PM to join Who Am I?: Episode I: Blood

[Liriah]

6th/Summer/513 A.V.: After watching the processions of yesterday, the families and children happily laughing as they went to the Sharai to pay their respects to the Okomo, Liriah was reminded of the major flaw she had kept hidden beneath new memories, an attempt to fill the empty spaces with something, anything. Sitting by her window, Liriah donned her title for the first time since her arrival in Lhavit, watching the happy mortals go by as they lived their life to its fullest. Although her mood didn't last the entire day, remembering that she had work that night, today, Liriah was feeling the full impact of her melancholia. The emptiness she felt was the gaping holes which dotted her memories. She had no recollection of who she met over the years, nor did she remember who gave her the flute which her soul was so connected to. It was an enigma to her; what kind of person does not even know who they truly are, who they met over their life, and what they like and dislike. Uncurling herself from the fetal position, Liriah forced her eyes to trace the whining back to its source, fighting the urge to fall back into oblivion's embrace. It was Luma who was whining from the foot of the bed. Giving him a brief smile, hoping, and failing, to reassure him that she was fine, Liriah wrapped her arms around his big, golden body as he layed down in the hollow her stomach left. Kissing his muzzle, Liriah rubbed her face into his fur, finding as much comfort in his pastry-scented fur and warmth as she could before she left for her cottage. As Leth took his rightful throne in the sky, Liriah awoke with a start, the nightmare she just had slipping from her mind. It seemed important to her somehow, an impression or shadow of a memory, deja vu. No matter how hard she tried to hold onto the nightmare, she couldn't help but realize that it was impossible for her to do anything about it; it was already too late. With a heavy sigh, Liriah rocked Luma awake, laughing as he gave her a concerned look. She had planned to go back to visit her cottage today after having dinner with Krisa, at her apartment, so Liriah went towards her wardrobe, discarded her simple white dress, and changed into the simple, white, spaghetti strap dress she had, huffing as the straps got caught on her horns. She didn't feel like tying her hair, though, and so it was left alone, the feathery burnished-orange waves spilling across her shoulders and over her left eye as she awaited Krisa's arrival. OOCNot exactly my best post, since I'm rather sluggish at the moment, so I'll try to do a better job on my next post

[Krisa]

Krisa had been excited about dinnertime all day, anxiously awaiting its arrival. She spent the morning flitting around and worrying about the night’s activities. She had already decided she would wear the dress Lira had bought her, it had become a treasured item to her, symbolic of a friendship she wanted to hold close to her. Although she hadn’t known her friend for long, and neither of them knew all that much about each other, she had a feeling that may change tonight. This was a feeling that brought her nothing but nervousness. It wasn’t just butterflies in her stomach, but something much worse. She was getting closer to somebody new, somebody who was so kind, so lovely, so giving. What would happen if she allowed herself to care for this woman, and lost her like she had lost Lemma? It was far fetched, of course, but she just couldn’t bare it. And what if she simply got bored with Krisa? She wasn’t interesting or funny, or particularly sociable, why would Lira stay friends with someone like her?

By late afternoon these paranoid delusions were taking hold of her and creating a deep sense of dread. What if she couldn’t be good enough? What if she said something wrong and offended her? All these ‘What if’s’ were amplified ten fold by the persistent drone echoing in the back of her mind. She could almost feel a second presence talking such awful things about her. She even mumbled some of it out loud “She can’t be friends with someone so small. You have always been destined to fall beneath the shoes of others. Krisa you’re just not good enough.” She was huddled on her chair, shacking slightly. Suddenly a SQUARK snapped her out of her thoughts. “A~ah, Keiran.” She muttered quietly, rubbing her temples, and giggling slightly “You scared the life out of me.” The small bird landed on her shoulder and snuggled against her neck. She ruffled the feathers on his tiny head and stood up. It was time to get ready. She refused to make a fool of herself with these fantasy fears her unconscious dredged up like she had the first time they’d met.

