RP:Leads or Lies

Part of the Mearcstapa Arc

This is a Healer's Guild RP.

Summary: Several Members of the Healer's Guild attempt to search for Emilia, but their search is cut short. They're instead attacked by mermaids.

Rugged Rocks

Thamalys kept walking in circles, challenging the slippery rocks with his bare feet in endless loops chiefly dictated by a perilous mixture of hatred and impatience. The days kept flowing by, and the Guild’s progress in understanding what did happen to their Leader was, to put it mildly, rather disappointing. The latest rumour - because such was the quality of the information - was that of all places the Wintry lady might have ended from her struggle in Cenril (that much the Blue thought he understood), Rynvale was at the very top of the list. The Winged Beast, dressed entirely in a rather dark attire, a very apt choice considering his foul mood, spent the entire morning flying around the island, with very little success. Chances were a hint was to be found by looking at the actual seaside… and yet the Healer was not overly keen on watery scenery to start with. A creature of air and wind, he feared the depths of the sea and genuinely loathed even the spray of the waves against the rocks. Talks of mermaids nesting somewhere close by did not really help. Because of that, and because of the fact that he could only cover so much ground, he sent word to some of the Healers earlier that day, to join in at the Rugged Rocks so as to expand his search. Furious with himself for not being able to crack the mystery of the Missing Genasi alone, thus the Spellblade waited, the loose shirt of a deep blue, embroidered with silvery motifs of flames and feathers, barely covering his tattooed skin flapping merrily into the late afternoon sea breeze. “Who will answer the call?” asked the Blue to Nebb, his equally winged companion; the huge Red Kite, strangely silent, kept quite, squarely perched onto his right shoulder. The menacing shapes of the Gossamer Halberd, laced onto the Avian Back, signified his presence from quite a distance. It was time…

Edith walked with careful steps along the rocky edge to find Thamalys at his request to join him out here on the island in the search for Emilia. The elderly healer wore a loose pair of cotton pants of a beige colors with a moss green top that was tucked into her pants, an herbal belt on her waist with pouches of herbs and a dagger attached to it, and a pair of walking boots. Using a walking stick to help with her balance she mumbled cursed things under her breath about the terrain that she was traveling to find the winged man. She was getting too old for these crazy hikes or she was getting lazy and needed to go out more often. Behind her the identical boys Leo and Liam dressed in black slacks, with button down shirts, and black boots. Both carried a pack with supplies and canteens hanging over their bodies. The preteen lads were nearly impossible to tell apart to those that didn’t know them. Looking ever close to the buttons on their shirts one would notice they were different in color, a barely light blue and a faint light green. Liam looked at his brother, “I think Uncle Thamalys has lost it.” His word spoken in light mumbles before Edith turned to snap at him, “The lost one in this is your mother. He is doing as much as he can to find his missing sister. You will understand these connections more when you get older. I mean the three of you have a bond like no one else does.” She mumbled back at the lad. It was Leo that first spotted the winged man, “Found him!” He squealed before hollering out loud while waving both arms wildly in the air, “Uncle Thamalys! We are here!” The crazy motion of the child nearly knocked Edith over, but the other lad caught her and helped steady her again. Grey locks of curls dancing around the woman, “Thamalys, Greetings! Sorry, these old bones are slow moving.” Slowly the trio would close the gap between themselves and The Blue.

Kailani was more than familiar with the territory that is Rynvale. The blue-haired druid was born on the island many, many years ago and grew up here. It has been many years since the half-elf has returned to this place, but thankfully Kailani did not have the time to really analyze how she felt about this return. She was here with purpose and if she lost focus on the goal, then that would really only hurt the current endeavors of the Healer's Guild: to find Emilia. Any clue they could find would be vital. Despite being absent from Rynvale for a number of years, the druid had no issue locating the initial meeting spot for the guild. The blue-haired druid arrives on the scene as prepared for the moment as she could possibly be. That is to say, her attire is an armored one and she has her preferred weapon, a ranseur, within easy access should it be needed. Thamalys may not be comfortable with the watery scene, but the druid was quite at ease with all elements. Edith and Thamalys are both unfamiliar to Kailani, -maybe- Edith was seen at the meeting in Cenril? The hermitish woman could not recall, she was entirely overwhelmed with that moment. Even if her memory was serving her better, her overly quiet disposition means that they would be greeted the same way regardless. Both are given a nod. As much as the blue-haired druid would like to keep silent from here on out, she is wise enough to know that the Phoenix-Fire Insignia that she wears around her neck may not be sufficient enough to explain why she is here. So. She breaks her silence and keeps her introduction to the point, "I am here to help as well." The presence of the energetic children is just too much for Kailani to process, so she pretends like they're just not there.

