#overthevale

[ @overthevale ]

whatever the houses had done to kattigan, it was beyond physical. azune had given him all the healing he had, until teor and cyd returned from obrimus manor, but in his attempt to let go, @overthevale had reached for him again. in all the years he'd known him, he had never seen his this rattled.

out   of   the   corner   of   his   eye,   he   notes   wulferic's   sniffing   and   feels   a   phantom   pang   in   his   chest.   the   wolf   only   seems   confused,   not   despairing.   does   he   know   pin   can   be   brought   back?   if   so,   he's   relying   on   a   spell   that's   just   as   patchwork   as   occtis'   fox.   he   has   to   come   back.   he   has   to.

as   far   as   he   can   tell   from   his   knowledge   of   anatomy   (   a   necromancer   learns   differently   from   a   healer,   but   there's   a   lot   of   overlap   ),   the   wound   isn't   fatal.   still,   it   could   be   indirectly.   enough   bloodloss   will   weaken   kattigan   for   the   next   fight.   occtis   does   his   best   to   stitch   as   quickly   as   possible,   but   the   work   has   to   be   thorough.

he   shakes   his   head   at   the   apology,   feeling   guilty.   he's   pretty   sure   the   others   would   say   he   has   more   cause   to   apologize.        “    yeah.   and   .   .   .    you   don't   need   to   apologize.   i'm   glad   i   can   help.   like   .   .   .    there's   a   lot   of   times   it   feels   like   i   can't.    ”

[ @overthevale | either to thimble for c4, or to jester for c2! ]

the sound of fluttering winds just reaches his ears over the rolling thunder, a small bright form holding position despite the strong wind tearing down the rolling hills.

“    i-   i   don't   know,   i   thought   .   .   .    ”        despite   not   being   able   to   produce   them,   occtis   seems   on   the   verge   of   tears.   there's   an   unlit   arcane   circle   behind   him   with   a   button,   stick,   and   tuft   of   fur   in   the   middle.   markedly,   there's   no   fox.

EVERYONE HAD BEEN BEEN TREATING HIM TOO CAREFULLY, ever since gotten downed in that battle. he'd gotten two scars across the right side of his face opposite to his birthmark. they still hurt when he talked but loza said it gave him character. he'd ditched the sword and shield, too large for his still growing body, and instead of adding protection they only slowed him down. he’d picked up a hammer with a bit too long of a handle. using the wood to block incoming attacks and the rest as weapon.

[ @overthevale ]

AT TIMES LIKE THIS, HE HATES HOW SMALL HE FEELS AROUND THEM. as if whatever years have passed are erased in a moment and he's the young uncertain kid that ended in their camp. it lowers his usual inhibitions, and the deep ache where he feels the bruises form doesn't help. “ i'm not a boy anymore, kattigan. you don't need to babysit me. ” he argues, even though part of him wants to curl up on the bed like he is that boy again.

azune knows he's lucky to have escaped, that @overthevale doesn’t deserve to be the target of his frustration. normally he would busy himself with fixing his braid, but his fingers are sore from how they were bound to prevent spell casting. they weren’t betting on his innate sorcery allowing him to overcome those limitations. or rather they got sloppy, not having cuffs that prevented magic or expecting his arcane focus to be a small bracelet.

[ @overthevale | to mayali! ]

@overthevale, kattigan & mayali

SHE STAYS QUIET FOR A MOMENT, GREY EYES STARING AT THE AMBER LIQUID IN HER GLASS. she takes a sip, letting the alcohol burn her throat and raises her shoulder in a half-shrug. “ don't we all? ” mayali asks back, swirling her drink in hand. “ for some it's honor, or faith. knowledge. the promise of power or the memory of loved ones. it doesn't matter if it's pious or sinister, everyone has a reason to drive them forward. ” she's seen it all these years. some were truly driven by ideals, others relied on self-preservation or selfish instincts.