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Epic of Beginnings - Dawns Cradle

Lissa

It took some quick thinking, careful work, and the two of them working together, but it seemed like they had gotten the wounded Oni stabilized enough to be moved to the village without immediately dying on them. Lissa couldn’t do anything for the trauma on the girl’s torso besides applying pressure to staunch the bleeding before Nylah was able to finish up her medicinal paste and apply a stopgap treatment to the wound, but the Raam-in-disguise was able to staunch the other bleeding with well-applied tourniquets to her extremities.

It was just as they finished treating her that the girl tried to get up, but Lissa held out a gentle hand to stop her. “Don’t move unnecessarily, or you might open a wound again,” she explained. “Nylah has some spells that can help you move, I think—”

Just as she finished speaking, movement in the corner of her eye drew her attention away towards the brush.

Trouble.

It seemed the predator from earlier was a wolf after all. The deer from earlier probably fell to it, then… or, more likely, to another wolf in its pack. “Kuh… What awful timing…” With a pained expression, the armored traveler stood up, quickly drawing her longsword from its leather sheath. Dropping into a guard stance, she warily eyed the approaching wolf, making sure to place herself squarely in between Nylah and her injured patient, and the hungry beast.

“Nylah, hang back and support me from the rear if you can. Keep an eye out for the rest of its pack. If it’s just one right now, it shouldn’t be a problem, but I can’t defend from all angles.” Although a sword, even a longsword, wasn’t the most optimal weapon to fight off a bunch of hungry predators –the lances her race preferred were far more ideal—between her chainmail coat, her constitution, and her own skill, Lissa was well prepared to tank a simple wolf. It was the two others she was worried about, if they were encircled by a wolf pack.

With that in mind, she kept her position static for the moment, giving up the initiative to the predator. Far better to hold here and let the wolf skewer itself on her sword than to rush it and leave the two others to be ambushed by the rest of the pack.

Epic of Beginnings - Dawns Cradle

Lissa

It had been a close thing, their discussion, but the two of them decided not to go looking for the predator. Lissa was far more inclined to look for the beast, confident enough in her own martial skill, but she deferred to Nylah’s judgment to head back to the village. After all, they were to collect herbs for poultices, not hunting.

It did make her uncomfortable when the deer’s cries were cut short, for all of the uneventfulness the remainder of their foraging mission went. Until they reached the edge of the forest, that is. At the boundary between the forest was a foreign woman, injured, and to her, tottering on the edge of consciousness. Lissa’s companion understandably rushed past her to aid the horned woman, and a brief moment later, the Raam-in-disguise hustled to join her. She didn’t need Nylah to ask her for help to immediately begin rendering aid. Just from looking at her wounds, she agreed that the Oni needed her bleeding staunched. It seemed that the two knew each other, but that wasn’t an important detail at the moment.

“Of course. I’m right behind you,” she replied, her hands already behind her head as she undid the large blue ribbon that usually sat cutely on her head. Lissa liked it very much, but it was also her best option to use as a tourniquet at the moment. One of her belts were the second-best thing, but belts were in a far distant second for stopping bleeding—first aid tips that she had learned over the years on the road.

“On it,” she nodded, immediately descending on the injured Oni. Finding the limb with the most pressing wound, she quickly began applying the tourniquet. If there were any other wounds that needed one too, she’d undo her belt or one of the fasteners on her coat, although she knew it was less than ideal. Working with Nylah, she did what she could to stabilize the girl—she didn’t know anything about herbs, so she left the Mothraki to prepare the poultice as she rendered the first-aid she knew.

Hopefully the apprentice healer had a trick up her sleeve, or getting their unexpected back to the village without injuring her further would be troublesome. Lissa was sure she could carry her, but that was less than ideal…

Qualia: Mission Sub Rosa

Nazca Whitehall

Clockwork Autumn

Nazca couldn’t help but to show a slight look of surprise as her visitor gave his response and met her gaze. Between her initial impression of the student in his official role, and her colored impression of visitors after the day’s events, she had come to expect Maximillien’s motives to be far more self-serving than the reality of why he was here.

Pissed as she was, if his apology was genuine, she could recognize that he actually showed quite a lot integrity to admit that he was wrong.

“I see,” she responded simply, settling back into her hospital bed. “It’s all water under the bridge now. If it is as you say, neither of us could have expected such an… extreme outcome. Apology accepted… but it is clear that something is still not right with this Jeanne business. It is strange for somebody to be attacked just for being around or looking into her business, if what I have been told is correct. It’s a shame that I remember nothing of what happened.”

At his offer for improving her stay, she glanced at the door. “A nurse and a doctor with a better bedside manner would be pleasant.”
--

Later in the day, either as a result of her request, or by complete coincidence, she received her last visitor for the day as she nibbled on one of Maximilien’s gifted baked goods. Upon hearing that it was a student of medicine, Nazca was quick to give her assent to the arrival of the oriental student. This one she coincidentally recognized, although she had yet to interact with her in any real capacity on the island before now.

“Hana Yun, was it? No need to apologize. I can and will appreciate any additional medical expertise. Just being apologized to is a nice change of pace compared to rude students barging into my room demanding things.”

