Open Chronicles Where Do I Go From Here?

[Voph]

Vel Anir was...dark and oppressive compared to Elbion. Or so Voph thought. But no one in this city really cared what he thought. He was only in this City because of the caravan he'd partnered with for his latest bag of coin. His last book had been surrendered, and a new one purchased, his sword sharpened, and a tear in his tunic mended. He had no need to stay here any longer. It was time to find another job to take him away from the city, and out into the wilds. He now strode through the streets looking for a likely place to seek new work.

The Square had a number of shops and services that sellswords like himself could make use of. Where such things were, Sellswords were often close behind. Where the Sellswords were, there was work. Or at least, that's how it had been in Elbion. Voph suspected he wouldn't be so lucky here. He paused at the door of a nearby inn, contemplating his options. Regardless of how well his current task went, it was getting late. He'd need a place to spend the night. Moments later, he was pushing the door of the inn open. He peered around from under his drawn hood, taking a moment to survey the crowd. For the time being? He was content to stick to himself.

Food and drink was obtained, as was a table in the corner. Voph sat with his back to the wall, hood still drawn to offer a small degree of privacy and anonymity. He didn't care for big cities. Well, He didn't care for big, strange, militarized cities. But perhaps that was just him. As he ate, he mulled over his options. Did he need a new job at this exact moment? If not, what was his plan? Voph chewed in silence. With any luck, he'd find work. He'd worry about the rest tomorrow...

 

[Tera Lynx]

Vel Anir was a great city to ply her trade!

Or so she thought...

Anyone with the funds to afford her services usually had their own private physicians to care for them and didn't need her services. And after all, why settle for a doctor who didn't use magic?
Aside from the lack of customers the climate seemed to do a fairly good job of killing off whatever plagues might come there way... Or so she was led to believe, yet she somehow doubted that a city of this size was absolutely free of the sick and feeble.

So it was decided, she would offer her services to the slums and the downtown areas, to the farms and surrounding settlements without such luxuries as the upper class afforded themselves.
But theory always sounds better in your head and she found herself at a loss. Where to start?

She pulled her hood down to ward off the heat of the setting sun as she wandered the streets, seeking some inspiration. She found that inspiration in an unlikely place, an inn! of course! What better place to get your finger on the pulse of the city!
She opened the door of the inn and glanced around... With a sinking feeling she realized she made a mistake... She was far too well dressed for this establishment and when she took her first few nervous steps inside several rough looking patrons got up from their seats and moved to leave, one of them purposely bumping her with his elbow, spilling the contents of her satchel on the floor.

Her face reddened as the men laughed and left, leaving her to scramble about the floor collecting bottles, boxes, parchments and papers from where they had scattered. One such bottle had rolled clear across the room and nudged against the boot of a certain someone.
Muttering apologies as she went around the room gathering her things she stopped at the mans boot last to collect the bottle.
"My apologies sir... S'cuse me..."

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

“Told you she was strong!”

“Keep ahold of her legs!”

“Ow! She bit me!”

One of the guards fell back from the pile missing two fingers down to the knuckle. Blood splashed onto the street as the pile of 4 other men began to seize and move before a small woman burst from it. She wasn’t much older than she looked but her small frame and rough beauty often got her branded as a child or teen rather than her true age.

“Damn! She bit them off clean. Through the bone and everything..” One guard untangling himself from the pile came to check on his wounded comrade examining the wound. A finger was fired at him. Spat from the girls mouth with enough speed to fly like an angry hornet to strike the unwounded guard on the nose.

“Ow! What was..” he blanched at the sight of the finger that struck him rolling on the cobblestone beneath his feet. “I-I’ll go get reinforcements..” He muttered turning away as he almost vomited before striding off to find help.

“Little gremlin!” The wounded guard spat as his other comrades rose once more. “When we have you back in the cell you’ll wish you were-.” Ferelith yawned and stuck out her tongue. The mans second finger balanced on the top of it. The middle finger to be exact, before letting it fall from her mouth to the ground.

“What? Never born? Already there mate.” She said with a toss of her dirty, tangled blonde mane of split ends and half done warrior braids. “So get how ever many guards you need. I don’t run.” She snarled. Cutting quiet the edgy figure. That was when the woman came around the corner.

“Ah. They found you. I thought the task might be..Above these boys pay grade.” She said casually glancing at the guard.

