#glaivelore

Pelna snickered and tried his best to hurry without breaking into a run. Was he a bad person for enjoying someone else's pain? Maybe. But it was so very deserved. 

Sunlight drenched the dusty plains of Leide. They had been sent on intel of empire scouts in the area. The rumor of magitek advancing was false, but the people needed their help culling the usual beasties, and the things the regular hunters wouldn't dare chase. 

Drautos was quick to dispatch his glaives, saying they needed a work out. After dispatching their first targets, a few glaives got cocky. After all, what creatures could stand the wrath of the kingsglaive? 

Pelna had to choke back his giggles. Wrath of the kingsglaive! The so-called wrath of the glaives squealed like a baby anak when a cactaur snuck up behind him and gave him a great big hug. 

Tredd was an ass, but a proud ass. He couldn't use a potion without getting out the needles first, and couldn't get them out himself. That meant he had to get help without the captain finding out…or the rest of the glaive. Not many places to hide on the plains. 

He hurried forward. Sonitus offered to teach him a new type of healing spell if he was able to hurry and get supplies and run back. While keeping his mouth shut. 

Pelna tried. He really, really did. He didn't say a cursed thing, but could not keep the grin off his face. Nyx, Lib, and Crowe looked at him like he was crazy. Scampering about in the heat in full armor while having the gall to look gleeful about it. 

He slipped into the med tent to see Sonitus carefully peeling Tredd's armor off. Pelna didn't know whether to laugh or wince up close. Long iridescent needles had gone through Furia's coat and into his skin.  It was true that most of the needles were stopped by the armor, but not all. Tredd bit down hard on a rag to keep from making noise. This had to be a stealth operation- the captain was two tents over. 

Pelna put the supplies down on the exam table and got to work. Plantain grew wild all over here- the salve made from it would be antimicrobial. It would hold until they reached insomnia, as long as the idiot in question took it easy. Pelna grabbed a mortar and pestle, getting to work while watching the show. 

"Really, really stupid. If they work into a pressure point or organ, I have to report this to get you proper medical care." Sonitus growled. 

Tredd didn't dare answer until his jacket was off, lest he make too much noise. His coat was almost off. Sonitus winced at the sight of Tredd's skin on the other side. Pelna raised an eyebrow, then winced himself as the jacket came fully off. 

It looked like a rash at first glance. Tiny little red marks where needles had made it through the coat, and angry skin where they were then ripped out. Upon closer inspection, long translucent needles still rose from his back in places. Pelna was suddenly glad he didn't have to pull those out. 

"Breaktime. Drink some water while we get ready. " Sonitus turned to the first aid gear after carefully hanging up the mutilated jacket. 

Pelna turned to Sonitus, offering the lumpy paste up for inspection. Sonitus nodded, gesturing for the redheaded pincushion to resume his position. 

"The trick is to ease the skin off the barbs, while not breaking the needle or touching the tips." 

Pelna nodded, fascinated. Sonitus pulled up gently, yet firmly on an embedded needle just below Tredd's kidneys. It slid out smoothly, a tiny bead of blood blooming from the open hole. 

"The spell is for small wounds only. And clean, fresh ones at that."

Pelna nodded excitedly. Finally! Sonitus grew a flame in his hand. It danced low on his palm, soft and buttery. It shunk lower and lower, until no flame was left, but a teensy glow remained on the upturned palm. Pelna watched hard- the control to do this had to be exquisite. 

Sonitus gently pressed his palm to the angry spot, and wiped the bead of blood away with gauze. No hole remained on the skin. 

Pelna gaped. No way. Fire couldn't heal. Sonitus dabbed a bit of the plantain salve on the spot, rubbing it in gently. 

"The trick is just enough magic. Flame is too much. Letting it splutter out is too little. The spark of magic is just right." 

"What if you hit organs? His kidneys and spine are right there-" 

"Then proper medical attention is needed. This is the barest of patches while we hold this idiot" -a rumble of irritation from the injured party- "together until we return to Insomnia. This is only for papercuts or needle wounds. It will not hold anything bigger." 

"What if you add more force-"

"Then it's just straight cauterization." 

Pelna harrumphed, but dutifully collected the needles in a bowl while Sonitus worked them out and sealed the wounds. 

"What if they are in a pressure point?" 

Sonitus paused after removing another needle. The man deliberated, eyes roving critically, before locking onto a glimmering shaft lodged just above Tredd's scapula. 

"A pressure point has the capacity to heal and harm. It depends on how you use the point." Sonitus plucked the needle smoothly, dropping it into the bowl with a soft clink. 

"These are needles, and ones not dug harshly in. His jacket saved him there. To prevent point blockage, and therefore energy blockage, we need to gently massage the point and its meridian after sealing the wound." 

Pelna nodded, twitching. He should be taking notes. 