It was a long journey to make, from Frostmaw to Rynvale; however, when Talyara had received word from Edith that Emilia was missing and had been for a least a fortnight, she couldn't sit idly by. Granted, she hadn't been close to the genasi as of late, but she was still a friend and guildmate, and the witch couldn't see her ignoring correspondence unless something more nefarious was going on. Utilizing the speed and size of her shapeshifting feline, Taylor, Taly made it to the island quicker than if she had ventured there strictly on foot. Donning a pair of dark khaki leggings and a short sleeved lavender shirt, she navigates the rocks as swiftly and carefully as she can on her worn leather boots. Despite instructing Taylor to wait for her elsewhere, the familiar refused to leave her mistress's side. Now the size of an average house cat, she mewed softly when Taly's heel wedged in a pair of rocks causing her to nearly tumble. "I'm fine!" she assures the cat, giving a heaving yank of her leg and freeing her boot. Her mess of curls is tamed in a high ponytail except for a few errant strands that refuse to conform with the others. Taly hikes the pack on her shoulders a bit higher as voices carry from up ahead. Assuming she is tardy, she attempts to move more swiftly towards the group. "Hello, hi! I'm here!" she says quickly, almost breathlessly as she joins the little search party. Thamalys she knows, the boys are familiar as is Kailani, but she wouldn't say she was close with any of them. "Sorry if I'm late," she adds a bit sheepishly.

Thamalys greeted Edith and the lads with a brisk nod and a loud grunt. “Edith, I do apologies for dragging you through this rocks…” conceded the Blue without lowering his gaze, the untidy mess of his ivory dreadlocks swaying happily across his face. Moments after, Kaliani joined the not-so-merry mob: while neither Edith or the Avian could say to know the Druid at all, they were both aware of a surprising amount of information about each and every member of the Guild - some would have thought the birthplace of the blue-haired Druid was not to be deemed a coincidence with respect to the specific request she received from the Winged Beast. “Yes. Kailani…” acknowledged the Blue in the flattest tone one could fathom, “your presence and your help are very much appreciated indeed. Talyara, you are not late…” quickly added the Spellblade, as the Witch managed to free herself from the stony embrace of the rocks, “… if anything, we are all late in that the days are passing by, and I for one I am growing more and more impatient. We need our Leader to be found, and soon enough!” growled the Avian, clenching his fists to the point where the ink crawling onto his skin came to life in the form of blazing tongues of liquid blue fire. Nebb, as to highlight the absolute rage mounting within the Blue, shrieked loudly enough to deafen a drunken sailor. Somewhere deep into the Healer’s mind, even the Ageless Black stirred. “In fact, I am indebted to each and every one of you. This…” explains the blue, sort of waving his right so as to point toward the waters, “… is one of the very few places I had not the chance to probe yet… and the rumour really is that she might have been seen here in Rynvale after what we believe was in fact a real struggle involving her in Cenril… grasping at straws, but that is what we have. Leo - if there is anything you might be able to find…” probed the Avian, hopeful that the incredibly talent of the kid, capable of magically tracking basically anything, would have proven valuable once more. “If you need some more blood of mine, you let me know, understood? Well then…” he went on, balancing through the sharp edges of the wet rocks so as to come closer to the waters, there where they turned of an ominous black ruptured only by some creepy shadows lurking below the waves; “… we have a rather wide area to cover, and some of these rocks to extend into the waters… leave nothing unchecked, and keep close enough. We are looking for something, anything - flag up whatever you find relevant or even mildly out of place. If Emi has indeed been here, I want some tangible proof of that. On we go!” he concluded, leaping off the edge of a rock in a flurry of silvery feathers to land not far away on the top of a cliff, shortly followed by Nebb.

