brave_kreyu | OOM All Skate Skellig Dream Magic Weirdness -Part Seven

"He will not," Skellig replies firmly, his focus on working to rid this plague and illness from her body - it is not something he can simply take into his own body as he did with Kreyu's wounds, his connection is not nearly as strong. This is a plague, thousands upon thousands of tiny pieces that have infiltrated the entire being of the woman. Each one clashes violently with his Light as he sends it out through her system, though the 'sparks' are so small she will hardly notice.

He adjusts his position where he is seated on the bed, turns and flashes a smile that is just ever-so-slightly sharp to Neferet. "Owls do eat rats," he replies, as if he is praising her for being so smart. "And all manner of other nasty creatures."

The mother's words: sired her clearly set the tone. He wonders if that Dark being is the sire of this child. If she is clearly god-touched in some manner, is her mother as well? Surely he would have been able to tell by now, though the layers of the White Death are putting up a struggle as he peels them back.

Edited 2024-07-08 12:01 (UTC)

There is the faintest flicker of SOMETHING in Neferet's mother. She has a touch of Sight, but it would be an inconsistent thing at best.

The mother's worry eases when Skellig says that he will not. "He's become something terrible, since the night I knew him."

"The rats in his shadow make people sick," Neferet chimes in.

Never has he typically been one to exclude children from a conversation simply because of their age (unless it is blatantly obvious the subject matter is best avoided) so his focus as he speaks is on Neferet.

"Does he ask the rats to run freely and choose who he makes sick? Or does it seem more as if he chooses, and then sends the rats after them? Have you ever noticed that?"

It may be an important distinction, it may not be - but facts will help regardless. He adjusts his hands on the mother's frame (she's frail and tired, muscles exhausted) and shifts one palm to the center of her chest between her breasts, places the other on her shoulder. More 'sparks' crackle through his system and hers, as the war continues within.

His voice low - this he shields from the child - he mutters a few words in an old tongue, long since forgotten by most. It causes her to cough and spit up some blood, but it is less than before. (That area of her lung was being a bit...difficult.) "Your name?" He asks the mother, once she has quit coughing.

Neferet frowns, thinking hard. "The rats are never far from him, I don't think they can leave him. I think he chooses, because they don't bite at everyone."

"Iset," she gasps. "You, you are one of the Wise." Someone with magic, as Skellig has heard Kreyu called before.

Nodding, he frowns faintly as he allows his senses to 'reach' a bit deeper, seeking out the last bits of the disease that are lingering within Iset's body, working to have his energy grab hold of them and wring them dry, wash them from her system.

"I am one of the Wise," he confirms quietly.

(Very little of the plague remains within Iset's body, but he can still sense a heavy burden of it in this room, perhaps either just within the walls or maybe the child carries it as well.)

"I follow the teachings of the Great Lady," he adds. "You are wise to seek her protection. No more harm will come to either of you, under her watch." Under 'our' watch, he nearly says, but he realizes it is best if he does not let out those details so freely. "This may be...uncomfortable. Trust me a moment."

He turns her head so that she can bury her face in his chest as she coughs out the last of the blood and disease, him not caring that the red splatter coats his skin. He just wishes for Neferet not to see.

The White Death sleeps in Neferet, waiting for an opportunity to strike. And the plague lurks in the walls, in the surfaces here. He can get rid of them with more power, more light.

Iset's breathing is easing already, under his care. "I would not have expected one of the Wise to come here, even with such vast mercy as the Great Lady possesses."

There is a flicker of shame across Iset's face. "I know that the gifts of the Wise are not wielded without cost, but I fear I have nothing to offer you, kind Skellig."

"It's okay, Momma." Neferet tells her. "I have something!" Neferet proffers a rock to Skellig as if it is a great treasure. It is a holey stone.

There is a linen rag on the bed which Skellig uses to quickly wipe away the majority of the blood upon his skin before he turns to see what Neferet is offering to him.