Realizing she had not yet washed herself she began to heat some water over the stove for her bath. While she waited for that to be ready, she began to hum to herself, absentmindedly. Many minutes passed very quickly and Krisa began to pour herself a hot bath. She slipped her thin body out of her clothes and sunk into the water, sighing with pleasure as it warmth comforted her, and soothed her aching head. Reaching for the soap, Krisa began to scrape away the dirt from her skin. Getting out she rung her hair out, drying it with a towel and stepped into her favorite (And only) dress. The beautiful dress Lira had given to her. She stared out the window after she was dressed, and watched with horror as she realized just how long she had let herself stay in that bath. “Shyke” She said loudly, startling Kieran who was perched atop her head.


Krisa rushed about her apartment with a flustered look on her face. She moved her pale hands up to her hair and tied it into a neat bun on top of her head, hands shaking slightly from the paranoia about the possibility of turning up dreadfully late. With one last look at herself she moved to the window to check the suns position in the sky, finding out that it was time to go. A few strands of hair had come lose and were now loosely hanging over her shoulders, causing Krisa to sigh at the slight imperfection. There was nothing more she could think to do at this point, nothing on herself she could tidy or straighten. It was time to go.

Gathering herself she exited her apartment to find number 99. Getting there quickly, Krisa took a breath, and knocked on the door.

[Liriah]

Leaping from her bed, the sudden knock surprising her, Liriah remembered that she still had to buy groceries. Tonight, Liriah was going to attempt to cook with the help of Krisa, something simple to start off. Roast potatoes, maybe, with an assortment of vegetables and fish. It was an easy and simple dish, not much training was needed, but the ingredients were definitely required. Before Liriah could reach the door, Luma began to growl, something he had only done when a bandit had arrived at her cottage. Stopping in mid step, Liriah, turned around, her face creased in puzzlement; why would Luma growl at Krisa if he had taking a liking to her? Running the possible reasons through her mind, Liriah realized that their was no sign of Keiran's singing or Krisa talking. Even the knock seemed odd through hindsight; the last time Krisa came over, she knocked rather softly, this time, it was much too heavy handed. "I'll be there in a moment," backing away from the door "putting on my dress right now." Releasing her scythe from its confinements, Liriah flexed her hand, the cold blade dazzling in its beauty as Leth's light danced across its blade. This was her first time wielding it in many seasons, and, even now, only out of necessity and protection. She had a hunch what laid outside her door, and she was absolutely sure that she would be on the dinner menu if she let it in. Strapping the scythe to her back, Liriah snatched her flute and its box off her table, tossing the box in the air for Luma to hold onto, and twirled the flute between her fingers. The single reverberating note was enough to confirm her suspicions, a shrill scream of anger resounding from behind her door. As the man, no, creature burst into her apartment, Liriah flung herself out of the window. Falling, Liriah remembered that there was a tree and some bushes under her window, perfect for breaking her fall. Waiting for the right moment, Liriah reached for the closest branch of the tree, only to have her hand slip. Tumbling in the air now, Liriah marveled at the feel of the wind rushing past her as she fell, finally landing unceremoniously into the shrub, earning a few scratches and bruises and a sprained ankle, but that was better than getting eaten or killed. Luma, who was unperturbed by the fall and landing, the odd twig and leaves snagged on his fur, began to lope in the direction of the Amaranthine Gate, towards their cottage. The man-thing could have targeted her due to her unknown past. It was earlier than she had planned, but now was a time as good as any to look for clues about her past, especially when you're running away from a psycho murderer.

