Knowledge Is Power... And Danger (Nira'lia)

[Ignotus Everto]

15th of Fall, 512AV

Pain. Pain, pain, pain, pain, pain!
Why did he have to be so excessive with that girl? Why did he have to push himself so hard? Now he couldn't even conjure a spark without hurting himself. With his pathetic muscle mass and brittle bones, he was helpless. If a wolf, landspawn, or anything else decided to make a meal of him, he'd either die defending himself, or get his head bitten off. Neither option was appealing to Ignotus.

He had to fix it. He had to fix it now. The wizard hadn't been to a healer in more than thirty years- Ever since he turned- but he was sufficiently desperate to attempt the impossible. Besides, it wasn't completely unlikely that someone might be able to fix his ailment... He hoped. Now he just had to find a healer in this ugly mishmash of tents. Some of the nurses just gave him odd looks when he came into the tents that held the sick and injured, of which there were many of the former, while others, recognizing what was hurting him, immediately got to distancing themselves from the potential madman.

"Come on... There has to be someone here with the know-how and desire to help..." He was in the middle of a makeshift infirmary. How hard could a doctor be to find? Tapping one of the women on the shoulder, he asked as innocently as he could, without drawing any more attention to the fact that he was an overgiven wizard than was necessary, "Excuse me, but do you know anyone who can heal magical ailments?"

[Nira'lia]

There weren’t many patients to tend to that day. The collection of healers and medics that travelled with the Syliran contingent didn’t have a lot to do at the moment. A number had resorted to gossips and rumors, mainly having to do with the reason they were marching to Sahova. Nira’lia, on the other hand, was being taught about different kinds of herbal tinctures. The woman who was teaching her was a middle-aged human who had an assortment of medicine with her, and as she showed Nira’lia the package of jars and bottles, the Konti was fascinated. Nira’lia sniffed the contents of a small jar, and was met with a sweet smell mixed with alcohol. She blinked and looked pieces of leaves floating inside the container, and saw that the label read ‘lemon leaves tincture’. “Those are for migraines… we passed by a lemon tree the other day, and I knew I had to take advantage of the opportunity.” “I didn’t know that lemon leaves could be used for migraines,” replied the Konti simply. There were so many plants, and a lot of them appeared to have helpful properties. It was a task to remember, and she reminded herself to note down this new discovery later on. She was just about to point at a new bottle in order to inquire about its contents when a finger tapped on her shoulder. The woman she had been speaking to looked behind her and the Konti could see the expression of surprise and skepticism on her face. Nira’lia turned around and looked at Ignotus. He was an unhealthy looking man, and Nira’lia did not realize she was looking at a Nuit. Since she had not paid attention to how the other medics had treated him, she did not know that they were avoiding him. “Magical ailments?” the Konti asked blankly, looking at Ignotus from head to toe. She could have seen him around before, she was not sure. The group was too large to remember all the faces. “Maybe you could be clearer? What exactly is the problem?” Magic was not a welcome topic in most places, and she knew many healers and medics who were wary of the term itself. However, considering that she was aiding the leader of a Mage Guild, Nira’lia was not as indifferent towards mages as she used to be.

[Ignotus Everto]

After a quick, nervous glance around to make sure no one was listening, Ignotus leaned in and whispered to Nira'lia, "Well, um... I might've been forced to use Reimancy a few days ago, and... I might have overdone it just a little. Now I get piercing headaches whenever I try to use Reimancy, and a dull ache whenever I try to practice anything else. I'm not the strongest man. My magic is really the only way I can defend myself. Seeing as we're in the wilderness, you can see why that can be a problem."

She wouldn't get scared and scream for a guard, would she? Of course she wouldn't. He hoped. He prayed. There wouldn't be anything he could do to save himself if they decided to cart him off for overgiving if she did. "Is there anything you can do to fix it?"