Edith smiled at both Kailani and Talyara as the two arrived at the rocks to help search for their missing leader. It was good to know that every though their group of healers were not all close to one another like some where that they were still able to band together in moments of need. To each of the females that had just arrived the elderly woman spoke softly, partly out of breath from traveling, “I appreciate both you and the travel you have taken to help search this island. It is the best guess that Cenril would lead to someplace here, but even then, we have no proof of anything except the beach back in Cenril. If you need anything, please let me know. I will definitely pay for your stay here if you need it and meals.” Turning the older woman listened to Thamalys as he spoke enough for most of the guild, if not more with his anger at the missing leader. Then again, Emilia was his sister. Leo shifted uncomfortably for a moment before the lad began to shift his form. In short time there was a pile of black clothes on the ground where the preteen had been standing and a small green dragon climbing out of them. With a snort the little green dragon was off, flying over the rocks trying to pick up on any scent of his mother. Edith began to carefully travel the rocks with slow steps in her searching. Liam was off on his own after gathering his brother’s cloths and pack, tossing them over his shoulder. The preteen wandered off away from the group toward a sound that seemed like a melody coming from the edge where water met rocks. Liam could have sworn something was glinting over in the distance in the water. It was not until he got closer that he notices the eyes of green peering out of the water at him attaching to floating blue locks in the water. Mesmerized he stood there staring down at the face, not really sure what to make of it and too distracted to call any attention of the adults in his direction. Gosh, those eyes were so pretty and Liam was a sucker for the cuties.

Not many would actually know that Kailani hailed from Rynvale, that would require a level of conversation with Kailani that most do not manage to get out of her. It's part of being a hermit. She's not good at this socializing stuff, more commonly known is the woman's highly nomadic tendencies. It is a safe assumption that she has explored Rynvale in her years, though it is not clear how many years she has acquired. Half-elf, judging age by appearance becomes tricky. Thamalys words are listened to with a clear-head, though they do leave Kailani with some questions. Were they splitting up? Were they searching in a particular direction? How were they planning on keeping track of what areas of the island have been searched and what not? Kailani does not have a chance to vocalize any of these inquiries because Thamalys is soon on the top of the cliff. As comfortable with the elements as Kailani might be, flight is still well out of a druid's capabilities. The blue-haired woman assumes the answers to her questions while other's she resolves to answer on the fly. The druid remains near the waterline, not off put by the turning of the waters or the shadows that lurk beneath. One such creature has already made itself known, bobbing just at the water-line, her own hair the same vivid-shade of blue as Kailani's. Attention to detail is very key when it comes to a search party, and it would not bode well for the group if they lost track of one of the youngin's. As much as Kailani wants to pretend these kids do not exist, she's aware of them. She's watching them (so she can avoid them)....Except in this instance she cannot. Liam is approached and a hand is placed upon his shoulder, gripping the preteen firmly but not so much that she is hurting him. "No." It's not clear if she is speaking to the kid, or to the mermaid that is in the water, but as she speaks this word her free hand pulling her ranseur from it's resting place across her back. She's prepared to fight to defend Liam is need be, sapphire eyes begin to glow as the druid begins to channel her elemental magic. It might not be apparent to any on land, but that mermaid could feel a threatening shift in currents. It might be hard to drown the creature, but Kailani could still put her through a spin-cycle. It was the mermaid's choice how things would go from here, Kailani is not inclined to hurt things without just cause.

Talyara crosses her arms over her chest as she listens to Thamalys's impassioned speech about needing to find Emilia, fueled, no doubt, by anger at her disappearance and the lack of clues as to where she could possibly be. Edith's softer words are met with a kind smile before the witch's emerald eyes scan the rocky terrain and she vaguely tries to gage exactly what they are looking for. In truth, she internally is asking the same questions that Kailani is and chooses, instead of blindly fumbling around in search of whatever might be a clue, to approach the elderly woman. "I don't know if we've ever properly met," Talyara says while extending her hand. "Forgive my ignorance, but what were the clues that were found in Cenril? I apologize for not knowing all the details surrounding Emilia's disappearance, but I want to do by right by this search and I think knowing as many of the details as possible will help me." Taylor has taken it upon herself to trail after the boy and Kailani, the cat lifting her paw and smacking the water with it. Clearly, she agreed with the half elf about the creatures lurking in the water's depths.