A dark evil flame already glowing in her palm. “You know I really don’t like this cat and mouse game we are playing sister. So if you..” She turned to realize Ferelith was gone. The only trace of her were the fast patter of her boots on cobble growing fainter by the moment.

“Did she..?” The glanced at the wounded guard.

“Ran off soon as you came around the corner.” He said with a dumb nod.

“Why didn’t you stop her!? Or say something!?” She hissed at him.

“You were in the middle of monologuing milady. It’s important exposition that helps the reader feel more invested..So I didn’t want to stop you..” He said with a blink.

The woman raised her eyebrows.

“Um....RHow much blood have you lost..?” She asked looking at the ever growing puddle underneath the guard.

“Quite a considerable amount. I think I need to lay down..” He said blinking again before taking a few steps and keeling over. She shrugged at the sight turning away.


“You can’t hide forever sister..” She growled to herself as she set off seeming to step directly into the shadows cast by an alley and her form seeming to meld and disappear with the darkness.



Ferelith ran. Guards would be looking for her now.. Well more than they usually were.

Stupid Brynnhild.

Showing up here of all places..Curse the gods for her awful luck.
She should have never come back. But the items she had stolen was still there! It hadn’t even been returned to the noblemen yet. An entire fortune sitting in an inmate deposit box.

Guarded by one fat son of a orc at a time. Once they returned it she would have to go through all the hoops she had last time to get it back...

Looking back on it..
That might have been a bit too good to be true..and also might have possibly been a very obvious trap..

At least if the 4 guards that had sprung from various hiding spots after she had taken the heirloom were any indicator..

“Excuse me? Have you seen this girl?” A guard held up her picture to a couple. She ducked out of sight into a side alley and spotted an inn across the way. “The Dragon’s Horde.” She knew the place. As she walked down the alley her mind wandered.

Stupid wanted poster. Made her look like a proper muppet.

The cheek bones were far too sharp and high. And her nose wasn’t broken that crooked...Was it?

“I like our nose.”
She stopped. Glancing about to ensuring it was safe to cross the street.

A guard glanced at her.

“Shut up. Now isn’t the time..” Ferelith hissed in her mind. Stepping out and blending into the crowd. If a guard glanced at you and didn’t shout it meant they didn’t see you properly. If you ducked out of sight they would investigate. But blending? They forgot about you in a moment.


“I wish they would have seen us.. I’m hungry.” The voice pouted.

“Later.” Ferelith spat once more in her mind. This distraction would cost her as she entered and walkled about 7 steps in before bumping into a person that was bent down to retrieve something.

This put her in a perfect position to trip Ferelith who tumbled over her slamming face first into the dirty hard wood planks of the floor.

“Watch where your going..” She groaned out. Her words muffled by the fact that the pain kept her from lifting up her head making the phrase to sound more like.

“wa wer r gng..” She popped back with her nose bent to the left. Blood already beginning to seep from it. From the floor she heard it. Her enhanced ears picked up the sound of armored boots. Cheaply manufactured armored boots. No one here worth their salt would wear those. So it was either a massive poser or someone who was forced to wear them. Guard....or possibly a nobody but she wasn’t taking chances.

She had to act fast. Scrambling up from the floor.

“I’m sorry. Just hide me for a moment!” She squeaked utilizing her small frame to dive under the table gracefully. guard opened the inn door.

They searched for a moment casting their eyes about the room before their head pulled out and the door shut.

“Are they gone?” She asked popping her head up from under the table at the mans right.

 

[Voph]

Voph's hand had already dropped to the floor to catch the rolling bottle. The Inn had suddenly exploded in a flurry of activity. Another had come in through the door, much to the displeasure of several of the existing patrons. But they hadn't seemed to be looking for a fight. But they were responsible for the spilled items such as the one that had just landed against his boot. As he stooped to pick it up, however, the door crashed open again. Crashed was a good word, because the newcomer was too hasty to mind her surroundings. Frankly, Voph was surprised it hadn't turned into a full-blown cartwheel.

As the second female lay dazed on the floor, Voph lifted the bottle from the floor, and held it aloft where the first might see it. He then set it upon the table in front of him, turning his attention back to the second female which was....now under his table. Normally, he might have objected to something like this. But there was something...familiar about her. Familiar enough that his stone faced facade did not break as the city guard burst through the door, clearly looking for the girl that now hid beneath his table. Voph leaned back in his chair, sighing quietly, and dropping the small scrap of cloth he'd been using as a napkin onto the plate. As the guards withdrew, he muttered to himself. "Pick an Inn, they said. It'll be quiet they said..."

