite was tended quickly." Little Elly.... The pink haired girl had taken Clair by surprise. She'd put up alot of fight for one so young. Even younger than when Clair had started traveling, by the looks of things.

She felt her irritation rise as Aerious questioned her capabilities. It felt like everyone was asking that question. She'd been scraped up and then flash fried, not had her body broken. Seriously! She could handle a few little problems like these. As she started limping forward, towards the hole Aerious had made though, she cringed to herself as she felt her joints resistance to moving. She'd been through more of a beating than she'd ever had before, and regardless of her feelings, she'd have to take care.

Aerious was just trying to make sure she didn't need any help. Or Richter. She ought to be more appreciative, and she knew it. A few minutes earlier, and she probably would have taken the help. A few minutes earlier though, and she'd still been clinging to a magic lance giving off a soft golden glow.

"I can move, and I'd rather not wait to see if this old church decides to bury us alive.... We should get out of the fort anyway." She started walking, making it to the outside, and giving a quick whistle through chapped lips.

Though worried, the Falcoknight's pegasus came trotting out from around a fallen pile of debris, Elly's philly close behind. Taking a moment to gather up the reins, Clair wondered about this threesome she and Richter had run into on the plains. Who were they? Other than clearly not your usual travelers.

She took a deep pained breath before grinning wearily and looking over to Nayru.

"So what were your findings, Nayru? Any good research come of that?"

[Elly]

Colours danced and merged together as pain flared up from her side; she couldn't help herself as a hiss escaped, unbidden, followed by a barely-restrained whimper. Her side felt as though it had been set on fire, the heat spreading outwards until her entire body felt as though she had been stampeded over by a herd of pegasi. Repeatedly. She closed her eyes, trying to shut out the pain, her mind growing blank as darkness engulfed her.

She saw a pegasus, her mane as white as a cloud on a bright day. She was beautiful; her eyes shone brightly, just like Heather's. And, in a flash, she realized the mare before her was Heather; not a filly, but a full grown pegasus, her wings folded majestically against her body. She looked down to her gloved hands, soft leather that felt perfectly comfortable. Her fingers traced the embroidery of her sleeves with wonder, the decorations marking her as a full-fledged knight, no longer a rookie.

Suddenly, flames sprang up around the two of them, a circle of fire that seemed to grow impossibly fast, easily twice as tall as her. She could feel the heat crawling over her skin, and Heather pranced in place nervously, yet refused to bolt. For an instant, she felt fear creep along the edges of her mind, before resolve filled her. She was a knight now.

Elly climbed atop Heather with practiced ease, her feet slipping into the stirrups; the pegasus leapt into the air at the slightest touch of her legs, the lightest movements of her body somehow giving commands more explicit than any the girl had ever managed to convey to her partner. Her right foot dipped in place, and Heather responded instantly, dipping to the right before performing a perfect roll. The rush of wind filled her ears, and she smiled. Heather sped up, the world turning into a blur once more as her heart leapt with joy, and for a moment, she felt as if she were flying by herself, lifted up by invisible hands.

She blinked, trying to clear her vision, the fuzzy shapes coalescing into vaguely recognizable faces before drifting away into blobs of colour once more, sliding in and out of focus. Sweat and strands of hair stung her eyes, and she brought her hand up to her eyes slowly, weakly, the movement somehow feeling as taxing as an entire training drill back at headquarters, her side throbbing painfully in time with her heartbeat.

She felt disoriented, dizzy; her eyes danced back and forth, scanning the faces around her, yet unable to focus on any. Her foggy mind struggled to recognize them, yet she felt no anxiousness; she felt safe, at ease, among friends. She relaxed, noticing with some surprise that she was not on the ground as she expected. Her heart fluttered with panic for an instant before she realized she was being held.

