”Close your eyes soldier. Take a deep breath. Open your mind, and let me in.” The voice was calm all the while being direct. Light touch was placed upon the man’s arm as he sat on a bench. His shoulders were hunched over just as the rest of his body sagged. It was hard to tell that mere moments ago the man had been in a fit of sheer terror that had turned some of his hair black hair white. Many had not known what was to spit out from the Void above for to be beaten back. For the moment it was working, but there were losses beyond that of life. Minds were being cleaved into two from terror at the beasts that had to be fought. Slackened men were carried between friends to be brought back to camp. It was here that Alairia worked the best she could to bring them back from the brink.

Teu watched out of the corner of her eye to see her daughter working with those that needed the psychological help. The mother’s fingers deftly worked on a bite wound that had been inflected by a ‘chomper’ as the men were titling them. Humanoids that had giant mouths in the center of their torso. The healer shook her head as she tried to force the description away. Her patient was ashen faced from the encounter, though he stated he wanted to return to his unit. Teu could understand the want to be with his unit; she even wished to be out there herself. Though her emerald gaze shifted to her blinded daughter who seemed to have managed to bring her patient back to full mental state. She smiled lightly. No. She could not leave Alairia here alone.

Alairia took a deep breath as she felt a release in her patient. His mind was free again. This time, Ria fortified his mind with mental walls to help him not succumb to the same terrors. They would still frighten him, but not to the point of immobility. The man smiled at the blind healer. Words of thanks were given that could not be measured before he left to join his unit.

This had been her twelve patient for psychological trauma. Ria felt blessed in a way that she could not see the horrors that were storming the battlefield. A small bead of sweat dripped down the side of her neck from the strain. Her ability for working with empathic powers were relatively new as they had arrived the longer she became accustomed to her blindness. The body felt like it were easier to heal for that was science. Muscles, organs, and flesh had a basic build that could be followed with patterns. The mind was an ever growing and changing structure that held no basis for a start. Ria easily could get lost in the minds of those she delved into while attempting to help.

A light whimper could be heard as a cold nose nudged her slacken hand. Ria smiled as she reached out to pet Ky as he rested his head in his master’s lap. A warm large presence sat on her other side to tell the half elf that let her knew companion had also joined. The giant black lupine was silent just like the night it had been born from. She reached out her other hand to run her fingers through his unnaturally soft fur. Both were there to help reassure and support her while recovering from using her abilities.

She felt a pang of hunger spike in her stomach. Desperately she wanted to get up for some food, but she was too tired to get up to fetch it. Instead, Ria lowered her head to rest on the top of Ky’s to rest. The next wave of patients would not be too long off.

Trafalgor pulled back the flap of a tent and glanced over to where his apprentice, Tor, was sleeping on a simple cot. He leaned down and shook her shoulder softly with a small smile. "Tor, you need to eat something. I brought food and tea." The younger woman's eyes fluttered open a quickly met Trafalgor's, still a bit sleep-glazed.

"Mtetezi…" she drawled as she slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She stared at Trafalgor once more, squinting slightly, before asking, "Am I still sleeping or…?"

Trafalgor chuckled and telekinetically brought a tray of food and a steaming cup of tea from the group of them floating behind him to within easy reach of her. She blinked a few times, then smiled ruefully before taking the proffered meal. "You never cease to surprise me, Master. Thank you."

"That just means I'm doing my job right, Apprentice," he replied with a grin. He then turned back to the entrance of their assigned tent with a wave. "When you're done, leave them on the floor there and I'll be back to collect them. Get some sleep, too. You next shift is in a few hours." He pushed aside the tent flap as she gave an affirmative response and made his way back towards where several other healers were performing their duties.

Trafalgor had been paying careful attention to which healers had been taking breaks for meals and rest throughout his assigned shift. So when the intake of patients had finally seemed to lull to a halt, Trafalgor had gone to quickly have a meal of his own before gathering extra for those too busy or stubborn to do so for themselves. He quietly tapped one dozing healer's apprentice that had been acting as a nurse all day on his shoulder and gave the same spiel to the man before taking the last two trays of food and three cups to the area he had been working for most of his shift.

