Take Back the Crown

Looking over to the familiar as he made his way over, she kept the water-skin ot and offered to the other woman,"I see." turning to the woman again she exhaled. 


"Hey. This isn't anyone's fault, those creatures were gross things and...and we got out. Nobody deserves to be hurt so that's why we are going to patch everyone up. " she shook the water a little bit in offering again,"Also if you don't get better you can't beat the reason out of Ashlar." she whispered, wanting to tempt the woman to taking the serum. 


"If anything just let me clean you up a bit, yea?  "


@OlKaJa77 @L1d1ja
 
Oceana whipped her head around to Dorian, face twisted in rage. Aquamarine eyes burned like blue fire.


She wanted to scream in his face but all that came out was a raspy cough. Gritting her teeth she fought back the scratching pain, as if someone was dragging a red-hot dagger along her windpipe. 


White hot anger pushed past the hurt and a inhuman growl erupted from her throat.


"Gettt... Out" came the grating hiss, "Of... Mmhhy... Hhhhead."


It was an ugly, harsh sound, hardly human in that it was so low and painful. 


Oceana's throat lit on fire at the words and she coughed, wheezing and puffing air from her nose. Her mouth was open in a silent scream, her elegant fingers clawing at her neck line.


She curled up on the sand, trying to comfort herself in that animal way.


She hadn't even heard Aggie trying to talk sense into her.


@L1d1ja @Tater
 
"What was that? I did not understand what you said." Dorian piped up in a mock cheery and curious tone. "Maybe that's because you have a wound on your throat which you really should get healed. Preferably before you make it worse."  He then added in his previous flat tone.


The familiar knelt down besides Oceana, doing his best to cast a healing spell on her wound before the elf could protest. The spell didn't do much as Dorian was tired and shit at healing magic in the first place, but at least it somewhat would give Oceana her voice back.


@OlKaJa77 @Tater
 
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"It is impressive." Valeiah nodded. She was very cocky about it and didn't mind bragging. "It's why they gave me a teaching job only one year later." She furrowed her brows. The rib she was trying to move over was being stubborn.


@soundofmind
 
Bo could feel the tension between the healing magic and his bones. He wanted to say it hurt, but it mostly just felt strange. Besides, it wouldn't be helpful to provide commentary on what she was doing. Clearly it made way more sense to have a conversation while his bones were being mended. "I've never really taught anyone much magic. I imagine it'd be hard to do. It's one thing to explain it and another to help someone do it." 


@Danika
 
Valeiah laughed a bit. "It's easier to teach to older people who have more of an understanding of how things work. I teach it to children though. Taught, I mean." Soon enough she finished up mending the last broken ribs.


@soundofmind
 
"Ah. That's even harder then." When she finished, he sat up straight with a small grin, since he felt better. "Thank you. You can go heal the others now." He figured he didn't really need to tell her, because it seemed like she was already on it, but it came out anyway. 


@Danika
 
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Placing the water-skin down infront of Dorian and Oceana, she turned her head and looked around to see who was in need of help. Spotting Bo and Pippa, she decided to go and check up on the two. Offering a warm smile, she sat down infront of Bo, offering a water-skin of water,"Hey." glancing up to her massive familiar, she exhaled slowly,"Pippa here says you have a nice aura. That's rare for him to say." she pulled her cloak lightly around her arms and draped off her black clad shoulders. "He takes fondness to you." a bit of sadness tainted her voice.


She never really had a choice in the matter of Pippa liking her or not, he was stuck with her in a sense. The beast took so fond of her inner power that he literally entwined himself with her soul ...her source of power. Slowly and over the years without any sort of given permission. 


Pippa swept his tail around the two smaller figures that sat at his paws, his gaze flicking along the others solemly.


@soundofmind
 
As he watched Valeiah leave to go heal Nameen, he found himself wishing that he could use healing magic, so he could help people. While being able to breathe lighting was cool, it really wasn't useful for much else besides destroying things. Or killing things. Occasionally, he could set things on fire, as long as it was something flammable. Regardless, it was part of what made their group dynamics so important. As a group, they were ideally meant to compensate for each other's weaknesses and to play on each other's strengths. Of course, they hadn't really traveled together long enough to really pull out the best in everyone yet (or the worst, but that wasn't really what he was hoping for). In fact, they really hadn't been travelling long enough to get to know each other super well. Sure, he was getting a pretty decent idea of how most of them reacted under pressure - be it social or in the midst of a fight - but he still didn't really know them. Even though he would likely call many of them his friends already, he knew he would continually learn about them as they went.


