Healing Hands

It's not too long after dawn prayers when the message comes to the Temple of Daeus, from Seldan. It is neutrally worded, in its way - when your duties permit, I would welcome your company. I shall be in my cell. Meaning that he is in the Temple of Eluna, in a familiar place.

The one alarming thing about the note is that there's a smudge on the corner, of something black, and the smells that cling to the paper are incredibly alarming. Woodsmoke. Seldan's blood. And whatever that black stuff is.

If the note itself had not been enough to make Zeke make haste to the temple of Eluna, the woodsmoke scent mingled with Seldan's blood is enough. He's not certain what the black ichor is, but that in of itself is perhaps only more alarming. Thus he heads to the temple as quickly as he can, and given that he is without half the duties that are usually his to perform now... That is quicker than usual.

Zeke makes his way to the temple of Eluna. As well known now to him as the temple of his own deity. Known too is the way to Seldan's chamber where he knocks politely but with no small urgency.

"Come." The familiar voice rasps with weariness, but is otherwise pleasant enough, if carefully controlled.

Opening the door reveals the cell as it normally is, but the scents - the scents are overwhelming. The contents of the paper writ large, plus brimstone and many blood scents that mingle, not just his. His is but one note in the cacophony of blood. He himself is sitting on the bed, shirtless, using a simple spell to clean his armor, piece by piece, and he inspects it thoroughly for damage as he goes. Two or three fairly large burns, across his back and down one side. Cuts that look like whip marks, but burnt in as well. Several sword cuts, some of them deep and one across his collarbone and chest to his shoulder, that looks like it didn't miss his neck by much. Some are half-healed, some still raw. A healer's kit sits open next to him on the bed.

More than anything else, though, he looks exhausted, both in the way of one who has gone without rest and in the different way that suggests expenditure of power. But the ice-blue eyes are positively snapping with fury, despite the veneer of concentration, and the clear and severe pain that underlies it. He's running on adrenaline and stone cold fury, and it looks like it isn't going to be long before it catches up with him.

For a moment, Zeke is stymied outside the door. For his sensitive nose the internal workings of Seldan's room is almost too much. Yet the sight of his wounds draws the sith in like a moth drawn inevitably toward the light. Hissing subtly at the garish wound that looks nearly mortal in particular, Zeke finally closes the door and makes his way to his kin's side. "What hasss happened to you kin?"

It's the least of what Zeke might ask. He tries not to breathe too heavily in the scent of smoke and gives a delicate snort as he stops just shy of the other man. "Will you ceassse a moment Ssseldan, and allow thisss one to heal your woundsss? They look..." To Zeke's sharp, healer eyes he knows precisely how close to death the other man had come, and it is not a comforting knowledge.

Seldan's arms drop wearily to his lap, but the eyes are still alert, and snapping. "Mithralla lost control of a balor. I am spent, and I am but grateful that we saved as many as we did. Had I not stood vigil-" He trails off, leaving that thought, but sets aside his armor, drawing a deep breath. "Forgive me, kin. I had meant to be done, ere you arrived. I would not have you think I wish your company only when I am hurt. I had wished for - a calmer head, for do I seek Mithralla now, I might well backhand him." He hisses quietly as he moves, and once lets out a quiet, "Agh!" at a certain motion, but does allow the sith to look. "I would have them be certain to be clean," he adds.

Zeke shakes his head subtly at the sound of pain that Seldan makes, and gladly moves in when the other man allows him to do so. That Seldan would 'allow' a sound of pain to exit his lips is itself an worrisome thing. The man all too often pretends that he is made of stone rather than flesh. Zeke's eyes slide over the injuries and he catalogs them, searching for any signs of the nasty infections that can come with contact with those from the Iron Hells.

"They do not look infected, but thisss one would be scertain of it ass well. A moment kin." Zeke lays his flesh and blood claw on Seldan's arm where he is not wounded. Then he reaches for the spark of light inside him which is the Dragonfather's power. "Dragonfather..." He murmurs the prayer which he has spoken a hundred times before, and says it with no less faith than the first time. The warmth of healing presses into Seldan's flesh from his hand, not only chasing out any infection that might be there, but forcing his wounds to heal as well.