Voph watched the first female quietly for a moment, then turned his attention to the head that had appeared at his side. He didn't say anything for a long moment, piercing blue eyes staring at the girl from under his hood. He sighed quietly, almost disapprovingly, and picked up the handkerchief again, handing it to the girl without a word. Even covered in the blood that was now gushing from her quite possibly broken nose, the face was definitely familiar. Voph couldn't ever remember speaking to the girl before, but he knew their paths had crossed. Elbion, probably. It was the only other big city he'd been in aside from this one. "Always an interesting time in the big city, hmm?"

 

[Tera Lynx]

Before Tera could complete the recovery of her dropped items she was bowled over by someone else coming into the tavern. They both tumbled to the floor but Tera's sharp ears caught the sickening sound of a definitely broken nose from the one who fell over her.
Tera tried to get up and apologize but the other woman was quickly scurrying under the nearby table of the unfortunately now popular man seated there.

Tera warily stood up, wondering what the heck was going on when the guards burst into the tavern. Understanding began to dawn on Tera as the guards briefly harassed a few of the patrons before leaving.
When the girl asked if they were gone Tera nodded, "Yes, they've gone."

She went back to picking up the last of her spilled satchel and gave the man at the table and thankful smile as she took the bottle off the table.
Tera looked back at the face that poked out from under the table. A girl, probably a little younger than Tera, she could tell even through the blood and bruises.
"I'm a doctor, do you want me to look at that nose for you?"

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

“Yes they are gone.” Answered the woman whom she had tripped over.

“Great! Stupid pigs..” She grumbled pulling herself from under the table and next to the man. “Go to an inn they said. It’ll be quiet they said.”
“Hmm. And does this “they.” Fellow wanting you to lead a life of boredom. Where you don’t meet incredibly stunning female hero’s like myself.” She said with a raised eyebrow. “Always an interesting time in the big city Hmm?” He responded.

“Always.” She said with a bloody smirk taking the handkerchief. “Big fan of the city are ya stone face?” She asked playfully.

“I’m a doctor would you like me to look at that nose for you?” The woman spoke diverting her attention.

A doctor? Ferelith needed that most definitely. “Would you? I have a few other things as well if you’d be willing...I have coin..” She said putting on her best “pity me please.” Face along with placing 4 gold coins on the table.

Blood money.

As in It was literally money splattered with blood. And a tooth no less.

“No healing magic though..It um..It messes with my guts..” She said.

“If I need to pay extra for it I will. I hope that’s not a problem..” She finished.

Giving the man a pat of thanks on his shoulder she slid back under the table before popping up on the other side. “Now if you’ll excuse me. I have a very above board, very legal, mind your own business, why so many questions? transaction to observe and in no way partake in.” She said tossing the blood soaked hanky back to the man.

“Thanks again. Stick around. I have a small job. Make it worth your while.” She turned and walked to the small side bar the inn sported to the left of the front desk.

Knocked on it three times.

The bar tender nodded and poured her an ale sliding the mug to her down the bar. She nodded and drained it in a single go. As she set it down only the most eagle eyed of observers would have seen the glint of gold a jewels for the briefest of moments.

A gorgeous necklace slid free from her lips and into the now empty mug. She slid it back to him like a rock from a sling.

The large man even flinched when the wood slapped his palm. Looking inside however he nodded. Handing off the mug to a bar hand with whispered instruction.

The boy nodded and was away to the back as the man produced a pretty large sack of gold. Ferelith tapped the bar 4 times. The bar tender nodded removing four of the coins as she walked away catching the purse as it was thrown to her. Trap or not at least the buyer had been legitimate. She came back to the table.

“Doctor. I’ve got us some time in his chop shop if you could come with me.” She said before turning to the man.

“I wouldn’t ask you to get more involved in this if I didn’t like the look of ya. But in regards to that small job.. I’ll pay you three gold to watch the door while she works on me if you would. It shouldn’t be too long anyway.” She said confidently.

“I’m in better health than usual.. Trust me I know my body.” She said with a grin before a savage hacking cough tore up her throat.