A memory came unbidden of the last time she had been held like this, in Nayru's arms, when her friend had caught her. As the image grew clear in her mind, so did the faces around her, of Clair and Richter, both looking worse than she remembered them. Had they been hurt? Her eyes swung to the side, the quick change in focus making her dizzy once more, and black spots filled her vision; for an instant, she felt tremendously tired, and thought of sleeping for a bit, before she waved the notion away. She recognized Nayru and Aerious, their faces bringing forth feelings of safety and comfort from within. She tried to smile, but the exhaustion she had experienced moments earlier returned with a vengeance, and she found her eyes falling shut against her will.

"Nana," she called out groggily, her voice raspy and low. "Aerie. Safe..." Sleep claimed her as the darkness engulfed her vision once more.

[Richter Abend]

Richter didn't say a word to Nayru, but still quietly acknowledged her thanks with a slight bow of his head before stepping aside to allow Aerious room to reach down and grab the injured pink haired girl in his arms. A voice inside of the Ilian chuckled as the brown haired man apologized for "dragging" them into "this", as he so put it. The man clearly thought much of himself, which Richter suspected he did, if he thought that he and his white haired friend had anything to do with either Clair's or his own presence in this maker-forsaken waste of a ruin. No, travelers or not, Richter would probably be standing here, his limbs numb and his wounds stinging, and Clair, her walk with a limp and her face with a cringe, all the same. Not quite sure how they would have handled the giant spider, but...

Richter's eyes narrowed. Yes, about that giant spider. The commander remained reluctant to follow as the other four humans began their exit out of the church. No, humans probably wasn't the word, he thought, as his gaze zoomed in on Aerious. His eyes hovered upon the man for a quick second, before making a leap to the other one, Nayru, where they remained.

He analyzed the woman, his eyes surveying every scratch in her skin and every curve in her body. With her cascading white hair, her scant dress, and her attractive figure, she painted a pleasing picture. But that was the problem. It was too pleasing. Nothing about Nayru identified her as a fighter. A dancer, a mage, or a nomad, perhaps, but not a fighter. Her skin was unmarred, pale even, and her figure, while lean, was not muscled. She wore nothing of armor, and didn't bear a single weapon as far as Richter could see. But her arm was caked with demonic gore, and Richter had seen her slam an arachnid the size of a small house into the ground from feet above. Taking that into consideration, she was either the most beautiful demon he had ever seen, or an undead warrior in the same vein as those who had fought at the port of Delfia all those years back.

Richter could feel an anger welling up within him, deep, old, and burning like the coals of a day old bonfire, and in response to the urge his hand slowly drifted to the cleaver buckled to his waist. But the Ilian remained restrained, subduing himself with a deep breath as his hand froze inches away from his belt buckle.

This anger. It was...not his own. Richter had plenty of reason for suspicion and paranoia, but these two had done nothing to harm them. In fact, they had helped them. No, this anger stemmed up from a blackness inside, an inky umbra that boiled in the back of his mind, battering against the curtain of his will in an attempt to free itself. But Richter would not let it. With a grunt, the Ilian stepped into motion, blowing past his companions. He'd put a bit of distance between him and the others, if just to give him enough time to cool down. Richter shook his head. It was probably just an overflow of anger and bloodlust from fighting those spiders. He just needed a break.

[Nayru Al-Saiduq]

Getting up proved to be a challenge on its own; the sound of her reinforcement cracking again was audible, though similar enough in tone to a cracking joint that Nayru wasn't particularly worried about it. It was somewhat embarassing nonetheless - she didn't think that she would be in any condition to travel on foot for some time. At least the night. Maybe if she had time to reinforce her body properly and set the fractures it would be possible to soldier on through low-intensity movement, but this seemed a good time to take a short break from adventuring.

The dragon accompanied Clair out, followed by the other two members of the group. Clair's question caught her completely off guard; whether it was the exhaustion, unpreparedness, or the budding respect she had for the woman, Nayru snorted in a very uncharacteristic matter, pausing to caress one of the larger sore spots on her stomach before settling for a moment of quiet laughter. It just seemed so utterly ridiculous and yet oddly fitting all at once; she'd almost forgotten about that claim of hers. Her voice was raspier than intended when she managed to speak, but there was a lilting playfulness that lurked beneath the surface that belied the apparent seriousness of the initial response.

