Pascal

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Lionel began to tell Adrianna how much he knew about Midkemia, or rather, he boasted about knowing things without really telling her anything of use. Adrianna’s jaw clenched as he walked around her, and suddenly she found herself realizing that there was no way this man was simply a healer who had worked for the church. He was much to prideful. He much have had some sort of title among them. Was he a hunter? She doubted it. He seemed far too easily distracted for such a task. Perhaps an Acolyte? Some of them could be really uppity.

“I know a bit.” Adrianna said. Lionel told her that she would need gold. She could get that. Healing people, with magic or not, was a profitable job. She could make whatever she needed to secure passage to most places. Even savage cut-throats got hurt sometimes. Taliya chimed in, and told her to bring people, preferably scary looking ones, eliciting a scoff from Adrianna. She wasn’t going to hire bodyguards to get her in to Midkemia. So what if the place was like a giant prison? For all she knew, Finneas was in an actual prison in Midkemia. She hoped that he wasn’t. If he was free, it shouldn’t be too hard to get to him.

Taliya added that Lionel wouldn’t accompany her and Adrianna nearly snorted. No, she had no desire to continue to work with such a prick. The sooner she got away from him, the better. The latter suggestion was to ask the crazy kids who had been in earlier. “The group with the child, robot, and the woman who refuses to heal injuries? You think they are ‘bad looking fuckers’?” Now that Taliya knew she was a woman, Adrianna didn’t bother to hide her normal intonation, and her voice rose with disbelief as she repeated the suggestion to follow the rag-tag group to Midkemia.

“What the hell does the Church want with them?” Adrianna knew what the Church wanted with her, but they hadn’t seem interested enough to pursue her, at least to the best of her knowledge. On the one hand, she would be putting herself in their line of fire if she joined a group that was being actively pursued by the Church. On the other hand, at least she wouldn’t be putting another group in danger because she chose to travel with them.

Lionel was easily within distance of her right hook, but Adrianna summoned the willpower of Edos as she resisted the urge to punch him as he got all up in her face. Taliya said he had his own work to do, and a broken nose might just slow him down a bit. “I’ll pass.” Adrianna’s glare carried over to Taliya as the woman suggested she continue to talk with Lionel for more information. She would rather walk into Midkemia blind than have to pay whatever condescending price Lionel demanded for his ‘aid’. So far, he had done nothing but made her life more difficult.

She didn’t need any extra prompting to leave the room, tightening her grip on her pack as she walked out past Taliya and in front of Lionel as well. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that she would take whatever information she could get out of Lionel. If it would help her get Finneas back, she shouldn’t dismiss it right away. At the same time, the rest of her was screaming not to trust this man at all. Leaving the building, Adrianna paused outside, turning around to face Lionel for a moment as she made up her mind about what to say. She had thought she was relatively calm, and could tell the man simply that she didn’t need his help before taking her leave. The smug grin on his face reminded her of her anger, however, and she punched him hard in the face, her knuckles smashing into his cheekbone.

“Good luck finding a healer you haven’t royally screwed.” Adrianna said. Because even though he seemed to think that she liked just wandering around following people and healing them, she sure as hell wasn’t going to heal up the bruise she just gave him. He ruined things for her here. Yes, she had been keen on leaving, but that didn’t mean that she wanted to have her biggest secret revealed. These were magi, people she might want to depend on in the future, and he had taken that away from her. He had known her for all of a few hours, and he had already demonstrated how useless his information was, and how untrustworthy he was. Acolyte or not, he was a prick who enjoyed keeping secrets and boasting about it. “You seem to enjoy knowing and withholding things from people…so feel free to do that—far away from me.” Adrianna turned on her heel once more and stormed off from Lionel.

