Everyone except Jerrica is aware that this is an illusion. You blink your eyes and see that you're still in the forest. You see a body on the ground, only fifteen feet ahead of you.
Taking Jerrica by the wrist, Sig stares at the body. "Don't believe your eyes. It's an illusion. We're still in the forest and there's a body just ahead of us." she says slowly walking forward.
Frostine follows Sig though a bit hesitantly.
"Umm, okay," Jerrica says, staying close to Sig. "Is it really hot or just in this illusion?"
"It's all a part of the illusion, just take deep breaths and try to ignore it ok.?" Sig says calmly.
She begins humming a defiant little tune that instills Jerrica with a feeling of strength.
Jerrica takes a deep breath.
The illusion dissipates before Jerrica's eyes.
"Oh, that's better," Jerrica says.
Sig smiles squeezing Jerica's hand before turning back to the body.
"Careful, we don't know if this is a trap," Thorgr says, weapon at the ready.
Frostine stays next to Thorgr while loading her crossbow, "If it is we'll be ready. Can you tell who or what it is yet Sig?"
Sig studies the body, unable to tell if the individual is alive or dead. She shrugs moving closer with her axe in hand, untilshe can nudge the body with her foot.
Frostine takes a few more steps towards the body and tries to get a look at it.
The body rolls over as Sig pushes it with her foot. It looks like Ishmael, but like he has been dehydrated for some time.
Freaking out just a little bit she says, "Ohhh....oh no...he must still think he's in the desert or something. How do we snap him out of it?" Thinking for a moment she holds her waterskin until the water inside of it is nice and cold and then pours some on him. Shrugging she looks at Thorgr, Sig, and Jerrica, "What? I thought it might shock him awake."
Kneeling beside Ishmael's body she places her hand against his neck seeking a hint of a pulse.
Pouring the cold water on Ishmael has little effect. Sig can detect a faint pulse.
Looking at Gumdrop she asks, "Do you have any idea what we should do?" Looking at the others she says, "If he's here....then I wonder where Risque is."
"We should take him back to Corrie," Gumdrop answers. "Dangren would probably know how to treat this."
Jerrica takes a look around, seeing if she can spot anything or anyone else.
Thorgr does the same.
"I don't see anybody else," Jerrica says. "Maybe we can ask Ishmael when we get back to Corrie's and he's a little better."
Putting a hand over her eyes she does the same and looks for signs of anyone else before looking back at Gumdrop, "Okay...that's probably his best chance anyways."
Frostine notices that this part of the woods looks rather...desolate. She does not see anyone else here.
She sighs, "Other than how barren this place looks I don't see anyone else either. We better get him back to Dan before he gets worse. If he's stuck inside that illusion in his head, there's no telling how much longer he might have."
Thorgr slings Ishmael over his shoulder and heads back to Corrie's.
You soon return to Corrie's, only a few hours passed since you left.
"Every time you go out, you come back with an injured person," Dangren says, trying to make light of the situation. "Take him to the bedroom, Thorgr. Will you fetch some water, Frostine?"
"Sure, Dangren," Thorgr says, taking Ishmael to the bedroom and settling him on Dan's bed.
She shrugs, "Sure...I tried cold water before coming back here though and it didn't seem to much good. Do you want it in a bowl or a tankard?"
"Both," Dangren answers. "It just needs to be a little cool. Could you get me some washcloths, Jerrica?"
Jerrica nods and heads to the bathroom, grabbing a few washcloths and heading to the bedroom afterward.
Going to the kitchen she asks, "Ms. Corrie could I have a tankard and bowl of cool water please? Dan needs them for Ishmael."
Sig stands back, watching the Dangren go to work on reviving the fallen warrior.
Corrie nods and pours fresh water into a bowl and a tankard. "It should be cool enough."
She takes the water from Ms. Corrie, "Thanks Ms. Corrie." She takes the water back to Dan in the bedroom and sets it down on a little table next to the bed, "There you go, a bowl and tankard of cool water."
"Thank you," Dan says, taking one of the washcloths and dipping it in the water. Dan wipes Ishmael's brow, chest and arms. "So, where'd you find him?"
Jerrica watches Dangren. "Is that...helping him?"
"In a section of the forest that was disguised by an illusion to make it look and feel like a desert." Sig says, a tinge of anger in her voice.
Dangren shakes his head. "Good thing you found him when you did. Ishmael, can you hear me?"
Ishmael just lays on the bed, his breathing shallow.
"If Risque went down somewhere in the same area, she might not have much time left either." Sig says, with concern.
"We looked around but didn't see her...you wanna head back out?" Jerrica asks, touching Sig's shoulder.
"Yes and no. I hate the idea of her laying somewhere dying but at same time going back out means we all face that damned illusion again." Sig says looking at Jerrica. "And that means putting everybody at risk of the same thing."
Feeling helpless and unsure of what to she sighs and looks from Thorgr to Sig and then Jerrica, "Yeah....but....but I don't think I'd be able to forgive myself if we didn't look for her and something worse happened to her. She's all alone out there going through who knows what. What if she went a different direction and got lost?" She asks as concern fills her young voice.
"We'll head out," Thorgr says. "You have matters handled here, Dan?"
Dan nods. "I'll take care of him."
She thinks for a moment, "Do you think they might have become separated? Should we try a different direction, or go the way we were going before?" Unsure of exactly what to do she bites nervously on one of her fingernails.