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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Feb 3, 2015 18:14:54 GMT -6
Morrison...? The name didn't ring any bells. Nayru took a silent breath of relief that it hadn't been Jacquio - after her adventures with Veigue so far, she had half been expecting to find out that the persistent madman was now chasing her too. His last assassins had struck while she was in Ilia as well, after all.
But if it was just some local mob boss, well, maybe she could discourage a bit of this brazen stupidity with a friendly little warning of her own. At least she got the basics of the problem; her brazen acts the day before had spurred this entire escapade, and Remus and the children had paid for it. Well - it wasn't like she had intentionally done it, exactly, but she had stirred the hornet's nest.
But she didn't have a lot of time to think about that; the man was doing exactly what she had expected him to, aiming for another attack while he had her in close range. Of course, it was probably inevitable... but she had sort of hoped to minimize the death count. So much for that; like so many of the rest of her hopes and dreams over the years, brought low by the foolhardy idiocy of men who didn't know how to quit when they were ahead. She would never take joy in killing, but neither had she ever shied away from it when it was necessary.
Nayru stared at him with momentarily sad eyes, regretting not her actions, but the necessity thereof. How could she have handled this situation better? Could she have protected Remus from the blade? Seen the threat before the men struck? Would sparing the three thugs come back to destroy her? Perhaps in another life, another world, she could have. But this was real.
She smiled.
"Then here's a message for your boss."
Her words held the same finality of the sudden tightening of her grip, grinding bone for a brief instant as she lifted him up and released her grip while retrieving the arm and pulling it back all in one fluid motion, dropping into a a more stable stance as she brought her hand back for a single blow. There was a flash of light as golden scales erupted across her right arm even as it began to move, the thin hand morphing into a hulking battering ram of scales harder than iron as a massive electrical charge built up from it, the keening, crackling shriek momentarily deafening in the confined area.
Then the blow struck, and chest and wall alike liquefied in the light of a new sun as impossible force met all-too-yielding resistance, followed by the detonation of an electrical shockwave that incinerated most of what remained. The golden glow of the conical blast gleamed in the morning light for a brief instant in time before fading away, with nothing remaining in their wake besides the charred borders of the whole in the wall and Nayru, steam rising from her once-more normal arm as the flesh reformed.
...It occurred to her somewhere around that point in time that that was probably not the best way to stay undercover, and also that her welcome in the town was very distinctly at an end. Aheh. "Whoops," she mumbled indistinctly, before refocusing on what she would have to take care of before getting the hell out of Dodge. "Amelia, Owain, you two ok?" Her voice was actually perfectly and normally conversational, as if nothing had ever happened that might in any way be cause for alarm. Bright as the morning sun... which was now shining in through the hole in the wall... god dammit she really hadn't thought this through very well. "Remember what I said about coincidence and falling down stairs? I hope so 'cuz we mmmight need to do some fast talking. And also leave. Like, now."
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Post by Remus on Feb 3, 2015 19:25:03 GMT -6
It was a gruesome sound. The sudden jarring impact and loud explosive noise as Nayru brutally destroyed the man's body was a sight none had actually seen but her and the soon to be corpse. Er. Now freshly established pulpified corpse. Though the quiet clamoring of passerby's grew louder at the sight of the hole newly blown into the wall neither Remus nor the children noticed the actual clamoring. It wasn't until Nayru called out to them that the frightened children peeked out. Amelia was a bit slow to, cautiously looking down while she felt the shivering Owain clasping at her shirt sleeve. The raven haired girl inched down a few steps before noticing the brown haired woman who matched the voice they heard. Despite their energies, being frightened children they still scrambled frantically down the stairs like small bullets before latching onto the woman. One child ran to each leg before hugging her around either side tightly. Owain seemed to hide his face into her hip as he gripped her; Amelia still having puffy red eyes from tears as they hugged her. She looked up at the woman, speaking in a slightly raspy voice from screaming earlier but still with a moderately successful attempt at her usual boisterous tone. "He fell down the stairs. That..that makes him a witness person right?"
It was more an attempt to ease a terrifying moment, and the tightness of the children's fingers as they clasped to her clothes and all but clung to her made it obvious how frightened they were. They stood with their backs to the direction they had come from and were more or less simply trying to realize they were safe now than anything. It was something that was slowly sinking in. The woman's typical friendly/calm demeanor made things easier.
