Fantasy World Creations

It'd been a few days since the incident at the troll's den, and things had more or less settled down. Kin and a few other other guildmates took the time to collect what was left of the dead and perform a burial, staying to make sure the town was ell and could rebuild before heading back home. But the entire way, Kin was still bothered by the words of that strange necromancer.

"You're more than ya seem...?" Kin said to himself, but aloud, while looking toward the young girl that was now in his care. 'Ana' was the lone survivor of the village's slaughter, at least among those that went missing. During the rescue, whether through trauma or otherwise, she became practically attached to Kin's hip, constantly gripping at the hem of his shirt. At this point, though, he was relieved of her clinging as she was eating with her usual, emotionless expression. Kin was getting better at reading that expression, however. It was obvious she was content, if not a bit pleased with the meal. Other than the excessive tendency for silence, the girl seemed just that. She was just a normal little girl.

But the words still bugged him. They had enough suspicion that they'd assault with full force, whoever they were. What sort of conspiracy blames a child for evil. Though, Kin had heard of stranger things. He let out an exasperated sigh. At this point, it was best to check if something was possessing or affecting her in some way. If anything, such a check could help rid her of whatever trauma she's faced.

Once her meal was done, Ana was immediately back to Kin's side, watching her surroundings as always. That fear and paranoia really did make Kin unsettled. "Ana, I've told ya plenty of times, ya don't have to be so guarded. This is a safe place, with good people." In truth, he wanted to commend the child's vigilance. If she WAS going to be under his care, it was a good habit and skill to hone. But Kin knew that for her sake, it wasn't good.

"Come on, we're gonna go talk to someone here. For your sake. I think it'll help the both of us." By that, he meant seek out the help of any clerics or mages that specialized in mental manipulation and the detection of such magics. He may dislike wizardry, but he knew better than to avoid it completely. It was a necessary oddity, in that he was certain.

The little girl continued to stare suspiciously as she stared out at the others from behind Kin. Clinging to his shirt, she stared widely as her eyes darted back and forth whenever a new member of the guild happened to walk by or peer out at the duo. To the outside observer it looked as if she were afraid of everyone, and in truth that may be close to the mark. Anastasia didn't know anyone here, and though in the past few days a couple of others had decided to attempt to interact with the girl, Anastasia had usually only stared with her wide and emotionless eyes.

"Ana, I've told ya plenty of times, ya don't have to be so guarded. This is a safe place, with good people."

Anastasia clutched the shirt tighter.

"... Only safe with Hero." She said as she continued to stick close with the halfling.

Kin let out a defeated sigh with a smile. He knew better than to argue the point. "Well, you'll see in time, kid. Come on." Kin began to wander down the halls of the guild as he thought of who best to meet with. Lyolf, his roommate, was out of the question. Though skilled, there's no way he could be trusted with a child's mental health. Jornathel would be a good bet, but Kin hadn't seen him around lately, so he may not even be in the guild hall. Kin stood still for a moment at the sudden realization. "Who around here is good with divining magic and kids, anyways!?"

Now Kin was frustrated. There was literally NO ONE that came to mind, or if he did know them, he didn't know their talents. If there were ever a single moment in his life that he wished he knew that accursed 'wizardry', now was that time.

Invisible and in her smallest form, the faerie hovered silently in front of the face of a child. She had followed one of her guild mates back to the guild and it seemed like she had decided that she would not leave his side. Most human kids seemed so vibrant and full of life. It was fun playing in the town with the kids! But this girl was off. Callista could see it from the first moment she saw her. She just stared. Was it at everything? At nothing? Could the girl see Callista now and just chose not to say anything?

And so, the faerie stared at the little girl who seemed to be staring at nothing in particular. When the short man rose and told the girl to follow, Callista followed behind. Something was definitely off about this kid. Why didn't she want to go out and meet other kids and play? It was a beautiful day outside. Perfect for meeting other children and playing in the mud! Maybe she could cheer the girl up!

And then the short man called out to no one in particular about magic and kids. Hey! She was good with magic and kids! Kind of. Pausing, the faerie enlarged herself to her child-size form and let her feet touch the ground. Keeping her wings hidden, she removed the invisibility from the rest of her body and skipped around in front of the girl.

"Hi! You don't have to be sad, its bright and sunny outside! You wanna go outside and play with me!" Callista reached out her child-size hand.

Kin was taken aback by the sudden appearance of this child before him. One he'd never seen before, especially not in the guild. He wanted to start shouting about how she got into the guild, and what she was doing here. He REALLY wanted to. But her proposal was too interesting to interrupt. How would Ana handle it? He assumed she would withdraw behind him, but it was the first time he'd seen her encounter another child.

So, for the time being, Kin bit his tongue (almost literally) and waited, watching the odd girl reaching out her hand with caution. Out of the norm for him, yes. Even he realized being quiet here was not his normal behavior. It was a real exercise in self control. But a necessary one for learning about this little girl beside him.

It didn't take a lot for Anastasia to realize Kin was looking for someone or something in particular. Someone good at something called divining magic and kids. Though concepts and words seemed foreign to the little girl - she understood the words. It was as if even though she knew what each of the individual words meant, she had no previous recollection or memory linking those words to any activity or preconception. At the time at least, she didn't connect her hero's search for someone good at divining with her own state of being at all.

It was much the same when a child, as tall as Kin and herself appeared in front of them.

Bright and sunny? The weather, that's what she means. Am I sad? Are you supposed to be sad when the weather is bright and sunny?

The young girl continued to stare at the new girl. Unsure of who she was, and what she wanted to play. Anastasia was a bit interested however, at the very least this was the first time she had seen someone else who was as small as both Kin and herself. Could it be that this new girl and Kin were related?

Anastasia pointed hesitantly at Callista, while she tugged on Kin's shirt.

"... is that... your sister?"

Kin could see the confusion surface on Ana's face. If anything, he was surprised she'd not retreated. But what was she confused about?

Quote"... is that... your sister?"

It took quite a bit for Kin to actually stay on his feet. That one really caught him off guard. Was he mad? Not especially. Was it funny? Yes, a little. So that's why he was nearly laughing out loud while clenching his teeth. Last question: should he correct her? Most definitely.

