Marmalade stopped and looked at Veragwen,
"You are right, but what else can we do?" A dilemma. Taking them causes problems, leaving them causes problems. However they were less likely to be robbed.
She took another look at the gate to the white stone. No slots. She shrugged.
"I think you should take it." Marmalade said at last, turning to the supplies she dropped then started collecting them again and started for the stairs, "I felt no power holding it like you did." She told Veragwen and started back up to town.

Veragwen shook her head, "I don't know. Maybe we can find somewhere else to hide them. Maybe in the capitol?" she said, as she gathered the supplies she had dropped and followed Mara back up the stairs.

After what seemed like another endless climb up the steps, they reached the outside. She took a slow, deep breath. Taking in the fresh air. Well, somewhat fresh... She turned to Mara, "I'm going back to the Inn to check on Caelyn. By now she probably needs fresh bandages, and I think I found something that might help her when we were searching." she said heading towards the Inn.

Xiga said
The first swing connected, as Nayash had hoped, however the force of the blow was not enough to make Illurath fall out of the loop completely. He raised his sword just barely deflecting it into the tree which he had jumped down from before. Immediately she spun her hammer around to get back her balance, but by the time she swung from the top down, he had retreated to a branch of another tree not too far away. He was crouching, and it made her lips curl. The hit had done its damage, and if she was lucky it would slow down his movements enough for her to capture him.She observed from the ground, preparing for the next move, were it to be a chase or an attack. So when he slowly rose up from the crouching position, her feet shifted in the ground mirroring his movements. “Impressive Nayash.” He said, as he stood up. She could swear that he was stuttering a little due to the damaged ribs, and it made her more confident. “I’ve certainly underestimated you. However this…” he said as his aura changed. “is where our strength differs.”Suddenly Illurath was surrounded by a strange reddish black light, and Nayash knew that something bad was about to happen. Every fiber in her body wanted her to run, but she had learned to overpower the urges and stood her ground. And as soon as the black and red light had disappeared, Illurath looked like a completely different… being. “Behold the power of a Dragoon!” Almost instantly after the words left his mouth he darted towards Nayash with his sword aimed at her chest. Immediately she reacted with a deflection, however the sword graced her arm. She swung her hammer back and forth hoping to deflect as much damage as possible, but it proved to be difficult. His speed had increased and his power nearly knocked her off balance with each strike. She parried as much as she could, but her speed didn’t compete and she was struck again at her waist. The pain was agonizing but she had to continue, or else she would not make it. He was clearly out to kill, and she refused to be a necromancers puppet. Then it happened.Out of nowhere his hand formed a fist and with devastating blow to her ribs right above the cut he sent her flying into a tree making her drop her weapon. The knockback hit her head and she was dizzy, gasping for air as she could feel that something was not right with her ribs anymore either. This was not good. She heard him spoke, he was big talking and she wondered if this was it. If this was the end of her chase. Never had she seen the powers of a Dragoon. Weren’t they supposed to be legends told in childrens tales only? Was that why the council wanted him imprisoned so bad, because he had unlocked the secrets of the Dragoon stones? Was this the end of her? She lifted her hand and placed it over her wounded side, feeling the energy running out of her, or being engulfed by the adrenaline running through her. She couldn’t tell. And then Illurath left once more, leaving her to her own fate. She had underestimated him. She groaned and her arm went from the wound towards her hammer, the world spinning around her as she did. She couldn't reach it. She moved slightly, a shock wave of pain shooting through her and she bit back a cry of pain, then made the move to get her hammer back at her hands. If she was lucky, she’d be able to at least get out on the path while the adrenaline from the fight was still in her. If she could do that, perhaps someone.. Someone could find her and help. If she was lucky. However, as she reached her hammer the world was spinning so much that she couldn’t find the strength, even with the adrenaline, to pull it to her, and she gave in to the unconsciousness.

As soon as the cloaked figure dashed off, Raena instantly jumped down from the tree, rehooking her whip in the process. "Oh crap oh crap oh crap. Maybe he wasn't a trustworthy person... maybe.. he seemed so nice when he tried to help me find people I knew!" Raena continued to talk to herself while she grabbed the woman's hammer and found a place to fasten it on her person. []Side note: Her being Nayash.[] "Okay.. um... back to the village! Even though it's utterly destroyed and everyone is dead I think, surely there must be a healer, villages always have healers!"

Raena attempted to heft the woman up, draping her arms around her neck and her body over her back in a very poorly done mock piggy-back. "Oh jesus you... god maybe I... should have worked... no upper body... strength..." With this, she slowly stumbled and drug her way back into the village.