Blood and a purplish substance

“That’s new..” She said with slight worry entering her tone as the leather of her glove began to smoke prompting her to slide it off to the floor kicking it under the table.

Her blood upon closer inspection seemed to have a slightly blue sparkle to it as well as a color that tinged it a bit more purple.

Normally her body healed itself.

But after a strenuous day of taking deadly attacks on the chin her arcane well was tapped. Her body in all honesty was beginning to eat itself.

At the moment she was a mess of half broken bones and half healed stab wounds and other various cuts and bruises. She had a bit of her potion left but she didn’t want to reveal it to any one but the doctor.

While her body had literally been built to take it and utilize its effects the idea of modifying it possibly for other means left the very few who knew of it to always be watching for it.

It was only enough to get her out of this deathly state however bringing her self healing crawling back slowly.

The doctor would have to help it along greatly.

Places like this always had rooms in the back. Weapons, discreet jobs, and injuries that needed done. Just had to know how to ask.

If the doctor and man complied they would follow her through a door to the left of the inn’s front desk. After passing a few doors behind one of which a savage beating seemed to be taking place. “Please I don’t know where he is!” Came cries from another. Ferelith ignored this as they came to a grimy infirmary. Shoving open the door.

A dark haired woman sat behind a desk. A black dress matching her dark eyes.

“It’s been awhile Blue wolf. So far away from your den in Elbion...” She grinned coldly. “But you and your sister don’t do that anymore right? Almost makes you wonder why? Rumor is that-.”

“Shut that sewage grate of a mouth you have. I’ve got my own doctor. Get lost.” Ferelith growled. Her happy confident demeanor vanishing as she smacked her fist into the wall. A decently sized crack running up the stone wall.

“As you wish..” The woman said with a frown getting up and leaving. Ferelith listened for her footsteps to fade before sinking to her knees clutching her hand.

“That hurt..So bad..” She whimpered.

 

[Voph]

Voph sat in continued silence, watching as who was soon revealed to be a doctor reclaimed her lost bottle, then offered to aid the hiding girl with her wounds. He wasn't quite sure what to think of the girl, but he knew one thing for sure. She struck him as trouble. This was confirmed moments later when she informed them that she had a totally legitimate transaction to conduct, and excused herself, insisting that she had a job when she returned. Voph wasn't sure if he had a look about him that suggested he was looking for work, but for all the girl needed to know, he needed no such thing.

Voph's ice blue eyes pierced the hood, watching Ferelith as she spoke with the barkeep. The transaction, as she had called it, was just quiet enough that Voph decided he wanted nothing more to do with the girl. The trade off was impressive, he had to admit. The skill was well practiced. But the fact that the guards had broken down the door not moments prior looking for this same individual? That was more heat than Voph wanted to have at that exact moment.

She came back and offered Voph three gold to be lookout while the good doctor patched her up. His only response to her question was to raise his drink for a long swig, and place it down on the table, turning his head to look around at the precious few other patrons. Their business had been concluded. Or, at the very least, it would take more than three gold to even gain Voph's attention in the matter. A matter that the girl didn't seem to place much importance in as she had already departed for this...chop shop. Fine by him. In a strange city such as this, Voph had two rules that stood out above the rest. Never pick a fight you know you can't win, and never wage a war you aren't willing to die for. And neither of those included activities of questionable legality...

 

[Fieravene]

"Honestly, is it so hard to get an afternoon of peace and quiet in this place."

A table or two away, off to the side but not set into a corner, lounged a dark elf with a plate of cheese, bread, and fruit, a flagon, and a large, creased parchment folded open before her like Sunday's News.

"Sorry ma'am, we jes seem to be a hive full o' hornets this pas' few days. More wine?" said the server boy with a tray of empty plates and a rag.

"That would be lovely, darling. And get that poor man over in the corner a fresh splash of whatever he's got."

"Yes ma'am."

And a few moments later Voph found a second horn of drink set before him by the same young boy, "Compl'mens o' the Lady there." He made a shrugging gesture in the direction of the elf.

 

[Tera Lynx]

“No healing magic though.. It um.. It messes with my guts..” She said.

“If I need to pay extra for it I will. I hope that’s not a problem..” She finished.

While this girl was definitely a few years younger than Tera, it was clear that this little spitfire could snap her neck like a twig if she had a mind to.
But gold was gold, and four of them was enough to cover her fee.