"...No Ana, we're not related." Was all he could manage for the moment. After the quick feeling of shock was gone, he continued. "She's just looking for someone to play with. She's trying to cheer you up, I think." Kin looked at the child for her nod of approval at his assumption. "Did you want to go play outside?"

"Also," Kin turned back to the newcomer, "Who are you?"

Oh! A reaction! She wasn't just staring at Callista the same way she did with the other people who tried to greet her! Wait, what? Sister? The faerie looked at the halfling, then felt her face and looked at her hands. She was pretty sure there was no way she could be related to the stranger of a guild mate. They did not even look anything alike, and she wasn't even counting her invisible body parts. She was about to deny the question, even though it was directed at her, but the short man answered first.

"I don't recognize you, so you must be new to town, right? I can show you all around town and introduce you to fun kids! They should be finished with their chores by the time I'm done showing you around!" Totally ignoring the man's question, Callista grabbed the girl's free hand and started trying to drag her away. She didn't really know him, but she didn't really know most people in the guild personally. Most of them she knew as much as she did because she enjoyed stalking them while invisible. Sometimes, that was the best way to learn. Even so, she knew of him, and figured he knew of her, so it was fine in her mind if she dragged his kid away to play. After all, she lived in the guild, so he knew where she lived and could retrieve the girl any time.

Playing outside wasn't something that she had at all considered. At the very least she had no memories of actual playing. She knew what it meant - that it was to do an activity that was enjoyable. But she didn't understand why it was enjoyable, and the more she thought about it, the more she was confused why people would play outside.

Why would I want to play outside?

And as always Anastasia continued to peer out from behind Kin, staring at the new girl, but making no move to come out or say anything. To the onlooker she would have looked shy and afraid, but rather than that it was more that she didn't know how to respond or react to the invitation.

At that moment the other girl had grabbed her hand and had begun to drag her away. Alarms went through Anastasia's head as she started to feel panic well up within her. Step by step, she continued to be dragged away.

Stop it. I don't know who you are.

The distance kept growing. Her eyes glanced towards Kin. Anastasia didn't know what she was doing, only that she wanted to call out to the halfling. She felt her mind soar towards his direction, reaching out and attempting to communicate her stress through a series of different flashing images, each seemingly distorted to get any real sense of a picture, but hopefully enough to convey her anxiety.

It was quick and sudden, as mental images flew through the halfling's mind. They were extremely distorted, but all of the ones he could make out were different scenarios of Anastasia being back at Kin's side, with a few extremely dark and grim image that gave a feeling of pure fear. These were not Kin's thoughts. He grabbed his head with wide eyes, then looked back toward Ana and the girl. Ana's eyes were wide, and it was the first time Kin had seen so much emotion on the young girl's face. It was a pleading expression, as she was trying to resist.

Quote"That little girl isn't what she seems."

"I think I finally get what he meant a little." Kin muttered to himself as he stepped forward. Quickly, he seized the wrist of the unknown girl, immediately stopping her progress at pulling Ana. "Hold it, lil' miss. Ana may not have said anything, but it's obvious she's resisting. I don't think she's ready to go play just yet." He waited until the leaf-and-twig covered girl released her grip. Wait, why is this girl covered in foliage? Kin thought quickly. "Maybe another time...once she's more comfortable with this place as her home. She could certainly use a friend. But you still haven't answered me, where did you come from?"

Of course, Kin had a mountain of other questions in mind. But they were ones he needed to ask a specialist. It was just a suspicion, but the halfling was convinced that Anastasia had just placed images in his mind without a single motion of casting a spell. Not only was she able to use magic, but it was far from normal magic. He was now certain, between a cleric and a wizard, he needed some sort of wizard.

'Eh?' Callista dropped the girl's hand and turned to stare. Why would she resist to playing? That was weird. All the other kids, they only resisted going out to play because they had chores or because they weren't feeling well. But they always tried to finish up their chores as soon as possible so they could play. She was pretty sure the girl did not have any chores to do, since they had not been doing much before now. That left only one possible reason why a sad girl did not want to play. She was sick! In which case, someone should take her to the guild's healing place or that one pretty lady who came by with herbs sometimes.

OH. She wasn't comfortable here yet? Hm... That still didn't add up to the faerie. Most kids she had met, old to the town or new, were always eager to go out and play with other kids. It was boring to stay inside all day, after all. And if they did stay inside all day when they weren't sick, they usually ended up getting stuck doing chores to keep them busy. They even went out when it was raining sometimes! Yes, this only confirmed that the girl must be sick in the faerie's mind.

"Are you sick? Is that why you're sad and don't want to play?" Callista asked, worried. "You should take her to the hospital, little man." She pointed in the direction of the guild's infirmary, just in case he didn't quite know where it was.

Again, she did not reply to his question about herself. After all, he should be concentrating on taking care of his kid and making sure her sickness was not bad rather than worrying about where a fellow guild mate came from.

Huh, well it's kind of true.

"...Yes, she's sick. That's where we were headed. Trying to find a specialist to examine her." Kin said, somewhat relieved he was given such a solid excuse. It's not like he was going to say 'Oh, no. It's just that everyone she knew died and she's extremely hesitant to speak with others'. Well, usually he might, but he didn't want to bring up bad memories for Ana. He was her guardian, after all. Can't just speak his mind ALL the time anymore.

"We'll head there right away. Sorry she couldn't play with you this time." Kin says as he starts walking toward the medical wing with Anastasia. Once out of earshot, he spoke up, "Ana...were those images your doing? And are you alright?" He glanced down to meet her gaze.

Anastasia shivered as the panic slowly started to dissipate. It had only been a few days since Kin and the other guild members had come and rescued her from the troll who lived in the cavern, and she was still getting used to life after the seemingly traumatic event. It wasn't that she didn't like the others, in fact most of them had treated her well, but she didn't like being reminded of the frightening memories. More than that, there was something about thinking to the past that made Anastasia recoil.

