Meha laughs and tries her best to shield Lyra's body from the rest of the group, answering " Well... you seemed to acted as a conduct for another power. Then you were struck by lightening, and I healed you... rather what I could. Can't really fix the clothing dear, and as beautiful and soft as your hair was, I'll bet this new look will suit you well." Her mirth, while honest, was strained. She was trying to preserve whatever modesty Lyra had left. But Dom was standing there, and with her sitting up, Dom would get a eyeful of Lyra's body. She did explain all she had seen, which was very little after the lightening strike and then rushing over. She leaves out the bit about the staff for now, thinking Rosa would better deliver that news, and tells her that Rosa might know more, as Meha had lost her eyesight for a bit.
Lyra looked down and the skin of her face turned rose gold as she scootched as close to Shirak as she could, using the big tiger to shield her front. Looking everywhere except at Domitian she would whisper to Mehaila "My clothes are on the left side of my horses saddle. Most of all I need undergarments!"
It was strange to move her head without the weight of her long hair. It despaired the druid more than she thought it would at the loss of those beautiful red locks that she had spent years cultivating. She knew the gem-like quality was due to her celestial blood and that aspect had pleased her even more. Almost unconsciously she reached her hand up to stroke it along her smooth scalp. "I don't like this."
The energy played along his flesh, causing his own muscles to twitch and spasm -- albeit not as violently as Lyra's. Still, he maintained his hold, refusing to let it keep him from trying to help the woman. Unfortunately, it wasn't doing any good. The electricity danced onto the copper but not into the ground, stubbornly clinging to her. Wherever this energy had come from, it was not natural.
Thankfully, his action did pay off somewhere. Moira noticed that the pulsing of the energy matched the rhythm of the glow Delan had noted earlier in Lyra's staff. The warrior quickly brought the item over and held it down between himself and Rosa, where both could see the connection. "Worth a shot," he said, his tone eager for anything that would work. He kept Lyra grounded just in case while Rosa took the item and pressed it against her sister's flesh. Before their eyes, the energy begrudgingly sloughed itself into the staff, but not without its toll.
Lyra's body tensed all the more and she screamed. Delan's grip on her hand tightened, and he spoke encouragingly to her to try and keep her holding on until the process was finished. Immediately after the energy was gone, Mehaila set straight to working her healings. Delan stepped back, taking his piece of copper with him. Without looking to see if it had been damaged beyond use, he slipped it back into the satchel for now. Mehaila and Domitan seemed to have Lyra well in hand, so he would see to everyone else.
Since Moira was the closest, he stopped next to her first and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Keen eyes on that staff," he told her. "You did well to bring that to attention." Without Moira's help, they might very well still be fighting to save Lyra's life. He was grateful for the insight she'd provided. At Mehaila's request and Lyra's direction, he went to Lyra's saddle and withdrew the desired garments and brought them over. Then, he moved to the other two party members that hadn't been addressed yet.
"Miss Vetra, Miss Rosa... Are you two injured at all? Do you need anything?" The tone of his second question would convey that he wasn't necessarily just asking about physical ailments. Rosa in particular was likely to have been traumatized by this event. Emerald eyes looked first at the alchemist and then at the fighter, lingering on each of them long enough to assure them that they both had his complete and undivided attention. There was a visible trace of worry in his eyes for both ladies. "You were all dangerously close to that lightning strike. What happened? What can I do to help you?"
Rose kind of stood there numbly, leaning heavily on her staff. "Huh? Oh what? N-no I am not injured. Not like Lyra was..." She bit her lip softly to keep it from trembling her eyes still red and still shivering from a combination of the weather and her emotions. "I don't really need anything, at all. Thanks." She gave a weak smile looking back and forth between Vetra and herself and then back to Lyra.
When he brought up the lightning strike, she turned back to him. She looked like she was struggling to describe what exactly happened. "It happened, so fast. The storm seemed to abate and something seemed to have possessed her. I'm not even sure if she knew it had happened. She looked so confused before...before it happned." Trembling at the vivid memory she tried to continue. "A bolt of lightning, not like anything I have ever witnessed, pealed from the sky and raced down to her. Mylee must have sensed the danger cause she tried to intercept it. It looks like it still struck both of them." Tears welled up again, as she put her hand to her mouth, drawing shuddering breaths. Her hand gripped her staff so tightly, her knuckles turned white. "I'm sorry... I just... It's just... I need a moment I think." She stumbles off to one side hunched over and clinging to her staff to keep her standing. She looked like she might be dry heaving and shivering still.
Vetra was in a daze from the lightning bolt; it had taken the wind from her and it was hard for her to recollect her barrings and reorient herself. The suddenness of what transpired has caused her to lose all of her direction. It took a bit longer than the rest for the kobold to get back to her feet and righted, blinking away the white spots in her vision as she shivered.
Vetra felt utterly helpless, being covered in mud and soaked to the bone. She just could only stand by and watch the others try and help Lyra. The least they needed was a kobold attempting to help by creating a crowd around the injured woman. Vetra was worried about Lyra and her familiars; that feeling surprised her and only caused her to withdraw slightly. Her hand unknowingly going to the snout of the horse that had bolted only moments before.
Vetra felt helpless again. She began to hate that feeling. Though worry and fear were the more prominent things she felt right now, she did feel a bit of anger brewing once more. She was overwhelmed by it all and it just didn't help the matter in the least. Firming herself she looked around trying to find something to assist with. Spying the horses she quickly moved to gather them all, bringing them off to the side so they wouldn't interfere with the proceedings and accidentally get hurt by the lightning encased druid.
When Delan questioned her about her safety and health, she could only mutter out, "I-I'm fine. Is... Lyra going to be okay?" She asks in a soft, diminutive voice, her eyes peering around the bard to glance at the druid. "So many things are happening... I just don't know what to make of it anymore. My certainty in what I'm doing is waning." She blinks, surprised she admitted that, looking up to the man for a moment before shaking her head.