"The results of my painstaking research would suggest that monstrous, man-eating spiders have a tendency towards aggression and slaughter that is poorly checked. Behavioral modification should be applied orally in order to domesticate the breed if we are to turn them into proper household pets." The dragon's gradually building smile vanished in an instant when her voice turned serious, realization that perhaps she could turn this situation in the favor of mankind without saying too much. "...They are symptoms of a larger problem, insignificant save for what they represent. An army was under construction within those walls, Clair, a colossal force of shock troops for - some purpose. One I would wager to be difficult to reconcile with the well-being of humanity as a whole. They were in no way natural - I can only wonder how many more there might be elsewhere."

She didn't drop the draconic word for the creatures, but the import was clear - she didn't know what had installed the creatures there, but it had not been a simple, routine episode of pest removal. Had the brood matured, that outpost alone could have provided an unstoppable army for ravaging much of that area of Elibe, to say nothing of how many other hidden nests might be elsewhere, of what other creatures might be preparing to strike as well. The threat of the Dark Ones was far more immediate than she had considered possible. Nayru only hoped that Clair took a similar path in her conclusions, that perhaps the experience or her words might spur something that would help humanity prepare for the coming onslaught.

[Clair Feldsky]

The Ilian falcoknight watched Richter push into the lead, making plenty of distance between himself and the others. He'd seemed so brusque since earlier today. She'd remembered him being intense and driven, but not borderline hostile. Something might be wrong... but then, he had been through alot of stress recently. Perhaps that was all it was. She'd speak to him later, if she could.

Nayru's comment about turning spiders into housepets, and the accompanying image, was enough to get a coughing chuckle out of the blond haired young woman's raw throat. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to be laughing about this yet. They'd just fought.... A quick shiver of revulsion at what had been in there. Just another something to spark nightmares on rough nights.

Nayru had called these things an army, which implied a will behind the gathering. Something intelligent. That was a sobering thought. Caution in general dictated that she assume the worst when making plans. Less chance of being caught off guard and surprised that way.... It was a bleak perspective. One of the relatively small things they had going for them was that this was not the only unnatural "tainted evil" that she had encountered before, and the last time, there had been no sign of a cunning, guiding will masterminding it all. Perhaps Nayru was mistaken, and there was no purpose here.

"This isn't the first instance of something unnatural happening. Rumors and sightings of strange... perversions have been going on in various locations for the better part of the last two years. I've never heard of anything as hideous as these spiders though...." A pain, part throb, part ache, and part burn was running through the woman's fingertips as she led the pegasi along. The gloves had left her palms, and part of her fingers somewhat insulated from the power of her newest, and most unusual weapon. This resulted in her idly trying to avoid using her fingertips as much as possible.

"I'll just be glad when we've made it far enough to stop. It'll give us a chance to talk about you three some." As she spoke, the fatigue from her body's beating warred with her, arguing to make sure its presence was known. It was remarkable how familiar that feeling had grown to her over the years. She wondered how Nayru would respond to that. She was skeptical she woukd get anything without venturing more information, or getting more clever somehow, but it was a place to start a discussion.

[Aerious]

Aerious remained quiet as they proceeded beyond the walls and into the plains. Richter was acting odd, but Aerious was quite certain he would not make any action against them like this. Elly turned and mumbled in her delusion, she would need a good deal of rest it would seem. Nayru and Clair bantered back and forth, it seemed to two had hit it off fairly well.

In time, the entirety of the fortress was a backdrop on the horizon, as the sun drew closer to the edge of the sky. The four of them had been walking closer to one of Sacae's many rivers, which they finally neared. The water was clear and flowing steadily, no signs of being corrupted. Aerious paused for a moment, placing Elly down on the ground. [red]"We might as well take this chance to rest and dress our respective wounds. Besides, it would be too dangerous to risk moving Elly a large distance until she's back with us."[/red] It was quite clear he'd already made his decision on the matter, as he sat upon the ground and looked back at the direction they came. He glanced back to Nayru and Clair. [red]"Why don't you two go get cleaned off and such first? Richter and I can keep an eye on Elly and anything that might try to sneak up on us?"[/red] He suggested, with his mind running into overtime to try and process all of the new information. He was sure Richter would have something to say to him when the women were gone, but he figured he'd let the swordsman make the first move.

