phantasmalrift | DUNGEON - BELLMARE ENCLAVE (BELLMARE MOUNTAINS, PT 2)

DUNGEON - BELLMARE ENCLAVE (BELLMARE MOUNTAINS, PT 2)

The shadows are starting to grow very long as you crest his particular ridge - it's not night yet, but it will be soon. In the shadows of the afternoon, with a tall mountain already blocking the sun, lies a snow-covered valley that is different from the ones you've come across thus far in your investigation.

This valley is home to a town, and unlike all the settlements you've seen so far - Incendia, the Telovia mining town, and the manor - it's very much active. There are actual people in the streets, visible from above, going through their days on snow-free streets, bundled up against the cold.

Those of you who asked were told of the handful of people who didn't go into the slumber of stasis as the Fissure conditions of the world grew worse and worse, instead isolating themselves and trying to continue living their lives as they could. Now, it seems, you've found exactly such a group.

Welcome to the Bellmare Enclave, and enjoy your stay.

[[OOC: Welcome to part 2 of the dungeon! For the most part, interaction with the town's NPCs can be handwaved as described on the main information post. Worth noting are the following major things: The Bellmare Enclave isn't expecting visitors, though the people are generally friendly to the new arrivals. They don't know about the time dilation effect of their Fissure - to them, it's only been about eighteen years since the Slumber Plan was put in place and they withdrew from the world. And finally, by a similar token, they have no idea how far the Fissures outside of their own have grown - while it's not uncommon for them to find odd objects from time to time, they'll assume that the characters are just arrivals from other places within their own world, rather than outsiders, until told otherwise.]]

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[At least they had both been asleep. Nyx had tried valiantly to stay conscious and also insist that his Majesty take the bed (no, Izunia, you are not his majesty). Regis had a few decades on him when it came to stubborn determination, however, and in the end he'd agreed only because he hadn't been able to bear sitting upright any longer.

Not that it stops him from bolting up in bed when the door opens. The rush of cold and sound drawing him from fitful rest to hyper-awareness in seconds, kukri in hand and raised to be thrown.

It clatters from his hand before he has a chance to really take in the new addition to the cabin though and he slumps back to the bed with a strained groan, his ashen left hand dropping to hover protectively over his abdomen.]

Vilg!

[Regis wakes in the same moment that Nyx does, though his reaction is far less aggressive. He doesn't even open his eyes, though the air around him tightens and heats slightly as he pulls magic to his fingertips, just in case. Once that's done, he straightens in the chair he'd fallen asleep in, eyes opening and then shifting first to Nyx to make sure his Glaive hasn't tossed himself off the bed with that aborted reaction and then in the direction of Izunia and the newcomer. The new person's look makes his mind want to scream 'daemon,' but he knows that the Founder King would never allow someone who would put them in danger into the cabin. Not after all he's done to keep them both alive and stable since they arrived.

He runs his right hand through his hair, straightening it and pushing away how acutely he feels the missing weight of his crown. His left hand--what remains of it anyway--stays tucked between his leg and the side of the chair.]

I feel as if it is my responsibly to apologize for him, but I think it would be best not to encourage him while he's in this state.

[Fond exasperation fills his tone, though it fades quickly into something more serious as he continues.]

I assume this is the healer you mentioned?

[Although Jetshard isn't fully aware of how many alarm bells her appearance may set off for the newcomers and why, there's still something deliberately casual about the familiarity with which she returns Izunia's smile with a narrow one of her own, the way that the not-quite-a-flinch alert half-movement she makes at Nyx's outburst is a small step toward Izunia, and she makes the choice to drop her coat into the blue sparkle of his Armiger rather than the array fetch modus of her own sylladex. Little displays of "I'm with him" that are as intentional as her affection toward the Founder King is genuine.

She nods at Regis's question, a gesture of both agreement and acknowledgment.] Sawbones Jetshard. I think the smalltalk can wait until everyone's out of the woods?

[She can do politicking or she can do doctoring, and, after all, she does have her priorities in this situation. Jetshard turns toward the bed, speaking to Nyx as she approaches.] Now, can I try and help without you pulling any more knives or - was that swearing? It sounded like swearing. I mean, the swearing's understandable if it helps but I'd really prefer to keep knives pulled on me to a minimum.

[And Izunia steps into the leftover politics space without skipping a beat.]

'Sawbones' is the occupational title, 'Jetshard' is her name, and of course you two had to go making a liar out of me immediately.

[Diffuse it with a little humor, even as he closes the door and comes over to settle in the unoccupied chair near Regis where he's spent most of the evening. The way he keeps his eyes on Nyx - with an air of 'you're the least predictable element in here, so calm down' - should hopefully also help the others settle.]

She's a very dear friend of mine.