Remus had finally managed to get up the final step. Barely. He still had no idea the condition everyone was in. His mind was starting to lose focus. The rumbles and vibrations of a second shock-wave or explosion or..what ever it was, had given him the final motivational urge to push through the pain. However his hands had grown slick from the blood on them as he pressed his fingers to one of his wounds; hand around his staff with the other desperately trying to support himself. He had made it, final step. Even past that he pushed himself upwards and managed to half-stumble onto the fourth floor hallway. However he spun about as he did so, having lost balance and going downwards to his rear as he felt the room spin. Unable to focus his vision it gave a fuzzy look to the ceiling as things cycled between normal and further away. Though no longer coughing up blood, there was a trail down his lip and to his chin trickling slowly with his lower lip and tongue a much darker shade of red as the iron taste filled his mouth. The blue haired priest felt the relief of the wall to his back, and in that instant he felt a comfort come over him. The struggle to support his own weight had lifted. Simply by sitting down it was as if all his aches and pains had been alleviated.
His hearing, to his ignorance had also faded out as he was unable to hear the speech of the children who had their backs to him while they clung to Nayru. He couldn't even hear her words when she spoke to them. However as he turned his head slightly he gazed to see the sight he had been hoping for. Nayru had found them. Hadn't she? Yes, that was Nayru. He had to focus. He had to breath, inhaling sharply as pain shot through him while he realized that was indeed Miss Nayru with the children. His head rested to the back wall lightly as he felt his eyes close. Perhaps he would just sit down for a moment and rest his eyes. Though he didn't bleed buckets worth, the red trail was starting to accumulate around him as he left his free hand over the spot he had been stabbed. Though he fought off the increasing urge to slip out of consciousness, he felt his eyes shut and steadily grow heavier; making it harder to open. All that mattered, was the children were safe.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Feb 3, 2015 20:10:38 GMT -6
Nayru let the children come to her, not especially eager to move in the immediate aftermath of her ill-planned stunt. Even if she could technically do that kind of partial transformation safely now, in theory, the practical application of the process was still a great deal of effort for her - her body was back to its natural state, but she had a lot of training to do. "Careful down there, you two. Those things are sharp." Both kama were just hanging there, after all, and while reasonably well attached, Nayru didn't want to have to explain to Remus why Amelia was missing an eye.
At least they both seemed unharmed, physically if not mentally. She didn't think less of them for it, not at their tender ages and relatively sheltered histories. It would be unusual to NOT be terrified given the circumstances. Well, for most people. She couldn't really find it in herself to be repulsed by it anymore; she took no pleasure in bloodshed, but after being forced to do it so many times, after nearly drowning in her own blood and other near-death experiences and countless battles, it was merely an unfortunate fact of life by this point.
Remus probably would have found that mindset exceedingly sad. Nayru patted Amelia's head with her good hand - well, they were both functional, but the hand that didn't have her own blood slowly marring it. "He witnessed the power of good, and it hurt him because he was bad," she bullshitted with no shame whatsoever, trying to avoid telling two small children that she had just punched a guy hard enough to make him explode. "You aren't bad, so you're safe from the light, okay?" Gaea but she hoped the children hadn't actually seen that, not that it would be the end of the world, but things would be simpler that way.
Hm. She could try to comfort the children, but Remus would be able to do a better job, probably... the dragon moved her left hand to cradle Owain's head, trying to angle her upper arm such that if any of the blood did start dripping it wouldn't land on him.
Speaking of blood. As Remus came into view she couldn't help but notice he didn't seem to be doing too hot himself. So they were all either bleeding or scared to death. Good family Saturday morning fun. She would've lifted a hand to greet him, but both here currently occupied wih the children. So... she settled for being as irreverent as possible in order to ruin the mood, greeting him with a bright smile. "Nothing like some morning exercise, eh?"
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Post by Remus on Feb 3, 2015 20:50:28 GMT -6
The two children seemed to nod a bit. Amelia still looking up to her with searching eyes as Nayru explained it. It made sense. Bad guys always lost to light and that kind of stuff. She mentioned him seeing the power of good. Amelia looked up after noticing the large hole in the wall, speaking as she puffed a cheek in thought. Though not entirely calmed she certainly seemed easily distracted. "That's a big hole. Did a dragon like..eat him or something? I don't see him. Does that mean dragons are good now?" Amelia's train of thought followed the usual processings; hopping from A to B to 3 to blue. She instead of trying to connect the dots seemed content to just draw her own dots and shapes entirely while she looked around. Owain was eager to hide his face still easily frightened by the entire situation, however his shaking seemed to lessen as her hand rested upon his head.