[Nira'lia]

Even if Ignotus had whispered, the woman that Nira’lia had been conversing to shook her head in disagreement. The woman had clearly been able to hear the Nuit’s every word. Nira’lia looked at her with a puzzled expression before she fully put her attention on Ignotus once more. But before Nira’lia could speak up, the middle-aged woman couldn’t help but chip in her thoughts. “We are in the wilds, yes, but we are also travelling as a group. Surely you would not need your magic any time soon to protect yourself, mister Nuit?” ‘…He’s a Nuit? How did she know?’ thought Nira’lia as she looked between the two people. The woman was clearly upset with him, whether it was because he was a Nuit, or because he practiced magic, Nira’lia could not tell. The woman was starting to pack up her belongings, probably ready to go as soon as she was done. “You overgave,” said the Konti simply as she stated the obvious. “Since this is the case, it would be much better not to force yourself into practicing magic for now. Just like my colleague said, it is entirely unnecessary. We are not in a battle at the moment; we are simply travelling through the wildlands.” She attempted to give him a comforting smile, but it came out forced and awkward. Now that she knew that he was a Nuit, she could not help but push away the indifference. Nira’lia had a certain discomfort towards his kind. However, that did not mean she was not going to help him. Having had experience with patients that suffered from mild overgiving in the past, she had the basic know-how of what had to be done. “I may be able to help you stop the headaches, but that would be a temporary measure. What you need is rest… rest from your magic. Would you be able to do that? It is important that you do not push yourself, or it will only get worse.”

[Ignotus Everto]

"How did she know I was a Nuit?!" Ignotus had worried about this. Without his magic, he was about as effectual and threatening as a baby chicken. Even his ability to act alive wasn't working! What if he just dropped dead? He certainly felt like he would. "Yes, but it never hurt anyone to be cautious, and really, Reimancy isn't good for nothing but combat. I can prevent bad weather too, with a bit of help from other wizards."

To make matters worse, Nira'lia seemed to be less than eager to help him now that she knew what she was as well. Perfect. Just perfect. This small bout of overgiving was going to be the end of him. Him. Without magic. Without magic! Would he be able to do that?

"I think so..." Ignotus said as he clasped his hands together nervously, "Like you said, we're not going to be in battle or anything." Yes. He could live. He hoped. "Thank you for helping..." he said in awkward kontinese. If he couldn't use Hypnotism, he'd build rapport the old-fashioned way. "It's been hard. It's difficult not to feel useless when you can't do the only thing you're good at." the wizard said with a sad smile.

He wasn't lying, either. Being without magic was causing a reaction not unlike withdrawal in Ignotus. The jitteriness was only one symptom. It wouldn't have been so bad, if it weren't for the fact that, for many people, "overgiven" was synonymous for "insane." Magic was already something frowned upon by many, and their paltry knowledge of overgiving usually left them choosing to be safe rather than sorry. Nira'lia didn't seem to be one of those people, however. Hopefully the other woman wasn't.

[Nira'lia]

The middle-aged woman was done packing her things. She stood up, belongings in hand. With a grim expression, she looked at Ignotus. There was nothing but hatred in her deep-set eyes. “I know a corpse stealer when I see one,” she said simply before she walked away. The Konti blinked at the woman’s retreating figure. Just a few chimes ago; she had been a gentle and giving mentor. She had seemed eager about being one of the medics in the infirmary, going as far as saying that if in the heat of a battle, she would heal the enemies as well. Who would have thought that she reserved such hatred for a certain type of people, even if they were as feared as the Nuits? It was a curious matter. Then there was the Nuit, who seemed focused on his current predicament. The panic was evident in his body language. He appeared to be frightened of the fact that his magic was preferably off-limits as of now. When he spoke to her in broken Kontinese, she couldn’t help but grin. At least he was trying to put her at ease. That’s what she thought, anyway. “Don’t be so worried about it! Migraines are a symptom of mild overgiving... mild. But take it for granted and it can turn much worse. A little rest and medical care will do you good,” she told him convincingly. “I know mages would rather not be told not to practice their skills, but if you would care for your health, I greatly advice that you do this.” She gave him another smile. Mages, they were a unique set of people. “If you don’t mind, I have a few questions to ask, mister…?” she started, urging him for his name. “What exactly happened that pushed you to overgive, and how long have the migraines been coming? Also, maybe you could explain the intensity of the migraines?” They were mundane questions, but they would give her an estimate of how long he would need to rest before trying again. She was only starting to learn about mages and overgiving, but seeing that no other healers wanted to help, he did not have a choice but to bear with her.