[Krisa]

Stepping back as someone opened the door Krisa almost fell over. Had she really just knocked on the wrong persons door. A young lady answered, but it was not her friend Lira. Krisa bowed her head “I’m very sorry to disturb you, I’ve knocked on the wrong door.” Feeling like an idiot, Krisa hurried down the hallway. Lira’s door was around the next corner. Suddenly a feeling struck her. Something was wrong, Krisa could feel it. Nonetheless she shrugged off her suspicions and continued to walk at a brisk pace. Kieran was being oddly quiet for once in its life and, for once, Krisa didn’t enjoy the silence. Stopping, she realized her bird was shivering against her neck. “Kieran,” She whispered as if someone was looking for her. She moved her hand up to let him jump onto her finger so she could look at him “What’s wrong...?” She muttered, feeling a shiver go down her spine as well. The atmosphere seemed colder than usual. It seemed darker as well.

Krisa straightened and continued to walk quietly towards the right door. She felt a lump of fear rise in the back of her throat as she saw Lira’s door softly swinging back and fourth, open. Her blood ran cold, and her hands began to shake violently. Someone had broken in, she was sure of it. Had they kidnapped her? There was no sign of a struggle anywhere except the door that had obviously been torn open violently. Krisa noticed the window was open as well. She looked out the window and bit her lip nervously, seeing nothing but inky blackness.
“She must have escaped, from whatever it was” She tried to tell herself that Lira had to be okay. But what was she to do now? Should she look for her? That seemed like a yes, but where could she possibly go? In anycase, Krisa had to do something. Something better than the rising panic attack she could feel on the way. She couldn’t deal with that now she had to find her friend and help her.


It didn’t look like Lira had long left so whatever she was running from might still be nearby. Krisa needed her bow, and dagger. It wasn’t much protection, but it could very well save her life. She bolted down the stairs and dove into her apartment, rummaging around for her weaponry. She slung her arrows over her back, slid her dagger into her boot so it was concealed and ran back outside to exit the building. As soon as she tasted the night air in her lungs she could feel a presence strongly. Kieran was still shivering on her shoulder and she cursed herself for bringing the poor thing with her on such a dangerous trip. There was a silhouetted figure shrouded in blackness running at a pace much too fast for the everyday citizens that were milling about at night. It was a pattern of chase, and Krisa, steeling herself up, began to follow, far behind, sure it would lead her to her friend. There was no panic or fear in her expression now, because she was dead set determined that she would save her friend. She would NOT lose another person she cared about. She refused that as a possibility, and ran faster “You won’t be harmed either, Kieran. I swear it”

[Liriah]

Testing to see if her ankle was severely damaged, Liriah decided that there was no time for rest, ultimate survival was more important in this situation. Weaving through the various alleyways and back streets, Liriah kept on pushing despite knowing that she was only making it worse, relief rushing through her veins as she burst into the main plaza, the light bathing her and milling civilians walking past her without any notice. Breathing heavily, Liriah realized that it was a horrible mistake to go through a big crowd. Who knows whether or not the big crowd could save her or not, and if anyone reported her to the shinya, or the shinya saw her themselves, Liriah would definitely be in trouble. An ethaefal in a white dress isn't a frightening thing within itself, but a forsaken ethaefal with a scythe on her back and a giant wolf-dog companion will definitely cause a commotion. Slowly backing away from the crowd and the main plaza, Liriah returned to the shadowy paths and made way towards the Amaranthine Gates. As she ran, adrenaline and determination coating the pain of the sprain, thoughts and questions tumbled around her mind, all relating to her missing memories and the creature stalking her; how did she know the flute would affect it? How does she know that it was chasing her? How did she know that it was going to make her its dinner? What is she going to do about dinner? Hoping that she was losing space between her and the gate and gaining more between her and her pursuer, Liriah began to pray to Priskil that her friend Krisa didn't come in contact with whatever creature was trying to kill her. As she continued to weave a path, heading in the direction of the Gates, the mark beneath her left eye began to pulse in anticipation. As the Amaranthine Gates rose into view, the winding paths and strenuous steps took their toll. Pulled from beneath her, Liriah collapsed to he knees, her ankle no longer able to withstand the pressure and torture it had gone through for the past few chimes. Remembering that their were some herbs which could relieve the pain and repair her torn ligaments in a matter of days, Liriah pulled her backpack off her shoulders, thank Luma for his insight and throwing her backpack before they jumped out, Liriah took her wooden flute case from Luma, whose eyes were gleaming with worry and adrenaline, and secured it into her faded, green pack. Pulling the water bag and the thick glass jar from her pack, Liriah took three mouthful of water. Swallowing the first two, the cold liquid cooling her throat and replenishing much needed fluids, Liriah swallowed a few sprigs of the herb whole with the water. Feeling much better from rest, water, and the herb, Liriah stood up, wincing as she placed pressure on the damaged ankle, swinging the straps of her backpack onto her shoulders. The poultice had already began to do its work, the odd feeling of ligaments rebinding faster than it should coursing through her nerves, when Liriah brandished her scythe. As she calmed herself and recalled how the scythe should be handled and can be used, an ingenious idea hit her. Waving her scythe like a lunatic, or maybe an epileptic old hag, hoping that someone would see its reflected light, Liriah looked down at her companion, biting her bottom lip as his look questioned her sanity. After a few minutes, her torn ligament now no longer throbbing, Liriah decided to stop when nobody came; no shinya or citizen ever came into view. Her idea was a complete failure. With her second option gone, Liriah brandished her scythe once more. It was time to give what ever that creature was a taste of cold metal. The symbolism which the scythe represented provided her with comfort, waiting for your opponent and would/could be killer was a nerve wracking affair, and she needed to be calm to wield the scythe. It was time for the life and death battle, her determination to survive to find her memories blooming into a deadly flower; with Luma by her side, Liriah was definitely going to kill that thing.

