RP:The Talking Dead

Part of the Through The Looking-Glass: Return To Wonderland Arc

Part of the On Stranger Tides Arc

Part of the Mearcstapa Arc

This is a Devout's Guild RP.

This is a Healer's Guild RP.

Summary: Penelope, Kailani, Futsuka, Kyori, and Khitti head out to check out the remains of the ship known as the Virago. It's here that mermaids had told Kailani, Thamalys, and others about Deadeye Doolie, the hermit that frequents the wreck and the fact that he knows where Emilia is. The search party gets to the Virago, come in contact with more mermaids (both friend and foe) and are forced to deal with the ghosts of the Virago's crew. Deadeye Doolie does indeed show up and the information he has is not at all what they were looking for.

Rugged Rocks, Rynvale

Khitti || Some time in the afternoon, before members of the Healer’s Guild and Quintessa were to arrive at the meeting spot, Khitti had gotten there first. She had dug through personal letters addressed to her or Brand that had been filed away as important and found the letter from the venue people they went through for their wedding. In it, it described the area of the hermit’s shack further down the beach, but that he was often seen near the wreckage of the Virago. This was all well and good, except for the fact that the Virago was several yards down below the tides. The search party had managed to get lucky, however--the ship could’ve been a lot further down. Rynvale’s pristine waves were as clear as seaglass and if one squinted hard enough, they could make out the dark outline of the wreck. It didn’t matter if they could -see- it, though. There was a little problem like needing to breathe underwater. The masks that had been used once upon a time for diving purposes (as well as keeping from breathing in poisonous spores in the Shadow Plane) were not numerous and so Khitti did not bring them at all. What was the point? No one was going to want to be left behind and they didn’t exactly have the luxury of time right now to fight amongst one another about who was going and who was staying.

Khitti || As Khitti thought this all over, the others in the search party would start to show up and once they did, she’d offer a nod to them all and address them as a group, “So, I’m not sure you’re aware, but the wreck, and likely the hermit that the mermaids spoke of, is underwater. I’ve checked his shack up the way to the west and it was empty. I’m not sure where else he’d be… but…” She paused, turning to eye the waves again, “To get down there at all, I’m gonna need Kailani’s help to literally part the sea.” Khitti was very much in a ‘let’s not dawdle’ sort of attitude today and wanted to get right down to business--time was against them now, after all. If Kailani obliged and whenever she was ready, Khitti would ask her to pull the waves apart somewhat, so that Khitti could freeze the sides. “We won’t leave it like this, I promise, and we’ll be in and out as quickly as possible.” If Kailani wasn’t comfortable with it, well… Khitti would have to do it by herself. Regardless of the help, Khitti would create two long walls of shadow-ice and very carefully move them away from each other. The two walls were hopefully as long as needed, and were forced to fuse together at the very end, the whole area cut off in a sort of v-shape.

Penelope set on her journey a day prior since she was planning multiple days of travel rather than just a couple. The Ardelian makes reservations in the Cenril Inn for the time being. Today is the day to set out to find Emilia, and whether she meets Kyori or not at the Cenril docks, she would part in a timely manner. She treks along and before Penelope knows it, Khitti is residing in the distance. The healer gives a small wave. “Afternoon,” she keeps a small pack strapped to her back that is buckled around her torso. Medical supplies of course. In case they did find Emilia, or well, they came into a sticky situation. On her hip rests a hilted dark-steeled dagger. Again, for sticky situations, for she was prone to them. The others begin to show and she makes her nods to all the familiar faces except one—Futsuka. As Khitti begins to speak, she sort of leans to the side to make a side note to anyone who is staring blankly. “We’re here to talk to a hermit about any clue to find Emilia.” Confirmation check. Juniper eyes sort of widen at the bit about parting the sea. “Well, okay then,” straight to business was not a bad thing, and in a blink, the red-head is building the walls now with the shadow-ice. Concern is etched on her forehead, but again, she blinks this away before moving forth as the others do when they do.