"The shoulder point here lies on the triple warmer meridian- it regulates temperature.  If harmed or blocked, Tredd's temperature will rise. If stimulated, he will be more adaptive to his surroundings." Sonitus softly traced low on Tredd's lumbar, along his spine, up and over the scapula, down his shoulder to the arm, and lower until the ring finger. The redhead in question shivered minutely, relaxing further into the exam table. 

"May I take notes?" 

"Sure. Just be sure to ask before actually practicing yourself. Acupuncture with someone untrained is just playing darts with a consenting victim." 

Pelna nodded enthusiastically, jotting as fast as he could. Heart, liver, kidneys, governing, intestines, triple warmer…Sonitus rubbed his palms over Tredd's back, massaging the energy pathways. Save the governing channel- (the spine and skull) the meridians move up the torso, across the shoulders and down the arms to the fingertips, bilaterally. One meridian for each side. 

Pelna sketched rough outlines of the meridians and what points Tredd had managed to land needles in. The Furia was lucky- no major points or organs were hit, and Sonitus was able to patch him up with relative ease. The full meridian massage was more for Pelna’s benefit, but as they concluded, Sonitus noted that their patient had nearly dozed off under the weight of the extended massage. 

Pelna glanced up from his notes to see the elder glaive smirk and make a silent shushing motion, pantomiming, rubbing his own eyelids and temples, before turning to their patient. The Khara’s eyes widened- Sonitus reached forward, as if to cup Tredd’s face, and repeated the exact motion. The Furia gave a soft whine, going completely boneless in his grasp. Sontus kept it up for a minute, then carefully relaxed his hold and brushed his finger over his patient’s throat. Slow pulse, steady, low breathing. Asleep. 

“We may speak at a low volume. He’s out.” 

“What in the fires was that? He just passed out-” 

“Acupressure and massage are powerful things, youngling. Remember that.” Sonitus chuckled, mussing up Pelna’s dark hair. The young glaive chuckled and set the bowl of needles down. 

“Try getting the needles out of his armor while I clean up. It takes a certain pressure to remove them in one piece without stabbing yourself. I’m going to check to see if the coast is still clear.” 

Pelna nodded enthusiastically, settling with the pincushioned jacket, practicing. 

“We should go soon, before anyone notices we have been gone.” Pelna glanced up to Sonitus entering the tent. Nodding, the young glaive stood, stretching. He had gotten most of the needles, Tredd could do the rest. Pelna gently shook Tredd’s shoulder. 

The glaive murmured sleepily and buried his face into his crossed forearms. Pelna smirked, shaking a little harder. The glaive rumbled unhappily. He finally awoke when Sonitus began feeling over his back, searching for any last stragglers. 

“Whasit?...” Came the garbled question. 

“Looking for stragglers.” Sonitus replied, feeling over his shoulders, drifting down to his sides. 

Tredd  twitched. Sonitus raised an eyebrow, beginning to feel the area with more intent. 

"More needles in there? We need to get them out." 

"No! Nothing there. You just…surprised me is all." 

Sonitus scoffed, not believing him for a minute. Pelna watched with a growing smile as Sonitus searched an increasingly twitchy Furia. 

"Will you stop moving? You made it this far, why are you having issues now?" 

"M'not!" 

Sonitus growled in frustration and kneaded into the Furia's sides, searching for the wayward needle. Said Furia made a strangled squeak as his arms crashed down tight against his sides, trapping Sonitus's hands there. 

"No! I'm fine!" 

"If you don't lift your arms up right now i'm going to cuff you to the fires-damned table-"

"I know what's happening." Pelna cut in, grinning. 

"Nothing is happen-" Tredd choked as Pelna began worming his fingers under Tredd's arms to his sides. The glaive squirmed, desperately fighting the grin overcoming his snarl. 

"There's a sensitive spot in here, isn't there? We would be bad friends if we didn't find it. Right, Tredd?" Pelna snickered. 

The glaive in question vibrated with silent laughter, struggling to remain still and quiet. Pelna smirked and kneaded harder, forcing a strangled giggle out of the glaive. Sonitus blinked in surprise- then gave an evil chuckle and started tickling in earnest. 

"Guys! Lehehet goho-!" 

"Not until we are certain no needles remain." 

"There's noho mohore!" 

"Shh! Don't want the captain to come in here, now do we?" 

Tredd tried to stay quiet, he really, really did. But karma and his comrades were not on his side that day. 

Sonitus found a spot just below his floating ribs that had him cackling into the exam table. Sweet, sweet vengeance. Pinning their target to the table, Pelna and Sonitus tickled at the spot viciously, years of assholery finally being paid for. 

 Amidst the kerfuffle Sonitus found a spot that had the redhead jackknifing up off the table- overbalancing the exam table in the process, landing in a giggling heap at their feet. 

A frustrated growl emanated from two tents over. The three glaives were out of the medical tent in a flash, hiding behind the sleeping caravan. 

"Nothing happened, agreed?"