Legend of Ransera

This was not how Aurin had expected the evening to go. Thankfully, when the call had come in, he had been wrapping things up in a Hahseu alley. With Elwes, he had been successful enough, though he didn't have enough information to make perfect sense of everything. They were cleaning up their mess, but the Rathari bade him go. There wasn't much that required the both of them, and so he had, telling her that he would check in on the morrow to make sure everything had gone smoothly in his absence. She didn't nod, but her silence was acquiescence.

There was no way he could get back to the upper city and Torin without rushing, and so he did. He hustled where he could, ran where he could afford to, and managed to find a cab in the Low-City that would take him to Torin's forge directly. His face and clothes changed several times from Hahseu to that particular door he was looking for. He didn't like that the name Aurin was on people's tongues in Hahseu, so Aurin definitely stayed in the Plaza of the Jeweled Arches.

Of course, he had a key. The house was quiet. He crept in and made sure Timon was all right, and he was fast asleep. So he repaired to the shop to wait for Torin. He saw him approach through the window alongside a hulking Avialae. Through his semblance trick, he could tell it was an Avialae he knew. Well, that was convenient. He sighed, invisible to them from the shadows in the shop.

Aurelio entered, then Torin. He could sense the injuries—it was more than just smelling the metallic tang of blood on the air. There was a faint malaise in Torin that was upsetting.

Aurin sighed again.

Over Torin's shoulder, he said, "I just questioned that Mortallen. I've got some details, but most of it just begs more questions. The investigation continues."

Back to Torin, "Let's get you inside so I can tend to you with better lighting. But we ought to be quiet. Timon's asleep."

That said, he turned toward the inner door to lead them into the house proper. One might say he acted like he owned the place; he didn't, but Torin belonged to him so it amounted to the same thing.

---

۞ The anxiety amongst her face was probably the worst of the issue. It appeared that there was a stalwart walk in his stride as he made sure Torin was around his arm at all time; like he was drunk. However, he was protective, vigilant of the man. His large golden wings furrowed around incase any of the cultists would try anything funny. What was bothering Aurelio that he didn't know what was going on. What was it that drove these cultists in these lands? The Sky Guard had dealt with them accordingly, although there was something that bothered the golden specked Avialae; it was challenging Aurelio's mind even further, as he questioned himself. Am I doing the right thing? Why me? Why am I the subject to these madmen? What drives them and more importantly, if they catch me what do they plan to do to me?. The malaise he felt had only taken a toll amongst him; it was something that often bothered him.

At that moment the blonde spoke as he was in the thoughts of his own "Would ya? I tried it against another guy; but I lost... He was your height too admittedly" The embarrassment of being beat by a human was almost as shameful as being Avialae. Yet, there was so much out there for him. He stared over at Torin as he nodded "I don't feel the cold, but I'm sure you'd appreciate a little gift of winters warmth" He said as he furrowed his wings further, almost wrapping them around Torin to keep him warm; eventually his eyes shifted at the sight of blood down his shirt "Oh for fuck sake..." He said closing his eyes in guilt "No, listen... You need medical help..." He said with a sigh; the guilt on the Avialae's face could bare no mercy. He knew he had fucked up. Was he to blame for letting Torin fight on his own? Did he underestimate his capabilities?

"Fuck sake, why am I such an idiot..." He said to himself.

He entered the house as he saw Aurin; his eyes widened in surprise as he shook his head "Aurin, I can explain..." He said as he looked at Torin further. He could feel himself also getting weaker, probably from the deep gash in his chest, resulting from blood loss as fever had began to settle in. The Avialae appeared unwell for a moment; but he was stubborn, like all of his kind. He would not rest until he found the answers he was looking for. Who are those cultists? When Aurin looked over his shoulder he sighed as Aurelio sat down at the table contemplating his thoughts. He also did break one rule that Aurin had promised him. Never meet with strangers. Torin was a stranger, but did Aurin have any connection with him? ۞

Aurin didn't wait for Aurelio's explanation. With a sharper glance, he tried to ascertain if the same strange feel of wrongness was in Aurelio as well. His chest was wounded, so it was possible. Assassins did like their poisons. He quietly followed into the main house, keeping an eye on his boy and the winged wonder in case their strength gave out. He was meditating on that sense of wrongness through his rune, using his trick to figure out if they were in serious danger or not. Some poisons were only meant to incapacitate temporarily.

After letting Torin light the lanterns, he indicated the door to Timon's room.

"The boy's asleep, Aurelio. No loud noises." Though Timon was Torin's responsibility, Torin was Aurin's responsibility, so the apprentice was his as well. "Sit. Both of you. Shirts off so I can see what I've got to work with."

He started heating water and found the little sewing kit for making repairs to clothes that would also be used to repair skin if need be. He wasn't a trained medic, but he knew enough to do a little. As he went through those motions, he continued to meditate upon what his semblance trick was telling him.

"There's some poison in you, but I think you'll be fine. No lasting damage from that." But he would continue to monitor it through his augmented senses; all the same, he decided he would brew some tea after the fact. Torin's elven friend had brought several over and some of them had medicinal uses according to the scrap of paper that came with them.