"Please, just make sure Lyra is okay..." Vetra says, locking eyes with Delan, "That's how you can help me." Sighing she reclines back against the horse, unsure of what to do next. Before Delan would move to attend to anyone else, she'd suddenly ask, "How can I help?" in a rather weak voice.
With dextrous movements Lyra managed to quickly strip and pull on the new undergarments while staying in a sitting position and using Shirak to shield her front. Once her privates were covered the druid sighed in relief and pushed herself to her feet. Wearing nothing but her underwear and soaked with rain she nevertheless admired the scars on her body left by the lightning. Turning this way and that while showing off her slim form without thinking she judged herself acceptable and even admired the way the scars replicated the lines of a lightning bolt in the clouds. Perhaps she might even keep them.
Throwing her clothes back in the saddlebags the druid went barefoot and only covered her body with a heavy cloak to keep herself warm. "No point in getting dressed in clean dry clothing when I'm already soaked. Let's set up shelter so we can all get warm and dry."
Looking obliquely at everyone Lyra would smile. "And thank you all for what you did. Hopefully one day I can explain what happened."
Mehaila shakes her head as Lyra preens about with her new scars, though they were more like pale tattoos over scars. " You should be lucky to be alive Lyra, as that was not a natural storm I feel. And talk to Rosa, she was scared she would have none left if something had happened. Maybe next time let one of us who do not have many to care for take the brunt of the damage."
Whatever had happened was between their mystic druid and the wilderness she serves, it seemed to be something from Lyra's view point that she needed to do, and needed to survive. Meha was just happy she was able to assist, but she was exhausted, and the idea of getting warm and dry appealed greatly. Though she felt the druid knew more about what happened, Meha dropped it in favor of silence, sending a prayer of thanks to Calistria for granting her enough power to save her friend. I know this works towards your goals, but sometimes a warning next time would keep some years on my life yet.
As she helped set up camp, she would help out where needed, but stayed by herself mostly. She was trying to figure out how to style Lyra enough to help hide the lack of hair, for every woman, no matter how short her hair, still took pride in how she had it fixed to her liking. The blood and mud on her armor she scraps at, but her mind was else were. She felt that storm had not been an accident, and yet... she couldnt have stopped it, for her power lay else where. But she felt she could had done more, maybe had been more closer to Lyra than struggling with her mount. She couldnt help but feel a bit responsible as she still struggled in the forest. It was stupid of course, feeling like she could have done more, but she hadnt expected a storm, and neither had anyone else.
After everything was set up, she would find a nice little quick place, a few steps away from the rest of the party, and she quickly went about her end of day ritual. The only difference however is she didnt offer her services to anyone. Instead, she was plotting her revenge against these bandits, and how she could best help the Kobolds they had met. She was clearly creating space to be alone, but her normal flirting would have been missed during the time spent setting up camp, as she remained withdrawn in her thoughts.
Rosa and Vetra both protested the need for any aid. They didn't appear to be harmed like Lyra had, but one could never be certain. Rosa explained what she had seen, things Delan himself hadn't witnessed since he'd been too caught up in trying to calm Cojiro. He frowned lightly in worry and thought as she spoke, turning her story over in his mind and trying to make sense of it. She could only speak about it so much before the shock wore off enough to let her emotions truly catch up with her.
He didn't hesitate to act. She swayed unsteadily as she gave way to the tears, relying on her staff to keep her standing. If she permitted him, he'd gently pull her into a firm hug. "You don't have to apologize, miss. Let it out." How many times had he wished he'd been able to do just this? Let his emotions release themselves over what he'd endured? For a brief moment his mind lingered on the fact that he had not been allowed time to grieve his own family, savagely murdered before his very eyes. That pain was still there, but it was numb. He hadn't been able to cry for them yet, though he'd desperately wanted to. Instead, he'd had to spend the last several months pushing past the grief and trauma just to survive. In that moment, seeing Rosa react how he could not, he realized how heavily those losses still weighed on him.
While she let herself cry, whether in his arms or not, he kept his eyes on Vetra and listened to her. "She'll need long term healing to fully recuperate, I think. She had electricity still coursing through her body and it refused to leave her no matter what we tried. Thankfully, Moira noticed something odd about Lyra's staff that suggested it might help. We were able to clear her body, and Mehaila immediately poured every amount of healing energy she had into her. She looks much better, but we'll keep an eye on her for a while."
Vetra expressed some doubts in herself and her present course. Delan frowned a little, but did not interrupt her as she spoke. When she deflected the conversation back to Lyra, and stated her request for Delan to help the woman he nodded. "You have my word as a Cleric of Shelyn that I will do everything in my power to make sure she recovers." She asked how she could help, and Delan gave it some thought. "I think some food would do us all some good. Would you mind helping me get dinner started? I think Lyra and Mehaila in particular will need it soon."
He looked down at Rosa, setting his hands on either side of her arms to steady her in front of him. "Your sister is up. Why don't you go see to her?" he suggested kindly, knowing that Lyra would be best suited to comforting Rosa. Then, he beckoned for Vetra to follow him back over to the camp and the firewood he'd gathered earlier.
He was silent for a minute or two as they started working on building the fire and getting things set out for cooking. Then, he softly told her, "I can understand your insecurity. You're the only one who knows what is best for you, and if you think this path is the wrong one I would never try to tell you otherwise." He glanced up at her then, his eyes steady on her own. "But what I can tell you is that if it weren't for all of you intervening when you did, and for you in particular giving me a second chance... I would either be dead right now, or stuck in a situation worse than death."
He was silent for a moment longer, letting his words sink in as he held her gaze with eyes that would never be able to unsee the horrid things he'd experienced while he was prisoner to the bandits. "You may be uncertain, but I am grateful you are here. You're helping to eradicate a group that not only tortured me personally for months and ripped my life and dignity away, but did so to countless others before me as well. You are a good person, and no one will ever be able to convince me otherwise."
He started working on dinner. It likely wasn't going to be the best meal he'd made so far, as he along with everyone else was still a bit spooked from everything that had just happened, but it would do to nourish everyone and that was more important for the moment.