As he approached, he shook his head slightly at the scene that met him with a rueful grin. It looked as if Alairia had exhausted herself… or nearly so. A quick glance over at the girl's mother revealed that she was still busy with a patient, but seemed to be almost done. Trafalgor hoped it wouldn't take too much longer. The food was harder to keep warm than the tea, after all.

As he approached the woman resting her head on top of her familiar's head, he gave a closed-mouth grin at the two canines, then spoke up. "That can't be too comfortable, Alairia. Why don't you sit up and eat the food I brought?" He telekinetically brought the tray in front of him and held it in his own hands, kneeling down slightly and waiting until she had sat up from her resting position before continuing. "Hold your hands out," he said softly, then placed the tray into her hands, making sure she had it securely before letting go. "I brought tea, too. Just the way you said you liked it." He waited for her to be ready to receive it, then mentally guided her cup into her hand. "Careful. I kept it hot with a touch of fire and water manipulation."

Once she was settled, he stepped to one side and sat a few feet away on the same bench as her, making sure to avoid stepping on her familiar, and taking his own cup of tea into his hand. "Teu," he called out at a volume to be easily heard, but not disturb those that were resting around them. He waited until she looked over before pointing at the remaining mess hall items floating beside him. "Tea and food when you're done." He then turned his head to Alairia. "After you're done eating, you should try to grab a nap somewhere that isn't slouched over on your friend," he commented, smile clear in his voice to be sure she knew he was only teasing. "We're some of the only healers here that can handle the psychological damage the Twisted can do. Try not to overdo it, yeah?" He took a small sip of his tea and closed his eyes to just enjoy the taste of it. 

Small flashes of the horrors that lurked on the battlefield struck at Ria’s mind. The last patient had taken a larger toll upon her own shields than she had anticipated. Slim fingers clutched at the fur of her two companions as they gave further strength. She desperately wished for Raith to be at her side, though she knew that he was in the skies with his mother to fight the foe. He was unleashing his wrath upon the enemy. So, Alairia nuzzled her face into the neck of Ky to take in his settling scent.

She dared not lift her head from Ky’s, but instead she throw out her senses to ‘feel’ the nearest portions of the camp. Her mother was feeling strained even if she was not to show it. The current patient was feeling only a small amount of pain due to the magic that had been interlaced with the bandages. The Balatro family brought much of their stores from the apothecary in effort to make sure the supplies were the highest of quality. Luna remained back at the shop with the children to keep safe as well as keep the shop running. Small cracks in the sky were appearing randomly. These cracks could lead to any number of scenarios, which could only leave healers to worry for a lack of tonics or bandages.

Alairia tried not to think of what was to come since the present was almost as worse. A familiar voice made the young woman smile even if she did not move from her spot on Ky. Teu spared a glance towards Trafalgor as he passed towards her daughter. She smiled warmly at him with a thankful nod. Greatly was her wish to comfort her daughter after such mind healing sessions, but the wounded were piling up. Soon she would get a moment with her daughter to help ease her conscious. The images were most likely bringing back flash backs from when Ria and Raith were held hostage to be tortured. Teu again smiled warmly as Trafalgor teased in hopes of lifting the blonde elf’s spirits.

”You would be surprised how comfy he is, my friend,” she mumbled into the dog’s fur. Even as she answered as such, Ria lifted her head to smile at the man. Lately, the young woman had taken to not wearing her silver circlet that covered her damaged eyes. With all that was going on Ria had decided to wear her circlet again to keep the injured soldiers from staring at the scars that marred over her eyes and nose. ”Food sounds lovely at the moment.”

Ky moved out of the way to sit beside the shadow lupine. The two canine watched closely as their mistress reached out her hands for the tray. Once she had a good grip, she rest it upon her lap before picking at the food that smelled wonderful to her heightened senses. At the mention of tea her lips split into a broad smile. ’I thought I smelled my tea. You are quite lovely, you know that, right? Despite these trying times, I am glad we have been afforded the ability to meet.” Hands were ready for the cup that contained a soothing drought of tea. She had found this particular blend helped her mental shields as well help ease mental strain.

