When Felina arrives, she's feeling around for Solomon. Her mood's still...in and out, and she's quiet again.

Makyon is with her, of course, but he's not that worried. Felina hadn't broken bad news, so Yoru is probably okay. Still...


"Nice place," he notes. "A healer lives here?"

"He moves around. He actually has a place pretty far out west, but isn't as straight-up antisocial as his ether double, so comes into town often enough."

The place is actually closed, although Hal never locks the door. She just boobytraps the place to hostile visitors. She's actually curled in a circular little bed up on a high shelf, just a slightly breathe-y patch of pink fur visible.

Makyon wonders at that. He's never met Hal, of course, but gets the distinct impression that he ought to.

Solomon emerges from Hal's back room. His complacent gaze settles on the two of them, but it is without a word that he beckons them back, a finger held to his dark lips.

Felina nods, and heads that way, heeding the "silence" bit.

As does Makyon. Solomon leads them down a short corridor and into a squat room whose edges are lined with racks of wine. Two tables have been set aside in here, occupied by Yoru and Ai respectively. Both are sleeping comfortably, and calmness spells lay thick in the air.

"My apologies for the silence," Solomon begins, "but a maniacal Halu in here could complicate matters more than I think we want."

"No doubt. She gets nervous around injuries, anyway. First off, thanks for your help, and...how are they?" Felina looks over the two of them.

Solomon ignores the gratitude, outwardly. "This Serinian's spinal cord is severed. Much of her nervous system is damaged, as well. She will be fine in time, but the experience will stay with her for quite a while." He pats her hair, avoiding her heavily bandaged neck and right arm. "This one," he looks to Ai, "her injuries are severe, but not nearly as difficult to fix. Her eardrums are broken, though it looks as though those are injuries that were renewed from previous ones. Her left shoulder is out of socket, moved by blunt force trauma. Superficial lacerations from neck to knees, easily fixed, and I set her crushed foot as well. She will be fine in a few hours. Physically."

Felina nods slowly. Sighs, shakes her head. "I need to go retrieve Mara...she's going to be in the same emotional state when she finds out." She sets her hand to a temple, closing her eyes at the beginnings of a stress headache. "The only time in his life the bastard didn't deserve it, too," she observes ruefully.

"Is Mara wounded, too?" Solomon looks around, a smirk set on his face. "I am running out of tables."

Makyon, for his part, is just looking at poor Yoru, holding her little hand.

"You don't know?" Felina blinks. Shakes her head. "Right...no way you could have...I'm just used to you being three steps ahead of me, you understand. Mara isn't wounded, just recovering from an energy drain. Radivishe Moorn was stabbed in the back tending her injuries." Glances to Makyon. "For the record, he's the one who cleared out the overseers and demons, not me."

"It does explain why you aren't sleeping it off, as well," Solomon points out. "For now, there is nothing to be done for these two. I will send word to Amilei when they can be moved."

Felina nods. "Right...well, at least they're safe. Thank you, Solomon. Don't know what we'd do without you." Looks to Makyon. "So, what's next for you?"

"You'd have to clear up your own messes, for one." Goes back to working on Amilei's foot.

"I think I should stay with Yoru," he admits, "but I really, really want to be with Ting, too." Mommy gonna smack. "It's maddening."

Felina isn't sure how to take Solomon's comment. Is sure, in her current state of mind, that she's both offended and hurt. Her own messes? This is his fault? She can't really be everywhere at once, can she? Try to repulse a demonic invasion, get everyone to safety, try to keep people calm enough to get there, and protect two highly prone targets and also her friends, family, and allies, can she?

Maybe she should.

Sighs inwardly. Right. Salvaging her research and the few snippets of her family's life had been fifty-two seconds she hadn't needed to spend. The three minutes she spent clinging to her husband could also have been shaved off. Whatever she does can never be enough, and she really needs to suck it up and accept that by this point in her life.

"Yoru needs you more," Felina observes. "Ting is near her brother and father and can sense them in her sleep. Yoru's even more psychic, and feeling someone familiar nearby should help her rest."