Rose would sob in Delan's embrace, accepting the comfort he was trying to provide to her in this time of weakness that she was experiencing. As soon as she felt that she had gotten most of it from her system she listen to his suggestion, hanging on every word. She nodded solemnly and then went to go join Lyra once again, putting an arm around her cloak-covered form. She touched her head to Lyra's laughing some despite the tears, just so thoroughly relieved that she wasn't harmed irreparably by the events that happened.
When it came to dinner later, she did find it a bit amiss that Mehaila wasn't being her usual flirty self, but then again she poked at her meal more than ate it. She had a lot going through her mind and it left her listless and distracted when it came to when they gathered to eat. She looked at Shirak feeling a little guilty. "Lyra...How can I make it up to Shirak? I know she was trying to protect you and we were both scared..." She looked down at the bowl in her lap, fidgeting like a child who knew they were on the verge of being scorned by a disapproving parental figure.
Lyra would share the embrace with Rosa for several long seconds, her silent apology hinting at the terror she had felt during her silent interactions with the powerful Fury at the heart of the storm. She would share the linked arms with her twin all the way to the tor.
With the party reunited Lyra would reclaim her staff from Mehaila. "After the events of tonight I do not feel like roughing it." she would declare. Raising the staff up she pointed at the base of the tor and the stone began to flow like water. Reacting to the directions of the druid the base of the tor caved inward to create a vast space supported by several thick columns. The roof had a deep channel designed to carry the smoke of a fire away and out the mouth of the new cave whilst the floor was raised several inches over the ground outside to prevent water from coming into the cave. "Tonight I want a proper roof over my head."
That night after the average meal cooked by Delan she would sit with the staff across her lap and cast spells into it. Everytime she did the orb at the top would flash with blue energy in response. While she did this she would respond to the questions from her sister. "She's fine. It was a stressful moment for everyone and honestly I doubt she realizes it was you who did that. I mean look at her."
The tiger was sprawled near the large cooking fire in apparent bliss and sound asleep.
Rose let out a deep sigh of relief. "As long as I didn't cause her harm or hurt her view of me... well despite that craziness with the storm...What the hell even happened? I mean I think I know some of it, but your magic has always been a unique league from my own experimentation. I would love to be able to tap into energies like that, but I don't know if I would survive the results." She admits, blushing in embarrassment at admitting her weakness. Not that it mattered, she was pretty sure everyone saw a little of her weakness, the terror she had sleeping beneath the surface for the potential loss of her sister was one that she had not realized always been there.
She stared into the fire, watching the flames lick and dance along the wood, feeding hungrily from it, popping and hissing whenever it met the wet spots in the wood that still lingered from the storm. She unconsciously rubbed her scarred arm, thinking back to when tapping into powers of her own had backfired, and she couldn't really fault Lyra for doing the same.
Vetra nods to Delan's request of helping getting food going. She listens quietly as she helped stoke the fire, processing his words for a moment as the silence began to hand in the air.
"I'm happy, that I was able to give you a chance. I saw something in you that I know that might've been overlooked. I know that look." She looks to Delan then, her eyes soft, "Thank you Delan, that mean's a lot to me." She'd place a hand on the man's arm before refocusing herself back on the dinner, hoping that maybe her helping out with the meal will ease some of the tension between her and the rest of the party.
"Sometimes... I don't even know who I am... I'm not like many kobolds, something is different and I don't know what... and with all this... mystical magic happenings, I'm just unsure what is really going on." She starts unexpectedly towards the end of the cooking, "I need friends because I feel something changing about myself and I do not know what to make of it." Her voice was quiet again as she helped stir the meal, whatever it was, despite the quality of it she felt her mouth water as her stomach growled audibly.
As they went through the process of getting camp set up and eating dinner, Domitian would become increasingly concerned about Mehaila. She was not acting like her normal self. After they finished with supper, he approaches her and gestures to the empty space beside her. "Mind if I sit down?" Given the OK, he would settle himself next to her, and stare off into the woods for just a minute.
After a moment of contemplation, he looks at her and says "You know, my mother was quite a practiced healer. She didn't have a lick of magical ability, but she could diagnose just about any problem and knew what had to be done to fix it. She really was incredible to watch. Somebody would come in, all banged up from something or other, and she would just lay into her work, give it everything she had." He smiles at the memory, staring into the campfire, remembering. "She taught me everything I know about healing, long before Erastil granted me any magical ability. One thing that I learned from her, though, was that when things were really on the line, when it really matters, you pour yourself into the healing; it goes beyond the techniques or spells or any of it, to something deeper. Whenever I would see her do it, when people were really in need, it would always drain everything out of her after. I've never seen anyone be as tired as she would get, after something like that."
He looks at Mehaila, smiles, and says "I saw a lot of that same passion on display today. I guess I just wanted to let you know that I know how it feels, the way you're feeling now. Nothing hits you harder than giving everything you have to try to save someone else. Hell of a thing."
It took her a few minutes to respond, not that Delan expected her to do so. When she did, Vetra thanked him. The Kobold put a hand on his arm for emphasis, and he smiled at her. It was the first time he'd truly smiled in months. The fact that he even remembered how to do so was a miracle, but he was in much better company now than he was before. Safer company, with people that would treat him fairly and sought to protect those being oppressed like he had been.
Another round of comfortable silence fell between them. He quietly hummed one of his favorite elvish melodies as they worked on the meal. After a moment, she spoke again and opened up more about some of the things that were on her mind. Delan listened attentively while she did, so as not to discourage her.
He waited a bit longer when she finished to make sure she didn't have more to say, only to hear her grumbling stomach. The half elf chuckled a little in amusement at the sound, then turned back to the discussion at hand. "It has certainly been an... odd past few days. Many things both wondrous and frightening have taken place that I don't think any of us could have expected. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm curious to see what answers unravel to explain it all. As to the matter of your blood... My inclination at first was to express a sentiment that being different from other Kobolds doesn't define you, but on further consideration I'm sensing that's not the issue here. What do you mean when you say that something is changing about yourself?" He glanced up at her again, sitting back and relaxing with his bowl of food. "Do you mean physically? Something that is not normal for Kobolds? Outside of your sun scales, of course."