Could he see them? His eyes eased open, lids feeling like small shutters of iron as his vision sharpened in blinking moments before he closed them again. Laying there still bloodied the blue haired priest slid his hand from his wound to the floor. Almost lazily it moved to try and press off the ground before rejecting the amount of force that would be required. Lethargy flowed through the man as he heard a jumbled mess of sounds that was Nayru speaking to him. Eyes now closed and his head leaning against the wall he turned his head to face the direction of the noise. He went to respond, in his mind saying thank goodness ; even though the mumbled jibberish that did leave his lips wasn't even a cognitive sound. Attempting to inhale, the blood within his throat still finally triggered his bodily reaction as he coughed twice severely. The red liquid coated the top of his palm; now having no traces of it within his lips and taking the partial effort to wipe his chin as he smeared it slightly yet still removed the most of it from his lower visage. Remus started to nod a bit.
He wasn't trying to fall asleep. It just sort of..started happening. His wounds and the side of his body were now slick enough that he could feel his hand simply slide away from the torn portion of his robe as he tried to press his hand to the wound before it moved to the cleaner blue and white portion. Nayru had once mentioned laying in a puddle of her own blood. Slowly and somewhat lazily that recollection began to configure in the haze of thoughts. His own slightly impressive puddle was starting to form from the three wounds bleeding in unison.
Remus attempted to shift himself once more. This time it ended in him leaning back and letting his staff ease from his fingers. Certainly the weight was starting to get to him. He faded in intervals as consciousness began to fully flicker out. Sense of sound and sight virtually entirely left him now. He couldn't hear the stomping sounds as the two children at Nayru's side noticed the Priest upon his coughing. They had both exclaimed his name and started running over to him. He would get up. After a moment or so. He just needed a moment to rest.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Feb 3, 2015 23:33:31 GMT -6
"Perhaps, Amelia."
Nayru offered nothing further in response to Amelia's innocent questions, finding refuge in mystery. It wasn't just that she couldn't admit to being a dragon or whatever, but more that the question was inherently unanswerable for a number of reasons. One, it presupposed that dragons - as a whole - had ever been not good; flawed premise. At least from her perspective. More importantly, if there was to ever be any sort of racial reconciliation... it had to be from free will. From both sides. Dragons would have to leave behind ancient grudges, and humans...
Well, they would need a lot of people like Amelia. Open minded. Willing to put aside prejudice. Able to make decisions on their own, to think for themselves, rather than simply following leaders who might not want to deal with a resurgence in dragons. She could probably convince Amelia of whatever she wanted to, within reason - but would that not be the same as a human leader expecting her to blindly follow? If free will was to be their savior, it must be left to each individual.
The children abandoned her for Remus, which might have been a blow to the ego if not for the obvious and horrible pain that said priest was experiencing. Also, horrible bloodshed. So that was a thing. Not for the first time, Nayru wished that dragons actually did have the magical healing powers that she had heard of a few times in old human legends, ones that claimed dragons could heal mortal ailments for a price, often either their soul or their free will. It was a strange concept - she had never been able to trace the origins of those legends - she suspected that they were simply adapted forms of even older legends, perhaps ones attached to races long gone from Elibe.
Or simply human imagination. Who knew? Placing one hand experimentally on her neck to more accurately gauge the severity of her wound, Nayru strode towards Remus to see what she could do to help. Not much, likely; she knew basic frst aid, mostly for her own use, but was near useless when it came to keeping squishy humans alive.
Well. He wasn't dead yet. As far as she could tell it was mostly the chest wound... clerics could heal themselves, right? If that daft fool had come looking for her and the children without even healing himself - she was going to have strong words for him later. Yelling at him now would just scare the children. Nayru knelt before the fallen man, trying to assess the situation, consider her options. He was the healer, not her; it fell entirely on him to save himself. But she could help him do that. Not with magical dragon powers, not with mystical healing abilities, unfortunately, which would have been much easier.
Instead, Nayru placed her right hand over the hand Remus was trying and failing to stem the flow of blood with, covering it with a firm grip, as much to help him hold it there as to impart some degree of warmth. Outside of the blood, anyways. "Don't give up now, Remus." Her words were calm, soothing. "The children still need you. You can fix this." She realllly hoped that he could actually heal through this or she was gonna look pretty dumb holding a dead guy's hand and having to explain that to Amelia. "You just need to stay awake."
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Post by Remus on Feb 4, 2015 7:59:23 GMT -6
He was still awake, wasn't he? It was an odd sensation. As his consciousness got closer to dwindling down the pain began receding. The dull numbness that ebbed over every inch of his body made the pain less noticeable. It was nice. The priest felt an odd grim comfort wash over him, not so far gone into slumber that he didn't observe that fact either. Slumped against the wall sitting there, he felt more comfort with open wounds than he had sitting in a chair to rest. The blue haired priest felt his lids, which were shut start to develop an iron like seal over them seemingly. The sensation when tired and having just closed one's lids that seemed to prevent the desire of opening them. Even so..he could still feel...something. Pressure.