When Kin had begun to pull Anastasia away towards the medical wing, Anastasia looked back towards the funny-clothed girl, almost sorry that she didn't get to experience this 'playing'. A moment later she looked towards Kin, and as always began clutching his shirt. She paused for a few moments when Kin had asked his questions, trying to recall what just happened only moments ago.

I... don't know. She thought, trying to make sense of what she did.

Instead of replying out loud, she shook her head slowly.

Kin looked toward her seriously for a moment, studying all that just happened. That was a hesitant response...I don't think she eve knows what happened. But the content...that was definitely her doing. Realizing he probably looked upset, he quickly returned to a smile. "Well don't mind it, I'm just glad you're alright, kid. Though once you've gotten used to this place, I do recommend going and playing with other children. When the time comes." He nodded to his statement.

"Now then, let's go see what the guild medics can do for us." Kin said as he barged into the room moments later.

"Hey all! I have a question!" He declared confidently to the entire room upon entry.

"What the- Oh gods, Kin. You nearly gave me a heart attack. Don't you ever knock!?" One of the healers retorted, obviously flustered.

"No." Kin said bluntly, "Now, question time for me. I'd like to have this young girl examined. Not for physical injury, but mental strain. She...went through some hard times, and I want to make sure she's alright. Is it possible to do a scan like that?" Kin then leaned in before he answered to add one last thing in a whisper, "I also would like her checked for magic aptitude if possible. I think she's manifesting something. Please keep this rather secret."

The attendant was surprised by the request, "This is odd coming from you, Kin. But yes, I think I can manage something with the others' help. Go ahead and have a seat against the wall there, both of you. I'll let you know when we're ready."

Kin wandered over and hopped into a seat, with Ana in tow as usual. Realizing she was probably uncomfortable about all this, he did his best to reassure her. "These people are going to make sure you're ok. And if we're lucky, they can tell us what happened in the hall before. They're good, and kind, but I know you still don't like the other of others getting close. I'll be next to you whenever I can, just do what you can to hang in there and follow their instructions."

[spoiler]OOC: I have no idea what you want to reveal and how, so go ahead and describe what they check/examine/etc. Message me if you want to brainstorm. I'll remove this spoiler once it's done haha.[/spoiler]

Moving into the room almost seemed like a transformation. Most of the guild's halls were floored with stone and wooden planks, yet as they entered this new room, the tiles became white, the walls too took on a more cleanlier look. There were a couple of well-dressed healers in the guild, and each of them had given Anastasia quite smiles whenever the young girl would peer out and stare at them. It was almost uncomfortable, and Anastasia continued to cling to her hero like some sort of lost child.

She too was curious about what had just happened, though in some strange ways it felt as if she had already known what she had done. Needless to say, whatever she did, it felt almost natural to her, even though she couldn't remember ever doing anything like it before.

The time continued to tick forward, and Anastasia continued to feel even more uncomfortable in the room. The bright lights of the room stung her eyes as she shifted often. Her eyes continued to scan, darting back and forth whenever movements appeared. This so-called healer's room made her feel uneasy, and though Kin had said some calming and reassuring words, Anastasia couldn't bring herself to relax. She felt off. She felt trapped. But she didn't know why.

"Hero..." Anastasia said quietly, her voice full of trepidation.

Two sets of legs made their way to the medical ward's waiting room. One was shorter and stocky, while the other were the legs of perhaps an adolescent girl. They continued at a normal pace, neither brisk or relaxed. To at least one of them, it was a normal every day job. The other, the adolescent girl, on the other hand, had been there just to tag along, however improbable that seemed to those that knew her.

She had been talking to him about something long and drawn out, but it didn't take them long to be in the hearing range of both the halfling, Kin, and Anastasia.

"And you wouldn't believe what he did after that. Placed a couple of the wrong things together, and before he knew it, the whole place was burning down. He definitely was good at it." She paused a quick moment before continuing. "You know Shandon, at least you understand me. I swear the rest of the guild just doesn't get it." Katrias said, completely oblivious to the fact that Shandon hadn't said a single word since in the last few minutes of their conversation.

It was obvious that Ana was uncomfortable in the room, no matter what words were said. Not that Kin blamed her, as this whole wing was completely different and separate from the guild's normal style. In her mind, she probably wasn't even home any longer. She wouldn't let the clerics take a look at her at this rate. Finally, Kin spoke up.

"Would sticking with her through the tests ruin things? She seems pretty uncomfortable, so staying close would probably keep her calm." Once again, they were shocked and took a moment to respond. Kin. Considerate? Everyone in the room had immediately thought that their life dreams were possible in the face of this miracle.

"Well, we're not doing anything intensive, so I don't see why not. The head cleric finally stammered out. "And on that note, we're just about ready. Please step onto the platform, you two." They had prepared a small ritual circle, with a font of holy water and other divine spell materials. It was a very proper setup that Kin knew well enough. But something was off about it, and on queue, the man spoke up. "It'll still work fine, but usually there should be another member for the ritual. So it may lack a little strength, but I don't think it'll be a problem.

It was then that everyone heard another young girl's voice from outside the doors. It was a voice many knew well, but none expected to have this tone. Was that...slightly cheerful? "That...can't be Katrias. Can it?"

But sure enough, Katrias came right through the doors, with someone Kin hadn't met before. An odd dwarf with white eyes and dark skin and hair. Odder still, he seemed to be listening to Katrias intently, for what seemed to be one of her ranting stories. Commendable.

---

"..."

Shandon was listening to Katrias' tale of mishaps and frustration diligently. The main reason? It wasn't often that someone talked to  him this long, so he was curious what kind of person would overlook that fact he hadn't said a word for a good 20 minutes. She seemed intelligent, but rather condescending, which was odd for someone so young that was surrounded by elders. He concluded she was talented, but due to that talent, was left alone. In short, she needed someone to listen to what she normally keeps to herself, but shouldn't. He knew that feeling well enough from times past. It was something he didn't really get much of, and so he thought, before that isolation truly began effecting her, he would lend her an ear. After all, there was not much else he could do in this regard.

In truth, the story was actually rather enjoyable, once you were able to look past her rather insulting words. It'd actually brought him to occasionally chuckle. So really, it wasn't much of a sacrifice listening to the rant. This was even more apparent at her sudden paused words. Shandon beamed a tight-lipped, warm smile her way, before turning it to a grin and cocking a eyebrow jokingly to address her last sentence. "...Idiots?..." His only word. In 20 minutes.