Was she dancing around a specific topic that she wasn't sure how to bring up, or was she merely discussing a vague feeling deep inside her that she hadn't quite been able to pinpoint yet? Either way, he had been around the group long enough to know that she had pretty much kept to herself at all times, and he was not going to disrespect her desire to try and talk to someone about personal things that might be bothering her. She needed a friend, as she herself said, and that was certainly something Delan could be.
Vetra's eyes looked up to the half-elf for a moment, thinking about his questions as she looked at the cooking fire. Sighing softly she would glance to him, "There are many things about my form that I noticed... that I stand out from the others... the scales obviously but not many if any have horns like mine," she'd point to her head. Most kobolds had small nubs if any at all but her were pretty impressive for a kobold, and looked very close to what a miniature version of a gold dragons horn crown would look like. "I've found that I've been a bit... resistant? I think that's the right word to fire, kobolds normally aren't..." she'd then suddenly place her hand in the cooking fire to prove her point, not letting it linger too long but just enough where normal kobolds would cry in pain, she'd pull it out to show that her hand was hot to the touch but there was no visible damage for the short amount of time she had it.
"And now... I feel this... warmth growing within me I just cannot describe." She frowns, her brow furrowing as she focused back on the cooking fire intently. She suddenly seemed to get flustered by something that ran through her mind. Sighing she sat back down for a moment, frowning. "I don't know... It's... frustrating. I don't even know my purpose. Perhaps I should offer prayer to Apsu tonight... hopefully he will answer me..." She seemed to be getting lost down a whirlpool of thoughts as her shoulders began to slump slightly, growing silent.
"Yeah. No problem," Moira says in response to Delan's compliment. One might have taken offense at not even being looked at while praising someone but it was clear she was distracted. She just stood and watched as things happened. Rationally, she knew she could do little to help. In fact she'd most likely get in the way. She couldn't bring herself to care that much either. The streak of lightning was still burned into her mind and the feeling of wonder had yet to recede. Within the jagged lines of light there was something. It felt like looking at someone familiar but not remembering where you saw them.
Today, she got to see nature in all it's glory and fury in a moment between breaths. She saw a beast try to sacrifice it's life for a different species because it was so close to her it considered her family. She saw a woman overcome an almost insurmountable test of nature and survive. Why did she notice the staff and why did she think it was important? Why wasn't she effected by time being slowed down while everyone else was? Why did she no nothing to stop the bolt? She was thankful Lyra survived but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was on the cusp of something.
Her horse nudged her and the feeling was broken. "Huh. Oh. Well if isn't the big baby," she said, reaching out to scratch the large animal between the eyes. That was his favorite spot she found out a few days earlier. He was a draft horse. Big and powerful. Like a log with legs. He'd never win a race or a beauty pageant but he could probably pull something ten times his weight for hours on end. His coat was light brown with a white mane and tail. There was also white on his legs and a streak down his face. Not fancy or pretty but certainly strong, like her. Why had she never learned his name? She'd ask later.
With Lyra finally accepting healing and sitting up, Moira decided she could do little else here. "You seem to be in good hands," she says, indicating Shirak, Rosa and Mahaila. "I'll...go make sure our camp survived." She hops on the horse bareback and rides back to the tor. On the way she pulls out the little wooden pendent to Erastil her father gifted her. "Thanks. I guess," she says to it awkwardly. Then she remembered her lost tent. "Shit."
After some searching she manages to find the errant cloth in a tree some ways from the tor. After retrieving it and heading back, she finds Lyra has made some modifications. Neat. Feeling buoyed by the extra room and the smell of hot food, she joins the others under the slightly taller overhang and finds a seat. The food was mediocre but anything beat trail rations and hardtack. Yep, Delan would make a fine wife. She waits for lull in his and Vetra's conversation to catch his eye. She raises the bowl towards him and nods, "Thanks. Is the horse I'm riding one of yours? I wanted to know if he had a name."
Meha looks to Dom, her bright elven eyes showing more emotion than normal. She felt grateful he had came over, and there was a small hidden part of her that had hoped it was him, for despite all her teasing of the others, she never really teased him to much. She had always thought of it as them being similar, almost like professionals to each other, as she knew enough of Old Deadeye was normally one for more solemn works and deeds. But Domitian presence eased her worries, and her shoulders relaxed some, but it was clear she still felt she had a burden. His close presence lulled her enough however that she leaned against him, her head resting softly on his shoulder, gazing outwards into the lingering heavy rains. Then when Dom spoke of his mother, she felt relief that he knew, that he could understand. His mother had put herself into healing others, and it was the first time for Meha.
After he finished, her soft voice floating up from where she leaned on him, asked " Did she ever say just... If..If you saw it happening, and even as you rushed forward, you still had this sense of you could've prevented it? That somewhere you missed something that could have prevented this tragic result? Perhaps it would have been me or Vetra had we not lost our horses. I am happy Lyra is alive, but yet I feel I bear some part of the blame. I should have prepared better for this." It was clear even in her exhaustion she was going over the scene again, remembering how she rushed forward only to be flung backwards. Truth was Meha would have dark ugly bruises if she ever undressed around anyone for them to see them, a small price however compared to what Lyra suffered.
Delan enjoyed a great many things in his life, but there were few things he liked more than learning new things. One could consider him an anthropologist of sorts. He took time to study as much as he could everywhere he traveled about different people, places, cultures, histories. He was fascinated by these things, soaking up knowledge in bucketloads. However, the half elf certainly didn’t come close to knowing everything there was to know. The differences that Vetra described between herself and her kin were nothing he’d ever come across or even heard so much as a rumor of before. She was even able to demonstrate some of what she explained to him, dipping her hand into their campfire longer than the average humanoid creature could normally withstand.
