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Rishi	Wherever Ereyo is, she sees a tiny green cherub with leaf-like batwings appear before her. After a moment, it speaks in Rishi's voice. "Greetings! I have not had the seeing of you at the library recently and I am doing the thinking that you should be doing the needing of the more of the satchets. If you would be liking to be doing the coming to the temple or I can be doing the meeting of you somewhere else, if you are wanting, I am presently being avilable. Just be telling the Infallable Messenger what you are wanting to be doing and I hope to be doing the seeing of you soon!"
Amilar Ereyo	The scion of Gens Amilar, who was slumped over the small desk in her study, jerks upright and blinks at the cherub. After it has delivered the message and dispersed, she sits there in silence for a few minutes, contemplating, before finally getting up and starting to weave the Essence around her into a tiny messenger of her own. Before too long, a cherub resembling a blue jay in coloration and markings materializes just in front of Rishi's eyes, flapping delicate bird wings. Ereyo's voice stumbles and shakes at the beginning of the message, then gradually becomes steadier: "I'm... Oh, Rishi, by the dragons... I'm so sorry, I should have send... Or at least... No, never mind. You're right, of course. My supplies are running low. Let's meet at the temple. I'm ging to be there in about half an hour."
Rishi	A short time later, Rishi is at the front door of the temple, waiting for her Dragon Blooded friend, wearing a short temple robe that shows off her toned and furred cat legs and fluffy tail. She looks quite concerned, perhaps Ereyo's message has worried her? When she sees Ereyo, she brightens and waves her inside "Please be coming in! Is something being wrong?"
Amilar Ereyo	One look at Ereyo is enough to confirm that something must be very wrong, indeed. She arrives on foot with almost double her usual entourage of guards, wearing one of her many similar-looking casual uniforms and her satchel, but her body is wrapped in a bright blue cloak long enough to cover her down to the ankles. When she draws up to Rishi and lifts her hood to greet her friend, the Dragon's complexion appears unusually pale. The dark circles below her eyes have returned after their initial banishment through Rishi's sleeping potions, and they now appear all the more pronounced in contrast to Ereyo's pallor. The Air aspect manages a weak, but warm smile, briefly locking eyes with Rishi. Her irises are almost gray, with only a hint of their usual violet. "Dragon's blessing upon you, Rishi. Thank you." Her voice, at least, is steady enough now. "I'm deeply sorry for not contacting you earlier. Let's go inside. My people will wait here and ensure that nobody is going to disturb us."
Rishi	"Of course, of course." Rishi leads her into the room and motions for her to sit on one of the benches near the pool, quickly placing a cushion down for her, the coolness of the air making the room quite comfortable. Rishi's perfect eyebrows have come together out of worry. "What has been doing the happening? You are looking most worse! It is not being the bad reaction to the potion I am making, yes? Are you being injured? The Sick?"
Amilar Ereyo	After nodding at the other Exalt in mute thanks, Ereyo takes off her cloak and places it in a heap on the bench, then sits down cross-legged. It takes a bit of wriggling on the cushion to find a comfortable position... or maybe she's just stalling a bit, thinking about how to answer Rishi's question. "I can tolerate your potion just fine, and I'm neither injured, nor sick. But I..." She takes a deep, steadying breath. A pleasant, harmonious scent of bathing oils wafts around her, only just so managing to mask the smell of ozone underneath. "I... I've ventured out into the Hundred Kingdoms, and... something happened. Something..." Here, her voice trails off. For a few moments, her gaze drifts into the distance before she refocuses on Rishi, lowering her voice to a near-whisper: "Oh no, I forgot! I should have brought you that book from the library that you wanted to study before we left last time..."
Rishi	Rishi waves her hand elegantly, "It is being no problem and I am being most glad to be knowing that you are being well. But, what has happened to you in the Kingdoms of the Hundreds?" She frowns, biting her lip for a moment. "Were...were you seeing the Anathema again?" She looks a little nervous.