Pushing open the doors, he was greeted by an unexpected sight. A halfling with a grand reputation for both his swordsmanship and speech stood before him with a little girl. He gathered from the positioning and surrounding that they were going to be examining the little girl, and with a rather strong ritual.

"What's...wrong...?" He said, with a somewhat worried expression.

"Oh! Perfect timing, Shandon. Could we get your help with the ritual? It will be more stable that way. And perhaps you could help us detect anything. You're very perceptive, so we'd appreciate it." he then turned to Katrias. "And Miss Lyseer, it's good to see you. We'd actually appreciate your eye for the arcane, as well. Just in case. No need to strain, just to watch." He said with a hopeful smile.

Shandon simply nodded, his expression becoming determined. He looked to Katrias to confirm what was happening. "Talk later..." He said, then motioned to the group with a sideways nod of his head. "Work."

After the small exchange, Shandon walked up to see what was to be done. First, though, he went to the young girl. "Don't...worry..." He said, then pointing to her torso, indicating her for his next word. "Safe."

Two strangers appeared, chatting away and though Anastasia was usually hesitant on newcomers, something about these two seemed to be more welcoming. She couldn't quit pinpoint the exact reason, but Anastasia decided it must have been something dealing with their height.

The stockier one came up to her, talking almost hesitantly, and immediately Anastasia blinked a couple times realizing that this one was different than the others. He was quieter, at least compared to her hero, and Anastasia couldn't help but stare at him for moments longer. It took her a few more moments to register the next words that he had spoken, but she got the general meaning. She glanced towards Kin, and soon enough made her way up on the platform.

The ritual started then, with the healers surrounding them, and chanting. The circle glowed with divine energy, and Anastasia couldn't help but cling to Kin tighter. She felt the intrusions to her mind then, a sure sign that the ritual that was being performed started doing its work. But something was going wrong. The divine energy continued to crescendo, attempting to intensify the energies required for the thorough scan. The circle only grew brighter, the chanting increasing in like terms.

Anastasia closed her eyes tight while she gripped on to Kin's clothing. She wasn't aware of it at first, but walls upon walls were being built around her. Impenetrable fortresses raised, and as each one was torn down by the bright shining light, another one would take it's place right behind. When she continued to feel the intrusions slip in, then forcefully out, over and over, Anastasia knew something was going wrong. She didn't want to prevent the scan, hero wanted this after all.

But try as she might, those bulwarks never decreased, only continued to pile upon each other as more layers were added.

No... no... stop it.

Never. Never. NEVER.

The struggle continued then, but try as she might, Anastasia only became more and more frustrated.

No! No!

Her thoughts continued to cascade within her, echoing through every corners of her mind. The divine energies continued to mount, and though she didn't mean to, before she knew it she had built up a large chunk of psionic energies. Anastasia felt cornered, she wanted to help, but her mind continued to recede further and further.

Finally she released all that energy, her physical body's voice yelling at the same time.

"No!" With that her mind shot forth, assaulting the barriers around her, piercing through them and the walls, reaching out to anyone and anything, leaving a burning wake in its path. With it's first target being the one thing that Anastasia would have most refused to hurt: Kin.

Kin could feel the warmth of the divine magic building and looked to Ana with a smile, reinforcing that it was alright. She seemed determined to follow his lead, so that was good. But just before he turned his focus away, he felt her squeezing his hand a bit more, then his clothes. Something was going wrong, there was resistance where there shouldn't be. "Oi, Ana, keep calm-"

"No!"

CRACK!

BZZZTZTZZTZTZZZTZZZTZZTZT

Kin had lost his hearing. His eyes wouldn't focus to nearly going black. All he could sense was the internal buzzing and snapping sounds of lightning within his head, barely making out the the presence of the little girl beside him. He sluggishly turned toward her, trying to steady himself and focus his eyes through the light of the ritual and the pain in his head.

Then he hugged her.

Kin put his arms around the girl, his head next to hers, hovering over her shoulder. "A...a...An..a...Ana...!" He could barely even speak her name, but pressed on. She trusted him during this whole time to keep her safe, and now she needed help. He was her hero! He could not falter! Even with his dulled senses her could feel the shaking from the combating magic. He was right...she's something special.  But I know she's not evil...! The necromancer from the troll cave had predicted she was the cause for much distress. And he was probably right. But it wasn't her desire, that was obvious now. She was afraid. Scared of her own power. He could feel it. Wait, how could he feel it?

Kin suddenly realized that he was hearing and feeling things that weren't from his own senses. They...were Ana's. Only partially, but the shock seemingly opened some sort of mental connection. What...is this? His thought echoed within his mind as it swam through the myriad or familiar and foreign thoughts. It nearly overwhelmed him, until a single presence trumped all the rest. A wave of cold swept through him as he focused his thoughts at whatever entity was there. What else could even BE here.

Get out. Get out! GET OUT!

And just like that, Kin was flung from the psychic state, his eyes opening widely in shock. "When did I close my eyes?" He looked around. The ritual appeared to be over. "What happened?" Then recognition hit him. "And why am I lying on my back-! Owowow, my heeead~" He gripped his head. It seems he'd lost consciousness. No, that wasn't it. His consciousness was in Ana's mind temporarily.

Not temporarily.

He still felt...something. Not as strong. But a trace of whatever energy he'd been hit with. His eyes shot open wider. "Ana! Where's Ana!?"

But as Kin woke up, the first sight that greeted him was a familiar paladin, though rather than the expected golden armor that she wore, the knight had on a simple white blouse with an equally simple skirt. She had what seemed to be a book open, and quick glance would have easily told an observer the title of what she was reading: Milianna Jones: Raiders of the Lost Tomb.

The paladin immediately stopped her reading when Kin had the outburst. It looks as if she was going to say something, but she held her thought, and instead smiled warmly. With the rays of the setting evening sun outside, the gleaming orange gave the scene an almost surreal look and feel, with Annia straight in the center of the warmth.