[Nayru Al-Saiduq]

"Two years of warnings, two years to prepare, and yet humanity remains fixated on the Etrurian threat." Nayru shrugged, somewhat disgruntled by the flippant reply as much as by the realization of how little most humans paid to the coming storm in their blindness. "Then why, after the first assault wing was so aggressive, did the dramatically larger group of reinforcements retreat?" She was relentless, hammering home the point. "Where did the accursed creatures come from? What happened two years ago that opened the floodgates, whether creating these things or simply letting them free? Perhaps I chase mere phantasms through faulty logic, but I would expect more from those who might be able to stem the tide at its source. If there is one."

Her previous good mood evaporated by the growing dissatisfaction as well as the constant pain, concentration fractured by the need to focus on her flagging reinforcements and her thoughts, Nayru ignored Clair's last comment. She was as frustrated with herself as with the humans; they continued to marginalize the threat until it was at their doorstep, but her own vaguely-defined hope that a few vague words based on a potentially-faulty hypothesis would somehow stir significant change had been naive at best. The dragon forced herself to confront that truth, to see her own unreasonable agitation for what it was. It was so very easy to allow her emotions to run rampant, easier still given the circumstances, but that was no excuse.

"...I apologize." Nayru nodded curtly to Aerious before striding off as regally as she could manage, trying to hide her exhaustion, poor condition, and frustration - now aimed solely inwards - as well as circumstances allowed. The walk to the banks of the river was short; she had headed downstream in case Elly or the men needed clean drinking water, not particularly enthused with the idea of polluting more of the water than necessary with the acidic venom and blood soaking so much of her attire and body.

Removing her attire was short work for one who carried nothing else, her movements quick, businesslike. The entire ensemble fed into itself, a coiled knot of fabric that all fell apart if one knew where to loosen it. Taking the time to fold it neatly at the edge of the riverbank, she dropped into the water without further ado, welcoming the shock of the cold water as it shocked every nerve ending in her body. Uncomfortable, but jarring enough to lend a certain degree of focus, to wash the muddled emotions and thoughts from her mind in a clarion deluge of sensation.

Not quite the waterfall in the mountains that she had mentioned to Aerious earlier, but this would do. The adrenaline of earlier sapped from her by the numbing cold, Nayru opted to put off actually cleansing her body, simply feeling the tenseness flow from her body in the rushing river. She found herself curiously ambivalent about the prospect of Clair following, vaguely curious if her unseemly outburst would grant her a moment of privacy or if the woman was made of tougher stuff.

The thought of having stripped down so quickly and easily regardless of audience never crossed her mind - while she had learned - the hard way - during her travels that humans were less casual about the matter than she was, it was still difficult to bring herself to care about whether or not anyone saw her false body unclothed. That had been how it was originally, at least. After so many years amongst humans - perhaps that would eventually change.

[man Nayru is really good with people]

[Clair Feldsky]

Irritation built at Nayru as the woman effectively relegated the last three years of Clair's efforts as wasted. Etruria had invaded Sacae, smashed Ostia, and she didn't even want to think about what they had been up to elsewhere, in more secretive channels. If Arriston hadn't been crushed on the plains a year ago, who knows where the world would be right now. Etruria was a threat.

So were the monsters, but they were diffused to the point that the Falcoknight had no idea how to fight them. They were too broken up. They had no reliable way of predicting them. The only thing she had was that she had only encountered them around, and near Etrurian forces. In Ostia, after it had been bombed... rumors of the monsters running amok in parts of Etruria. The remains of Salvation Point.... But then, rumors also said that the "taint" had spread further into Lycia as time went on. There went that theory. She couldn't help but feel that things were connected in some way, but without knowing how, and without more information, it was useless to bring it up.

