[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/q3xj0Zu.png[/img][hr][right][i]After the battle...[/i][/right][hr][/center] Octavia unclenched her fists as she moved towards the throne, picking up her sword as she eased a step further along the path. She took off her torn robes and used her teeth to remove her glove, tossing them to the side as she continued to walk through the battlefield. Her eyes darted around the room, eventually homing in on Gwen, who was carefully examining the spoils of the battle. After some careful consideration, Gwen handed the magic bow to Octavia, leaving her with a puzzled look on her face. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed them and nodded a small [i]thanks[/i]. Octavia's avoidance of magic was understandable given her circumstances, but after today's events, she realized that it might've been worth considering. Still, that would require some careful rumination; there were potential dangers to consider. The last thing Octavia wanted was to make things go from [i]extremely bad[/i] to [i]extremely disastrous.[/i] Magic was a fickle thing, especially for her. To her frustration, she hasn't felt much like herself in the past week. There was a distant look in her unfocused eyes; her mind seemed to be elsewhere despite the task before her. An odd feeling of lightheadedness swept over her, and she had to squeeze her eyes shut for a moment. Shaking her head, she willed her legs to move forward, heading over towards the nearest pillar. Octavia plopped herself down on the ground, leaning her back against the structure. As she sat there to rest, her eyes began to feel heavier and heavier. There was a strong desire to shut them and doze off, but she managed to keep them open. A blanket of tiredness wrapped itself around her body, but the events of their arduous journey replayed in her mind, demanding her to stay awake. For the first time in a week, she felt like she could finally rest. The journey back home was another thing, but the travel would feel less taxing knowing they were headed back home. Her body begged to sleep on a soft mattress, and a warm bath would do wonders for her aching muscles. With that in mind, Octavia released a long, much-needed sigh. Her eye throbbed for a brief moment, but she ignored it. Perhaps she'd find some answers to her predicament when she got back home. After all, her mother's journal remained untouched in her storage box. Maybe it was finally time to read it.