Tera took the coins excluding the tooth with a nod of affirmation, "This is enough. Magic's not part of my trade. You want that you go to a temple or a guild."
She took note of the cough and symptoms. She'd seen stuff like it, usually manifested in different ways, but this girl was showing obvious signs of magical exhaustion, and her particular magic had a heavy physical toll whatever it was.
A magically enhanced warrior, passive magical effects now bereft of their regular fuel are now running on the health of the physical body, basically eating her alive while keeping her alive until it would eventually kill her... She couldn't remember how many soldiers she'd treated with similar symptoms. With the right equipment she could bypass the need for a magical 'boost' or potion that would normally be required to prevent the enchantments from consuming the body.
"I'm glad you know your body so well..." She said this in a surprisingly unironic tone as Ferelith coughed up her strange concoction, "... You'll have to tell me what the problem is so that I can treat it properly."

It wasn't long at all until the spirited girl was barging her way into the back rooms of the tavern.
Putting on a brave face Tera meekly followed after her, closing her ears to the horrible sounds around her until they arrived at what looked like a Chop Shop... Literally, Tera imagined they used those surgical tools to hack off flanks of pork and beef for the guests, a thought which made her empty stomach churn a bit as she imagined beings besides animals being served to the guests.

Tera half jumped out of her skin and yelped in surprise when her new patient struck the wall, cracking the stone with her fist, this only to urge the dark lady that looked like a dungeon mistress to leave them alone.
Timidly Tera followed the girl into the room, but as she entered and began to recognize the signs of actual medical tools in decent shape she began to relax and take charge.
There was an operating table surrounded by candles and hooded lamps to provide focused light, after brushing it off Tera padded the table.
"Remove your armor and take a seat, I'll just look all the equipment over really quick and be right with you!"
She was in her element now, and she visibly grew more confident.

Tera looked the tools over and quickly decided they were a lost cause, opting for the tools she kept in her satchel except for a few helpful items that were still in decent shape.
Most of the potions and basic medication were in good condition, if not inferior quality and brands or outright illegal contraband drugs.
She found the bandages, some different salves, and a few splints for setting bones and approached the table, pulling out her doctors crow mask.
"My name is Doctor Lynx, but call me Tera."
She put on the crows mask and arranged a blanket she found and rolled it up as a pillow so that her patient could lay down on the table.
"Before we begin I have to ask you some questions related to your health."

Then she began to rattle off some questions...
"Do you smoke? Do you take any recreational drugs? Do you drink alcohol and how often?"
"Do you take any medicine or supplements?"
"What are your medical and surgical histories?"
"Are you sexually active?"
"Do you have any allergies?"

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

“Um..nice to meet you..” She said as the dynamic suddenly seemed to shift before her eyes.

On the way in Ferelith was obviously the more confident of the two. In her element even. But Ferelith did not like this part.

She had torn people open with her bare hands. Hell she got stabbed on a regular basis. Hacked to pieces even. It wasn’t the pain or the sights of blood that shook her. It was the table it self. The lights, the smell...It was like..The place she had left all those years ago...

“Oh Um..” She sat on the table timidly unclasping a shoulder strap of her armor. The entire chest piece fell off of her in pieces. “Guess it was at its limit.” She offered with a chuckle. She wore a red shirt, At least it appeared as such at first glance. In reality it was white and simply soaked in blood. Nasty wounds seeming to both heal and decay. She looked at the woman.

“C-could you turn around please?” She asked hoping Tera would do so as she slipped out of her pants leaving her now totally in her under garments. Her legs weren’t in much better shape. She struggled slightly before sitting on the table gratefully.

The doctor fired off a litany of questions and in such a way that made Ferelith jump slightly, sit up a little straighter. Normally she would just growl at the woman to do her job and leave her be, but with this new demeanor she felt obligated to answer. “Yes, Oh hell yes, and yes! Everyday. Helps keep me sharp!” She said with a smirk. “Just this medicine. Others work but this potion is what keeps things running..” She said pulling out a small bottle of glowing blue liquid.

“I’m a vampire as well, the potion usually helps keep the disease in check...Mostly..” She said “and as for surgeries..Um..Quiet a few..” She said tossing her hair to the side. “This ones the most-.” “STOP!” The voice screamed in her head causing her to flinch sharply. Her hair tossed to the side to reveal an angry black scar now barely obscured by her hairline. She snapped it back just as quickly.