Yes, she was still salty about James and Bunga. She would be for a while.

Her eyes tracked the bottle as Hana revealed the medicine, glancing at the exotic characters on its label as she placed it on her bedside table. Nazca listened intently at her instructions, not caring if the girl seemed to ramble. If it would help her heal from those awful burn wounds, then just being a bit hungrier was no issue. She had a whole basket of food now, anyway.

“I see. Thank you for the medicine. I appreciate it,” she gratefully replied. “As long as there aren’t any other detrimental effects… then I have no real questions. If I do, then I’ll be sure to call for you.”

Epic of Beginnings - Dawns Cradle

Lissa

Well, that worked easily enough.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as usual. After a bit of initial caution, Lissa joined the azure-furred deer in decimating the local Kyr Reed population, settling into an almost companionable silence with them as she crouched down to gather up the herbs after waving for her Mothraki companion to join her. Pulling out her trusty knife, careful to not startle the protected deer, she cut the reeds at their bases, taking care to bundle them neatly with spare twine as she placed them in sets in her bag for safe carriage back to the village.

Lissa had collected just about all there was to collect when her attention was brought back to the deer. Although she was focused on the harvesting, she had taken care to pay attention to the fauna in the corner of her eye in case they reacted poorly.

And react poorly they finally did, although she was fairly sure it wasn’t to herself or Nylah, judging by where they looked and where they ran off too. Lissa glanced back at her companion with a curious look.

“Hmm… predator? What’re the types you folks have around these parts?”

She asked her question with idle curiosity, one that became more focused when she heard the distinct cry of a deer in trouble. “Say, Nylah… Does this elder beast –the Kyrinth, was it?—take offense or react when the other wildlife harms those deer? That is, should we intervene?”

If the answer was a no, and the predator was a wolf or a pack of them, then Lissa would be reluctant to step in. On the other hand, if it was a bear, perhaps it could be manageable and give the village –and herself—a nice gift in the in form of some bear meat.

Epic of Beginnings - Dawns Cradle

Lissa

With Calra’s directions and Nylah’s help, they found their wanted Kyr Reed quickly enough. Unfortunately, they were being hogged by troublesome, if cute, blue-haired deer. Under normal circumstances, Lissa would have just run them off with some loud noises—no harm done. In fact, despite their unusual color, they could have made for a very tasty supper with the right seasonings and spices, and a hearty meal for some clearly ailing villagers.

Unfortunately –or fortunately—Nylah’s timely warning put a quick stop to Lissa’s culinary thoughts of a roasted venison dinner, even if she was sorely tempted.

“Kuh…” She couldn’t help but to stagger, as if wounded, by her words. “There goes dinner. Really, though! A second Elder Beast? You folks must live in some dangerous parts of the woods,” Lissa replied, shaking her head.

“Well… I don’t see why we can’t just scare them away? Or will that also anger this Kyrinth? At this rate, it looks like they’ll eat it all,” she muttered, giving a questioning look at the moth girl as she muttered her own words.

“Why don’t we just go up to them and start picking? They’ll just have to learn to share, and we just won’t touch them.”

If Nylah had no objections, she would do just that.

Qualia: Mission Sub Rosa

Nazca Whitehall

Clockwork Autumn

Nazca sighed. She had gone through most of the day in a pain-addled daze, still processing the events of what had –apparently—happened to her the previous evening. Although she appreciated the visit of a choice few people, the adopted Abayalan had grown increasing irritated as the day wore on.

Although her frustration about her hospitalization and inability to put words to action had a hand in it, much of it had to do with her supposed visitors. Aside from the initial batch, Ryuuko, who had brought her to the hospital, and the rest of the scratch investigation team, none of the following visitors had done anything to improve her mood. Not a single one of those ‘visitors’ had even seen fit to even mention even the murmuring of an offer of sympathy. Being visited for an ulterior purpose was one thing—the treatment she had received was another. She was incredulous at the audacity of some people—supposedly civilized people that lacked even basic decency and propriety.

One of them even had the gall to try and pry trade information about her own craft from her, right in her own hospital room, if Bang hadn’t stopped her. And like everybody else, she hadn’t even offered a single word of condolence. Not even a single flower or pastry to try to soften her up.

The audacity of that bitch!

She still had words for the Vietnamese student as well over their differences of opinion, but at least he was gentlemanly.

So naturally, once everybody had left to do their things for the rest of the day, Nazca sat stewing in her hospital bed, with only pain and some books borrowed from the hospital waiting room for company.

When she was informed that she had yet another visitor –Where was the phone call?—Nazca couldn’t help but to scowl, but she schooled her face into a neutral one before the door swung open.

The visitor was not somebody that she had expected to see, and the bedridden girl couldn’t help but to raise her eyebrows at Maximillien Robespierre and his ever so slightly more casual sartorial dress. Her eyes roamed over to the woven basket in his hand, decorated with a bouquet and accompanied by the pleasant puff of freshly prepared food.

