Sleep evaded him. Ruli lay sprawled on his back, his hands tucked behind his head as he stared upward without actually seeing what was above him. His head still felt sun warmed against his hands, and Ruli couldn't remember if that was normal or not. He could still feel the hot sand he walked upon, still feel the dry air as he shouted for Envy. 
The taste of the concoction was still in his throat, the odor of it coating every bit of him. When he did close his eyes, he could see a blackness entirely different then the one that had answered the tracing spell.

He'd left. Ruli remembered that with heavy guilt. After Ziad fell, he had left, to ashamed to join the others as they took refuge. All those months away from Envy. Away from home. Time he should have been helping his friend heal, learn how to be without his eyesight. When Envy could have soothed the sharp edges of Ruli self-hatred in the way only that giant elf could.

Ruli hated himself for it. 

His thoughts circled around and around, the sharp teeth of self loathing and guilt biting at Ruli hour after hour until the sky began to lighten. As if summoned by Ruli's realization that the night was ebbing, Gavin appeared beside him and nudged him, inviting him to eat. Ruli wiped the emotion from his face, refusing to allow Gavin to see him struggling when he'd told the lad not to allow any doubts in just hours earlier. 
"Coffee first, Gav." Ruli said tiredly as Gavin rambled questions about the Moon God. 

Not bothering with boots, as usual, Ruli shuffled toward the smell of breakfast, his eyes roaming it to see what called to his stomach, when he heard the pirate woman's voice and he turned his head. "Morning." He greeted, his pale eyes landing on a familiar pair of dark ones. 
"You look like shit." Sid crooned at him, grinning far too brightly for how early it was. 
Ruli puffed air out of his nose, though he didn't quite feel the amusement he portrayed. "Thanks."

Some of the amusement faded from Sid's eyes as she sidled up to the blond and nudged him affectionately, a silent offer of a shoulder should he need one, before she helped herself to the display of food. Ruli silently followed her example. He sat beside Gavin, while Sid joined Myka across from them. His head propped on his right fist, he toyed with his food while he listened with one ear to Myka's thoughts. 
"Elva isn't wrong." Sid said, seemingly toeing the line between digging into her plate with complete animalist hunger and trying to hold a shred of dignity and grace. "Without being able to rest their minds, it won't be able to tell their bodies to begin recovering." Her shoulders raised in a shrug. "Only thing I can think of that will help while this sort of magic torments them would be to render them unconscious, but even then, there's no promise this won't haunt them while they slept."

She turned toward Ruli, who stared at his plate with bleary eyes. "Could you make wards for them? Smaller ones, I mean?"
His eyes rose after a few seconds, and he went still as he backtracked to recall her question. Then he blinked. "I could." He realized. "Small things. To negate magic. Without knowing precisely what I'm dealing with, there's no promise it would work the way we want."
"Even a dimmer would help." Sid offered, trying to meet him half way. She knew he was preoccupied, and knew why. But she couldn't ignore the people around her that needed help. 

[hr]


Zeltzin lowered her head in gratitude when Kire allowed her to get closer, the priestess's chin low as she watched her foot, mindful not to step on any vine or plant of the Goddess's creation. It was slow going before she reached the tree nearest her, and Zeltzin raised an apprehensive hand to touch the rough bark.
"Oh, yes." Zeltzin purred. She didn't turn around to look at Kire, her head craned back so she could look up the length of the tree. "She is everywhere. Her magic coating this place. I can taste Her in the air, as if it is full of Her tears." Her fingers stroked the tree, then Zeltzin looked away and slowly began her trek to the next tree. "I hear Her whispering to me." The woman said, her voice light with joy; a mourning widow hearing her beloved's voice from the afterlife after too long in silence. 

More silence from the priestess as she came to the next tree, placing her hand upon it as she did the first. "There is anger here. Her anger." At last, she turned toward Kire, her eyes colder then they'd been a moment ago. "She's been wounded. How have your people offended her, Empress?"