Kailani arrives at some point, it doesn't really exactly matter when though..does it? She's here in roughly the time that she was asked to be, she's clearly not the first, maybe she's the last. No big deal. Kailani makes no effort to bother with greetings, small talk or social things as both leaders of this arrangement seem keen on getting down to business. That's just fine with the druid, she not really good at making friends anyway. The druid just listens to the bits of information that are offered up. Kailani's thoughts on parting the water did not seem to matter either way, Khitti was going to do what Khitti was doing to do and that much was obvious to the druid. The blue-haired woman responds with a terse nod to this asking, she really did not like this idea no...but if it was going to happen then at least Kailani's assistance would help to make sure that no wildlife was severely damaged in the process. So the druid lends her magic to the cause.

Futsuka had only barely made it to the meeting place in time. After taking the letter she received from Emilia's daughter to Edith at the healer's academy, the feline had done nothing but frantically try and get information about how she could assist in finding their leader. Still not an official member, Futsuka had high aspirations of joining and hoped that her service to the guild as a tracker would influence the leadership into taking her on. The ranger had to find Emilia first before she could appeal to her however, so here she was among strangers and people she was always too busy to try to remember, doing her best not to look nervous around them. Futsuka hoped she didn't have to explain herself too much while she was here, leaning on that fact that her mere presence was enough to show those gathered that her intentions were pure, and it seemed to pay off; They weren't interested in chatting at all and Futsuka appreciated that. Equipped with everything a seasoned traveler would need, from climbing picks to hemp rope, the albino looked below with her scarlet eyes as she listened to Khitti speak. They seemed to already have a plan and that put the ranger at ease a bit. Clawed fingers gently fiddle with the sting of the bow that hangs over her as she turns face the next arrival, Penelope, to which the feline only offers a neutral appraisal before heading with her to the black ice. Futsuka was naturally distrustful of arcane magic, but if they wanted to help a healer than they must have been on a decent sort so she continues on with any complaint. Kailani's magic however, would not warrant such distrust being so attuned to nature as it was, and the parting of the sea would earn a rare look of awe from the quiet woman as they descended lower.

The Wreck of the Virago, Rynvale

Khitti unfortunately usually does as she wants, but she was trying to be careful this time! She took a moment to breathe after using up that much energy and magic--ugh what she wouldn’t give again for the stamina she had as a vampire. Sheesh. The redhead stared, watching, waiting for something to come up out of the place that had once been a watery abyss, but nothing did. Once she was satisfied, she’d eye everyone carefully, making sure that they were all ready, her attention stopping on Futsuka. The feline was just as unknown to her as she likely was to the others, but… Khitti made no move to tell the stranger to leave. She had to have found out about this -somehow- and if she was some sort of a spy? Someone with ill intent? Well, Khitti would deal with it when the time came. Instead of worrying about all of that, she started their journey, leading them down along the now bare ocean shelves to where the Virago fell. Despite nothing actually coming at them, the search party was not alone. Mermaids lined themselves up along the grey-colored ice, hungry and bashing their fists or tridents or whatever else they might possess against the icy walls. It was enough to make Khitti, of all people, cringe--if only because it was only a matter of time before the mermaids got through. “We need to hurry. I’ve already died a fiery death once upon a time, I don’t fancy having a watery one to balance it out.” The redhead quickened her pace and soon the group would reach the remnants of the Virago. With everyone’s help, they’d be able to search the place… and yet they found nothing. No hermit. No Emilia. As they searched, a lone mermaid found her way towards the point of the v-shaped walls and pushed herself up over it long enough to yell down towards the ship. “HEY RED!” She paused long enough to allow Khitti and Co. to process what the hell was going on. Khitti looked around and then looked up and spied the mermaid. Not just any mermaid! -The- mermaid. The one she’s got tattooed on her arm. The mermaid that had saved Khitti when she came back from the dead. The mermaid that Khitti has kind of a crush on. “Nemona…?”

Khitti || “RUN!” But there was no time. The mermaids had been keeping the ghostly crew of the Virago at bay this entire time, and now they’d been unleashed. There had to be at least twenty of them, but as they gathered up to take down the group, it was getting harder and harder to tell. Nemona let out a scream as she was pulled back into the water by her kin, but there was nothing Khitti could do. She had to hope that Nemona would be okay--she would be… wouldn’t she? Sigh. “Why can these little excursions never go as planned”, Khitti muttered to herself as she summoned up twin shadowfire balls. “And it’s always the goddamned undead.” Fighting off undead would unfortunately continue to be a trope in Khitti’s life and she did her best to accept it as she flung fireballs at the spectral sailors as they closed in on them. And when they did close in? Both the katana, Tenbatsu Kaji, and the gladius, Embershard, would be unsheathed and used against the undead. She gave no indication for the others to help her. That would be up to them. As far as she knew, the only ones present that could truly fight were Kailani and likely this newcomer, Futsuka, and so ever the sacrificial one, Khitti took it upon herself to deal with as many as possible.

