Naia Starfall's Story

Naia had arrived in Wing City at the heels of Elante, where she was swiftly assigned to assisting in relocating and evacuating the citizens of Terra from around the combat zones. The Patronus numbers were spread as thin as the TNG as of late and with the situation back at the temple, it was a feat unto itself that any had been spared in sending to the aid of Wing City.

It had been a whisper of the spirits that had drawn Naia away from her comrades and towards the gruesome scene left in Ilx'ilthervix's wake. The clacking of hooves upon pavement alerted the TETRIS Trooper and the mindflayer as to the arrival of a third individual - a centaur woman by the looks of her.

She shifted her weight restlessly as she took in the situation. Jumping into the fray recklessly would serve no one, least of all the TETRIS Trooper who likely would not recognize her affiliation to the Patronus. It wasn't until the mindflayer flung the trooper back that Naia made a move.

The pavement beneath her hooves was a foreign substance, but the plants that grew beneath it were hers to call.

"Fëa en' i' kemen," she called out as a growth of roots pushed their way up through the cracks in the pavement to entangle the mindflayer. Though easily destroyed and uprooted, their growth was continuous and aimed to overwhelm.

Another troublesome pest and a centaur no less! This city had many things of interest in it indeed and the Dark Hand and the mindflayers masters would be happy to know that the location of the ring might be found on this very world. The roots were however a new surprise and Ilx'ilthervix was rather thrown off by the sudden growth of the natural world in this concrete jungle just to then look over at the woman wondering if she was some kind of druid or priest of the forests around this area.

Enough of these tiresome games! The mindflayer'svoice would ripple off the minds of all that were close by following a rather powerful blast of energy that seemed to come from the monster itself sending the blast that was directed at it from the Soldier into another direction and blowing away large chunks of concrete leaving destruction in its wake as part of a building was torn asunder. The tentacles of the beast began to sway a bit as the monster began to glance down making note of the still growing plants just to then bring its hands high up into the air only to weave more of the arcane energies that the world had to offer into a new spell in hopes of dealing with the new problem in hopes of evening the battle field for itself than anything.

As Ilx'ilthervix raised his arms up to weave his next spell he would find his movements growing steadily more and more restricted. Coils of roots entwined his wrists and arms, steadily immobilizing them and making casting more difficult for spells that required somatic components.

Naia took a step back as a large a large hunk of concrete fell into the street in front of her. It shattered upon impact and sent fragments skittering across the ground at her hooves, but her focus remained largely on Ilx'ilthervix as she directed the roots to continue focusing their growth into his arms.

With hands suddenly immobilized the mindflayer found himself in a pretty unwanted situation and even more so due to the energy of the spell was lost no thanks to the centaur over there and her damned ability to control nature. Within a few minutes the mindflayer would find that darkness was his only friend as pain continued to hit it in waves and with every hit from the soldier the mindflayer found himself closer to a new area of discomfort. It was right around the final hit the Ilx'ilthervix was knocked out as his mind would begin to ponder were it went wrong.

With Ilx'ilthervix seemingly subdued, Naia finally approached with slow and cautious strides. She came to a stop several meters from the downed mindflayer and the trooper. The growth of the roots had slowed, but their was life in them yet as they awaited Naia's direction.

Achak gave a rumbling pur of contentment as he shoved up against Kahl's side roughly before padding on ahead.

Tapu chuckled lowly as he and Kahl continued towards the hut.

"She's Aeloran," he answered. "That's close enough to one of us for me."

The dense foliage had thinned out enough to ease Kahl's progress, but every cluster of ferns and tree roots proved a painful experience. The clearing itself proved easier to traverse as the low growing foliage gave way to to lightly packed earth. Further totems encircled the clearing and a simple stone table and large hut claimed the area.

The hut was of a humble nature not too dissimilar to Mira construct with its timber walls and thatched roof. Unlike Mira buildings though, this hut was built outward across the ground rather than up into the trees as the Mira typically preferred. No door was present upon the building but rather a large open archway covered with animals skins provided entry into the hut.

"Naia?" Tapu called out.

As he was met with no answer Tapu left Kahl with the stone table for support as he headed over to the hut. Pushing the skins back he called out again. "Naia?"

"I'm here," a woman's voice replied from the nearby jungle before a nimble centaur stepped cautiously into the clearing.

Her delicate build and the graceful curve of the horns from her head left the woman looking more akin to a hine than the more commonly known horse-like centaurs of the grasslands of Aelora.

Kahl turned around, gave the hut a quick look over and sat down on the table. This could be the end of him if it wasn't healed, it put a lot of things into prospective, mostly that a hunt would be impossible with his ruined leg. Kahl shook his head, thoughts of prospective were for the Shief.

Kahl eyed the centaur. "Naia." Kahl greeted grimly.

