The white lily remained silent for the first three out of the six days the adventurers were out on jobs. Everything moved smoothly and seamlessly as they often did in the quieter days when longer jobs were taken and more of the guild members were away. On the fourth day however Athena became anxious, as the group heading for the wolf assignment should have been back by then. With urgent demands to the guild master a small group of members who went volunteer only left to discover the whereabouts of the group who should have been back.
The guild was still and solemn during the this time, frantic looks were exchanged between older members and even Farmer Francis took the trip through the mountains to deliver their supply of food and brought no new, news of what had happened to the party. The afternoon of the sixth day rolled around when the members from the boar quest came through the front doors of the heavy hearted guild.
Athena
Athena's eyes shot up with a heart that fluttered and a glint in her eye as the doors parted presenting the group of boar hunters, blood stained, exhausted and all accounted for. The light burst through the door as her heart burst from her chest and she sprang forward to embrace each of the three members and congratulate them on their victory.
βHagor will be so pleased with all this meat you've brought us.β Her voice shook and her eyes glistened as she spoke before she took each of their hands and placed them in hers
βI am thankful you are all safe, welcome home.βAthenas voice was smooth and soft as ever though it still betrayed her hasted emotions. She looked closer at Mable, noticing the blood stained shirt over her shoulder where a slit could be seen revealing her broken skin. As her eyes surveyed the wound she saw the condition of Serigans leg and immediately called out to Hygiea to come over and take a look.
As he spoke and winked, Athena smiled at him, a small smile, one barely able to be seen as her lips barely curled up but, a smile all the same and nodded. She climbed the stairs towards the lounge, disappearing for a moment before reappearing carrying a chair and placing it behind Serigan, gently pushing his shoulders down so he'd be forced to sit. It was then that one of the three handed Athena a bound scroll addressed to the guild master. She glanced at it for a moment before rushing behind her counter and counting out coin.
Athena's face was flushed as she counted, nervously glancing at the scroll every few counts. At this point Hygiea was had already come into the room with a stool for Mable and was looking at her shoulder.
βOkay, ten boar means 6000 yule making it an even 2000 each.β This she mumbled to herself as she pulled out three coin purses and filled them with the amounts. The leather pouches were stuffed and sealed as she circled around her counter once again placing each pouch gently into the palm of each of the three members hands.
As the last pouch was placed the doors slammed open again as the group of members who had gone out to see what had become of the group taking on the wolf quest stormed in. Their faces were pale and tired with hurry, their hands were covered in a thick coating of dark blood and they too were carrying a scroll sealed and addressed to the guild master.
βAthena, you should come with us, we need to see the master at once.β Athena looked at them nervously.
βSo the others, what..β her small voice died as the grief that bore on their face silenced her before one announced.
βDead, all of them all but.β as they spoke, the small slow and sad patters of Alfies dog, Spat clicked on the wooden floor. The dog dropped in exhaustion, it's paw was cut and it's back was slashed. Hygiea looked over, she was now working on Serigan and nodded, rubbing the dogs stomach lightly with one hand as if to say, you're next before continuing her work.
Athena assessed the situation, nodded at the group and then picked up the letter she had just received and lead the way towards the guild masters chambers.
Hygiea
When the doors swung open and the group of three stumbled in, Hygiea's heart lifted and sank before lifting again noting that at least this group was back safe. She glanced back down and finished the remedy she had finally finished putting together before the call of her name by Athena pulled her attention back up again. Hygiea only needed that momentary glance before she understood the situation and grabbed her emergency kit and hurried her way over to the guilds entrance, grabbing a stool on her way over of Mable.
Though Pascal seemed only tired, Mable and Serigan looked rather worse for wear. Hygiea handed Pascal a small vial of strength potion to help reinvigorate him before beginning her work on Mable's shoulder. She tore the fabric on her shirt just a bit more to give her a better view of the injury.