He hummed thoughtfully to himself, a hand raising to rub his cheek. Moira approached and he nodded to her, gesturing for her to join them by the warm flames. To Vetra he said, “I can see how that could be frustrating. Even frightening, not understand what is going on with your own body. I’ve spent time with a lot of different people from different backgrounds through my life, but not much time with Kobolds I’m afraid. I don’t know as much about your people and culture as I’d like to.”
Running his fingers through his hair to pull it back from his face, he continued with a quiet, sober voice. “I am not so certain of my own self, admittedly. Of this particular path with the rest of you, yes. This needs to be done and I’ll not hesitate to take the life of every bandit in that camp myself if I must. However…” His words trailed off while Delan watched the campfire dance. “I didn’t expect to escape them. I was going to die in that camp, one way or another. I’m not sure I’ve really processed it yet. I keep thinking I might wake up one morning and all of you will have just been the product of a desperate dream, and I’m still stuck in that hell.”
He sighed and shook his head ruefully, smirking at his own folly. ” I doubt any of my dreams would involve something so painfully realistic as that lightning storm, however. Miss Vetra, it’s possible you may have a rough road ahead of you to figure out what is happening with yourself. But if a friend is what you need to help get you through it, I’ll do the best I can. I haven’t known any of you for more than a few days, but this group is all I have right now and you’re the only people to have reminded me that kindness and compassion still exist. Shelyn crossed our paths for a reason. I would like to reach the point that you can consider me a friend. All of you.”
The added comment was directed toward Moira, whom he glanced to so she would understand. He did not want her to feel left out of the conversation. When she thanked him for the food, he told her, “You’re quite welcome. I hope it fills you, even if it’s not up to my usual standards as far as taste…” He was a little disheartened that he couldn’t give everyone a better meal after the experience they all just went through together, but it seemed no one minded just now. Everyone’s thoughts were on more important things.
The warrior asked about the horse she’d been riding, and Delan glanced over to it. “No. It’s a beautiful creature, but not mine. Mine is the grullo over there, Cojiro.” He pointed to the horse that was a deep silvery grey color, with a dark muzzle and black mane, tail, and socks. “He was the only thing I was able to keep after the bandits attacked us, because even they knew the worth of keeping a good horse around. The one you’re riding looks familiar, but I’m sorry I don’t know his name. I spent as little time talking to the people at the camp as I could get away with…” He did seem genuinely sorry that he didn’t have a name to offer her. “Lyra would be your best bet to trying to find out. Otherwise, you could try to train him to respond to a new name if you’d like. It’s hard to do with horses, but not impossible. Are you feeling well? You seemed to be in a bit of a daze after everything.”
Lyra had just finished replenishing the charges she had spent creating the cave when she heard mention of finding out the names of the horses. Using the staff she pushed herself to her feet and sent her senses into the ground around her. She could sense the slow, inexorable movement of the dirt and rock beneath her feet, could feel the slow pulse of an immense heart that had beat since time had no meaning. Nothing reacted to her presence so she gently tapped into that wellspring of power with whispered thanks and cast a minor spell that would enable her to communicate more easily with animals.
She would go from horse to horse and speak gently to each one, stroking them on the necks and ears to show her love for the large beasts. After several minutes she would go back to the fire and sit down. "They don't have names. Or atleast nothing that they remember. Seems the bandits didn't treat them with any sort of respect so feel free to name them whatever. The name isn't important, your voice and how you treat them is important. They will recognize the intent in your voice when you call them regardless of what you say. Care for them and they will return the favor."
Her druidic magic spent she went to staring into the fire and murmuring to herself. Lyra was half tempted to call out to Igni the Elemental of passion and ferocity who embodied fire but after the not so gentle reprimand from the air elemental she felt spent. Knowing the cost of the path and actually paying it were two different things.
"You know I really didn't expect things to go like this." She half mused to herself, talking to no one. "My first time tapping into the storm and I meet the Lord of the Northern Gate. Creatures out of myth and one slaps me down for my impertinence like a teacher disciplining an unruly child."
She dug into her belt and pulled out a shiny river rock, a glasslike material that had been smoothed into an oblong shape and had a heart of darkness. She stared at some carvings on the top of the obsidian for a few moments before shaking her head and returning the stone to her belt. "I had no idea." she whispered finally.
While Lyra played Horse Whisperer, Moira mulled over part of the conversation between Vetra and Delan. Unfortunately she drew a blank. She was still uncomfortable talking with the kobold and trying to guess at her origins and unique qualities would be even more awkward. Best to leave that alone. Instead she turns to Delan and nudges him playfully. "Keep cooking like this and you'll be there in no time. Despite what people say, the key to anyone's heart is through the stomach."
She was glad to hear the horse had no name because she was thinking Courage would be a good one. Something the skittish beast could grow into. When Delan points out the funk she'd been in she sighs and looks into the fire. "Yeah. Something happened the same time Lyra was struck. The world...slowed down or something. Droplets hung in the air. The wind stopped. I walked towards the the clearing Lyra was in and...and I saw it all happen in slow motion. I saw the bolt of lightning weave through the sky about as slow as molten iron filling a mold all...jagged turns and branching off. I still see it too, when I close my eyes. Everything is clear as the moment I saw it. And it's like there is something there. A face, or a word, or a place. I don't know. Maybe it's just some magic mumbo jumbo and I reacted weirdly to it."
Rose sat quietly and let the conversations weave on around her as she continued to stare into the fire. She remembered when she still was doing experiments back home and trying to force new, stronger reactions and how she got burned for it. But this... What happened to Lyra was strange and powerful and let her know that she had barely scratched the surface when it came to the nuances of magic. The curious part of her was already a buzz with ideas and concepts and plans. The logical part of her still couldn't help about a nagging feeling in the back of her mind about how it all happened the way it did. She ate her food, savoring it as she did. She had to chuckle when Delan mentioned it wasn't his best, but it certainly was better than trail rations.