"You've awoken Kin. It's been..." She hesitated for a moment, but making up her mind continued. "It's been an entire week since you fell unconscious. Had a lot of people worrying about you." She gestured towards a nearby desk filled with a variety of random get-well items.

"But most of all..." Annia started to shift her position, giving Kin a better look. "This little one." As she moved out of the way, right beyond on her, completely knocked out and asleep was a little girl, her arms spread neatly as a makeshift pillow, while she sat on a chair beside the bed. Her eyes were closed, as her chest heaved up and down slowly with her breathing.

It was Anastasia.

Kin blinked a couple times, even rubbing his eyes. He'd never seen Annia without her armor, or at least it wasn't often, so she was nearly unrecognizable to him. "Hmm...? OH! Annia! You don't have your armor. Weird." Of course, it was in fact perfectly normal that she wasn't wearing armor in a recovery area.

After her greeting, Kin's jaw dropped. "A WEEK!?" He put his hand to his head in disbelief, but once again flinched due to sensitivity. "That force really did a number on me. So? What was the result? Do we know what's going on with Ana? Can we help her?" Of course, he had a better idea than most on the specifics. He'd seen first hand the strange ego in her mind, only perpetuating her fear. THAT was what he wanted to deal with; the presence was most likely what the necromancer had been hunting. Kin clenched his fist in frustration. And Ana was just a necessary sacrifice to him...the bastard!

"Wait a second, that's one hell of a 'get well' table. Who exactly DID all that?" Yes, he'd saved people, so maybe they sent their regards. And yes, he had friends. But close enough to have this occur? "I mean, I know I have a fan club, but SHEESH!" It was one surprise after the next today. Unconscious, an unarmed Annia, being wished well. Too weird.

It was when Annia shifted to the side that Kin didn't heed anything else. "Ana...!" He jumped out of bed, his balance unsteady due to the slight atrophy of being bedridden for a week. When he finally made it to her chair, seeing her breathing normally, he sighed in relief. Kin then looked to Annia for confirmation. "She's alright...right?" It was his turn to worry, turning back to the resting child with concern.

"Oh... you're already awake," a certain infamous elf spoke, as he entered the room with a raven on his shoulder and inkwell and quill in-hand. He promptly hid such objects behind his back though, seeing that the room's occupants were very much present and -unfortunately?- very much awake.

"A pity."

"I'm sure."

He gave a resigned sigh, his face betraying no hint of the mischief poorly hidden in the arms behind him. "Anyways, we're glad to have you back in the land of the living, Kin!" Lyolf laughed merrily, with the raven bobbing its head in agreement. His arms then swept across a bulk of gifts, many of which came from the elf himself: there was turkey, oil, turkey covered in oil, vials that go boom, flasks that spout doom and...

[spoiler=A large black spherical object bearing text of some kind]

[/spoiler]


"As you can see, you really had us worried there," the elven magus spoke aimlessly, as the fuse's spark slowly but gradually made its way towards the black sphere's core. "And I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I heard your question about the girl just now," he continued while pointing towards the small girl resting in a chair nearby. "From what I can tell..."

"She seems fine-rather, she seems so fine that it's somewhat suspicious." The elf's expression went slightly rigid and the room entered a momentary period of quiet, disturbed only by the constant fizzing sound of the yellow spark as it slowly transversed the path towards its goal-the sphere's core. "If anything, I feel that it's her name that's slightly off," Lyolf went on, completely unperturbed by the looming danger.

"Perhaps you could reconsider her name somewhat?" The magus asked hopefully. "I feel her name should have more flavor, more extravagance, more flair like... Like-"

"Sakura?" The raven offered expectantly.

"Too boring."

"...Rin, then?" Uli asked again.

"Too plain."

"In that case, why don't you come up with one," the raven responded in an irritated tone, to which the elf responded with apparent glee, as if spending his entire life awaiting this one moment.

"Shinji!" He blurted out confidently.

"No."

"Eh...? Then, Gilgamesh!" Lyolf spoke, a look of triumph on his face. For what sane, reasonable creature could possibly deny granting a little girl with such a form-fitting name.

"Rejected."

"Alright, fine!" Lyolf exclaimed, his voice rising just as the fuse's spark finally reached its goal. For ever since that day one week prior, Lyolf had come up with a name that he was planning on saving for someone special, someone unique. The elf gritted his teeth. To think he had to use it now... However, his familiar had left him with no other alternative. Thus, the magus pointed at the child and uttered one word accompanied by an explosion.

"Rasputin!!!!!"

[spoiler=Additional Info - If the bomb was not stopped]
It explodes in a shower of garlic, holy water, and confetti.
[/spoiler]

Her sleep was peaceful, and even more so than that, her dream was comforting. Anastasia was in a field that stretched as far as the eye could see. The weather was bright and sunny, and though she didn't relate the nicety of the environment as a requirement for a comforting dream, at least to Anastasia the feelings they evoked were calm and positive. But if one were to attribute the primary aspect of the dream that simply made it that much more soothing, it was the presence of a particular halfling.


She had been picking up small flowers on the ground, having examining them for what seemed like hours. It was then after looking up did she saw him. A short creature, roughly her same height, a sword strapped to his back, with what looked to be an inviting grin. She stared at him for a few more moments until she started to pick up her pace, waving her small hands at him, her hero, Kin.

"Hero..." She called out in her meek voice.

"Ana!" The halfling responded. It was at this point when Kin started running towards her as well.

"Hero!" Anastasia called out again, her steps bouncy.

"Ana...!" Kin continued. But time seemed to slow down. The sounds of her footsteps started to become more muffled.

"Hero?" Anastasia called out again, though less certain this time around. Again her voice was muffled. She heard Kin respond again, but it was harder to make out his words, even though he was already just a few feet away from her.

"Ana-putin..." She heard him say.

"Hero...?" Anastasia called out again, panicking as she noticed his features distort and warp. Her hero didn't respond again then, only continued to distort and warp, as something that was definitely evil took the place of her beloved hero; it was the face of a silver-haired elf.

"Anaputin!" It said, still calling out to her, as his hands reached out to her. Anastasia stepped back, she wanted to look for Kin, but her eyes couldn't leave the nightmare in front of her.