“I mean..It’s just an old scar. Kind of weird how it’s still black..D..Dont touch it.” She said smoothly with a smirk returning to replace the brief distress. This distress returned quickly however at the questions asked next.

“Sexually active? Why? I mean.. Oh all the time..Can’t..Stop.. Girls love me..Very popular..” She said defensively. But under the cold demanding glare she shriveled. “It’s been..A couple of months..My..My girlfriend and I haven’t seen eachother in a bit..” She said with a true, genuine emotion of sadness cracked through her confident facade.

It was always easy to just run.

Don’t think about it..

But mentioning Hieke..It really put in perspective how side ways her life was becoming..

Why wasn’t she with her right now..She needed to..

What..

What did she need to do..

..

Why did that name matter? Her eyes darkened along with her mind. Holes began to burn in the memory she was trying to recall. She loved Heike..Was it a drink? A drug? No..But she loves it anyway..More than drugs or booze..Why couldn’t she remember.. She sat on the table unaware that her private inner war was halting the proceedings she needed to take place to live.

“S-sorry. Um..N-no allergies..” She finished. But when it came time to lay back it didn’t seem she could will herself to.

“M-maybe this was a mistake. You can keep the gold. I’ll just..” She began to get up. Her mind didn’t like this. The lights..The feel of the table on her back... She couldn’t do this. The look she was given and the firm hand she found on her shoulder made her rethink her cowardice.

“M-maybe I’ll lay back..” she said sitting back down on the table and laying back slowly. Her eyes darting around at the tools.

 

[Voph]

Voph looked up from a small book he'd withdrawn as the serving boy addressed him. He uttered a quiet thank you, and took the offered horn. Voph turned to look at the indicated woman. An Elf, as he figured. He stood slowly, collecting both the drink horn and the sword that had rested against the table. He carried it by the sheath, clearly not intent on using it any time soon. No, he was simply polite enough to not wear it inside.

"My thanks." Voph sat down across from the elf woman. "Is it always this...rowdy in Vel Anir?" Voph took a quick sip of the drink she'd gifted him, his face betraying his impressed nature. It was a good drink, whatever it was. There was something about this woman that suggested he'd be in far better company with her than with the hooligan that had fled from the city guard not moments prior...

 

[Tera Lynx]

Tera gave the girl her privacy while she examined her tools. When she came back she asked her questions.

Some of the answers she expected. Heavy drinking and substance abuse weren't uncommon, especially for those who lived by the sword, which meant they lived one day at a time unsure if it will be their last.
She was relieved to see that she had a potion on her to fuel her enhancements, there wasn't much left but Tera could take a sample and produce more if she had time.
What she didn't expect to learn was that she was a vampire as well, and she must have meant that the potion reduced her need to feed?
Still, the implications were immense. How was her vampirism not competing with her magical enhancements? How long has it been since she last fed and how long can she use her potion instead of feeding on others?

This required some further research and she pulled out a paper and quill to jot down some notes. While she was a medical doctor she specialized in virology and diseases, so vampirism held a special interest for her.

Unexpectedly her reluctance to answer came AFTER her admitting of being a vampire. But, as an enhanced warrior, it was understandable that her surgical history would be a sore spot, but that black scar? She caught a glimpse before Ferelith hid it away. That was not a common enhancement practice... Whatever it is was even more sensitive than the rest.
She asked if Ferelith was sexually active, not about her sex life. But thanks to a growing tendency she had to over share Tera now knew that she preferred women, a tidbit that only put her slightly more on guard, she'd had a few patients who were a little too appreciative for comfort. Not that Tera could stop Ferelith if she got the notion for sex or blood, she cracked a stone wall with her fist, Tera knew only her authority as a doctor could keep her safe in such situations.

Ferelith seemed to be going through a crisis for a moment, thinking about her lover as if Tera had just reminded her of something she was trying to forget.
But Tera was quiet and listened, and when she came back Tera was happy to note that Ferelith had no allergies. But given her knowledge of vampirism she should probably avoid potions with garlic in them or silver tipped tools.