Ria sipped her tea lightly out of caution from the heat. ”Yes, mother, you need a rest soon. You have been going for quite some time. I have to say that Trafalgor can provide some great food. Indulge a little, mother.” Teu spared them each a motherly glance before shrugging her shoulders in response. It could mean anything when it came to the healer.

There was a quiet after Trafalgor gave his advice of self-care. A light touch reached out to rest on his strong arm as a way of saying thank you beyond the words she could speak. Few understood the difficulty that came along with empathic healing. It was a difficult skill, but sorely needed. ”What about you, Traf? You clearly are making sure that everyone else is taking their bit of rest. Are you doing the same? I take it that Tor is resting up?” Alairia took another sip of her tea. The warmth seemed to seep into every portion of her mind as well as her body.

”Do you think we can win this?” The question was soft as if she did not dare speak louder to bring the horrors to further light. With what she was seeing from the soldiers, it was starting to feel impossible to win.

He saw the smile Teu sent him as he passed her and her patient and returned one of his own easily. He could only imagine how much the woman would have loved to be able to do exactly what he was doing right this moment, but she was ever the consummate professional… and Trafalgor greatly respected that about her. Which is why he'd made it his self-assigned duty to watch over not only the pair of them, but the rest of the healing staff of the camp. Of all of them, he had the most experience with battle, both the actual combat and the healing during and after the fact. Still, he was glad that he was not the one in charge… that he would happily leave to the Goddess of Love. He had enough stress dealing with managing Tor and managing the medical supplies regularly coming in from his town, Gulu.

He gave a soft chuckle at Ria's quick response to his initial words and easily moved to accommodate her as she moved to sit up and take his offerings. He found himself wondering once more about what was hidden beneath the extended portion of her circlet, but never felt the urge to ask about it. It just didn't matter, honestly.

He had quickly learned that the woman was blind on his first day in the camp, but since he never saw it detract from her ability to do her duties, he made sure to treat her exactly like everyone else… except for when it came to handing her things - like now. "Then you have my mother and my mentor to thank for raising me properly," he replied to her comment about his nature. He grinned as he moved to sit beside her. "And I'm glad to have met you all as well." He looked up, noting that another of the blasted lines of Void had appeared in the sky above their heads with a blank expression. "Even with circumstances being what they are, I'm glad that I decided to come here to assist."

He then called out to Teu and let her know about the sustenance he'd brought for her. He smiled softly at Ria's support, then rolled his eyes at her mother's ambiguous response. "Somehow, even with only knowing her a few days, that response doesn't surprise me at all." He gave a chuckle and allowed the tray and cup to settle onto the bench next to him on the side opposite Ria. He then advised that Ria take care of her mental state and make sure to get rest… and her response made him chuckle.

"Again, you should thank my mother and Father Sidney for ensuring all traces of hypocrisy were removed from me at an early age, Ria," he replied, using her preferred nickname to fit the now casual mood of the conversation as he swapped his cup to his other hand and placed his now free hand on top of hers. "Yes, Tor, if she followed instructions, should have already fallen back asleep. I'll be swapping out with her when I wake her for her shift in a few hours."

After she took another drink and began to relax more, her soft-spoken question caught him slightly by surprise. He turned his gaze to rest on the young woman next to him as he searched her body language… and saw the fear she was keeping hidden below the facade of her usual light-hearted demeanor. In response, he let himself smile and gave her hand a soft squeeze. "Absolutely," he told her firmly, his absolute confidence plain in that one word. He had wondered briefly why she would even think that way with how the morale of those leaving their care had shown through with both their effusive thanks and determined demeanors heading back to their units to keep fighting. It should have been obvious… for anyone to see. Except, he quickly realized, she didn't see… and never could. At least not on her own.

