[IC] Stories from Idumea: Children of Avveel

[BlueAjah]

Allet folded her arms. A feeling? While Allet herself was curious about the boy, it seemed strange Alfaru was so interested. Even Sylvaine seemed suspicious of him. Although she was quick to abandon the situation and follow after Numair. “Alfaru, I don’t know..” She mumbled. Torn between a warm meal and staying to watch over Alfaru, Allet wasn’t sure what to do. She wanted to trust him but they hardly knew each other.

Amidst her inner struggles, Alfaru took out a book from his belongings and muttered words she couldn’t hear. The young boy’s body suddenly glowed and the slab he pushed against moved. Allet had to blink several times. What kind of magic did Alfaru possess?

“Uhh… Alfaru, what did you do?” Allet walked closer to stand beside him. She watched the boy as he suddenly let go of the slab and her eyes widened with horror. The boy’s screams rattled Allet’s bones. She had healed many people in her mom’s shop but watching helplessly as the slab crushed the boy’s legs was horrific. Grabbing her medicine bag, Allet sprinted toward him.

“You’re going to be okay,” She whispered to both the boy and herself, trying to keep her voice steady. She couldn’t lose control here. Taking several deep breaths, Allet put all her strength into lifting the slab. Try as she might, it was simply too heavy for her. “Alfaru, please! we need to get this off his legs!”

[Knight of Doom]

Sylvaine wasn't too far off from the group when she heard a scream coming from behind her. Instantly, she ran back to where she had left Alfaru and Allet only to see Allet kneeling next to the boy who was underneath a slab of rock. Cursing under her breath, the mercenary ran over to help. She crouched down and slipped her hands under the rock before lifting it upwards.

It was heavy. Already Sylvaine could feel her legs strain under the weight. She was able to lift the pressure off of the boy's legs, but most likely wouldn't be able to fully move the rock without help. "Can you get him out?" Sylvaine groaned, trying to keep the rock up as long as possible. Her muscles protested especially after the long day of travel, but years of training had taught her mind over matter.

[Sedjwick]

Alfaru was rushing to the boy's aid the moment the slab fell on his legs, but Allet and Sylvaine both reached the boy first. They worked together to lift the heavy stone, and at Sylvaine's question, Alfaru pulled the boy out from under the slab, allowing the women to drop the heavy load. With these things accomplished, Alfaru went to work treating the boy's injuries. He knew just from the weight of the slab alone that the boy's legs would be broken, but he rolled up the legs of the child's trousers to get a view of the full extent of the damage. As he was doing this, he muttered another spell, this one to dull the feeling in the boy's legs. This would help with the pain, especially when Alfaru set to work setting the child's bones, but he would need to see just how bad the damage was first.

As he began looking at the boy's injuries, he spoke gently to the boy. "Talk to me. It will take your mind off the pain," he said. "Maybe tell me what happened. Where are your parents? What's your name?" he suggested, doing his part to help distract the boy from the pain while also subtly probing for answers to the questions he had been asking since he first saw the boy. He took a moment to direct his attention to the two women. To Allet, he asked, "Could you get me some twin leaf and spring foil? I have some in my pack. Also my mortar and pestle." The first herb he could crush and mix with water to make a paste that would help with the child's bruises, while the child could chew on the other to help with the pain. While he said this, he turned his attention to Sylvaine, glancing between the elf and the place where the slab had previously rested and jerking his head slightly in that direction in a subtle, silent suggestion that she investigate what it was the child had seemed so intent on finding while not wanting to let the child know that he had been spying on him.

[Sanity43217]

Numair sighed at the sound of a scream. His right hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his rapier. Spinning to face a new danger, his sword was already half-drawn before he saw that the only threat was his travelling companions. "Butt knuckle." Numair al-Din swore under his breath. He agreed to join this travelling group because he thought they were good people, but now he found one of them crippling children. At least now the other two were seeming to help out. Numair was torn. By oath, he should go over, but he knew if he went over to help, he would just be getting in the way. There was also the fact that he wasn't sure which of the group possessed what magic. If he went over and found out which member had crippled the boy, he would be oath-bound to take action. He swore again as he turned to continue on his way to the tavern.

As he walked, his mind went back to his training and time at The Obelisk Of Stresior.

The muffled sounds of wooden swords clashing against wooden swords, steel armour and flesh could be heard in the learning hall as a young Numair sat listening to his lessons. Mokci strode backwards and forwards across the front of the learning hall. "As a knight of the Order, your first duty is to protect the innocent." Numair nodded. He wanted to help people. "Those that harm the innocent should not be spared your wrath. Of course, you should be a good person, but there are certain things you are oath-bound to avenge." Numair was confused. Only twelve, he was still fairly naive about the world as a whole. "Like what?" Mokci chuckled at the question. He admired the boy's naivety. It was a nice change of pace. Though he knew it wouldn't last long. "Only the truly despicable. I will explain another time. For now, how would you like to learn some magic?" Numair stood up and nodded enthusiastically.

His mind coming back to the present. "Only the truly despicable." He muttered under his breath. Crippling an innocent boy sure fit that description. Such a pure soul. Such potential. Snuffed out by one of his travelling companions. Something he would have to keep in mind. Something he planned on resolving in town, with the local authorities to back him up.

[taistelusopuli]

The skinny and young boy would not stop yelling. There was a flare of panic in his intensely amber eyes. Big pearls of tears were rolling down his freckled cheeks and the pain, real and imaginary, made his face muscles twist into an expression of terror, like one of a mortally wounded prey. As Allet and Sylvaine rushed to his aid, the boy was frantically trying to grab any rocks and stones around him to pull his legs free. Naturally to no avail. All that it did was send more sand and dust flying.

As Alfaru pulled him out, the boy struggled trying to break free from Alfaru’s hold. In his panicked state, being held by someone was like fuel to the flames for him. Upon being freed from the weight of the slab, the damage to his legs could be seen. The boy had been lucky. Because of the rocky landscape, the slab had not crushed his feet. Instead of falling straight on them, the surrounding rocks had given him some protection. His left foot was mostly fine, though there were signs of severe twist from a sudden move to an extreme position. There was already a large bruise developing around his ankle. His right foot had not been so lucky. The boy would walk again after proper treatment and much rest, but now his ankle was dislocated from overextension. There was severe internal bleeding, the foot dragged after the boy’s leg in a loose manner and pointing to a direction it was not supposed to.

The spell Alfaru cast took the real pain away for the time being. As the boy was spoken to, he calmed down, realizing these strangers were trying to help him in his predicament. Nervous and scared, he looked at Allet, Sylvaine and Alfaru and the rock. Then he turned his face away, shy as he was. He heard Alfaru’s questions and flinched at the idea of talking to a stranger. He was silent for a while, except for the crying that was slowly fading and calming down. “Looking.” He answered the first question. “At home”, he answered the second. He hesitated more at the third, but finally muttered, “Säätur”.

@Knight of Doom

Sylvaine

Where the slab was resting, you see a small white flower. Vivid green stem, with a few equally green leafs at the root and five vibrantly white petals.

@Sanity43217

Numair

As you turn to continue towards Avveel, a cart pulled by a horse with two men and some cargo appear from behind the curve of a hill in less than a mile's distance.