Asumit Aftermath

The note which had been delivered to Zeke had been simple enough, but driving in its force to send Zeke out of the Temple of Daeus in search of Seldan. A quick word there had proven that Seldan was in the Temple of Eluna, but for the first time, Zeke actually had trouble getting in to see the man.

There was a buzz of activity around not Seldan's cell, but the healing halls where patient quarters are set. It allowed some privacy for those being healed, but greater access for those healers responsible for their care. Zeke had to talk to several people, reminding them all that he himself was a healer before he was allowed in to see Seldan.

'I keep my promise.' Zeke's eyes roamed over the unfamiliar healers clearing now out of Seldan's care room, looking for his kin with a growing sense of sickness in his stomach. He stepped aside to allow others exit and finally caught sight of the man himself. That sight only made his worry compact into a tight knot inside him.

This is not the first time that Zeke has seen Seldan with ink-black skin, so he's easy enough to recognize. But - this is no plague scar. Whatever happened to him is - far worse than that. He's been stripped of anything that could be considered magical in nature, and is currently being supported by a fairly young girl while he is physically ill. Skin blackened and cracking, as if with severe burns, but with pieces simply - missing, leaving bleeding lines behind reminiscent of razor wire. These, at least, do not look completely raw - he's had some healing, but the ginger-blonde hair is the only thing that makes him recognizable from his usual quietly confident self. His body lines speak of someone convulsed in agony.

A few faces look up uncertainly at Zeke as he enters, and uncertainty and worry ripples through the room. Nobody knows exactly what is going on, or what to do.

Their uncertainty is enough to tighten Zeke's eyes. It is bad enough for one to be injured, but to see a healer that is in charge of their care uncertain? "Why do you ssstand here? Sssend for one of the keeeper-casste." He motions one arm to one of the healers just standing around and - glad to have something to do - they obey. Zeke gives a few other orders, mostly to clear out the room so that Seldan is not beset on all sides by people. Particularly with open wounds this is a bad thing.

Zeke bemoans silently the fact that he can not immediately go to his kin's side, but he is a healer first and he talks to the healer in charge of Seldan's care first. To get information on what has been done for the other man, what has worked... and what clearly has not.

The question gets Zeke an uncertain look at first, but the sun symbol is enough to gain Zeke an explanation. "He and his companions were in the Sea of Mana, he says. How they managed that, I do not know, not to mention why. It sounds like their enemy was there, but whatever it was ..." The healer in charge, an older woman with long white hair. "This much do we know - magic appears to hurt rather badly, and he is ill. It seems to be overload of some kind. Would that we could at least deal with the wounds and the burns, but I do not know if healing him is safe, and I would like him stable before I try it."

The blue-scale nods his acceptance at this information. Internalizing it and deciphering it for the information he really needs. "Thissss one hasss had a keeper-cassste sssent for. If it isss magic-related they may have knowldege that will help usss heal." If the information was lacking... it was no loss, and they had much to gain otherwise. He looks at Seldan. "If magic can not be usssed to heal him, then we mussst at leasst closse his woundsss or they will become a plassce of sssicknesss. Another can bring bandages and salvesss. Sssuch asss are usssed for burnsss and ssuch. They will give usss time."

He looks at the woman to see if his suggestions are well-taken and he moves toward Seldan himself. The girl attending to Seldan looks up at his aproach but Zeke only nods appreciation for her diligence. "Ssseldan." He says the other man's name gently. "We mussst bandage your woundsss. Do you undersstand?" He was uncertain as of yet if the pain was having an effect on the other man's clarity of thinking. Yet to do something to a patient without their knowing or consent was not in Zeke's creed; unless they were unable to offer intelligent input on their care of course.

The woman nods immediately, and turns to start giving orders. He's right, and she knows it the moment the words are out of his mouth. The girl, meanwhile, has just laid him back down, and stares up at Zeke, wide-eyed and uncertain in a clear _who are you?_ She doesn't move, yet, clearly ready to defend him if necessary.

Seldan's eyes, however, flick over at once at the words. In truth, he'd already spotted Zeke, and recognition is clear. That much is good news - he is clearly in a lot of pain, but he is present and sane. "Kin," he manages roughly. "I wonder that you do not yet tire of my misadventures. Agh!" he shifts, clearly uncomfortable, and looks up. "Grateful am I that you are here."

The girl's willingness to defend Seldan earns her Zeke's instant respect. He does not however offer her the courteous greeting that is his and his people's natural course. There is time enough for niceties later, for now Seldan and his injuries are Zeke's sole concern. Zeke seems to take stock of Seldan's injuries a second time now that they are close to one another. "Thisss one will not tire kin." He tries to be amused for the other man's sake, but there is little enough of that in him at the moment. Instead he makes a restraining gesture at Seldan. Not touching, but rather motioning for Seldan to be still. "Do not move if you can avoid it. You have many open woundsss which we mussst tend to."

The girl glances uncertainly at Seldan, then at Zeke, then at the older woman, eyes wide. "We will care for him -" she starts, but is interrrupted by the older woman bringing the needed bandages and salves. "It's all right, Tressia. I think I've seen him before, and Seldan clearly knows him. We could use the help, and I won't deny him. Maybe the - Sunguard?" she pauses uncertainly. "Can figure out what happened to him?"

Seldan, meanwhile, starts to half-sit up at the exchange. "Zeke," he explains briefly. "My kin, the one I seek when in need. I would have him stay." He relaxes back, then, drawing a deep breath, the steadying breath of one who knows what is coming. "As you will. They are strikes from a void creature, an unmaker, the Unraveler. We - channeled the Sea of Mana, called down the Seal of the Void, to get it out of the Sea of Mana. It - broke apart, but - we destroyed it. Mostly. A few pieces - floated. I know not - what they will do." He talks between deep breaths. "The ley lines were - sick. Infected. Clogged."

