ORIGIN - Tracing Halos in the Sky

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A quiet moment filled Orion for the first time in lamp light cycles. Ashtoreth had no idea how much time had really passed, but Kingsfoil had run off with his family and left her be like a discarded toy. He was bored of her now, and honestly, that was a blessing. Her wing ached, scabs marring her dark auburn fur. Her skin had turned a sickly shade of green, though her feeding magic sometimes didn't work-- perhaps today would be one of her better days?

The tiny noodle hauled herself over to a boulder, ears twitching as she looked around. Her vision swam when she moved to fast, and everything hurt if she so much as breathed in too much, but as long as she could find a way to find strength today she would be happy. Ashtoreth had simple wants, tiny goals she had set for herself. The first was not to provoke the wrath of the Herbivores more than necessary, and the second was to do her best to get by without meat. How she had managed to live-- it had been more than a cycle by now, hadn't it?-- without prey was beyond her understanding. Either something wanted her to suffer, or some greater power was doing its best to keep her alive.

Most likely, both.

The hybrid stretched across the stone, spreading her wings out. Light from a nearby lamp poured down on her and she enjoyed the comforting warmth, breathing softly as she tried to ignore the pain that pulsed through her veins. She felt the urge to cough, but it faded as she stretched out more, letting the light pour into her verdant skin. Today she actually might not die. That meant it was a good day.

@Gigatsuhali

Giga wandered Orion, searching for supplies as she had seen Cayenne do. She found a roll of old wrapping, which she carried in her beak. She had nothing to carry it in, but perhaps she would find something if she wandered around enough. Her bright blue eyes were observant of the surrounding area, which is why she caught sight of something moving over a rock.

The growing bird dashed toward it, slowing to a cautious walk when she was only a few yards away. She tilted her head as the body stretched it's tired wings, a knowing look crossing her young face. She approached a little closer, then stopped so she could put her wrap into her clawed foot.

"Are you okay? Do you need healing?" she inched closer, trying to not get the wraps any dirtier than they already were. She could see already that there was a lot wrong with this poor soul. A wing looked abnormal, body too thin and fur and feather dull in appearance. There was clearly nothing healthy about this little hybrid. "What has happened to you?"

@Ashtoreth

The degenerate carnivore thought she was hearing things at first-- the flutter of feathers, the particular tippy tap of talons... She ignored it at first, enjoying the warmth of the light flood in through her pores, filling her with energy. She simply couldn't get enough, her body starved for anything it could get. As a voice reached her ears, however, the tiny fisher hybrid perked up, casting her dark, glistening gaze towards the fellow bird.

No, the fellow vulture. For a moment, her brain reacted with blind panic, her heart racing as she thought it might be her family-- she didn't want them to be in danger. Her dad couldn't even handle Gertrude, how was he supposed to protect her from Hasira and the goddess Belladonna? There was no way. The awful sensation of fear didn't leave her even as she realized this was a stranger, although her voice was soft and reminded her of Eve. A lovely crow that had acted as her only mother figure, one who was kind and gentle and all too absent in her life now.

Ashtoreth opened her mouth to speak, then a rasping, muted heaving came from her jaws-- it was laughter, despite the pained wheezing noise it made. How could she have forgotten she couldn't talk? Was she really growing so delusional? The full grown hybrid put a paw in her mouth like a toddler and swished her tail, bowing her head gently towards the vulture.

She really didn't want to waste her energy trying to explain things to a bird who would be better off not caring for a dying, broken and battered toy. If it wasn't for how gently and cautiously the avian had asked, she might have shied away and ignored the chick. As it was, she thought she might as well try to give an answer the only way she knew how.

Twitching her good wing, a buzz hummed through the air, and like a radio picking up reception, words returned from the past, echoing forward to answer the question.

"I am Lord Hasira and I own these lands. Any carnivores that wander in forfeit their right to roam these caves freely... Not that they have any right to begin with for soon I will march upon these caves and put you all back in your proper places. Under my hoof."

"Listen closely, both of you, you are now my slaves. If you want to keep yourselves relatively unharmed you will bow down to me now and do as I say peacefully. However, if you want to dispute my rate to own you... Well, there is no guarantee that you will live. At least not with all of your limbs in tact."

