---

Tanithil raced throughout the port town of Vanarosa, his gaze shooting to either side of the street for any oncoming threats or innocent people walking in his forward path. He stuck to the lesser traveled streets, as two dark elves sprinting in broad daylight would garner ample attention. He narrowly avoided several head-on collisions by sharply changing directions with what reserves of magic he had left. As he finally approached the docks, he skipped the long walk around and up the pier and simply conjured a thick mist underneath them both that carried them aboard the Saltrunner. Once on board, he ran below deck, sharply replying to the other crew members if they tried to stop him. ”Step in front of me and I kick ya square in the groin hard enough ya won’t walk right for a day!”

Needless to say no one impeded his descent into the lower decks. He knelt down, carefully placing his dear friend onto her particular cot. For the first time over several minutes, he finally had a moment to catch his breath. His heart pounded in his chest as his lungs desperately clung for what little oxygen it could between his rapid breaths. He ran his hands along her arms, her legs, her sides, her back, just about anywhere he could try and find any source of a broken bone or perhaps some form of internal bleeding. ” Sorry, Amisra. Not tryin’ ta feel you up but I gotta make sure the fucker didn’t break you…” He softly spoke. It seemed the impact left several marks, perhaps some bruises, but there was definitely a fracture or two beneath the surface he could not see. But the way she reacted as he poked and prodded would tell him all he needed to know. She was hurt, and it worried him deeply. He turned on his feet and ran around the corner to where they kept spare medical supplies and began to rummage for what he could.

Tiny and small sobs echoed around Sirena as she hid in the back recesses of the lower deck. The moving shadows of Tanithil carrying Amisra danced alone on the back walls as she peeked around a barrel she hid behind. Her eyes landed on the injured woman and a worried Tanithil but what captured her attention was the sobbing child who was beating and pounding on the woman's chest “Wake up Mimi…wake up…wake up!! The child cried as she fell onto the woman's chest sobbing.

Falling back into the shadows Sirena attempted to ignore the cries but as Tanithil left she couldn’t help but feel sorry for it. Suddenly the child stood up with a quick speed “ Help her!” the small child shouted at Sirena “ Help her! It’s your duty! You must help Mimi!” Her pleading and wailing broke Sirena’s heart. She had seen so many spirits in her life but this one was strong. The bond between the child and the woman was rare. Normally Sirena would ignore the call of them, drawing out their screams and sobs but this one was different.

Peeking around the barrel again she quickly scurried over to the woman's body as it lay unmoving. The vision of the child had dissipated as an overwhelming feeling of grief hit Sirena straight in her chest. She felt the breath leave her lungs as she struggled for air. Trying to work past it she quickly pulled some items from her bag that was slung around her hip, pulling out a couple vials and satchels. The first was a vile of a potent snake venom, known to numb the nerve system for extended periods of time allowing the body to rest pain-free. She opened the vile and placed the liquid to her lips making sure she ingested its contents. Once Sirena was certain the venom had enough time to kick in she began to do her work.

She quickly ripped open what she could on the woman's chest revealing her chest. Thankfully the woman had undergarments on which likely helped with any severe injuries to her torso thanks to the boning. Looking around she could see bruising along her ribs, a sure sign of a fractured bone. Pulling out large strips of cotton Sirena wrapped the woman's chest tightly in the bandages to help support the ribcage to allow it to heal faster. Moving quickly she then applied a herbal paste to the wound on her head, wrapping her head with some thick bandages as well.

Sirena checked over her body more, searching her arms, the back of her head, her stomach then down to her legs where she saw large amounts of bruising but no cuts. Thankfully the woman was in rough shape but with some rest and the tonics she provided for pain relief she would be just fine. Pulling out one last vile she held another liquid to her lips as it flowed into her mouth. It was blood that had been collected from a beast that had self-healing properties. Although other species would not self-heal, it was found to help quicken the procedure even just slightly, enough that the bruising would slow. Once done Sirena tossed a blanket over the woman to cover the exposed parts of her body. “ It’s okay small one…” Sirena whispered to the small child that lingered around the women. She felt the relief in her chest as the child settled beside the woman, her head resting on her chest as if to fall asleep.

Hearing footsteps Sirena scurried back into the corner she had found residence in, hiding behind some large dusty barrels. She peeked around ever so slightly to get a glimpse of who was approaching.

Amisra lay still on the cot, her consciousness drifting in a sea of darkness and fractured memories. Her body ached, every bruise and fracture sending waves of pain through her. It was as if her entire being was suspended in a void, a place where time had no meaning.

In this half-conscious state, Amisra found herself in a dream. She stood in a lush, vibrant forest, the air filled with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the gentle rustling of leaves. The sun filtered through the canopy above, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the forest floor.

As she walked through this serene woodland, a soft voice called her name, a voice she hadn't heard in years. "Mimi," it whispered, like the wind through the leaves.