"Hey," Tapu greeted as Naia made herself known to the pair. "Mr. brawn over brains here got himself into trouble." He winked mischievously to Kahl at the light jab. "Is there anything you can do?"

"Let me see," Naia replied as she approached.

When she reached Kahl she slipped a leather satchel from her shoulder and lay it down upon the stone slab and as it tipped onto its side an assortment of fruits and plants she had been out harvesting spilled out onto the table. Gently pushing them aside she gestured for Kahl to shift around so his leg was up on the table where she could see.

The disruptor shot had destroyed much of the leather covering that had protected his knee, along with the flesh and fur beneath. Sinew and bone were both damaged extensively, and if not for Le'thorian's blessing still residing over the Mira he would likely have lost the leg in its entirety. Naia's expression turned grim at the extent of the damage visible.

"What happened?" Naia asked. "I have never seen an injury like this before."

Naia like the Mira was native to Aelora and had yet to experience these weapons of a more advanced era.

Kahl groaned and shook his head at Tapu, grunting as he lifted his leg to comply with Naia's gesture. "Aschen. Men with guns, shot me in the knee, thought he was being a big Shief." Kahl lifted a hand to his necklace and whispered something under his breath, whiskers trembling as he examined his wound again.

Kahl was never comfortable with relying on others to help him and the entire clan knew it, preferring to work alone had given him a jaded reputation with most of the other hunters, it was his skill and some form of pull with the Shief that stopped him from getting into trouble with most of the other members, Kahl would go to the extent at trying to heal himself whenever he injured himself in Aelora.

"Is it fixable? Will I be a cripple?"

Kahl groaned and shook his head at Tapu, grunting as he lifted his leg to comply with Naia's gesture. "Aschen. Men with guns, shot me in the knee, thought he was being a big Shief." Kahl lifted a hand to his necklace and whispered something under his breath, whiskers trembling as he examined his wound again.

Kahl was never comfortable with relying on others to help him and the entire clan knew it, preferring to work alone had given him a jaded reputation with most of the other hunters, it was his skill and some form of pull with the Shief that stopped him from getting into trouble with most of the other members, Kahl would go to the extent at trying to heal himself whenever he injured himself in Aelora.

"Is it fixable? Will I be a cripple?"

"It's too early to say," Naia replied. "I have never treated a wound of this nature before, the damage is extensive."

She shook her head.

"I'm going to need supplies that I don't have here. Tapu help him inside and I'll get a list of what I need."

"Come on, back up you go," Tapu told Kahl. "Can't have you lounging around like a layabout, eh?" he asked with a lopsided grin.

The interior of the hut was sparsely furnished in the way of furniture, but the walls and floors were heavily adorned in all manner of shamanic paraphernalia. Fetishes and talismans hung from the walls, animal hides were strewn across the dirt floor of the hut and animal skulls and bones were set out upon tables alongside various utensils.

There were only two cots present at the back of the hut, both built unusually high so as to allow the large centaur ease of access to treating her relatively shorter bipedal patients. Each were covered with thick coverlets of fur that appeared to have seen their share of use over the years. The bringing of the exceptionally sick and wounded to Naia was relatively common place among both the Mira and the indigenous humans of the region.

It had to be at least an hour later now, as Tila walked with her spear as a staff, using it to urge her onward. She paused with her foot landing in a spot of mud. Her claws dug into the earth fruitlessly as she tossed her hair back over her shoulders. Glancing about, she waited for Baako to show himself before speaking softly to him.

"Wasn't Naia somewhere near this area?" Lifting her nose to the air, she sniffed around a bit. "I don't smell anyone around here, though...Don't tell me we're lost." she grumbled, hanging on her spear again.

"Any suggestions, Baako?" She figured he had much more experience at this than she had, he would probably be a far better tracker as well. In the meantime of waiting for an answer, she pulled her foot out of the mud and gave it a shake, splattering the wet earth around on the leaves.

A sigh slipped out of her as she reached up to scratch the back of her neck, eyes looking over to Baako. She was far from giving up, but equally distant from finding Kahl and Makya.

"Oh, Kahl told me about them once! Let me look at it..." Coming around, she took the talisman in her hand and ran a finger over the symbols. When Baako signaled that he smelled something in one direction, Tila took a moment to make note of which symbol on the talisman corresponded. Nodding towards him, she lead her friend in that direction, all the while looking for the next talisman.

After a moment, Tila lost track of the scent, but did see another set of symbols hanging off of a tree. "There should be an order to the symbols, you follow the order, and it takes you to Naia. Let's see, what was the next symbol...Mrr! Kahl, all your stupid rambling was actually useful information, why didn't I listen? Oh! It's that one that looks like the river! This way!"

Her excitement was bubbling over as she took off in a near sprint. Giggling, she slowed when she reached a thick undergrowth, whipping her head about to find another symbol. It would most likely be Baako's nose that lead them from here to their destination as Tila was far too wound up to focus on symbols any more.