Amilar Ereyo	Rishi seems to have hit the nail right on the head: What little color is left in Ereyo's face drains away. Erratic winds tear at her hair, which is messy as usual, although it looks like she has made a hasty effort to brush it into submission before leaving for the temple. Lowering her gaze, the Dragon frowns and starts smoothing over the folds in her sleeves. "Titan Breaker? No", she manages, still in that low voice. "Something much worse. Rishi, I know I need to talk to someone... someone who isn't Lookshyan, or Immaculate - but I don't know how to explain, and I don't want to burden you-" Now it's Ereyo's turn to frown. She looks... worried. About Rishi?
Rishi	Rishi reaches out her hands, offering a hug to the other woman. "...You may be doing the telling of anything to me. If it is doing the making of you this unhappy, then I shall do the taking on of this burden." Rishi headtilts, considering, then brightens and places her large fluffy tail across the other woman's lap. "Please be doing the petting of this, it is being most fluffy and comforting and will help you be doing the relaxing."
Amilar Ereyo	Although Ereyo accepts the hug with a heavy smile, the fluffy appendage in her lap startles her. After blinking rapidly in confusion, she pushes it away, gently but firmly, and tells Rishi: "Thank you, but no, thanks. I'm good. No petting of someone else's spine needed." The Dragon purses her lips, then, after a few moments of trying to breath steadily, she gives up and clears her throat instead. "Where do I even begin...?" Ereyo's right leg starts shaking ever so slightly. Either she doesn't notice, or there's nothing she could do to stop it anyway. "Right. One week ago, I think." Her eyes drift away from Rishi, admiring the fountain - or simply staring at it without even seeing, maybe. "...I was out on a small expedition in the Hundred Kingdoms. You see, I've heard rumors of valuable salvage on one of the region's many ancient battlefields, and... it was only a few hours away, at least by Stormwind Rider..." While she talks, Rishi can notice the small fiery will-o-wisp guardian lazily drifting out of Ereyo's cloak. This time, she hasn't brought a lantern to hide the small ember. "...On the way, I admittedly got distracted a bit. So I arrived there well after dark. I didn't think much of it. But just as I was looking for a decent spot to make camp, I noticed a disturbance in the Essence around me... there was something standing out on the battlefield, or rather ~someone~, a hooded person in dark clothing. Summoning a ghost. I've never met a necromancer before. It was all a bit... overwhelming?" Here, she pauses, frowning at her hands and gathering her thoughts. The shaking of her leg is slowly ramping up, getting worse.
Rishi	Rishi's eyes widen as Ereyo mentions necromancy, as she hasn't exactly had the best time with it either. She knows that, given her exaltation, she should be able to be as equally skilled a necromancer as she is a sorcerer...but she's had little interest in pursuing it. But all she says is "That must have been most scary." Rishi looks down at Ereyo's leg, then says "Please be doing the waiting for the moment. I am having some of the most soothing tea, please be letting me do the going and gathering of it and fixing the cup for you. And for I." A short time later, Rishi returns with some sliced peach, two large mugs, a teapot, and a bottle. "The tea is containing the small dose of the relaxing herbs that the sleeping potion is using. You will not be having the nap, but it should be having the relaxing effect. And the bottle is being some of the 'medicinal spirits' in case you are wishing to be doing the fortifying of the tea further." She sets the tray down next to the other woman, fixes the tea, takes her own cup, and resumes her seat, giving the other woman an encouraging smile. "Now, what was doing the happening next?"