Turning towards the sound, she saw a figure approaching, a small child with hair as white as Amisra’s and bright, curious eyes. It was Lyrei, the baby sister she had lost so many years ago. Amisra's heart swelled with emotion as she ran towards her, tears of joy in her eyes.

The two sisters embraced, Amisra holding her in her arms and spinning them around, the warmth of their love washing over them like a gentle breeze. She could hardly believe that she was holding her sister again, that she could feel her presence, hear her laughter. They talked and laughed, sharing stories and secrets, as if they had never been apart.

But as the dream went on, shadows began to creep in at the edges of the forest. Amisra's sister turned to her, her eyes filled with sadness. "Mimi, you have to go," she said softly.

Tears welled in Amisra's eyes as she clutched her sister's hand. "I can't leave you again," she pleaded.

Her sister smiled sadly. "You have to, Mimi. You have a purpose, a destiny. You can't stay here with me. I’ll always be with you, even if you can’t see me."

Amisra's heart ached as she watched her sister slowly fade away, her form dissipating like mist in the morning sun. She reached out, trying to hold on to her, but her sister's touch slipped through her fingers.

And then, Amisra woke with a start, her eyes fluttering open. She was back in the dimly lit lower deck of the Saltrunner, her body aching and bruised, yet not aching as much as she anticipated she would. The memory of the dream lingered in her mind, a bittersweet reminder of the love and loss she had experienced in her life. In that moment, she could have sworn she saw a figure darting back into the shadows behind some barrels. Her mind was foggy, however, and she wasn’t sure what she was actually seeing. ”Tan, is that you?” She called out, her voice hoarse.

The sound of Amisra’s voice had called Tanithil’s attention as he rummaged through the ship’s medical closet for supplies. He wasn’t much of a nurse, but he found some bandages, gauze, some natural balms for pain, and a few other things to help ease Amisra out of her injuries. He turned on his heel and walked briskly into the room. ”Yeah it’s me, Amisra. I just gotta help…dress your wounds?” He paused and noticed that Amisra’s shirt had been ripped, exposing the undershirt she had beneath. It was for that split second that Tanithil felt a rage bubble in his gut. Shadows began to pull from around the lower deck of the ship as sharply-edged appendages crawled out of Tanithil’s back, gripping the wood of the ship with an eerie creaaaaaaak. The four “arms” instinctively surrounded them both, as if to shield them from some unseen third party. He whipped his head around. ”You must be ballsy or completely mental if you think messin’ with a woman while she’s out cold is the right move. So help me-” His words paused as he noticed just what state his friend was in.

Sirena felt her body push against the wood of the ship as the forces that built up around her caused a tremor in her belly. Her eyes darted around the cob-webbed corner as she felt her breath hitch in her throat from fear. The sounds of screeching and yelling echoed in her mind as she covered her ears tightly, her eyes squinting closed as she pushed tighter into the corner of the ship.

She was slightly undressed, yet had plenty of cotton strips to hold her ribcage together, which had shown signs of damage. Not to mention the gash on her head had a salve applied to it. The grotesque conjured limbs slowly receded back into Tanithil, his mind and heart now set a little more at ease knowing whoever it was that touched his friend, it was seemingly in good faith. He knelt down and quickly covered her up, his gaze shifting to meet hers while he spoke. ”You took a proper hit there, Amisra. You’re alright though, you’re back on the Saltrunna. I need to know where it hurts the most right now and if you need anythin’.”

As his limbs receded Sirena's body relaxed as her breathing steadied. With a timid crawl, she used her hands to pull herself slightly forward from behind the barrels. Her large round eyes observed the grateful man as he looked upon his friend. However, the small child looked at Sirena with tears in her eyes. They light up large as her tiny hands tucked into her chest and a smile grew on her face. The child leaned down, planting a gentle soft kiss on the woman's forehead as her body faded off into the shadows. “ she sleeps…” “She is sleeping now.” “ Not gone.” “Small child” the whispers echoed in her mind.

Amisra blinked in confusion as her gaze shifted from where she expected to see Tanithil to where he actually was. She then glanced back to where she could have sworn she'd seen a figure, eyes scanning the dim light for any sign of a person. Then that dim light became dimmer as his shadow arms surrounded them and she glanced around alarmed. He said he needed to dress her wounds, but as she looked down at herself it seemed that had already been done. So either Tanithil hit his head too and forgot he'd dressed them or there was a helpful stowaway on board.

“Tan, that's enough. I'm fine." She said, her voice raspy as she tried to get her friend to calm down and see sense.

Finally it seemed he came to his senses and she breathed a small sight of relief. “Thank you, Tanithil,” Amisra whispered, her voice weak but filled with gratitude. She winced as she shifted, pain lancing through her body. “I ache all over, but I think my ribs are the worst.” Her eyes shifted to the corner where she was sure she'd seen someone. “And thank you, too... whoever you are.” She managed a faint smile, appreciating the kindness she had been shown.