With a satisfied smile Tera tapped the last period on her notes and set the pen and paper aside.
Ferelith seemed uncomfortable and she could understand why, she seemed about to leave but Tera firmly helped her lay back on the table.
"Don't worry about it, miss Ferelith. These are merely questions to let me know how to proceed, what I need to watch out for or be careful of while I treat your wounds, I apologise if it sounded like I was prying."
She made small adjustments to make sure she was comfortable before she started pulling tools out of her satchel.
She wore her doctor's crow mask for sanitation and also switched out her outside gloves for her clean leathers.

She took what was left of the potion and used a syringe to extract a small sample.
"Do you know how to make this potion? Or do you know it's name or specific brand? It's fine if you don't, it would merely quicken the process of creating more."
She then took another syringe and extracted the rest of the potion. Since she was laying down it was better to administer the potion like this to avoid any mess. She helped Ferelith tip her head up if she needed to and squirted the potion into her mouth.

Next she took out a bit of cotton and clamped it in a metal tweezer like contraption.
"I'm about to start cleaning your wounds, will you need anesthesia? Anything for the pain?"

 

[Fieravene]

Fiera briefly folded down the top of her parchment to watch the man take his seat across from her and nodded in reply to his thanks. Casually lounging with her feet kicked up on the corner of her table, the elf gave him a once-over with her probing red gaze. She presented in worn and weathered light black leather armor with no adornments or markings to be seen. Simple as she looked, her eyes were keen and her lips quirked in mirth.

"In my experience I find that tall, strapping men in armor with four 'o clock shadows and big swords tend to attract the rowdies. Early evening, big city, tavern inn, table in a dark corner, rumpus of trouble, seedy job offer dealings ... you're striking home for a cliché experience in Vel Anir worthy of the greatest historic trope tales. I would be flabbergasted were it any different. The only remarkable thing is that you haven't yet spilled your ale."

Smirking, she folded the parchment down into its smallest square and gently set it aside, taking up her wine in its place.

"I think the better question is," sipping from her cup, the elf gestured to her platter of charcuterie with a finger, "are you an olive or a pickle person?"

Voph

 

[Voph]

"And gods willing, it will never." Voph tipped the horn ever so slightly as he said this in a mock toast. Calling him a man in armor was...something of a misnomer, if one were to ask him. Sure, he wore metal vambraces, but the rest of his "armor" was mere pads of reinforced leather placed at strategic points around his body. He was a long way off from owning a fine suit of spell plate, or any other such metal. Though the lighter style suited him fine. Heavy armors simply got in the way.

Voph's attention was drawn to the platter as the elf gestured to it. Voph's face slowly twisted into an expression of contemplation. "Never thought about it before. Both have a delightful bitterness to them. I suppose I would pick olives, if only for their usefulness." There was a certain light in the man's eyes as he spoke, suggesting that he did not take his next words seriously, or at least said them with the intent of jest. "A pickle must be made, ending the possibilities of creation. It is an end product, and nothing more. An Olive is but the first step for a great many possibilities. Or perhaps I just prefer the taste."

Voph figured it was time to be polite. Though such a question normally signaled a strange mind, the way the elf presented it suggested there was some intelligence behind the inquiry. He reached up, and pulled his hood back down around his shoulders, revealing short black hair, and the hints of a beard about his cheeks. In all, a rather youthful appearance. He couldn't place a finger on it, but this woman struck him as the kind that might be able to answer an important question for him. If not, tell him who could...

Fieravene

 

[Fieravene]

"Hm," was her simple reply, brows lofting in unison. She leaned in and plucked an olive from a small bowl, "olives are the fruit of the gods. Not your gods, of course, but that's rather beside the point. I would eat them all day if I could."

"Did you know King Bailiwick of Mali along the Cortosi coast kept a crystal bowl of olives next to his throne at all times? Now there was a man of class. Such a shame about plague..."

The servant boy was back with a big steaming platter of - "Your roast duck, Lady Fi."

Fiera chirruped in delight, "Lovely. Bring an extra plate for my friend here, he's joining me for supper."

 

[Voph]

Voph arched a brow of his own at the woman's assumption. "And how do you know which gods I serve, I wonder." A wry smile followed the question, suggesting that he didn't much care what the exact answer was. His faith was just that: his. Didn't matter what other people thought. Live and let live, in his opinion.