[The way he says that, it's not hard to guess what he means, considering that they're all adults in here. And that's intentional too, a statement of the exact degree to which he trusts her with far more than his injuries or standing at his back in a fight.]

[Okay the most visible damage on him is Izunia's doing so access to the Armiger and the fact that she's banging the Founder King are a great expression of his trust but not necessarily going to make him 100% trusting just yet. Then again after the night he's had he's pretty short on trust.]

That's my only one.

[Breathless and ground out between clenched teeth. The kukri is on the floor now and he's in no shape to go get it. Unlike the rest of the room Glaives don't have access to the armiger so that's no danger from him. It's a show of trust, admitting that he is, in fact, unarmed.]

See to his Majesty.

[He might be dying (certainly slower than he was thanks to Izunia's tending) but he is first and foremost a Glaive and he will continue to fight every step of the way if they don't look after his King first. ]

We are not having this argument again, Glaive Ulric.

[There were several other things Regis was about to comment on--a proper greeting for Jetshard, acknowledgment of the trust that access to the Armiger indicated--but all those things are set aside the moment that Nyx's stubborn nature rears its head again. He had begrudgingly accepted being prioritized before when his hand was still untreated and his leg was all but useless, however he's had two elixirs and a restorative potion to help with the blood loss. He can wait; Nyx cannot.

And the King is not taking 'no' as an answer.]

I will make that an order if I must, but I trust you will not put our new friend in the position where she has to fight the person she is trying to help.

[Do not try him right now, Nyx Ulric. The results will not be pretty.]

[Jetshard sighs, sitting down at the edge of the bed once she's been reassured that there won't be further sharp objects incoming. With a flick of her wrist, she summons the array of semiphysical blue-bordered cards that serve as the interface for her own personal hyperspace inventory system - there's still some things she prefers to keep in her own sylladex rather than dumping in with everything Izunia's carrying, and the bulky, densely packed canvas case of her medical kit is one of them.]

Look, buddy, I've got my friend, your commanding officer, and a dozen sweeps of experience as field medic with outfits you wouldn't believe telling me you're my priority. Press the issue and the only thing that's going to change is me adding "petty spite" to that list.

- You're not going to have a problem if I do a magic medical scan on you, are you? More than the considerable problem you apparently already have, anyway.

I did warn you that he's like this.

[Sorry, Nyx, but it was in fact only fair to tell Jetshard that you are, beyond all doubt, a reckless idiot.

Figuring that she knows well enough that Izunia is available if she needs a bit of extra muscle, he settles further into his chair, pulling out a lap desk and then a tray full of various coffee accessories for something to do that doesn't require as much focus. It never hurts to prep more coffee, and he's been through quite a bit of his ready supply to keep himself on his feet as it is.]

[He remains tense for a moment, looking aside to where Regis is sitting, trying to catch his King's gaze for a moment, wanting to see that spark of determination in his eyes before he allows himself to relent. Needing to see that he's feeling well enough to make that argument as though the tightening of magic in the air earlier hadn't been indication enough.]

If there's going to be a problem with the magic you'd have to ask them.

[Still strained but as much of a concession as he's willing to give. He doesn't like it but he doesn't have the strength to really fight it right now. Arguing is only going to delay how long it takes her to go tend to Regis.

As far as the magic goes magic that doesn't belong to him is rather second nature to him but if it's going to clash with the power of the Lucii (though he's not exactly sure if it's Izunia's or Regis' in him now) they'd know better than he would. Or actually-]

Though you're Glaive enough to know if it's going to be a problem I guess?

[Even if it grates on him, calling this woman a Glaive when he knew damn well she hadn't gone through the training and vows required of all who would enter the service of the King.

For all the good it had done them.]

[The gaze that Nyx meets is ever bit as determined as he expects. On top of that, despite still looking tired, Regis' color isn't as pale as it was before. He's slowly starting to recover, unlike someone else in the room. In fact, though it's likely a bad idea, he slowly pulls himself from the chair and makes his way to settle on the other side of the bed, hoping his nearness will help calm Nyx farther.

When he makes it the few steps from the chair to the bed without his knee buckling, Regis can't help but send a silent 'thank you' to whatever deity might be listening in this strange place.]

I'm fairly certain the only trouble will be if someone's level of sheer stubbornness is high enough to interfere with the magic itself.

[Already, the King is bleeding out of Regis' tone and posture. He's just too worn to keep the full presence 'on' for long now. Besides, in this company, it's not really necessary. Even if they have just met Jetshard, she is deeply trusted by Izunia and that means she may as well be family.

As he turns his his head in the Founder King's direction, he rest a hand gently on Nyx's shoulder.]

You know the Ring's power and the deal that was made better than I do, Your Majesty. I assume you would not have called for her assistance if you thought either would interfere.