Amilar Ereyo	The waiting time for the tea alone seems to have an relaxing effect, as Rishi might notice when she returns with the tea: While the shaking isn't quite gone, it has slowed down a bit. Ereyo smiles with unbridled gratitude. While she fixes her own tea, her hands reach for the bottle - then turn aside after considerable hesitation. In the end, she settles for the unfortified drink. A few sips later, she nods at Rishi in appreciation. "Thank you. It tastes good, and I can already feel its warmth calming me down." For now, she leaves the mug in her lap, cradling it within her hands. The peaches seem to draw her attention, but she doesn't reach out for them. "Yes, it was scary. You, as a fellow sorcerer, can understand... the way he drew Essence to do his bidding felt so ~different~, so uncomfortable... it was churning in my stomach, that feeling. I thought I was going to be sick, but then..." She heaves a big sigh, and her frown fades away. "Then I overheard the man talk to the ghost he had just summoned and bound. Something was wrong... Although he had succeeded, I could tell that he had expected someone else to answer his call. I tried to sneak closer to get a better look, and please-" Ereyo grits her teeth, raising a hand towards Rishi - "don't tell me what a stupid idea ~that~ was. I know. Of course he noticed me..." While her leg doesn't exactly remain still, it bounces only intermittently, instead of constantly acting up. "Well, turns out he wanted to summon the higher soul of his former officer, who died in the Battle of Futile Blood. But the ghost was already gone, after such a long time... so what he summoned instead was the lower soul, the hungry ghost." Ereyo shudders, and the frown returns, deeper this time. Her fingers begin drumming against the mug. "I didn't want to get into a fight with him, much less with that ravenous creature he'd bound to his will. Thankfully, he was willing to talk... he assured me that he had done this to lay that man's soul to rest, which seemed... reasonable, at least? I could understand the need to help a fellow soldier find peace, even though I didn't approve of his methods. But then I made the mistake of questioning him further..." Here she has to stop again, because her voice breaks away. A few large gulps of tea follow before Ereyo can find the courage to continue, voice again dropping down to a mere whisper: "There was something uncanny about him, something ~different~. I really can't explain. Just a gut feeling. So I asked him who exactly he was, and... he told me." Now she grips the mug with such force that her knuckles turn white, staring down into the tea. "When I came back to my senses, I found myself cradled on my dust devil, speeding through the night." She swallows, hard. "He was one of the silver demons, the Lunar Anathema, and he must have told me. But I don't ~remember~ his exact words, or anything after that. And now the nightmares are back, and I can't..." Ereyo's voice dies off. She finally releases the mug, which, thankfully, is still steadied by her thighs, although shaking with the rhythm of her right leg, and presses her face into her hands.
Rishi	Rishi listens to her story raptly, occasionally making a comforting noise or giving her some further encouragement. When she finishes, Rishi uncorks the bottle and pours a bit into her own mug. And refills Ereyo's with more tea...but leaves the bottle handy for her. After a gulp of her own tea, Rishi's nostrils flare as she takes a deep breath, breathing in the scents around the other woman, both metaphysically and actually. She closes her eyes, internally debating what to do. Then she sighs. "Ereyo, before I was able to be doing the learning of the Messenger of the Infallable spell, I was having to be ...making do with another of the spells I was doing the finding to be doing the talking over the long distances. Specificially the Silent Words of the Dreams and Nightmares. If you are wishing this, you could be having the nap here, and I could be doing the visiting of your dreams to be trying to help you do the uncovering of the turmoil you are doing the feeling." "...Or I can just be making the next set of the tea satchets much more the stronger. Whichever you are doing the desiring."