The sound petered out, leaving the fisher-vulture hybrid blinking tiredly as she gnawed on her paw as though she was still teething like a toddler. Her ears flattened against her skull as she glanced around, double checking to make sure that Hasira or his kin were not skulking nearby.

@Gigatsuhali

Giga watched her acquaintance rasp and laugh. Unable to speak? she guessed within her mind. Then, magick began to buzz the air and before she knew it, a familiar name and voice was speaking to her... or rather, it had spoken to this poor thing and was being forwarded to her. She didn't understand it beyond knowing it was magick.

As the name was uttered, her heart sank into her gut. As the words went on and the explanation was given, tears found their way into her eyes and her wings dropped a little. If she didn't meet him herself, she would be in disbelief that someone would do such. Unfortunately... she knew better, now. As every chord was struck, she realized she was crying. She hadn't done that since she saw him for herself.

With a shake of her head and sorrowful sigh, she met the eyes of the hybrid and gave the most apologetic look she had. "I... I am so sorry," she said softly. "I've met him... he's beyond my healing, but... I don't think you are."

Giga could not heal the wing, she could not heal the starvation, but she could heal the bruises, the pain, the bad feelings that likely disturbed the hybrid's mind. She put the wraps into her beak again, then walked closer, hopping onto a smaller rock that rested next to Ash's boulder. Giga put the wraps down by her feet, then visually examined the hybrid.

"Firstly, my name is Gigatsuhali Yinehi. Some call me Giga, some call me Yinehi, but you can think of me as a Fairy, if you like." She stretched her neck so her head could really look at the broken wing, then stood up straight again. "I am assuming you cannot speak, so... can you show me what hurts? Do you have any open wounds?"

As she questioned Ash, she tried to focus her magicka on Fauna Cleanse, but only managed to fail. It was frustrating, but not a total loss. There was plenty of time to try again. With any luck, she would be able to help this creature find freedom.

@Ashtoreth

;; content warning for lots of injuries, including a self-inflicted one that happened in this thread.

Ashtoreth stared down at the stranger from her perch, surprised by the tears shed by the creature. Someone was crying for her? With a pinch of worry, the tiny hybrid fretted about her family, wondering if they cried for her too. She had forgotten that there were creatures out there that actually cared, that actually knew how to feel sympathy and empathy-- in this crypt of stars and ruin, the little Star remembered the love of her family, so far and distant that for a long time she had felt nothing but cold when she thought of them.

The warm memories of Eve danced around her as she swallowed, pushing her magic out towards the vulture again. It took a lot out of her, but she felt more alive than she had in a while... Faith and hope was strange like that. "Don't cry," a crow cawed softly into the air, cooing like a mother to Ashtoreth in a place miles away and cycles ago. Reaching even father back into her memory, the winged mustelid plucked out a well worn phrase from her father. "You --- look like an Ashtoreth, a star..." She glanced towards the ceiling that glittered with quartz, ignoring the bitter thoughts that whispered in her ear from time to time-- that stars weren't real. They were just stones, reflecting light, and she was the same-- without light, she was dull and boring, all but useless. It was a bad thought, and she pushed it away with more memories, happier ones.

"Ashtoreth," the hybrid repeated as she met the bird's gaze once more. She inched closer to Giga, memorizing the words she spoke for later. Important, new words, that she wanted to be able to call upon later. A gentle smile tugged on to her muzzle, a tiny tooth flashing under her jaws. Although her body ached, she found something soothing in finally minding them. She let the wind whisper a song-- still mildly concerned about Hasira hearing the words and coming to break her for singing-- as she began to show off her prisoner wounds.

"And if it ever starts to feel bad, little fang... It's easy to explain, 'cause this world's not tame!" Obviously her wing was the worst off, she couldn't walk without it aching and she had only made it worse by forcing magic through it time and time again. She wiggled a paw at the limp limb first, still chewing on her other foot while she went. "And if it ever starts to feel sad, little fang... Remember that your gifts are your gain!"

