A Time To Heal. (Closed)

[Syllke Skyglow]

Vanos had chosen a path back to the Lyceum that basically brought them back into town. It only made sense, as trying to climb about on the rocks while packing the unconscious Murphy around was more than a bit risky. Reaching the deserted streets, the sound of the festival turned confused melee was brought to them on the breeze, as was soon enough another sound – running footsteps, headed their way. At the guard’s approach, Vanos and Syllke both came to a halt. Vanos had bent, laying Murphy on the ground, taking up a slightly defensive stance over the boy. But Cinna’s anxious words put them at ease that she meant Muprhy no harm. On the other hand, her words, as fraught with alarm as they were, made Syllke’s eyebrows shoot up. What the hell was going on here tonight? His ears were sharp enough to hear what Cinna had, and as she stood up, reaching for her sword, urging them to go back to the clinic, Syllke stooped down and grabbed at Murphy’s shoulders. His eyes on the Isur, he said in a rush, “Come on! You heard her – let’s go!”

[Galio Keln]

Galio heard the twang as the arrow was fired from Delano’s bow, the whistling as it shot through the air towards him. If he was in his normal frame of mind he might had even attempted to get out of the way of the deadly projectile, yet he was not in his normal state of mind. He was angry and continued on his charge towards Haraza despite the whistling. Yet that proved to be a mistake. Seconds after the whistling started a sharp pain in his right thigh appeared. Galio stumbled, his charge broken as he flopped onto the ground. A roar of agony escaped from his mouth. Angered more he glared down at the feathered stick that now stuck out of his leg, at first it seemed the single arrow would keep Galio down. Then with a roar of rage he swiped at the arrow with his massive paw, snapping it in half with the arrowhead still in his leg. Standing up at his full height he wobbled for a second on the wounded leg. Haraza quickly left his mind as he shot off down the alley, there wasn’t any room for Galio to fit through it in his current form. He turned to spot only one figure left in the street, Lieutenant Delano. The noise still thundered in his ears and blood dripped from his wounded leg as Galio let out another roar, half angry, half in pain. The arrowhead was stuck in his leg, but it didn’t seem to hinder the grizzly bear as he charged toward Delano. He knew it was an arrow that pierced his hide and Delano was holding a bow. The human was responsible for the pain in his leg and Galio assumed it was he that caused the music as well.

[Vanos Strongarm]

The Kelvic's body in his arms was nothing at all for Vanos to carry, but he wondered if he would be able to shoulder this responsibility over to Syllke. He was sure that the guard that had just ordered them to run was able to defend herself, but what exactly was she going up against? Humans were strong and not at all as weak as Vanos had believed - Talen had proven that - but a even a human would have difficulty in taking on more than one adversary. Vanos looked up to Syllke with a determined look on his face as he reached the light body in his arms and hoped that Syllke would be able to carry him forward to the clinic. Vanos may not be the strongest fighter that the Coglias can produced, but it was in his blood; whether or not he had the experience, he would be of more use as a fighter in this situation than a Kelvic Carriage. "You, take Murphy. I go back." Vanos said as he shifted the unconscious body in his arms over to Syllke and gave him a nervous smile. While he liked to believe that he was strong and that his flesh was near impervious to wounds, Vanos was very aware at the moment just how fragile his body truly was. The limp body that was still warm against his flesh drove that fact home that Vanos could very well end up on the end of a sword tip if he didn't employ his gifts from Izurdin properly. "Take. Run." Vanos growled at Syllke who looked like he was about to fold in half carrying the Kelvic, but he seemed to be able to move along with him. Once he saw that Syllke and Murphy were safely around the corner and, assumably, somewhere safer, Vanos went back to the guard's side without a weapon in his hand. He looked up to her as he focused his attention in the direction of where the ominous sound originated. "I fight, vith you. Keep Denval safe."