Voph shook his head in silent denial of her question. He'd not heard of this ruler. "I'd not heard that. But such is an eccentricity that does not surprise me from a ruler." Voph paused as the servant boy returned with a large platter of roast duck. "You are too kind, my lady." It wasn't clear from his tone if this was a generic blessing, or if he'd picked up on the servant boy calling her Lady Fi. "I am Voph, hailing from the city of Elbion. Spellsword by trade."

Fieravene

 

[Fieravene]

"Because it certainly isn't my gods you're serving," she replied astutely with a smile.

She took up the carving knife and two-tong fork from the platter, standing from her seat to halve the duck, a faint look of amusement shifting across her otherwise dark features, "Too true. I've yet to meet a ruler that was not replete with unusual quirks. I suppose that is telling, though I've yet to determine just what of."

The servant boy supplied plate and cutlery to Voph before shuffling off to help a fresh group of travelers find their seats.

"Well met, Voph. I am Fieravene. You can drop the Lady - I am far from fitting of such a title. Fi or Fiera will do." She filled her plate with breastmeat and a leg before passing him the knife and fork and retaking her seat.

"How long for since Elbion, then? It's been a few decades since my last visit."

 

[Voph]

Voph didn't bat an eye at Fi's inflection on decades. He knew elves were long lived compared to his own people. "Four years since I took to the road. I had just begun my second decade when my mother died. Without her to care for, I had no reason to stay." Voph spoke about this matter-of-factly. He was not seeking sympathy, simply stating what had happened. "I doubt much has changed since your last visit. Elbion is...still Elbion. In a way, it shall always be home, and yet I find I do not miss it."

Voph lifted from his seat slightly as he collected a small portion of meat from the carcass before them. "Unless you're there to trade or to visit the college, there's little reason to be there, I find." Voph shrugged as he sat back down. "But that is neither here nor there. If I am lucky, it will be some time before I must return."

Fieravene

 

[Ferelith Scathach]

“Um no...No idea..” Ferelith said with a shake of her head. The mask was unnerving but not uncommon in those that practiced what the doctor did. In all honesty she didn’t know how the potion was made. Only that it was unique and there wasn’t that much.

In all honesty she didn’t need anything for the pain. Her body may heal but she was not spared the pain of every injury she had received. However at the end of a day like today Ferelith wasn’t sure she could take it. “Um..Yes please..” She said still feeling a bit nervous, but she kept her mettle.

 

[Fieravene]

She cut into her dinner with a tethered sense of amusement in the man's story.

"You've managed to do what the majority of Elbion residents fail to - leave. That place seems big from the inside, but once you get out you begin to realize how small it really is... of course you could say that about any big city. Would that you were so lucky to have no reason to return at all." Fiera raised her brows at him and took her first bite of duck. A bit tough, a bit dry, a bit bland, but not altogether terrible. For someone who kept her life on the move, it was quite close to luxurious.

The elf picked up her cup and delicately dribbled a small splash of her wine over the breastmeat. The grander inns would have had salt and pepper for seasoning, this place did not. She would survive without.

"So you spend your days traveling from place to place, or have you a destination in mind?"

 

[Voph]

"I don't know. There is a place I am meant to go, but I do not know where it is. And I have a feeling telling me it would be unwise to seek it out right now."

Voph took his own first bite of the food, but made no effort to adjust the taste. Either he didn't mind it, or couldn't be bothered to alter it. His stoic expression did not reveal which of these he thought. "That's normal, right? Voices in your head and all that?" Voph smirked, suggesting humor. He took another bite, and chewed thoughtfully for a moment.

"But no, for now I travel with the caravans. Anything that can make me coin and allow me to practice what few martial skills I posses." Voph looked back at the Elf. "What about you? You also clearly know the road better than most. Any end goal in mind, or just traveling where the fates take you?"

 

[Fieravene]

"Gut feelings rarely lead one astray," Fiera offered to the man's destinational plight before popping another cut of meat into her mouth and chewing, "mm -" she swallowed and took up her wine glass, "and internal monologues are a wanderer's quintessential companion. The road is far too lonely to travel without at least one voice in the head."

A cutting smirk slivered over the rim of her cup before disappearing.

"I've no mind for the fates of this world, but I do have a love for adventure. I go where where I will. Coin, no coin. I can live on very little. So long as the view is fresh and new curiosities abound. In the morning I'll be riding to the Cortosi shores to join the Terra'terre and their Captain Sha Loxa Visl on a voyage to the far west."