Ariel's face faded from a quiet smile to a saddened frown while listening.

"I see..." She turned her eyes down and wrung her wrist in her other hand. "I had hoped that the war would be over before such a thing could happen."

Ariel went silent for a short while. Sabine interrupted whatever was on Ariel's mind. "We need you to come to Skyrim with us, sister. We need your help again."

Ariel blinked and pursed her lips. "Did you bring any with you?" she asked, looking up.

Sabine shook her head. "We do not have much and it is too dangerous to carry this far."

"Right, of course." Ariel cleared her throat, but couldn't quite force herself into levity. She gave Meesei a pleading look. "I'm sorry, this is just a frightening prospect. If it means saving your lives, I would go in a heartbeat, but I..." She shook her head slowly and closed and opened her mouth. "I...I have so many things here that I would need to take care of, it is going to take a while to put everything in order. Oh, what-am-I-going-to-say-to-my-friends? Or-the-city-council?" Her nervous velocity of speech had apparently not changed since they last spoke. "What-do-I-say-to-Rukeewei?"

[hr]
Gallus tried his best not to be affected by Yizan's tears. Najan gave him a task to focus on.

"Alright, alright, as you wish." Gallus lowered his tone to speak with Yizan-Lei directly again. "The reason that the cultists were after our certain souls is because there is..." Gallus wheeled his hand for moment. "...a beast within them. It makes our souls strong, but also grants us a physical edge. We are stronger, hardier, faster, we heal rapidly. Most notably for you, it renders us immune to diseases."

Gallus raise a palm. "However, I said it comes at a cost. Every so often, the beast emerges and takes over our body. We are rendered unable to think with more than the faculties of an animal unless given lengthy training and practice. You are driven by instincts to hunt, fight, and feed. If it takes you over, you may end up injuring or killing someone. That is why we live in groups, to help each other. And to protect ourselves and others from ourselves."

His tone had a slight turn for the uncertain. "Now, this is where the choice gets especially complex." Gallus gestured to Yizan's ribs. "I have never seen a sickness like yours before. I know that Argonians rarely if ever get illnesses in the first place, so it must be something strong or particular. I, personally, would have no idea whether putting a beast in your soul would cure you and I doubt any local healer would know either. That is why I was vague. I just don't know."

Gallus had a flash in his mind of Irenya's stern face. He wished she were here. She would have a better idea of Yizan-Lei's condition than him.

"If it does not cure you, I am afraid there is no way to remove the beast. I daresay it could make your remaining life worse. If it [i]does[/i] cure you..." Gallus slowly gave Najan and his wife another look, before turning back. "I would have to teach you how to control yourself. You would have to come with me, out of the Marsh, for...a few years, at the very least, perhaps more. You would be away from your family, but it wouldn't just be me that helps you, it would be an entire community. There are many of us. It would not be easy, but it would be another chance at life."

Gallus angled his head and gave a look of sympathy. "Look, Yizan-Lei, I am not here to force you to accept my offer. I'm not here to force you to even believe me. If it were up to me, I would have brought your mother back, safe and sound, but it didn't work out that way. Instead, I promised I would help you if I could." Gallus clasped his hands together. "This is the best I can offer."

Gallus turned his eyes down and spoke with guilt. "Tell me to leave and I will go without another word. I'll give you time to think."

With that, Gallus slowly began to stand out of his seat, leaving the feather at Yizan-Lei's side.