He would ease his eyes open. Atleast to see what it was, right? Breathing hadn't become as rapid as he started to fall into that lullaby of a rhythm. Three beside him? It was a bit fuzzy but he could still make out those next to him. His mind was a haze of lethargic cognitive mess; yet he saw them. Owain sitting next to his leg with his hands on his knee quietly looking at the priest. Amelia, with her hands on her knee's leaning forwards and looking between Remus and the staff that wasn't but a few inches from his grip cradled against his shoulder and resting with the majority of it on the ground. Then there was Miss Nayru. Had that been the pressure he felt? She was holding his hand to his wound. That was good. It helped the bleeding stop become less didn't it?
As Nayru started to speak though Remus felt something in the tone. What was that? Stay awake? He'd be okay. He just needed a short nap. The entrancing tug of that dark comfort still started to pull him back in. His lids eased closed for a moment before he rested his head back once more, slowly opening them again to look at the ceiling. Her words played over in his head. Fix this. Awake. Fix this. Awake. Though almost inaudibly he mumbled the words in a partially delirious state. Blood loss had caused him to look even more pale than normal though also giving a look as if he was cold. The man went to grasp for his staff. Maybe he should heal just..just a bit if he could. Yeah? Staff...staff..he couldn't feel it?
While Remus stared at the ceiling the small black haired girl had leaned over and grabbed his staff. Amelia tugged it, and with a moment's split timing lightly pressed it to the priest's ribs where one of the three large red patches was. Her tongue stuck out by half an inch from the corner of her mouth in thought as she furrowed her brow. She pressed the gem part of the staff against the wound first and tried to "heal" the man's wound. That was how it worked surely.
Remus was slowly starting to "rouse" from the lethargic haze as he felt the tug of life ebbing against him. Internally repeating that phrase he had become more aware. His pain more of a pulse through out his body then the dull throb, and he could feel the heat from Nayru's hand on his as she held his hand against the wound. The pressure of Owain's palms on his knee as the child leaned in. He could feel the-gods above and below what was that pain ? ? ? The priest felt a sharp wash of electric like pain shower his body from the wound in the left side of his chest. As Amelia pressed the staff to him it was like a brand had been pressed to each inch of his body. Her attempt at "healing" him had done little more than stretch the wound but gods did it hurt. The priest lurched forwards suddenly with a yelp of pain, but was also jostled from the dangerous lull he had been slowly trying to slip out of.
After the brief moment of worry, Remus became far more ware of his surroundings. Perhaps it was a slight surge of adrenaline from the act of "waking" up so to speak. Either way he could feel it. Sharper sense of touch. Each inch of his body that ached from the wounds. The wet sensation of the blood that covered his sides and, he shivered suddenly cold as the loss of blood and the realization of how close to passing out he had come came to him. He felt the warmth from the applied pressure of his and Nayru's hand to his wound, and he his free hand moved quickly to latch the staff from Amelia's hand as he groaned in pain before shaking his head a bit wearily. The world around him was in a different tone of definition at that moment. With the terrifying reality sinking in of how bad of shape he was Remus's breathing began to escalate. As if the body was fighting now to focus on self preservation. Remus spoke with a sharp exhale. "Your right. I can fix this. I can fix this..Thank you. Thank you Miss Nayru. Amelia, Owain. I..I just need some space. I can heal this."
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Feb 4, 2015 18:00:36 GMT -6
Well, Amelia's attempt at healing had worked... in its own way. Nayru found a grim smile on her lips, spawned by the black humor of what Amelia might not realize she had actually done - in causing so much pain, potentially helping him focus. More than she had done? Maybe. It was, perhaps ironically, a far crueler alternative to her ineffectual kindness - though Amelia doubtless thought it otherwise.
But it was effective, and that was what mattered in the end, wasn't it? Nayru pushed herself upright, squeezing Remus's hand lightly for a moment before letting go as she gently shooed the children a step back. It was clear they wanted to be with Remus, and she didn't blame them in the least, but it wouldn't do a lot to help him focus. She wasn't a healing magic specialist... but Nayru knew quite well from experience that magic, especially when used on the self, required a great deal of willpower and concentration lest one wished to run the risk of seriously hurting themselves.