She reached for her staff, letting her fingers trace the carvings and symbols. It had always been a comfort for her, settling her mind at ease whenever she touched it. "There are definitely larger forces at work around us. I may not understand now, may never understand." She finally piped at last when there was a lull in the conversation. "But there is something larger that has been set in motion with our actions. I am curious to see where it all leads to in the end." She would smile finally looking away from the fire to look at each of them in turn. "I realized a part of me today that I didn't know I had, and I feel as though I am stronger now for it. I am so glad that all of us met and we are journeying together, for I feel that this is only the beginning." She said with a shine to her eyes, catching the light of the fire.
"I love all of you for being here and helping me when Lyra was in danger. I don't know if I can repay the kindness you have all shown me and mine, but I will try to do the best I can." She said at last, leaning against her sister and hugging her.
Domitian nods his head as Mehaila asks her question. "I remember this one event quite clearly. There was a young boy, I believe his name was Benjamin, and one summer he got into a nasty little accident. Was helping his parents out in some manual labor of some sort, and his hand got crushed to a pulp. They were a poor family, without any connections, so magical healing was off the table - just the sort that would come to my mother for help. They brought him in, and I had never seen such blood, not at that point in my life. The smell was something awful, too." He grimaces at the memory, before shaking his head and continuing. "She poured everything into that boy, tried every trick, but it became horribly infected. Finally, she had to amputate the hand. Saved his life, certainly, as that infection would have spread and likely killed him. The boy lived through it, and last I heard had even started a family of his own."
Domitian turns to look at Mehaila, a sad kind of smile on his face. "I don't think my mother ever forgave herself for that. She was haunted by the thought of that hand she took, the fact that her actions caused him to be crippled. What could she have done better? What could she have tried differently to save not just the life, but the hand too? So yes, I'm familiar with that feeling. I must have told her, a hundred times at least, that she should be proud; she saved his life, as sure as anything. Sometimes, you don't even get that much."
He nods his head over the Lyra, talking and laughing with the others, and says "She's alive, she's talking and laughing and living, because of your efforts. Whatever happened with her happened before the lightning struck; I saw her floating in the air already before it happened. I think that wasn't a random lightning bolt. I doubt there was anything any of us could have done once the process was started. You saved her life, and I know you should be proud of that; just as I know you likely will still feel guilty, no matter what I say. It is the curse of the healer."
Vetra listened to Delan but she didn't quite respond, suddenly felt a burst of anger flash through her. Everything was so confusing, so odd and out of place, she just couldn't find her barrings on anything. It frustrated her to no end. She felt the need to kick the coals, knock things over, yell up into the sky but, she refrained, channeling it all in for now as it was nor the time and place. Her fists clench as she let out a puff of smoke as she sighed, which took her by surprise. She sat there a bit stunned for a moment as she looked between the group, shaking her thoughts away for a moment.
"Thank you Delan. I have some things I have to think on." Her voice was a bit strained, it was obvious that the kobold was experiencing a sudden influx of emotions and feelings and her voice betrayed it as she settled herself near the fire, peering into the flames with her knees coming up to settle against her chest.
Although it may seem that Vetra was not paying attention to those around her, on the contrary, she was soaking up every word that was spoken. Her eyes would finally shift from the flames as she turns to look at Lyra for a moment, a frown settling on her features. She also caught the playful words spoken by Moira and for some reason it made her... feel different. She couldn't place it but her hands dug into her armor as she tried to settle the tumultuous storm that was now raging inside of her. She kept herself separated from the conversation for now as she tried to settle the feelings that raging within her.
Looking to Dom, she takes some comfort in his words, but even he had still spoken the truth. She felt she could have done something different, something more. If it had been nothing but letting Lyra keep her beautiful red hair it would have been better. She couldn't imagine having to take some ones hand to keep them alive, and lucky Calistria had blessed her with healing magics, so that while she may never know the pain of the choice Dom's mother made, she still would have to face times she just did not make it in time to save someone.
Still, Dom was right, Lyra was laughing and enjoying the time with the rest of the group. It didn't matter to them how she was healed, but only that she was. The guilt of not having done more was there, but the fact that Rosa still had her sister was enough to cheer the cleric up some.
Feeling better, and more cheerful, however not enough to join the others for anything else, she does give Dom a kiss on the check, her hair brushing his cheek as she leaned over, stating afterwards " Perhaps I just needed a wiser person than me to help me see what I could not. Thank you Dom, for more than you know. May you always be near to show me the better courses." Meha would then stand up and stretch, before settling her pack and bed roll for the night. Even going to bed earlier than the rest, she rested easier after talking with her favorite paladin.
As the darkness of the night grew darker and the rain seemed to have no intention of letting up the group began to feel lulled by the warmth and dryness the new cave afforded them. The heavy but steady hissing of rain outside lent a white noise that began to dull the senses of some of the party, hastening sleep.
As the relaxation setles deeper into your bones a tiny shimmer in the air nearby catches your attention. It moves in jerks and pauses and stops next to the campfire. Three more tiny shimmers in the air take up position around the party, one behind Domitian, one behind Moira and another behind Vetra.
Meha struggles to understand what she is seeing, as something is off. She was just about asleep until something near the fire caught her eye. Then there was a shimmering in the air near her party members that wasn't there the last time she looked, and she points out to everyone about them. " Guys.... what is that shimmering things? See them there?" She was clearly puzzled, as it was almost magical in nature, but she swore nothing would attack them after the day they had. Surely the fates were not that cruel.
Domitian smiles as Mehaila kisses his cheek, then smiles at her. "I'm glad I could help. You're a good person, Mel. Sleep well."
As he settles down to sleep, Domitian feels a calm and peace come over him. They had overcome a lot together, and he was feeling pretty good about things. His hand gently reaches up to touch his cheek, and a smile flits across his face.
He comes awake with a start when Mehaila gives her warning. His eyes dart back and forth, looking around for whatever it was that might have startled her, but he didn't pick out anything right away. "Where?" he asks, his voice alert and steady.
Despite the warning there was little time for more discussion before a loud hiss ripped through the cavern and the fire snuffed out suddenly. The moment the fire went out Domitian, Vetra and Moira all felt numbingly cold knives slice into their backs as four tiny creatures suddenly appeared, each grinning maliciously with black teeth. These creatures had the lower body of of a large cricket and the upper body of an elvish figure, each one blue skinned and twisted. Their fingers ended in long claws that dripped with half frozen blood. The one who had just put out the fire spun and hissed at Mehaila.