Makyon nods, but is sort of glaring at Solomon at this point, but he's not going to say what's on his mind. Oh wait. Yes he is. "Solomon, was it? Felina did just fine, thank you. She could've left everyone just by herself, or taken her family and gone."

Solomon looks up at him, eyes complacent as ever. "What are you babbling about?"

"I'm asking you very nicely to watch your snide little comments unless you want yourself lying on one of these tables. Savvy?" Makyon's not kidding at all. He hadn't noticed at first, really, but by now he can read Felina well enough to know that she's a little more than upset about that.

Solomon just looks down to what he's doing with Ai. Blinks, and looks back up to Felina. "He's right. Sorry for that... I hadn't meant it to come across as so magnanimous."

Felina shakes her head. "It's no big deal. Thank you, though." Smiles a little at Makyon for that, just a little. "Makyon, I need to go fetch Mara before she wakes up near Moorn's body," not that that's likely to happen soon, but it would screw her up for life on the off chance it did, "and also talk to Ale. The only one even remotely in any danger here is Minna, and I'm sure that Yue and Kaies both know that well enough to keep an eye on her."

"Right. Hey." He looks at her, still holding Yoru's hand. "Watch that Ale guy. I might be jealous of how much Ting likes him, but still, I get a bad feeling about him."

Felina nods. "Duly noted. There's something wrong with this whole situation. There is a conspiracy somewhere--the name of the guy who stabbed me twenty-three times earlier is the name of the Major General under Ale--but the setup just seems too transparent. As far as I'm concerned, they're all suspects."

"A good mindset. Be careful, you." He smiles for her, his very best. "And come back if trouble even pretends to rear its head."

"I'll do that. I think I've hit my quota of worrying people for the day." She turns to leave. "Also, I need a vacation. Take care, you two." And she heads out the door, lets out her breath. Should she take the time...? Yeah, it'll only take a minute. She vanishes for the Second Floor Keep.

Solomon looks up at Makyon once she's gone.

"You should learn not speak so rashly to people who could-"

Whap!

Solomon blinks, rubs the handprint on the side of his face, as if confused.

"Just don't," Ai whispers, looking up through groggy eyes. "Stupid..."

---

A while later, a few minutes after Dewei's storming out of Korliss's keep, Makyon has gone into town to get some medical supplies - Solomon insists that Ai's wounds be treated medically instead of just magically - leaving Yoru to sleep some more. She is naked except for dozens of bandages and a towel, but still, she looks a great deal better than she had.

Solomon is busy reconstructing Ai's crushed foot, bone by bone. The goddess is very much awake, though a powerful pain numbing spell has her only hurting a little. She is dressed similarly to Yoru, and her body is covered in bruises... especially around her dislocated shoulder. Her ears are stuffed with fluff as well.

Dewei takes a few seconds outside of the inn to fully compose himself, and heads inside, following Ai's signature through the quiet inn and into the backroom. The composure is largely lost as soon as he sees the battered goddess. "Ai...?"

Solomon looks to him, perhaps a shred distastefully for being interrupted, and gives Ai a nudge. He points to Dewei, and her dull eyes follow.

"Oh, Dewei...! Come here, come here!" She lifts one arm, smiling despite herself.

Dewei glances at Solomon--he's met him, certainly, more than once...but hardly, and smiles at Ai, quick to step over and embrace her with the utmost care, sighting bandages and minding the injured shoulder. "Ai...stars, are you okay?" he inquires earnestly, brushing her hair away from her face.

She nods, smiling at him as if everything she's ever gone through in her entire life has led to this moment. "I was worried about you," she admits, clinging to him fiercely. "I missed you..."

"Please lay back, Ai, or this operation will leave you hobbled." Solomon doesn't glance up from what he's doing.

Dewei glances quickly back to Solomon, then looks back to Ai, eyes softening, and lays her back again, gently distangling himself from her arms. He remains right at her side, though, of course, holding tightly to one of her hands. "I missed you, too, Ai...I was worried sick," he admits.

"I'm sorry, I worried you, Dewei..." her smile, bright as the full moon on a clear night, fades, twists into a half-contained sob. "Father, though, I... I lost him again, Dewei, he's gone...!"

