[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/1U4bQ50.png[/img][/center][hr][sub][color=lemonchiffon]Location: The Hot Springs[/color][/sub][hr][hr]

Tia’s eyebrows drew together as her magic searched and spread through the nobleman’s body. He was… [i]fine[/i]. 

Well, maybe ‘fine’ was not the appropriate word. He was still clearly distraught. And [i]loud[/i]. And each successive word out of his mouth seemed to only incite the blightborn women more and more. But there was no wound to heal – nothing for her waning magic to fix. 

Then his hand gripped around her arm, just as her hand had around his. Tia froze, cutting off the flow of her magic. She looked up at him. He wasn’t looking back.

Then, in a bizarre turn of events, he pulled himself out of the pool and walked forward in a trance. Tia scrambled backwards to get out of his way. Her confused gaze met Orion’s, where he stood between the humans and blightborn. Tia’s eyes darted back to the nobleman though, when he spoke in a monotone voice, distant and entranced.

…[i]‘Aelios?’[/i]

Was… was he having a [i]vision?[/i]

Tia could only watch, breath caught in her throat at the sight of this odd man. If he was having a vision too… if Tia had some way to verify that the visions she’d been having were [i]true[/i], and –

The noble slammed his head into a wooden pole, breaking his trance. Then he was back to being… ‘awful’ wasn’t a very kind word to use. Distressing? Afflictive? Tia found herself looking back at Orion, if only to verify that someone [i]else[/i] was also experiencing this scene. 

But instead of Orion, it was Sya that met her eyes, her new serpentine body weaving its way out of the water to descend on Tia. Before she could even register what was happening, she was trapped in the heavy coil of Sya’s drenched tail, the innkeeper’s arms thrown around her frame as she sobbed into Tia’s robes.

Panic was thick in her chest, the overwhelming feeling that she was [i]prey[/i], trapped and helpless against the weight of Sya’s tail – but something stilled in her at the sound of Sya’s crying. The fear began to melt away.

Still held in place, Tia tried to twist her neck to look over at Sya, where she’d all but collapsed into her. Her words were a mess of heartbreak and frustration, and all Tia could do was give her the space to let it out. She raised a tentative hand to place it on the back of Sya’s head, combing her fingers through the woman’s damp hair. The babble of words washed over Tia and her heart clenched. She leaned more into Sya’s hold, offering what silent comfort she could.

When the innkeeper had finally composed herself enough to pull away from her, Tia offered her a small, encouraging smile. She reached a hand up to cup Sya’s cheek, swiping away a tear with her thumb.

Her robes were damp where Sya’s tail unwound, but at least it seemed she was draped in enough fabric that the water and chill hadn’t reached Tia’s body yet. She’d have to change before heading out into the town proper. 

She looked up again, taking in the scene one more time to ensure that disaster had truly been averted – only to freeze when she saw a figure in the distance.

It was a familiar silhouette: layered robes, blonde hair blowing like wisps in the wind. It was distorted, though. There were shapes that did not belong. Horns. A flicking tail. But Tia couldn’t tear her eyes away from the figure. She couldn’t stop the way emotion clawed up her ruined throat, or how tears were sudden and warm in her eyes.

[i]She’d been right.[/i] This specter from her past, this echo of shame and heartbreak and [i]failure[/i] had followed her to Dawnhaven.

[i]Was she real?[/i] 

Tia didn’t dare take her eyes off of her, lest the figure disappear, another vision that Tia didn’t know how to trust. Her body started to move on its own. Step after spellbound step, she walked through the snow towards the last person she’d expected to see in Dawnhaven. And then finally, after a lifetime of walking, Tia stood in front of the young woman she’d promised to train and guide before [i]abandoning[/i].

She looked the same in so many ways, like no time had passed at all. And Tia supposed none had. Two months shouldn’t have had much impact on either woman – and yet both were so different from how they last knew each other. One voiceless and sun-bleached, the other twisted and inhuman. Both unable to recognize their own reflections.

The stars stayed anchored in the sky. The hand that reached towards the figure was her own. 

Her lips moved to form Ranni’s name, even as no sound escaped her.

Her trembling fingers finally reached Ranni’s cheek, warm, and soft, and [i]real[/i].

Something shattered in Tia as it finally sank in that this wasn’t a vision. She didn’t know how or why, but Ranni was [i]here[/i]. However it happened, it’d been traumatic – her new blightborn traits were evidence enough of that. And where was Dyna? Tia had rarely seen the twins apart, Dyna acting as their watchful shadow as they’d moved through the capital. 

Tears finally rolled down her face as she took in the sight of the young priestess. Then it was like something clicked into place. Tia threw herself forward, arms wrapping tightly around Ranni. She clung to her like this connection was the only thing keeping her from drifting away into a storm, body trembling as she burrowed closer. 

For whatever horrors she’d witnessed, or pain she’d experienced, Tia was selfishly, wholly, [i]thankful[/i] that they’d brought Ranni to her again.

[hr]
[color=lemonchiffon][sub]Interaction: Ayel Raunefeldt [@Dezuel], Sya Leela [@PrinceAlexus], Ranni Soleil [@Queen Arya]
Mention:  Kira Rykker [@The Muse], Orion Nightingale [@Qia][/sub][/color]