Thamalys witnessed Leo’s transformation without flinching - he expected nothing less from him. From the rather high view point the Avian had conquered - one might have noticed, as far away from the actual sea as possible… - the Blue tried his keen eyes on every detail of the jagged landscape. Was it a white lace, that thing stuck in between two rocks? No, of course it wasn’t. Nebb kept poking around, from time to time swooping down onto the cliffs - nothing still. With a sigh, the Winged Beast whistled and gestured so as to guide Leo to inspect a pillar of rock nearby. Some vague instructions would have been yelled to Kailani as well, while the Blue would have respected Talyara’s attempt to gather some more information for the Old Healer. They all seem lost and in truth they were. They had nothing to look for, no clue as to what exactly they were hoping to find in between those lonely rocks. Blood? Some trace of the Wintry Lady, perhaps even some message from her in some form? The Avian did not know and he kept cursing himself because of that. || A blind fool you were, and blind you remained even now… || chuckled in perfect silence the Black, mocking the already battered mind of the Avian. So intent were the two winged creatures into their up to now pointless search that they both failed to notice the obvious peril that presented itself to Liam in the form of a scaly - if bewildering - denizen of the depths. The mermaid smiled, lips shut so as to hide the fangs beneath - an insidious, tempting smile who might have broken the resolve of many a man, and Liam was only a child. In fact, as Penelope would have probably agreed, a child quite acutely aware of the untold promises of the fairer sex. He did not stand a chance. Luckily enough for the little one, Kailani is close enough to actually notice the sassy issue. Which was just as well, as on top of the silky hand of the mermaid on Liam’s shoulder, the sea creature started to hum some eerie tune, an odd blend between a lament and a lullaby… sad in its on way, but powerful in every respect. A note of hesitation in the mermaid’s song, though, as the Druid magic percolated through the water - something the sea creature was not used to at all. In fact, stirred by the influence of Kailani’s incantation a few more silvery shapes surfaced from sea, some of them aiding the hypnotic efforts of her singing sister, some other hissing menacingly as they swam toward the rocks. A fancy prize for a potential disturbance? The choice is apparently quickly made, as Liam is suddenly dragged under water. The quickest of the struggles, some splashes and yells, and the kid is gone, while the rest of the mermaids clustered so as to hide whatever might be happening below the waves. At that point, the Blue took notice. True to his nature, he plunged from the rocks, in a single fluid motion unlacing the Gossamer Halberd, up to then securely strapped across his back. True, he feared the waters, but he might have lost a Sister already - he would have not allowed to surrender Liam as well.

Edith welcomed the conversation with Talyara more than the witch would know. Between searching for Emilia with little answers and trying to keep tabs on three preteen children she was worn thin. One of the triplets was already out doing who knows what in who knows where. She shook the hand of the other with her own wrinkly hand, “Edith. Sorry, I have been most distracted with the days. I do not see how the Genasi does it! Trying to keep tabs on three littles, the guild, life, and all else she does. My old bones are not adept at this anymore. It has been over a week or more since she went out to deliver some flu kits to the poor and homeless around Cenril. She never came back and all the owls I have sent come back with her letters. In fact, I have a stack of letters for her that have ended up with me. It seems no messages are reaching her. We searched Cenril with Penelope. We learned that she did spend some time talking with Khitti at her shop but left on her own accord from there. We got led to the beach near the ocean where there were signs in the rocks that appear could be a struggle and some white locks. But that is where the trail and scent ends. Leo tracked her scent to that spot, but nothing past that point of her.” The old healer shared what she had with Taly about the last trip around Cenril. Leo was keen to following along behind Thamalys, not concerned on in depth thoughts of the situation, just finding his mom and believing Tham as the adult knew what was going on more than he did. Liam was almost drooling over the pretty face looking at him from the water until Kailani gripped his shoulder. More so, the blue hair woman spoke which got his attention. Now the lad was focus on her and she was her own sort of pretty with that vibrant blue hair. The hand of the mermaid batter away by the familiar of Taly’s at her first attempt to snag the lad. The singing shifted his attention again back to the water lady. Oh, his eyes went wide as more of them started to appear. What kind of place was this with all the pretty ladies swimming? Okay, the one pretty healer lady wasn’t swimming, but now he was. The hand that had grasped his ankle and pulled him from the rock out of the grasp of the landside pretty woman into the chill of the water. The mermaid in a stare down with Kailani spoke to her with twisted words in a tongue not of common, translated ‘a child should be with their mother’. She’d overheard the search party speaking that name of that white woman of ice that assisted in raising the sunken ship that belonged to them. Truth or lies of the statement one would have to determine on their own. As Thamalys dived from the cliffs it is sure that Leo would be following suit, diving off the cliff after his Uncle.