He had been treating her exactly like he treated everyone… and unfortunately, that had now caused a misunderstanding; one that could have had extraordinary repercussions for not only her, but the entire fate of Revaliir. He had not been exaggerating when he said that they were some of the few that could deal with the psychological damage of the Twisted. Of the many, many healers throughout the many camps set up through the Plains, less than one in five had the requisite skill and empathy to heal mental wounds properly. 

He had made a mistake and he intended to atone for it right this moment. "I must beg your pardon, Ria. It seems that in my attempt to treat you as I do anyone else, I allowed myself to do you a grave disservice. In fact, I even wrote off the overall issue in my head using the phrase 'anyone with eyes can see' and for that I am truly sorry." He against gave a soft squeeze to her hand before letting go and bowing his head with a slight frown. When he raised it next, he continued. "However, with you being unable to use your sense of sight, it seems that you have missed an important facet about our work. Will…" he paused for a moment before firming up his resolve and pushing forward, "will you allow me to show you what I speak of, Alairia? Of why I have absolute faith that Revaliir will prevail?"

Having asked, he opened a hole in his mental shields and reached a telepathic tendril out to tap softly at the edge of Ria's mind.

The pain of the defenders was like a cacophonous chorus. It had lured the young foxling to this site of healing. Another war that threatened the way of life found itself at their feet. So many lives will be lost to save hundreds more. As a healer, Akira knew her duty was to assist those who were injured in battle. She didn't want to think of the horrors they were seeing out there, nor hear the stories they frantically recounted. Her heart weighed heavily upon seeing so many in need of healers.

Waves of injured poured in, a team of healers worked tirelessly upon their wounds. But even they have their limits. The snowy fox watched with large amber eyes a large, dark-haired man exit a tent. After he took a quick meal for himself, he took trays of food and drink to another area. In that area were two women, one with a patient the other rested on a canine. Akira recognized the older woman as Dae's mother, only having a rather brief interaction with the boy a short time ago. She owned the healing shop in Mamluk.

Regal sat perfectly on Akira's head, between her ears. The chimera gave a soft chittering noise. "Regal think?" Another sound came from the rabbit-like creature. Her feet carried her forward until she was near the healers, catching the last bit of conversation from the tall man. For some reason, seeing him make the offer reminded her of her parents. Were they out there somewhere, all three of them, fighting for their new home? If so, where were the twins? "Revaliir is defended by many people. Through their determination and our support, we shall prevail."

Her speech was surprisingly well worded, not sounding at all like the uneducated orphan she was not long ago. She downcast her eyes with slight nervousness, afraid of being overly rude. "Ak— Um… I am sorry. It was rude to speak uninvited." Akira caught herself from falling back to her natural speech patterns, a habit when she was nervous, scared, excited, or speaking to her animals. "Regal, my familiar, thought I should offer you my services. He believes… my skills would be best suited here."

”You get used to it,” the young woman said with a chuckle in regards to Teu’s mere shrug. Alairia had seen her mother go for days with minimal food or drink to sustain herself during times such as these. When the insect invasion happened, it had nearly broke Teu to see such devastation. Many lives had been lost despite the extensive hours to try and save all she could. Alairia and Dae had watched on in sadness and horror at the blood mixed with death. They had been needed to help work on the patients as well as keep the supplies stocked up. Even further back Ria saw flashbacks from DaeLuin when enemies had surrounded her mother while being a Blessed. Teu was a quiet woman, all while shouldering the responsibilities of being a young mother. Alairia smiled at the ground knowing that she had been blessed to be adopted by the woman. To be able to call her mother.

The large man’s speech patterns were amusing to her. ”Well, they have my thanks certainly. If they taught you such things for me to get such wonderful tea…I am very grateful.” She grinned up at Trafalgor from beneath her circlet. The idea of taking a nap was quite appealing, though Ria knew that if she went to sleep now it would be a long time before awakening. War raging outside the shielded doom would not wait that long.