His eyes, of course, are immediately stricken. He knows he can't let her move, though...sinks to his knees, and just sits beside her, wrapping his arms over her. "I know, Ai...I'm...so sorry...he was a good man this time around..."

Ai tries to move, to cling to him, but Solomon holds her down with a shake of his head. "I don't know what to do, Dewei... I just got him back! And he's gone... and... and..." She blinks slowly, still catching her breath. "W-what happened to your neck...?"

"Huh? Oh..." Dewe touches the bruise absently, before returning the hand to Ai. "I wanted to go help my mother when the demonic attack finally happened...when he couldn't talk me out of it, dad knocked me out." Smirks the littlest bit, though without much humor. "Assassin, you know, better at that kind of thing than he gives reason to believe."

"Remind me to kiss your father's cheek when I see him next, for that. If you had been lost, too, I fear I would have gone completely insane, Dewei." Her eyes, so dull that it's obvious she's on medication as well as the numbing spell, sparkle at him. "I need you."

"Nobody else was lost," Dewei is quick to assure her. "Our home...took some damage, but everyone was away from it first. And I'll be here as long as you need me."

"Thank you Dewei. Thank you so... so..." she smiles a little more dimly, lying back. Good medicine.

"You will help, if you insist on staying." Solomon snaps a tarsal back into place with such a loud pop that Yoru stirs a little bit. "Set her arm back into the socket, if you know how. If not, now is when you learn."

Dewei winces just a little, just because it's Ai, but nods. "I can do it," he observes quietly. Lets out his breath...examines Ai's face a few moments, before standing up to walk around the table to that arm. Another slow breath and a numbing spell later, just in case, and he takes the arm firmly and carefully, a little telekinetic pressure on the front of her shoulder, and begins pushing it, trying hard not to think about the fact that it's Ai. Lets out his breath suddenly when he feels it pop suddenly into place.

Ai jerks almost bolt upright, screeching at the abruptness of the fire racing down her arm and spine. Solomon's subtle cancellation of Dewei's spells had apparently worked just fine. The boy has to grow up sometime. He has to learn to be a man, and sometimes things like this happen.

Dewei's eyes, of course, snap open, and his hand, alight with a cooling, pain-relieving spell, is on her shoulder nearly as fast as he starts apologizing. "Ai...I'm sorry, I thought I had it numbed...are you all right? Ai?"

The goddess nods, eyes clenched tightly shut, teeth bared.

"What's all the yelling...?" Yoru's little voice calls to them from her table. "Hey... why am I nakey? Did I miss something fun?"

Dewei, of course, is busily soothing Ai's pain with both hands, but looks over to Yoru, and smiles a little. "No...you're nakey for healing purposes. It's good to see you awake, though, Yoru. How do you feel?"

Ai relaxes, and lays back. Solomon removes his spell blocks so that Dewei's efforts will work properly, never indicating anything was ever amiss.

"Like I was beaten up bad," Yoru answers, sitting up. "I hurt all over. What happened? I remember Ting, and then nothing. And badness... it was sad."

"I'm not sure what happened to you...mother sent you here after we were already here. But at least you're okay now. Truly a good thing, that." He smiles a bit.

"Yeah. It's nice." Her little features sour a bit when she sees Ai, though. "Aww... is she okay? I knew it was a bad idea for her to go home yes I did, but she went. Poor her..."

Dewei's eyes go back to concerned and remorseful, and he looks back to the goddess, knitting the little irritations making her shoulder hurt. "Ai will heal in no time," he notes, choosing her words carefully. "She'll be okay," in his experience, could very well set her off. Of course she's not okay. Her father is dead.

"That's good. I like Ai." Yoru lays her head back down and is almost instantly fast asleep, snoring with kitty purrs.


"Dewei. Does Mara know...?" Ai looks up at him. "Does she?"

Dewei is quiet a moment, then closes his eyes, and shakes his head. "No...she hasn't awakened yet."

Silence reigns for just a moment. "She was going to be my mother, you know. And I was going to have siblings."

