Hunting for Answers [Closed]

[Finn]

If Finn remained unconvinced of his own mettle, he knew he had capable people to depend upon. Lyra reached from across space to help him, and while she didn't waste aether dulling the pain, he could feel her shifting things around in his gaping wound. He trusted her. Hilana came through the portal with his arm; he almost laughed with a gallows hilarity, but perhaps there was hope for him yet. Even Deus Aværys destroyed those shadow creatures they hadn't for harming him. Though he was safe now and no longer needed to channel that divine spark directly, he held onto it, almost as though with a phantom limb.

Something bloomed within him. He didn't know if it was love or religious feeling, but he held the portal open so he could meet that numinous gaze. Finn may not have chosen Aværys, but Aværys had chosen Finn, and while he was unlikely to prevent ever stubbed toe and scraped knee, the King of Kings was there when he needed him.

'Thank you,' he mouthed, eyes bright with pain and other things. But his soul was singing more eloquent praises.

They had Khyan. Finn stumbled to his feet with the help of the medici, and thence onto a table where they could work upon him.

He couldn't see Hilana any longer, but one of them had his arm. It looked so strange and alien when not attached to him.

"Subvigilia, ianua..."

Finn blinked owlishly at the healer, then at his gate. Aværys was watching, but he had no need for Finn's portal if he wanted to witness what came next. In any case, assuming Finn survived, he could recall this point and take Hilana back if necessary.

"Vale, Aværys." He raised his remaining hand in farewell, though it turned almost into a supplication before he could no longer maintain his concentration for the pain. He wanted his God there with him if he was going to die, or if he was going to have to survive this pain. It was all he could do not to telegraph it into the symphonies of those around him. His magic snuffed out, though he held onto that slender thread of grace that he had been afforded. But then all he could do was breathe and try to master his own mind and body to dull the pain.

He wasn't doing a very good job of it.

But then, some time later, Arvælyn was there, terrible and beautiful. His presence only disrupted the efficiency of the medici. One managed, "Your Exalted Highness, please... we need space..."

But Finn was reaching out to him.

"Arry... it hurts..." He didn't rightly know if he just wanted a hand to hold or if he wanted Arvælyn to plunge his mind deeper than any pain could find him.

[Hilana Chenzira]

With the strange lady fading away, Hilana just stayed where she was on the wall. She had noticed from her post how Finn’s wound was only just bleeding, and the wound was healthy and viable. Even though she had turned the arm over to the fleshweaver, she kept it cool from where she was, but not so cold as to damage the skin. She hugged herself, leaning against the wall and out of the way, her fingers of her right hand slowly stirring to keep channeling the connection with the air spirits. Just enough, and it had to be held at that level. It gave her something to do while she watched - there was no point in interrupting their routine and their processes; she was not a masterful surgeon or a necromancer or a kineticist, which she desperately needed to talk to Raithen about. Though that depended on if he’d side with his brother due to blood, and that was also assuming she lived through Arvaelyn’s rage when the winged prince arrived.

She had done all that she could, she told herself. She didn’t believe it, because two of her friends were laying in beds being treated because of her. Part of being a leader was keeping your crew alive through the campaign, and while her friends would live… they were both badly injured. If she hadn’t taken them… this wouldn’t have happened. She hadn’t twisted their arms, but they’d come because she asked, and she was supposed to be able to have packed all that they needed, and if something happened, Founders forbid, treat them. Maybe she should have waited for the eclipse to have been solved before setting out. Maybe she was too confident and should have stayed on Kherdroth and tried to Semble from the wyvern.

But the shadow spawn had been able to blink, much the way traversers could. She hadn’t encountered that before; most of those she had found in Atraxia moved and behaved like normal. Perhaps it was the environment and the eclipse. Maybe that gave them strength and the ability to do that, whereas the ones she saw weren’t as empowered by the darkness due to there being almost none in the sands because of the Sceptre of Avaerys. She would one day have to ask Daemon about that theory, too, but she didn’t have time to ponder this right now. Even if she was trying to distract herself from everything while she waited for the inevitable.

And sure enough...

When a familiar figure appeared in the window, Hilana tried not to panic, willing her breathing to even out and recounting the notes from her handbook on meditation. Stay still, stay quiet, and stay as hidden as she could while staying present. She could still hear Arvaelyn’s voice in thunder from his command, and, well, she’d... she’d failed that one. Finn had come back in two pieces, and considering he was now laying in a bed with a medicus holding his other arm that Hilana was doing her best to keep at the right temperature until they were ready for the reattachment... Well, at least her animals would be looked after if Arvaelyn decided to kill her. Vasilei knew what to do.