[Krisa]

Weaving her way through the streets after the figure in the distance, Krisa kept her ground while keeping the person in sight. She jogged at a steady pace in order to not lose him to the maze that was Lhavit, but not to get so close. She couldn’t tell where they were headed, but she was sure, wherever it was, Lira would be nearby. She was just thankful she hadn’t met this figure in the hall way. At least this way she had the element of surprise on her hands. Krisa wasn’t scared for herself though, no matter how hard she tried to be, all she could think about was her friends life, how it would feel to see her killed. Adrenaline fuelled her actions as her feet pounded the pavement. The thing was faster than her, and Krisa found herself needing to speed up. She was close to it now, one hand wrapped firmly around her bow, the other free, ready to notch an arrow with a seconds notice. Krisa felt waves of fear course through her as she got a look at the figure. He was slowing down but Krisa couldn’t tell why. Had he caught sight of her?

Krisa’s blood ran cold as he looked back in her direction. She dove behind a building and the man stared into nothing, not seeing her. He would be suspicious now though. She cursed her stupidity at getting too close. What was she planning to do anyway? What if she missed? She didn’t have any way to defend herself other than this stupid shortbow. She was walking into her death. Lira was probably a better fighter than she was, she was better off without Krisa. But at the same time, she felt she needed to do something. Her mind spun in endless circles of panic and fear, and her determination began to ebb slowly away. She kneeled there, not even daring to look around the corner, heart beating so loudly it was a wonder the figure couldn’t hear it. After some minutes had passed, she found enough courage to look around. If Lira was running away, her distraction at least had bought her some time, as the figure was only continuing his chase now.

Krisa picked herself up from the floor and tried to figure out exactly where she was. It was close to that gates, that was the first things she recalled. Was that where they were headed? If so there might be a faster path she could take, to cut the thing off before it got any further. Decided, Krisa backtracked, and headed down a different path, a shortcut. She was able to run along these streets without feat that the man would see her and turn around to attack her. She sprinted down the streets like an arrow to its bulls eye. Suddenly a light in the distance made her stumble. What was that? It seemed like the moonlight was reflecting off of something, causing a small lightshow a few streets down. Changing course to follow it, Krisa turned into the next street, faster than before. She was pushing herself faster than she really had the ability to maintain for this long yet and her body didn’t like it, sending the pain of a stich to deter her through her lower ribs.