[Jetshard rolls her eyes a little at Izunia's comment; he had indeed warned her. And honestly, if he's been dealing with this mess on top of already being in the middle of a physically demanding fissure, she's a little surprised that he's still awake at all and a little concerned about his caffeine consumption.

On the other hand, it kind of seems like the combined exasperation of everyone else in the room is the only thing that's remotely getting Nyx to cooperate with anything, so for the moment Izunia has been granted a reprieve from her fussing.]

The magic's fine, I was thinking more of a ascending to a higher plane of existence out of pure outrage kind of problem.

[She reaches out to hold a hand over his shoulder, palm-down and hovering over him without quite touching; the hand begins to glow faintly and Jetshard frowns absently as she takes in the extent of the damage. Izunia had told her, earlier, what to expect, but it's one thing to see it listed out in text and another entirely to observe for herself.]

Well, that's an impressive degree of fucked up.

[She pulls her hand back, and opens the medical bag in her lap, rifling through it as she speaks.] Splint the leg to start, I think, to minimize the risk of doing anything else to it. And then I want to deal with those gunshot wounds.

Regis, I told you, there's no need for - please, don't.

[Nyx doesn't even have to go into Not My King mode at the address, because Izunia does it for him. Good gods, don't slap formality on him now.]

There's going to be a lot of internal burn scarring that will confuse the hell out of future medics, but not being in the same reality as the Ring has snapped the connection for now. I'm not sure what would happen if they were in the same place again - too damn many unknowns.

[Regis moving to his feet is almost enough to have him coming up off the bed, Jet and pain be damned. By the time he summons up the strength to make the effort though Regis is already settling beside him and Nyx is briefly ashamed of just how comforting it is to have the other man near. He relaxes, sinks back into the mattress with a slow, careful exhale.

Impressive degree of fucked up startles a laugh out of him, though. A sound that's abruptly cut off in a groan but he tips his head to look over at Izunia as well even if it presses his cheek lightly against the soft texture of Regis' sweater.]

Probably it would finish what you started. [A faint nod. He has no doubts about that and no regrets either. Then his attention goes back to Jetshard, his head lolling to one side to maintain some small amount of contact with Regis, resting his temple against his King's arm.]

The Ring closed the gunshot wounds up enough that I'm not going to bleed out but... It was two hollow points. There's going to be a lot of damage and pieces to go fishing for. This might not be the best location for that.

[Amusement twinkles in Regis' eyes when he hears Izunia's objection. Honestly, here he thought he was going to get an earful for moving from the chair to the bed in his condition without his cane or brace, but instead, the Founder King is getting all upset about being addressed so formally. How else is he suppose to refer to him? Using his name is hardly respectful enough and calling him 'the Mystic' is even more formal than 'your majesty' is.

The amusement flees from Regis' expression, though, the instant Jetshard and Nyx both start talking about just how badly the Glaive is injured. Objectively, Regis had known it was going to be bad, but the details drive what color has returned to his face away.]

Astrals take them! Hollow points? On top of everything else? And you were concerned about my hand?

[His grip tightens unconsciously against Nyx's shoulder even as a litany of curses runs through his mind both at those who had turned their anger toward Nyx and at the Glaive himself for being such a loyal, over-achieving fool.

He's also proud beyond words at said loyal over-achieving fool, but that is a discussion for later when he doesn't feel quite so much like part of his heart has been drug from his chest.]

This is not the future I wished for you when I pulled you from the rubble in Galahd.

[Fate, as it so often does, had other plans for them, though. Plans that meant neither of them would leave Insomnia alive.]

[She rolls her eyes a little as she sets about setting and splinting his leg; it'll need either a cast or more intensive reconstructive magic than she's capable of or both, later, but that would need to wait until swelling was no longer an issue even if they weren't in a rustic cabin half-way up a mountain.]

I'm not going to try to fix everything here, but I would at least like to make an effort to keep you from going massively septic in the general abdominal region before we can get you to a proper operating table. Mothers, why are soldiers like this.

[It's their jobs, Jet, and also it's Nyx. Izunia only responds to the muttered comment with an eyeroll of his own.

He finishes setting up a series of coffee mugs and vanishes all but one of them, a lime green thing that he cups his hands around.]

Anything I can do, or is the best option staying out of your way?

[Please give His Royal Highness, Grandpa Anxiety, something to do with himself.]

Ha-

[Dammit, Jet, stop making him laugh with all your snark and sass. It fucking hurts.]

Sepsis would... really suck. I've got no idea what your abilities are so just a heads up.

[You do what you need to do, lady. He's just going to be trying to keep his twitching and grunting in pain to a minimum. So he turns his attention to Regis, flashing a smirk up at the King.]

How else was Luche gonna win in a fight against me? [It's all bravado at first that he swiftly finds crumbling beneath the weight of so much betrayal, so much loss.] Fucking coward.