It wasn’t until she had put some distance between herself and Lionel, and had some time to calm her nerves, that she thought more seriously about Taliya’s suggestion to go to Midkemia with the strange group she had run into a few times. Were they even going that direction? She said it might take a while, but that would just give Adrianna more time to get information about Midkemia. Besides, she didn’t have to stay with the group. She could always leave and go her own way…that is, if they would even have her.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Their previous exchanges had been fine, but Adrianna hardly considered Taliya a confidant. She had healed Jerard, and in exchange was given a sort of safe haven here for a short while. Additionally, Taliya had agreed to look into the whereabouts of a friend. Adrianna hadn’t said why she wanted Taliya to find out where her ‘friend’ had ended up, and fortunately the woman hadn’t particularly cared. Over the few weeks Adrianna had spent in Mutebo, she had only spoken with Taliya a handful of times.

As such, when Taliya made an overly obvious crack at her not actually being ‘Adrian,’ the woman tilted her head to the side. She knew she hadn’t confided in the woman. There had been a few over the years she had trusted with such information, but Taliya hadn’t even come close to such a status. She didn’t address the strange statement correctly, telling herself that she was jumping to conclusions. Perhaps Taliya merely realized that ‘Adrian’ might not have given his actual name.

As she continued to draw out the words that were more gender specific, like man, the last of the hope Adrianna had of her identity being protected fizzled away. It wasn’t so much that Adrianna was worried about Taliya in particular turning her in to the Church. She seriously doubted the woman would do such a thing. It was more that Adrianna kept that part of her very quiet, and she took precautions to protect herself, like everyone did. To have Taliya suddenly know, when she believed that she had been discrete, was unsettling.

In any case, she was summoned to get the information Taliya found. But she had found him. She found Finneas. Adrianna couldn’t help but smile, even as she complained that Adrianna wouldn’t like the answer. He was in Midkemia. Adrianna had heard of the city, and had been steering clear of it, like the rest of the larger cities. All of those places reeked of the Church. Taliya seemed to know this as well, and told her about a cult that was there, along with the Church’s dogs. “Got it. And I wasn’t going to ask.” Adrianna replied regarding asking for men to go with her. She would find him alone. Or at least find a way to send word to him, make sure that he was safe.

Still, Taliya was willing to tell her what they did know about Midkemia, which would be useful. Adrianna turned her head towards the closed window as Taliya summoned another person into the room. Lionel opened the door from the outside and smiled in an infuriatingly stupid manner. Adrianna glared at the man, the pieces suddenly falling into place as to why Taliya suddenly seemed to find her name and gender so interesting. She clenched her fist at her side, having to resist the urge to punch the man, even with Taliya’s assurance that the information had come from the man.

A few deep breaths later, Adrianna had calmed down enough to listen to Lionel’s words, though they only served to infuriate her further. She wasn’t at all worried about paying him back. Hadn’t even crossed her mind. “That…is none of your business.” Adrianna said when Lionel asked when she would go. “I’m sure I will manage better without you there.” She replied.

“Is there anything else you need of me?” Adrianna asked Taliya. The woman indicated that there was not, and Adrianna glanced once more at the annoying man who had told her just a few hours before that he would keep her secret between them. He was obviously completely untrustworthy, and she wouldn’t waste any more time chatting with him as if he was anything else. With nothing else pressing, Adrianna left the room, walking briskly out of the building. She needed to get some fresh air. Lionel was infuriating, and now she was even more eager to get out of Mutebo.

She had to remind herself of the positives in all of this, though. She knew where Finneas was. Finally. After almost seven years, she had a chance of seeing him, and making sure that he was okay. When he left Feldspar, Adrianna hadn’t understood. She couldn’t fathom why someone would want to leave the Church. It was their family just as much as their blood kin. She had been wrong, and he had left…without her. He was supposed to go out to the country—get a farm of something. But he was in Midkemia. Why? What drove him back to the cities? What drove him closer to the Church’s influence? She could speculate for days, but it would do no good. She would just have to find him, and ask him in person.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

The child disagreed with her older companion’s opinion regarding being healed, and Adrianna could understand why. It made more sense to tell a Ydran child to accept help when it was offered, especially since the girl’s mother was apparently a healer as well. Adrianna didn’t know too many Dimurans, but she knew that they were much more often fighters, and as such it made sense that they were meant to be more self-sufficient. It was the Dimuran’s body, and therefore her choice to be healed. Adrianna didn’t feel right interrupting the child, and imagined that the young girl and her older companion had a relationship better suited to advice. She was just a stranger to them all.