[Haraza Frostfawn]

Haraza nearly made it to the end of the alley when he heard the angry roar of the bear getting further away. It wasn't following him! That must mean something else had the bear's attention, or someone else. He couldn't let the big brown animal hurt anyone, not when he could draw it away from people. He was going to have to do something more drastic to get this bear to leave. Haraza cursed himself for not thinking about the size of the alley or making sure the bear wouldn't follow him. He turned around, holding the spear firm. He took a deep breath and sprinted back, hoping to catch the bear before it got to someone. He had to distract it again, get it to follow him. Haraza continued to rush, pushing himself through the open streets beyond. Had Haraza more time, he would have pondered what caused the bear to surround itself in the middle of civilization. He would have wondered if there were any bears even around Denval, especially of the big and dark and brown varieties. He may have even thought to question why the sounds of other animals were heard. Maybe he would have paced together the change of music with the change of festivities. But there was no time. Haraza could simply run as he burst free from the constraints of the alleyway, stumbling as he glanced around for the bear. He retained his balance, fortunately, the spear acting almost as a counterweight as he spotted the brown monster barreling away. The bear had made considerable distance towards Delano by the time Haraza had broken free of the alley. The distance was staggering. Haraza wasn't sure he could throw his spear accurately enough, and he didn't want to throw it over these crowded streets. He stood in the middle of the street for a second, spear held tight as he thought of what to do. Haraza quickly dropped his spear as he knelt, letting the wood clatter on the ground as he grabbed a loose stone. He stood back up and Haraza tossed the stone as far as he could. The stone smacked the streets with a clack to the side of the bear, a lucky shot. Haraza screamed out, hoping to capture the bear's attention again. "Hey! Bear! Where ya goin!"

[Seodai]

Too much was happening. The world was somehow imploding and exploding around Seodai all at once. There were arms around him, arms which were not his Lysander's - skinny, brown arms that held him tightly. Boyish, sniffling sobs, and a broken explanation which did little to penetrate the fog of confusion the Denvali farmer found himself in. How could it be that this was Lysander, too? He did not look upon that upturned face with contempt. To feel such an emotion would require a dose of comprehension, at least, and Seodai had none. It was an open disbelief and confusion with which he fixed wide brown eyes, so bright with moisture. Why wouldn't the festival just be quiet?! For perhaps the first time in his life, Seodai did not feel like a Denvali first, an individual second. He didn't want to fetch his bow, to run off and protect their lonely outcropping from whatever danger was falling about their ears. And, in pure sacrilege to the goddess who favored him so, Seodai wasn't worried about the farm. About his animals, the labor of his heart and his hands - none of that came to mind. Even Syllke, who had darted off away from Seo's misery, slipped from his mind. Seodai, indulging one of the few purely selfish moments he had ever had in his life, just wanted some damned quiet. He wanted the ruddy brown hair in his fingertips to go away. He wanted the horrified, tearful face of the boy in front of him to meld. Bring back the flash of light, bring back his Lysander. He wanted his damned Lysander! "What?" he bit out, still clinging to the form that had taken the place of his beloved - half afraid that to let him go would be to lose him entirely. He'd hear the explanation again. And again, probably, until it could somehow make sense. There was no time for that, though. The boy was wide eyed with concern, protective over Seo in a way that could only grate upon the Denvali. How he hated his imperfection. Talen was yelling at them, too. Shoving them in one direction as if it were meaningful. As if there might actually be something more important than figuring out what had happened to Lysander. In the ensuing stumble, Seodai gripped at the hand of what had once been his beautiful Lysander, holding so tightly it might have ached. He wasn't about to lose him to the maddening crowd. And then there was Delano, barking orders to Talen that implicitly included himself and the boy he was now towing along - willingly or no. It was in that moment that Seodai lifted his bright blues from a sunkissed face, and took in the mayhem the Festival had become. It wasn't a proper measure of patriotism that urged him to obey the weaponsmaster, but instead the ingrained sense of right and wrong his level headed Uncle had long since instilled in him. Somehow, with Lysander lost, the whole of Denval had gone mad. And though it made no sense whatsoever, he knew enough to value the seemingly simple command given to them. Music. That damned annoying tune, which he had somehow missed entirely until his ears strained for it, was an ugly and uncomfortable thing to his very human ears. He would be glad to stop it, nevermind the effect it may be having on the kelvics present. "This way," he said to Lysander, darting around a surge of humanity who pushed past them in a throng. He paid little mind to drag Talen along. His very capable cousin always had a way of being where he was supposed to, at just the right moment. He'd find his way there, too. With a white-knuckled grip on the imposter that was Lysander, Seodai pressed through with some difficulty, the mass of bodies trying to get away from the music. He nearly lost his grip on Lysander once, causing him to drop his own stream of obscenities into the roar of frightened Denvali voices. Agitated, he began to shoulder through with bruising force - bumping whoever might be in his way determinedly. This earned more than one surprised glance from townspeople who had never as much as seen Seodai scowl, much less fixed with determined frustration. When, at last, they were free of the press of bodies and standing only feet away from the offending instruments, Seodai was momentarily struck with immobility. The expressions on their faces were simply surreal; eerie and almost possessed. It was strange to watch, and he might have done so longer, had not the cry of an animal behind him broke that stunned reverie. The band was comprised of normal people, simple Denvali folk who had the gift of music. And so he felt no need for a complicated strategy. Seodai simply, with his one free hand (ever unwilling to let go with the other), grabbed for the nearest instrument. Without those, the musicians couldn't continue, after all.