"She can still be your mother...even if it's not official, and...I know." Dewei quiets for a few moments. "She...really wanted to, and your father was warming to the idea."

"He was..." she closes her eyes. "I need to be held. Solomon. Fix my goddamn foot already...!"

Solomon continues working at a steady pace, ignoring her.

"Try to relax, Ai," Dewei pleads with her quietly, a hand on the front of her shoulder, the other still holding her hand. "We need to get you well."

"I won't! I lost my father again, Dewei, my home was ruined...! Our families are being assaulted left and right, we have nowhere to go!" She struggles against him, not hard enough to do anything major though.

Solomon looks up, eyes full of distaste. "Restrain her, or I will."

"Ai, please..." Dewei holds her down gently, but only in ways he already had been. "Forget 'relax'. It was a stupid statement, and I apologize. But please sit still, just a few more minutes. We all need you whole, Ai...my whole family, we love all love you. I love you. Please..."

It isn't instant. Ai is only now beginning to really feel the gravity of all that's happened. But gradually her struggling turns into clinging, turns into resignation. "I'm sorry. I'll do better, I promise."

Dewei just kisses her hair, and reciprocates the clinging. "You're already perfect, Ai, no 'better' about it," he notes softely. "I just...want you to get better." He pets her hair gently as Solomon works.

She holds on, sorely needing to feel his touch, and remains silent. 

Not long after that, Solomon wraps Ai's tissue rather haphazardly together and casts a potent healing spell, drawing everything into place. He cleans the blood away and disinfects the new skin, then gently wraps her foot from the ball to midway up her shin.

"There. You should be just fine tomorrow." Solomon puts his things away as he speaks, as if he is in a hurry to get somewhere. "I have a checkup to see to with a dragon. Halu will show you out, I'm sure."

Dewei nods. "Thanks, Solomon...as always."

"Right, right. By the way, if I were you I would check on this one." He pats Yoru's table as he walks past. "She kept telling me to leave her alone, because she had the medicine. She might be a bit unbalanced." And he heads out, whistling loudly to get Hal's attention as he goes.

Hal had been sleepily brushing her hair in the rafters. Crouches and wiggles, though, when she hears the healer. As soon as he passes under, she pounces head and forepaws first towards him. "Death and squiggles from above!"

Solomon catches Hal neatly, as he's grown quite used to being pounced at random lately. He scritches behind her ears for her. "Hello, squiggles. Do you suppose you could keep an eye on those people back there? The girl just lost her father, and they need some of your special services."

Hal purrs and tilts her head towards the pets. "Awww...poor dear! Which girl? And this isn't really that kinda inn but I guess I could look into it?"

Solomon grins at that, and pets Hal's head. "The one with the oranges and cream colored hair. She needs cheering up."

Hal purrs. "Okee! Anything mediciney I should do?"

"Not unless you want to, Hal dear. I took care of her injuries." He sets her down gently, looks to the door. "I have to take care of Adelbek. His flames have been coming out as liquid again."

"Eeeeew." Hal is in a kitty-ish mood today, and sits in an appropriate fashion. Wrinkles her nose, though. "Last time all the plants around one of the reservoirs wilted."

"That's why I'm in a rush." He smiles at her, brightly, uncharacteristically. "Ta, dear. They're staying at Amilei's place now, so if you want to dump them off, take them there. Bye!"

"Bye bye! I stole something little of yours and I'm not telling you what so you'll have to come back in the near future bye!" And she scampers off towards the back room before he can protest.

"Might have been my dignity," he says to himself as he heads on out the door. "Always looking for that."

Ai opens her eyes again when Hal barrels into the room. "Oh look... kitty."

Hal wastes no time in jumping straight onto the kneeling half-serinian's head and then landing lightly on Ai's abdomen. "Hi! I'm Shira'desariphen'uhalu and I'm the innkeeper I have alcohol? Ooo...you're a goddess lady too! Cool!" She pokes with a claw.

Ai's eyes slowly widen, after the initial oof. Lip quivers. Blinks.

"Oh my stars..." she whispers. "Kitty!" She reaches out to snag Hal, intent on petting her into half-oblivion.