Kailani reacted based on instinct and was in the water at about the same time that Thamalys was, except her weapon was now gripped within both hands since she lost her hold on Liam. Both Thamalays and Liam being in the water complicated things for the druid, who was very used to working alone. At first she was thinking that summoning at nice little whirlpool for the mermaids, it would be a fun ride for them, no? But that thought is quickly nixed from the board, that would in no way be beneficial to Thamalys and Liam. Thamalys and Liam soon became the targets of her magics. A sphere of air forms around the heads of Thamalys and Liam, affording them the ability to breath without taking in lungfuls of saltwater. If Kailani is doing this by displacing the water itself, or utilizing some form of air magic...It's not entirely clear. Does it really matter though? Kailani works to position herself between the mermaids and Thamalys and Liam. It was clear she was leaving the avian to do the rescuing while she offered as much defense as she could. Most would struggle to wield their weapon beneath the surface of the water, the resistance created by the liquid normally creates too much drag on the weapon. Kailani did not seem to be having this struggle, her ranseur cut threw the water with ease. Another magical trick from the druid? Probably. The druid would be fighting, jabbing, punching, and kicking at mermaids while working to free Thamalys and Liam from their grasp. Kailani was not really attempting to use lethal means, that is to say she is not utilizing the bladed end of her ranseur nearly as much as she could, more emphasis is placed on the blunted side of the weapon for this fight. This was not Kailani's ideal course of action, but she was interpretting their actions as hostile and was responding accordingly. The moment that the avian and the child were free of the clutches of the mermaids, Kailani finally begins to manipulate the currents...Just in a very different way than she was intending to. Liam and Thamalys would feel a hard rush from beneath them and, if Kailani's plan works as intended, they would be pushed up to the surface with quite a bit of speed and force. It will be kind of like they are erupting from a whale's blowhole. Hopefully Thamalys' feathers are not too weighted down with water, they might be useful right about now. Or maybe the dragon brother will be able to come to their rescue and save them from a hard landing? The only thing that was stopping Kailani from repeating this action, but with herself, were the words of the mermaid. "Mother's prefer their children alive, not drowned in the ocean. That is all you would have done by taking this child. Killed him." This cannot be heard on the surface, and the only reason that Kailani is able speak these words is that she has summoned her own bubble of air. "If you want the child to be with his mother, you can help us by telling us what you saw." Hopefully the mermaids will decide to talk, rather than attempt to continue this fight/their antics.

Talyara wears a kind smile for the elder healer, polite in her silence as she listens intently to everything she can offer about Emilia's last whereabouts and possible clues they might be looking for. The witch presses her lips into a thin line as she considers this information, occasionally looking over her shoulder at nothing in particular. While she didn't know the exact whereabouts, a year or so ago she was held captive in a witch hunter encampment in Rynvale and it made her uneasy to be on island now (even for such a good cause). "Thank you for sharing with me what you kn---" Talyara's head whips around towards where Kailani stands with Liam. Something about the energy she was sharing with Taylor made her focus turn towards them, an unseen connection between the pair of them. She is already on her way to the edge of the water when she sees the boy slip from the hermit's grasp and pulled into the icy water. Taylor hisses and already the witch is conjuring up swirling fireballs in her fists, blue and potentially lethal in Talyara's control. She watches as Kailani, Thamalys, and Leo join the watery fray and opts to stay on the shore instead of adding to the chaos that's down below. Water and fire are opposing elements, right? She doesn't have much time to consider it because the witch is hurling her sapphire fireballs into the water, being mindful to aim -away- from her comrades and instead focus on the watery beasts below the surface.

Thamalys lost the luxury to feel cold a long time ago. And yet, the Blue shivered when the dark waters closed on him. The momentum of his dive was enough to bring him a few meters below the surface, where even his keen Avian eyes struggled to make sense of shapes. Worse, he found that the Halberd connected with something solid: impaling Liam was not the intended outcome of his efforts and that mere thought almost froze him still. Luckily enough, Kailani’s magic not only provided some very much needed air to both Avian and kid, bit also some clarity of vision: the Halberd hit nothing but a rock jutting from the seabed, while Liam was thrashing madly in the grasp of the mermaid, definitely intent to swim further away and deep. Quick as the Wind, the Blue reached for the sea creature instead of the kid, using the bearded hook of the Gossamer Halberd to catch the scaly tail of the mermaid. The enchanted metal cut deep into scales and flash, but nonetheless the thief broke free of the steel and kept swimming down, bringing Liam with her. Despair set in, before the Spellblade lost sense of himself while being pulled from a supernatural force out of the water. Centuries of honed skills condensed in a matter of an instant, when the Avian realised that not only, somehow, he was now mid-air, but that he had Liam at arm’s reach. Unfurling the full extent of his wings (coated in eldritch silver, and as such not quite liable of wetting at all), the Blue tried to slow his and Liam’s tumble - with mixed results. While he managed to prevent the lad to impact with any rock, the pair did smash right where poor Taylor was standing, thus challenging the quicksilver reflexes of the feline. Out of water, though - that was everything that mattered. The Avian was about to thank Kailani for her positively life-saving intervention when he noticed Liam was barely conscious. His body was as cold as stone, not even shivering at all. Thamalys felt no cold, but the waters of Rynvale were freezing as ice in the evening. “Talyara, Edith - quick!” he hollered to the Healers, confident that between the two of them they would have managed what looked like a rather severe case of hypothermia. He, wanted to get closer to the rather crucial conversation that was talking place between mermaid and Druid. Meanwhile Leo, mad with outrage, was spatting a string of insults toward the sea creatures, while Nebb did his best to prevent the little dragon to engage face on with those who almost took his brother. “This is going excellently…” murmured the Blue in a tired undertone while ambling once more toward the sea.