Next, the hybrid squirmed awkwardly to prod her nose into her shoulder-- a deep gash had been healing rather poorly from where Kingsfoil had stomped her a few days earlier. There were plenty more nicks like it, a scratch on her head, her tail trampled, bruised and broken ribs galore from games of kick the carnivore, but... "And if it ever starts to pour down, little fang... The melody sings what the words can't say!" Ashtoreth paused, flinching as she remembered one such injury that had been not from the buck or his offspring. After a moment of hesitation, she stopped chewing on her paw and stretched out both of her forelimbs.

"'Cause they might laugh, and they might be scared, of the wilder thing with the trikes in her hair, with the spikes in her hair, with the trikes in her hair!" Unlike the other wounds, which were sharp gashes from hooves or bruises from a blunt kick, on the inside of one of her forearms was a particularly fresh, deep-cut bite wound that was certainly not made from any herbivore's teeth. Her beady eyes flashed up from the wound to meet Gigatsuhali's, the song drumming away to only a soft echo of little fang, little fang, until it died away completely.

@Gigatsuhali

Ashtoreth relayed so much. But the two words, "don't cry," brought a small smile to her face. She listened to the fisher sing in a voice that still clearly did not belong to her. Slowly and painfully, the fisher-vulture showed all the places that hurt, including cuts and a self-inflicted bite wound. It was hard to resist the tears of sadness, but she sucked them back for her new little friend.

Once more, Fairy tried to perform Fauna Cleanse. To her dismay, it failed again, fizzling out like a dead firecracker. She heaved a sigh, then remembered something important. "My virus!" she proclaimed, looked at the fisher brightly. "I have a virus that can help."

Not too long ago, she had feasted upon an unrecognizable carcass. Her stomach was still relatively full, which was perfect. The virus was stirring within, ready for it's first "victim." She lifted her head and focused her muscles, pushing some of the half-digested food up. She spit it out on the rock before Ashtoreth. Rotted chunks of meat, coated in virus saliva and mucus, awaited the fisher.

"It is food for you. It will help," she said carefully, nudging a chunk toward her starving patient. "It will eat the bacteria that is eating at your wounds."

After she explained it, she hopped down and ventured to the opposing site of the hybrid to inspect the wing. She flapped like a chicken onto the boulder beside the wing, wraps in beak. She placed it back into her claw, then waited for Ash to eat. "When you are done," she started, "I will sling your wing."

@Ashtoreth

The child waited, patiently, for the bird's reply. At first she received only a sigh, to which she thought she might have done something wrong, but then the vulture perked up offering a virus to help. The overgrown child wasn't sure what she meant, but as the bird regurgitated food the fisher hybrid stirred, starvation biting freshly at her stomach. Not once in her life has Ashtoreth been a picky eater, and she wasn't certainly going to start now.

The hybrid tore into the predigested food, inhaling more than consuming, though that might have been for the best. It didn't taste great, and she nearly choked in the process, but she got it down. Even though her stomach threatened to up-heave it as soon as it came in, it would certainly help that it was already somewhat digested. Her body didn't know how to handle food anymore, really. She put her paws over her muzzle and held it down as best as she could. Food was strength. She was so happy to finally be given something to eat, even as her body revolted against it.

Shivering slightly, Ashtoreth looked up at Gigatsuhali, her tail wagging gently in thanks. This bird was her guardian angel, she thought, no, hadn't she said she was a fairy? A fairy godmother, if only she wasn't a quarter Ash's age. Forcing herself still from nose to tail, she closed her eyes and relaxed, allowing the healer to do her job.

@Gigatsuhali

The scavenger bird was pleased when Ash ate all of the food given to her. It seemed she had difficulty with it stay in her belly, but so long as it stayed in place, the virus ought to begin the process. Hopefully, such would help her perform Fauna Cleanse after she cared for these other wounds.

"This will hurt; I'm very sorry," she said softly. She adjusted Ash's wing, nudging it into a proper fold to her side. She then pulled at the end of the wrap and stuffed it under on of Ash's paws, letting the weight of it hold it in place as she began to wrap the wing firmly, creating a soft cast so it wouldn't move. She then took Ash's end and used her beak to gently tuck it under one of the wraps, then tied it, circling it into itself and pulling tight. With the remainder of the roll, she wrapped the wing to Ashtoreth's abdomen for extra support.