[Veldrys]

"A Symenestra", Veldrys confirmed. From the look on his face it was obvious that the healer was completely unprepared to deal with Hanno’s onslaught of questions. Veldrys‘ experience with children was rather limited. There had only been his sisters, and they had been close to him in age. He waited for her to stop for a moment so that he could answer, but apparently she didn’t consider that necessary. As she finally ended, he just stood there for a moment and shook his head slightly as he tried to remember what exactly she had asked. She had wanted to know where he came from and why he had claws ... at least he thought that she had wanted to know that ... He was just about to tell her about Kalinor, the underground city of the Symenestra, when he noticed the large dog at her side. She had said something to her father as well. Veldrys didn’t understand a single word of Vani, but from the sound of her voice he could tell that she was worried. He turned around – and saw the bear. The healer froze for a moment, and then he realized that Hanno’s father was going to approach the animal. Was he doing what he thought he was doing? Was the man suicidal? Was he really going to attack the bear? Veldrys tried to hold him back, but it was already too late. He placed a hand on Hanno’s shoulder to distract her from what would without a doubt be a bloody and violent sight, no matter who turned out to be stronger. "We should go with Master Jarret", he said to her. He tried to sound reassuring, but he didn’t know if he succeeded. "Your father is going to be alright, but it’s not safe for children here." He knelt down on Lucy’s other side and examined her wound. For the time being he didn’t wonder why she was naked or what exactly had happened. It was important to treat the wound first. The questions could wait. He tried to bandage her wound, with whatever means were available to him.

[Lucette]

So enraged was Lucette that she could no longer keep the feral feline in check. Her haunches bunched beneath her and in the blink of an eye the Cheetah raced full speed on long, strong legs towards Cian Noc. Black spots blurred upon the gold in her motion, graceful lines trailing in the wind. Her large paws pushed off the ground forcefully to propel her body into the air… The full weigh of Lucette’s Cheetah form rocketed at the crouched man and the tender flesh of his neck. She wished to rip it open, to feel his blood gush against her teeth and tongue, and eat the tender entrails of his stomach. No matter that she had once known the healer, fury was in her heart and it could only be sated by his death.

[Syllke Skyglow]