Liam let out a sound of shriek as the bubble of air appeared around his head, but the sound was lost in the sea. It was not long before he along with Thamalys were being launched out of the sea as if a geyser had just erupted beneath them. Then everything went black after landing on the surface in a not so fancy crashing landing. Edith was quick as able to make her way over to the lad being mindful of the rocks and the water so not to fall herself. As Thamalys began to walk away the old healer looked at him while trying to smack him back her way with her walking stick, “It might be best if you can fly him and possibly miss Taly here back to solid ground. There is not enough space of safety to help the lad here on the rocks…” As much as Edith wanted to the ground here was not workable for her aged body. Too wet, slippery, and jagged. Taly could warm with a fire, but the amount of water and hostile mermaids around did not offer the best chance of survival with an injured child. Leo and Nebb were going at each other in the air. As the green dragon would try to dive into the water he would be crashed into by the hawk and sent further up into the air as opposed to getting closer to the water. The mermaid across from Kail in the water offered a wide grin revealing those pointy sharp teeth of hers. She thought for a moment about the next words she wanted to use, but that blasted winged man had injured one of her own. There wasn’t time to truly taunt the search party, “She isn’t here. The White-one never left the mainland. You can ask the ol’ loon that lurks by the shipwreck. That man got to her before we had a chance to return her to the ocean depths where she stole our relic!” There was a high pitched underwater shriek before the blue haired water maiden went to launch herself at Kailani, teeth bared.

Kailani was not immune to the gold, not quite like Emilia was, but the chill of the water did not seem to be bothering the druid to the same extent one would expect for a half-elf. What is beginning to affect Kailani more is the amount of magic that she has utilized in a very short amount of time. The bubbles of air were small feats, but having to constantly adjust the ocean's natural current to suit her own needs was a much challenging task. Anyone with any amount of respect for the sea knows how formidable and daunting she can be when she wants, same with the creatures that live within it. As easy as it would be to bring the bladed-end of her pole-arm forward so that the mermaid skewered herself during her own assault, the blue-haired druid cannot bring herself to take this course of action. It is not because she is a pacifist, Talyara has seen her battle and inflict harm before. Instead the weapon is raised before her so that it acts more as a barrier, a barrier that does nothing to slow the mermaid. Kailani is pummeled pretty hard beneath the water and the mermaid has no issue sinking it's teeth into an area not protected by armor. Kailani did not leave many areas exposed, but the mermaid would have luck sinking those jagged teeth into the flesh of Kailani's neck. Does Kailani scream? Well if she does it goes unheard, except for by the mermaids currently assaulting the druid. Her comrades would probably see blood staining the water red. Hopefully that is from the mermaids, though, right? It's Kailani's own fault that none of her comrades are still in the water to offer her aid, could they even see she was in trouble? Questionable. As the hermit is accustomed to, she'll have to fight her way hard out of this one. With one hand still holding her ranseur, the other hand reaches out to grab the mermaid by the neck. When she makes contact, the mermaid will feel a coursing pain rip through her body, stunning her temporarily. The currents are used to drag the mermaid away from Kailani, hopefully giving the druid enough time to pull herself out of the cold water and back onto the rocky surface. By the time this happens, Kailani does not have the energy to just waltz right on over to the group like it ain't no thang. Once the druid is back on land, she pulls herself some distance away from the water and rolls onto her back. People better be listening to her, it's not clear if she'll be able to repeat this account. She's bleeding a fair bit from the neck and looks like she's pretty close to passing out, "They say she is not here. To ask...the old loon by the shipwreck...but they could lie. They want her dead too." It kind of seems like Kailani might be muttering something else, Maybe the bit about the relic? But her voice is softer by then...and oh look, the druid is out cold now.