“Shyke, keep going” She muttered to herself, fear gone, determination and adrenaline replacing it again. In her mind Lira was in trouble and she had to save her not matter what. And when she finally arrived in the street she saw Lira and Luma. Lira had a Skyth in her hand. But she also saw her stalker. He was coming from Krisa’s right-hand side, and in danger of seeing her. Currently, everyone had yet to discern of her presence in the backstreet and she was able to hide behind a corner. It was better this way, if she remained hidden from everyone she could aim straight. But this sent a new wave of anxiety screaming through her head like a whirlpool, because she was talking about shooting someone. She didn’t think she quite had the skill to shoot at a leg, she needed a bigger target, like the man’s torso. But then she might kill him.

But the man was running at an aggressive pace, and Krisa could be certain that he wanted to attack her. Images of the evil man who attacked her in her teenage years sprung to mind and she could feel anger rushing through her chest. She notched an arrow, aiming to take this man out should he try to hurt a hair on the head of her friend Lira. She managed to slow down her rapid breathing and aim. He was a hundred meters away from Lira yet. Fifty meters, breathe and focus, forty meters, thirty meters away and now he was adjacent to Krisa’s position. She aimed, and fired The arrow zipped through the air almost silently and missed. “Petch” She hissed. The man was startled and looking in her direction. It didn’t help that Kieran started Squawking with fear. She stumbled backwards as the man changed course and began coming for her, notching her next arrow. She pulled it back as fast as she could and let it fly. The arrow didn’t directly hit him, but scraped his side, causing a gash to open, and blood to begin to flow. That petching monster wasn’t about to come anywhere near her. In fact, Krisa already had another Arrow readied, but the thing yelled with anger. A defining inhuman roar that froze Krisa in place. Suddenly she found herself unable to think.

It had been her advantage at the start, but it seemed that was over now. The yell the thing made left her unable to move, unable to see. It was such a horrible sound, piercing her through and through, and taring apart every cell in her body. And the creature had lost interest in her now, and was gone from her sight, running towards Lira again. “N-no” She said, stumbling forward again. Her mind was foggy from the impact of that growl. It hadn’t even been that loud, probably less than half the decibels the thing was capable of. Lira could be fighting it right now. She’d had optimal opportunity, but she had missed her first shot because of her unwillingness to kill it.

[Liriah]

Surprised by a nearby squawk, Liriah regained her awareness for her surroundings, catching the light that glinted off something at the corner of her eye. It looked like a flying object, maybe an arrow, and that didn't bode well. A psycho murderer creature that can shoot arrows, perfect for dodging practice. There, in the direction she had originally came from, was the creature that had tried to infiltrate her room earlier. It wasn't heading towards her, Liriah noticed as the creature moved towards another figure, one that was hiding in the shadows. As the creature stalked ever closer towards the figure, another arrow was sent loose, a gash opening on its arms as the shaft glided through the air. Although blood seeped out from its wound, a horrible noise which Liriah couldn't describe followed along with it. What it unleashed from its mouth grated against her soul. Something told her that she had heard this noise before, and that she shouldn't be afraid of it, but her body didn't want to move. She was petrified by the horrors induced by the sound. She couldn't die, not now, not when her life was still unfulfilled. It wasn't fair. Kihala and Dira doesn't care about fairness, Liriah Surprised by the voice in her head, Liriah couldn't help but think she must have been going crazy in the imminent presence of death. The monster was getting ever closer to her, and she couldn't do anything about it. The scythe in her hand a useless stick without her body to move it. Relinquish your control to me. I can disable the paralysis caused by that hideous wailer's singing and hold it off until the shinya come. Still unsure whether the voice in her head was a figment of her imagination or not, Liriah hesitated to obey the voice in her mind, the voice that sounded exactly like hers, but much wiser with age and knowledge. Now, the monster was only a few feet away, ten more steps and he would be upon her. It didn't seem like he was going to crash into her, however, he was going to pounce! NOW! Give me control if you wish to live and discover who you were and truly are! Obeying the voice, Liriah relaxed her mind and let go of her body. It was as if she was in a dream; she could see herself duck under the hulking masses body, the scythe spinning backwards to create a deep gash on the surprised figures back, something Liriah could have never done. Everything she heard was muffled; the scream from the monster, the impact and crashes that her body had impossibly dodged. "You must be the weakest, most foolish and inferior wailer I have ever met," the taunt flowed from her mouth, but it wasn't her talking "you must have inherited your intellect and memories from a wailer who ate children. Don't you know the first thing not to do in a city is chase your prey?" What was the voice in her mind ? Who was she? What was she? No time for answers, you'll have to discover them yourself, I'm afraid. The shinya are already coming from the gates to see what the commotion is, and I won't be coming back for awhile. It's against the rules. Now Liriah was even more confused over what was happening. What rules was the voice talking about? Why can't she tell her who she was? On this quest to finding who she was, Liriah had only added more to find out on her list.