His thoughts were interrupted when Aggie came over. Giving a thankful nod, he took the skin of water and drank some as she spoke. It was nice, after a day (and now night) of running around the dry desert. Now he was thankful for the night sky and the cool air it provided in contrast to the hot sun. He raised a brow inquisitively. He wasn't really spiritual enough to sense auras or whatever. But the way Aggie talked about PIppa's liking to him made it sound like it wasn't really as great as it sounded. (Not that the approval of a giant dog was intrinsically valuable, but all the same.) 


"Is... that a good thing?" He watched at the giant dog's tail curled around them, finally being able to really observe the strange smoky appearance of his fur. He'd concluded earlier that this obviously wasn't a regular dog, but the way Aggie spoke of Pippa talking to her, made him seem more like a person. 


"I mean, I'm glad he says he likes me." He smiled genuinely, "He seems pretty chill. Even if he's as sassy as you say. He did help me out back there, as did you. So thanks for that."


@Tater
 
Watching him briefly, she closed her eyes and tipped her head back as a cool desert breeze filtered though the group,"Hmm? Oh yes that's a good thing." looking up at her pet, she saw that he was now constantly sniffing the air, scanning the area with a hawk-like eye. 


Placing her chin in her hand she looked up to Bo and and exhaled,"Would you believe that I didn't ride him yet after 20 years of knowing him?" she gave a little grin and looked up to Pippa,"You did in...3 hours, upon meeting him?" she gave a small chuckle. 


Now leaning back she looked up at Pippa who in turned looked down at her,"He has a mind of his own. A complicated one at that. So complex and interesting." she exhaled, watching her pet bask in the light compliments,"It's not everyday we meet up with other magic users that don't hide their power. Guess that could help him taking fondness to you.. " she chuckled 


@soundofmind
 
Nick gave a brief nod to the dark elf lady.  "We can squabble later when we're all healthy and safe."  He rooted around in his saddlebags and got out the last few vials of his neutralizer and the earthen pot of cleansing ointment and began to distribute both liberally.  Anyone who had Crawler guts on them got doused in neutralizer, and anyone who was bitten got dollops of the gel and nonchalantly set on fire to burn away the venom and dirt, making the job of the healers easier - all they had to do was patch the wounds, saving their energy.  He found himself looking between the ridiculous, stubborn elven girl and the silver-haired boy, apparently named Lucas.  Probably related to the princess somehow.  After a moment, he scooped a dollop of the ointment and plopped it into Dorian's hand and placed a vial into his other hand.  "I'll be back if she doesn't accept treatment by the time I'm done with Lucas."  His voice was low, stern, and very no-nonsense as he gave the stubborn elf a hard look before turning away to focus on Lucas.


@OlKaJa77


"Not to worry, highness.  Please, back away a bit, I need to get this on him."  Nick spoke comfortingly but firmly to the princess as he crushed a vial over first her head, than over Lucas.  "Tch.  I wasn't supplied for a group this large group... I'm running out of everything."  He bent over the boy and quickly dabbed the ointment onto his wound, then sparked it aflame with his discharge blade.  After the flames dissipated, he inspected the wound.  "Buggar.  Necrotizing flesh, chemical burns, and cytotoxic venom in the bloodstream."  He sprinted back to his saddlebags and began to search, tossing unneeded items aside.  "Ah, here we are!"  He held up a metal vial and ran back to Lucas.  "We need to clean his blood, but I need to buy us time before the cytotoxin gets to his heart."  He twisted both ends of the vial, which unlatched and sprung out.  He held the vial to Lucas's mouth and pressed the back end down halfway once before  pulling it away.  "Inhale."  He continued to speak, keeping whoever may be interested informed so they wouldn't try to skewer him.  "This will slow his heart down.  He might fall unconscious.  That's ok."  He held his fingers to the young boy's neck to monitor his pulse.  "Svetlana, do you by any chance know how to clean blood?  I can set up a backwoods dialysis, but magic would be better..."