Marmalade nodded at Veragwen. Caelyn was probably in the worst shape. She had seen the scorpion attack her, but did not know to what extent.
"I think I found something that might help her when we were searching."
Veragwen must be referring to the dragoon stones, as one of them was suppose to have healing powers. However they did find several herbs, Marmalade had no idea what half of them did, but maybe she had been talking about those.
"I will meet you there!" She called after Veragwen. Marmalade wanted to get her scythe back.

Standing in front of the beast now, Marmalade recalled the feeling of wanting to finish it off. It was sickening and dark. What could have brought her to want to do that even when she knew it would cower back into the forest and die there. It didn't feel like an act of mercy. More like an act of power. Marmalade shook her head. No sense in dwelling, she should get back to the inn to help Veragwen with Caelyn. She tugged on the scythe, but it didnt come out.
"Great. Now its stuck." She mumbled to herself angrily. Carefully, she climbed on top of the creature and inspected the weapon. Maybe if she jumped down and grabbed it, the force of her fall would break it loose.
"Why not? Who could it hurt but me?" After speaking, Marmalade looked around. She was talking to herself again. Hopefully no one was around, they might think she were crazy. She then rolled her eyes, she just saved the town. Who cares if they think she is crazy. Marmalade shrugged, her thoughts weren't going to get her her scythe. So she jumped off the scorpion and held tight to her scythe. Thankfully the weapon came free rather than snapping in half. That would not have been good.
She turned back to the scorpion, simply looking at it. It had changed from a Tibora variant to one she had never seen. It was almost like magic. As Marmalade turned to go back to the inn, she noticed someone coming in to town. She immediately recognized the blue haired woman from before and narrowed her eyes. It seemed like she was carrying someone on her back though. Maybe she should help, after all, she looked like she was struggling under the other persons weight. What if she starts braiding my hair again?
"Deal with it later."
Marmalade made her way to them and slid her stuff to the ground.
"I will take her, you take my stuff and follow me to the inn." She told... Raven? She had trouble with names sometimes.

Caelyn's woke up in a strange room all alone. It appeared that it was an inn judging by the type of room. She tried to sit up and was flooded by all the pain she had forgotten. "Ah, now that's for leavin' a mark to be sure." She said in frustration. Then she remembered the scorpion, and all the screams from the citizens trying to escape and being consumed in that black mist. Tears started forming in the corner of her eyes. "All that training, just to be swiped aside like a toy, and to top't all off, I cannot even die protecting people like they do for me."
After about five minutes of self pity, Caelyn shook off her tears and forced herself up. But not before a loud popping noise, and she let out a horrific cry. "Son of a bitch!" she screamed. "I am goin' to step on every scorpion I am seein'!" Suddenly the room started spinning and she could feel herself getting light-headed. "Can I be gettin' some help in here? I would be doin' it myself but I am not for movin' very easy at the moment. Hello?" In that moment Caelyn felt very alone. All of the memories she had suppressed of Kyden and that dreadful beast flooded her and she sobbed.

Veragwen entered the Inn quietly and shut it the same way, "I wonder if she's com-" She was cut off as she heard a loud pop, a painful cry. and a variety of cursing, "-e to." she finished, and then rushed to Caelyn's room.

She opened the door and rushed to Caelyn's side, "How did you make it that far away from your bed? ....Well, in any case, I'm glad you've come around.It's a good sign." she said, as she helped the woman back to her bed, "You need to take it easy of you'll have difficulty healing up." she said as she removed her bandages and reached into her pouch and pulled out a satchel. She poured some of the cream inside of it onto her hands and applied it to Caeyln's wounds, carefully rubbing it in, "That's not a miracle cure, but it should speed up the healing a lot." she said, applying fresh bandages."

"Oh, my name is Veragwen. I thank you again for your help defeating the scorpian. It seems neither of us really helped much, but it's the thought that counts, right?" she said, smiling at her.

"Oh, my name is Veragwen. I thank you again for your help defeating the scorpian. It seems neither of us really helped much, but it's the thought that counts, right?" she said, smiling at her."