"Hero!" Anastasia called out helplessly.

Suddenly, the stranger's face suddenly sped right up in front of her, yelling in frightening voice.

"Rasputin!!!!!"

She woke up. Tears in her eyes, and immediately recoiling when she noticed something. The silver hair. The keen eyes.

It was the elf.

Even in Kin's lesser state, he was perceptive enough to recognize a bomb when he saw it. "What the- DAMNED CRAZY ELF!?" Kin quickly lunged forward, gripping the fuse with his hand to quench the flame. After a slight recoil from the pain of gripping fire, the halfling sighed in relief.

He turned to face his 'roommate', a dour expression on his face. "I didn't think I'd get to kill something so soon after waking up!" He said in a sickeningly cheerful voice, his expression now that of a sneer. It was then that the elf finished his ranting, yelling out a name of some sort. This yelling caused Ana to stir, staring teary-eyed at the elf. It was the first time he'd seen disgust in Ana's expression. He was all choked up, proud of her for realizing what this moron really was. They grow up so fast.

But this was no time to stand still. Ana was crying. BECAUSE OF LYOLF! Kin quickly moved back beside the girl, his anger from the bomb only increasing with the newest event. But now that Ana was awake, he wasn't about to pick a fight with the carrion before him. It took all his might to not continue to grit his teeth. Finally, he spat out a remark venomously, "Get out...!"

Flowers and herbs were known to help speed up healing of not just the body and soul, but of the mind, too. Thus, when she heard there was a little girl with amnesia who the guild's healers had failed to help, the Elvin herbalist decided to help. She would have joined them in their rituals had she been notified, but it seemed everyone had been in a hurry to get things done that day. Upon deciding to join them in their meeting about what had happened, she had learned that while performing the ritual for diagnosing the girl, the halfling who was currently in charge of her had fallen unconscious. And so, for the last week, Alaenoria had been collecting herbs and flowers that would help both of them. Every day, she had brought in another vase or potpourri pouch to add to the table of ever-growing get-well soon gifts. Each one had different flowers and herbs. There were so many that could possibly help that she had decided to just bundle up the ones that went well with each other and bring in one bundle a day.

This day, she had prepared a bundle that focused on geranium and hyacinth flowers. Geranium was known to help relieve tension and domestic conflict and thus might help the little girl relax so that they might be able to find out what was wrong with her. Hyacinth was said to help build self-esteem and build trust, which she hoped would help the girl become more comfortable with everyone. Alaenoria had a gut feeling that whatever had happened to the halfling during the ritual had something to do with the girl's mind, and so she also hoped the hyacinth would help rebuild the trust between the halfling and the girl should Kin blame the girl for what had happened to him.

"Get out...!" She heard a voice shout upon nearing the door, which was now open. Assuming that was the halfling's voice, it seemed as though she had arrived just in time with her aromatherapy. With that in mind, she slipped in to see one her least favorite Elves in the city. The halfling's first day back in the world of consciousness and Lyolf was already picking on him. Her eyes narrowed. Why was this guild so full of crazy characters like this Elf?

"Lyolf." There was disdain in her voice as she very shortly spoke his name. She slipped past him as she continue to speak, aiming to place the vase on the table by Kin's bed. "This is a place of healing and recovery. If you are going to cause trouble, then take your leave and cause it somewhere in which your presence is more tolerable."

Before Annia could respond to Kin, Lyolf had suddenly burst into the room, both waking up Ana, and causing Kin to get very much annoyed. The spell trigger that Lyolf must have used was foiled due to Kin's quick actions.

"Unfortunately Lyolf, she already has a name." She said responding to the elf's outburst. The paladin shook her head, used to the rowdy antics between Lyolf and Kin. She very much doubted that the bomb could have caused serious trouble, after all the elf surely wasn't that crazy.

... right?

"BWAHAHAHA!!" The elf spontaneously shouted, a crazed look in his eye at the paladin's response. Both inkwell and quill were long gone from Lyolf's hands, having been placed back into the deep recesses of his handy dandy haversack. In their place, however, was something round, something black, something... spherical.

"Should I even bother asking?" Uli spoke, eyeing Lyolf's latest acquisition with an upraised eye.

"Ah, it's that phrase of wisdom Golas keeps spouting; It's actually quite catchy." The magus quickly replied, grinning as his eyes drifted down towards the newfound weight in his hands. Its glistening black sheen glimmered with light, seemingly coinciding with the elf's own solid gaze.

"While I agree that the phrase is most catching, what I was really worr-"

"Oh, this?" Lyolf finally surmised.

[spoiler=The magus raised the black mass towards his familiar.]
[/spoiler]


Additionally, apart from the halfling, paladin, and child it seemed one more had decided to enter the ever crowding room-an elf of sorts or at least Lyolf thought it was an elf. It was the ears. They were far more pointy and sharp than his own, like an arrowhead. Of course, that was to be taken for granted, seeing as how human he had become. The average passerby wouldn't even recognize him as an elf, both physically... and otherwise. However, it seemed this normal elf had a thing or two to say about the magus/raven duo's antics.

[spoiler=Their reply?][/spoiler]

The others here were probably used to how the elven magus acted, though she worried about how the little girl, Anastasia, felt. This was, after all, possibly one of the few times they had met. Annia looked towards the halfling who seemed to have gotten riled up. The knight looked as if she was about to say something but thinking better, instead only smiled.

That Lyolf bringing in his usual antics, he probably just wanted to see how Kin was doing.

Then the bomb appeared.

He just has a bad way of showing it.

Setting the vase down, the female Elvin mage looked at the halfling. Ignoring the laughter of the male magus and his raven, she spoke to Kin. "If you would like, I could have him temporarily banned from this room and possibly confined to one of his own, depending on whether he chooses to exit via the door or the window over there." Although she did not spend much time around the guild in these last few years, she had heard of the trouble-making magus' antics on a variety of occasions. She was not the kind of person to tolerate such behavior in places such as her shop or infirmaries. It had already been established in her shop via forceful bursts of wind sending trouble-makers sprawling into the street, and she could not see why the healers who ran the guild's infirmary had not established it here.