"Thisss one iss *glad* to be of asssissstance kin. Do not hesssitate to call on thiss one for sssome perception that thisss one might hold. Which, thisss one doess not." Zeke gently removes his hand and looks over the work that his spell has done. Healing can only do so much, but it does a great deal. "Would you ssshare wordss with thisss one, and explain how Mikilosss could sssummon ssuch a thing?"

The work of the spell is fine indeed, although the injuries were quite extensive, and the gashes and burns knit and melt away, leaving pink-red lines in their wake that will fade. Seldan lets out an audible breath of relief as the Draco Solis' warmth floods through him, and he automatically murmurs a formulaic phrase of thanksgiving common among his followers. It is a thing Seldan has often done, and it seems to be more rote than heartfelt. He grips the edge of the bed to steady himself as the rush of the body readjusting itself under the hand of the magic takes hold, that warmth and comfort flooding him. The lines left behind will fade quickly enough, but their presence says that he will ache rather badly later - a minor and expected side effect.

What it leaves behind is relief, and now-naked exhaustion, in the set of the shoulders and the lines of his face. "You have my thanks for that," he adds, moving to make room on the cot for the sith-makar. "Though in truth do I think it poor of me to importune. Mithralla ... sought to bind Eclavdran. I know not what happened, but I refused him when he wished my aid in summoning him for the purpose, and instead kept vigil against the possibility of disaster. Serene found me, and together we hunted them out, but - when I have rested, I must seek the area. Perhaps there is something left of someone there."

Zeke takes the offered seat, glad to be off his feet. The sith-makar tilts his head at an unfamiliar word, but quickly digests its meaning. "Thisss one isss grateful to be of asssissstance in thiss sssmall way, thiss one isss pleasssed that you come to thisss one for sssuch. It isss..." He tries to find the right word in the common language for what it is that he wants to say. "An honor to be ssso trusssted."

If not precisely correct, then it is close enough. What he wants to say, is that it is a privilege. That he knows that Seldan does not trust everyone to see him in such a state and yet he trusts Zeke. They are kin, so perhaps that might be expected, but Zeke knows well the truth that kin are not always as close as he has quickly become to the paladin. "Thisss one doess hope that the demon did not ssslay all whom summoned it." He sounds troubled by the idea. "For sssurely they would not purpossefully allow the creature to sstalk the night with-out trying to ssstop it."

"I cannot imagine that they made no attempt to stop it, and yet did Serene fly with me. With neither of us present, I know not whether they possessed the strength to stop what they summoned." His eyes close, and he leans back against the wall wearily. "It is in my mind that none were spared, and thus would I seek their bodies, that I might know if enough remains to seek the assistance of the Mourners."

With an effort, he forces himself back to an upright position. "Do you hear news of him, I would know it." It's a request, quietly and almost shyly delivered. He makes to reach for the piece of armor he's been inspecting, but it's at the far end of the bed, with Zeke between him and it, and he looks like he is about to attempt to stand to retrieve it.

"If thisss one hearsss of him, thisss one ssshall sssurely tell you." Zeke does not fail to notice Seldan's intent to move and places a hand between his kin and the man's armor. "But you mussst sssleep. Healing isss not eassy on the body, and you require ressst for your body to fully recover. Mikilosss and the othersss are sssurely dead, and thusss can wait."

He shakes his head and gently urges Seldan to lay back. "Asss for your armor, thisss one hasss cleaned sssuch for thossse that ssserve the Dragonfather in the passst, and thiss one remembersss how it iss done. Ressst, and thisss one will clean, and keep you company until you fall asssleep." There seems little use in arguing this fact with Zeke already picking up the offending piece of armor and looking it over for injury. He lacks Seldan's cleaning spells, but he opens the man's bedside table for the cloths that are usually kept there.