She was still bothered by Nayru's outburst, but let it pass. It wasn't the first time someone's ignorance of events had offended her. Even now, she was on her way to Bern in order to close up the situation there, and pull the boots of the Ilians and Bernese out of the fire. She was down here to clean up someone else's mess, and keep them from making another, or so it seemed to her. No idea how to even start handling that when they finally arrived....

Clean.... Getting clean. As Aerious suggested it, the Falcoknight tried and failed to remember what it felt like. With all the spider gore and slime coating her, in addition to the layers of dirt and dust that came from traveling, she was very glad he had suggested it. It would be a chance to wash up whatever else needed washing too. Thank goodness.

Walking the pegasi a short distance away, she started undoing the tack, dropping it on the ground nearby, before pulling a small brush out of a pocket on her saddlebags and going over the creatures' backs with it. This was only a cursory bit of work, meant to make things easier later. Before they left though, she wanted to get her pegasus fully cleaned up as well. And perhaps name her at last.... She'd likely end up cleaning up Heather as well.

With the initial cleanup done, she turned the pegasi loose and bent over, picking up the bag where she'd stowed her cloak and her few other articles of clothing. All were bloodied from the fight in Etruria.

"We'll try not to take too long." She gave a half smile at Richter, still moving with a pronounced stiffness. Before slinging her bags over her shoulder, she grabbed the golden Thunder Lance, ignoring the tingling that ran up her fingers as she grasped it.

"There's still a water skin over with the tack, I think, if either of you are thirsty." With that last bit of information, she turned, and followed the direction Nayru had gone, somewhere down stream.

OoC: I'll reply further to your post by starting a support, Nayru.

[Elly]

Her heart beat furiously in her chest as she stumbled, barely catching herself before she resumed her escape. They hunted her, dark eyes that stalked her no matter how fast or far she ran away. She could hear the scuttling of hundreds of legs, the flapping of great leathery wings, smell the foul stench of the monsters' nest. Her skin crawled as they overwhelmed her, arachnids engulfing her like a tide as the flying demons poked and prodded at her with their spears.

She woke up screaming, her cry cut short as her throat tightened painfully. Her mouth felt dry, as though she had slept for long. She winced, bringing a hand up to her chest as she coughed, each sudden movement sending waves of pain lancing through her wounded side. She rose slowly to a sitting position, favoring her right side, pulling her hair back and away from her eyes, grimacing at the feeling of the mixture of sweat, slime, blood and mud that seemed to cover her body. She'd pay a hundred gold coins for an inn bath right now. And a brush, she thought to herself, wincing as her fingers pulled on a tangle of hair.

Elly blinked, shaking her head as if to clear the cobwebs her time unconscious had left on her mind. She felt groggy, and stopped quickly, a mounting headache pounding against the inside of her brow with each movement. She looked around nervously, only now realizing that she could still be in the midst of hostile territory. A surge of relief washed through her as she caught sight of Aerious and Richter; better yet, with no sign of the cursed fort around her. She shivered, pulling her arms around herself. If she never saw the inside of that place again, it'd be too soon.

"Ae-" She stopped mid-word, coughing, her voice sounding hoarse and alien to her ears. Had she hurt her vocal chords shouting earlier? Her throat felt parched. She did remember screaming at the spiders at some point; her memories of the fight, however, were fuzzy at best, little more than a vague notion of anger. She hoped the beasts were dead, at least. "Aerious, Richter?" She spoke their names slowly, hesitantly, her voice low; she really didn't want to attempt shouting just yet. Hopefully they'd hear her.

Her head spun; she wondered if she ought to lay down again. No, she thought to herself resolutely. She'd just fall asleep again, and who knew when she'd wake up? She struggled to remain sitting, the effort sapping her energy. She looked around, puzzled, noticing something amiss. "Where?" She rasped out softly, her voice cracking. "Where's Nayru? Clair? Heather?"

[Richter Abend]

Richter nodded back at Clair, mustering up a slight smile for her, as the pegasus knight walked off to wash up. She seemed to be handling herself well enough, but it didn't stop Richter from being concerned about her. Whatever damage that magic lance had done to Clair, it would probably make her stiff for the next day or so, and Richter knew what it was like fighting stiff. Thus, the last thing she needed right now was more monsters, so hopefully those spiders were the entirety of it. For now at least.

Richter's lips pursed as he thought about Nayru's words, which he couldn't help but overhear during her short conversation with Clair. An army under construction, symptoms of larger problem, two years of warnings, first assault wing...While he didn't quite understand what she was getting it, if she was getting at anything at all, but the way she spoke of these monsters was as if something, or someone, was building them, and for a purpose.

The Ilian shook his head. Her words had merit, but he found it hard to believe that someone in Elibe had the power to grow these...things, and beyond that had the power to control them. Ardus had talked of a growing darkness, but controlling it? Such a thing would require unfathomable magic.

But Richter didn't want to think about monster filled doomsdays at the moment. He'd rather take advantage of his reprieve, now that the women had run off to bathe, and worry about the implications of these beasts when his head was clearer.

"Your friend," said Richter, turning to Aerious with a slight nod. "She-"

"Aerious, Richter? Where? Where's Nayru? Clair? Heather?"

The Ilian looked down at Elly, who had regained consciousness. Faster than he had expected.
"She's awake," finished the Ilian, changing the intended subject of his sentence."

[Clair Feldsky]

The blond-haired Ilian was headed back towards the camp from the river, a few slightly damp garments and a bag carrying more gear slung over her shoulder. Her lance tapped lightly at her side every other step or so, as she used it like a walking stick. The golden lance still seemed to glow mysteriously, even in the day-sun. It wasn't so much of a mystery to one who had tasted of it's power and felt it searing through her skin and veins though. The Thunder Lance was a powerful weapon, but she mistrusted it no less for it's incredible might. If anything, she was even more wary of magic now that she possessed some of it.

At least she was feeling better. Her hair and skin felt cleaner than they had in months, and while her hands were still tender where they'd been burnt to her weapon, the rest of her felt about normal. Meaning there were only a few bumps and scrapes which actually bothered her. The rest weren't worth mentioning. Even the stiffness of earlier was gone. Mostly. There was still a bit of tingling on her thigh, where a red welt marked the bite of a mutant spider.

She marked the pegasi grazing alertly in the grass, not far from the camp, watching hers and Heather getting along. It was lucky they had taken a liking to each other. Aggression in the herd would just be another thing to deal with.

Dropping her things in a pile, and slipping some of the extras into her bag, the Ilian Falcoknight gave a slight tug on her skirt to straighten it, before coming back over to the impromptu camp with her waterskin slung over her shoulder. Looked like Richter was watching Elly at the moment.

"Richter, if you want to go clean up, we're done at the river." Clair offered the option to him quietly, leaning on her gleaming weapon as she spoke. She could handle keeping an eye on the camp.


OoC: Elly/Clair support?

[Aerious]

What a night. Exercising a dark creature from Richter, destroying what was left of Salvation Point. He imagined that Richter would tell Clair about his disguise, so all they had to worry about questioning it was Elly, and that was easy enough to explain. Clair's lance must have ignited some of the dry wood during the fight, that would make perfect sense. After all, they weren't going close enough to see how the stone was scorched and other signs of destruction that fire simply could not do. Well, normal fire couldn't do.

The rising of the sun caught Aerious' eyes as he rested in the smooth grass. He never was a terribly deep sleeper, but he also was not a very trusting person. He'd slept off to the side, and as such had no idea who was awake yet. Not like it mattered, they would in all likelihood split up today and go their separate ways. So it was with a silent sigh that he stretched out and walked towards the area where the others had set up camp.

Today would be interesting. In all honesty he was interested in Elly's choice. Would she decide to go with himself and Nayru out of security and familiarity? Or would she want to go with Clair to improve herself and learn more?

Time would tell.