βSorry dear.β she said sympathetically. Hygiea pulled out a flask of liquid and a clothe from her kit. In a quick motion she flipped the lid on the flask and then tipped it over then clothe, pouring enough on it to make it damp.
βThis may sting a little, I'll try to be gentle.β Her hands, although gentle rubbed the clothe over Mable's back to clean the wound. The liquid would send a searing pain through the wound as it cleaned it out. The solution was Hygiea's on concoction, a mix of alcohol and special herbs perfectly blended to quicken healing and clean out a wound. Though it would sting at first it had a warm and soothing after feeling that would last throughout the healing process, almost like an indicator to tell you when you were healed.
Hygiea put her palms on either side of Mable's shoulder, feeling where it had broken and sprained. She sighed then pulled a wrap up from her kit before ripping Mable's shirt even more to give her more room to work with placing the wrap in a correct position. She was careful not to reveal too much of Mable's bare flesh in front of everyone as she began to wrap her shoulder and upper arm, placing various herbs throughout the wrap.
βGive it a few days and it should be okay. If it begins hurting unbearably, I want you to come and see me at once. Hygiea moved from Mable's shoulder to Serigan's leg as if almost mechanically.
βNow what do we have here?β she mumbled to herself as she examined the bandage.
βMy these wrappings are very well done, if not for these your leg may not have been saved.β She glanced up at Serigan as she said this and smiled before beginning to unwrap the blood soaked wrap. Her hands were steady and her eyes were focused as she worked, gently pulling away each wrap from it's place and placing them next to the foot of the chair he was sitting in. She quickly grabbed another clothe and poured more of the liquid on the open wound and began cleaning it out. This wound being much worse in some sense then Mable's would take a little more liquid and work then the other had.
βPlease parden the pain, I will try to be quickβ she said, rubbing the clothe over the wound sending the pain through Serigan as he had done with Mable. This pain would last longer and run deeper as the wound was larger.
Hygiea waited for a moment for the soothing warmth to kick in before pulling out a needle and thread. She glanced up at Serigan again before pulling out what looked like some kind of clamp and wrapped it around his leg, forcing the wound closed.
βNow, it is imperative that you don't move.β She pulled out a flask of whiskey and handed it to him as it to say, you'll need this.
It was at this moment that the other group of adventurers stormed in conversing with Athena before the word,βDeadβ was announced which struck Hygiea like a pile of bricks in the pit of her stomach. She glanced at the floor, tracing the ridges in the wood with her eyes for a moment taking in the situation for a moment, letting it take her for just that second before coming back to the task at hand before she had time to herself. Following the news came Spat who was also injured, no doubt trying to protect his master and friend. She rubbed him for a moment before turning back to Seriga's leg.
Now that everything was set, Hygiea began sowing shut the leg wound, stitching it back together with the help of the clamp that kept everything snug and in a straight line. She tried to work quickly but still wanted to be accurate in her stitching. The stitches looked like staples in his leg before she removed the clamp, ran the clothe over his leg again, pulling long thin sticks out of her bag and placing them around his leg to offer extra support before beginning to wrap his leg in the same fashion done with Mable's arm.
At the final wrap, Hygiea quickly stood signaling everyone to stay put before she ran back to get station picked up a few things and rushed back with her hands full of various objects. She handed Serigan something like a crutch before looking him in the eyes,
βI need you to use this for a few days, you can't move around much before the medicine sets in otherwise you could rip your stitches. Come see me in 3 days and I will look at your wound again.β She handed Mable and Serigan a vial of healing potion.
βTake it before you sleep tonight and will help.β She noddded at them all before reaching down and pulling the dog up in her arms, carrying him like a small child and disappearing behind the counter of her apothecary station.
Artemis
Artemis had just finished making Athena's necklace before the group on the boar quest strode in. She watched at listened to the commotion and on goings, sharpening a blade on her counter while her eyes flickered back and forth between her project and the group.