Believing the paladin in the room would take care of whatever idiotic ideas Lyolf thought he might be able to pull off while she was speaking to Kin, Alaenoria changed the topic to something of more importance. "Although I was not there when you brought the child in for the check-up, I was delegated in a meeting with those who were to discuss what happened with you whilst they continue doing more research for a secondary attempt if one is desired. It does not have to be now, it can wait until you are feeling well enough and ready. I believe it would be best if we spoke about it in private."

Kin simply nodded at Alaenoria's request, But he suddenly became insistent, "It sounds like news that shouldn't wait. I'm well enough. And as much as I would LOVE to see him tossed from the window, it's probably better that I follow you." He then looked down toward Ana behind him, then back to Alaenoria, "But can the kid come with us? I know Lyolf won't leave of his own volition, and it wouldn't feel right leaving Ana with him. Besides," He looked back to Ana, "I've been unconscious a week, I doubt she'll leave my side easily."

"Either way, lead the way, Doc." He said, stepping forward. If anything, it felt more comfortable to leave the room behind. Too many weird things to let him be comfortable. Before completely leaving, he turned around at the last moment, addressing Annia, "Oh, and Goldy." Kin spoke hesitantly, searching for the words. He wasn't exactly good with them. "...Thanks for watching the kid." The words felt odd to say, like they weren't even his own. But he felt like they should be said. He looked to Ana with a single thought. You have had the strangest influence on me, kid.

"I can always lead us out. Kin had just recovered after all. I wouldn't feel right if it was because of the crowd here that Kin would have to relinquish his room." She said glancing at Alaenoria. Shortly after that Kin addressed her.

"Oh, and Goldy... Thanks for watching the kid."

The knight almost raised an eyebrow at Kin's unexpected behavior. However, seeing Anastasia who had worried for the halfling and who had rarely left his side during the past week when Kin was unconscious, started to give reason to the unexpected response. Likewise, the more Annia thought about it, the less of a mystery it seemed. She had taken over a guardian's role for the little girl because of duty. Kin's absence would have left no one immediate to care for young Anastasia. Though there may have eventually been someone to take her in, or even one of the medical ward's array of healers, Annia couldn't help but volunteer and take the lead. Kin was her friend after all.

But as she glanced at Anastasia again, something within her stirred. She realized that the week spent caring for the young girl would come to a close. Feelings and dreams from a time in the past flashed in her mind. Starting a family, raising a child, and caring for them. Those among others had been ideals that she had since let go in pursuit of her taking a place in the Order.

Though, hearing the halfling's sincere words of thanks, Annia couldn't help but pause. Seeing the halfling change in this way was arguably for the better, at the very least Kin was growing.

"It was my pleasure." Annia replied, her smile truly genuine as she indeed meant it.

"Annia is right; you just woke up after being unconscious for a week. If you are going to get up and walk around, you should do it carefully and stay close. If I recall, the healers said not to let you leave until they checked up on you." Alaenoria replied, moving to grab the back of Kin's shirt before he could leave the room. She decided to ignore that he called her a doctor even though she was not.

"It would probably be best if Anastasia heard it from you rather than me." She turned to look at Annia. "Would you mind watching her for a little longer?"

The paladin smiled wistfully as she gave Alaenoria a slight nod. She stood up then, as she bent over Anastasia.

"Now that Kin is awake let's give him some time, okay? I'm sure Callista would love to see you again too." Annia smiled gently. She gave her hand out for the young child to grasp.

"And Lyolf, lets give Kin some privacy." She said with finality as she glanced at the elf in the room with them, ignoring the fact that the magus still had a bomb in his hands.

The little girl glanced between Kin and Annia, unsure of what to do. Her hero had just awoken after all! And it had been so many days since she had last seen him awake. Anastasia didn't realize what loss can feel like, but she knew she felt strange and isolated when Kin was sleeping. It was being lonely. Anastasia thought, putting a word to the feelings.

She stared at the proffered hand. They looked so soft and gentle. The tall lady, Annia, had been scary at first, but even though she had since gotten used to the knight and her constant presence, she still didn't feel up for leaving Kin. She continued glancing between Annia and Kin for a few more moments, her facial features never betraying her inner thoughts. In fact, her eyes were large and plain as they always were. However, even though she didn't know it at the time, her own thoughts were communicated in a different way as well.

In the form of abstract thoughts, feelings, and picture, did Anastasia impart to Kin of her relief, joy, and feelings.

Kin walked back in the room as the elf had suggested. He'd actually wanted to leave because being in a bed like that made him restless, and knowing he'd been out for a week didn't help. He watches as Annia goes to sort out the mess in the room, as well as reassure Ana. He couldn't help smiling, which was only reinforced by the new flood of mental feelings and imagery. Without a doubt, this came from Ana, only this time, it was much more purposeful. His smile widened. "Go on, Goldy'll treat ya well. I'll be right there." He nodded his thanks again to Annia, and waited until everyone, even his bomb-crazed roommate, to exit the room. Once he deemed it private enough, Kin turned back to Alaenoria. "Now then, let's hear it." The halfling said bluntly.

When the others had finally left the room, leaving Alaenoria alone with Kin, Alaenoria moved to sit on the now unoccupied chair beside the bed.

"Now then, let's hear it." Kin had said bluntly. Alaenoria maintained eye contact with the halfling for a few more moments before she finally spoke up.

"You may have already noticed from Anastasia staying with you, but it seems she is a psion. Her powers are latent, residing within her. She has the most complex set of psionic abilities that we've ever seen for someone her age. Apart from that, there isn't much we can glean. She keeps up a powerful wall around her mind, preventing our attempts to push deeper."

Still watching Kin to gauge his reaction to her words, the herbalist continued. "It seems that, as she has attached herself to you, the two of you now share a sort of connection. That is why you were the only one affected when the healers' test backfired. We would strongly recommend that you be cautious with her until we can learn more. If you want the healers to do more tests, I would recommend holding off for a while. At least until she has become more comfortable with the guild and we have been able to do more research on psions."