At the feel of his hand squeezing her lightly to give reassurance, Ria rested her head upon his muscled arm. She still felt a squeeze in her chest from worry. The conviction in his voice did help ease it a bit. In the distance the elf could hear the roar of dragons. Ria knew that one of those dragons was her love fighting in the skies. She swallowed hard at the thought of those devilish creatures tearing into her family. They were all out on the battlefield while her mother and she stayed behind to tend to injuries. The only thing that helped her was the fact that none had been returned to the encampment to be tended to for injuries. Each were quite strong in their own rights. Ria had never been a fighter in the physical sense. It was only in times like these that she wished to have the ability to fight like they all could. Even her mother had the ability to be out there, but had elected to stay behind to tend to the wounded. Mostly, she had stayed behind to keep Alairia safe.

Teu patted her latest patient on the shoulder as the woman shifted off the table to join her companions. The mother reached a hand over to sip some of the tea provided while watching Ria rest on the druid’s shoulder. It would have been easy to speak up to reassure her daughter. It would have been easy, but it would have been predictable. A mother’s job was to always reassure a child even if the words were not true. No. A new friend would be better to give words of hope for Ria to better believe. Even beyond that, Ria needed that hope since her healing technique was rarer than she knew. A clear mind was necessary for it to be effective.

”I appreciate that you have not ‘seen’ my inability to see as something to include in my identity. This affliction is still quite new to me. Senses are that much sharper, that it is difficult for my imagination not to run away with me. Compounded with the images the warriors come back with….they are frightening. Flashes of my family out there are the only way I see them. Blood. Flesh. Mud. Sheer terror incarnate is on the ground and sky.” She had to take a steadying breath while fortifying the mental shields. The terror was exactly what the enemy wanted. It was something that Alairia worked hard on a daily basis to keep at bay. Many things had happened to her in a short time of her life, but she was stronger than that.

Lips up turned into a cautious smile. Allowing someone into another’s mind was a difficult and sometimes dangerous endeavor. There were things that had been walled away in the depths of her psyche that no other should have to witness. She trusted the man that she rested against. It was an odd thing to feel considering the newness of friendship. Even so, she did. ”Yes. Please. Show me.” Mental shields opened ever slightly to allow his mind to enter her own. It was then images of the warriors fighting with every ounce of strength entered her sight. Trafalgor’s mind was strong and was able to give her detailed vision. It was like she could see again. Her hand gripped his hand to steady herself as the ‘sight’ was slightly overwhelming. Their warriors were fighting hard, and yet they were not being pushed back. Strength flowed in each of them as if they were fighting for everything they held dear. A breath caught in her chest as she was able to see the three dragons in the sky. Each belonged to her family.

Releasing from the vision a light tear tracked down her cheek from beneath the circlet. ’Thank you.” A new voice gave words of encouragement that made Ria lift her face up, this time with a smile. She was feeling slightly rejuvenated. ”Yes, they are going to do this.” Ria wiped away the tear before turning back to business, and her tea. ”If you are here to help the healers, you are in the right place. From my understanding there is a need for fresh bandages to be made. Linen is over there to be cut and prepared. If you don’t mind.”

Trafalgor gave a soft smile as the young healer rested her head on his arm. He knew his hardened muscles didn't make for the best pillows, but he also knew from experience that the comfort provided by the simple skinship between friends could make up for almost any lack of physical comfort. So he simply let her do as she pleased. The distant roar of a dragon cut through the air and he felt the small shifting of Ria's body in response. Trafalgor said nothing… letting her use his presence as she needed. He then noticed that Teu had finished with her patient at some point and was now drinking the tea had provided. He gave her another small nod… then turned his focus back to Ria.

It was then he had his epiphany… and he apologized accordingly.

Her response both warmed his heart… her ability to joke about her disability a weight off of his chest. However, her next words made his gut clench, making him close his eyes and take a deep breath… then make his offer. He needed her to understand… to see what every warrior fighting out there right this moment where really doing. To see what impact her healing had on those she cleansed and sent back out to fight. And to see what all of them were truly fighting for.

When she accepted his link, he was prepared.

