RP:It's Never Too Late
Part of the Time Heals All Wounds Arc
Synopsis: Sofia Ulberg, Leon Lovik's translator, begins to question Penelope's whereabouts and honor of "truth". As the two get into mild confrontation, Kel steps in. He believes that he can slow down Leon's symptoms long enough for Penelope to continue her searching and training.
Kelay Healer
It had been a new day. One that had to tuck away sting and dread. Time was of the essence and behind the curtain of the small hut was a boy who was spurting blood with skin aflame. One in cold sweats. Dawn. The sky was a shade of blue where the trees were clearly seen, but still carried the shade of shadow. The hut was quiet except for the creaking rocking chair in the corner. The room lit in an orange hue.
“He’s getting worse. You said you could save him,” there was a strong tone from the corner of the room as a woman with copper hair and a thicker accent stands from the rocking chair in the corner. Sofia Ulberg. The copper-haired woman moves to the boy’s cot next to the freckled healer. “He’s not gonna last another month. It’s too late. The chief is going to be—“ the foreign woman cuts off before staring at Penelope with hazel eyes that look black with the shadowed room. “I trusted you. Where are you ever? Running around with Gods who knows! Where the hell is your brother? You said you can figure it out. You’ve failed us, Miss Halifax.” The impatient Ardelian translator stands. “I think it’s best to take him home. Where he can rest peacefully with his father.”
In the background the little boy begins to groan and says something on the lines of ‘no, no. I can’t’. Penelope understand the translation easily. The more time she spent with Sofia and Leon, the easier it was to pick up on the language again. A gentle hand is placed on the boy’s forehead before the twin girl stares at the woman before her. “You can’t. The trek will only make him worse,” she stands with the translator. “He’ll die before he gets to his father. You don’t have the proper resources to make your way back,” the girl says sternly in return. Hot-headed Ardelians.
“Then fix him, Penelope!” Sofia yells in the silent room. The flames flickering across her hollow face as she looks slightly down on the twin witch. “Or are you a liar too? Don’t think I don’t hear the tremble in your voice when that man with the sword comes by. You hold words.” There was a bite of venom in her tone.
Penelope inhales through nostrils before taking a step towards the slightly taller woman. Her chin lifts as moss eyes pierce in the shadowed lighting. Her eyes turning a shade of hazel. “I –am-. And for your information, I’ve been doing -everything- for him. What have you been doing? Speaking Ardelian? You’re basically use—“ the door opens to the hut and in the doorframe, stands a taller man and Penelope is cut off.
The tall man walks into the lighting of the fireplace. Pakellin. The resemblance between the twin girl and him is mind-boggling. He was taller, but had the same hair color but obviously cropped short, same olive-toned face and freckles. The same eye-shape and color. The same tattoo etched on his wrist. “I thought I’d find—“ he cuts off as he looks at Penelope’s stance. Shoulders back, chin tilted, brows furrowed. He reflects her expression. “The hell is going on here?” His eyes bounce from Penelope to Sofia and then to Leon where his expression softens only slightly.
Sofia scowls at the freckled girl before the door catches her attention. And in the clear, Kellin’s face is evident. The pieces lay in place. This was… the other half. He was the other half of the puzzle. “Sir Halifax,” there was a small shallow breath before it is held. “You… weren’t lying. He’s… alive.”
Penelope sort of blinks and moves her eyes towards Kel. Her furrowed brows remain. ‘You… weren’t lying. He’s… alive’. Yes. Yes he was. Sofia saw him too. In the flesh. It was an odd sensation that lit up inside her again. One that made her feel full, yet… there was still something hollow inside her. “I never told you he was dead.” Only Kyori and Lionel knew he was dead. She had explaining. Explaining that would never make sense. Not even to her. Here, her undead-like brother was standing, but only… he did not look of decay. “What do you think? See for yourself,” the tired girl sneers. Okay, she was still trying to get used to the idea of him. Not to mention, the lack of sleep.
Kellin nears the boy before hovering over him but not sitting down. “This is him, isn’t it?” Eyes gaze over the boy in the bed. The boy who was pale—in sweats. The boy who was marked with runes that appeared like burnt engravings. The boy with the crimson stained lips. To Kellin’s best guess, the boy did not have long to live at all. “How long?”
Sofia watches Kellin carefully as he crosses the room and folds her arms over her chest. “No more than a month. It’s not good. Where have –you- been?” Again, the venom lingers in the tone of the copper-haired woman.
Penelope looks to the translator before Kellin can answer Sofia’s question. “On a trip. He’s an adventurous bafoon,” she says automatically. A trip was.. nowhere close to where her brother had gone. She then looks back to the twin before her. “It’s not looking good. I still have one more herb to find and somehow learn how to control the elements. Let alone introduce myself to connecting to the earth.” The girl breathes out in a gentle sigh before looking towards Leon who rests within the cot. “I f—“
“No. Don’t say it. Here…” Kellin finally lowers himself down to the cot. “Dad used to teach me that water, and heat, is a healing property. He spoke of the Divine that we know of today. Water can cool wounds, heal them, but Leon has to stay hydrated. Although Leon is not technically wounded, I can at least try to slow down the process and do some water therapy. Cool the etchings on his skin, cool his fever down so it doesn’t spike anymore. It can also mend the damaged cells in his body—not that it won’t create more with whatever this curse is. It’ll give you at least another week tacked onto that month, maybe two if we can keep the fever down. Any minute counts. You just have to keep trying and looking, Nel. Let me help you. I’ll come by twice a day just to keep him from spiking anymore.” His stare is steady and calm. One that reflects his sister’s own gaze.
Penelope stays very still in her thought process. Gears were turning. Elemental healing? Father taught him? The smirk of exasperation now shows. “Gods I wish our abilities were switched. I would know so much more than what I know now.” The frustration shows on her face. Penelope Halifax, however, knew she could not take ‘no’ for an answer. Silence reigns. Sofia stands steady in the background waiting for the sister’s response. Cheeks suck in as her lips twist. “Okay. Do it.” She then gazes over Sofia, “Don’t question me again. You came to me, remember?” It was a backbone that the Ardelian druid was inheriting lately. One of hard shell. “I’ve got work to do.” The girl then pivots to grasp her satchel before giving the dark-haired boy one last longing gaze. Then, she is gone.