Rose quickly backs up and draws an arrow, casting light upon the shaft of it. "Up, up, we are under attack. Dom!" She yelled out, using the arrow as she would a sunrod to illuminate the darkness around them. She hoped her simple act would help even the odds at least a little.
Having been caught off guard all Mehaila manages to do is stand up and draw her rapier, and locks her eyes to the one targetting Dom. Only I get to mark up his back you little bastard
After a time speaking with Vetra and Moira, he was starting to snooze when Mehaila’s voice woke him up. He barely had time to process that she’d seen something of concern when the fire suddenly snuffed out. In a split second, three of their comrades were injured. In a flash (almost literally) light flooded the area again from Rosa. He swore in surprise and frustration, his mind working quickly to assess the situation and what they were up against. Insect like bodies with elvish torsos… and the blood on their claws. Was it frozen already? His green eyes widened. “Dark Ice Grigs!” Delan told the group. “Use fire if you can!”
Lyra's head snapped up when the fire snuffed out and through her celestial blood was she able to see the four twisted figures in the dark. The moment Delan's words lodged in her brain red energy gathered around her hand as she spoke words in the harsh draconic language and pointed at the grig who had snuffed out the fire. A lance of intense red light slammed into the grigs chest and began burning with furious intensity. "NOT! TONIGHT!"
Vetra was nodding off as the fire dwindled and her group slowly began to drift, but the sudden warning caused her to look up and turn to look behind her, but it was too late as she let out a scream of pain as her scales were parted and blood flowed freely. The sudden attack, pain, and fear suddenly overwhelmed her as she suddenly felt a rising anger suddenly flare up in her throat. As she stood, she opens her mouth to yell out in draconic, "You little Shi-" she began before a sudden bout of flame gushed from her yelling mouth that turned into an eruption of fire, catching Vetra by surprise as she spewed forth the flames.
Domitian flinches hard when the little thing stabs him. Cold little bastards! He draws his falchion then stands up quickly .
Domitian gives a fierce grin as the various flashes of fire spring forth. "Sneaky little beasts, I think you picked the wrong group to attack." He sends his falchion flying in against the grig that attacked him.
Shirak's eyes snapped open at Lyra's scream and the tiger instantly sprang into action, launching herself at the nearest grig with a ferocious roar.
"Ah!" Moira cried out in an unusually high pitched voice, surprise and pain overcoming her normally stoic acceptance of pain. There was no worse position to be in than surprised with your back to the enemy. Thankfully, said enemy did not have a better weapon. Moira rolled over to face the hissing, cricket-person thing and promptly through a handful of dirt in it's tiny, stupid face.
As the belch of fire explodes from Vetra's mouth the grig attacking her screamed in agony as parts of his body began to belt. In response he slashed out in rage and one of his claws passed through the kobold's throat in a spray of blood and sent the kobold to a knee. Moira's grig screamed in impotent fury as it swiped away at the dirt blinding it. The grig attacking Domitian looked satisfied as a bit of the flesh around the second wound it scored on him turned pale from the cold.
The grig menacing Mehaila spun and squared off with the tiger, the two of them circling each other like feral animals. With a high pitched scream it launched itself at the big cat and managed to land a long scratch on the tiger's shoulder that froze.
Seeing blood fly as Vetra fell to a knee and even Domitian staggered back a step as the grig laid open his thigh caused Lyra to panic a little as she stepped over to the right until the three grigs were in a line to her. "Get ready the throw Rosa!" she would yell before pointing the staff and speaking a single word in draconic. In response the orb at the top of the staff swirled with white energy before a blast of air shot out in a line at all three of the grigs.
Shirak went berserk as the grig laid open her shoulder, using her strength and size to jump onto the grig and latch on with her bite to begin mauling the tiny creature.
Well, everyone was awake and moving now, that was for damn sure. He had alerted everyone to the nature of the danger and what would work best offensively. Now, he needed to do his duty as a cleric and take care of his comrades. Domitan already was healing his own wound. Both Vetra and Moira had been hurt right next to him, and that was something he simply would not abide. Vetra herself looked like she’d been stabbed pretty hard, hard enough that she friggin’ spat fire out of her mouth. Could Kobolds do that?! Delan blinked at her for a second in shock before quickly stuffing the surprise down. He could wonder about that later.
But even as everything unfolded, the gold scaled Kobold was struck again. Before his very eyes, the grig that had first attacked Vetra landed another brutal blow right across the throat. Blood splattered violently from her, some of it splashing onto his own body. He felt the warmth of it, and it triggered something in him. In his mind he saw his parents again. Their deaths were burned into his memories. Like now, he had been splashed in their blood as the bandits hacked their bodies to pieces, while he could only watch. He could still hear them shrieking in agony. And now, after he’d finally been freed of Kressle’s tyranny and found people that seemed to want him as a friend and not just a tool, the very one that had first stepped up to give him an opportunity to live once more was being slaughtered in front of him.
Not this time.
His mind sank into a cool, calculating focus that was a stark contradiction to the emotions that raged inside of him like an inferno. Deftly, keeping an eye on the grigs nearby to make sure his actions wouldn’t give them an opening, he reached out and placed a hand on the deathly injured Kobold. “Shelyn, bless her and be glorified!” he prayed aloud. From his hand a surge of healing magic sparked to life and jolted itself into Vetra where it sought to reverse the mortal wound on her throat.
When the spell was done, Delan withdrew his rapier and looked at the grig with eyes as cold and hard as the steel in his hand.
Domitian grimaced in annoyance as the little thing danced out of the way of his sword. It even managed to get in another hit, though not too bad. Much worse were the hits Vetra was taking; his eyes widen to see such vicious wounds, and almost broke off to help before seeing Delan heal her. There is too much going on here. I need to focus. Erastil, calm my thoughts...