Zeke blinks at the woman and the girl, realizing abruptly that he has been unaccountably rude. "Thisss one isss Zeke, ssservant of the Dragonfather. Thisss one will tend to Sseldan if allowed." He nods to them both, but in truth... his attention is on Seldan. Seldan who is trying - in spite of his injuries - to give them vital information on his mission. He makes gentle hushing noises at the man, trying to get him to relax. They need this information to heal Seldan, but he can see that it costs him to give it.

"You have done well Sseldan." He can not imagine the doing of this thing which Seldan has accomplished. "But your injuriesss? Were they counter-sstrikess from the creature? An... effect from channeling the Mana?"

He is not keeper-caste, and these things are unfamiliar to him. Zeke feels like he is fumbling in the dark for something necessary but dangerous. The parts of it that he does understand fill him with fear for Seldan. Fear that the man's wounds will not heal at /all/. Such might be possible with so much raw magic in the mix.

"Both. Seer Merek - did not survive. It struck - and scattered him into the Sea of Mana." Seldan does not appear to be hushing, but continues to breathe, controlled and deep, and stares at the ceiling as the binding of his wounds begins.

"We had wondered." The older woman's reply to Zeke is mildly amused, but only lightly scolding. "I was certain that there was a reason you were here. Kin, you said? That would explain it, although how -" She trails off, shaking her head. "Don't move, lad. We'll make this as easy on you as we can. I'd sedate you if I thought you could keep it down. As it is, we're going to have to do this the hard way." While she's talking, Tressia has begun the process of bandaging the worst of the wounds, and now Zeke is offered supplies as well. "If you can keep him calm...."

Zeke accepts his portion of the supplies, nodding to the woman. He does not explain how he and Seldan are kin. It is in fact - not something that he would feel comfortable expressing to someone who was not among the People in any case. But that is neither here nor now. The important thing is to take care of Seldan. He moves closer to the other man, taking his hand and beginning to take care of some of the smaller injuries. Stopping to help Tressia when she needs aid in moving Seldan to wrap this injury or that one. Now, Zeke encourages Seldan to talk. Knowing that the distraction will keep his kin's mind off of what they are doing to his body.

"You defeated thissss monssster though yesss?" At great cost it seemed. What has happened to Seldan, and to have lost Merek entirely... "You are doing well Sseldan. Very good. Ssshare wordsss with thisss one." Gentle encouragements.

It's not pleasant. The skin is very fragile, and sloughs off easily. Seldan has at least had some help - many of the wounds are half-healed or better, but it's still a slow process, and keeping them from festering will be a job. He bits his lip _hard_ a few times to avoid crying out, but after a few moments and the encouragement, resumes. "Even so. It is no more. There are ... pieces of it in the Sea of Mana. I know not what that will do. Kravar - was turned to stone and shattered. We mean to restore him, I know not if the Seer can be ... brought back. We are all - hurt."

He smiles, faintly but with reverence. "Her face - made it bearable. She smiled upon us."

Another lost it seemed. Zeke does not know the full roster of those that went with Seldan to fight this thing, but it seems that all of them have suffered. "It will not be yoursss alone to worry about kin." Zeke says softly. It might not be Seldan's concern at all if they can not heal this damage done to him. The wounds... every time Zeke thinks that they have wrapped the last one, applied the last bit of salve... there is another. Seldan will look like a veritable mummy by the time they are done. "Your goddesssss sssmilesss on you much Ssseldan. Thisss one thinksss you mussst be ssspecial to her, that ssshe doesss sssmile ssso often."

This last is somewhat wry, but Zeke looks at Seldan now, his eyes meeting and holding the other's gaze for a long moment. "Ssseldan... Do you underssstand how badly you are hurt?" This iss an important question, and he is uncertain if the other man realizes how badly injured he is. How serious the fact that they can not simply heal him is.

"I ... strive to be worthy of Her." Seldan's very small smile is both reflective and reverent, but it fades. "Kin - healing may be possible. Serene - did so. It just ... burns to touch magic," he explains, as simply as he can. "So much - and yet it was - incredible." A definite mix of reactions. Pain, but also indescribable joy. "I will - bear it, do you wish to try."

Zeke does not answer right away. Instead he looks to Seldan's healer. She nods once and he nods in return to her nod. They have the wounds bandaged, so it is time to see if they can heal the damage done. Or at least mitigate it. "Thisss one will try, but if the pain becomes too much, you must tell thiss one."

He offers his claw to Seldan. Both for support, and for the healing. He waits for the other man to take it, to steady himself, and then he pours the healing magics into Seldan's body. It might have been wise to start with something small, but he is worried that a smaller healing spell will only hurt and not repair enough of the damage to be worth it. So he uses the most powerful healing spell he knows. One that should drive the hurt out entirely, though he has little hope that it will do that much.

It's less a matter of taking it, really, Seldan's hands bandaged as they are, than laying his hand atop the offered claw. But, even steeling himself, even wishing to avoid frightening others - nothing prepares him for the healing that Zeke uses. It is like a blast of fire through every sensitive, tingling nerve he possesses, and despite himself, he screams. "Agh!"

But, it seems that the shock may have spared him worse, for his grip loosens abruptly, and he slumps unconscious to the pillows as the magic takes hold, restoring the wounds he'd taken and much of the damage to his skin. He's still breathing, his heart racing and gradually slowing, but he does not rouse immediately.

The healing passes, and a cursory check deems that physically the magic has done its work. His flesh is new and healing, but healing it is. Zeke will sit at Seldan's side until he wakes. They have important things to talk about, but for now his kin needs some much deserved rest. Zeke will see to it, that he receives it.

-End