And his face brightens considerably, when he sees what it is.

"How did you know little one, that I hold such stones even higher in value than I do the most precious gems? Come here, let me see you," he adjusts his seated position on the bed, beckons the child to crawl closer from where she sits at the foot of the bed. "And show me this fine stone, while I would check you over as I did your Momma?"

Iset will clearly pick up on his underlying concern that her child is also ill; the nod she gives him is permission enough for him to continue.

Edited 2024-07-09 00:33 (UTC)

Iset doesn't MEAN to fall asleep, just close her eyes for a second, but the illness and the healing have both taken so much out of her.

Neferet gleefully sits right next to him and starts telling him about where she found the stone on the beach. There was a crab, and it tried to grab her toes, but she got the rock away from it!

This infection will be much easier to treat, just one small spot lying in wait for the right conditions to grow out of control.

Skellig listens very intently to her tale - such bravery, to snatch the rock away from the crab before it stole her toes! While doing so, he keeps a hand on her back carefully as he works to rid her body of the infection, Light charging into her system to scoop up the Darkness and White Death and carry it off - much like her "battle" with the crab.

"It is clear to me that you are a special heart, Neferet. And you will do great things. You just must be careful as you are young, about who it is that you speak about shadows with. I will ask my friend if there is someone who might mentor you, help you grow in your strength."

Once he is satisfied he has cleared her body of infection, he lowers his voice, whispering. "We must let your mother rest. But I would not take this rock from you without a trade. Can you keep a secret, little one?"

Neferet's mother has mentioned that to her before, about being careful who she talks about shadows with. Perhaps, coming from Skellig, it will stick!

Neferet nods rapidly. "I am good at keeping secrets."

"I trust you. "

Skellig glances over at Iset - she is sound asleep, her body already desperately trying to recover now that she can BREATHE - and then reaches up to his neck, to slip off his amulet. The "shadow" vanishes and this in turn exposes his wings, which he carefully stretches the smallest amount before he brings one forward, close enough for the child to touch.

(Meanwhile, he quickly preens at his shoulder with one hand, seeking out a few feathers that are loose enough to pluck free.)

"You were right about the wings," he says softly.

Neferet makes an awed, open mouthed expression! "You have owl wings!" she whispers. Clearly, that is the coolest thing ever!

She touches the tips of his feathers oh so carefully. "They're soft, not like duck feathers at all."

If he has to 'help' nudge Iset to keep her asleep for an extra few moments, he will.

"They are for flight in silence," he says, nodding. "Where a duck cares less about how much noise it makes."

With a few feathers plucked free, he carefully offers them over to her on an upturned palm.

"Trade for the stone? I would add it on this cord," he says, indicating the amulet. "Which I wear with me always. That way if you or your Momma should need help, it would be easier for me to find you."

She takes one feather, carefully. "People can do bad things, if they have a piece of you," she tells him. "And I'm LITTLE, what if they took your feather from me?"

"You are little, but you are very smart, and very brave. I trust that you will keep that feather safe as best as you can."

He weaves the other two feathers back into his wing easily, then threads the rock onto the cord with his owl amulet, tying an extra knot to separate the two pieces.

"If somehow that feather is taken, you do not need to worry. I promise." It is not a lie - one feather in the hands of a Dark being could not truly do that much harm to him, especially as it carries no blood.

"Okay," she says, softly. The feather is placed into the 'pocket' where the stone was, where she keeps her treasures.

"Thank you, for helping Momma." She doesn't realize that Skellig healed her too.

"He'll be back, though," she says, worry creeping into her voice. She's not wrong, Skellig can just sense the edges of THAT presence again, of the man who was chasing her.

"I can sense he will return," he says honestly. "But you need not worry. I am going to finish cleansing within these walls and then I will strengthen the wards you have placed before I go. You will remain here for the evening - have you enough food to eat? Water?"

Skellig is already looking for a jug of fresh water and taking inventory.