He lets out a quick sigh, blinks slowly, then focuses his gaze on the little creature in front of him. Making sure he is flanking the beast with Mehaila , he sends his sword flying in for another slash.
With the time her dirty trick bought her, Moira manages to get her Greatsword from her scabbard, having to bend over so as not to hit the ceiling. She pauses momentarily and glances up, getting an idea. She couldn't build up a full power swing cramp quarters but maybe...
With a guttural shout, she brings the weapon down for a devastating chop, dragging the blade along the low ceiling to build power.
Rose hearing her sister's command, smirked. She let go of the glowing arrow allowing it to drop to the floor and continue casting its light. She reached into the pockets of her bandolier and withdrew a strange vial with an almost ruddy viscous liquid inside of it. She withdrew another bottle, and dumping the catalyst into the other bottle. She capped it once more, shaking vigorously as the chemicals inside began to mix and roil. "You are going to regret tussling with us." She said, a dangerous glint in her eyes as the volatile chemicals continued to mix and react with each other. "NOBODY MOVE! You'll be in danger if my calculations are off even slightly!" She calls out and hurls the bottle at the middle of three of the grigs. Upon hitting that grig, the bottle smashes and there is a explosion of fire that spreads all around them, surprisingly avoiding all allies. The heat would wash over them, but wouldn't harm them whatsoever.
When the fire quickly dies down, the other two grigs looked a little worse off. The center one however was still burning, the fire appearing to cling tenaciously to his body. It gnawed and devoured at him, refusing to die down.
Everything was happening so fast that poor Vetra couldn't get a handle on it just yet and it seemed like she wouldn't get that chance at all as she felt the grig's claws rack across her throat, gasping as her hands came to the wound as blood flowed freely. Her vision blurs as she fell to her knees, trying to refocus herself and steel her will though she felt the darkness creeping into her vision and her limbs begin to grow heavy. She gasps, trying to call for help but she just couldn't without pain suddenly searing through every nerve in her body.
Anger filled her, a primal rage that suddenly flared in life as she forced herself to her legs, staring defiantly at the Grig. She wouldn't let herself be put down like a dog. She wouldn't accept that this may be the end. Her lip's peeled back, revealing her fangs as she let off a snarl.
She felt life spring back into her limbs, her weight lightens and the creeping darkness suddenly abide. Vision clearing as she felt the magic that coursed through the very fiber of the world move through her body from Delan's touch. The warmth flooded her and she felt something tug on the inside, she felt the sinews of her flesh reconnect and the scales bind back once more. The staunching of the flow of crimson blood that stained her front and the refocusing of her will. It was everything she needed as she let out a guttural, although high pitched, roar as Vetra lunged at the Grig, losing herself to her primal nature.
Blue arcane energy suddenly sparked from the corner of her eyes before she lunged with her claws flashing. Her body twisting bringing her weaponized tail into bare down upon the fey creature, and if she had the opportunity she'd sink her fangs into the beast, unleashing a full onslaught of her natural attacks upon the creature that dared lay a wound upon her with unerring accuracy.
Growls at the one that was between her and Dom, and decides to stab at it with her rapier. And she misses badly,but keeps up with Dom to provide hum a flanking buddy
Delan's calls to his goddess were answered when rose colored light flowed over the kobold and closed most of her wounds. Rosa's aim with her bomb was sniper accurate and it broke on the head of the grig fighting Domitian. Through Rosa's mastery over alchemy the fire rolled around all of the party members without harming them as the vial exploded and incinerated the grig fighting Dom. When the explosion cleared there was nothing in front of the paladin but a damp stain on the ground. The grig grappling with Shirak screamed in pain and alarm as its own squirming had allowed the powerful tiger to clamp onto the fey's head with her mouth.
The explosion blinded Moira's grig permanently and it slashed it's claws at random as clear blood poured from it's ruined sockets. The grig fighting Vetra was tenacious and dodged the brunt of the explosion but that put him directly into the path of the now healed kobold's fullisade. Claws and bites came from every direction and finished with a contemptuous tail slap that kicked the melting carcass of the dead grig away five feet.
Moira's first attack had missed the wily creatures but with it now flailing around blind it was a prime target for her rage. Mehaila's attack had gone wide as the tiger and grig rolled around, the big cat snarling in rage and aggression. Lyra's own wild spell did nothing as the creatures had simply ignored the blast of air.
Lyra growled in frustration but held back her temper as two of the creatures died and the other two appeared to be knocking on death's door. With a huff she moved back to the area near Shirak and held her staff up high, ready for the off chance that the creature would escape.
Shirak on the other hand was in the full grip of a primal fury. It's prey drive was in full effect as it clamped down hard with it's bite and savaged the grig with all of her claws.
The kobold, seeing the grig fall snarled and pivoted, turning to the last grig that remained on the battlefield she takes a step forward to ensure she was in range and holds out a hand, pointing towards the twisted fey and began uttering a string of arcane words in draconic as a current of red energy balled up at the tip of her finger. Suddenly she grinned as the condensed energy exploded out in a cone of flames. She aims it just enough to keep it from bathing her own allies in the blast.
Mehaila was tired of this. It was late, she wanted a bathe, sleep, and to do dirty things to Dom, and yet none of them was happening. Instead these creatures attacked, and so she steps in with Vetra, and while Vetra was burning it, she stabbed it with her rapier, and picked a very nice spot as she aimed and hit a sensitive spot for some added damage
Before Moira could unleash her rage at the creatures for interrupting their night Vetra unleashes a spray of flame from her palm just as Mehaila darts forward and skewers the head of the grig. The combination of the attacks dismember the creature with the head staying lodged on the elf's blade while the rest of the body collapsed into a puddle of dirty water. Shirak finished the grig she was fighting by ripping the creature in half at the junction of insect and elf and tossing the top half into the rekindled campfire where it sublimated instantly.
With the last creature dead the only sound in the cavern was the heavy breathing of the party as they stared at each other in sudden confusion as their battle energy suddenly had nowhere to go. Outside the rain increased in intensity.