"Meep!" And Hal is thusly snagged, and makes sure to purr extra-loud for Ai. "Oooo..." leans when the other goddess hits a good spots. "That's the gooood stuff....I likes you, lady!...purr...."

Dewei's just kind of confused.

"Oooh! You are so pretty! You must be this Hal I've heard talk of, with the long name and the cuteness and ee!"

Yoru looks up. Blinks. "You know," she says to Dewei, "I think you need to get her a cat."

Dewei looks over to Yoru, and has to grin a little, long ears and all. "And here I thought I was enough. I'd say you're right, though."

Hal is thrilled at the attention. "Heee...thank you pretty lady yep that's me! I am Hal, I am cute, and I turn people purple! Blue on Sundays." She purrs, grins, and tickles Ai's chin with the tuft of her tail.

Ai giggles, and wrestles with Hal for a minute, her problems instantly forgotten. She laughs so hard she cries, even.

Dewei is smiling at that.

The pint-sized furball of goddesses, of course, is having the time of her miniaturized life, being very kitty-like, even grabbing Ai's arm a couple of times, nipping without hurting and kicking with her feet. The second time, she wrinkles her nose. "Gah!" Sticks out her tongue, and laughs. "You are...minty fresh!"

Ai giggles again, smiling prettily at Hal. "I scrub," she assures the little kitten. "I could just love you to pieces and back! But I'm sure you came in for a reason."

"Just to see if you guys wanted anything. But wanting snuggles I can deal with too." Hal giggles, and sits back down on Ai's chest. "I just woke up! I'm sleepy."

"What a great load of energy you have for being so sleepy," observes a still aching Ai. "I am sorry to have barged into your place like this, Hal."

"It's okay! Inns are for barging. And sleeping. And drinking. And...wait! Let me decide if you're old enough to hear the last one." Tail swishes, her mouth scrunched up to one side.

"Reminds me..." she looks at Dewei. "How much is a room?"

"Two silver a night for a room, one silver for each additional person, less if you keep scratching my ears!"

Dewei can't decide whether to be amused, relieved that she's okay, turned on, or immensely horrified, though his lips twitch towards amusement. The libido that wouldn't die...!

Ai continues her petting of Hal with skilled hands tested on Dreamer. Her father had told her that he had sent Dreamer off to a home while she and Dewei were busy with the world tree, which was just as well. This time, however, Ai's motivations are more innocent than Dewei probably thinks. She needs to be held. She needs to cry. And by god, she's going to do it in the arms of her beloved somewhere comfy.

Hal purrs, and is happy to get petted a bit more. "Oooo so good! So would you two like to getcha guys a room, then?" She looks over to Yoru. "Oh and charcoal-lips sent a big guy who looks like a guy named Kaies who you probably haven't met anyway off to fetch some things? He was watching over you bunches and he'll probably be back soon get the other ear please?" she tilts her head for altered scritching.

"Makyon," Ai nods, doing exactly as Halu asks. "And yes, a room would be lovely. Thank you. Dewei, help me up...?"

"Sure thing." Hal jumps over to a free table as Dewei gently helps his beloved Ai to a sitting position. "I'd be careful with the foot," he notes with cautious concern.

"I will," she promises him, "it hurts enough that I am not liable to forget about it." She slides around until she can get her feet down to the floor. Then, leaning much of her weight on Dewei, she rises from the table. "Where are the rooms, Hal?"

And the kitty-elf-thingie springs off the table and starts to scamper that way. Springs back just as suddenly, looking at Yoru. "Hey, lady, will ya be okay alone for just a couple of minutes? I'll shut the door so no one sees your private bits. Unless you want 'em to!"

"I am fine," Yoru nods slowly. "Makyon's almost back, anyway. He'll watch over me."

"I bet! Want me to bite him if he watches too close?" Hal purrs, jumping up on the table beside Yoru.


"Sure! That might be fun." Yoru giggles a little, nodding happily to Hal...

... just about the time Makyon shows up at the door.