In response to her offer of showing the woman how to tend to it herself, the Dimuran seemed more open-minded. Adrianna wasn’t averse to instructing at all, and liked doing things without magic just as well. It was almost…more satisfying, in a way, to tend to wounds without the use of her gift. Adrianna nodded along with the woman as she said she didn’t know of the local herbs, and would appreciate instruction, as long as Adrianna didn’t heal her. “Of course, I know—“ Adrianna began to speak, but Lionel jumped in, telling her not to waste her supplies. Her smile fell quickly, and she closed her mouth as Lionel stepped forward and began to tend to the woman.

What Adrianna was going to say was that she knew much more about local herbs and salves, and could perhaps exchange that information with the Dimuran for knowledge about what she would use in her own home. While Adrianna didn’t imagine she would find herself there any time soon, she valued knowledge quite highly. In her pack, she even had a notebook filled with drawings and descriptions of important plants and their healing properties. She could have perhaps filled in more with the Dimuran’s help. Adrianna had imagined that the woman would have appreciated an exchange of information. She seemed like the sort to want to “earn” things…but Adrianna was just making assumptions, really.

Lionel used the excuse of getting his supplies from Taliya, but Adrianna stayed quiet. It didn’t really make sense to ask the Dimuran about herbs she would have used in her home now that Lionel was disinfecting and wrapping the wound. Her jaw set tightly as she felt cut off from this potential ally, and her respect for Lionel dwindled a bit more. He was the man who was supposed to have taught her? He didn’t ask the Dimuran about her home’s healing herbs at all. Give him the benefit of your doubts…Perhaps he already knows about all of those herbs, and so doesn’t need to ask. He must be good at what he does in some respects.

He isn’t even telling the woman about what he is doing, when she had clearly expressed a desire for instruction. Adrianna silently lamented. Her annoyance with Lionel only grew, but she did not need to cause conflict. Lionel seemed friendlier with the group, and perhaps they were old allies. Or perhaps this was just how he acted with everyone. Nothing about Lionel was intuitive.

At the mention of her being able to help if it began to rot, Adrianna nodded. “Absolutely.” He agreed. Lionel then mentioned having to get back, presumably to the healer’s den, and ran off.

Once he left, Adrianna debated addressing the Dimuran again for a few moments before speaking. “Lionel did a fine job with the cleaning and bandaging, but if you ever do want instruction on tending to your own injuries, you are welcome to find me. I am not sure how long I am staying here in Mutebo, but while I am here, I am happy to provide instruction or information.” Adrianna hesitated a bit longer, and then spoke up once more. “And…if you are interested in exchanging information, I would love to learn more about the herbs that grow where you are from.” She added. She breathed a silent sigh of relief for having at least posed the offer. It was always a risk, even in a place that was supposedly safe, to offer information, and ask for it in return.

Whether or not the Dimuran wanted to converse further with Adrianna, she followed the group a little while further, just to keep an eye on her foot to make sure that she didn’t find the wrapping too tight, or accidentally put too much weight on it. When the woman seemed fine, Adrianna veered off and busied herself with some other things. She went to grab a bite to eat, asking around about the plans of other folks in Mutebo. No one else was planning to depart, and so she began to consider putting her plans to leave on the backburner. A part of her felt cowardly for doing that because she couldn’t get together a party with whom to travel, but she also knew how much safer it was to travel with companions versus alone. Patience was a virtue, or some shit like that.

-.-

Adrianna next saw the Dimuran woman a few hours later. She had been speaking with Jerard, the man she healed who brought her to Mutebo, a few rooms away from Taliya’s office. When she healed the man, she hadn’t realized how important he was to the resistance. Hell, she barely even knew that there was a resistance then. Having heard that she was planning to leave, Jerard wanted to try to encourage her to stay. He talked about why healing them and aiding their efforts was protecting those with magic everywhere, and that if she wasn’t helping them, then she was basically helping the church. He believed quite sincerely in his message, but Adrianna simply didn’t agree. With the hospitality that was being extended to her these last few weeks, Adrianna didn’t want to start an argument with the man, and so she simply declined, reminding Jerard of what she said when she arrived. She would ask around for information about an old friend, and then move along when she (inevitably) heard nothing.