Replacing the amulet is easy enough, the shadow of his wings returning as they sit there on the bed. "Would you like to help me spread the Light within this space? I would need you to think very hard... think of the most fun thing that you and your Momma have ever done."

He knows given what they have within these walls and this section of town, it may not be extraordinary. But joy does not have to be.

"We have food, Nanny Ko who lives near us brings us leftovers. She's really nice. And I got the water this morning!" It took a lot of trips. The jug of water is clearly visible on the table.

She nods, her face scrunching up a bit as she thinks really hard. It wasn't all THAT long ago, time wise, when her mother was well, that they went to one of the fields just outside of town. There were so many butterflies, in so many colors and shapes, more than she'd ever realized there could be!

Even with his reserves as full as they are (healing both of them and chasing the plague from this space will drain them a little, as will dealing with the 'problem' once he leaves) he can feel the Light and Karma grow as the memory strengthens in her mind.

"That's it," he praises her gently - he does not DRAIN any of her energy at all, only uses it to better solidify the hold this cleanse will have on their home, as it is their space. He focuses for a few minutes in silence, working to rid the air and surfaces of any last specks where the disease may have held on. Once he is satisfied, he sighs and pats Neferet lightly on the shoulder. "Well done. Could you sense that, at all?"

Neferet nods. "It feels like a really BIG cat purring, when they're up against your chest."

She looks at Skellig, serious. "Are you going to make the bad man go away?" she asks, voice quiet.

Nodding, his voice takes on a serious - but not firm or scary, just straightforward and honest - tone.

"I am going to make this bad man go away, and he will not bother you or your Momma again, I promise you that. But in the future, there may be other bad men who might seek to come find you, which is why you must promise me you will be careful, Neferet? Listen to those who would caution you, for while you are Wise, you still have much to learn. I will speak to my friend as I mentioned and we will find you a teacher, which will help. But please... be careful. Can you promise me that?"

Edited 2024-07-09 02:08 (UTC)

"I will be careful, Skellig," she promises.

That Dark presence is getting closer, he can't be far from the house now.

Gently, he presses a kiss to the top of her hair.

"You stay inside until the dawn breaks tomorrow, and then it will be safe for both of you to come and go as you please. I will be nearby, should you need me."

And without lingering any longer (he does not want the Darkness getting any closer to the house) he takes his leave; shutting the door behind him he mutters a ward that he has watched Kreyu do already many times before - and then allows his Light to freely FLOOD the space around the home and nearby area. This is a double attack - both on the disease which still lurks everywhere - and also an assault on the senses of the Dark, a distraction.

"You," Skellig growls roughly, grabbing hold of the Being (who is practically seething with his own rage because he WANTS THAT ENERGY and NEEDS THAT CHILD) by the back of the neck. "Are walking with me."

It is not a debate. Also, while he is tempted to simply launch himself skyward with the Being in tow, a nearby alcove in a dank and dark alley hidden from the sun will suffice to 'start' this conversation.

Edited 2024-07-09 02:29 (UTC)

Skellig's Light HURTS, and he's angry, desperate! He snarls, claws at Skellig and tries to sap his strength.
"Let go of me, you freak!" Maybe he sees the wings, or senses them somehow, maybe it's just an instinct for words that stand the best chance of causing an emotional wound in the target.

"She belongs to me!"

He senses the clawing and scratching, the desperate attempts at a struggle - like rats trying to escape a larger predator - but his grip doesn't waver, even when a few slight points of contact are made.

"She belongs to no one but herself," he snaps back harshly. "And she is under the watch of the Great Lady, as well as myself. I am The Seeing One," he adds, using the 'title' of sorts he received when he last walked with Death. "You will not claim her."

The 'freak' comment does bring with it a sting, which in turn causes Skellig to tighten his grip. He pushes them further into the alley, until they are as far as they can go.

"What is the reason you would try to claim her?"

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