The reason it was so dangerous to delve into the mind of another is that each person organized their minds in their own unique way… no two minds were alike. And when two people linked with the intent to do more than merely send words to one another, there was always the chance that images, thoughts, and memories not intended would bleed over the connection. Trafalgor's method of healing the minds of his patients involved a heavy amount of such delving… or cleansing their minds from the taint of the Twisted… and then helping them calm their thoughts and fears… and, in the worst cases, even assisting them in temporarily compartmentalizing their terrible memories away from their active mindstate so that they could deal with them at a later time and return to the fight as quickly as possible.

So when he had reached out his mental tendril, Trafalgor was prepared for when she would make the connection on her side.

Within his Mind Tower, which he had formed into the shape of a large stone temple with tall walls surrounding the grounds and a huge stone courtyard with statues lining the edges of it, Trafalgor's avatar stood in the center of the courtyard next to a small chest made of wood and metal, the lid open and ready to be filled if the need arose. As soon as the connection was made, as he suspected might happen, there was something that bled over unintentionally. His avatar intercepted the incoming… memory…? Intercepted it before his conscious mind could view it and shoved it into the chest while simultaneously pushing the images and memories he wanted her to see gently towards her and firmly keeping her own memories from bleeding in his direction through the connection.

He showed Ria memories of the few large battles he had assisted with. The determination and courage all of them displayed clear to see. Some fell, but none faltered… their brothers and sisters in arms quickly avenging them and redoubling their efforts to push back the enemy further and further. He showed Ria his memories of her family flying overhead, ready to make another attack run and give relief to the warriors on the ground below.

And then he showed Ria the particular memories he truly needed her to see as he sent words across their link, meant only for her. *Those of us who fight do so not because we hate what is in front of us…* He showed her his memory of launching his 'ace-in-the-hole' attacks… of him standing alone atop a hill and firing spectral arrow after spectral arrow imbued with holy light into a horde four hundred strong from a mile away… that exploded in bright flashes that sent earth and pieces of the Twisted flying in all directions as they charged directly towards him… the view changed to him dashing through that same horde at superhuman speeds, his body completely imbued with holy light as he lashed out at every abomination within reach as he passed… and then view shifted to him falling to his hands and knees behind the line of Rosenite defenders as his rescuer… his young friend Attie… landed beside him in her dragon form and shifted back into an exhausted looking human girl… who he quickly pulled into a one-armed hug in both thanks and relief that she was safe. *We fight because we love what is behind us…*

Finally he showed her the memory that he felt would do the most to lift her spirits.

He showed her his memory of her last patient leaving her care.

Trafalgor had taken a moment to glace over from his own work to check on the young healer, as he was prone to do, and saw the man, a smile firmly set on his face as he profusely thanked Ria for her help… and then his expression shifted to one of pure determination as he picked his helmet back up, put it back upon his head, grabbed his weapon from where it had been placed when he was brought to Ria, and marched off to rejoin his comrades with his head held high. *And we refuse to back down. These abominations will pay tenfold for every one of us they manage to lay low, but they will never break our spirit… because we still have something precious to defend.*

His thoughts immediately drifted to the beautiful dark skinned features and burning red hair of his own loved one, Daphne… and of his last embrace and kiss with her before he hastened to help evacuate villages throughout the Plains.

He realized he was also sending that and quickly, but carefully pulled away his tendril from her mind… and slammed the chest next to his avatar's feet closed, sealing it with Ria's magical signature. As his avatar looked down at the small chest, it sighed and willed the now unopenable container deep into his Temple. If ever Ria joined him in his mindscape, only she would be able to open that vessel that contained her memory. He may be the closest thing to a god within his own mind, but that was not a memory for his eyes and it would remain that way until and if Ria ever deigned to share it with him. Not an instant sooner.

His perception returned to the real world in time to hear Ria voice her appreciation in a clearly emotional tone. "You're very welcome," he replied with a soft smile.