Talyara continues to throw her fireballs the best she can while doing her best to keep an eye on those in the water that were not foe. This whole situation had gone from problematic to dire rather quickly and she's silently praying to her god and goddess that they are able to rescue the poor, young lad. When Thamalys and Liam finally break the surface of the water and come hurtling towards the ground, Taylor hisses and immediately sprints from away from the commotion, moving much more quickly than any normal cat could, even with the best of reflexes. Talyara is already clumsily making her way over to the pair of them, crouching besides poor Liam. Her pack is off an instant later and she is fumbling with the ties to pull out a worn sweater of hers. Without hesitation she, as gently as possible, tugs off Liam's wet shirt and haphazardly tucks him into her dry sweater. She goes into the semi-trance she adapts when healing where the rest of the world seems to fall away and the patient becomes her sole focus. "Hey there," she says in a soft, kind voice to the unconscious boy. "I need you to open your eyes for me, alright?" Kailani might think she is alone but there is one creature who is fighting her innate hatred of water to go in after the druid, Taylor, now the size and appearance of a black panther is the cat equivalent of "knee deep" when the hermit manages to escape the creatures of her own accord. Still, Taly's familiar keeps close and makes a chirping noise, an attempt to garner someone's attention to aid Kailani and tend to her wounds. Taly's hands begin to glow once more, although this time it is an opalescent golden hue instead of blue. She engulfs Liam's hands with her own, using her magical warmth to leech into him. Large emerald eyes stay focused on the boy's face as she releases his hands to cup his cheeks. Edith's words are lost on her and unless someone quite literally shouted in her face, Talyara would continue to ignore them.

Thamalys , despite the rather dire situation, snapped at Edith in a rather rude fashion after all: “we don’t - fly - people around, Edith… not even family if we can avoid it”. He immediately regretted his words, but stupidly proud as he was he would have never admitted as much. Meanwhile, Talyara solved the impasse by taking Liam’s into her own care. In other circumstances, Thamalys would have asked about her magic, but the commotion was far from being over and out. Taylor was still engaged with the mermaids, and by the time the Blue realised it was Kailani’s time to get into the water to have a word with those scaly bastards, it was too late. Fortunately, the Druid managed to deal with them, albeit it seemed the proverbial pound of flesh had to be paid. Jumping from a rock to another, the Avian is by the Druid in no time: he tried to lift Kailiani’s head so as to facilitate her speech, but to no avail. “Wait, what lunatic? Darn!” he let go, teeth gritted, as the Druid passes out. He had enough of those pesky sea creatures. His magic had nothing to do with water, but he could still ban the bastards from the surface: he knelt down, whispering a canticle long-forgotten by most even amongst the Avian’s eldest. The ivy-shaped tattooed on his skin came to life once more, and from the bony fingers of the Winged Beast a convocation of flaming eagles erupted in swift circles, swooping down to the waves with blazing speed and melting against the waters. In matter of seconds the entire laguna was covered with liquid blue fire, dancing merrily atop of the foam: a nice piece for the pyromancer he was. Screaming, the mermaids disappeared underwater - it would take quite some time for the flames to yield, but the Blue somehow doubted the sea creatures would have took much notice. By then, though, two out of six components of the party were unconscious, one of them stone cold, the other one bleeding massively. “Terrific…” muttered the Avian, turning is back to the flaming sea and making his way toward Kailiani. “Edith, there is no time to move them elsewhere… Talyara, what is your take on Liam?”. Leo, still in dragon form, sobbed quietly while approaching the Witch. “As for you…” he went on, turning again to the Druid.“I do not have much with me, and what I had is now soaked…” he noted, gesturing at a leather pouch dangling from is belt. “Let’s see…” flatly commented the Avian, crouching and dragging Kailiani into a more comfortable position, for where the full extent of the damage was then entirely visible. The mermaid did not manage to severe any major blood vessel, but nonetheless blood was still running freely. Tongues of fire began to dance upon the fingertips of the Blue, as he bent over the Druid’s neck.