The paladin is not by nature a neat person, and the cloths are roughly stuffed into the table along with a jumble of other small items - flint and steel, pens, vials of ink, empty vials, a wand, and more. Several of these clatter to the floor, and Seldan, who had been about to do as urged, sits bolt upright despite himself. "What -" He looks over the side of the bed, at a box of tea sitting by the leg of the table, then back up. "Agh, that table is small indeed." He starts to reach for some of the items that fell, momentarily distracted from the fact that Zeke has his armor.

The armor itself is in perfect shape and is already clean, having been enchanted to keep itself so. The padding and clothing beneath it is unceremoniously tossed in a corner, and appears to be the source of the overwhelming smell in the room.

The sith-makar chuffs at Seldan's continued efforts to do everything and anything *but* lay down. "Thisss one can attend to it Sseldan." He says with no small amusement in his tone and waves the paladin off. "Lay. Be ssstill. You are... full of energy, but it will not lassst and you will regret later that you ussed sso much of it on thessse ssmall thingss."

Zeke sets aside the piece of armor - which really does not need his tending and quickly sets about righting the cabinet. When he has a cloth pulled free and nothing else, he realizes that he doesn't really need it. If the clothes and padding are the issue... a cloth can do nothing for them. He picks up the piece of armor and returns its to its kin and begins to pick up the padding and clothes. "Thisss one will take thesse to be wasshed. You will have to abide with-out them for a sshort time." He glances at Seldan firmly.

Seldan freezes, his bearing abruptly shifting into the alabaster pillar at the last set of words. He nods, the reserve so abrupt that it is nearly a shutdown. "As you say, kin." He does as instructed, saying nothing further, but his eyes keep flicking over to where Reunion lies atop his pack, leaning against the foot of the cot, but he does not move, tentatively flexing the fingers of one hand, his thoughts his own.

Zeke goes over his own words in his mind a moment, trying to find the source of Seldan's discomfort - for he knows full well that Seldan freezing and the shift in his demeanor means something. He quickly finds the source and feels a moment of sadness. "Thisss one will return to ensssure that you are not defensseless Sseldan. You will not be left alone with-out sssome-one to aid you." He hums low in his throat a comforting noise and moves closer to the bed. "If you can-not ressst with-out your armor at hand, tell thisss one. We are kin yesss asss you sssay. You can ssspeak truthful wordss to thisss one."

"I can, at need. I yet have spells," Seldan murmurs in response, although his eyes are still open. He closes them, finally, and breathes deeply several times to settle himself. "Do as you deem best."

For had not Eluna's Grace shielded him in his need so many times before? Stop it, Seldan, he chides himself silently. Zeke is right. You need to sleep. Trust in Her. The Seers know your concerns. You knew the wards were suspect. Why did you come here, if you knew that?

All of this internal dialogue is conducted in silence, ice-blue eyes on the ceiling. You will ache later as it is, and the worse for lack of rest, he tells himself silently, then finally aloud, "It is well. Do as you need."

The sith-makar stands uncertainly for a time, not sure if he should have the laundry cleaned or not. Finally he nods to himself and makes his way out of the room.

He is gone, perhaps somewhat longer than expected.

When he returns however it is with a load of freshly cleaned padding and some vestments which are of the Eluna bearing. He hums low in his throat as he knocks on the door and enters the room a moment later quietly in case Seldan is asleep, and hefts the load before swishing his tail and looking up to see if Seldan has managed to find some rest.

Rest is one thing, and sleep another. Seldan hasn't moved in that time, but his eyes are open, and stare still at the ceiling, despite being burned holes in his head. When Zeke enters, his head turns, and his eyes go towards the door, but he doesn't actually make any effort to sit up. He is quite clearly too tired to sleep. "You have my thanks, kin. I would not be a burden."

Zeke thumps his tail - softly - and makes his way to the bed to offload the padding and the clothes where the rest of the armor has been so neatly stacked. Then, he makes his way back to the door, opens it and pulls a tea service into the room. This then, getting all this together must be what took him so long. "Thisss one hass procured you sssome padding and sssome clothesss. They are not yoursss, but they sssshould fit. The youngling that thisss one borrowed them from wasss of your sssize and much pleassed to be of assisstance to the one known ass Sseldan."

