[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/231117/4397e947d9496e89a02a516a94d678c6.png[/img][/center][hr]Maya’s landing in Edmund’s arms wasn’t much gentler than her landing on the chandelier, and the rigid edges of his armour would be sure to leave her with even more bruises. But she didn’t care; at that point, she took little notice of her injuries, gasping instead with equal parts relief and surprise that she’d fallen into her Templar’s arms and not the marble floor. She clung to him like a life preserver, maintaining a white-knuckled grip on his armour as he sped away. The moment Maya braved a look beyond Edmund’s shoulder, she was rewarded with the sight of more pursuers, before they were abruptly cut back in a sickening shower of blood, the assailants falling screaming to the floor. She had neither the time nor presence of mind to decipher what she saw; they were chasing her, and then they were on the ground, with nothing separating the moments but a shadowy blur. Had Kasper come to her rescue? It was impossible to know; she only looked for a second before burying her face in fear. 

Somehow, Edmund got the two of them out of the ballroom, but the shock of cold winter air comforted Maya none until several minutes had passed and the gunfire had faded into the distance. For a long time, she dared not look; but after a little while, the adrenaline of the situation began to subside, and in its place rose the pain she’d been ignoring. By the time Edmund boarded her onto a train - she was too distracted to wonder about its source or destination, only happy that it seemed to be staffed by Veradis soldiers and not Kaudian captors - her whole body was a dull thrum of pain, her individual injuries standing out sharply and troubling her more the longer she sat. 

When the train finally came to a stop, every little movement was agony; each breath was accompanied by a sharp, stabbing pain, she couldn’t even hope to walk, and she was sure there were a hundred other injuries waiting for their turn to raise their voice among the aching chorus. Tears brimmed her eyes, but she didn’t make a sound. Her chest hurt too much to draw the breath to cry. 

Edmund brought her inside somewhere, and a woman spoke to them, but Maya wasn’t listening. The relative calm was just insult added to injury, giving her nothing else to focus on but her pain. Edmund brought her to a new room, this one crawling with white-clad people in surgical masks and gloves, paramedics with the symbol of Incepta’s Star comfortingly embroidered on their uniforms. 

Edmund set Maya down at last on a cot and turned to leave, but Maya didn’t let him. A spike of fear shot through her as he turned, and she caught his wrist before he could go, clinging to him with all her might. 

[color=7041A5]“No! Wait!”[/color] she exclaimed, immediately cringing at the pain in her ribs. The tears that had been loitering in her eyes finally spilled over, and she hugged herself. Her voice came out as a quiet sob. [color=7041A5]“Don’t leave me.”[/color]

Edmund sighed, his back to Maya as she held on to him. After a moment, he relented and turned to face her. With the tiniest pulse of mana, the armor retracted back into the crystal on his chest, which he used his free hand to remove and pocket. He let Maya hold tightly on to his wrist as he took a step closer. [color=fff79a]“I will stay a moment as the healers do their work,”[/color] he said softly, with clear exhaustion on his face. He paused a moment, studying Maya’s panicked expression, before adding, [color=fff79a]“Take a breath. We are not in danger for this moment.”[/color]

Maya’s breath quickened, the relief of Edmund’s reply allowing the rest of her emotions to overwhelm her. She tried for a moment to close the floodgates, but it was no use; tears fell in droves and quiet sobs wracked her frame, Maya wincing as she cried and burying her face into Edmund’s arm. After a moment, a medic gently pried her off of him, Maya relinquishing her grip on his wrist only when a nurse coaxed her behind a curtain so she could disrobe for examination - and only after repeated assurances that Edmund wasn’t going to leave. 

The examination was mercifully brief; the medic used a device to scan Maya’s painful spots (after a moment of convincing her that “everywhere” wasn’t a sufficient description) and diagnosed two cracked ribs, several breaks in her ankle, some puncture wounds on her chest, and a broad smattering of bumps and bruises. 

“Half an hour in a Damias should do the trick for you, Your Holiness,” the medic concluded, placing an adhesive patch on her upper arm. Maya’s pain immediately began to subside, reducing quickly from all-encompassing agony to only a dull throb in her ribs and ankle. A new, potentially drug-induced calm washed over her, and for the first time since their escape, Maya drew a deep breath. She nodded. 

The medic looked to Edmund. “Are you injured, Sir? We can take care of you while Her Holiness is in treatment.”

Edmund simply shook his head. [color=fff79a]“No… I’m fine right now. I’ll let you know if that changes.”[/color] He was lying through his teeth, but getting checked out was at the bottom of his list of priorities. He poked his head in to check on Maya, giving her his patented stoic nod. She seemed calmer by his approximation. [color=fff79a]“Maya… they’re going to keep an eye on you while I check in with Dame Albakova, but I will be here with one phone call. I’m not going to let these cultists hurt you.”[/color] Edmund’s hands balled into fists for a moment, knuckles white as nails dug into his palm. [color=fff79a]“I swear it.”[/color]

Maya was indeed calmer; the painkiller patch seemed to affect more than just her pain, but she wasn’t going to question it. She was, however, still uneasy when Edmund announced his plan to leave. She had a protest ready on her lips when she took notice of his tone; fists balled up and posture stiff, even in her growing medicated haze Maya could tell that her Templar was gravely serious. She wasn’t entirely trustful of the security of their new locale - she’d been confident in Giles’ security too, she recalled bitterly - but something about Edmund’s resolve was comforting enough to earn him a nod. 

[color=7041A5]“Okay,”[/color] she reluctantly agreed, repeating the word she uttered just before her fall. This time felt like just as much of a leap of faith. As she allowed the medic to assist her onto a stretcher, she considered insisting that Edmund come back quickly as soon as he was free. However, something told her it didn’t need to be said. 
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