Penelope walks steadily down the parted sea. Eyes stare at the icy walls of the dark blurred faces of the mermaids who viciously scream and pound on the ice. The girl stares as if she was in a museum, or maybe an asylum, she is really not sure. The atmosphere is eerie, and she could hear the scrape and crackles of ice. Her feet reflect Khitti’s and she quickens her pace. Drowning was not on the agenda today. They move to the wreckage where the girl climbs over a few rickety remains in order to search in a dark crevice. Remains of disintegrating barrels and cargo. No Emilia. No hermit. “I’ve got nothing.” She hollers back. In the midst of climbing back to where they departed, a mermaid is hollering. ‘RUN!’. “Oh crap, are you for real?” Cue sticky situation. With the stickiness that followed Penelope, she was slowly getting better with her dagger and bow, but by no means was she a Khitti, Kailani, or, well she cannot say for Futsuka, fighting expert. It was mostly luck, and well, damn good aimed practice. Linken taught her most skills she knew while they were together. Only a few minor were learned from Krice. Her knowledge is minimal. So, at least she mastered aim, and well… speed. Penelope was stealthy, and it came in handy with moments like these. She was a better healer overall, and she accepted that about herself. When the undead roar in, the dagger is pulled out of her hilt. One of the undead come close before she ducks out of the way of an almost-nasty grab. When it turns around to face her, she stands abruptly, twists her body, and flings her arm with ease out. Her wrist flicks and the dagger flings out of her hand. The blade is fast and it sticks into the throat of the undead that reached for her. There was no time to sympathize with the undead like she normally did with striking someone, and well, it was already dead, so she runs to pull the blade out before taking on whoever is next. Her arm is grasped by another and she takes the same blade and deeply slices it across the rotting wrist to break herself away from the clutch before striking again, this time towards the gut of the undead. The Ardelian would leap back towards the rest of the group in order to keep herself safer since she was no skilled warrior. Why did Lionel want her a part of the guild full of warriors? She would never know. Her dagger continues to slash wherever needed. Does not mean she is actually hitting any target, though, but sometimes she is lucky.

Kailani was torn on what course of action to take. Part of her felt inclined to remain with the group, there were a lot of spirits that needed dealing with and the numbers were sorely against them. The other part of her felt like going after the mermaid, she was perhaps the only person who could actually have any hope of saving this Nemona. Based on previous conversations with Penelope, there was more concern over her placement within this battle. Would she be able to hold her own? It would seem that she would sure try. The druid sucks in a breath out of annoyance and then begins to back her way slowly toward the ice-wall that Khitti had built. The druid was not fleeing the battle by any means, but she was trying to accomplish both of her goals as she meant to aid both her comrades and then, she would see if she could help the mermaid. Aid to her comrades came in the form of fire, an element that the druid does not often work with but her skill would be sufficient enough. Penelope's dagger? It would be enveloped in fire. As would whatever Futsuka's weapon of choice would be. The only one who does not get this aid is Khitti, she already has fancy swords and was not in need of the extra boost. The druid seeks to banish a couple of these spectral beings with the same fire magic before she steps into the ice wall. Into and then through it completely, placing herself into the frigid Rynvale waters to see if she cannot catch a glimpse of this mermaid that Khitti is so clearly enchanted with. The blue-haired druid does not seem to have a fear of drowning, but she has not exactly forgotten her last encounter with mermaids either. She's not eager to repeat it, despite placing herself in literally the same situation. If no signs of Nemona or the mermaids that took her are present, then Kailani would be forced to return to the spectral fighting party.