Another person here with an ulterior motive, then. At least this one knew what he was doing. Perhaps, then, she would not kick him out like the others.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Robespierre,” she greeted, sitting up slightly in her bed. “The gesture is appreciated, thank you. You would be surprised to know how many others that have been here today lack even basic social etiquette." Shifting positions slightly, wincing slightly as she did so, she then looked him in the eye. “I assume, however, that this is not a social visit?”

Epic of Beginnings - Dawns Cradle

Lissa

Despite the tragedy that had happened here, this village seemed to have a rather unique dynamic. Not in a bad way by any means, but certainly unusual, going by the carefree way some of the villagers acted in the face of disaster. She liked their conviction. Yet still, there were some other strange things that she had yet to form an opinion on. The lewd demoness that was being treated as a village nuisance rather than a threat was one of them.

She really would have to ask about that when there was a better time for it…

“Likewise, Nylah.” Lissa returned the Mothraki’s greeting. She had only nodded at Vammy, though, as she wasn’t entirely sure how to approach her yet. Not without getting molested, it seemed. “Ahahah… It’s not a problem. I’ve seen weirder. Though, I’d like to ask about what her story is when we’ve got some time.” She was just dying to know that story.

The secret Raam matched Nylah’s brisk pace, nodding along at her words. “Ah, the apprentice healer, then! Or was it alchemist? I’m neither, but I know my way around first aid,” she offered up. Since human lives were still in the balance, she needed to be forthcoming about what she could help with.

Their brisk walk took the two of them to the chiralta in question. Well, she certainly was a chiralta, but she didn’t dress like any she’d seen before. It was cute, though Lissa still had some difficulty reconciling the fact some races had more than two legs, even after all this time on the road. “Hello! I’m Lissa, and I’m here to help. I know my way around treating basic injuries if you need the extra help, but I hear you also need more herbs,” she replied, with a small wave of her own. Her own face hardened as Calra cut right to the chase on the state of her medicine. That turned into a small frown when she realized that she didn’t recognize most of the required herbs and reagents. They were probably local. At least she recognized Coral Moss and slug mucus, but as the alchemist had said, that would be troublesome to get at the moment.

“Geh… Half those names mean nothing to me. I’m sure I can find them with a quick description, though!” She rallied, pumping her fists.

Dead Gods Dream: A post-apocalyptic divine action-adventure RP

Aureia, of gold, commerce, wealth,

and the far less important, trivial aspects of travel and luck

Aureia continued rotating the meat over the spit, carefully husbanding the food so that it wouldn’t burn from the open-air flame. Conveniently, the length of her golden spit meant that she didn’t even have to get her hands all that dirty with soot. The spike did get hot, though—it was gold, after all. But the goddess of gold didn’t care about the temperature of her gold.

She did shoot a questioning look at the way Mori haphazardly roasted her own skewers, though.

Sadly, when the meat was done, she didn’t have any plates to serve it on. Frankly, that was simply barbaric and uncivilized, but she really didn’t feel like remolding her golden spoke into a plate just for the occasion.

Speaking of the occasion, something else besides them was speaking.

Very strange.

Well, if the others were hearing it was well, then she wasn’t going crazy from the smoke fumes, but she really didn’t know who this wild spirit was. She was the god of civilized things and concepts, after all, not of nature and barbarism. She shook her head at the water god’s question.

“Well,” she decided to muse aloud in response, “We need to pass through the forest, and there are mortals in our party that need food to stay alive,” she replied in a matter-of-fact manner. “It’s not hard to put two-and-two together…”

Epic of Beginnings - Dawns Cradle

Lissa

It didn’t take long after the speech for small groups to form to tackle some of the tasks that village chief Enli and the other villagers had needed to be done. Indeed, Lissa wasn’t alone in wanting to help some of the patients either. Though, she was greeted by the strange, but somewhat heartwarming scene of some of Dawn’s girls interacting… through a combination of hugging, mauling with a hammer, and more hugging… but mostly hugging. It was rather cute display of humanity in the aftermath of a disaster, even if there was still a demon amidst them. It was for things like this –demon aside— that she traveled and interacted so.

Lissa inclined her head towards the village priestess as she addressed her. She thought Akala looked a bit young for her role, but considering the village’s immediate history, she supposed it was lucky there was somebody to fill the position. “Not a problem at all. Again, thank you for having me, and I’m glad to help. I’m Lissa,” she responded, reintroducing herself, mostly for the benefit of the other three girls. So her guess had been right—the Mothraki was a villager, and a fellow helper, it seemed.

“A Chiralta, huh,” Lissa echoed, nodding as she memorized the name. “You’ve got a very diverse village here,” she noted, her eyes flicking off to glance at the lewd demon girl that remained off to the side, but not before giving a goodbye wave to the departing Lazhira. As far as questions went, she had a lot, and many of them in regards to Vamessa… but again, there were things that needed doing, so she turned to Nyla with another nod.

“I’m in your care, then. Let’s get Calra those herbs and anything else she might need for her patients, yeah?”

Then she paused. “Will the de—ah, Vamessa… be joining us?”

Dead Gods Dream: A post-apocalyptic divine action-adventure RP

Oops. Gimme a day or so and I'll post.