He seems pleased with himself, bringing the tea to the bedside and pouring out a cup for Seldan. "Thisss one hasss brought you sssome tea. It sshould help you relax, but you do not need to worry, it iss not medicinal and will not forsce you to ssslumber."

Seldan blinks, baffled at something said. "It was not so very long ago when my grace was questioned," he murmurs wonderingly. "Their aid is most welcome, for the time it is needed."

He draws a deep breath, then with an effort and a grimace, sits up to take the tea in both hands, the better to not spill it. "I am in little danger of sleep this day, I fear. I must say to you also that Aya appeared along with the two balor, though she did not confront. It is in my mind that Eclavdran sent his servants in his stead, and that Aya is a lesser one of such." He closes his eyes. "I have spoken to you of her last request, have I not?" He sniffs carefully at the tea, moving slowly, and takes an experimental sip.

"Thisss one hass heard yesss." Speaking of Aya's last request. He has heard Seldan speak of it before, and it is troubling to hear that the demons were accompanied by her. Why would she flee, and them stay? It makes no real sense to Zeke. "Perhpasss ssshe isss not trusssted yet... Which might sssuggessst that sssome portion of her remainsss... Or that he wisshess uss to believe ssso."

"I do not doubt that something of her does remain," Seldan answers, taking another long pull of his tea. A sure sign that he probably hasn't eaten, either. "It is that which remains to which I would grant peace and release. I think it not impossible that she might be redeemed, and yet who must I place at risk in the attempt?"

"We know ssso little about the creation of demonsss." Zeke grouses, he didn't bring food with him, but eating right before sleep was unwise anyways. Seldan can eat when he rises, and hopefully will. "It isss bessst to do what we can to keep her from harming innoscentsss. It isss all that we can do." He sounds however somewhat uncertain.

"Even so is my mind on it," Seldan agrees, shifting the cup to one hand and dropping back to rest on his elbow as he considers. "But perhaps is Eclavdran right now not the only great threat. It is in my mind that foolish or arrogant guildmembers pose an equal risk, or nearly so."

"Thisss one thinkss that he feedsss on sssuch Ssseldan. That he ssseekss to divide usss by encouraging sssuch behavior that othersss can not consstitute." Zeke offers, standing at the other man's bedside easily. "For sssurely you sssay you could not be party to the ssummoning of the demon - asss well you ssshould not have been! - but you were divided that eassily from Mikilosss who did do it any-way."

The sense of what Zeke is saying filters into Seldan's mind, and his whole body slumps wearily. It makes so much sense. "He may not be perpetrating it, but it is most convenient for him," he murmurs. "We shall fall without a fight, do we not bring this foolishness to heel," he murmurs. "Such wanton disregard ... such carelessness ...." They are in real trouble, and for a moment, the paladin's features fall into something very akin to despair.

It is a fleeting thing, though, as he draws a deep breath. "I shall speak to the guild. If we are to face these threats and serve the city, we must work together and be united, and how shall that be, if we regard not the needs and rights of others?"

"We can but try kin." Zeke says quietly, his mind consumed with the matter. "We can but try." He wishes that he had more to offer, but he hopes that the words of encouragement sink into the other man who at times seems to lack hope. Only for moments it is true, but Zeke worries. "Ssspeak wordsss of wissdom and truth to them, and hopefully they will sssee."

After a moment he shakes his head. "If they were to a man sslain in their effortsss... Then when they return to thisss mortal coil they will sssurely have learned that ssummoning a demon isss no sssmall matter."

"Yes. Do we not hold to hope and try, then are we surely lost." Seldan lets out another heavy breath. "We must try to reach those of the Guild who care little for others, or else work to see them removed from the city, that they be not a danger."

"Let us hope that they will learn from such an experience. I shall find them, and return them, but ... I would rest, ere I do that."

"That would be good." Zeke says, slightly amused. "Thisss one will keep you company while you ressst. Ssso that you are not unguarded." He understands of course, that Seldan might not feel wholly comfortable without his armor, without someone to watch and make sure that he can sleep in peace.

In truth, his own dreams have not been of a peaceful sort of late.

-End