Syllke could only stare at Vanos, open mouthed. Of course, the Isur owed no particular duty to Murphy, or to Syllke. But neither did he owe any allegiance to Denval, or so Syllke would have thought, until this moment. The young artist had a way of rather blithely skating through life, often not taking the time to examine things on a very deep level. Up until this point, as Vanos turned and offered to fight beside the guard, it hadn’t really occurred to Syllke that Vanos, and he, were now residents of this city. They were citizens, so to speak. It wasn’t merely up to the guards to watch out over the townspeople – that obligation feel to all of them. They had to look out for one another. And the guard’s words, though brief and with no underlying explanation, made it clear that whatever it was that was going on, the threat was far greater than Syllke had imagined. In that moment of looking at Vanos, ready to fight by Cinna’s side, Syllke’s thoughts flew to the others, back at the clinic grounds. He hadn’t seen anything of Lucy – but he knew her brother had been affected in some bad way – else Galio would never have shifted like that, and become hostile. Had Lucy been touched by this weird phenomenon as well? It seemed likely. And Seodai? Despite the shocked anguish in his friend’s face, Syllke had run off . . . and left him, ready to let others make sure that he was alright. Though Syllke had meant to protest – to tell Vanos that he needed to come with him and carry Murphy and be safe – the Vantha’s mouth snapped shut. He only nodded his understanding and accepted the dead weight of Murphy into his outstretched arms. The boy couldn’t have weighed much less than Syllke himself, but somehow, he managed to get moving, back in the direction of the clinic grounds. With knees almost buckling, and stopping several times over the short distance, Syllke somehow managed to half carry, half drag his still unconscious friend until they reached the grassy verge that sloped upwards to the clinic. No longer was the green a place of festive noises and happy people celebrating a successful harvest. The townspeople of Denval were in a panic, running about and calling out, or outright screaming. But something, or someone, was keeping them here, on the grounds, despite whatever was still going on. Syllke suspected that was in part due to the guards. At the outskirt of the crowd, Syllke slumped to the ground, letting Murphy down gently, bending over the boy anxiously. “Murphy! Murphy!” he called out softly, patting the boy’s cheek. What the hell had put him so deeply under, Syllke wondered, raising his head to look about for anyone who might be of help – though he had no idea what kind of help Murphy was in need of.

[Talen Stirling]

Talen froze as if splashed by ice water at the familiar touch of Marx's hand. The man had an aura that he recognized, from years of working under him. He turned his head swiftly, a steeled calm falling over him as he relaxed his grip on the flailing two and gave a curt nod to his superiors command. Gray eyes were filled with unquestioned purpose as he turned towards the musicians in a fluid movement grasping the hilt of his longsword and releasing the others from the formerly desperate grip. "Yes, sir.," The words were barely audible as he crouched and started at a sprint through the scattered crowd, using his shieldarm to keep the sword steady in it's scabbard and the other to propel him forward. Leaning in sent him moving easily, even with the added weight of his equipment and he had no plans to break slowly. As he made his way to the musicians, he crouched lower and spread his arms wide, intending to simply tackle a pair of them before throwing the others to the ground. He had no time to be careful, with everything he knew was at stake.

[Galio Keln]

Galio had been entirely focused on crushing Delano beneath his paws after being shot by his arrow, yet that too would quickly disappear from his mind. At this point he was acting purely on instinct and reacting to whatever came his way. So as the rock struck the ground and Haraza’s voice filled the street Galio stopped in his charge, stumbling a bit on his wounded leg. The hated noise was once more bounced around his ears as Galio slowly turned towards it. He spotted the man, who was the same that had yelled before. Galio had at first concluded that the human with the bow must be the cause of the music as he was the cause of the pain in his leg. Yet the man who ran away had returned and brought the loud unbearable noise with him. He hadn’t actually brought it with him, he was the source of the yelling. Galio was at a standstill, his head flicked back and forth between Delano and Haraza. One brought pain to his body while the other brought it to his ears. He didn’t know which was worse and couldn’t decide on who to go towards. There wasn’t anywhere to run as one of the men where standing in the road to Galio’s left and right. Undecided on where to go, Galio held his ground. He sent a threatening growl at both of them, flashing his canines and swiping at the air with his paw. His only choice now was to try to make one of them run away without getting near them. One had a bow so he could shoot at Galio and the other had noise, Galio on the other had would have to get close to do anything to them. Acting once more on instinct Galio suddenly rose to two feet and sucked in as much air as possible into his lungs. He opened his mouth and let loose the loudest roar he possibly could in Haraza's general direction. As he came down to all fours he rushed towards Haraza in a mock charge, charging and roaring had made the man run away once before, Galio's instinct was to try it again in hopes of scaring him way.