"He'll be fine. Just give him a little space so he can focus." She only hoped she was telling the truth. If Remus was planning on dying horribly here, that was gonna be hard to explain to the kids. "Believe in him. He hasn't let you down yet, right? Remus isn't going to go anywhere." Again - communicating in useless platitudes, hoping that Remus made them truth. It would be easier to tell the children to pray for him, but Nayru didn't want to further any level of dependence on a magical sky fairy than necessary. Nothing against Elimine or Remus's beliefs, but the more people made decisions of their own, the better the world would be.
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Post by Remus on Feb 4, 2015 20:23:06 GMT -6
The children looked up at Nayru with concern as she stood up. They understood though. At first seeming unwilling to leave, her reassurances comforted them enough to slide back, standing up and scooting back away from the priest. Amelia moved to her side, tugging at her hand despite it having held Remus'es own hand to the wound. The small child was in greater need of comfort to worry about such things. Her small fingers squeezed Nayru's hand tightly in worry as she looked to their bloodied pale caretaker. Owain moved to her side, but as before he hugged her side and rested his cheek against her side looking at Remus quietly. He was careful not to hurt himself against the weapon dangling on her side but hugged her safely. Both children gazed at the man as he started to rise slowly.
It was difficult. Just the act of leaning forwards with the pain was enough to make him want to flounder about. However the pressure on his hand, as Nayru squeezed it before relinquishing her grip, combined with her words gave him what felt like enough strength to force himself upwards. Encouragement, it went a long way. The Priest was slow to move as he shifted upwards. His hand coiled slowly around the staff tighter as he bent his back and shifted so that the bottom of the staff pressed to the ground. Then he lifted himself upwards by pressing off the wall with one hand; the staff supporting the rest of the weight as he forced himself up. The strain was so crushingly tense that he felt like he was going to fall at any moment. He heard Nayru as she spoke to the children. She was right. He hadn't let them down yet. He couldn't start now. No, he couldn't at all.
The priest felt the pain splinter his body when he shifted up shakily to his feet. He started to breathe slower. Deeper breaths. Painful ones, but complete breaths. This time, as he eased his eyes closed he felt the sharp cognitive strength of his mind. The pain would not best him. The wounds would not stop him. With Nayru's encouragement and the pleading faces of Amelia and Owain like ghostly reminders in the dark internal reflections he lifted his staff so it was square with his chest. He had to focus now. No other thoughts. Only focus.
The staff's gem flickered, changing from blue to a bright ruby red. A wind like flow of magical energy gathered around Remus. The concentration that it took was unreal, and it put a level of mental strain on the priest he had never felt before. Yet he did not buckle. His lips silently mouthed the prayer to Elimine he had often mentally recited. His voice began to turn slightly audible as he spoke the phrase while tapped into deep thought. He gripped the staff tightly while a blue light started to bathe outwards. "Shield those that I can not, Heal those I can not, Provide for those I can not. In greatest darkness, be greatest light. Elimine Guide my hand."
Remus opened his eyes slowly as he lifted his staff into the air. The blue energy trailed as his robes billowed briefly from the updraft of energy once more. His hair jostled as three small glowing lights began to form at the wounded portions of his torso before an intense bright light continuously poured from the staff like a beacon. A light house in the dark coats to guide those back from the ocean. The energy stitched the three wounds. Flesh and meat reformed as it took greater form of health once again. Remus had to maintain it, and it took effort; but his wounds started to heal.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Feb 5, 2015 15:17:19 GMT -6
And now, there was nothing to do but wait.
The very concept galled her - an inescapable fate she could struggle and rage against, full of sound and fury that signified nothing. Do nothing. Watch a man struggle, possibly die in front of you, and offer nothing more than empty words and placating gestures. She had witnessed entirely too many injured men die over the years, both victims of bandits and the scattered remains of her own transformed slaughters, and the prospect never brightened over time. She had known some of them, but to see good people stare into the grim visage of Death, trying desperately to hold themselves to the very world that had so cruelly rejected them, was a cruelty all its own.
To only be able to destroy, not create or heal... ironic that the very power so many men strove for was something that, if it were possible, she might well have traded away for something more constructive. But that was the nature of her power, and she had... changed perspectives, to a degree, after the events of her last transformation and the subsequent discussion with Veigue. And her debate with Remus. The power of destruction was not inherently evil, even if she perhaps was, so long as it was directed wisely, accurately, against those who deserved it.
But all the evil versus evil speeches in the world wouldn't let her destroy Remus's wounds, so she just stood there, holding the children, as Remus fought for his life. Alone, but not alone; he was the only one who could fight it, but he had a bit of moral support if nothing else.