Thus, a flying leap of tiny pink innkeeper goes flying at the zombie. "Hiiii!" Splats against his bulky shoulder with her feet, and then there's a set of kitty teeth chomped across his nose.

The shock of it is more than enough to send Makyon tumbling off his feet, where he crashes to the floor of the inn with a thump that makes Ai grimace.

"Hi," he answers Hal, "get dyor bouth off by dose." He wonders if kittens are ticklish, and decides to test this theory.

And, thus, a squealing kitten goes skittering off of him. She giggles, though. "Hi!" Hal points to Yoru, smoothing the fuzz on her ears. "She said I could!"

"I don't doubt that. Yoru, how dare you set me up?" Makyon sits up, reclaims his bag of gauze, tape, and swabs, and sets it on a table. "Oh, look, it's Dewei and Ai too... things are better?"

"Hopefully," Dewei acknowledges, nodding. "Solomon left, so that probably means he doesn't need to do anything more medically."

"Nope right!" Hal tilts her head, examining Makyon from her table, ears twitching. "He didn't tell me I needed to do anything mediciney and you smell like zombie but you don't look like zombie!"

"Good, and yes kitten, I am a zombie. Hungry for brain. Braaaiiiinnnz..."

"Makyon," Ai giggles, covering her mouth when he starts stiff-joint flail walking, "cut it out!"

"Catch me!" And Hal springs towards his chest again with only that warning.

Makyon is quick enough to do just that, snagging Hal and holding her without being knocked back much. "Um... hi!"

"Hi! Now." She holds out her ears as far as she can up and out, just because it amuses her, which takes nearly the full length of her arms. "Does it really look like you can get any brains around here?"

"Well." Makyon smiles. "Not from you."

Hal sticks out her tongue. "Oh, yeah. Hi I'm...! Oh, what's it called. I'm the person who gives the persons the alcohol to drink and then they get all frisky and I give them a room and then they swear at me in the morning and tell me I knew they were married I shouldn't have given them a room 'cause they were drunk! And didn't mean it but they did anyway and you know they had fun but then it's my fault somehow but it's mostly the hangovers talking and ...oh! Yes. I'm the inkeeper. Hi! I'm Hal."

"Hi Hal. I'm Makyon. Have you been into your alcohol, by chance?"

"Not lately! Just woke up, and I like juice, anyway. Have you ever seen a miniature kitty goddess on speed? I can go find some, if you want." She smiles sweetly.

"No, no, thank you," Makyon shakes his head, looking across the room. "I think this place will run out of oxygen if you get any more hyper."

"You can just make more. You're a windbag, right?" The innkeeper tilts her furry head.

---

Sometime later, Hal is poking her early customers, and Dewei is wondering whether Ai has exhausted her tears for the moment. He thinks so...still...something else feels very wrong.

Yue bursts into the bar, winded from running the entire way, nearly knocking over a customer in the process. "Dewei?" She calls without regard to the surroundings.

Dewei blinks from up in their rented room, then looks to the goddess. "Ai...Yue needs something. Will you be okay for a few...?"

Radivishe Moorn's only daughter is still a mess. She nods, though, ever the trooper for her beloved mutt, and just buries her tear stained face in the pillows again, sobbing silently away.

Dewei, though stricken at having to leave her, senses the urgency, kisses her hair gently, and heads downstairs, still somber. "Yue?" He inquires as he approaches the incubus at a quick step. "What's wrong?"

The incubus fans his wings in irritation, warning away a gorgon who was about to approach. "Your mother is in danger. I am going to go try to help her, but I need you and Makyon to help." No nonsense, not now.

Dewei blinks, but his features are set and harder in just a moment, and he nods. "Just a second." And heads back to the back room at a run. "Makyon. Mom's in trouble, need help."

Makyon had been fiddling with Yoru's hair, per request. The Serinian is sleeping now, though. "Wha...?" His face sobers insantly. "Let's go." It doesn't shock him that Felina is in trouble. That's common enough.

Dewei nods, and heads right back out, trusting that the zombie will follow. "What's the danger, Yue?"

"I have no idea," Yue admits, smiling a little at them for their hurry as she leads them into Wu Yuan.