[Krisa]

The horrible noise was everywhere it pounded against her skull and resonated through every cell in her body, every fiber of her being was consumed by it. And her limbs would not obey her. All she could do was stand there, eyes wide open, and watch helplessly as it moved towards the other figure in the alleyway, whom she knew to be Liriah. Krisa didn’t care that she herself was in danger at all. She couldn’t have cared less if she was ripped to shreds but that creature was going to attack her friend. Tears sprung to her eyes as she continued to remain frozen. There would be no living with herself after this. She couldn’t keep watching people she cared about die. She was so utterly useless to them. So feeble, in such a dangerous world. As the tears rolled down her face it was all she could do to keep her eyes open, and watch. She wanted to close them, and travel to a sanctuary she had created as a child. One she hadn’t visited in a decade. But she had to watch this. She deserved to see it. She didn’t deserve sanctuary.

He was ten paces away from her now and Krisa, useless weak little Krisa couldn’t move a muscle. The sound was still surrounding her, cuffing her to the spot, and making it impossible to think clearly. She couldn’t let this happen! Krisa began to stumble forward, too slowly. She lifted her bow and strung and arrow. But her arms felt heavy. If she couldn’t shoot straight before now, she had almost no chance. Little did she know that her friend was unbinding herself from the horrid noise at the same second. She was just a Smokey blur as she darted out of harms way and landed a blow that sliced into the creatures back, tarring it open and sending blood splattering across cobblestone like paint. Krisa’s jaw dropped and she stumbled and tripped over her own foot, grazing her knee. But her eyes never left Lira’s goddess-like form as she spoke in a voice that seemed alien to Krisa. It seemed harsher than the happy trill she was used to.

With a Thud something fell into Krisa’s lap. “Kieran!” Krisa hissed, forgetting suddenly about what was going on to nurse the poor, shocked bird. Her heart broke into pieces as she cradled the bird who was sucking in much too shallow gulps of air, and whose heart was hammering in his tiny feathered chest. She tucked him into the top of her dress, and got up off the ground. She moved into plain view and Shinya poured through the streets, and cut the creature down around her. Would Kieran be okay? How could she possibly live without her littlest friend? Maybe Liriah could help her. Maybe she could do something. Or maybe the bird was just in shock and would recover in due time. Anyway, she needed to make herself move, to make herself do something. Krisa took the first stumbling step towards Lira, mouth dry and cheeks wet with tears.