Futsuka || The hairs on the back of Futsuka's neck stand on end as she subconsciously senses the undead nearby and her instincts tell her to run or get ready to fight, so the feline knock an arrow as they set foot upon the wreckage. Mermaids and creatures of the sea were vaguely familiar, as the ranger had traversed back and forth between Rynvale and the greater continent often in the last decade, but she didn't understand the reason for their presence here until the warning was given and the ghostly crew rose to meet the group of interlopers. A low growl builds in Futsuka's throat as she looses her first arrow into the one of the approaching undead, giving her the free hand she needs reach for the holy oils on her utility belt. Taking slow steps to back peddle, Futsuka begins to apply the substance to the heads of a trio of arrows as scarlet eyes now dilated flicker to and fro form her work and the enemies before her. When Futsuka finally knocks these three arrows she smirks in delight as the they arrowheads set ablaze due to Kailani's druidic magic. "Perfect." The feline says, the only word to pass her lips in days before letting the trio fly in the direction of the undead, her multi-arrow strike finding three separate targets. The holy oils and fire disrupt the undead far more than her mundane arrows ever could on their own as Futsuka's aim rings true. "Retreat if you must," the feline addresses the rest of her party, "But I will not flee until everyone is safe." Already another arrow has been pulled back, the tip bursting in magical flames.

Khitti || The fight would continue and eventually the spirits would be “slain”. They would be back, however, as vengeful ghosts usually were. They cared not for the void that called them. Instead, they wanted revenge for their deaths… and it’d been so long since then that the lot of them had forgotten why or how they died. It didn’t matter. What mattered was retribution. It was something Khitti held sentiment with, something she understood well. But there was no talking to malevolent spirits; they were too far gone. And soon they -were- gone. For now. As for Nemona and Kailani, the druid would find her easily. Some feet away from the ice wall, the other merfolk took to attacking her, shaming Nemona for helping a land-dweller once again. They ripped at her scales, tore at her flesh. Thankfully for Kailani, there were only two of them. The others had fled when it was obvious that they would get no meals this day. The others, however, were much too angry to care. Instead, they carried on, Nemona’s blood filling the water. It took a moment, but Khitti soon realized Kailani had disappeared--she hadn’t seen the druid’s trick with the ice! “Kailani?! Goddamn it.” They weren’t going to have to search for someone else, were they? “No,” she said eventually to Futsuka, only now registering what the feline had said in the midst of battle, “We’re not leaving without Kailani.”

Penelope :: The fire that inflames her dagger makes her nervous until she realizes that the fire is not creeping up the handle. She was in the clear. Penelope had not learned to use her magic properly, so for a moment, she wonders if she made the flames appear. No. Kailani. The other druid. Thank goodness because really how do you “kill” the undead? Just as she thinks she is in the clear, one of the creepers come from behind and takes a hold of her. “No, no!” It throws her down and is about to threaten her when a familiar sword pierces through the chest of the undead to throw it off. “Move, Penelope!” That tone. The familiar tone. She rolls out of the way and stands up again. “Kyori?” The blonde spellblade made it. Here he was in the parted sea. Penelope flashes him a knowing smile before stabbing the undead with the blade that was lit on fire. She then back pedals to stay near him, and she helps him when taking on the others. He had gotten them both out of situations such as these before. As Kailani disappears through the ice, the Ardelian shouts. “What is she doing?!” As for Futsuka, she shakes her head towards the feline. “We’re not leaving you behind either. We’re in this together. No one is getting left behind.”

Kailani had little way of knowing how her comrades were doing, she could only hope for the best but the druid caught sight of the mermaid who had warned them and she was not going to leave her to die. Thankfully there were only two mermaids, that was definitely a lesser number than when she was mauled by the creatures. While the two mermaids were clearly being violent toward Nemona, Kailani sought a resolution that did not injure the two mermaids she wanted to be rid of. The blue-haired woman was literally in her element and so the currents were commanded and bent to her will, much like the last time she put herself in the Rynvale waters with some uppity mermaids. This time though, said currents are pulling the two troublesome mermaids further out to sea, while Nemona is caught in a current that pulls her closer to Kailani. The druid does not even make to swim closer. As soon as Nemona is within reach, she grabs hold of the mermaid and steps back through the ice wall. Were this some other sea creature, Kailani might think twice about bringing it into the air...But she's well aware that mermaids do spend time preening on rocks, a small amount of time out of the water would not kill her. It would be easier for the healer's to tend to the injured mermaid on land. Alas, Kailani is not oddly strong....So the moment that she and the mermaid are back on land, well the druid is struggling. For the first time during this whole event, she speaks...! Okay, maybe it is more like a yell. "A little help please!" At least she said please. Kailani is clearly a bit distracted right now, the druid has not even spent a moment to study if the spectral assailants have all been dealt with, or if her comrades are even all in one piece. She was hoping that one of them would be in position enough to help her carry a mermaid back to shore.