@Lo Alyssa @Queen of Fantasy
 
"Well to be fair!" Bo lifted up a finger expressively. "I did climb on top of him without asking. He could've thrown me off if he wanted to. And about the whole magic thing..." He made a goofy face as he rolled his eyes. "Pff, I mean, I don't really hide it per-say. I just don't use it until I need to. Which in most cases, is only in life or death situations. Like, when a bug is trying to crush my body in half. Stuff like that." He let out a half-laugh as he leaned forward, looking around at everyone who was being tended to and taken care of. He noticed that his horse Santo seemed to be finally relaxing, although she did seem a bit overrun.


@Tater
 
She smiled back at him and nodded, looking up to Pippa,"Ah true. But he always tossed me off his back when I was in danger too." her face fell slightly as she glanced up at Pippa who in turn slid onto his stomach and placed his massive head down on his paws. 


Aggie pressed her hand between his eyes and gave him loving rubs,"But yea Im not used to seeing other magic users outside of the school I went to. " tipping her head she adjusted the cloak around her shoulders,"Just seems like people don't like showing off their talents anymore." looking up, she saw other magic users healing the wounded. Wrapping her arms around herself ,she placed her chin on her knees,"Its just odd being around other people, period."


@soundofmind
 
Valeiah suddenly looked up at the new guy who exploded a mountain talking about some blood cleaning stuff. She patted Nameen in apology, then stood up.


"I'm sorry, sir, but slowing his heart sounds very, very, very unnecessary." She smiled sweetly. "We don't want to scare the poor kid." She looked down at Lucas. "I'm sure Svetlana and I could approach this in a much more child friendly way, wouldn't you agree?" She looked back up at Svetlana.


@GlytchMeister @Lo Alyssa @Queen of Fantasy
 
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Nameen's coughing fit passed after about a minute, but her throat was left feeling raw and her head still overcome with dizziness.  She instinctively flinched away from the unknown substances that the Nick man attempted to pass around, and relaxed a little as she spotted Valeiah coming towards her.  As the healer knelt down next to her, she couldn't help but think of how unfamiliar the experience was to her.  She wasn't used to anyone coming to her aid without her asking. 


But before the other woman could tend to her wounds however, the two caught the words slowing his heart spoken by the same Nick.  Nameen's eye instantly flickered to Valeiah's face, which had molded into one of concern.  She gave the healer a look of understanding before watching her rise and make her way over to intervene. 


@Danika @/anyone else
 
"I guess, I don't really show off my magic very often because I guess I feel it's kind of flashy." He suppressed a grin, before continuing, although he was incredibly amused by his own joke. "BUT. I think I really get you there, with the whole not used to being around people thing. I was definitely like that for a while. If it wasn't for the people I met that helped me and shaped me into who I am today, I'd probably be even more awkward than I already am!" He laughed heartily, giving a small snort before finally stopping himself. "It's weird meeting new people. Especially when you're not super used to it, and especially when things happen so fast like they have on our journey thus far. But I think you'll get used to us, eventually. We're odd, and more often than not, someone's upset or arguing about something, or something's going wrong, but that's just life."


They'd made it this far, and they were almost to the first stone. If he were to say anything about it, it would be to encourage others that they could do it. But a part of him also aggressively prepared himself for failure - only for the fear and anticipation of it (as it was still, a possibility, just as much as success was). Still, he wanted to see them get far. He had no idea what exactly the future looked like for them after the retrieval of all of the stones, but he imagined it'd only get harder. But he also did envision a future, and that in itself meant he had some hope, right?


@Tater 
 
Nick shrugged at the young, brown-haired lass.  "Look, I'm trying to preserve our magic reserves.  If this sort of fiasco is a regular occurrence for you lot, we'll likely be taxing our healers to a great extent in the near and far future.  Besides, I'm not gonna be slowing it to anything dangerous.  I'm just gonna give him a 1/8th dose to bring his heart rate down to normal.  Right now he's way past two hundred beats per minute.  He's gonna go septic, and it's gonna happen in a few minutes.  I'm buying you healers time so it's not a rush job and so his condition doesn't worsen beyond your abilities.  But hey, if you wanna make life more difficult on everyone, be my guest.  I'll go get my equipment and get ready to assist when the tissues in his heart, major arteries, and veins start to die."  He glanced at Lucas before looking back up at the brash young healer.  "I wouldn't worry too much about scaring him, he's already delirious.  He's probably not gonna remember much past whenever he got bit."  He glowered at her from under his hood, a trace of humor in his voice.  "And don't sir me, young lady.  I'm far too much of a scoundrel and knave for that kind of hoity-toity honorific.  It's 'Nick' or 'Hey you!'"


