Gavin, who had been so deep in thought that he had barely registered Ruli entering their sleeping quarters, snapped his head towards him when he felt the touch on his shoulder. “Well—you already told me I should put it out of my head,” the young mage muttered, sighing. “Some part of me is still in that dark corner, y’know. Still hearing his voice, his claws around my mind.” He shut his eyes, rubbing his face as if waking from a nightmare. “Sorry. I’m—I’m putting it out of my head. I know Envy wouldn’t want to see me like this.” 

He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at the ceiling. “The other thing I was thinking about was that—thing I saw in the forest. It’s all so—familiar somehow. I don’t know why, but it reminded me of the last time I saw my mother.” The vision of that young woman’s death still horrified him, but now the rest of the vision had started to bother him, too. [i]That hooded stranger…[/i] He had forgotten, or perhaps willfully put out of his mind, much of the day of his abandonment, but this—[i]could it have something to do with her?[/i]

“Ruli. What would Envy want us to do?” he said instead, veering his mind away from it. He didn’t know if he wanted to pull at that thread, though something inside him felt that, whether he wanted to or not, it wasn’t up to him. “He wouldn’t want us to give up, right? And he’d want us to help in any way we can.” Gavin let out a breath, as if exorcising the lingering voice of Ikegai that prodded at his despair. 

--
Kire offered only a curt smile in greeting, her eyes lingering for a moment on the dark elf beside the priestess before turning her attention back to Zeltzin, inclining her head to acknowledge the bow. Yesterday’s events, plus Ysaryn’s explanation for her sudden takeover of Uvano, had not helped her already restless mind. She did smirk back, however, at Ysaryn’s remark about Risa. At Zeltzin’s words, though, her slight frown returned. 

“This is to help my people,” she said; though her face didn’t reflect anger, her voice was firm. “At the moment, my lack of understanding is staying my hand, but if I find out that Sola—the Goddess intends further harm upon Amria, or wishes to attain dominion over our lands, I will act accordingly.” She let out a deep breath. “I will take you to the camp where they are being kept. All of you will be closely watched. Once we have appraised the situation together, and once things have been explained to the local lords, we will begin planning the temple. Understand that, though I am Empress, introducing a new religion to people who have known no other gods is—a delicate matter.” 
She pursed her lips, as if still unwilling to bring Zeltzin over to her world. “Thanks for the help. Keep safe, Chieftess,” she said, before holding out her hand to Zeltzin. “We’ll be taking the more direct route. This is—not going to be pleasant. Take deep breaths.” 

They emerged from her portal at the edge of the forest, but some ways away from the camp. Kire wanted to see how Zeltzin would react to the forest first, if she really could sense anything related to Solaralai in it. And she didn’t want her immediately encountering the people in camp before having a further appraisal of what the priestess could do, or how much she knew. She waited as patiently as she could to see if Zeltzin needed more time to catch her bearings. 
--


Myka hadn’t slept that well, herself. She was sure she wasn’t the only one; everybody was on edge. Annoyingly, the ones who seemed the calmest were the new ‘devotees’ of this Goddess, like they had just suddenly found the purpose of Life and couldn’t wait to spread the good news. Something about that rankled, stirred up her own complicated feelings about gods and prayer. Wishing she was back at the [i]Wench[/i], Myka went to fetch herself a tall mug of coffee then saw Narda speaking to—what was her name again? Holly? 
“What was that about, Nard?” she asked, after the giantess had gently dismissed the somber-looking woman. 
“She came to me, all scared and concerned. That she might harm people or, more importantly, that they might wish her harm for what she and her husband had let happen back in their hometown.” Narda rubbed her nape. “The Wyvernling will probably not be happy about what I just did, but…I had asked her how much control she could manage with that strange magic of hers. Given that she had a small town under control, I just felt it would be useful if when she finds herself in danger here-[i]if[/i] something goes wrong here with the worshippers and the whole lot, that she can use that magic for as long as she can handle it. With my blessing.”

Myka cringed. “A whole camp full of magical people with no fuckin’ clue where or how they got their new power? What could possibly go wrong with that idea.”
“Not true. It’s ‘The Goddess’,” Narda interjected with a snort. Myka shook her head. “Anyway, as torn as I am about this decision, I have to go back to my own lands. This is sorcerers’ work, and I am feeling utterly useless. Besides, I must investigate the matter with those borderlands. Let Kay know, will you?” 
Myka could see how much Narda wished she could stay; the giantess didn’t need to explain that she wanted to help Kire, and she wanted Envy found as soon as possible, too. “I will. I’ll have to go back to the [i]Wench[/i] soon, too. We both know the crew can handle themselves, but I feel I’d be more help there, gathering information.” 
“[i]Are you sure you wouldn’t rather ogle that new healer Ysaryn had brought along?[/i]” Narda said, arching a brow with a slight grin briefly tugging at her lips. Myka kicked her on the shin, making her flinch and curse. 
“[i]Be off with ye, foul creature. And take care of that stubborn ass of yours, alright? We don’t know what else we’ll be facing soon.[/i]” 

Once she had seen Narda off, Myka walked towards the healers’ tent. “Knock-knock,” she called, peeking in. “Morning. How are you managing?” she asked, once she’d spotted Sid. Already she could hear Narda’s teasing voice in her head and Myka pouted.