[Ignotus Everto]

"Ignotus." The Nuit supplied, settling down slightly with a sort of grandfatherly air. This might not be so bad after all... "I got attacked a few days before leaving Zeltiva." he said in response to her question. "Fending my attacker off took more energy than I thought it would." Of course, he left out the part where he terrorized his assailant and forced her to commit murder for him. That was never very good conversation material.

"It's been... Twelve days, I think? The pain's blinding if I try to use Reimancy, but my head just throbs painfully when I cast any other magic." So he wasn't being asked if he was hearing voices. This was good news. Very, very good. Perhaps getting healed wouldn't be a death sentence after all.

[Nira'lia]

“An attacker? In Zeltiva?” The Konti looked skeptic about the statement. She had spent more than a decade in the city, and she was well aware that it was much safer than most cities. It even had the wave guards. During Nira’lia’s fairly lengthy stay in the city, there had only been very few times where she had to fear for her safety. It was evident in her expression that she seemed suspicious of his statement. “I hope you aren’t lying, Ignotus!” she said, giving him a playful grin. “I have a way of knowing if people are lying!” She was telling the truth. Being a seer, she could at least attempt to see if his story was straight. However, she didn’t really see the need to do so. She had gotten the relevant information that she needed, and she was only teasing him at this point. Nira’lia also felt like she needed to lighten the air. The stares that the other medics in the area were giving them were unbearable. Medics could be judgmental despite their jobs, and they could not understand why she would be helping someone who was both a Nuit and a Mage. They don’t know what it’s like to hold an oath to Rak’keli, she thought. No, even if she didn’t have the oath, she would still help this man. “Is this the first time you’ve overgiven? Learn to control yourself,” she said. Nira’lia had an eyebrow raised and something inside her mind wanted to scold him. “Wait, do you have a migraine right now? If you don’t, there’s really nothing I can do for you at the moment. Anyway, okay… twelve days and the migraines still won’t go away. I want you to give your magic a rest for at maybe at least twenty days. By that, I mean no magic at all. Can you do that for me?”

[Ignotus Everto]

Nira'lia's attempt at levity got a short giggle out of the Nuit, who was still a little nervous, and a little hurt. "Just a small one." he said, not worried about being executed for suspected madness any more. "I ran into a bit of an awkward spot when I was getting here..."

In response to her query about his overgiving past, he replied with a faint smile, "The first in a while. I try to exercise caution; I wouldn't want to die an awful death, now would I? Sometimes it isn't an option, though."

[Nira'lia]

“Of course not. Nobody would want to die in an awful death. But you’re not exactly alive, are you?” The Konti had said it before she had even realized how awful it sounded. It was so unlike of her to be so tactless, but it had sounded like a joke in her mind, and even her tone had been nonchalant. She smiled sheepishly and gave him an apologetic expression. “I am so sorry! I don’t know where that came from.” Finally, she stood up. She stepped right in front of him and held out both of her hands, palms facing up. The Konti gave him the most comforting smile she could muster, though it was apparent that she didn’t really much too at ease about the situation. It wasn’t that she was afraid to touch him, rather, she was afraid to touch anyone. But what was she supposed to do, excuse herself to get a pair of gloves? She had offended him enough. “I’m not sure what I can do for you using Rak’keli’s divine power, but let’s give it a shot. Give me your hands?” The latter part had been a question, as it would be up to him to accept her help. If he did reach out and put his hands atop hers, she would see a visionKonti gift, happiest moment upon touch. Feel free to write about it if it happens immediately and unwillingly.