He paused for a moment, still keeping two fingers on the boy's neck before driving his point home.  "So, what'll it be, easy and high-quality care, or difficult, touch-and-go, improvised, slipshod and probably ineffective?"


Why are people still so mistrustful of my way of doing things?  It's not like I'm a village idiot playing with chemistry sets.  I wouldn't put a child's life at risk if I could help it.  Especially not due to a lack of knowledge.  Jeeze, I spent fifty years learning about the art of medicine...


@Danika @Lo Alyssa @Queen of Fantasy
 
Foxrun had been near by, still scowling at nothing really. He overheard the way Nick spoke to Valeiah, it came off as an insult in his mind. It seemed he was starting that he had the best methods, and hers would be useless. A sudden spike of defensiveness came over him and he stepped forward "excuse me for the interjection here..." he started off with a light grin and his signature exaggerated hand waves. "But I don't take kindly to the way you're talking to my friend. She only suggested a softer approach for a child. Which didn't require your bitter reply. Lowering his heart rate would slow his blood flow as well. Which I am sure is why you want to do it. To slow the poison spreading? But he's lost a lot of blood. Going unconscious at a time like this could do more damage than good." He then paused "also, if I'm not mistaken, it was you, and your antics, that ultimately led to this entire predicament? So forgive us, if there are those of us who don't quite yet trust in your actions, since your actions indeed got us where we are." He smiled a tad bit brighter. Again, he knew he was being rather spiteful, but the negativity that hung over him because of this night was an anchor he couldn't seem to escape. It seemed to only sink more and more. 


@Danika@GlytchMeister
 
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Whatever Nick has dumped into Dorian’s hands, the familiar threw before Oceana.


"Be an adult and take care of your wounds or I will knock you out and drag you to a healer so you can't make a fuss." He commanded before realizing that he was repeating the words he had said too many times to his rebel brother. The memory almost made him snicker.


@OlKaJa77


He slowly got up and walked off to sit somewhere a bit away from the group to try his best at patching his own wounds. It was a difficult job, what with one arm unable to move from the injuries. He thought to maybe squash down his unease with trusting people to heal him and go ask for help.


But soon he was hearing another squabble start up, something between Valeiah, Foxrun and Nick.


'If they start fighting, help them kill ech other. Or I will do it. I want some peace and quiet, not more rivalries within the group.' He sent a wayward thought to Garrett, who was standing somewhere closer to the team. His response was a flash of amusement mixed with some emotion the familiar started recognizing as meaning 'Dorian please don't do that'.
 
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"Excuse me?" Valeiah laughed bitterly. "I mastered my art at the mere age of twelve, only five years after beginning to learn it. I am a teacher and one of the most powerful in my tribe. I healed her arm when it was bent at a ninety degree angle–" Valeiah pointed at Oceana, "–I mended his broken ribs–" She nodded her head towards Bo and added onto her sentence, –"there were five of them, by the way, I know my way around anatomy. Hell, I even fixed a girl who was paralyzed from the waist down."


Valeiah was practically shaking out of frustration. "Though this is not your fancy way to do things, it is not at all what you said. I don't touch-and-go, I don't improvise, and it's certainly not difficult! It's my life, it's in my blood, and before you go around telling me how slipshod I am, why don't I remind you about how unorganized you must've been to blow up a damn mountain, and got us into this mess in the first place."


"This is my job, my duty, and I can certainly do it. I care about these people, they are my family. And though I haven't known them for long, I've known them longer than you, sir." Valeiah spat.


@GlytchMeister
 
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Watching Bo as he spoke, she gave a soft grin and pulled some of her hair back from her face, giving a small shrug."I just hope you guys will enjoy my company at the very least. " taking a finger she started to drag the digit through the sand at her feet,"Not expecting you all to welcome me with open arms and think of me as one of your own."


/I don't deserve it./ she thought quietly. 


/You don't./ Pippa confirmed back into her mind. 


Agitha shot up a look at Pippa who was staring at her quietly as he swept his tail around the two more. 


/It's your fault./


/Mine? Who was the one that let me into their head?/


/I was seven and alone. It seemed best at the time./ 


The two held angry gazes at each-other, Aggie held her breath as they exchanged words and eyebrows furrowed. 


/You could easily just cut me out./ Pippa grinned. 