Giga stood straight, adding space between them so she could admire her work. Cayenne would surely be proud, especially after having doubted the bird's ability to wrap. Unfortunately, it left her with nothing to wrap Ash's wounded leg, and she didn't have any material to make the herbal medicine. She was momentarily stumped, but seemed to get an idea.

Suddenly, the bird hopped off the rock, gave Ash a reassuring look, then ran in the direction of a garden she had spotted during her wanderings. Carefully, she made sure none were around and plucked plants she recognized from Cay's teachings, then ran back to Ashtoreth as fast as she could. Upon her return, she was panting heavily, but excited. No acorn or pedestal to mash the ingredients together, but she did have a rather large and trusty beak. So, in it went, where she mashed it up with her virus-infected saliva. Carefully, she dropped a little over each cut, then went back over each would, spreading it out and smiling as it stuck to the fisher's wounds and fur.

It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do for now.

"Can you walk?" she inquired with a tilt of her head. Now was the time to help the fisher escape, if she had the strength to do so.

@Ashtoreth

Ashtoreth shuttered as Gigatsuhali warned her it would hurt. It couldn't be worse than when she had fought the rhino twins, or after Kingsfoil and Euron "played" with her. She tried to remember how bad it was before as the bird reached down and started to nudge at her wing. The pain was hot and fresh, however, and usually she was used to gasping and wheezing in agony when she was hurt and now she didn't want to risk making a sound. She bit down hard on nothing, grimacing as she struggled through the adjustment. It wasn't bad, she told herself, but it still was horribly unbearable. A quiet part of her feared the worst-- how would she ever fly again?

And before she knew it, her bleary eyes opened to see the fairy hop down and give her a kind look before flying off. Was she done? Why didn't she say good bye before she left? Trembling, the child looked around, afraid Hasira had appeared-- and when she saw no sign of the buck she looked at her wing, sure that she had been tricked. Had the vulture tore off her wing just to make certain her suffering would last forever? She felt numb as she saw the bandages holding her wing in place to her body, a certain tiredness sinking into her limbs. Part of her just wanted to fall asleep and forget everything that had happened. She got that urge a lot, but she refused to let sleep or anything worse take hold.

Before she knew it, the vulture had returned. She mashed up a thing and started nudging the goop into her wounds. The noodle hybrid just stared, confused and disoriented, wondering why the bird had returned. Where had she gone? Her brain was too worn out to make the connection that Giga had only left to get herbs. Once the vulture had finished, however, the child reached forward and tried to lick at the fairy angel's beak, a fondness rummaging through her chest. When had she earned the right to have such a wonderful creature near her? Shouldn't Kingsfoil come tromping over to ruin everything?

The bird asked if she could walk and the hybrid tried to move, her stiff limbs resisting the effort. Ashtoreth knew she could move, she had wandered over here just a few moments-- maybe an hour or so ago now-- without any effort. Yet as she went to move her limbs slipped and she plopped down awkwardly again, her weight shifting just enough to push her over the edge of her perch. The fisher vulture plummeted down from the stone and hit the ground with a wheezing whimper, collapsing in a pathetic heap.

@Gigatsuhali , ash is gonna go look for eos b/c she wont want to leave without him so he can join up in a few more posts... :'O Edit: well maybe if ash can ever stand oh my gosh

Giga could only watch in sheer horror as the weakened hybrid toppled off of her rock, rushing over as she hit the ground. She fretted over her and tried to help her roll back to her belly so she wasn't crunching up either wing. She hoped that her Fauna Cleanse would just work this time, if only to give the poor thing a chance to get up on her feet. While waiting for her magic to stir, she shushed Ash gently, preening the hybrid in an effort to calm and soothe her.

Another failed attempt made her close her eyes and sigh softly once more. "I have been trying to heal you with Cleanse and I have... I have been failing." She peered up at the ceiling and sighed once more, before returning to preening her patient.

----

"Speech"
Thoughts

OOC: words
@Ashtoreth

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