[Pharaoh]

Arvælyn did not seem cognizant of Hilana's presence, focused as he was upon Finn and the medicus who stood between them. He had never been one to brook chastisement blithely and, at the medicus' request, his reflexive response send a command into his Symphony: Submission. It was only a brief moment that buckled the man's knees slightly, before the prince registered that the request was reasonable and respectful and withdrew his arcane influence. He shifted it, instead, toward Finn and, rather than submission, he sent soothing.

His churning eyes looked as soft as they could at Finn's weak, plaintive voice speaking of his pains. Locking eyes with the Radiant human he pressed deeper into his lover's Symphony than he ever had... deeper than he knew was even possible, and...

They were together in Finn's bed. Not in their massive, well appointed bedchamber in the Umbrium, but in Finn's old apartment in the Kalzasern low city. The place he'd lived when they first met and had known each other. Finn was as he was then- Hale and whole, and Arvælyn was as he'd been. Finn had regained his appendage and Arry had lost the two that had sprouted from his back during his recent metamorphosis.

"You're all right, Finn..." The memory of what had happened... what was happening outside this pocket he'd carved in their minds through one or several of his Crafts... felt remote, but part of him knew that Finn wanted for peace and comfort. Somehow his instincts took them both to a place in their history that symbolised both. Early days, high hearts.

To all others in the infirmary, the Umbrian heir just stood stock still staring at Finn. Through her fledgling Semblance, Hilana would know that more was going on in their minds and that a great deal of æther was presently being manipulated by the Crown Prince. The medici took the opportunity to work on their now-still patient, and a Kineticist surgeon teamed up with a Necromancer to work at painstakingly reattaching the arm blood vessel by blood vessel, tissue cell by tissue cell.

On another table, Khyan gasped awake and sat up slightly, dark eyes dazed and lolling.

"Celatium!" He blurted as if it was the continuation of a thought that preceded the attack that felled him. "Ce... latium." He drooped back out of consciousness, as a medica excised the inky remnants of the creature's essence from the wound so that it could be closed properly.

[Finn]

The tension drained out of Finn's body, allowing the surgeons to do their work. He let go of Aværys, though he didn't want to. Instead, he held onto Arvælyn—his Arry. Once more, his golden boy was more powerful with the magic of mesmerism than he was, no doubt due to his draconic heritage. But he was aware that he was being taken back into the solace of a memory, but he didn't mind suspending disbelief.

The bard wept with relief, touched that for all that had changed, Arry still cherished humble memories like these, when they were just two artists struggling toward something greater for themselves and then found that in each other of all places. But he couldn't let go entirely. He had a duty as a Silver Sentinel, and it seemed that he was no longer just playing the role. At the edges of his awareness, he could sense the concentration of the medici, hear Khyan cry out for shelter.

"My love... beyond the reach of the Sceptre, there are monsters made of shadow. It was only my connection to Aværys that allowed us to use our magic and defend ourselves. The realm is safe... for now..." He hoped it was enough to give that warning. Later, he would be able to order his thoughts and give a more thorough report. They had been unprepared for the dangers of Hilana's divine quest. For now, he dreamed as lucid as any oneironaut.

"I love you," he said, no less true nor poignant for having said it innumerable times. He was stronger than Arry in this memory, though he was always gentle unless asked to be otherwise. He ran his hands over skin he knew as intimately as his own. "And I love this... but I think I am beginning to love Solunarium, as well. And its Gods." He laughed. "I don't want us to forget where we come from, even the painful parts. But if I stride far, I will always come back to you. I'll be useful. I'll be your conscience. I'll be whatever you need me to be..."

Finn almost laughed again. He was gushing, but the words tasted of truth in his mouth. He didn't have an insincere bone in his body, though he would have to learn to play the roles that required them.

"The ring isn't finished yet, but would you marry me...?"

[Hilana Chenzira]

Hilana watched Arvaelyn with the medics, biting her lips and considering giving him another, better target so that they could focus on treating the patient that needed them. But the moment passed and things calmed down, and it was now for Hilana to watch, learn, and supervise. She would have preferred she wasn’t learning these techniques on the prone man on the bed, because that was one of her best friends, and she was also part of the reason why he was in that bed… regardless, she was going to keep an eye on the draconic princeps, because while she hoped Arvaelyn would be calm and rational by the time whatever was done with Finn, that was likely far too much to hope for.