Amilar Ereyo	Ereyo only detaches her hands from her face after she has pressed down hard on her eyes for a while, breathing heavily. Now, as her features become visible again, her eyes are puffy, and there's a bit of wetness around them, but the Dragon-Blooded seems to be somewhat practiced at holding back her tears. She partakes of the tea, once again acknowledging the bottle's presence without actually reaching for it, then offers Rishi a brittle smile. "That spell... I appreciate you telling me that you know it, I really do." She slowly shakes her head. "Would it be a good idea to find out what it is that I can't seem to remember, no matter how hard I try? I honestly don't know. Because I don't ~forget~ things, you see." A sudden gust of wind, rustles through her hair as she gives a low growl, a sound Rishi has never heard from her before. "I can remember so many things with perfect clarity... except for what happened when..." A sudden silence follows, with Ereyo's eyes narrowing. She claws at the soft fabric covering her left leg, the one that remains still - the one that isn't her own. "...when I got maimed", she breathes. "When I lost my fang. They were mortals, but I loved them like family... and I couldn't save them. I can't even remember how they died!" Ereyo realizes that she has raised her voice, just shy of shouting at Rishi, and it takes her a few shaky breaths before she continues. "From what I've been told, it was one of the moon-mad Anathema. A fiend. It came as a swarm of centipedes, then turned into a single, large creature. It killed and wounded so many... or so I am told. But there are no centipedes in my memory of that battle, no monsters, not even a single blood of drop. Only a field of flowers, and the blue sky, and the cries of raitons." The Air aspect finally turns to face Rishi, her face stricken with grief. "You're the healer. If a mind wants to shield itself so badly, would you really recommend digging for those memories in dreams...?"
Rishi	Rishi murmurs something in firetongue to herself, looking sad, while Ereyo speaks, then says "...Minds are being most funny things. Sometimes it is doing the shielding before you are being ready and then, once you are being able to do the coping, you are doing the remembering." she shakes her head. "But sometimes it is like having the piece of the arrowhead still in the wound and everything is doing the festering, so we are needing to be doing the digging to be doing the cleaning out." Rishi hrms. "I ...cannot be saying which this is being." Then Rishi looks Ereyo straight in the eyes. "But. Can you be doing the living like this?" Rishi shakes her head "If nothing of the else, using the spell would let me do the watching of your nightmares and this would be telling me more about how you are doing the feeling. And then I could be doing the prompting and the guiding of you much of the better, to be trying to be doing the remembering yourself."
Amilar Ereyo	Ereyo listens with a pensive frown, slowly sipping her tea. "You're not wrong", she grudgingly admits. "After that experience with the necromancer, I realized I can't keep going like this. What if he really would have intended to harm me? Dragons safe me, what if I encounter another Lunar..." - another shudder, only barely supressed - "...and my mind shuts down again...?" She reaches out for Rishi, waiting to make sure the other woman doesn't reject her touch before she closes her fingers gently around Rishi's shoulder. Storm clouds are swirling around in Ereyo's eyes, but she holds Rishi's gaze without flinching. "There could be so much at stake. I have already failed once to protect the lives that were placed in my care. I want to be strong enough to face my fears, but I can't do it alone. And I trust you... enough to let you do this, if you would be willing. Only I don't want you to be harmed by what you might find there."
Rishi	When Ereyo reaches out, Rishi pulls her into a warm hug, unfolding her wings and wrapping them around the two of you. "This is being the safe place, I am being here for you." Rishi is able to keep a straight face by focusing on just how much Ereyo is hurting, but an involuntary, momentary giggle slips out at the idea of her being harmed by what she finds. "...I am being *most* sorry, but...I am knowing the spell and I am knowing that, whatever I am doing the finding of, it cannot be doing the harming of me." She gives her a comforting clap on the shoulder. "Do not be doing the worrying over me. You just be doing the lying back and relaxing while I am doing the preparing."
Amilar Ereyo	An tentative smile slowly spreads across Ereyo's face, then she nods. Rishi's confidence, along with the tea's soothing influence and the comforting wrap of the other woman's wings, seems to be enough to make her feel safe, and gradually, her body stops trembling. The original, calm violet slowly returns to her eyes. She appears reluctant to draw back out of the hug. "Fine. I believe you know what you're doing. I've never bothered to learn much about that spell." Ereyo laughs softly, then grows solemn again. "Before we start, I'll have to step outside and tell my guards that I will be a bit longer than anticipated. We don't want them to worry, do we?" And she stands up, briefly stretches and walks out to do just that, leaving Rishi to attend to the preparations.