[CENTER][h3][color=a187be]Sara, Daughter of Aliya[/color][/h3]
[img]https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/534948241825988611/1174472569089429534/image.png?ex=6567b7d1&is=655542d1&hm=0ac3def3fc8f9660bc4ffa5b117bd076001fdea39f99c6fc0387a65fdaacb1b6&=[/img]

Ionna [@Mcmolly], Theobald [@Xiro Zean][/CENTER]
Sara's moment of fervor was short-lived. With Ionna's help, they had quickly dispatched the two enemies waiting outside, but her detect heat spell was almost unnecessary as the quiet of the woods outside drew her attention immediately to the sky and loud, rhythmic thrum of the helicopter making its way southeast. Sara reached a hand towards the vehicle in a futile gesture, cursing herself for not having the courage to learn a ranged fire spell. Of course, even if she did, assuming Nadine was on the helicopter, she couldn't risk attacking it. And as the endorphins wore off, as the zeal slowly left her body, Sara felt suddenly very cold despite the heat emanating from her gauntlets. In dejection, Sara turned to Ionna, knowing it was impossible for the two of them to catch the helicopter. [color=a187be]"We should...regroup with the others."[/color]

Sara and Ionna were the last to arrive at Stern Hill. Sara quickly scanned the group, making sure that all besides the lightning pair were present, until her eyes fell on the hostile and disappointed frame of Theobald. She approached him, initially to make sure that he had not come to harm, but it soon became such that she approached him to receive her punishment. Was he going to kill her like he threatened? Probably not, not with this many people watching. But whatever it was, Sara felt she deserved it. She was already disappointed in herself for failing to save Nadine, so this would only add injury to insult. Sara looked up at Theobald with determination and defiance in her eyes. She had tried her best in an impossible situation, but she was ready to face her responsibility regardless. Though the slap rocked her, turning her head and upper body to the side, Sara stood her ground until Theobald turned away from her, after which she followed him through the rock face illusion and onto the train in silence. Throughout the ride, Sara did not dismiss her armor, not because she was still worried that they would be attacked, but because she did not want to reveal her fresh burns, knowing that such a hideous sight may be too much for the more sensitive among them to stomach. Yet the pain in her arms was catching up to her as the color left her face. Sara felt herself swallowing repeatedly to suppress a visceral disgust but couldn't tell whether this was from the disappointment of her failure or the fever that she was beginning to develop that left her body cold. Throughout the train ride, Sara sat upright, emptying her thoughts and trying to maintain composure, though she hoped in her mind that there was a medical facility at the end of the tunnel.

Duchess Bachmeier's introduction came and went like a blur as Sara realized that her fever was beginning to incite delirium. Afterwards, she shuffled off wordlessly to the medical team to get her arms treated. Only behind the privacy of a medical curtain did Sara finally dismiss her armor, allowing the medic to inspect her injuries. Seeing the severity of her burns, the medic offered a special procedure involving a salve and the use of casts that would allow the burns to heal with little to no scarring though the healing process would take significantly longer, so Sara insisted that he use the simple burn cream and bandage her arms; after all there was still work to be done. And a part of Sara felt that she should be 'branded' for her failure. She did however pop a few fever reducers before leaving.

Afterwards, Sara made her way to the ballroom, where she handed in her crystal without a fuss. She would understand if they never gave it back to her. Not only had she abandoned her duty to protect Theobald, she had failed to save Nadine and disobeyed Irina's orders to retreat. If her title of templar was revoked, perhaps it would be for the best. Theobald could have a new templar he could be proud of, and Sara could return to the orphanage and resume her life as a humble sister of the church.