"My name is Caelyn, it is nice to meet you. Ah, I wasn't much help though. I guess I made a good distraction if nothing else." Caelyn smirked. "Thank you for treating me, it's nice to see a friendly face." Caelyn returned the smile. "I saw you running around tendin' to the wounded. That is no small feat. If I knew anythin' about healing I would do the same. But I am afraid my skills end at daggers and bows. Now any lock you need picked or trap made or disarmed, I am your girl! " Caelyn said with a little too much enthusiasm. It made her realize her lungs felt like they were being squeezed out. She let out a cough that hurt her so much it made her eyes burn. "Right remind me not to get excited, well not while I am in this state at least. So, I know this is a random question but, Where do you plan to go now that Seles is destroyed?" It wasn't until after she asked the question, that she was faced with the very same one.

"I'll keep that in mind." she said, with a slightly amused smile, then let it fade, "Oh, it was nothing. Helping people is something I enjoy. If I can't protect them I at least want to make sure I could help heal them and make them stronger. That's why I learned to be a doctor and a apothecary. That's also why I took up the sword. A lot of bandits find Seles a prime target since it's small and pretty isolated. I wanted to defend it." she sighed, "Sorry, I'm rambling. As for where I'm going now...I don't know. I'm afraid I don't know much of the world outside of Seles nor did I have anywhere specific in mind, but....there's no one left here. There's no point in staying." she said, sadly.

Shurikai said
Marmalade nodded at Veragwen. Caelyn was probably in the worst shape. She had seen the scorpion attack her, but did not know to what extent.Veragwen must be referring to the dragoon stones, as one of them was suppose to have healing powers. However they did find several herbs, Marmalade had no idea what half of them did, but maybe she had been talking about those."I will meet you there!" She called after Veragwen. Marmalade wanted to get her scythe back.Standing in front of the beast now, Marmalade recalled the feeling of wanting to finish it off. It was sickening and dark. What could have brought her to want to do that even when she knew it would cower back into the forest and die there. It didn't feel like an act of mercy. More like an act of power. Marmalade shook her head. No sense in dwelling, she should get back to the inn to help Veragwen with Caelyn. She tugged on the scythe, but it didnt come out."Great. Now its stuck." She mumbled to herself angrily. Carefully, she climbed on top of the creature and inspected the weapon. Maybe if she jumped down and grabbed it, the force of her fall would break it loose."Why not? Who could it hurt but me?" After speaking, Marmalade looked around. She was talking to herself again. Hopefully no one was around, they might think she were crazy. She then rolled her eyes, she just saved the town. Who cares if they think she is crazy. Marmalade shrugged, her thoughts weren't going to get her her scythe. So she jumped off the scorpion and held tight to her scythe. Thankfully the weapon came free rather than snapping in half. That would not have been good.She turned back to the scorpion, simply looking at it. It had changed from a Tibora variant to one she had never seen. It was almost like magic. As Marmalade turned to go back to the inn, she noticed someone coming in to town. She immediately recognized the blue haired woman from before and narrowed her eyes. It seemed like she was carrying someone on her back though. Maybe she should help, after all, she looked like she was struggling under the other persons weight. What if she starts braiding my hair again?"Deal with it later."Marmalade made her way to them and slid her stuff to the ground."I will take her, you take my stuff and follow me to the inn." She told... Raven? She had trouble with names sometimes.

Relieved to see the orange haired girl from before, Raena gladly transferred the dead weight over to the woman and took the woman's belongings. She was strangely silent as compared to when they had previously met, and she followed along just a few steps behind, making sure the unconscious female didn't slip or fall.

Hearing the solemn sad tone in Vera's voice, Caelyn knew that pain. It was loss. She was very familiar with that herself, and didn't want someone as caring as her to have that burden as well. "Well, not everyone.. you saved me. Without you I would be like the rest of them. I promise I'll try to make this life you saved worth savin'. I cannot promise it will be full of grandeur and light shows, but it will be a full one none the less. And, I am sorry for not saying this earlier, but you have my thanks. Seein' as you don' have a path ahead mind if I tag along with you? You said you want to help others, and that's what I aim to do as well, just a little better next time." Caelyn said with a slight wink.
Caelyn made up her mind then. She couldn't get stronger just by training alone, she would need others. "I know you don' have a destination or anythin' but I think together we could both become stronger. I could teach you some things and maybe you could do the same for me? If you don' want to, I won' be mad if you say no. Just a suggestion from one lost soul to another. I'm knowin' that look in your eyes and I am hopin' to make it ease." Caelyn smiled.

Veragwen smiled a little, and brushed a lock of wavy, blonde hair back behind her ear, "You're kind to say so, but I didn't do much. You don't owe me anything. Really. I was happy to do it."

She nodded, "I don't see why not. We'll be safer together than alone anyway." she smiled, "Oh, I think Mara might come with us too. I'm not sure if she had anywhere to go or not...The more the merrier, right?"