"Are they near? Makya! Kahl!" Now she was just being noisy and when Baako no doubt pointed them in the right direction, she went on until she could see some sort of shelter ahead.

"Naia?" Tila's now small voice squeaked out. Had they really made it?

Inside of the Shaman's hut Naia was working over Kahl with diligent care.

"You have visitors," she noted.

She had known of Baako and Tila's arrival long before they had reached her hut, but the Mira were always welcome here.

In a mixing bowl she was grinding up a rather poignant concoction of herbs and various tree roots which she then scraped into a bowl of warm water that was in turn passed to Kahl.

"Drink that, it will help dull your senses while I work."

The cot on which Kahl had been left was tall enough for Naia to work over without needing to stoop and she turned her attention to his leg which had been splinted and propped up.

Bone, sinew and muscle were all visible, and all of which had been seared. What Kahl needed was modern medicine of which she lacked here, but it would serve little purpose to dwell on what she didn't have rather than what she did.

Another bowl was retrieved, this one containing a rancid but effective balm that would dull the nerves around the injury and help ward against infection.

The hunter lifted the bowl of mixture to his lips and snorted at the smell, despite being a wonderful healer the shaman could work on the taste of her salves. Kahl gulped it down and set the bowl to the side, careful not to move his injured leg. It hadn't taken long for Tila to get curious it seemed.

It wouldn't pay for either of the two cubs to see him laying down with such an injury, he needed to be an idol to them both, even if Baako was too disinterested for his own good. Luckily he wasn't the one that Kahl was grooming, he saw something within Tila that could become almost as savage as he, as good as a hunter and twice as deadly.

Small was better than large, and he'd make her see the way of the hunter if it killed him. Kahl went to move, but propped his back up instead. "I have visitors? Hmph. About time."

The hunter lifted the bowl of mixture to his lips and snorted at the smell, despite being a wonderful healer the shaman could work on the taste of her salves. Kahl gulped it down and set the bowl to the side, careful not to move his injured leg. It hadn't taken long for Tila to get curious it seemed.

It wouldn't pay for either of the two cubs to see him laying down with such an injury, he needed to be an idol to them both, even if Baako was too disinterested for his own good. Luckily he wasn't the one that Kahl was grooming, he saw something within Tila that could become almost as savage as he, as good as a hunter and twice as deadly.

Small was better than large, and he'd make her see the way of the hunter if it killed him. Kahl went to move, but propped his back up instead. "I have visitors? Hmph. About time."

Tila ran to the hut, gaining far too much momentum to slowly walk in. So, instead, she nearly fell putting on the brakes while coming into the hut. Her eyes bulged as she threw her arms into windmills to stop herself. Of course she couldn't get away with not hitting anything and soon enough she was convulsing and contorting to catch a bowl she knocked off the table. Standing up straight while still huffing out hot air, she gently rests the bowl back where it was.

In an attempt to regain composure, she ran a hand through her hair before crossing an arm over her exposed mid drift and bowing towards Kahl.

"Elder!" she chirped happily before standing and getting a good look at his leg. She actually gasped in shock. "Kahl, what...what did this to you? Humans?"

Finally she noticed Naia off to the side and quickly gave her a bow as well. She could care less about Baako at the moment, more concerned for her teacher than anything else - although there was one thing she couldn't stop noticing, Makya didn't seem to be here.

"Excuse me - not to be impatient, but - how long will this healing take? We've got to get to the village as soon as possible, Kahl. C'mon, I'll go get Makya - is he outside?"

Baako walked into the hut nonchalantly. He was not going to act like a maniac on what he considered to be sacred ground. When he noticed Naia he gave a full bow. Baako had much respect for the centaur. Baako had great respect for anyone who would selflessly help others. Baako tried to follow that example.

Baako looked to Kahl, he wasn't surprised by the wound, he had seen it happen. It was gruesome, but Baako had seen worse. Far worse.

When Baako heard Tila mention Makya he shook his head slightly. He had known that Makya wasn't in the area from the moment he took sight of the hut. His scent was nowhere to be found. Baako would let Kahl break the news to Tila. Baako didn't like to be the bearer of bad news. Baako new what disappointment felt like, he didn't like giving that feeling to others. Baako waited patiently for Tila and Kahl to wrap it up.

"If he wants to ever walk again, he won't be going anywhere for a while," Naia chastised lightly as she set the bowl aside.

"I need to gather supplies, so I'll leave you two with him for now," she added as she moved away to retrieve her satchel which she slung over her shoulder.

"And I mean it," she warned Kahl sternly. "The damage your knee sustained is unlike any wound I have ever treated before. I will do what I can, but there are no guarantees."

She pushed the flaps of leather aside from the door before looking back once more.

"I will return soon," she told them before she slipped out of the hut.