[Sharp and harsh and for a moment it's almost too much, all of the loss, the uncertainty if Luna and Libertus had escaped, the winding bandages setting his leg still and immobile in the splint and he could feel the panic surging up in his chest, his heart in his throat. His breath goes still for a long moment without him even realizing it, eyes squeezed closed and he needs to move, to get away, to get out, to not be trapped here and the gentle crackle of flames in the fireplace is like a roar in his ears as the city crashes down around them.]

[The muttered comment has Regis sending a look of agreement Jetshard's way. Though he doesn't say it, the words 'especially this solider' are equally clear in the look.

He only has a moment to realize his gut instinct regarding Lazarus' 'leadership' had been correct--how had he managed to flag Luche's actions as suspicious when he'd missed the danger so much closer to him?--and then his attention is yanked fully back to Nyx as he feels the Glaive drifting away into the past beneath his hand.]

Nyx, breathe.

[Regis' voice is impossibly soft and gentle, just like it had been when they'd met again in the snowy wastes. Just like it had been all those years ago when he'd been a much younger man and Nyx a shattered youth. He releases Nyx's shoulder only to settle his hand--warmed slightly with a bit of magic--against the Glaive's forehead, stroking slowly back over matted and sweaty hair.]

Stay with me. I need you here, not there. You can do nothing to change the past. Let those horrors rest where they fell.

[The splint secure, Jetshard draws back a little - reaching for her medkit again to retrieve the medical supplies she'll need next, but also allowing a little room as Regis attempts to sooth Nyx. She rather suspects that even with how much more openly affectionate humans seem to be than trolls, this is the sort of display that her patient will find embarrassing once he's in better shape, but if it's a choice between bruising Nyx's ego and physically restraining him as he panics, she'll take the former any day.

Anyway, Izunia's question gives an excuse to turn her attention to him for a moment.] I wouldn't say no to some extra light while I work. The lighting in this place wasn't exactly designed with precision medical procedures in mind.

Got it.

[Did you want two reasonably bright orbs of blue-white light floating over the bed, Jetshard? Because that's what you're getting - a magic that Regis, at least, will probably notice isn't a part of the typical Lucis Caelum abilities. Weapons made of light, sure, but not lights outright.

It gives him somewhere to look, too, other than the display going on on the bed, and he catches Jetshard's eye and shrugs slightly. Let them do their thing.]

[It probably says a lot about him, the fact that he actually does suck in a sharp breath the moment Regis instructs him to. The first one harsh and panicked but swiftly forced back under control. The process of managing his breathing eased by the warm hand settling over his hair and he tilts his head back slightly, pressing into the touch like a needy kitten, slowly opening his eye to look up at his King.

The soothing tone borders on too much, almost enough to make him cry.

But Regis needs him. His King needs him and so he blinks back the panic and the emotion and forces a nod, eyes clearing of that distance that comes so often with traumas.]

Sorry... sir. [Hoarse and he almost doesn't add the honorific because he should be apologizing to Jet as much as Regis.

Of course then he's flinching slightly, turning his face into Regis again to shield his eyes from the new lights. Give him a second to adjust and he'll be fine.]

D'you need me to do anything? [This directed somewhat awkwardly at Jet. Surely she's going to need him to move or something?]

Edited 2019-01-03 00:57 (UTC)

There we go. Welcome back.

[The gaze that meets Nyx's when his eyes open is calm, solid, safe, and most importantly, familiar. The Glaive needs familiarity as an anchor right now and this is a role Regis has filled for him before. In all honesty, it's a role they fill for each other right now. There may be others from Eos here, but they are not as expected so far and even if they were, who else could understand the true scope of the Fall besides those who liv-- No, those who had not lived though it at each other's side?]

There is no need to apologize. You know such pains always attack when we are least able to fight them. You did not linger when called back. That's the important thing.

[Regis has been there himself, has seen the drifting and the distance on the faces of far too many close to him, has patiently waited out, not the drift and distance, but the strange sort of near-paranoia that would occasionally take hold of Clarus after too close a call or too bad a report returned from the front. The worst part of the whole thing is the lack of control; he's not going to hold that particular loss against anyone.

When the lights come up and he sees Nyx flinch away from them, Regis almost pulls his hand from where it rests in the Glaive's hair to shield him from it while he adjusts, but he stops himself at the last moment, realizing that despite the fact Nyx is talking and interacting again, removing his physical anchor so soon isn't the best idea. Instead, he decides to remain where he is unless Jetshard needs him to move or Nyx requests it himself.

He also makes a mental note to speak with Izunia about that little bit of magic since it's not something he's familiar with, and he wants to change that.

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DUNGEON - BELLMARE ENCLAVE (BELLMARE MOUNTAINS, PT 2)

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Sorry guys, have some PTSD

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