"So Mara is ok?! Good I was worried, the last time I had saw her she was unconscious. .. She had that strange light appear , and then....she was flying like a dragoon of old. That canno' be though can it? The dragoons disappeared over a thousand years ago. And yes Mara seems like a hearty warrior. I may have a favor to ask of all of you. I don' want to yet because I haven't earned it, but I hope to one day." She added with a hopeful smile. "I am glad you are smiling. It suits you and that beautiful blonde hair." Caelyn added with red cheeks.

When they arrived at the inn, Marmalade stopped and looked back at Raena,
"Get the door for me."
Once open, she immediately recognized Veragwen and Caelyn. Good, she was awake. Marmalade trudged over to an empty bed and played the unconscious woman down.
"Veragwen, we need some help over here. She is hurt pretty badly. This one," she said gesturing to Raena, "was walking into town with her on her back." She quickly loomed over her and saw several cuts and scrapes, but her eyes were not keen enough to see breaks or internal damage. Veragwen on the other hand... hopefully she could.

As blitz runs through the forest, he approaches a fire. Sitting by the fire, is a cloaked man, cooking a recently caught rabbit. As Blitz approaches the fire. the cloaked man looks up at him. "You are late master" the man speaks in a muffled tone. The man stands up, and observes his master. "You need help master?" He asked, wondering why he looked so terrible.

Vera nodded, "I thought the same thing, but we all saw it. It's the truth. Dragoons have returned to the world. What worries me is this: ....Why?" she frowned. "Oh, um...thank you, that's sweet." Veragwen blushed. "I do prefer to smile, but...well you know...."

She turned to the sound of the door opening and saw Mara and Raena walk in with- "Nayash!" gasped Veragwen, "She got up immediately and helped Mara lay Nayash on a bed next to Caelyn. Vera looked the woman over carefully, her trained eyes spotting more than just cuts and bruises. "She has some bad cuts on her waist, her arm, and a few broken ribs, as well as a pretty nasty head bruise. I wouldn't be surprised if she had a concussion....I can treat the cuts and bruises, but....there isn't much I can do for broken bones or concussions....unless...." she said, trailing off and looking at Mara questioningly. "You're a Dragoon... Do you think you could somehow use the you-know-what to heal her?"

Shurikai said
When they arrived at the inn, Marmalade stopped and looked back at Raena,"Get the door for me."Once open, she immediately recognized Veragwen and Caelyn. Good, she was awake. Marmalade trudged over to an empty bed and played the unconscious woman down."Veragwen, we need some help over here. She is hurt pretty badly. This one," she said gesturing to Raena, "was walking into town with her on her back." She quickly loomed over her and saw several cuts and scrapes, but her eyes were not keen enough to see breaks or internal damage. Veragwen on the other hand... hopefully she could.

Rushing to get the door even before the orange headed woman -- damn it why was she craving toast again? -- could say anything, Raena did her best to stay out of the way, at least recognizing that this was NOT a time to be fooling around. As the women inside looked over the injured's wounds, Raena leaned against the wall nearest the bed, seeming to space off.

...

After a few moments, completely missing the talk of the Dragoons, Raena shook her head and blinked a few times. "The guy that hurt her! He had awesome armor!" She flailed her arms around a bit. "Well, I mean.. he didn't at first but after she hurt him he did..." She stilled and frowned a bit. " And he said something about.. lagoons? baboons... er... oh! oh! He said something about the power of racoons! Although I don't see how they are very strong..." She muttered a bit for herself as she moved closer to the bed to look at the woman, subconsciously reaching for Mara's orange hair to braid it again. "Anyways after talking about raccoons he was suddenly super duper fast and he didn't hurt her until the very end where he punched her and she flew- whoosh! -" Raena made a motion with one hand that symbolized the injured flying through the air, "into a tree and then he just ran away, telling her that she couldn't catch him." The girl scrunched up her face while finishing off the braid with a tie she seemingly pulled from nowhere. "Weird game of tag they are playing... If they are friends I don't get why the hurt each other.. why not just touch each other like normal people do when they play tag...."

With that, Raena returned to her original spot on the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor with a yawn. She muttered to herself, "First that weird scorpion thing and now weird tag... No wonder my dad tried to tell me not to leave Lohan.."