Liam is out for the count after being submerged in the icy waters of the cove. He was part dragon mixed with the human side of the Genasi, he was definitely not immune to the cold, rather it was a great weakness of his. His heart was beating if ever so slowly in his chest, he was alive. Leo landed as Kail came out of the water with blood spurting from her neck from her water battle. Everyone busy tending to one of the two injured gave the lad time to shift back into his humanoid form and redress himself. He walked over to where Taly was with his brother after watching the flames over the water from Thamalys’ reaction to the mermaids. That was definitely very amazing to the preteen and he made a mental note to ask later how he could that. Leaning over his brother’s body until his face was almost nose to nose with the witch he spoke softly, “Stop. No. Magic. You will hurt him.” It was clear she was focused when she didn’t respond right away to his frantic waving hands. So now, he was all up in her personal space. Oh, his mother would beat him for that if she knew he was being rude to another healer. He would not back his face away until he was sure the woman was paying attention to him his voice repeating, “No Magic.” As he spoke, he tried to push her hands off his brother to disrupt the magic connection from witch to brother. Edith had let Taly take the charge on the lad as there was a bloody woman now on the rocks also needing a healing. Like Taly she never went into the battle in the water. Her items and the boy’s packs were still dry. Walking over the rocks she found Thamalys and Kail. She took off one pack from her shoulder making sure to purposefully hit the avian with it as she did, though it was a swift motion it could be taken as an accident. “Supplies in the bag, Birdy,” she said with a bitter taste on her tongue as she added, “Keep it up and you’ll be the reason she never comes back.” It was harsh words, but the healer found his rash and angry actions to be reckless in the search for Emilia. What a mess of a search party, but the druid had gotten them a very good clue that was of actual help, even if she got hurt in the process.

Kailani was a good little patient, if only because she was unconscious. Thamalys and Edith will have no trouble stabilizing the druid, but she won't wake up right away. It's hopefully forgivable, hopefully. The druid did lose a decent amount of blood, even if no major artery was struck, combined with exerting a good amount of energy. Kailani was allowed to be in the state she was in, dangit! She'd stir back to consciousness, eventually, to the benefit of the party. It would be most ideal if the druid could ultimately manage to walk out on her own two feet, eh? Unfortunately for Thamalys, when the druid does find her way back to consciousness, she won't be able to provide any additional information about the conversation with the now banished mermaids. She skipped out on no details, any further questions he might have are met with a tired and one-armed shrug.

Thamalys heard every single word of the Old Healer. Others might have been cut down on the spot upon such insolence, and part of the Blue would have liked to think he refrained himself just because Edith has been with the Guild since much longer than the Avian himself. Truth was, he remained silent because he knew her words to be true - he achieved very little and at a great cost. He could not bring himself to thank her, though, just to snatch the supplies from her old hands without even looking at her. He worked quickly. What he recognised as a mixture of sage, thyme and juniper was generously applied on the gaping wounds, before needle and thread took over. The one bit on the neck required some more skill, though, as both muscles and tendons had been teared. The Blue was tired, but not so tired as to not spend himself for another Healer. He made himself comfortable, crossing his legs and moving away the mass of blue hair. Chanting, the very same fire who still raged on the water nearby was called upon the flesh of the Druid. Elsewhere, Leo’s advice as to avoid magic to heal his brother would have gone unnoticed by the Blue - that battle was for Talyara alone to emerge victorious from. On the other hand, Thamalys’ signature healing approach was very much effective - if rather draining for the Spellblade - but care for aesthetics was not part of the process. The blue flames of the Avian had saved many, but most of those carried jagged and often awful scare with them. Given the extent of Kailiani’s injury, there was a chance she might be about to collect a proper one. Thamalys let go almost immediately of his attempts to extract more information from the Druid, once conscious once more - they had a lead, albeit a weak one. Again. Another lie, perhaps?

Edith turned from Thamalys to find herself walking back toward Taly and the boys. Leo was protective of his brother. It was not easy for him to see his brother laying there. It was like looking into a mirror to see his own reflection looking back at him. “No. Magic.” He repeated in a gruff voice that he had to repeat himself again to the woman. He would let her put the salve on him to naturally aide with healing. Leo watched then finally spoke up, “Back to the inn. He will be fine with some sleep by a natural fire.” He paused to pick up his pack as he looked to Edith glaring at him. He cleared his throat and looked back to Taly, “Thank you for your quick actions to help my brother.” Edith looked to Thamalys as if she was about to say something, but she stopped short from whatever it was she might have to say. Biting her tongue from a rather snarky comment so that she could bend down to carefully gather the little mister into her arms after giving Leo her walking stick. “Come on, crew. We best get back to the solid ground while the light is still good to cross these bloody rocks,” she stated the obvious. If anyone tried to stop her from carrying Liam she would snap with harsh words, focused at Thamalys, “Family or not I’ll carry him.” There was emphasis on family since he was technically the Blue’s family. Before they got going too far she would look to Kailani with a soft look, “Thank you ever so much for risking yourself for the lad, for coming out this way to help look for him mother, and for finding some bit of possible lead,” a pause as she looked to Taly too so that she knew she was also talking to the witch, “I couldn’t have managed today without you. Emilia would be proud of the two of you.” Clearly she was not accepting of Thamalys’ at the moment even if she knew he was reacting out of the loss of his sister, again. Then with Leo at her side the trio started their rocky trip back.