She paid close attention, watching the way the surgeries were happening. She would certainly be able to use this learning later, but preferably it was in Sweet Remedies rather than the field in an emergency. But this was part and parcel of being a doctor, healer, surgeon. You couldn’t always have the best case scenario; and you never learned anything if you did. Field medicine was a part of life for nomads, and a lot of her training was designed for that. But she was still not quite an expert at surgery, and the kinetics and necromancy combination that she was watching now was quite impressive.

Her attention went from that surgery in progress to the efforts to cleanse the remaining shadow from Khyan’s wound. She would have to ask later just what method they were using to purify that, but for now she was loathe to interrupt them at such a critical time. Instead, Hilana just watched and took the time to learn from her vantage point. When his eyes opened and he spoke, Hilana found herself repeating the word. Celatium. Celatium. She would need to talk with the Sages again, provided Arvaelyn didn’t end her first. As quietly as possible, she retrieved her notebook and from her pack and wrote down Khyan’s pronunciation before putting it away in her rucksack again, ignoring the dried blood on her hands, arms, and clothes. At least her own would match.

[Pharaoh]

Within the realm of his nostalgic conjuration, Arry sat on Finn's lap and nestled himself back against the human in a way that was no longer possible. His transformation had made certain positions unwieldy, and part of him missed being small enough to be enveloped. The humanoid portion of his body was no larger than it had been, but the wings made him seem much more statuesque than his humble height of six feet had projected.

He'd have been content to linger in this moment of quiet affection, but he felt part of Finn pulling toward the present- Even though it was a toward a trauma.

"If these monsters of shadow are what harmed you, Finn, I shall summon the Umbrian armies to wage a war to annihilate them from the earth." He vowed, through clenched teeth. He trailed off as Finn spoke on, an eyebrow arching at this news. Naturally, he had sensed a shift... perhaps an evolution within Finn since he'd accepted Aværys' Radiant bequeathment. It was still quite surprising to hear the bard say aloud that he was growing to love both the realm and its Founders.

He parted his lips, planning to protest Finn's offerings. This was no time for his amatus to be proffering boons, when the only one of paramount concern was his healing. But he froze, blindsided by the question... Næ, the proposal that followed.

"I..." Once he'd had a moment to let it sink in, the utter shock was supplanted by consummate elation. "Of course I will!" He vouchsafed, drawing Finn into a desperate embrace. In both this illusory realm and outside in the real world of the infirmary, tears were streaking down his sunkissed skin. The political and legal implications in Solunarian society would not even occur to him, for the nonce. Finn was safe, Finn was his and apparently wanted to affirm that with a formal promise.

He beamed, cupping Finn's face and shaking his head.

"Fuck the ring." And kissed his betrothed deeply.

Meanwhile, the arcane surgeons plied their Craft upon both of the wounded. It was delicate work and would take hours, but during a break one of the higher level medici approached Hilana.

"They will both be made whole in time." It was explained, "The work begins today, but cannot be rushed without running the risk of greater damage. We'll bind what needs binding and mend what needs mending, but today's advances are superficial. They will both need to rest and recuperate for several weeks, while we intersperse their convalescence with a treatment programme to heal them fully." The medic tilted his head, glancing beyond Hilana with a nod, "Sentinel."

"You should go home and rest." It was another voice, now, coming from behind Hilana. Phocion's. "I will see to this. Come by the Prætorium on the morrow for your debrief." With that he approached the frozen form of his younger brother, leaning forth to whisper something into his pointed ear.

[Finn]

Review

Experience:
Finn: 90 xp, available for magic.
Hilana: n/a; XP to be awarded at end of addendum quest.
Khyan (can be split up between Arry and Tyrann) 90 xp, available for magic.
Lyra: 15 xp, available for magic.

Injuries: So many, but this thread is old so I believe everyone is recovered or recovering from missing limbs, etc.

Loot: +1 fiancé for Finn and Arry

Note: Dang, I forgot how chonky the rewards for hazard quests are. As you were!

!	Message from: Talisman
	XP Explanation: This thread could have very easily have been broken into two threads. Therefore I felt it was appropriate to double the base moderated experience and then the Challenging Level of Hilana's Addendum was applied. 15 x 2 threads = 30, x 3 (Hazard) = 90 XP