Upon leaving the building, Adrianna heard Ethan call her name (or rather, Adrian) a few feet behind her. Turning her attention to the Mura she healed earlier, Adrianna saw the rest of the group behind him. “Yes? Is everything alright?” She looked at his arm, and then at the Dimura, but didn’t notice any new injuries that needed tending to. She was told that Taliya wanted to see her, and she turned her gaze back on the building, wondering what Taliya had to say. She had made it pretty clear that morning that she didn’t care if Adrianna left, so what changed? “Thanks.” She replied to him, and then excused herself to go back inside, and straight to Taliya’s office.

She knocked briefly on the door before entering. “What’s going on?” She asked.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Sorry for being a bit absent lately. I am going to post in the next two days hopefully! Things have been a bit crazy at work but tomorrow they should start to settle down.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Heads up, I am going to pass this round. Going back to work today after a big leave, so I'm suuuuper stressed out. Adrianna will have some thoughts as she tags along with the group, but she won't be interrupting things right now, anyway.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

I'd try to help, but with nothing said to Adrianna, I won't be contributing anything valuable to work with anyway. I've also got a big deadline coming up after mother's day, so I need to get that finished before I do too much writing.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Adrianna affirmed the young girl’s statement about her blessing. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Amuné Ris.” Adrianna said. The young girl said that her mother was a healer, and Adrianna nodded again. She was pretty confident that the girl’s mother was not among their group, and didn’t have the fortitude to ask where the woman was. The answer wouldn’t likely only upset the child. Amuné said that she didn’t have good control of her magic, and there was no one to teach her. That ruled out some of the very common magic types, unless these other people were just incredibly shitty friends. It also meant she wasn’t likely a healer.

“Well being tired is pretty normal. You could be a lot worse off. Now you know what losing control and trying to use it feels like, so try to stick with a bit less next time, and work your way back up. Magic types are all different, but they all take dedication, concentration, and a little bit of imagination to master.” Adrianna had always liked kids, and she found that another…friendlier side of her came out when interacting with them. Her cheeks were already beginning to hurt from smiling at the kid, which was either a testament to how much she was grinning now, or how little she had been smiling lately.

Turning towards Lionel at the nudge, Adrianna tilted her head at the remark that he was supposed to train her. Clearly, it was just before she left, and though she still didn’t remember him, perhaps it was because he was shown her but never properly introduced. Would she have stayed if she had met him and knew that he was going to be teaching her some of the non-magical healing methods? Not likely. “I managed just fine, and I would venture to say that I overcame the lack of instruction from you.” She opened up the pouch where she kept all of her non-magic healing supplies, like herbs and bandages, and then stood up, leaving the kid with her water.

Ethan asked the Dimuran about healing, and Adrianna moved over towards them as she heard Ethan tried to convince him to be healed. The woman then called him an imbecilic—rather harsh for friends—and explained that she didn’t want to be healed because getting hurt was her own damn fault. Good on her.

“I respect that.” Adrianna chimed in, addressing the woman. She wasn’t going to criticize the woman’s choice of nicknames for her companion. That was their business, not hers. “Some people really abuse the whole idea of having someone around who can heal, acting reckless and taking for granted that a healer will always be around to pick up the pieces.” Her friend seemed content with the answer, leaving her to stand on an injured leg as he went over to check on the little one. Perhaps she could offer a walking stick, or something to help her manage despite the pain, rather than remove it.

“That being said, I do have quite a few non-magic healing supplies as well, if you would like it properly cleaned or wrapped, or learn how to do it yourself…” Adrianna trailed off. For all she knew, the woman already knew how to clean her own wounds, but the healer doubted it. She didn’t give much indication of that sort of knowledge, and would have likely just said she would take care of it later. This was more about stubbornness and arrogance than knowledge.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Entering the workshop, Adrianna considered just ducking out the back. The Dimura certainly wasn’t interested in being healed, and had hardly acknowledged her. Adrianna wouldn’t have really cared, except for the fact that the woman suggested she wanted to be healed later, as it if was Adrianna’s sacred duty to simply follow them around until she decided she wanted to be healed. Until then, she would continue to injure herself further, and make more work for Adrianna. What joy. The whole group was clearly preoccupied with other things, and Adrianna knew that there was a whole abode for the healers, should the group wish to venture there. The one she had healed addressed a child who was in the workshop, and Adrianna realized she recognized the girl from a short while earlier. She had been the one rushing through the halls when she left Taliya’s.