Futsuka wrinkles her nose as she sniffs for any more trace of undead, but the scent of the sea overpowers everything, including the smell of her party members. Too busy with trying to vanquish the undead, Futsuka had failed to notice that one of them had jumped into the water until Khitti had pointed it out. "Did she...?" As her scarlet eyes gaze into the sea the feline moves over to the edge to search for her, a tiny hand moving to block the sun from her view. It truthfully warmed Futsuka's heart to hear so many agree that nobody should be left behind. For far too long she had seen people, especially in the cities, talk about 'dog eat dog' and the ranger could only scoff at their ignorance. To Futsuka, all living things were of a single tribe and everyone should act like it. You do not leave your tribesmen to suffer for your own gain. When Kailani surfaces with the helpful mermaid Futsuka is already on her way, the swift feline sprinting to her aid as she calls out. The feline was small, standing at barely over 5 feet, but she was surprisingly strong as she helps get Nemona to shore, immediately taking a quick survey of her injuries. "Her own people did this to her?" Futsuka asks in disbelief, "Her wounds do not look fatal but she will get an infection if we do not tend to her quickly..." The ranger had no idea that she was in the presence of so many healers, herself included, so her eagerness to see the mermaid cured would most likely be echoed by all present.

Khitti too ran to Kailani’s aid, but not quite so quickly as Futsuka (she’s a Khat, not a cat). She knelt down beside the mermaid, looking over her wounds, “What have I told you about staying out of trouble?” Khitti tried her best to hide a frown, but could not contain it. “I can’t even manage to save you after all the times you’ve saved me, can I?” Nemona didn’t speak, merely shaking her head at Khitti. She wasn’t angry or anything of the sort, merely fatigued thanks to the attack. She knew what she was doing when she helped the redhead, of course. Sighing, Khitti stood, allowing the healers to do what they did best--Khitti wasn’t even sure anymore if she -could- heal anyone again and now wasn’t the time to try it. Instead, she stepped over towards the shipwreck, taking the time to look for clues about Emilia. When Nemona was healed, she’d thank everyone, and allow Kailani to take her back through the ice if the druid was up to it.

Khitti || The party would be given reprieve in the form of a much needed breather when all was said and done, allowing them to gather themselves and their thoughts before they would leave the area, unsuccessful in their attempt to find the ice genasi. “I see the mermaids have been telling lies again,” a seemingly disembodied voice called out to the group, before Deadeye Doolie made himself known. “Nothing ever seems to sate their hunger, so they get rather desperate now and then.” Water gathered at a spot near the ship, taking the hermit’s form, the seawater materializing out of thin air. The man looked almost like a mindflayer yet not quite, his facial hair like the tentacles of a squid or octopus. He didn’t look like he was undead, like the ghosts they’d just fought, but he was certainly unnatural. Perhaps this wasn’t even his real form? Perhaps he sensed Khitti’s past with various mindflayers and sought to mock her? Thankfully, this had not crossed Khitti’s mind as she eyed the male, a hand on the hilt of her recently resheathed Embershard. “Not all of them lie,” Khitti said, crimson brows knitted together, eyes narrowed at the hermit. “Where is she?” She looked to the others briefly, in case if they had questioning of their own they wished to force upon the hermit. Khitti has to do a lot of the talking when Brand is around and today she’s feeling more like kicking ass and asking questions later. Which is probably not a good thing when you’re looking for someone that’s almost certainly kidnapped.

Penelope eases up on her grip on the blade. The undead die out. The fire, at this point, should dwindle away and burn out entirely. Cold sweat drips down the back of her neck, and her shoulders sink as she exhales. The dagger is sheathed back onto her hip. A shout of “help” is heard and the physician, too, is moving to the mermaid’s side. She lets Futsuka take the lead with Kailani, but she trails behind motioning to Kyori to follow with a tilt of her chin. Automatically, Penelope is unbuckling the pack on her back. “Whatever you need, if you do, Kailani. I brought supplies. I have a bottle of antiseptic to clean, but I also have other things if you need them too.” The Ardelian knew, and she never left the house without them. Then again, Kailani was experienced with her magic, and Futsuka, well, by the sound of her words, seemed to know what she was talking about, as well. Penelope puts herself into an assistant sort of position if she is needed by either one of the two. After all, there were already two healers surrounding the mermaid. Eventually, once Nemona is healed, there is an atmosphere of disappointment. No ice genasi. Not even one clue from a hermit. Well, not until the phantom voice echoes from behind. Green eyes lift and land on the tentacle-faced man. The man who had seemed as if he was watching all of them fight the undead from afar. “If you think they are lying, you must know something now, don’t you? What do you know?” Alas, questions rise from the Ardelian who steps right alongside Khitti.

Kailani offers a nod of thanks for Futsuka first, and then Khitti, and then finally Penelope. I mean, they're pretty much regarded in the order they appear to offer their help. Given the number of injuries that Nemona has sustained, it would take a team effort from all three healers combining all of their skills to be able to patch the mermaid back together. Penelope would indeed be required to grab her supplies. Kailani herself has never claimed to be a master at magical healing, she has always professed to be more adept with herbal healing. Still, it would be required in this moment. It is not like Nemona could go back to the sea if she was not properly tended to, and regular checkups with a healer is probably not something that the mermaid is interested in. So, all three healers are put to work patching Nemona up, utilizing magical healing to mend some of the deeper wounds and medicinal healing for the less severe injuries. Nemona would undoubtedly need time to heal the rest of the way, but at least she would live. Once they were done tending to her, Nemona would be released back through the ice wall, if that was her want. With the mermaid tended to, Kailani is able to devote her attention to this Deadeye Doolie.

Futsuka does what she can in the healing process, utilizing a combination of mundane and magical healing to cleanse the wounds and stop the bleeding along with whoever would help her. It appeared as though Futsuka had a less academic background in medicine then other healers, but she possessed a raw connection to the life energies of nature and used them to stitch flesh back together and neutralize toxins. Nemona was indeed in good hands at the moment. The feline didn't seem too disheartened by the fact that the Ice Genasi was not here for a failure still meant progress and although it didn't feel like it they were one step closer to finding their quarry. Futsuka doesn't have time to relax, however, as the disembodied voice address the party and suddenly the ranger has an arrow nocked once more. Leveling it at the face of the tentacled being before her, the feline hisses as her face twists into anger. "I suggest you answer them, you foul thing. If you know something that we do not, tell us so that we may be on our way."

Khitti || “The one you seek is not here. If she was in this part of the sea, then she is no longer.” The unnatural male seemed wholly unbothered by Futsuka’s threats, including the ranger’s arrow. “The dead whisper of things like this and some of the merfolk converse with those dead and gossip just a bit too much.” He waved his hand a little, dismissing his sort-of tangent. “Today, the dead are not speaking of your friend however. Today, they are speaking about -you-,” Deadeye Doolie said, his attention roaming across everyone until it came to a stop on Khitti, his gaze rather pointed. Khitti returned his gaze, but her own was that of confusion. For the moment anyway. And then it hit her: the dead were talking about -her-. This prompted her to summon up another ball of shadowfire, “The dead -always- speak of me, and yet, I do not care. They always whisper. Here. The Shadow Plane. What makes this any different?” It hadn’t taken much to hit on the sensitive spot of Khitti’s, her anger now apparent. “Ahh, but you seek something. And someone seeks you. -Two- someones, in fact. What -have- you been doing over there?” The hermit’s condescending tone only made her anger worse, but Khitti kept her fireball at bay. She did not answer him, keeping the things she does in the other realm in the darkness where it belonged.

Khitti || “Indeed. They speak of your secret-keeping as well,” he said with a smirk. “More importantly, some of them do not wish to hinder you and have actually decided to help--but not with the issue you’re presently here for.” He held out a hand, Khitti’s fireball growing stronger in response. The hermit did not attack. A large piece of obsidian materialized in his palm in much the same way he had appeared himself. The stone radiated with the same shadows as Khitti’s magic, the darkness surrounding it enveloping it moreso now that it was close to Embershard, the gladius’ hilt having been made of the same material, and which was now radiating with the same shadows. “It seems the earthen element you’ve been seeking has been with you this whole time. And now you have more shadowglass… but how will you learn to use it, I wonder? Who will tell you when the realm you said you’d save has been left in the hands of your enemies?” No more questions came. And neither did any answers to anything that had been asked. Deadeye Doolie took his leave, an overly friendly wave given to the rest of the group before he disappeared in the same manner that he had appeared. All that was left was that stone, floating there in a bubble of water.

Khitti frowned. She -had- been neglecting her problems in the Shadow Plane. After Brand had been kidnapped and dealt all that trauma… how could she force him to go back there? It seemed though, that the time had come for them to return soon. She had hoped Lanara would have returned. She’d hoped that maybe, just maybe, things would have sorted themselves out. But, of course, they did not. Khitti sighed heavily, snuffed out her flame, and shadowstepped to the large stone. She took it in hand, then looked to the others, that frown ever present, “I… have some things to take care of.” Khitti hesitated. “Thank you,” the last of her words for the healing of her mermaid friend. “I will do my best to keep an ear out for any news of Emilia. If any of -you- hear anything or find anything, then send word to the Devout’s Guild. Please.” Even if she wasn’t there, Camina would let her know. She always did when Khitti was off in her own head elsewhere. Somewhat unnerved by this whole thing, Khitti headed back towards the shore, her pace slow, but with an obvious purpose. The magic keeping the ice walls in place would miraculously stay until the rest of the group evacuated, and then the sea would envelope the Virago again.

Penelope realizes she is needed more than she left herself out to be. That, and there is an itch in her palm to help anyway than stand back. The pack is placed on the ground, and the healer pulls out the antiseptic and a few cotton gauze pads in order to cleanse the bleeding wounds on the scale. She has never healed a mermaid before that was for sure. Pressure is put on each wound to slow the bleeding down before she would let Futsuka take the reigns and magically sew the mermaid together. Better than sutures. Stitches were not made to be soaked in water, after all. Either way, Nemona is on her way. The attention is on Deadeye Doolie and the eerie seaborn begins to speak specifically to Khitti. The Shadow Plane. The dead. Moss eyes slowly trail and in Penelope’s peripheral, she sees the agitation that balls up in crimson-haired woman’s hand. The shadow magic was strange. Magic was strange in general. Deadeye Doolie takes his leave and there is no word of the ice genasi. “Wait, but Emil—“ Kyori reaches out to clutch Penelope’s shoulder, so no more trouble would be caused. The Ardelian holds her tongue and her attention turns to Khitti. The freckled woman does not say a thing, for what was there to say to a stranger? A stranger who appeared distressed. “No, thank you,” is the only words she could manage before looking at the rest of the crew. After all, the woman set out to journey with the crew. “We will find her.” With that, she gives Kyori a look before brushing past him in silent disappointment. The spellblade follows behind. It was time to return to Cenril and figure out the next steps on where to find the ice genasi.

Kailani was not entirely in the loop with Khitti's troubles with the Shadow Planes, but she and the red head have had a conversation, so Kailani has a very vague understanding of what this Deadeye Doolie might be referencing. While this conversation left Kailani with many questions, Khitti was leaving and the druid has sense enough to not follow and pressure. It seems that disappointment and frustration seemed to be the general mood amongst the party searching for Emilia, for Penelope was soon leaving with an aura of disappointment surrounding her. The blue-haired druid gives Futsuka a bit of a shrug of uncertainty. It might seem out of the blue, but the gesture was in reference on what they should be doing about Penelope and Khitti. Let them be seems to be Kailani's answer, for she ends up traveling in the opposite direction as Khitti and Penelope. Back to Cenril was not on her agenda, not that she presently has an agenda....but if she did 'back to Cenril' would not be on it.

Futsuka slowly lowers her bow as the two of them speak. There was a lot going on that the feline didn't understand nor did she feel was any of her business. Shadow realm? Talking dead? This was all bad juju. Futsuka dares to first put the arrow back in her quiver before slipping her bow over her shoulder, preparing to leave with the intention of searching for more leads. To Khitti the feline would offer a single nod. "I will report to this Guild of the Devout if I discover anything else, you have my word." For now Futsuka would return to Cenril along with Penelope after giving a return shrug to Kailani, not intentionally, that's just where she was going. It would probably make for an awkward journey as Futsuka begins to wonder if the pair were following her or not, but she would never ask. It was just easier just to stay quiet and Futsuka liked the silence anyway, awkward or not.