The new and unexpected voice caught him slightly by surprise, but he quickly recovered as he turned with Ria to see who had spoken. The young looking… kitsune? Those were definitely canine ears atop her head and… yes, that was a fox tail. The strange creature resting on her head (Regal?) also interested him, but for now he focused on the young girl before them as Ria responded to her. The fact that she had come to offer her assistance without a master accompanying her was… unusual, to say the least.

Her instructions to the girl, however, caused his gut to clench slightly… which made him quickly intervene. "Actually, Ria…" He looked around their immediate area and noticed that while there were still a few people being brought for healing, the three of them were currently not needed. "I'm expecting a large supply of fresh bandages, salves, and antiseptics to arrive from my village in the morning and the intake of patients looks to have lessened significantly from earlier." He turned his gaze to the fox girl and gave her a smile. "Normally, we would direct the newly arrived healers and younger apprentices to do the simple tasks like cutting bandages, but… something tells me that this young lady may have something more to offer," he continued, emphasizing the fact that his gut was the 'something' in question. He ignored his gut feelings at his own peril.

He motioned for the girl to come closer and glanced over to first Ria, then Teu. "I'm sure that between the three of us, we can stand in as a pre-screening for one of the Master Healers that will make the final decision tomorrow morning when they wake." After all, the three of them represented a not-insignificant amount of experience in the healing arts. He faced the girl again and gave her a nod. "Well then… first off, welcome young one. My name is Trafalgor, this," he gestured with his free hand to Ria, "is Alairia, and this," he gestured to his other side, "is Teu. Might we know your name and what form of healing you specialize in?" He then took a sip of his tea as he listened to the girl's reply.

To see the woman smile lifted her own spirits a bit, allowing the future to remain hopeful and bright. Akira smiled at the woman, briefly wondering about the pretty mask-like thing covering the top half of her face. Normally, her curiosity would know no bounds, but she managed to hold her tongue today. However, when requested to cut linen, Akira made to protest. "But I–" Her voice was caught in her throat and an ear twitched as she listened to Regal's chittering.

Even the tall man interjected on her behalf with his own deep voice. "No… I can do it." He kept talking, explaining the timing of a new shipment of supplies. The smile he gave Akira was met in kind. When he gestured for her to get closer, the foxling obliged. All three healers were introduced by Trafalgor, which was a funny-sounding name. Akira smiled softly at each of them with a small nod of the head. "My name is Akira Sno-Nash. I…"

She paused, tilting her head ever-so-slightly, frowning. Never before had she put her talents into words. "While Mother Celeste taught me a small bit of alchemy, I could not sit still for proper training. But, I do share her ability to… um… Accelerate the body's healing?" It was not an adequate explanation if she was to judge. "Oh! Dae knows! Dae saw once. In Mamlak. You … Forgive me, but you are Dae's mother, are you not?" Akira had to reign in her excitement to ensure her speech did not fall back into her childish patterns. She clasped her hands behind her back as she attempted to control herself, resulting in her rocking on the balls of her feet.

"I work with water. Mother has a familiar to help her work quicker, but I can hear the pain itself." As Regal ruffled his wings, her amber gaze shifted towards Ria's companions with a giggle. "Does he always want food? May I? I believe I have something with me if it's alright?" Akira reached into the pack on her hip, her never-ending bag that always had more room, searching for a fish cake she was rather fond of. Alairia agreed but advised against the black lupine. The foxling knelt before Ky and gave him a scratching while she offered the treat, curiosity growing into unease as she realized that she was not getting anything from the lupine.

It was as if there was a giant void where it sat. There were no thoughts, no emotions. Even the most obedient animal gave off something as simple as desires. They acknowledged their growing hunger and thirst, yet maintained their self-discipline. She knew which ones were willing to die to protect their master, and which couldn't care less. Many animals that cannot sweat complained about being hot. From this black creature, however, came absolutely nothing, and that nothing felt "creepy". When Ky was finished, she gave him one last scratch and retreated back to the other side of Trafalgor. "Regal says your companion was born to you near the same time Regal came to me. The gods' baby day…"