“Li-Liriah” She stuttered, finally coming close enough to be seen, and recognized. “Liriah, I’m-I’m sorry, I’m sorry I missed. If I had just been a bit more focused I could have- But how did you do that? That with the…” She was speaking to fast, and her breathing had become ragged. She needed to get it all out though. “Kieran is barely breathing, he’s gone into some kind of shock and I don’t know what to.” Krisa was falling apart. The events of tonight had been too much, and Krisa had been nothing but useless. She should have just gone home when she had the chance. Then Kieran would be fine, and Liriah could have taken care of herself. She found herself unable to speak, her shoulders were hunching over as she cradled her friend in her hand. He wasn’t dead, but he wasn’t well either. “Water…” She thought. “Lira, do you have any? Kieran he needs it.” She looked up, green eyes full of panic. She had already been forced to witness Lira’s near death, and now this? Why had she brought him?

[Liriah]

My work here is done. Good luck. Disappearing as suddenly as it came, Liriah was slammed back into reality, her disorientation palpable as she swayed from side to side before collapsing onto her knees, her scythe clattering to the ground beside her. The smell of blood and the horrid screaming sent her senses reeling, her mind tumbling through the holes that riddled her memory and the questions that marred its landscape. She was falling through the darkness, the desolate black shadows within her soul chasing her decent, as the creature she had shredded and flayed screamed its lament of pain, the song pulling her into her own personal darkness. The shinya were already before her, cutting the soul rending screams of the wailer short, and were even addressing her. Liriah was too far inside her own world to see or hear what was happening before her though; the mark beneath her left eye pulsing with black-light for a mere instant; the tendons of the decapitated wailer cleanly sliced through. Surprisingly, there were no citizens despite the ruckus and commotion, and that was a relief to the shinya guards that were stationed nearby. Her eyes were open, but her soul could not see. Her body could hear, but her soul was deaf. She inwardly laughed at the irony of her life. It had all started with the vast empty darkness, and now it would end in the same manor, her soul shrouded in black and her memory empty of any forms of fulfillment. She was no longer needed, she never had been. Something tugged at her. Tendrils of light began to wrap themselves around her, a tapestry of gold and white forming a cocoon around Liriah's soul. They still need you, Liriah. Go. The cocoon pulsed and shattered, taking the darkness with it. Her inner balance was restored for now, enabling Liriah to return to the field of life and death. It was a close call; if she had stayed within the darkness for a few moments longer, she would have no longer been able to return. As if slowly awakening from a long dream, Liriah slowly returned to her body. Blinking, Liriah shook her head and body, attempting to throw off the remnants of the dream-like state that still stubbornly clung to her joints and limbs. Taking a deep breath, Liriah released it slowly, looking around her to see what was happening in her surroundings. The corpse before her earlier was gone, one shinya was still present, observing her for reasons unknown to her, and her friend Kris was panicking as she approached her. Words tumbling over one another, Liriah instinctively knew that something wasn't exactly right. She was on her two feet, facing her friend as she asked Liriah how she was able to dodge and cut down the wailer. "I can't really explain what happened," her response to Kris's question sounded inadequate even to her own ears, but there were more urgent matters to attend to "and I don't know how to help Kieran. I've never handled small birds that have entered shock before." Taking hold of her friend's face, her chin cupped within the hollow of her palms, Liriah looked into Kris's emerald eyes "We need you to be calm," her voice was beginning to reflect the change that was taking place within her very soul "Kieran wouldn't want you to panic, he loves you too much for that. Take deep breaths and clear the negative thoughts from your mind, I'll return as soon as I can with water." Reluctant to leave her friend in such a state, Liriah peeled herself from the company of Krisa and her little companion to retrieve her backpack, which had been flung off during the impossibly one-sided onslaught. Kneeling down, wincing as a jolt of pain reminded her that her ankle was still damaged, Liriah untied the knot in front and pulled back the flap, reaching in to search for the water skin she owned. Bringing her eyes to her side, she took small comfort from Luma's worried nudges. He probably noticed that something odd was happening during the wailer event. Closing her fingers, Liriah pulled out the object she was looking for and flung her backpack over her shoulder, taking off in the direction of her friend. Liriah had never imagined that something like this could happen to Kieran. The feisty little bird had always seemed so.....tough, so impossible to kill. She didn't want to see him die, she wanted him to become her friend. Liriah wasn't sure whether Krisa could handle the little bird's passing, either; she had lost so much already and Kieran served as an anchor for her. "Here's the water." Her heart was pounding, the tragic melody of the situation flooding her system with adrenaline as Liriah handed the water skin to her friend, her mind and body fixated to the emergency before her. Tonight was proving to be a nightmare; first a wailer which behaved oddly and stupidly, and now, Kieran is dying. Luma's whimpering at Liriah's feet reflected her very own concern for the bird as they watched Krisa attempt to bring Kieran back to his usual lively state, waiting for the ultimate verdict. If only the shinya watching her was able to heal.