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Post by Remus on Feb 5, 2015 22:48:01 GMT -6
It was a difficult task. As Remus clasped the staff tightly with both hands and held the statuesque pose he could feel the mental strain ebbing over him. Every bone ached in a way beyond physical pressure. As if, he suffered spiritual fatigue. He couldn't explain it beyond that choice of wording for the phenomena. However he kept his resolution iron clad, as if putting his own thoughts and willpower on lockdown. His fingers tightened so that his knuckles whitened. The blue light continued to radiate from him to the point where it whited out his figure. The energy engulfed him entirely, and after a few sustained seconds it began to dim. Remuses form came back into sight as the light dwindled. The energy dulled in circulation until his robes, torn and bloodied as they were no longer wavered as if trapped in a windy current. The air around him stilled it's self once more. When he came into clearer view, it could be noted that his complexion had become healthier. His ghostly pale visage flooded with heated color as blood flowed through flawless circulation. Each of his three wounds had been healed entirely. Skin mended flawlessly with meat and bones renewed; where they had been fractions and torn flesh.
The young blue haired man slowly lowered his staff. A wooden tapping sound left the hallway and echoed a bit off the close walls, until reaching the expertly added window made by Nayru herself. Remus turned his gaze to the children, and then to her as his smile lifted to rest upon his expression. He beamed towards them, seeing them all safe and feeling entirely content. However with his gaze drifting over them he noticed Nayru's wound. Still in his emboldened state of mind and unable to divert the determination and somewhat overly passionate mindset he suddenly lifted his staff again. The bright blue light burst forth and in a faster procession it pulsed blue before moving to drift unto Nayru and circle her own wound. Warmth and light flooded it, intent to mend flesh and heal her wound entirely. After the second glow faded; Remus looked up with a smile upon his face as he spoke in a sudden confident, yet softly spoken tone. "It brings me no small joy to see you all safe. Amelia..Owain, Though I'm sure you have already; it is thanks to Miss Nayru that we are all safe. If you haven't thanked her..please do..and Nayru..Thank you. These children...they mean everything to me. Had I been on my own...I may not be present to think of it..however I-"
The priest stumbled a bit. The sudden raw pressure of simultaneously healing three wounds at once atop Nayru's hit him with the force of a giant. His expression flashed to wide eyed shock and a slight change to discomfort while he lifted his palm to his right side of his face, covering most of it as he panted. Sweat beaded down his side and chin before he felt the shiver run down his spine from contrasting external and internal temperatures. He shook his head as he looked up smiling weakly. "I'm sorry. I've never healed so much in such a short time. The strain is..unexpected. "
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Feb 6, 2015 18:49:50 GMT -6
Healing magic had always interested and impressed her, perhaps because it was the one she could least comprehend - while dragons had a certain primal connection to magic, the only (as far as she knew) beings to exist who could naturally CREATE it rather than simply manipulating spirits, the strange nature of staves was something well outside her purview. Much as humans referred to the concept of the grass always being greener on the other wise, the simply fact that healing magic was something she would never be able to do made it all the more intriguing.
But watching wounds close, blood cease to leak out, health return... that was something magical. It brought to mind a strange thought - something about creation and destruction, two sides of the same coin. Was that a quote she had heard somewhere? Hm. She'd think more on it later when she had the luxury of standing around thinking for a bit. For now... they had further issues.
There was starting to be more noise in the vicinity as villagers presumably came to find out what the hell had happened, people from the inn's rooms exiting their abodes to gasp at the destruction and bloodshed outside. No one knew what was going on, exactly, not yet, but it did mean they were on a time limit. They were also wearing blood-stained clothing and (at least in her case) probably looking very suspicious.
Nayru sighed a bit as she smiled at Remus and his apology. The man was daft. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the healing, but he was pushing himself entirely too hard after a show like that. While she didn't want to insult his healing capabilities, she didn't think he was THAT experienced and skilled of a healer as to be able to repair wounds like that without any aftereffects.
She wasn't particularly happy about being proven right, either. "Should've saved your strength, you've been through a lot. I would have survived. But... thank you." Nayru almost unconsciously rubbed her neck again, half disbelieving the cut was gone despite knowing that healing magic was real. She experimentally inclined her head to the side, then rotated entirely to test flexibility... it seemed fine. "It's good to see that everyone's alright, but we have more pressing concerns. Like... how exactly we will be exiting town posthaste. Preferably as of a few minutes ago."
Her attempted casual tone only partially belied her urgency, though it was clearly there should Remus listen to what she meant instead of just what she said, but there was also a sort of... familiarity in her tone that suggested she had been in this position before. "Like, seriously, now. If what that assassin said was true, we don't have the luxury of relaxing in prison."