He put his hand on the nape of Torin's neck, gave it an invisible squeeze. Aurin hated loving people—it caused such pain and fear. Of course, he didn't let it show on his face.

"All right, I need the whole story now. From both of you. While I patch you up."

---

۞ The thoughts of anxiety going through Aurelio's head as he removed his shirt, revealing the well muscled body, followed by the gash on his chest from when he was attacked in the High Hopes. It was at that moment he realised that there had also been a sedative added to the blade. It made him feel weak, drowsy as it entered his bloodstream slowly. It started to take effect as his eyes appeared to become tired as he tried to focus. At that moment his words slurred "Thhheer... Wassaass" He shook the feeling off. The poison didn't harm Aurelio, but it surely gave him some moments of offbalance "Theeeerreee Wass A F-f-f-f-fight, I-I...." He looked to Torin with guilt in his eyes "I didn't-t-t mean to Dr-Dr-Drag you in l-like" He shook his head as his vision began to appear double sighted.

He knew already he had been poisoned with a hallucinogenic sedative, there was an ambition to capture the golden winged Avialae rather than kill him all together. His concern was faced to Aurin and Torin who are now deep within his mess "I-I'm sorry. I-I should'd-d-ve listened" He said clearly stating that fact that he should've listened to him in avoiding all masses of social events; gatherings and other places whilst the events die down. It appeared that theres a dark shadow over the city of Kalzasi.

He looked at Aurin for a moment and sighed deeply as his head was fuzzy "I-I-I'll be fine, it's h-h-h-him I'm conc-c-cerned about" He said. It was clear Aurelio needed an antidote for the hallucinogen that was used on him, or perhaps it would leave his blood stream quickly. Who knows, there was an ominous feeling outside the house; as if they were being watched from every corner. Every nook and cranny. Aurelio began to lose his focus as his body collapsed beside on the bench. The sedative had taken it's effect.۞

As Torin seemed the most steady, Aurin found himself watching Aurelio as the Avialae faded. He hadn't smelled any of the scents Elwes had warned him about on either of them, which wasn't foolproof, of course. But between that fact ruling out quite a few dangerous poisons, his semblance trick told him that both men would be fine, needed rest, and patching up. He could guard them while they rested, and patch up the worst of things. As Aurelio fell asleep, Aurin managed to guide what gravity did to his body and lean him back against the wall so he could sleep and so his wounded chest remained.

Then he gathered the leatherworking kit and laid it out as well before tending to the boiling water and herbs. All the while, he listened to Torin, making frequent eye contact and nodding.

"You did right, boy," he said softly, gruff but quiet. "Tomorrow, I want you to make a report to the Sky Guards. Be open and honest and tell them you have a small apprentice and ask that they increase patrols in your neighborhood. At least your taxes will be spent keeping you safer. They ought to already be following up on the wing-harvesting cult or whatever is after Aurelio. I'm looking into it too." He put his hand on Torin's shoulder where it met his neck. "This will sting." He held a clean cloth steaming from the hot water against Torin's gravest cut, though he knew now that the damage was mostly superficial.

He proceeded to fill Torin in on how he knew Aurelio and what he knew of him, though he downplayed the attack near his home. Aurin already knew Torin worried about him, and while it wasn't illogical, he didn't want him worrying over much. When the narcotic knocked Torin out, Aurin set to work, though his eyes stung as if Aurelio's sand trick had managed to catch him back when they sparred in the High Hopes themselves. He didn't cry, but this was as close as he ever came to weeping. The thought of losing Torin was too much, and while he wished he could just dissociate from the dumb fuck of an Avialae snoring nearby, he found himself wanting to protect Aurelio, as well.

In the end, he cleaned all their wounds, chose silk thread to sew closed their wounds, and bandaged them with poultices made inexpertly from the medicinal herbs available. He would make them a pain-dulling tea in the morning, but for now, the poison of their attackers was at least making them incognizant of the pain of their wounds and their treatments. He made tiny stitches and took his time as they were unconscious. The fine silk and his studious attention would mean less scarring, he hoped, and faster healing.

When all was said and done, he cleaned up and put things away. He put a blanket on Aurelio, not wanting to develop a hernia trying to move him alone. He laid Torin down in front of the fire, but found himself a few shots of hard liquor before curling up behind him for the night, his body placed carefully so as not to aggravate his wounds, but needing to be as close as possible so his sleeping mind might feel his presence and not torment him with nightmares of losing him.

Lore:

Aurin:
Masquerade:
Changing When You Enter a New Space

Medicine:
Recognizing a Poison
Medicinal Teas

Running:
Across a City
Through Crowded Streets

Spycraft:
Meeting Informants
Cleaning Up the Mess
Forming a Bigger Picture

Aurelio:
TBA

Torin:
Medicine:
Adrenaline Withdrawl
Signs of Shock
Freshness of Spilled Blood
Don't Strain a Muscle Wound
Abdominal Wall Tears
Using the Right Thread for Skin

Unarmed:
Fighting in a Crowd
Assessing Fighting Skill

Points: 8 each, Aurin may use for Semblance or Masquerade

Injuries/Ailments: Fighting Injuries, long healed

Loot: None

Notes: