"Hey, dancer," Momo's soft voice calls to Hadone, "are you awake? Yoo hoo! Open your fucking eyes!"

The eyelids finally twitch, accompaned by an audibly exhaled breath that bares the lightest whisper of a groan. Hadone opens her eyes groggily after a few more moments, and they take a couple more to focus on Momo. They close again. Damnit.

Momo smiles, relieved. "Nice to see you too. Can you get up? I don't think I could carry you, and Checkers isn't here." The girl looks over her shoulder, at the people who are watching them from their silly looking huts. "We've got a crowd."

The death dancer opens her eyes again, nods...sits up with a good deal of effort, and catches her breath after a moment. Her upper arm hurts. Glances that way. Upper sleeve is burned completely through, the lower half of it's just a glorified bracelet. Needless to say, the burns on the arm itself are quite nice as well.

Oh yeah. That.

Hadone finally, with effort though she's quickly regaining her strength, stands up, stance wide.

Momo gets up as well, putting her shorter frame against Hadone's to help her. "I'll help you. One of those people is preparing a hut for us... I dunno why. She had pink hair, so I doubt she's got much in the way of sense." 

The death dancer's eyes are amused at that, though subdued...she pats Momo's head once they're up, both for that help and for shooting that black-eyed drag queen in the first place.

The woman that Momo had mentioned shows up a moment later. Sanity doesn't seem at issue, as she's basically dressed in something that looks like woven leaves and vines. The garment covers her well, quite unlike the stories one hears about forest women, and would be fetching if it didn't look so uncomfortable.

"Oh, good, you are awake," the woman says, slipping herself under the other arm to help the dancer. "The house is this way. We have some ointment ready for your arm, and a bed. Come." She begins to walk, and Momo falls in step as well, leading Hadone towards the house.

The death dancer nods. She feels awkward. She appreciates, but does feel awkward...she's supposed to be on the giving end of this kind of thing, not the other way around.

Momo trots over to a convenient wicker chair and plops down, sighing quietly. "I'm tired," she announces, "this day sucks ass."

Mi'ehna helps Hadone to the bed without complaint. "You can do this yourself," she tells the dancer, holding up a pestal full of goo, "but I can if you need it."

The death dancer bows her head, but then shakes it, taking the pestal, grateful for the chance to do this herself. She tears off what little of her sleeve is attached, sets to tending the wound.

"My name is Mi'ehna. I am the village leader, here, so... ask for me if you need something. Most of the people are out fishing in front of the water shrine right now, but if you would like, I will introduce you later." She reaches out, pats Momo on the head. "You may as well be cordial, now that you are stuck here."

Hadone nods, and sets to bandaging her wound. Damned sociopathic sorcerer.

Momo looks on most wearily. She yawns, honestly too tired to question anything right now.

"Well," Mi'ehna nods approvingly at the bandaging, "I'll see about getting some supplies brought here for the two of you." She disappears through the door, humming quietly.

Hadone sighs quietly, finishes dressing the wound, and picks up the loose end of her sleeve. She can sew it back on...even if it will be lopsided. Uses it to wipe her mask, since it's dirty anyway...pauses when it catches. Her fingers are quick to brush over the mask's forehead, above her left eye...cracked. Lightly, but..still. That's not good. She'd been meandering her way back to a convent to get another, and so has no spare if this one breaks.

"You seem awfully comfy here," Momo notes. "If I weren't so tired, I'd be shaking down people trying to find out where the hell we are. Can you write?"

Hadone shakes her head. She can, of course, but not for the purpose of circumventing her vows. She does stand up, though, makes a beckoning motion, and heads for the door.

"Oh," Momo gets up, trots behind her. "I was just wondering what your name is. Surely that's okay... you do have a name, right?"

The death dancer stops. Oh. So the kid hadn't wanted her to explain what the hell is going on. She's still a few moments. Honestly, she's so grossly unaccustomed to teh question and concept that she has no idea how she's supposed to react, or wants to react.

Momo sighs. Some nuts are tougher to crack than others. "My name's Momo, if I forgot to tell you. Momo Deyono. Since you don't seem to want to tell me yours..." the girl's eyes light up in a mischevious grin. "I'll just call you Fucky. Sound good?"

It's hard to tell what the dancer thinks of that...her eyes are a bit mismatched right now and no help at all, a wry expression of some sort. She bows a little. As she wishes.

Momo just smiles more brightly. "Okay! Take me wherever you were going, Fucky." Momo is beaming. She can't wait to get up in front of these other people and say '... and this is Fucky!'

Hadone yawns behind the mask, though she's amused. This kid is a trip and a half, to be sure. She wanders outside, taking in the familiar sights of what's practically home.

Mi'ehna is nowhere to be found. A few people are outside now, mostly children younger than Momo, as well as an exceptionally large, burly blonde man who is keeping watch. The blonde man catches sight of Hadone and waves his massive hand.

"Dancer! Are you the same dancer who was here before?" he calls out in a powerful baritone. His heavy footsteps bring him a bit closer. His outfit, unlike Mi'ehna's, isn't exactly a fully-covering affair, but... at least mostly.

Hadone stops and turns to the man, recognition in her eyes, and nods. She sets her hands together before her and bows lightly in greeting.

Momo smiles brightly. "Hey Fucky, who's the stud?"

The blonde man blinks, head tilting a bit. He looks to Hadone. "Fucky?"

The dancer shrugs, palms upturned, waiving responsibility.

The blonde man looks down to Momo. "Ah... my name is Eleris, miss..."

"Momo," she answers, admiring him openly. "And that's her name. Fucky."

Eleris nods, and shrugs. "Dancer, what brings you back?"

Hadone pauses at the question, and draws one of her swords. Actually, it's lodged improperly in the sheath and takes an unusual jerk. She holds up the blade for him to see, arm up for his height but sword parallel to the ground. He'll certainly appreciate its new battle scars, including a partly melted edge she obviously hasn't had time to sharpen out yet. It's not a poorly-forged sword, either.

Eleris nods. "It is the same story with everyone here. Getting on the wrong side of some wizard with a chip on his shoulder."

"The guy looked like a little bitch, too. Ooh! I wish I had shot him more." Momo grumbles softly. "He looked like an ugly chick."

Hadone smirks at Momo.

"That would be Radivishe Moorn, then." Eleris nods thoughtfully, understanding. "He is the one who sent me here. Actually, our village leader was sent here by him also, but for good reason." 

Momo looks up, way up, at him. "What reason?"

"She is the one who killed him in the first place."

The death dancer had known this before, in a way, but takes pause at it...it hadn't occurred to her until just now. Hadn't occured to her for several years. The name "Radivishe Moorn" was just a name, albeit a nigh-universally feared one. But last time she'd heard that Mi'ehna had killed him...she'd never faced him. And she'd never even had the slightest glimpse of his power. Her eyes are far away.

Momo looks up at her, noting the unusual expression in her eyes. She snaps her fingers.

"Wake up, Fucky!"

The death dancer blinks, looks over at Momo. And then, quite unceremoniously, slaps her in the back of the head as she sheaths her sword. Respect your elders, child.

Momo squeals and hops to the right, rubbing her head. "I hope you don't ever intend to do that again," the girl growls. "Maybe if you'd told me your stupid name in the first place... no, you know what? Eat me. I'm going to bed." Momo huffs and stomps back towards the borrowed house, grumbling, and trying to convince herself not to shoot Hadone in the foot. 

Eleris blinks again. "Such a... mature display of immaturity."

Hadone looks back up to Eleris, a smirk in her eyes. She'll get over it. She gestures over the village. How have things been faring?

The sizable fellow looks after Momo a moment, waiting for her to disappear inside the house. "It is growing, unfortunately. Not that we mind the company, but... more and more people are being sent here. Most of us are powerful... some more than others, like Mi'ehna... but nearly everyone has some sort of power above that of their natural race. A few have died trying to escape, several more we assume to have died the same way. Most of us learned our lesson when the Malufel returned one of our barbarians back here with his legs broken." He shakes his head. It's an unfortunate situation, from every angle.

Hadone winces slightly at the mention of the legs, and nods. She yawns, looking around quietly and fingers interlaced behind her neck...home sweet damned home. She can hear a rumbling in the distance that is no doubt the Malufel.

Eleris grins. "The monster hasn't changed much. It is perfectly cordial until someone crosses that line." He looks over to it. "It even came into the village a few times... once when a fire broke out in the smith's quarter, again when some of the creatures from the shrines showed up, and one more time at a feast that Mi'ehna threw. It was like it held no malice towards anyone, at all."

Hadone nods meaningfully to that. She has no serious doubts about the Malufel's nature...too few for her own good, really.

Eleris looks over his shoulder. "Mi'ehna talks to it. And the most unsual part is that the beast responds. Deep down, I believe that she is not afraid of it... though... I have no doubt as to who would emerge should the two of them ever come to blows. The monster is, for lack of a better word, invincible."

"Nothing is invincible, Eleris," answers the village leader, whose five feet of height makes her look like a little kid next to the towering Eleris. On each of her arms is a basket full of bread and meat that looks rather like steak. "Dancer, are you hungry?"

Hadone nods, shadowed eyes grateful.

Mi'ehna blinks, looking around. "Where is Momo?"

Eleris taps the top of Mi'ehna's head. "She went to sleep. We could take the meal at my hut," offers the exceedingly tall fellow. Mi'ehna giggles, knowing full well that Eleris is just trying to weasel into the food... which is why she'd brought the second basket. "Is that okay, dancer? My hut is up there, on the hill." He points to a homely adobe affair, stationed right where the verdant village begins to fade into a dry foothill.

The dancer nods. Certainly. It's rather nice to see them both again, anyway, despite the circustances.

Mi'ehna takes the lead, after nudging Eleris of course. The two of them walk casually, as if Hadone's appearance is nothing particularly unusual.

"Excuse me," a soft voice inquires from a well-cloaked figure behind them, "but have any of you seen a young girl with an eyepatch and a temper around here?"

Eleris is the first to turn. He starts to answer, but stops. "Hey," he bends down, waaaaay down. "Is that Felina Deyono?" 

Mi'ehna turns at the name, her pink eyes dazzling in their curious light. Well what do you know. Someone who isn't taller than she!

Felina blinks. "Eleris?" Pulls back her hood back after a few moments looks up, then smiles. "Oh, dear, I didn't recognize you...this dimension has me disoriented...hi." Her eyes are quite friendly.

Hadone blinks.

"Hello! Mi'ehna, dancer, this is Felina Deyono," Eleris introduces the Serinian with a fair bit of gusto, gesturing towards the three short people in turn. "She is more or less responsible for my overcoming of a personal crisis a while back."

Mi'ehna doesn't offer a hand or anything, but does give a mellow smile. "Hello. When did you arrive here, lady Deyono?"

Felina bows politely in greeting to both of them, in quite a different, probably humbler manner than Hadone does. "Not long, less than two or three minutes."

"How did y-" Eleris begins, but quiets when Mi raises a hand to his chest. She would've touched his lips, but a stepstool isn't handy.

"Questions can wait, Eleris. We were just about to share a meal, lady Deyono. Would you care to join us?" inquires the village leader, her tone polite, yet stunningly informal.

Felina smiles a litle at the apparent hospitality. "It would be my pleasure, and is very kind, thank you."

Mi'ehna turns without another word and walks up the hill, followed by a pleased Eleris who is thrilled to see a familiar face in this place. The hut itself is a simple affair, furnished in much the same fashion as the borrowed one in the valley. Mi sets the little table, handing out portions herself before sitting next to the big lug. 

"So," she begins, eyes sparkling beautifully, "I have heard great things about you, Felina. What brings you to our dark corner of nonexistence?"

The Guardian smiles amicably enough at Mi'ehna, fairly relaxed despite this situation already have gotten more complicated than she'd intended, with the overall loss of her power. "I sensed a girl named Momo Deyono get banished here. I'm kind of...a step under being her guardian, so I came to retrieve her." Getting back out...is something to figure out, in retrospect.

Hadone listens with quite interest, tearing off a piece of bread.

"Momo is your daughter, then?" Mi'ehna tilts her head, looking at the Serinian. "No... she is human, and you... forgive me if I am wrong... are a construct, correct? Either way, she is here."

Eleris gives a quirky look towards Mi'ehna. He's never seen her even begin to approach the state of flustered, and if she isn't headed that way, she's doing a damn good job of pretending.

Felina's eyes are quietly amused. "It's okay, I don't mind. Yes, I'm a psi-magical energy construct. "

Mi nods, her expression thoughtful... perhaps a bit contrite. "You must excuse me," she begins, her voice clear as an evening bell. "I have had many experiences with 'made' beings, few of them pleasant. You are different, somehow, but I thought that I should make sure."

Eleris, whose hunger is getting its ass kicked, just smiles at that. "Yes. Felina, since you are here, why not regale us with tales of outside? What have you been doing since we last met?"

Felina smiles at him. "The same crystal-collecting bit that brought me knocking on your door in the first place, for the most part. Oh, dear, where to begin on the rest..." she laughs quietly. "It's well over a decade, my friend. Well...I've made...interesting...acquaintences, as always, from vampires to behemoths, and I've also taken to shifting back and forth between this and the nether plane. Had an interesting encounter with my father's nether double, there, actually, as well as my own. Lost my power for a period of about two years, leading to some interesting experiences in the course of which I met Momo, and finally regained it to restart my work as a Guardian. All in all...I've stayed quite busy." She munches contentedly on a small, torn-off piece of bread. "I've also gone rounds with that lovely sorcerer you saw my first encounter with...loyally, actually, at least every two to four years."

Hadone sips some water behind her mask. Is there anyone here but her not ridiculously super-powered?

Eleris winks at her. He's a mountain of man, skilled beyond compare, but he knows the feeling in Mi'ehna and Felina's respective presences.

"Sorcerer?" Mi asks between bites of meat. "Which sorcerer, miss? We were all sent here by one or another... and I try to keep a running log of who and who."

"A lovely character by the name of Radivishe Moorn. It feels to me like you're familiar with him."

Mi'ehna chuckles quietly. 

"That man certainly gets around," Eleris notes, casually munching another piece of meat.

"I am," the village leader nods to Felina. "He and I share a very intimate history. My power was his doing, my survival, his doing on a number of occasions. His death was my doing, though." A soft sigh parts her narrow lips. "For all the good it seems to have done."

Felina smirks at Eleris before her eyes travel back to Mi'ehna. "Don't trouble yourself for it. I've killed him...I guess twice now. And the second time only partially undid the power spike he got from my 'killing' him the first time. He just has his ways of making things work out. It's not anyone else's fault, just his own twisted little brain's facsimile of nimbless. I can't heavily fault the ways I acted against him at any givn moment given that moment's context, and I'm sure you acted in the utmost faith as well." She's much, much more deeply intrested in Mi'ehna's history with Moorn than she shows just yet.

The village leader lowers her eyes a little bit, thinking. "I think... you may be right." She looks away from the table, obviously troubled by Felina's account.

"Felina kicked my ass a time or two," Eleris notes, "she is no stranger to the fight."

Felina smiles sidelong at him. "Don't give me too much credit...I do believe we beat one another silly until neither really felt like raising a weapon."

"There is that, " he admits. "It is excellent to see her again. There is no bond like the bond of having the stuffing beaten out of you"

Mi'ehna looks back up, her expression calm again. "So, you were looking for Momo? May I ask why?"

"Because I sensed her in trouble, and came to retrieve her."

"You do know where this is," Mi'ehna continues, "correct?"

"Well, I know the dimensional nature of it...but nothing more, no." Felina nods agreement.

"There is no way out of here. For anyone. I have been here for millenia, Felina, since just after I killed him." Mi'ehna sets her food down, apparently uninterested in it. "At least, no way that anyone can reach."

"Well, I'll just have to think up a way to reach it." Felina smiles at Mi'ehna, not terribly perturbed yet. "No one's invicible no, and by the same token, nothing's impossible." She looks at Eleris. "So how long have you been here, my friend?"

"About twenty-six months," is Eleris's upbeat answer. "Moorn returned to the keep asking questions... ended up threatening my wife, and so I cut off his arm. Though... I get the idea that his body was slightly unstable, as he had another one when he returned to send me here."

"He's not bound to the body to any great extent. He's capable of feeling pain, but you can't kill him by acting against it," Feling notes in response. She grins, though. "It seems like everyone here has injured or otherwise pissed him off at some point though, I feel at home already." She laughs softly, noticeably more relaxed by nature than last time Eleris met her.

"I would say it was worth it. But I am certain that other people were not sent here by him... this is not a place built by him. I know that the Malufel was not created by his hands.  Hey," Eleris blinks, looks up when Mi'ehna stands and heads wordlessly for the door, "Mi, where are you going?"

The village leader just smiles a halfhearted smile at him, nods to Felina and Hadone, and leaves the house.

Felina blinks. "I'm sure that was my fault somehow..." nibbles on a piece of meat.

Eleris chuckles a little. "She had been doing better. Felina, do not worry about her, it was not your fault. She remains terrified of him to this day, sometimes has flashbacks of the things he did to her. She will be okay." He looks at Felina, still thrilled to see her. "How do you like the meat?"

"I see...I'll make sure to mind my tongue concerning him in the future, thank you." She nods, feels a little bad. She can certainly relate. She does smile at Eleris, though. "It is very good, thank you."

Hadone nods absently.

Eleris laughs heartily, nodding, and banging upon the table. "Oh, good! It is the meat of the world worm, from the earth shrine. Mi and I brought one down a few months ago." 

The psychic grins. "Well, I've eaten stranger. That hunt must have been some experience."

"Hell yes," Eleris agrees. "Mi'ehna is a maniac. She used herself as bait... rolled about in entrails before going to the temple, just to get its attention."

Felina laughs softly. "Well, at least it was an effective strategy. So tell me, speaking of worldly creatures...what's this 'Malufel' that Miss Mi'ehna mentioned?"

Hadone listens to the response with somewhat piqued attention.

Eleris sits back, brow creased in consternation. "Dancer, remember that I told you that the creature had brought back one of our barbarians with broken legs? Well..." he coughs, "... that was me. Felina, the Malufel is a sentry drone of sorts. It attacks anyone who shows any efforts of escaping this place, and it wins. I believe it is a construct as well."

Hadone looks up at him at that, slightly surprised. But not entirely, now that she thinks about it. Looks down. The Malufel is...something that must always be considered in two lights.

"I see..." Felina ponders this quietly a few moments. "And is this creature the only safeguard against leaving?"

"Hardly. The temples are full of traps... nothing that cannot be circumvented, though. Whirling blade, bear traps, sheer drops, elemental sorcery, beasts, and of course, the Malufel itself." Eleris names them off as if proud of them, in some small way. "Mi'ehna has been in and out of all of them, except for air. She can tell you better than I."

"I see..." Felina nods thoughtfully. "I guess it will all bear investigation, I can't leave in my normal way. Well. Did your legs heal well?" She tilts her head.

"Quite," Eleris nods. "We have a talented healer in the village, a girl. You might consider visiting her while you're here, Felina. Her name is Misao."

Felina blinks once. Twice. Slaps herself in the head. "So tell me, is everyone I've ever met on this planet hanging around here nowadays?"

Eleris tilts his head. "There are a lot of people here, Felina. You have an interesting knack for running into people of great, or potentially great, power, you know. Common folks just do not come here."

"Point, yes...I do have a knack for getting into trouble." Felina thinks over all of this quietly. "So there is no contact with the outside world, correct? No one ever leaves?"

The death dancer's expression is a little wry at that.

Eleris grins at Hadone. He didn't see her leave personally, but he has heard the stories. "For your safety, I would tell you no. Sometimes villagers disappear from their homes, called away by the wizards who sent them. Some who have gone into the temples have not returned... they may have escaped. Some people swear that there is an exit beyond the temples, but..." his massive shoulders shrug. "I cannot say for certain."

Felina nods thoughtfully to this. "Well then. I guess my course of action will to be to find out whether those rumours are true, and what leaving entails if so. With the path and means mapped out, I can come back for Momo and Misao...and whoever else wants to leave, I suppose, certainly you. If the way seems safe enough, of course." Sips some water. It's very good. Very fresh.

Eleris smiles that 'oh, you poor dumb kitten' smile that Felina has no doubt learned to ignore in people. "This place is a paradise, Felina. We have made our lives here... though I would move heaven and earth to see Vargameir again, I have resigned myself to this place. Most of us have."

Felina nods, ignoring the smile that yes, she's very used to. "Duly noted...I thought that might be the case. With everything such a mess outside..." she shrugs. "I'm half-tempted to leave Momo here awhile to mellow her out a bit...but oh well, I am here now."

Hadone gets up quietly at this point and leaves. She's not very good about greetings and goodbyes, for obvious reasons.

Eleris watches her go, and then breathes out slowly. "You would think that a man such as myself would not be bothered by her kind. Listen, Felina... you should try and persuade Mi'ehna into telling you the truth about this place. She knows it intimately, better than anyone except perhaps the Malufel. If you truly want to leave, then she may be able to help."

Felina nods. "I'll do that...thank you." She glances to where Hadone had left. "And what would 'her kind' be?"

The sizable warrior stands, brushing bread crumbs off his clothing, though a piece of bread is still in his hand. "The death dancer. Are you unfamiliar with them?"

"I'm afraid so, yes. Sound like pleasant characters." Felina stands as well.

"They do an excellent job, but remain creepy as hell." He grins at her, almost goofily... he's changed quite a bit in the last few years. The modern Eleris is a bit more mellow, and certainly more easygoing. "Should I show you around, Felina? There are many whom you should meet... Millie, the clothier, Liehn the smith, Nossos, the master of arms, and some others. If you intend to leave here, anyway."

"I do intend to leave. I have too many friends who would worry." She smiles. "That would be lovely, thank you."

"All right then. Which would you prefer to meet first?"

"I'll leave that to your discretion. You actually know them."

"All right... on second that, let us go see your friend Momo. She was in poor spirits earlier, though I cannot say I blame her." Eleris steps through the door, beckoning for Felina to follow, and heads down the path towards Momo's house. 

All around, the people seem to be scrambling around in search of something. There is a sort of intense hush over the entire valley, though Eleris is mostly oblivious to it.

Felina isn't. There's nothing like being in a strange environment to put one's senses on high alert. "What's up with all these people? Are they always so...bothered?"

"Bothered? Oh. I am not sure. If I had to guess, someone has gone missing... it means they have either been taken away, or are dead somewhere. The villagers always search the area, just to be certain, before holding rites for those who have gone." Eleris nods to this, just about the time that a strange frog-man rushes up to the two of them.

"Have either of you seen Momo? That kid who came here earlier." The frog man ribbits in muddy Common, stained with urgency. "She's gone."

Felina sighs. "Oh dear...I can't say I'm surprised." She looks to Eleris, eyes far more serious than before. "She'll be trying to leave entirely. Which ways do you think she's most likely to have gone?"

Eleris shrugs. "I do not know her. Probably towards the temples, though... it is the only logical way out. That is where the river comes from. If she had gone that way," he points off to another direction, where a sizable line has been drawn on the ground, "she would be dead already. And we would know it."

Felina glances that way, nods, looks back to him. "Anything I should know before running off that way?"

Eleris's expression hardens, and for a moment, he looks more like the Eleris of old. "I will not allow you to go without consulting Mi'ehna first. Those temples are four deathtraps. Go all the way to the end of this road and find her hut." He points that way. "I will help the villagers search. She might have gotten lost exploring."

"You don't know Momo like I know Momo." Felina turns towards Mi'ehna's hut though. "I'll do that, though, and thank you." Her step's quite quick now.

Inside the tent, Mi'ehna sits in a meditative position that looks... incredibly painful, for lack of a better description. Certainly unnatural. Her eyes do not open when Felina walks in.

"Is there something you wanted?" she inquires, her voice monotonous, focused.

"I am certainly sorry to disturb you." Felina bows. "But Momo has managed to turn up missing, and I have to imagine from what I've been told that she's heading for the temples. I was advised to ask you about them before running after her."

"She is probably already dead," Mi'ehna answers, her tone never altering in pitch. "I am sorry for your loss."

"Then I'll retrieve the body. Thank you for your time." Felina turns to leave.

"Do not leave," the village leader commands, her voice still unchanging. "I am searching for her. I suppose Eleris neglected to mentioned that I was a seer long before I was a killer."

"I'd sensed that from you, yes." Felina quiets, though, and waits. She's not familiar enough with the notable disruption in this place to get a good, quick read on Momo...Mi'ehna has a better chance, and she certainly knows how detrimental distractions can be.

"The temples dampen unnatural energy. So... it is difficult for me to say how well you would fare inside." Mi'ehna grimaces a bit, shaking her head. "I can sense her life force fading. Either she is dying, or her aura is being blocked by something. Possibly the temple walls... but it is hard for me to think that she has gotten that far yet."

"Momo is a very determined child. It is never wise to put such things past her...though of course, I don't know the distance, either. I do need to find her. Fast. Is there any sort of safeguard that you know would help in the temple?"

"Quick feet," Mi'ehna answers, her eyes finally snapping open. "And your mind. The temple is full of traps and tricks and puzzles. Inside you will find yourself weakened... significantly, if the fire in my mind is really your power. Sorcerous trinkets tend to lose functionality inside, as well." Her legs unfold, and she gets to her feet, but her hands immediately shoot up to her temples, grasping strands of hot pink hair. "Get back," she growls, "please... your life force is..." her eyes widen, freeze way. "It is killing me, please..."

Felina's eyes narrow...she isn't sure what Mi'ehna's difficulty is, though she has a few possibilities in mind. A quick bowed head and a murmured "thank you," and she takes her leave fast, quickly hitting a fair run just barely under a spring, mind open and searching for Momo.

A few moments after she's gone, Mi'ehna sits back, the ache in her head blurring everything even resembling conscious thought.

"She has no idea," the village leader murmurs to herself. "That much power within her body, and she has no idea..."

Momo's aura is about two thousand feet inside the water temple now, and moving fairly quickly away.

Felina's nothing if not fleet. She's reached the Dothaven Temples in no time at all.
Felina lets out her breath when she and Momo materialize in the middle of the village square. Momo's intact. Good. That beats all.

The death dancer is the first to see them...probably because she'd been standing less than a foot from where they appeared, and almost jumps out of her skin, swords half-drawn before she realizes who these people are.

Momo blinks. "Oh..." she looks around dizziliy, seeing Hadone. "That sucked. Ugh... I think I'm going to go throw up somewhere, now."

Felina smirks a little and guides Momo to sit down. "You get used to it." She looks up to the death dancer, who looks...well, like she's seen too people materialize in the middle of town who by now had been assumed dead. "Um...it's a long story."

Swords finally get sheathed.

"Sorry about running off, Fu... er.. dancer," Momo tells Hadone, "I wasn't trying to leave. I was just looking for the way out."

Hadone nods...looks Momo up and down. Is she all right?

"I'm fine," Momo answers this, picking up on the gesture, though her wounded hand is in her pocket. "So... we know how to leave! Right Felina?"

Felina smiles a little. "The hard way. But yes, there is that. Where's Eleris?"

The man in question is across the village, carrying a wild boar back from the woods. Momo had just assumed that he would be right there, but apparently their good fortune had been worn thin by all this. "Pity," Momo says to herself, "he's cute. I'd much rather see him than not. So... which way first?"

"I'd say we head back to the hut that Miss Mi'ehna set aside for you and our Dancer friend here, and see what we can do to fix your hand. People will know we're not dead soon enough."

"Nah, let's just find the way out," Momo answers. She turns and trots off, heading down the village roadway, but at a casual pace. She makes a point to hide her hand in her pocket.

Felina's expression fades, and she lopes two paces to catch up, putting a hand on momo's shoulder. "Momo. Tell me what's wrong with your hand. Why aren't you showing it to me?"

"I'm just not worried about it," Momo hastily answers, not slowing her walk, but not speeding up either. She's fidgeting, though, considering whether she should just show Felina the hand. "Ugh... okay. Don't freak." She pulls her hand from the pocket and shows it to Felina, grimacing slightly at the way her four fingers look as if they are trying to grow into two. And have turned blue. And sprouted the makings of fins.

Felina takes in a slow breath. "Right. Well, without knowing what kind of transformation this is, waiting is bad. There's even a chance it can bind you to the water temple. I think we had better look for Miss Mi'ehna instead of an alternative exit."

"This is why I didn't want to show you," Momo grumbles. "I knew you'd say something like that. Now you'll just be stuck here longer." She keeps walking, though, and gets onto the main village road. She'd been heading to see Mi'ehna anyway, but didn't want to worry Felina with it.


"Yes, yes...I'm a prude that way." Felina yawns, folding her hands together behind her head as she follows. What a day. Two days. Whatever.

Mi'ehna is, as usual, sitting alone in her hut. Eyes closed, apparently meditating. The difference in her active power level since Felina spoke to her before leaving is enormous, though not yet fully integrated into Mi's body; it still reeks of Felina's own. She doesn't answer when the two enter.

Felina had learned a lesson the first time. This time, her power's carefully contained and kept to herself. "May we impose a momement, Miss Mi'ehna?" she inquires softly.

"Please do," is the soft-spoken answer, made in a voice that says Mi'ehna is still partially tranced. "I am thrilled that you have returned, Felina. I feared you both dead."

"Yes, well, resilience keeps things interesting for longer." Felina smiles just a little, though it's mostly politely. "I wanted to inquire about the water nymphs...do you know whether they've always been nymphs, or been transformed?"

Mi'ehna's eyes open a little at that, still glazed though. "The temple has been here for much longer than I have. They were here when I arrived, though I have my suspicions about their origins. Why do you ask?"

Felina looks to the human. "Show her your hand, Momo." Back to Mi'ehna. "I haven't had a chance to do an in-depth energy read on it yet. I was hoping you could narrow the search."

Momo holds it up, wiggles the two combined fingers. 

Mi'ehna observes them, ever thoughtful. "Water magic is heavy in her body, but, ah... nymphs have five fingers, Felina. At least our variety do. When did this start?"

"Ah...point, I've seen both in the past, though. It started when the Malufel shattered the enchanted glass door at the end of the water temple. One of the fragments lodged in her hand, and it was some time before we had enough chance to remove it and still ensure enough time to stem the bleeding. Perhaps half a day ago."

Mi'ehna finally relaxes, having snapped out of it, and trains her eyes upon Momo. "Lift your shirt, honey."

Momo blinks. "Wha? Up yours, lady."

Mi'ehna just chuckles. "Please. Humor me." She looks to Felina, a curious expression upon her face. "You said that the malufel broke through the glass, right?"

Felina smirks a little at Momo. "Just do it. You have even less than I have to show off by this point. Yes, you can remind me I said that in two years." Looks back to Mi'ehna. "Yes."

Momo grins. "Yeah right, washboard." She lifts her shirt anyway, and looks down. "See there's nothing to... eep."

A noticeable scar runs from Momo's collar down to her navel, bordered on either side by three dark spots that seem to swirl upon her skin. She looks up, wide-eyed. "What the hell!?"

Felina blinks. "Those...are the same marks on the Malufel." Okay. Now she's concerned.

Mi'ehna gets up from her seat upon the ground, dusts herself, and shoos them both to the door. "Get her to Misao. You can sense energy, right? It will be subtle, but search her for any traces of the monster's life force. It could have been anything... if it touched her, probably not. Even I couldn't break that glass, though... it probably wounded itself, maybe transferred some of its self into the wound. It is all I can think of, ridiculous as it sounds."

"No...it follows...ah, shit what was it called...Helosina's Law of Transferance. Helsina. Helosine's. Whatever," she ponders as she heads out of the door with Momo, looking attentively for Misao. Easy, actually, considering that she knows her. And, now that she thinks of it, so does Momo.... "Misao?"

A woman, who had been standing along with a couple of other people in wait for whoever exited the village leader's hut first, steps forward. She's simplistically dressed in a very utilitarian gi and sandals, and bears a long walking stick in one hand. Her eyes are bound by a blindfold, as well. "Felina," she calls out, "do I hear Felina's voice?" 

"Quite right, Miss Misao...how are you?" She remembers the eye quirk...must have gotten worse, for one reason or another.





"Ah! Hello! It's good to meet you again, Felina. Circumstances aside. I am right as the spring rain." She looks around, having not yet broken herself of the habit yet. "Um. Where are you?"

"This way, Miss Misao." Felina directs her with some subtle psychic guidance along with the voice. "Momo is with me, as well."

"Really? That's wonderful!" Misao reaches out to take Felina's hand, misses once, and succeeds the second time. "So what brought you here? And... Momo, where are you?"

Momo holds out the deformed hand. Misao reaches out, but when she finds it, she squeaks. "Eep! What is that? That feels like... I don't know what."

Felina smiles wryly. "Hopefully we can do the 'casual, friendly visit' thing soon. For now, we came about that. After a close encounter with the Malufel, Momo here is taking on physical characteristics of it."

"That's... not good. Momo honey, do you feel sick at all? Muddled? Are you hungry, or oddly not? Tell me." Misao feels along the hand until she feels plain old skin again, and sighs worriedly.

"I just feel anxious. Like I really want out of here right now," Momo answers, "though... I guess I feel pretty normal. Except for this hand, and I can't feel it at all."

Misao nods, listening quietly, and enacting her spell upon the hand the entire time to no apparent effect.

"Your body doesn't see it as a blight. But your cells are changing, it's... incredible! Felina, take your claw and cut her palm here."

Momo blinks. "Misao. If this hurts, I'm going to slap you with this hand."

Felina nods, and does as directed, cleanly as possible. Her claws are fairly sharp...maybe a bit less than the razor edge they usually have just from hard use the last day or so. She's quiet, evaluating Momo's energy.

Momo grimaces out of instinct, but is surprised when the skin splits cleanly without a hint of pain. She watches, wonderiing, as the wound seeps with water and the edges begin to visibly knit themselves together. Water energy is heavy around the around, tinged by the empty sort of signature that belongs to the Malufel.

Felina remains quiet...tries to place where all this is relative to Momo's own energy. Mostly, looking for a way to safely separate it.

Momo's normal signature is all over her body, just as usual, save for the hand. The foreign signatures are entwined tightly together, inseparable, like effeminate cowboys. Though its subtle, those energies are moving up Momo's arm as well, converting the signature as they go.

"Felina, cut off her forearm," Misao abruptly suggests.


Momo squeaks. "Hey now, that's my trigger hand...!"

Felina pauses a bare moment. "No...she's right, Momo. I can restore it, I promise." Hand goes to the hilt of her sword. "Look away. It won't hurt."

Momo shakes her head. "No way! Are you nuts?" She steps away from them, looking at the both of them as if they've lost their minds.

Felina's face doesn't change, though her eyes hold a little bit of sympathy. "Momo...I can restore your hand and arm. Hell, I'll do it today. But time is of the essence here. It's spreading, and will keep changing you. We can separate part of your arm from you. If it gets into your chest, this will get a whole hell of lot more complicated. Please."

Momo cringes, but holds out her arm. What's an arm? She's alrady short an eye. "Hold my hand, Misao."

The unnaturally blind healer bites her lip, and after a moment of fumbling, clasps the hardening fingers of Momo's hand.

"All right, Felina," Momo sighs softly, closing her eyes. "Do it."

Felina smiles a moment...puts a hand on Momo's shoulder reassuringly for a moment. She draws the sword as quietly as possible...raises it and aims carefully. Not based on the way the arm looks. Her eyes are slightly unfocussed. Is that a thread of energy tracing into the elbow? Looks more closely. Yes...just a thread, but it's enough. There can be no remnant for this type of energy. Guards the area against any pain, and...


The sword snaps down, no skill spared. The arm comes off stunningly cleanly. Felina lets out her breath even as her hand snaps down to grasp the stump, burning with a healing spell. A temporary layer of skin over the wound will be fine, she can remove it before restoring the arm.

Misao turns immediately with Momo's arm, hiding it from the child's eye, and begins to work sealing spells upon it. As many and as powerful as she knows.

Momo, for her part, takes it very well. Her lip trembles a bit, but whatever she's feeling, she's doing a damn good job of keeping it hidden. It helps that the process had been relatively painless. 

Felina wipes her sword clean, sheaths it, and then returns her hand to Momo's shoulder. "You did good, Momo. You okay?" she inquires softly.

"Felina. I just lost my arm. I don't think okay covers this." She grumbles quietly for a moment, gazing forlornly at the stub. "I'm sorry. I'm just... I dunno."

"No, it's okay." Felina nods. "As soon as it seems positive that all traces of that energy are gone, I'll restore your natural arm, okay?"

"Okay," Momo nods, feeling uninclined to argue. Sighing quietly, she returns to watching Misao work on the arm, though she does make a point to lean against Felina. 

Misao, on the other hand, isn't quite so at peace with the situation. "It's dispelling the sealing spells on its own, Felina. And regenerating." Not just the cut, either. It almost seems as if the amputated appendage is trying to grow a new body.

Felina becomes serious at that. "It's trying to grow another Malufel. Beautiful. But...I wonder if the second would still have the same programming? Without the creator guiding it?" She stands up, careful that she doesnt' tip Momo over in the process.

"It's hard to tell. But I can't stop it, and... I think we should destroy it. Quickly." Misao holds up the arm, which is now n arm and a shoulder... the separation had apparently forced the cells to work more quickly.

Felina nods, reaches forward and takes the arm. Lets out a slow breath, evaluating the energy, then holds out her hands, arm suspended between. She mentally cycles through everything she's ever learned that might be applicable...finally settles on a certain spell by a large margin. Her palms glow softly, the only physical glimpse of the tremdous surge of destructive, chaos-based energy just barely contained between her hands. Really, it's more Moorn-ish than Felina-ish.

The arm distorts and bubbles up, the darkening flesh straining against the force of Felina's spell, but holding together for the most part. 

Out of nowhere, a shriek of pain rises up from Momo's lips. She moves away from Felina, flailing what's left of her own arm, her hand swiping at a forearm that she no longer has. The she is acting, it's as if she can still feel the arm.

Felina's not visibly startled...comes damned close, though. Spell cuts off immediately. She closes her eyes. "Oh...shit." Opens them again. "Momo?" Sits on her feet in front of the girl, employing heavy calming and pain-blocking spells. "You okay?"

Momo isn't even close to lucid. She had never experienced such pain in her entire life... had it been her real arm, the pain would have been brief as it was destroyed. But this... just stayed, suffering. All these thoughts are swirling in her mind, though she can't will herself to speak.

Through all of this, the arm begins to move towards Momo. Misao grabs for it, but it is far too strong for her to hold.

Felina bares her fangs lightly, and grabs for it herself.

Felina's strength is enough to slow the arm, but it strains mightily against her. Momo sits up, a glazed look on her grim face. 

"Give it to me," she murmurs, expressionless.

"Momo. I don't know that that's a good idea. It's your very mind that might be in jeopardy, here." Felina's feet are quite planted, and the words are strained.

"Give it to me," she repeats. "Give it to me."

By now, people have gathered around them, and are watching the strange spectacle of a Serinian pulling on a disembodied arm. Eleris emerges from the group and, deciding not to waste time with questions, lifts up his hunting spear and jams it down towards the arm.

Felina really can't spare a hand. But she does, strengthening her telekinetic hold on the arm as much as she can. It's...slippery, to psionics, for lack of a better word. Her fingers snap shut around the shaft of the spear, just above the head, stopping it dead. Her fangs are still visible somewhat, ears back, but not at Eleris. She puts the fangs away a little. "It's...gotten complicated. It's linked to Momo."

Eleris blinks, but he's no fool. He understands perfectly. "Well," he reaches down, snags the arm, and begins to pull against it with all of his considerable strength.  With both of them pulling, the arms forward motion ceases. "Now what...?"

Momo takes a step towards the arm, eyes completely lifeless. "Threat, threat, threat, threat...."

"Thanks. And that is a superb question," Felina sighs. "What threat, Momo?"

Misao stands up, head tilted one way. "Felina, Eleris, get away from that!"

"Threat, threat..."

Six dark circles show through Momo's shirt, as a black oil begins to seep through the material. 

Eleris just stares. "What in the name of all that's holy..."

"Threat, threat..."

Felina has about the same reaction as Eleris...until a sudden sense of danger screeches the same warning Misao had. "Eleris, off!" Felina drops it with one hand suddenly, legs bunching an instant before pitching her into the half-troll, trying to get him aside.

Eleris, unprepared to be tackled, goes over like a fallen tree, just about the time that the circles upon Momo's chest shoot out in a stream of tendril-ish black goo that misses them by a few inches. The tendrils droop, as if unformed, but begin to envelope the arm nonetheless.

Felina grits her teeth. She'd actually been ready to go flying and ends up on her feet plus a hand, teeth gritted. The other hand flies out and wraps Momo...the creature...in the most powerful binding spell she knows, trying to drag the arm back telekinetically as she does though that lacks the strength of before. Crystal flashes, just barely and just a test...she needs to know if she can manipulate the Barrier here, the circumstances are cetainly dangerous enough to merit trying.

An interesting thing happens, right about then. A loud crackle only just precedes a burst of concussive force right in the center of them that sounds like a thunderclap. Misao and a few onlookers are thrown away from the blast like rag dolls in a tornado, while Eleries, who had been on the ground, is only shoved a little ways. Momo is tossed to the ground as well, and when she sits up, it's plain that her nose and jaw are broken. 

"Threat."

Felina had managed to go straight back in the wall, as she hadn't been far from it anyway, and rubs the back of her head. Sometimes being a lightweight sucks. She narrows her eyes. "Momo. can you hear me at all?"

Momo looks at her. "...help me... it hurts... threat... threat..."

The arm continues its crawl towards Momo, unperturbed by the reaction of Dothaven's skewed Barrier.

It's enough for Felina. She takes a deep breath...just a moment to make a hard decision, and then jumps to her feet, flinging a psionic attack at Momo. It's designed specifically to stun her mind into a temporary stasis for a minute or two.

The attack hits Momo and does exactly that. The girl sits still as a stone, quiet, drooling a little, while the arm continues crawling. It's quite close now, thick fingers rubbing over the girl's boots.

Now that she's not awake to feel the pain...Felina's ears flatten and a powerful, nearly full-power burst of telekinesis finally sends the arm jerking back, about a foot away from Momo, just before a truly brutal destruction spell encompasses it. A small part of the Guardian's attention is on Momo...ready to support her life energy if necessary.

The arm doesn't react at first. It strains as before, but this time bits of it begin to lift away and disintegrate. It flails, but trapped within such a spell its strength proves insufficient. Within a moment, it is gone.


Momo lies perfectly still where she had been sitting, breathing shallow breaths. The six circles still pulse upon her chest.

Felina lets out her breath, hurries to Momo's side. Psionic seals form over the six points...whatever good they'll do, hopefully enough. "Momo?" Puts a hand on her forehead, even as she psychically evaluates this strange intrusion.

The intrusion is pure chaos. The only constant in its signature is the sort of traceless ghost that is the Malufel's signature, and it grows stronger by the moment within Momo's bloodstream.

Momo isn't answering.

"Felina. What now?" Eleris moves to stand close, ready to lend a hand however he can.  "I wish Vargameir was here. She knows the dark arts well enough."

Heh...so does Radivishe Moorn. It makes her sick to think, but...going to him for help would have been one of her first considerations. Admittedly, to the death of her pride. "I'm...really not sure. My first instinct is to go for help...but that isn't an option here, at least not with how fast this blight seems to be taking effect." Felina bites her lip. "Whatever this is, it seems to be interested in her body...her mind is being suppressed and overpowered, not controlled. It's an important distinction. Removing Momo from her body and either suspending her in the astral plane or in a willing host body until I can create a new one may turn into a very real consideration in the next few minutes."

"Hey," Misao calls from the ground about ten yards away, "what about your brother...? Can he hear you?" She's sitting, and looks to be okay save for a thoroughly busted lip.

"Maybe...I don't know, though."

"It's worth a try," Eleris agrees, looking down at the broken Momo. 

(ooc: Yeah, she can communicate to him.)

Felina lets out her breath...nods a little. Looks down at Momo. "Right...I'll be as brief as possible. Keep an eye on her, Eleris...for a number of important reasons?"

"Of course." Eleris looms over Momo, watching her closely, and wondering just what such a young person had done so wrong to deserve all of this.

Felina smiles, wryly. "Well, note the eye. She tends to attract trouble." She lets out her breath as she folds her legs into a distinctly feline meditative position eyes falling shut for several progressively long stretches of seconds. Getting her voice out of Dothaven is a bit of a trick to figure out...but she does before long, finally approaching her brother. "Saea?"

He opens his eyes sleepily after a few moments with that dazed, confused look of someone just-about-asleep before finally yawning and looking at his sister. "Nightshadow? Are you all right?"

"Yes and no..." Felina quickly, wordlessly relates everything that's happened.

Saea is quite solidly sitting up by the time she's done. "Actually, her mind is in immediate peril. This...'blight'...can most probably make use of her body without it, however, it can and will also alter it to suit its needs. How reparable that will be is hard to predict. At that rate of spread...sister, are you familiar with a spell called 'Seharia'?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Insali preservation?"

"No."

"Any of the third plane-class spells of expulsion?"

She brightens just a little through seriousness. "Some, yes."

"Class four or better?"

Felina couldn't possibly feel more like a retarded child...shakes her head mentally.

Saea takes a moment to extend empathetic comfort and note that it's really fine, he would have been surpised if she had. "Still, sister...without those at your disposal...well...do you suppose that I could come and..."

"No. Getting out is too dangerous."

"I could, sister, with your help. I am capable of protecting myself to a degree."

"I know...I'm sorry, Saea, I'm tense. I would prefer you don't, though. If only to help pull us out of here." Sound logic. An excuse. But sound logic.

Saea nods after a moment. "All right. I will give you spells to try to temporarily suppress the changes, possibly to reverse them, and also a few reversal possibilities to adapt. However, without access to the first spells that I named, Nightshade, you had best remove Momo from the danger."

Remove the mind. Create a construct for her body. Felina lets out a slow, ephemeral breath. "Okay...thanks, Saea. I'll be in touch."

He nods and, a mental embrace later, Felina's eyes flutter open in Dothaven. "Okay. Due to my own incompetence, I only have one or two things to try...then the option is removing Momo's mind from its current, dangerous location."

"Then let's not wait around, Felina." Eleris is having quite a time holding down Momo, at this point, who is awake and flailing away with a strength that is definitely not her own. Her shirt is soaked with black oil, as well.

Felina's on her feet as soon as she's oriented enough, nodding and taking a knee near Momo's head. She sets her clawed fingers against either of the girl's temples and closes her eyes...the spell she's trying to weave is trying to suppress or at least slow whatever this thing spreading inside the human is. "Reverse" is a possibility, but...there seems to be too much power involved in this case.

The blight spreading within Momo is twofold. The physical signs are fairly obvious, while the supernatural signs manifest themselves in the form of the warping of Momo's energy signature, bending it, infecting it, and gradually changing it. Momo is quiet, the pained tears running down her cheeks staining them in black. Eleris, for his part, looks as if he might be physically ill.

The good news in all of this is, Felina's spell is certainly impeding the infection's progress.

Felina opens her eyes after a moment. "That should at least slow it down." Glances to Eleris, putting a hand on Momo's forehead and dulling her pain as she does. "You okay? I can probably do this alone."

"I am fine. I am. Just do whatever it is you're doing." Eleris nods, though he still looks a little pale. "Her strength is unreal, Felina. Are you certain that she's human?"

As if on cue, Momo's entire lower torso jerks in one mighty spasm. The force behind it is enough to kick Eleris squarely off of her as her back arches up.


"I'm certain she was, anyway." A powerful binding spell flares out in several bands and then snaps down around Momo's body, trying to hold it down. Felina's hand and the numbing spell stay put.


Momo is held, but the strain is incredible. Her muscles never relax, despite Felina's spell, though she isn't crying anymore. 

"Felina, we need to put her out," a concerned Misao offers, having finally gotten herself together. "She'll break her back or her neck if her muscles don't relax."

Felina nods. "Have anything useful for that, or should I do it?"

Misao nods, and creeps over to Momo. She produces a cloth from within her bag, as well as a vial of clear liquid. The liquid she empties upon the cloth, which she proceeds to press against the girls mouth and nose. Within moments, Momo's eyes roll back in her head, and she relaxes.

"It is a bad dream," the healer murmurs. "Her body is being ruined, Felina."

Felina nods. "That reversal was really one of the only ones I know strong enough...we may ask Miss Mi'ehna if she has any suggestions, but it may end up best to simply remove Momo from this body and forge her another. According to my brother, her mind is in very real danger."

"Then let's take her and be quick about it," Misao nods.


"She is probably still at home. I didn't see her come outside," Eleris reports, looking that way. Momo shivers in her sleep. Abruptly moves as if to sit up, but of course, is held by Felina's spell. Misao sets her hands upon the girl, her spell warm against her palms, but before it casts, the healer sucks in a gasping breath.

Momo's heart has stopped.

Felina narrows her eyes...takes a few moments to figure out Misao's reaction. "She's not dead. The blight's progressing." Looks to Eleris. "I don't want to remove the bindings. Bring Mi'ehna here."

Eleris doesn't wait to say yes. Just goes. 

"What are we going to do? Blight or not, if her heart isn't beating she's dead. Her brain needs oxygen. Her muscles, her lungs..." Misao is starting to babble. 

Momo's eye opens, staring vacantly upwards. Totally blank, empty... nothing. 

Felina examines Momo quietly...struggling hard to strength that original "suppress and reverse" spell with a very good measure of power. Looks for whether Momo is really dying...and whether her body is.

Momo's energy signature is bright and vibrant, though throroughly infected by now. Her body lies in a state that is closer to catatonic than dead, but certainly, she is not alive.

"Felina, I am here," Mi'ehna's voice calls just as she skids to a halt, nearly tumbling in her haste. "What is wrong?"

"Well, I was going to ask if you could give me any information on certain aspects of this..." the serinian notes as she drops to her knees in front of Momo's head, putting hands to her temples fast. She slows down just enough to look at Mi'ehna. "Now I'll ask that you keep a guard on my mind while I try to remove hers from this body."

"I will do my best." Mi sits next to her, calm, complacent beyond reason. "Be careful, though. I do not know if the blight can spread."

Felina smiles, the expression serious. "With any luck, that's where you come in." That said, her eyes start to roll back before falling shut entirely. She searches out Momo's mind quickly...looks for taints much more carefully. She'd thought that the blight would only be interested in her body, but, according to her brother...the mind may be damaged, albeit probably only after longer exposure.

It probably doesn't happen all that often, but Saea could not have been more wrong. Momo's mind is practically teeming with infection, all over the surface of it though the alteration does not yet run deep. The old energy signature is still there, but faint, as it is almost completely surrounded.

Felina's ephemeral eyes widen at all this...her "hands" glow a vivid white after a few moments--which manifests on her physical body, the slightest bit--and she takes hold of part of the infection, trying with this potent psychic-healing spell to restore this part to normal.

The reaction is swift and unambiguous. The infection takes on the same glow, turning Felina's spell back against her just as she had cast it.


Gyee! That was entirely too unexpected for its own good...the hand that had grabbed simply disintigrates before she can react...it's not entirely unlike the wound she'd suffered from Moren Aiga's trawlers, though without the physical damage. Felina retreats a little, teeth gritted and catching her composure...glancing over her hand and turning her attention back to the infection as best she can. Okay...NOW I'm pissed. There's got to be some way through.

You have got to be kidding me. Can I not turn a corner without your furry face being inserted into my business?

The voice is far away, but to Felina, should sound awfully familiar. Unpleasantly so.

Felina jumps, but only a little. Eyes narrow. I could ask you the same question. Or did you not know that I've had this kid under my wing for the last year and a half? I guess this explain why this blight isn't spreading like my brother predicted it would.

Please. As if I would interfere in nature. I just happen to take a great deal of amusement in the perfect warping of a person's mind and body, especially some do-gooder child, and was enjoying myself until you decided to bother the progression. Get out of her mind this instant.

Felina's quietly evaluating the infection again...and taking it far more seriously now, looking for a way to get Momo safely away from it. Not even to reverse it...just separate it from her. I'm sorry, mother, but I'd really rather not.

Suit yourself. I might enjoy watching your body be torn inside out when it takes you over, too.

For all purposes, the infection seems perfectly ironclad... just like the Malufel itself. It is the same sort of energy pattern down to the last detail.

Felina doesn't think Moorn will interfere yet...hopes not, anyway. So she ignores his last statement and examines the infection. Tries one more thing...a pale, gentle glow moves over the whole mind, though in reality, it's quite potent.

It's an interesting effect, but the infection reacts in exactly the way it had a moment before... by turning the spell back against her in exactly the same manner it was cast.

Felina's ready for it this time, though...re-absorbs it without too much difficulty. She bares her fangs in frustration and, without further word to a certain eavsdropping sorcerer, retreats back to her own body.

Her eyes flutter open. She looks to Mi'ehna and tries to ignore the absolutely seering pain in her metaphysically damaged hand. "Do you know of anything that can damage the Malufel other than the weapons in the air temple? Have any literature on it." Actually, it hurts a lot. She's fighting to keep her face steady.

Mi'ehna, who had heard Moorn's voice and is not at all surprised that Felina had come out hurt (though she is wrong as to why), just closes her eyes. Her hand shoots out, snagging Felina's, her ever-hungry mind draining off the reversed spell that is hurting the Serinian. Her face flushes with pain, but only for a moment before returning to normal.

"No," she whispers, in a half-sob, "no. Nothing."

Felina's eyes narrow a little at that. "That was...impressive, thank you. Are you all right?"

"I will be sooner than you would have," Mi'ehna answers, calmly enough. "I do not think that she can be saved, Felina. Her body is changing even as we speak."

Mostly, right now, it is simply covered in that strange black oil.

Felina's eyes glance over to Momo. "That's never a satisfactory answer. For now, separate her as much as possible from other people...whatever guiding hand designed the Malufel may or may not be at work here, and whether she'll have the same restraint is very difficult to say. I'm going back to the air temple."

"Be swift, and safe." Mi'ehna reaches down and scoops Momo up, carrying her towards the rivermouth where one of the storage buildings stands. THey should be safe inside there."

Felina nods, and this time takes off for the Dothaven Temples at a true sprint.

---

Felina's only had a little chance to catch her breath as she appears in the town square, more ready for the brand of teleportation this time through, so she sets off for where she senses Mi'ehna and Momo at only a fast walk. She's goign to need her strength for what's to come. Her mind runs through the time spells again and again, making sure she has them committed to memory.

It's oddly quiet outside of the food storage building, but a swirling pink glow leaks out of every corner of it. Psychic energy of unnatural power radiates from within, along with an occasionally broadcast telepathic signal. The message is strikingly clear.

Stay away. Everyone, stay away.

Felina stiffens, quickens to a jog. Her too? She doesn't want to interrupt something vital...but she's going in without deterrent. She makes a low-level telepathic query, wordless, about what's going on as she runs. Mi'ehna should be able to respond without distracting herself much.

Mi'ehna stands against the far wall, pressed against it as if trying to escape something, but at the same time perfectly motionless. In the center of the empty storeroom there is... a blobbish lump that still feels like Momo.

"I am holding her mind at bay. Felina, is that you? It is fighting me so hard... I cannot spare the energy to open my eyes."

"Hang on. I'm coming." Felina sucks in her breath and phases right through the wall, not taking the time to use the door. "Mi'ehna, you're tired. Leave." She draws her sword as she speaks.

"I cannot move, Felina. My body will not respond while... so much of my strength is tied up in the spell... just do whatever it is you are going to do, and hurry."

The truth, however should be obvious to Felina. In fighting back against Mi'ehna's telepathy, the blight has already begun to attack her body. Energies not far removed from simple paralysis spells flow readily between the two of them.

Felina's ears press back. This is getting serious. She mutters something under her breath and a spell circle begins tracing around the outskirts of the room. At the same time, an exact replica of the time distortion spells she'd learned earlier wraps itself into Culheru's blade. Even as it finishes fusing, she sprints forward, springing into the air and swinging the sword into a wide slash at the thing that's encompassed Momo.

The reaction is immediate and dramatic. A squeal like glass rasping against glass rips through the air as the blackness sprays outward in a mist of stinking, boiling hot goop. Momo's figure lies beneath but that's about it... featureless, motionless, little more than a husk.

Mi'ehna, freed of the blight's influence, slides down against the wall and just concentrates on breathing.

Felina knows better than to relax, and shields laced with the faintest thread of the time magic surround she and Mi'ehna...and encompasses Momo as well. It's far too difficult a spell for her to inline more, especially with some concentration on a spell circle that's still writing itself.

The serinian is very on-guard as she drops to a knee beside Momo--or what's left of her--psychic sense springing outwards in search of the girl's mind.

Momo's mind is still there, in some corner of the retreating sludge. The body is empty, destroyed... although, the oil is returning to it, slowly flowing along the floor and pouring back into the husk.

Felina's ears press farther back...the spell circle picks up speed and begins to build power. She makes the risky decision to put too much trust in her shield and turn all her attention to Momo. A gentle hand on the forehead banishes any possibility of pain. Felina's sword rises...stays a moment, uncharacteristically hesitant. But then the sword snaps down into Momo's lower abdomen, still laced with the time spell, and left there. It will take probably twenty minutes to die from that. She closes her eyes...this time her hands, or the astral part of them, are laced with her new magic as she tries to pull Momo's mind safely from the doomed body.

For all purposes, the trick seems to be working. At some point a surge of psychic energy adds itself to Felina's shield, as a finally lucid Mi'ehna throws herself into the effort. The oil continues to pour into the husk, though it is turned harshly back by the sword at the same time, creating a strange dance of advance and retreat.

Felina doesn't allow herself to relax when she's finally separated Momo's mind from all taints she can sense. It's in a state of stasis, of course...she puts it into an invisible, wholly psionic orb for now. "Mi'ehna. Get the door open and get out. I'll follow." She places her hand on the hilt of hte sword.

Mi'ehna gets to her feet, but languidly, as her head and limbs are unsupported. Her eyes are glazed over as well, but when she looks to the wooden door the entire thing simply tears away from its hinges. She walks through it, still in a zombie-like state while her mind is busy holding shields.

Well. That works. Felina closes her eyes a few moments. The last line of the spell circle is just about to complete itself. She jerks Culheru from the body and springs backward, pivots midair, and hits the ground facing the door, taking loping strides towards it.

The oil consumes the body again, soaks into it, and... nothing. Nothing happens. It neither returns to the surface, nor does it animate the husk... there is simply no reaction.

Felina doesn't take any chances. The spell circle completes, and a powerful binding spell springs around the oil-blight, essentially suspending it in a just-created subdimension though visible from this one. She finally lets herself breath as she watches for what happens next.

Absolutely nothing. "I see now, Felina. It is almost as if the blight required Momo's mind and soul to function." Mi'ehna nods, rubbing her head to ease the brain-fry from the effort. "A body without a mind or soul is only meat."

Felina nods. "Hopefully it can and will starve." Looks that way. "It shouldn't be able to seek out another host in that manner of confines, I hope." Back to Mi'ehna. "Are you okay?" She puts a hand on the other woman's shoulder. A supportive gesture, yes, but also concentrated with supportive, refreshing energy. If she's right about how the other psychic works, it should be be absorbed easily. "You okay?"

Mi'ehna nods, quite appreciative of the gesture. "I have not yet acclimated myself to the full extent of your powers, Felina. It is something of an overload, which I suppose would explain why you seem to be using so little of it."

"Most of it's blocked off. Distorted and hidden," Felina admits. "I've always been taught to consider exact power level dangerous, sensitive information, and I treat it as such. Anyway..." she glances back to the binding. "This is probably a good time to rest and think...I need to create a new body for Momo, but that will have to wait until my energy's more restored. I'm at least somewhat confident that the threat's contained." She looks around at the inevitable stares of hesitantly-gathering people.

"Move quickly, and you will not have to deal with a crowd. My warning did a fair job, I think." Of course, there are a few stragglers coming out, but the first several turn away when a steadfast Eleris drags one off over his shoulder.

Felina smirks a little at Eleris, then looks back to Mi'ehna. "A great notion, yes. Where's the best place for me to sleep awhile?"

Mi shrugs. "Wherever you would like. I have a hammock and cot in my own home, but you could sleep outside if you preferred. There is a whole forest here, and little in the way of dangerous animals."

"Mm..." Felina considers this quietly a few moments. "I think I would prefer the cot, Miss Mi'ehna, if it is no inconvenience."

"None. You know where my house is, so go, and let me talk to Eleris..."

Mi'ehna has only just gotten the words out when the thumping begins. Her head whips around to the 'line' corridor, and she squeaks to see the Malufel crossing it, bellowing in perfect fury.

Felina's heart leaps to her throat...she considers her options, before the time spell fades totally from her sword, so it's not perceieved as a threat. Hopefully not the wrong choice. Her feet spread to a defensive posture, crouched just slightly in a way that marks her as feline.

When the monster notices the spell, its heat sensors pop open and its bellowing lowers, rumbling the floor. People who hadn't been scared away by Eleris are fleeing now, wisely enough. 

The monster heads purposefully towards the storage building, snuffling with its sensors.

"Felina. It is searching for something," Mi'ehna observes, slowly backing away from the approaching creature. "Could it be looking for Momo?"

"Possibly...or maybe it senses the presence of that beginning of another Malufel?" Every muscle in her body is tense.

The death dancer, also quite tense, is suddenly on the outskirts of the scene, watching the Malufel intently.

Mi'ehna tenses at a sudden surge of perfectly violent intent.

The beast charges, loping straight for Felina.

Hoshit. Felina springs straight up into the air...the natural jump takes her about twenty feet, a telekinetic lift gives her another ten. She ends up crouching on a solid, invisible platform of psionic energy, a lower-energy alternative to true levitation she developed when she was young. "Heh. I don't suppose we can talk about this?" She searches its surface "thoughts," trying to figure out what her offense is.

Its mind is blank. Perfectly, totally empty, only characterized by the pure instinct to hunt.

"Felina, get out of here!" Mi'ehna, with no other resources, chucks a rock at the Malufel to get its attention. "Hey! Beast!'

The monster turns to Mi'ehna, its flaps closing again, and then promptly ignores her. With a powerful spring of its mighty legs the beast leaps upwards, intent upon catching Felina.

Yeee.... Felina leaps backwards off of the platform, cutting power to the it just before the Malufel shatters it, landing perhaps fifty feet away. "Um...what exactly am I doing to piss it off...?" She's holding Momo's disembodied mind. And...shit. She'd opened a trans-dimensional binding that's linked empirically to her. Of course, now the Malufel is between her and the storage facility...

The beast bellows again, throwing its arms back, and the force of the cry is so great that Mi'ehna has to cover her ears to keep from screaming. 

"Felina, run," Mi shouts once the cry is finished. "I will hold it off." She takes off at a dead run, obviously intent on rushing the monster herself. 

Felina bares her fangs. Mi'ehna may hate her for this, but she forcefully grabs the other psychic and shoves her off to the side. "Don't make this more complicated than it is, please! We don't need you hurt again today!"

The serinian relies entirely on her speed and another fairly high, telekinetic-aided jump to put her back on top of the storage shed. She places both palms on the roof, closes her eyes. Alright...it's not quite as safe, but...one of the strongest binding spells she knows whirrs to life around the ooze, just before the gate to the other dimension is destroyed entirely. Her eyes dart to the Malufel for reaction.

The beast pauses, its sensors open again. It can sense Momo and it's own 'offspring' in separate places and is obviously confused. It stands more or less still, pondering, but still gurgling in a threatening way.

Felina decides to take a risk at this point. She's ready to leap away, but...jumps to the ground, not far in front of the Malufel. "I'm not trying to leave through there. It doesn't even really lead away. I'm just trying to protect the people here. That..." she points towards the well-sealed shed... "is a substance like you're made of. It tried to take over Momo. It took her body, but I saved her mind, so now it feels like they're in two places. Everyone's still here." She looks up at the Malufel, face fearless, about thirty feet away. "Do you understand?"

The monster lowers, shifting its weight. The ghastly mouth in its torso opens, bathing the entire area in light.

"G...i...v...e D...a...u...g...h...t...e...r..."

Felina stiffens. Hadone almost has a stroke.

The serinian narrows her eyes. Glances to the shed. She takes the invisible, intangible orb with Momo's mind and protects it with extreme care, and talks over to the storage hut. She takes a deep breath, and heads inside, senses peeled over the oil-substance.

The matter is still there. It exists, but little more than that. The Malufel clomps after Felina, not running, as if wanting to judge the proceedings. It's muscles are still tense, though.

Felina could not be more careful in her approach to this stuff. She gathers it up telekinetically, including Momo's body, heavy shielding involved to keep it from bridging the energy connection. She turns back to the Malufel, the stuff suspended about four feet in front of her. "Here. This is what you want, right?"

The beast, without a word or thought, holds out its tremendous paw for the articles. 

Felina sets them in its paw, though keeping shields around the vacinity for the protection of others.

A slight grumble answers Felina. The beast turns, and heads calmly for its lair beyond the line. No one, not even Mi'ehna, offers to stand in its way.

Mi'ehna, for her part, simply sits where Felina had thrown her, gazing at the ground.

Felina lets out her breath. Walks over to Mi'ehna. "I'm sorry about that," she says softly. "I didn't want anyone to get hurt, least of all on my behalf." She offers hand up.

"Step away, Felina." Mi'ehna looks at her hand, the violet shining clearly in her eyes. "Do you know what you have done? I told you to flee. Now your friend will be locked in the body of a Malufel for eternity." She gets up on her own, dusting herself off.

"Pardon? I have both Momo's mind and the life essence that tied her to her body with me. That was a husk."

Mi'ehna smacks the side of her head, shakes it. "What? Surely I would have known." She blinks. "I cannot feel her life force on you." Blinks again. "Or yours."

Felina blinks. "I couldn't explain why...my cloaks are only marginally stronger than usual. Do you sense any other energies involved?"

Mi'ehna blinks. "No. Wait." She rubs her temples, as the last of her brain fry begins to fade.  "I feel... something. The monster. I can only now feel its--" she blinks. Eyes widen. To anyone with even the slightest amount of empathic tendencies, it should be painfully obvious what is going on here. Mi'ehna's mind goes from clear to overflowing with the Malufel's power, shoving aside all else to make room for a force so massive that it cannot be contained. She understands, though... while her mind had been recovering from the initial shielding/brainfry, it had been shut away from outside signatures. Here, in the town and beyond the line, the Malufel's full power had exposed itself to her conduit of a mind, and now she is paying the price for it. The pain in her head is unreal, and she can't help but broadcast a tiny bit of it to all those around her.

Felina stiffens. But then gets it. Similar, though not identical, things have certainly happened to her in the past...and she knows how her father had dealt then. She's by Mi'ehna's side quickly. Puts hands on either of the other psychic's temples. "Shhh..." she vocalizes softly as she drains energy away from the Daiko-ma-rei's mind. It's interesting...she's never used the spell in a non-malicious way before. "Come on. Let's get you home, and you can sleep that off, hey?" she offers quietly. Her voice is nearly always telepathically doubled to some extent. But it isn't right now, and she's also muting Mi'ehna's senses to an extent.

Mi'ehna nods, but it's pretty clear that while the lights may be on, there's no one home. It might best be compared to sleepwalking... and interestingly, the color has drained from her eyes. The irises are now a dull, crystallne gray, and her hair is slowly fading into a very medium brown.

Felina hasn't seen anything quite like this before...she's extremely concerned to say the least as she helps Mi'ehna up and heads towards the house, evaluating her energies with quiet care.

Well. Isn't that something.

Mi'ehna's lip trembles at the voice filtering through her mind, but otherwise, does not react.

Here I had cursed this girl into Dothaven, and tried dozens of times to end her miserable little life, and as it turns out, all I had to do was wait for you to show up. Bravo, pussy. Bravo.

Felina stiffens, fangs bared just a little. She's already stopped draining energy, unsure of this effect even if it eases pain. Excuses me?

I've been watching her for ages. Gods, how I hate this girl. Wretched little bitch cost me my own life back when I had a natural body instead of this homonculus. But I must say that I am truly delighted by this. Felina Dey'ono shows up, and people die. I think I may just reward you for this. Only, I am not setting foot in that cursed grave. Ah well.

Her fangs are bared fully. He knows exactly how to hit her rawest nerves. Go back to hell.

Certainly. And I'll pay Mi'ehna here a visit while I'm there, maybe introduce her to dear old Telian, eh?

There's a smattering of laughter before any trace of Moorn's presence fades again. Mi'ehna just stares.

Felina's rather lucky she doesn't chip a tooth, for how tightly they're cleched. She concentrates on guiding Mi'ehna to her bed, mortally worried now.

Mi'ehna goes along with pretty much every movement Felina makes, obedient if not awake. Outside, things have calmed back down and some of the people have gathered again, looking around, asking questions of each other. Of all of them, only Eleris approaches Mi'ehna's hut.

"What happened?" he poses the obvious question.

Felina's hands are on Mi'ehna's forehead, carefully and completely evaluating the damage. "She was exposed to the Malufel's full energy," she notes dully after a few moments. "Her body and mind were both flooded with far beyond their capacity to handle."

Eleris ponders this, scratching his head. "Odd. She has met the monster many times in the temple, and has never been hurt by it."

"The temple stunts power, including the Malufel's. Being able to move in theremay be why it has such tremendous energy. This area doesn't constrain so much."

Eleris has absolutely no idea what to do in this situation. And so, he does what any red-blooded man would do in his place. He calls for help.

"Dancer," he calls out into the village area. "Come here!"

The death dancer had been cautiously examining the food storage area, but wastes no time in getting to Mi'ehna's hut at Eleris's voice.

"Would you give Mi'ehna a look? Felina said some things that I did not quite understand, but Mi'ehna is abed regardless." Eleris moves out of Hadone's way without hesitation, his eyes registering the concern he feels.

Felina restates dully and detachedly, mind quite entertwined with Mi'ehna's. "Mi'ehna's body absorbs power. She was exposed to the Malufel's full power. It fried her body and mind alike." She very carefully looks at the nature of the damage even as her lips flap and something like sound comes out.

The death dancer blinks...shakes her head a little. She's here to help if necessary, but...this is out of her league.

Mi'ehna's life force, soul, signature, and so forth are still within her body. However, what had been vibrant before is dull and unresponsive... in much the same way a person's body reacts from being thrown about by a much larger person, her mind is basically unconscious. Physically, nothing is wrong with her.

"Okay...ammend that. The damage is just to her mind and spirit. Body's fine." Felina's eyes focus, and she looks up to Eleris and Hadone. "I'm going to try something...my body will be quite prone, though. Don't worry about a severe drop in body temperature and metabolic function, it won't kill me. She pauses to think a moment, though. Takes the orb with Momo's mind and life force. I'm not sure what to do with Momo here, though...not until I can create a new body for her.

The death dancer blinks a couple of times, then gestures to herself. She's heard of it being done...somewhere.

Felina understands, just because she's a telepath. She pauses at that. "Are you...sure, Dancer? Two minds in a body can be...interesting...to deal with."

The death dancer nods with only a slight hesitation. She is a healer.

Felina nods a little...stands to her towering five feet. "All right...take a seat. This will only take a moment, then I need to get back to Mi'ehna. Thank you."

Hadone does as bidden...trying to stop asking herself what she's getting into.

Eleris is a little bit on the confused side, but this is nothing new. "What should I do, Felina? I wish to aid, as well."

Felina smiles at him, however wanly. "My body's going to be prone. Mi'ehna's, too. And there's a chance, however slight, that the Malufel may come looking for Momo and then both her and Hadone will be in very serious danger. Do what you do best and beat some heads as necessary, huh? Use my sword if you need to, I'll reactivate some remnants of a spell that can harm the Malufel...though, I still wouldn't recommend fighting it."

Eleris nods, and places himself at the door. Like hell. If the beast shows up, he won't have much of a choice but to fight. For now, everything looks calm and quiet outside.

Felina lets out a slow breath. This really has to move fast. "Okay, Dancer...this won't hurt. You'll feel nauseous as Momo awakens and tries to acclimate herself into your body, so stay sitting for awhile, but know also that Momo may be able to take control of your body at any time. It depends on which mind is stronger at any given moment. Is this still okay?"

Hadone nods.

Felina nods in return, and raises the invisible orb that's momo's life and mind. She breaths another slow breath and then, quite simply and unceremoniously, sets the orb on the dancer's forehead, and pushes it in. Her energies are guiding it carefully...when she feels it acclimate... "are you okay, dancer?"

Hadone's eyes are a little crossed, but then she rights them, and nods.

Felina returns the nod, again, and carefully awakens Momo's mind...employing calming spells.

...hey... I'm sorry, did I fall asleep? Momo's voice speaks out pretty clearly, but only within Hadone's mind for the moment. I feel funny. Like... there's something on my face. A pause, and an impulse to lift an arm and feel the face. Hey! I have boobs! Who did that?

Hadone pauses, then thinks in words, I had something to do with that. Now please stop groping me.

A tired little smirk crosses Felina's face. It's good to hear Momo's voice...kind of. "Your body was too infected to save, Momo. You're sharing the death dancer's body until I can make you a new one. So...sorry, but they're not yours to keep."

Silence, though the impulse goes away.

Eleris, who is caught up in all this, looks at Hadone. "Momo? Is she in there?"

"What the living hell do you mean you couldn't save my body? Dammit! Felina, don't... you... fuck! Ah!!! That can't be! Where is my body, why the hell did you pick this dimwitted retard for me to stay in goddammit!!!"

The only impulse following this is tears, coupled with Momo's voice whimpering. But heaven knows if Hadone even possesses such things.

She does, and the death dancer doesn't go out of her way to contain Momo despite it being her own seldom-used voice and even rarer tears flowing. She holds her temper.

Felina closes her eyes. "Momo, I tried everything. I'm sorry. There won't be any permanent damage...I have everything I need to completely, truly tie you to an exact duplicate of your old body." A thought hits her. "Besides, when I do, you'll have your eye back."

"Really?" A sniffle. "But where is my real body? And... are we still in Dothaven?" She scratches her head, or the instinct occurs anyway. "I'm sorry I caused so much trouble. Look at me. I'm stuck in the head of someone who doesn't even like me. I'm sorry, Felina."

I like you. You're a brave kid, Hadone notes softly and concisely.

Felina nods. "We're still in Dothaven. Your body is gone, we'll talk about it later. And don't worry about it...it's not your fault." If anything, it's somehow mine. She puts a hand on "Momo's" shoulder for a moment. "Now, I have to attend to Mi'ehna. We'll talk later."

"Okay," Momo agrees. She looks over at Eleris, or tries to, anyway. "Thanks... Hadone. I'll put in a good word for you with Muscles over there when I get my body back."

Hadone's face reddens under the mask...which of course Momo can feel too. She does note, though, as Felina sits down, that she doesn't expect Momo to adhere to the same vows of silence she does, it wouldn't be fair.

"Glad we agree on that. I'll try not swear so much through your mouth, even, as a favor to you." Momo is feeling really spaced out at the moment, oddly detached... which is pretty accurate actually. "Did anyone think to save my gun?"

"I dont' know where it is, Momo..." Felina notes absently as her consciousness sinks further from this plane. "Wasn't my priority. You may check the food storage shed..." and her voice trails off.

Momo's quiet for a moment. "F... erm. Darn. I liked that gun. So... what do we do now, Hadone? Felina looks busy, and studly over there is busy... thoughts? Oh! I could tell you what Felina and I learned in the other temples."

And she does, without waiting to be told. In fairness, she shouldn't have to verbalize, but parts of it she does anyway.

As Momo chats away to her thoroughly captive audience, Felina slumps over the side of Mi'ehna's bed, pulse dropping as she'd predicted, though the fingers of one hand remain on the other psychic's forehead. Come on, Mi'ehna...work with me.

The damage is severe...many energy threads hang in shreds, some vital. There's no quick way to repair this for a psychic of Felina's caliber...so she sets to fixing them one by one, meticulously and as quickly as possible, sealing each with a boost of her own energy, which is quite brimming considering what she'd drained from Mi'ehna.

That's just as well. She'll need all she can get.

An hour later, she hasn't moved, and Hadone is still listening to Momo...slightly quicker to put in her own thoughts by now.

"... and that is where One Marble Seth got his name. Say... do you suppose that we can help Felina? This is taking a while, and I'm worried."

Mi'ehna's eyes still stare blankly upward, drained of their color. Although, Felina's work is going extremely well... it will just take some time for Mi's body to reattach itself to the mind. 

I don't know what we can do but wait, unless she's taught you something of her art, Hadone notes. I am sure that she is fine. She is still breathing.

"Yeah. It's sad though. It's she's there, but she's not." Momo looks around through Hadone's eyes, honestly, beginning to get bored. She feels strangely hyper. "Hadone, do you ever get bored?"

Sometimes. It's part of the job. Those whose company I enjoy most often are less than energetic.

"I'm bored. I'm worried, and it's making me fidget. In my old home, I would make a bomb and then take it apart. But I can't do that here, because I might blow you up." Momo reaches up, resting Hadone's cheek in Hadone's hand. "That'll take some getting used to."

The mask? I suppose it would. Would you like to go for a walk while your friend works?

"Please? That would be great, if you didn't mind."

Are you walking, or shall I?

"You'd better. I might be tempted to do funny things." Momo snickers. She does have an idea, but isn't voicing it in any form.

Hadone nods, though from Momo's view, it's rather strange when your own head nods in response to you, and stands. Walks towards Eleris and the door.

"Now, don't tell me later that you didn't want to do this too." As they pass, Momo lifts Hadone's hand and gives the massive Eleris a firm whack on the ass. "Run!"

Eleris jumps half out of his boots. He'd been dozing.

Hadone smacks her mask in the forehead, eyes squeezed shut. She...don't even try to explain that one. Just keep walking, face burning. You're enjoying the fact that I can't hit you without hitting myself, yes?

"Oh hush you. You liked it. You're still liking it. So, now that I know that you're a girl under all that gloominess, I can really be your friend!"

Hadone smirks a little. It proves that her expression does indeed change under that mask. Nice to meet you, too. So...where are we going? My choice?

"Sure. I don't know where anything is, except for the temples." Momo's bouncing around in Hadone's head, truly hyper, as if she's completely forgotten the whole 'out of body' thing.

Fair enough. I need to get cleaned up...let us go for a swim.

"Just so you're aware, that's gonna be really awkward at first." Momo gives Hadone a subliminal poke. "Try not to be too surprised."

Just remember, they're still mine.

Momo is quiet inside Hadone's head for a bit. "Like I could forget losing my body."

Hey, come on. Your friend said she can recreate it. More whoel than before, no less. She seems a capable type...I'm sure you'll be back in your own skin in no time.

"That's very uplifting, Hadone. I'm sorry. Being in your head is starting to depress me... seeing all the things you've seen and done. I could never do it." 

You could if you grew up with it. I've been around a good deal of death since I was less than half your age, dancers can handle it. Though, I guess this isn't helping the 'depressing' aspect. She runs her fingers over her mask thoughtfully. When people actually speak to me, the subject of the mask usually comes up. Others feel sorry for us. But then, who but a Dancer can understand just how exciting it is to finally receive your mask as a mark of all you have accomplished? It certainly isn't a depressing thing.

"Maybe not, but... oh, I don't know. It's just beyond me, I think. So many faces. So many crying eyes. I never saw that where I used to live."

Where's that?

"Somewhere else. It's gone, forever. So... are we swimming?" There's certainly nothing subtle about Momo's desire to change the subjec,t here.

Certainly, we should be far enough upstream. Hadone doesn't fight the change in the least...just gets to undressing. The mask, of course, is the only that that stays on.

As Hadone and Momo approach the water, Felina breathes a long sigh in Mi'ehna's hut. She thinks...that's repaired. Everything, every thread...she thinks. One last look through, and her mind retreats from Mi'ehna's. The feline falls almost immediately into a deep sleep, head leaning on the edge of the bed.

Momo just quiets herself, wondering if she should feel strange about feeling water against someone else's skin.