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Post by Remus on Feb 6, 2015 19:38:33 GMT -6
Remus took but a moment to rouse himself from the weary hold that had seized him for a moment. He shook his head sharply as he blinked swiftly three times over. He exhaled, and felt the fog lifting and his stamina starting to return. Luckily, healing magics also restored one's energy as it restored them; even if it was mitigated by the strain of healing it was only a brief lapse. Two of his wounds after all had been only lacerations. He shivered and stood up as people started to clamor and heads look out the door way. He knew he'd have to take Nayru's word on this one. However Remus knew they'd have to take a moment to grab their bags. The children's only belongings were in them. Remus assorted his thoughts and he suddenly tapped his staff resolutely against the ground with a wooden clack. The priest was..changed somewhat. He wasn't typically any form of assertive or ideal for leadership role but having just overcome a literal brink of death ordeal his body's adrenaline still pumped through him giving him a slight edge that had been still altered mentally to confident determination from having to do so to perform the healing spell.
He actually stood straight for once, and while still short; suddenly looked a bit less helpless. He nodded with the friendly expression upon his gaze as usual, even a bit of a grin as he looked to the children at Nayru's side. He then looked up somewhat more squared to Nayru. "While I appreciate your concern, thanks to you it seems I've plenty of strength. Best put it to good use. I am simply glad you are unharmed.I can get their bags and mine very quickly, if you can help them get out safely. I remember seeing a side exit at the end of the hallway for the second floor and down the right hall. Though please, take them with you and I'll split to grab the bags before meeting you after a moment. I'd feel better for now if they stuck to your side than mine Miss Nayru, for obvious reasons. "
Before he had even finished Remus turned to look down the stairway before quickly sprinting down in swift strides. The other reason he had elected to grab the bags was because he could recall their precise location as well as had a lead start. The priest even skipped the last two steps in his haste and turned the corner with a bit of a slide by pulling himself around the corner before running down the hall. While others were looking, for not a moment did Remus believe they'd stop him. Few would get in the path of a priest wielding a healing stave if they were but bystanders, for fear of slowing a healer on the way to tend ones wounds. Given the commotion he knew this was much less likely compounded atop that.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Feb 10, 2015 16:02:00 GMT -6
"Yes Nayru, I'd love to discuss this plan Nayru, nothing could possibly go wrong if I dash off alone again Nayru," the lady dragon groused with a tone more tinged by amusement and feigned grievance than legitimate anger. If Remus had given her the chance to get a word in edgewise, she would have suggested they stick together, if only so she could help carry the luggage, but at this point she couldn't very well argue with someone who was no longer there.
"Pfffffffah." She blew the air out of pursed lips, shaking her head a little bit in his wake, then sobered up and resolved to at least make the best of an impressively bad situation. "Alright you two, stay quiet and come with me if you want to live." Wow, that sounded kinda dark. "It's a- nevermind. But seriously, let's get moving."
Silliness aside, Nayru was trying to figure out the best course of action. Doing this alone would have been easy with her usual methods; doing it with kids would require a different set of tactics. But she could use them. Hmm... ah the hell with it. She flicked one finger along the blood on her neck, moving to splotch a bit onto Amelia's cheek. "Just think of it as war paint, alright?" Hopefully neither of them was allergic to the sight of blood. But this would help them look a bit more battered as a group. People saw what they wanted to see, and very few wanted to hurt children.
Leading the children down the stairs and into the-oh god that was starting to be a crowd. Welp, time to rev up the bullshit meter. Confused residents of emptying hotel rooms in the vicinity were already funneling towards her, worried, helpful. "A priest-" Someone said something about having seen one, but they weren't certain. That'd probably been Remus. "There were men fighting upstairs. I need - the children - a priest." She was selling it like an expert provider of cow manure for the fertilization of farms across Ilia, looking just the right amount of disheveled and absentminded to come across as more of a confused mother or caretaker than hardened warrior, and in the absence of evidence to the contrary, no one seemed interested in questioning her story. The crowd even parted for her as she walked through.
...But that would only last until the guards arrived and started questioning people, and they would start from the first floor and go up. If there were any remaining assassins... Nayru tried to remember if she had seen any other men lounging around when she had entered, outside of the two who had turned out to be assassins, but hadn't been paying enough attention to really tell. Hmm. She was going to have to go with Remus's suggestion.
The second floor was even more crowded than the first, a veritable throng of people crowded around the stairwell with the scent of fresh blood and the nose-wrenching smell of burnt wood dominating almost as much as the loud, confused conversation. She could hear the voices of men towering above them as well, calmer, with none of the terror that pervaded the rest... the town guard most likely. How fortunate they were to have left such a mess at the stairwell that civilians were impeding the guard's work... and acting as an unwitting distraction for her.