Marmalade looked at Veragwen and nodded. There was a single story about the power of the White-Silver dragoon. Power could be pulled from it by the other spirits. She fished into her pack and pulled out her spirit and held her hand out for the White-Silver one from Veragwen. When she had it, she held them up together. She had no idea if this would work but hoped to Soa that it did.
The Dark Dragoon shined its dark light, making the dull twinkle from the White-Silver almost unnoticeable. Visibly, bruises seemed to vanish after a few minutes, but Marmalade couldn't tell if anything else was happening. The cuts were still there along with everything else. At least it was working. Shortly after, Raena started spouting nonsense about the power of raccoons and some man that had it that did this. If there is a criminal on the loose, Raena had seen something, and her mind mouth wasn't working. It would definitely be wise to report it to the king.
"I think we should go to Basil and inform King Zeke of whats been going on. That scorpion is not a normal occurrence, nor was anything that happened. Now there is some criminal attacking people amidst all this?" Marmalade shook her head and looked between her female companions, looking for agreement or otherwise.

Blitz stumbles through the treeline and into the camp, almost falling forward, but catching himself on a nearby tree. Looking up, he saw his follower, who had just finished cooking a rabbit. As the man stood and approached him, he pushed off the tree, "I could...use a little help...yes..." he gasped. Just how much damage did that woman do to him? He sat down with his follower's help, carefully pulling the cloak from himself, carefully lifting his arm to see the damage. His armor underneath took most of the blow from the hammer, it was dented beyond repair, "She got me good." he whispered to himself. After having his follower help to remove the armor, Blitz removed his shirt for closer inspection of his own ribs, spotting several bruises. His eyes focused on several spots, finding that he had a fractured rib bone, something he'd have to get treated before going up against Nayash again. He replaced his shirt, "That woman I told you about, Nayash, we fought. I was careless and got myself injured, I didn't think she was that strong." he told the man, reaching for his cloak again. Once it was on, he spoke, "However, despite the attack by her, something good came from all this. The Black Dragoon has awoken, and Seles is no more. Anyone who survived the attack of the scorpion, will most likely head for Basil, just as I planned it. If that woman is headed there after me, then she will have to take the only route there from here, through a cave." he said, a wide grin forming on his face. He hoped his follower knew what he was planning, "Before we leave, we should eat that rabbit, it'll be a long trip due to my injuries." he added.

It seemed only like a minute ago that Nayash had closed her eyes. Her chest was heaving slowly and pearls of sweat started to form on her forehead as he light healed some of her wounds. She was completely still, and she was starting to get a bit paler under her dark skin tone. The most likely explanation would be shock.
In her subconscious mind she was standing in a black void. Nayash could see herself below her when she looked down in completely inverted colors. Her inverted face however was covered with a hood, and as she was about to take a step away from her own reflection, she felt someone grab her leg from below. Her mirror image was holding her feet to the ground, and desperately Nayash tried to kick her off. It was no use. She started to shiver, as the white image of herself pulled her harder down to the floor. Then without warning the mirror image’s hands clawed at her legs. She opened her mouth to scream, but as she did, a third hand covered it. As she glanced back she saw a faceless figure, hood covering its face, but immediately she knew who it was. Illurath.

She threw her wholeweight backwards in an attempt to get free, and with the action she snapped back to reality. Nayash’s eyelids flew open and she shot straight up in the bed she had been placed in. Her breath was rapid and wheezing slightly, and her side burning in pain, but in the mids of confusion, that didn’t matter. She had to get out but she was surrounded by people. Immediately she threw a punch towards Veragwen who were closest, and tossed her feet of the bedside. The second her feet connected with the floor, she aimed to sprint to the door, but her body failed her and she folded onto the floor.
Almost immediately all of the energy was gone, and despite every fiber in her body telling her to flee Nayash wasn’t able to. Once more the world was spinning, but this time Nayash refused to give in. Instead she forced herself up, and with worse wheezing breaths now, she demanded
“Tell me where I am… Tell..!” Then glared at Mara for an answer. “Tell me… where..!” And then it came to her. She knew where abouts she were, and who the people around her were, at least some of them.
“I.. What..?” She just said, as she started to shiver. “How..?”

Veragwen watched Mara until her eyes couldn't stand the bright light coming forth from the stones, which she then shielded them with an arm, "That sounds fine. I think that's actually the closest town or village to Seles, unless you count Helena Prison. So it makes sense to--owf!" she was cut off by a blow to the face from Nayash, "Ouch....maybe next time make sure you know who's around you before you go swinging?" she said as she straightened, rubbing her eye and cheek, "You're safe now, so relax and rest, alright?" she said, offering the woman a comforting smile. "Raena says you were fighting with someone. Is that that Illurath you spoke of before? That seems pretty coincidental...."