[Krisa]

“Calm.” Krisa repeated in a whisper of a voice. Right, calm, like when she was notching an arrow, and feeling it’s tension as it was pulled backwards, ready to be fired. Calm, focus, clear your mind, and breathe normally, steadily, slowly. Make the bulls eye the only thing that exists in this world. Her eyes closed for a long moment, and when they opened, she had changed. The changes in her friend Lira had brought out a change in herself. All this time she had been battling with herself, and it seems, that it had come to a ceasefire. Lira left her there to find water, and Krisa wracked her brains to think of the steps necessary to heal a shocked bird. Keep him warm, safe, and minimize any signs of stress that might be nearby. Krisa moved away from the nattering of the Shinya, and the horrible smell of fresh blood. She moved away, nearer to the gate, and cradled the small bird against her heart, sharing her warmth with the little bird. She kept her face nearby and watched Kieran’s chest. The breathing was still erratic, and his eyes were half closed. Despite herself, a tear rolled down Krisa’s cheek as she imagined what it would be like to lose her companion. He was such a tough little bird, and he always had been. She loved, and valued him more than she loved and valued herself. Stay calm, keep him safe, warm.

“Kieran, can you hear me?” She began to wisper to him “D-Don’t be difficult like you always are, it’s time to wake up now.” Her voice was horse and she stuttered over the words as she said them “You’re a great warrior who has made it all the way through the misty mountains with me, Kieran, surely you can’t let something like this upset you? I couldn’t have made it without you” Feeling no response, Krisa’s resolve crumbled, tears began to fall steadily “You know, you’re being s-such a selfish bird, K-Kieran.” She said, frustration that she couldn’t do anything more was mixing anger into her tears “You know h-how much I n-need-“ She stopped as she noticed Lira, or maybe she had been standing there listening to this and took the waterskin from her gently lifting Kieran higher, and dribbling the tinest bit into his slightly agape beak. “Come o-on now, Kieran” She cooed. The birds breathing leveled out. She hadn’t noticed it till now. She put her pinky finger on it’s chest and felt it’s tiny heartbeat as it returned to Normality.

“You d-damn bird” She said crying still, happiness and relief flooding her whole being “Y-You had me so s-scared.” Kieran had been everything to her all through Lems death, all through her painstaking journey to Lhavit, all through her year here trying to re-adjust to life on her own, Kieran had, with his irritating qualities, and his incessant squawking, begun to heal her tattered soul. The tiny bird slowly gave a reassuring squark and weakly he managed to stand on her open palm, and hop back onto her shoulder to nuzzle at her neck. Slowly, Krisa began to recover from the shock of all that had happened herself. Something... something was wrong with Lira’s ankle. She had noticed it before now, she had a slight limp. “Lira, you’ve damaged your ankle?” She said, still feeling woozy herself. but then how was she able to move so fast, so effortlessly Confusion shone in her eyes as she waited for Lira to respond.

Maybe she should have left it for now. Krisa backtracked after a while and said “What are we gonna do now?” She asked sparing glances back at the bloodied, decapitated head. Looking at it made her want to vomit. She was aware that the Shinya guards were looking, and speaking to the two of them, concerned but all she could do to respond was to smile slightly and wave off their help. It was going to take a little while to process the events of tonight, right now Krisa felt strangely numb.