Hm. "Yeah, we're taking a detour." Rather than making for that crowd, Nayru decided to hope that Remus's claims had been accurate and made her way down the second hallway, looking for the side exit. If they kept moving, they could probably escape out the side or back... even if the guard were here they'd investigate from the front first most likely. "You two holding up alright?" And where was Remus, anyways? Hopefully he'd be along soon. She wasn't exactly looking to go on the run with two kids sans their real caretaker.
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Post by Remus on Feb 11, 2015 7:40:32 GMT -6
The two children followed along with Nayru at the request of Remus; moving along side her. However the energetic nature of children could not be hindered. So much excitement happening at one time had Amelia and Owain going from frightened, to curious, to worried, to confused to anxious in such a short time. The little raven haired girl looked down as if trying to examine the blood on her face though she obviously couldn't see it. However she giggled a bit and looked up growling at Nayru as if she was a fierce warrior and brandishing her hands. The very sight of intimidation at it's finest. A challenge in the making to all of Elibe's mightiest generals, to be sure. However when Nayru started moving the girl clung to her hand, while Owain held the other. It was a habit of theirs, typically occupying Remus'es arms entirely or being quite literally attached to his hip. While in actuality Amelia, being the more energetic of the two was clinging tightly to Nayru's hand and perodically even attempting to pull on it hard enough to lift herself up*In the world of Amelia this was the greatest form of Swing Nature could offer* it would most likely hardly register for the abnormally strong woman. This ironically played off well as the people gathered around them initially. Without having known Amelia they took her slightly frantic actions as a child in a panic and unsure of what to do. Thankfully she refrained from giggling. For the moment.
The door leading to the outside of the second floor was as Remus had said; right around the corner. It lead to a wooden balcony like walk way which connected to the roof of the tavern next to the Inn while also having a set of stairs to the side built into the balcony that lead down to the space between the two buildings.
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Remus had been able to make his way to the room easily enough. Taking the two bundled coats belonging to the children he quickly stuffed them into the twin brown napsacks that he kept for them. Owain's was slightly heavier as Remus had his spare set of robes within. Ensuring the two tomes were secure to the chain under his outer robe Remus threw his own brown traveling cloak over his body. Instead of trying it up entirely he merely tied the top near the front, and then the mid waist point to hide his blue robes. He didn't need others seeing the vast amounts of red from the now drying blood of his previously dire wounds. In one hand he held the two bags as he quickly opened the door, the other his staff. Taking a moment he turned quickly and slid the door closed before swiftly running down the hall way. None would impeded him if he kept moving; so he hoped.
Sliding around the hallway he burst over to the door. Opening it Remus looked around to ensure Nayru and the children were on the balcony or within site if they had already gotten out.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Feb 21, 2015 21:21:56 GMT -6
"I should really kidnap some kids of my own for easier getaways in the future," Nayru mused aloud with what seemed like perfect sincerity; not quite at conversational volume, but definitely enough for both Amelia and Owain to clearly hear her. "You're lucky I have to get you back to Remus pronto, or I'd eat you up like the big bad wolf on the spot. ...Not, like, literally, but a figurative - anyways." She giggled. It was part joke, part attempt to rouse the children's spirits and get their attention away from the scenery they had just departed, and part thanks for them... sort of... playing their part in her little escapade.
Had she been alone, Nayru was acutely aware that she might have looked rather more like a warrior or adventurer than she would have liked, given the dual kama at her side and her new body's... tendency to look less harmless than the old. Not inherently a bad thing, per se, but it would have made getting through the crowd harder. Then again, she could have just jumped out of the hole and escaped on her own. It was a tradeoff of sorts, and part of why she had traveled alone for so many years. At least she'd kept her wits about her to abuse her new tools, even if she actually had very little experience with getting away alongside other people.
...Mostly since it seemed like she and Veigue had a tendency to kill everyone along the way. Huh. When she put it like that, it almost sounded like they were insane murder hobos, which was obviously completely not true, because the people they killed were bandits and assassins and their evil memories-slash-spirits and other degenerates.
Eh, maybe she should just focus on getting out of there. She hadn't really stopped moving while thinking - it had been a momentary side diversion to her attention if anything - so Nayru just moved on with life, opening the door that Remus had... hopefully... been describing, half expecting disappointment but being pleasantly surprised by the light of day, and also NOT fifty swords to the face. Win/win, pretty much. If they dawdled for too long there would doubtless be people combing the area, but for now it seemed they were safe. So long as they kept moving, anyways. "Let's keep moving." She moved to start descending the stairs with the children. "Remus was going to meet us here, right?"
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