With the second group coming in and their announcement, Artemis picked up this sword she was sharpening at threw it against the line up of weaponry and armour.
βFuck!β She yelled, over the clattering of metal smashing against the ground and scattering all over the floor. She picked up a helmet and threw it across the room
βWhy? What could have prevented this?β Artemis's fury with the situation was evident and overwhelming. She glanced at Athena as she lead the way from the room heading towards the guild master. Artemis began passing back and forth from one end of the room to the other trying to calm down before she kicked the helmet she threw earlier across the room.
Hagor
Hagor lingered at the top of the stairs listening to the situation below and watching as it went on. She scrunched her legs closer and closer to her chest as each word was spoken, her excitement for the fresh meat quickly overtaken by the sadness of tragedy and loss. Three brave members of the guild had been lost, taken from them, all in the hopes of bringing peace to the lives of others.
When Athena came past her for the final time heading towards the guild master she rushed down the stairs stopping in front of the three guild members who were still there.
βThank you for completing your mission, thank you for returning and thank you for the meat.β Her smile was a bit broken as she spoken in the higher tone that was her voice sounding obscure as it was usually filled with life and vigor. She looked at them all one by one before playfully putting her hands on her hips and winking.
βYou get free food for at least two weeks for this treat!β She smiled again, larger and filled with more of the life she usually held behind it though her deep emotions, as the others before her grieved for the loss of their comrades. She looked over at Artimes, dropping her smile and showing a glint of moisture in her eyes before turning and ascending the stairs once again and going behind her counter where she would focus her energy on reworking the menu to include the new produce and meat they had just received.
Ares
Ares worked in his study, gathering notes for the upcoming comity meeting that was to take place the following day. His eyes shifted from page to page as the door to his study was briskly knocked on and opened before he had the opportunity to speak. The white hair and green eyes of Athena rushed into the room carrying a scroll followed by a singular adventurer from the group of volunteers that had gone in search of the missing members.
Ares stood from behind his desk, poised and steady then glanced from Athena to the member and back before stopping on the member.
βSpeak.β His voice was deep and clear, nothing to misunderstand or misconstrue. The adventurer shifted in his steps, glancing at Athena who made no expression then back at Ares. He had never had a one on one conversation with Ares before and did not remember ever standing this close to him either. Ares gave him a stern look, causing him to straighten up and open his mouth to begin speaking.
βYes, Sir.β he started, his voice shaking somewhat and drawn into an almost mumbel from his exhaustion.
βYou see, Sir. The other members, Alfie Reid, Nihus Yorkek and Zhang LiangYing or Jane, they... they are dead Sir.β His voice shook at the having to say the word again, to be the one to bare the news.
βWhen we arrived they had been slain but, you see Sir, the wolves were also all dead, all of em.β He motioned his hands as if to express a large amount.
βThe members didn't seem to be slain from the wolves though Sir, they had weapon wounds and arrows from out from em. We buried them in the cemetery of Irbel before returning and discovered this scroll among their persons.β The member handed Ares the scroll which Ares took with a nod before the adventurer nodded at the master and excused himself from the room.
Ares held the scroll in his hands for a moment before opening it and running his eyes across the page, reading it quickly and carefully. His face expressed no emotion or indication of what the scroll would entail before he looked up at Athena and held out his hand to receive the other scroll.
βFrom the adventurers who took the boar quest.β Ares nodded quickly as he took the scroll and read it as he did the first one.
βAthena, I'd like you to put these notices on the board.β Ares quickly went to his desk and scribbled a note on a piece of paper. He pulled up the paper and handed it to Athena as he gathered his notes for the comity, grabbed the scrolls and head towards his quarter door.
βI am leaving at once. You know what to do. Athena firmly nodded at him as he disappeared behind the door and quickly made his way through the guild, passing everyone swiftly without giving them a glance. He exited the guild, mounted his black stead and rode in a fury through the darkening valley of the mountians.
@Masterkeun@karlettto@Big Dread@Mesonyx