She found her gaze lingering on the kid, but that shifted abruptly when Ethan gestured to her, and Lionel pat her on the back. The man then continued to speak, and his words battled Adrianna. Back in town? job? Hadn’t they just talked about how she didn’t work for Taliya? It wasn’t her job to heal everyone just as much as it wasn’t a wood magi’s job to grow trees. Adrianna liked to help others, but she hated being treated like she was only as useful as her magic. Most magi she knew didn’t refer to others in that way, and Adrianna found herself wondering if perhaps Lionel had no magic at all.

“I uh…guess?” Adrianna said, puzzled by every passing moment this guy lingered around her. Fortunately, he busied himself inspecting the Machina next, and Adrianna watched him get quite close to the machine, and then a man who seemed in charge suggested he back away a bit. Adrianna had seen her fair share of Machina, having lived in one of the larger cities growing up, but she never saw one with the mechanisms that this one had. It looked to be a child, like a companion or ‘nanny,’ but was definitely set up for combat. Perhaps a bodyguard to a wealthy child? Her gaze shifted back over to Amune…wondering if she had some kind of status.

As the man in charge talked with her companions about Cecil, she realized what was bothering her so much about the kid. She had been using a lot of magic lately, and as she began to waver on her feet, Adrianna stepped out from behind the others and steadied her. “It’s okay, kid.” Adrianna guided her to a spot to sit, and then pulled her own water skin out of her bag. “Here, drink a bit of water…Did you get in a fight, too? Using that much magic in such a short time is going to wear you out.” Adrianna was trying to be friendly, but the look on Amune’s face was nearly that of pure horror. Had…she been trying to keep her magic a secret? In Mutebo? Adrianna clamped her mouth shut. She had spent the last few years on the road trying to hide her magic, of course it would frighten a child for her to just “out” the young girl like that.

Adrianna knelt down in front of the girl, meeting her at eye level. “Sorry for upsetting you by speaking so abruptly. I’m Adrian. I have luminous magic, and I’m a healer. I can tell when people are hurt and need to be healed, and I can also see…some of the exhaustion they feel when they’ve used a lot of magic.” Like two of the people she walked in with. “What’s your name?” Perhaps being honest with the kid would help her be a little less afraid. And if it backfired, there was always the door.

In her periphery, Adrianna noticed the guy she healed going up and talking to the Machina, but she didn’t turn her attention from the kid completely. She got the impression that something was…wrong between the two, but as they seemed to know each other well, she wasn’t going to judge. After all, she cut off all of her hair and walked around pretending to be a boy—how could she judge the strange things other people did to feel safe?

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Adrianna was not a fish to be baited. He went on about being a fisherman, or having a family, but she was already focused on the injured person. She couldn’t really care less what Lionel did, as long as it wasn’t running to the Church to announce what she had been up to and where she was. Then again, that was another reason she kept on the move. Even if Lionel said something about her being in Mutebo, Adrianna would be gone before anyone came looking. She honestly didn’t think anyone cared enough about her to go seeking her out. No one would harbor such a large vendetta against her. It wasn’t like she set fire to one of the Church buildings when she left. At the same time, she knew that it was more a matter of principle. The Church didn’t think kindly of people leaving, it made the whole foundation seem weak.

With permission given to heal the injured man, Adrianna promptly rubbed her hands together for a few moments before her hands began to glow. She pulled his arm with one hand to make sure that she healed it in the right place, using her magic to feel the area with her other hand. It would feel uncomfortable for a few moments, but she was pretty good at sending just enough energy to keep the pain at bay until most of the injuries were healed. Hunters had short tempers, and the faster she was at what she did, the better.