/No./


/Why not?/


/You know why./ 


The animal grinned more and raised his head, /Because you are weak and need me. Is that it? Because you dare not be alone even though I am how I am. You are little. Weak and-/ Aggie cut off his voice and touched his nose. 


Black smoke seemed to melt off the dog as he shrank back into a corgi size before being exposed back to his corgi self. The little dog growled at Aggie before plopping infront of Bo, his beady little eyes set on the dark skinned woman.


"Anyways...I hope everything goes relatively smoothly from now on." she exhaled slowly, her eyes closing,"Hows the ribs? "


@soundofmind
 
Warm relief surged into her throat as Dorian sent healing magic into her flesh. It wasn't much but and the wound was still bleeding a bit but she could finally speak again.


"Thhank.. youhh..." she managed to murmur as Aggie handed over the water skin. Dorian shortly smeared ointment on a random knee and said to take care of herself before walking away.


Smirking after him, she took the ointment and gingerly covered her neck wound in it.


A sudden coolness overlapped and then overtook the burning venom around the skin and Oceana sighed.


Saving some ointment for other abrasions she took in her condition.


Elegant, probing fingers revealed her head wound had congealed but there would be no sleep for her tonight.


Some nicks and bruises elsewhere but nothing major.


Just as she breathed a sigh of true relief there was a commotion behind her.


Slow his heart...? She thought questioningly. Such a thing would be useful for venom but blood would need to be replenished. 


She had a feeling this would, dreadfully, mean both healers and Nick and perhaps even a healthy volunteer would have to work together.


Feeling her young bones creak at rising wasn't encouraging but she tried to stride proudly towards the others despite the dizziness and pain.


"Quit it withh all yer racket! You need to help hurry up! You cannae wassste yer time arguing!" The elf glared at them all, looking as sour as if someone had interrupted her meal after being starved for months. Her rasping voice didn't seem to take away from the commanding tone.


"Nick has the tools! Valeiah's got the healing! And ho-opefully withhh Svetlana's help Hisss Majesty-"


A wheezing cough erupted but the elf went on.


"-will have some- cough-good blood left! Now get to it!"


@GlytchMeister @Danika @Lo Alyssa @Queen of Fantasy
 
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            Svetlana had quite enough with the bickering. She didn't even bother interjecting, because while they were fussing with each other over how the job should be done, the young prince was in pain and dying. She knelt beside him, laying him flat on the ground, ignoring the commotion around her. She unbottoned his shirt enough so she could place her right hand on his heart, and with her left hand, she gently touched the wound on his leg. She closed her eyes and as she exhaled, her magic spread through his body, causing his veins to glow green only slightly as her magic probed his body.


            There was a quiet hum as her magic got to work and attacked the infection, breaking it down and consuming it. She worked extra hard to make the process smoother so the Prince, who was still partially awake, would felt soothed and relaxed. Her presence washed over him, and she could see a faint smile appear on his face as he was relived of the pain and calmed by the old woman.


            When she felt the blight fade away, her magic made its way back into her palms. Slowly removing her left hand from the wound on his leg, the wound closed itself until there was nothing but a scar. She rubbed the princes cheek fondly before turning and giving her grandson a look, sending him a message to go and prepare a cot for the boy to rest in. Yaroslav nodded in response before going off to retrieve the supplies from the horses.


            Svetlana stood to her feet and glared at all three of her comrades, "Next time, I would suggest you remain focused on the task at hand instead of arguing about who can get the job done better." She understood both sides, but their bahviour nearly cost the prince his life, "I will not tolerate such insolence on this journey, this is not a contest. This is real life, and all of your actions have consequences, most on this quest will be severe." Yaroslav returned, having set up the cot, and he softly scooped the prince up, "Do not cross me again, understood?" She asked, not needing an answer, and promptly led Yaroslav toward the bedding so the boy could sleep well. "Come, Lucasta." She put her hand on the princess' back so she would follow, "We will tend to your brother now that the hard part is over." She offered a reassuring smile.

 
Oceana listened patiently to Svetlana, she had been watching the entire time the mage had been healing the prince and breathed a sigh of relief.


Then she rounded on the rest, as salty as ever.


"The lot of us are lucky. If it werenae fer her we'd all be bloody smears on some rock!"


And with that she marched away towards Bo who was still sitting on the ground. He had been a big help during the battle and one of the few humans in their group she deemed truly good.


"How are you Bo? Nothing too bad I hope?"


@soundofmind
 
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