Kin nodded along, relieved that he wasn't dreaming about hearing Ana's voice in his head, and seeing images from her mind.  He may be crazy, but not that kind of crazy.

"As I thought. Though I'm surprised none of your tests could get more details on her ability. Well, I guess it did backfire." Kin looked up at the ceiling in thought before returning his gaze to Alaenoria. "No, I see no reason for more testing at the moment. I just wanted confirmation that she was well, and that those powers existed. Next I just need to find someone to mentor her, so she can gain some discipline with those powers. Those psionic outbursts HURT!" Kin said half-jokingly with a smirking laugh. "Well, if that's the report, then I'd like to return to the girl's side. I can...feel her anxiousness." With that, the halfling gathers his things and starts to run out the door. But for a moment, he turns back to address the elf. "Thanks for the help, Ria."

As Kin finally came out, Annia had waved. Both the knight and Anastasia found themselves on a bench not too far away from the entrance to Kin's recovery room. Not only that, there was another sight as well - a girl dressed in a set of faded-purple clothes with a distinct hat that looked more akin to a nightcap.

"You know for a kid, you're pretty sharp." Katrias said uncharacteristically as she eyed the little girl. Whether or not if was Katrias' height or something else entirely, Anastasia only stared back rather than the customary hiding behind Annia who sat calmly on the bench with her. In the week Kin was unconscious, Anastasia had a chance to get to know more of the guild members Annia knew, and though she kept to Kin's side as much as possible in the week he was unconscious, Annia had made it a point to show her around and to introduce her to other guild members.

When Katrias finally noticed Kin, the arcanist turned around.

"The Mad Sword finally wakes. Annia mentioned you're up and about." Katrias said in her usual monotone voice. " Not that I'm worrying, I just happened to past by." She quickly corrected herself.

"The other wizard-shopkeeper might have mentioned it already. But let me train her." Katrias said pointing towards Anastasia. As always Katrias was quick to the point.

Kin could sense Anastasia's anxiety at Katrias' approach, but was happy to find it was much more subdued than normal. The halfling looked back at the enchanter appraisingly. She was certainly a genius, and had the self control that many of the elders around her should have. And Anastasia didn't seem overly cautious around her. Whether or not she made a good teacher, Kin didn't know, but it would certainly be better than the alternative mages in the area. Much better.

Kin nodded sagely. "You're certainly the most qualified. I'll leave her in your care, Kit-kat." While Katrias stewed in her dislike of the nickname, Kin approached Ana. "Hey kid, sorry for all the scary stuff. Though I guess that was a week ago, so you're probably over it mostly." The halfling scruffs her hair a bit. "It seems they found that you have latent psychic abilities. I don't know the first thing about those, so I'm leaving the teaching up to this one over here." Kin nods his head sideways toward Katrias. "She's cold with her words, but just about the most honest mage I've met. I know she'll treat you well."

Kin addresses everyone with his final statement, "Now, it sounds like I'm not allowed to leave this place until the medics look me over again, so I'll be heading over there." He pauses in thought before speaking, "Thanks for the help."

The halfling begins marching his way toward the medics' main office, leaving the gathering to do what they please. Whether Ana followed him was up to her; he'd be back, after all.

"You know, that was actually easier than I thought." Katrias commented when Kin was already a few steps away heading towards the medics' main office. She had looked towards Kin as he walked away, his back turned to them, but she shrugged as she turned back towards the two others with her.

Immediately she noticed Anastasia looking out towards Kin who continued to walk further and further away. As usual, Anastasia's eyes were hard to read, but Katrias could guess what she was thinking at least.

"I don't have to read minds to figure out what you want." Katrias said plainly.

"As for seeing what you can do. We can figure out the details later." She pointed towards Kin.

The more steps he took, the more anxious she became. When Katrias finally pointed towards Kin, the little girl unclenched Annia's shirt and started after him. She rushed out at first, and looked as if she was about to stumble, but quickly catching her footing, she continued onward. She was happy when her hero had first woken up. But the realization came to her late, and seeing Kin walk away again, made her feel something strange within her. Anxious? No, that wasn't it. Sadness perhaps? At the same time there was relief. The mix of emotions were hard for Anastasia to understand and even sift through, and she couldn't help but feel something wet in her eyes.

They call these... Tears?

Stumbling forward, the little girl reached out to her hero.

Hearing the pattering footsteps wasn't difficult. What did prove hard to see was who was making them, and the state she was in; sure, he could feel the emotions she felt, but the physical aspect of it threw him off. Anastasia, though definitely human and certainly capable of emotion, had never been able to naturally exhibit emotion well. She was always hard to read, even for Kin who now had the advantage of a mental link with her. Thus his shock when she was anxiously running at him, arms outstretched and tears in her eyes.

"Ana...you're crying...!" Kin was as speechless as the loudmouthed halfling could be. He immediately opened up his arms to accept the rushing young girl's embrace. "I wasn't going to be gone long, kid." He says as he parts from the hug and offers her the shirt he was holding in his hands to wipe her tears. "Your hero's not going anywhere without you." Kin kneels down into a kneeling position. "Hop on, we have some doctors to see." And so the duo piggy back their way to the medics' office.

Kin was still astounded by the young girl's expression. The trauma from the troll cave had made her emotionally cold. She hadn't even cried then. But to see those tears like that, perhaps she would be okay with time. "You're really something else, kid." Kin mutters under his breath as they walked.

The knight had never really accompanied or talked to Katrias very much, and she couldn't help but feel the awkwardness of sitting beside her without anything being said. They watched quietly as both Kin and Anastasia had their mini-reunion, and eventually disappeared towards the medical ward's office. After a few more excruciating moments, finally, Annia broke the silence.

"Those two make quite a pair." She said. To her surprise Katrias responded quickly and curtly.

"Never would have imagined the halfling to take a kid." As usual, her voice was monotone.

"How about you? I never would have imagined you'd take on an apprentice." Annia replied back. She wanted to say something about her age, but seeing enough of her outbursts in the past, the knight decided to gloss over that fact.

Katrias didn't respond however, she only remained quiet - her eyes never leaving where Kin and Anastasia disappeared off to. Eventually she shrugged.

"Me neither."