Lionel’s interruption about her magic nearly broke her concentration. It wasn’t the fact that it was someone talking, it was the fact that it was Lionel—he was already seeming to grate on her nerves. It was also the fact that he had said he recognized her from the Church, and he had magic. If he wasn’t a healer…had he been a hunter? She finished the healing promptly, but her thoughts were temporarily halted as she saw him pull out a cloth. “I can take care of that.” She offered, knowing that his cloth wasn’t going to do a whole lot. “Or if you prefer, I have actual medical supplies.” She was fully stocked, since she had been planning to depart, and though she hadn’t made the offer to the Mura male, she figured there was a reason that Lionel immediately went for the basic non-magic form of assistance for the Dimura. Perhaps he knew her and that she would not consent to magic. Perhaps she should have offered the same of the man—though he didn’t seem to take any issue with the healing she had done.

Lionel was arguing, albeit jovially, with the men guiding them, as he wrapped the Dimura’s wound. It would do until she could be healed, but Adrianna didn’t understand what was stopping them from doing so immediately. As the group seemed keen to move on, Adrianna was nearly going to excuse herself when Lionel volun-told her to go to the compound with them to help continue to fix them up. Adrianna opened her mouth to respond, but the male Mura she had just healed requested to see someone else first. He seemed to seek permission from the guide as well as from the Dimura companion, and Adrianna waited for them to reach some sort of accord. Clearly her opinion wasn’t needed here.

The Dimura spoke, and Adrianna got the distinct impression that she was more of an authority than the male, used to getting her way. “Ookkkay then.” Adrianna said slowly. She was tempted to reply that she didn’t give a damn about healing the woman. It wasn’t like she walked around looking for people who needed to be heal—Oh. Well, perhaps the Dimura had a point. For all they knew, she did simply walk around looking for people to heal, and Lionel hadn’t helped. The Dimura tried to walk on her injured foot, and Adrianna just sighed, shifting her bag as she began to follow the group. The woman was only going to make more work for Adrianna by walking on her leg like that. She didn’t really have anything better to do for the moment than follow this strange pair as they went to gather two of their friends. Though, they certainly weren't heading to the medbay.

Wait, did they say ‘fixed’? As they made their way towards the Machina repair building, Adrianna silently confirmed that they were, in fact, talking about a Machina. They went inside, and it became quickly obvious that ‘Cecil’ was no ordinary Machina.

Adelon: Steeling the Faith [Open!]

Adrianna tilted her head as Lionel said he wasn’t looking for Kurt. Hadn’t he…just asked about the man? Was he really someone who remembered her face from years ago and yet couldn’t remember the question he had asked moments before? She opened her mouth to protest and ask him about it, but Lionel continued to talk. He explained the he wasn’t going to out her. Adrianna gave a small sigh of relief. Granted, she had been planning on leaving anyway, but there was no point in burning bridges here when she didn’t have to. Ideally, Adrianna might like to return to Mutebo one day. She might even want to help with their fighting more. She just…didn’t want to do that now. Adrianna had grown up doing exactly what others expected of her. She had followed their rules, obeyed their commands, and when she found out she was different, she still found a way to be what they wanted.

Hearing Lionel repeat her answer for leaving, only vaguer, was less than satisfying. While she might have been a little vague, he knew her, so she hadn’t felt it necessary to go into more detail. He already knew that she didn’t know who he was, though, so the fact that he gave such a brief and nondescript answer annoyed her a bit. On the other hand, Adrianna was pretty confident that Lionel was quite familiar with annoying people. It seemed to just be his natural state. So how come you don’t remember him? Adrianna was pretty sure he was a healer, though that was prompted mostly by him saying earlier that she was like him. He could have just meant a Church defector, in which case he might not have really left for the same reasons as her at all. He might have been a hunter. Adrianna didn’t…really imagine that he could do such things, but perhaps he was just very good with a ruse? And perhaps you are simply way too paranoid?

Lionel hopped up and sat on a crate, and Adrianna shifted the bag on her shoulder. She could tell that he was going to say something else, and since he was capable of annoying her into stopping and listening, Adrianna figured it was easier to simply stand here and wait. She wasn’t really in a rush. If she wanted, she could even wait until another day. No one was kicking her out, but the weather was nice and she was feeling the itch to move. No point in forming too close of ties with anyone. As her thoughts drifted to what she planned to do next, Lionel asked what she was planning. Once again, she began to answer him, but Lionel continued to ramble, and so she waited until he was really done before she spoke. “I’ve spent the last few years traveling around, picking up different skills, and I plan to do the same. Nothing against Taliya and crew, it just doesn’t feel…right for me right now.” She didn’t want to say how eerily church-like it felt, since Lionel had just admitted that he was here now, helping out Taliya’s people. Perhaps he hadn’t noticed, or perhaps that had been his very reason for joining them. In any case, it wasn’t her place to criticize, not after the choices she had made in her life.

“I’m not sure, really. I plan to head out of town, probably today, though I’m not really in a rush.” Apart from you knowing who I am and being completely untrustworthy—possibly. “If anyone else is heading out, I might join ‘em, you know, safety in numbers. But I don’t really have a direction in mind. Just going to see where the wind takes me. And you…are you going to stay here, help Taliya until…” Adrianna trailed off. That was the problem, really. With such fighting between the Church and the magi, and the Church still utilizing those with magic to carry out their dirty work, Adrianna didn’t know what the end would even look like. It was the Church’s hope that it ended when the mages against them were dead. And those who had helped them were…what? They certainly didn’t fit into the Church’s vision for the future. Would the loyalists be eradicated last for not fitting into the worldview? Or would the Church simply squash all future magi and let the current generation die off? Adrianna was a little cynical when it came to the church. She believed that they would continue to let loyal magi serve them, but tighten the reigns until the magic was nearly snuffed out. Why would they eradicate healers, for example, when loyal healers gave them near immortality?

Before Adrianna was able to come up with a proper way to end that question, she saw Lionel’s gaze wander back towards the main streets. She turned as well, and saw a quartet entering Mutebo once more. She thought she recognized at least one of the two in the front from being around Taliya, but her attention quickly shifted towards the pair in the back, who looked quite hurt. The man was cradling an arm, and looked like he was barely able to keep up with the ones walking in front. The woman had mostly bruises and bumps. Neither of them were on their death bed, but Adrianna could sense that it wasn’t just physical injuries. They hadn’t been jumped and robbed of their possessions, they had been fighting with their magic, and they were both quite drained.

It was rather easy for her to pick up on the signature of magic exhaustion. She had seen it from the hunters, at least the ones who had to really work to dispatch their targets. They came back injured physically, but their aura of magic was also dim or flickered about rather than maintaining consistency. She never talked about this observation with others, and the one or two times she mentioned someone being worn out in such a manner, she was reminded that of course they were worn out, they had been defending the Church against dangerous people who wanted to tear down its very foundation. Doing such holy work was tiring.

“Excuse me.” Adrianna couldn’t just ignore them, though. Whether or not they were fighting the Church directly, Adrianna didn’t like to see any one hurt and worn down in such a manner. They clearly weren’t prisoners, so she doubted they were enemies of Taliya. Though it certainly wouldn’t have been the first time she had healed Hunters, if they were. Not to mention the fact that it was rather dangerous, if there were to be an attack on Mutebo, for people to be in such a state. They wouldn’t be able to defend the city at all, and Adrianna much preferred for everyone to be in their best condition, physically and magically. Working in Taliya’s medical bay would have worn her down in days with such a disposition.

She turned and approached the group, though immediately heard Lionel’s feet hit the ground lightly behind her as he walked over to them as well. Good. Adrianna walked right past the men chatting in front and moved up alongside the boy with the hurt arm. “Excuse me, I couldn’t help but notice that you look a bit roughed up…” She gestured to his arm but didn’t touch it. “May I help?” Her hand hovering near the arm began to glow a light golden color, the mark of her Luminous magic. She glanced to the woman who accompanied him as well, she was most certainly not Mura, but Adrianna hadn’t ignored her initially for that reason. The quite short Dimura was simply in better condition…and perhaps Adrianna would learn if Lionel really was a healer.