Innward Nights [Closed]

This day was one of the more relaxed days for Lillianna. Giving out jobs was easy and hassle free, there was little to no drama with any of the members, she was able to talk with Juliette on a few important and unimportant matters, and the Guild Hall didn't end up a complete mess. Today was a success, so once her night was over, she handed over the keys to another member. She said goodnight to those who stayed in the barracks and left. It was her turn to finally go home and get some rest.

Aria was beautiful at night. It was one of the few cities that completely outlawed brothels and other unsightly businesses. Not many people had the courage to break those laws with Aria Grand sitting at their front door either. The arcane lights lit the street with eye catching color and the party goers began their way into the streets. Lillianna would not partake in any of these activities today, unfortunately. Instead, she got out of their ways and moved into a few of the less crowded streets.

Used to a calm and quiet walk home, Lillianna wasn't expecting someone to call out her name, but it didn't startle her completely. "Hm?" she blinked and turned around, greeted by a rather strange and frightening looking man. She eyed him fearfully as he explained himself, but soon calmed when he politely asked about her coming with him. She was confused and a little taken aback by all of this, but she couldn't abandon someone that was hurt. "No problem... Of course. Just take me to them."

Lillianna nodded and bowed respectfully in return. "Of course." she said and began following him. She noticed the path they were taking, but wasn't frightened. Instead, she was mentally mapping out a path she could take to get to a safe area. She knew this area of Aria inside and out, including the people. Anyone who saw her with this strange man would take note of it and if she needed help, they would aid her and hinder him. Since she was a healer, it was almost an unwritten law to protect her.

"I admit that I'm suspicious of you and your motives, but not everyone is an open book and I can respect that. Though, I disagree with you seeming like a threat, or threatening as you put it. I've met quite a few people with odd appearances and even odder and more destructive capabilities, so I try not to judge." Lillianna explained as they made their little trip to the inn. Lillianna knew this inn, but made sure not to get too much attention when entering. She's rather not make people question them.

Lillianna looked at the two women in the room. "They're definitely related." she said with a chuckle and moved over to Selena. Selena tensed a little as Lillianna touched her. "Don't worry, dear, you friend has explained what happened. I will do my best to aid you all." she reassured kindly and Selena visibly relaxed. "You're nervous." Selena stated and Lillianna's eyes widened. "Yes, I am." she admitted. "He won't hurt you. I'd like to say he's really a softie, but that'd be one hell of a lie."

"I see..." Lillianna giggled a bit, glancing toward Reaper and winking playfully. Lillianna put her hands over Selena and closed her eyes. Her hands began to glow and because of the way her powers reacted, she could make out a few details. "Well, since it's been a while, I cannot completely revert the injury, but I can accelerate the healing process... It won't hurt, it's like time on your body is moving quicker than normal. You'll still have any scars you would have received. Is that okay?"

Selena hesitated, "Yes." She didn't want to keep scars that her sister's had put on her. It would only be a bad memory for all of them when everything was settled, but it's better than her dying. Lillianna nodded and began the healing process by first removing Selena's shirt. Each wound she had was bad and she had lost quite a bit of blood, but it was easy to watch the wounds close right before your eyes. A couple minutes later, and Lillianna sighed in relief, "All finished, but you should rest."

"I will, but don't leave... My sister." Selena reminded. "Of course, I will take a look, but do you mind if I ask you something?" Lillianna asked curiously and Selena nodded, "How could you tell I was nervous before?" Selena took a deep breath and tapped on the blindfold twice. "My abilities allow it... It's hard to explain, but I can see you even with this thing on. I could also see your heart speed up and your blood pressure rise." Lillianna was stunned, "That's a beautiful gift you have there."

"Now for your sister." Lillianna stood up and turned toward the child. Having to walk around Reaper, she inched her way around him, which caused Selena to laugh. "Oh come on, he's not gonna eat you!" Selena said through her laughter. "I dunno... I think there are some scary fangs behind that mask." Lillianna giggled and sat on the bed next to Samantha. "Nah, just a handsome face." Selena sat up and leaned against the wall tapping the bed beside her for him to sit with her, "J... please?"

Selena was quite pleased when he sat next to her. It was actually quite surprising. She hoped this meant that he trusted her enough to be that casual in front of a stranger, even if the strange was just a healer. "Not really..." she replied back, a little bit of sadness in her own voice, but that faded when she heard the regret in his. She tilted her head toward him slightly, as if trying to hear him better. She had memorized his tones and that wasn't exactly one of them! She'd be lying if she said she didn't like it.

"It's okay. I was more worried for my sisters when it came to the scars, I mean... as long as it doesn't lower your opinion of me. I assumed it wouldn't since..." Selena tapped her tummy and smiled, "Battle scars and whatnot. I just know my sisters are more sensitive than I and if they remember anythi-..." "They won't." Lillianna spoke up and caught Selena off guard. Lillianna's tone was as powerful as a Viridescent Forest Snake's venom. "I know what this is, but who the living hell put it on a child?!"

"So it's... bad?" Selena said with a shaky voice. "Well, it depends on your definition. Her memories are being suppressed, so when she attacked you she had no idea who you were. Anything she did or said was being controlled by an Arcane remote from someone within two miles of your location. It's a very very dangerous piece of arcane tech that came out of Haven, but the project was shut down years ago and everything was destroyed when they discovered a man was testing it on humans."

"Is that not what it was meant for?" Selena asked with a bit of venom in her own tone. "No, of course not. The original idea was to aid farmers, ranchers, hunters... All to control the more dangerous animals that would normally attack on sight. Cieria was especially interested since it meant the larger and stronger beasts could be used to protect the towns that the same creatures were attacking. It was that way until they realized it could be used on high risk prisoners, and then anyone else..."

Selena couldn't see the scowl because of that damn shield thing he has on him all the time, but she knew his body language. The moment he adjusted himself, she set her hand on his leg. She could tell Lillianna wasn't hostile in anyway. Lillianna was only angry at this technology's use. "It would have been fantastic in Cieria, saved hundreds of lives, but one person's obsession messed it up." Lillianna said, but for that moment she could be seen eyeing Reaper a bit. She was very good at reading people.

"You're scaring her." Selena leaned in and whispered to Reaper. "That I don't know." Lillianna replied to Reaper's question and her nervousness was showing, "They were supposed to be imprisoned, but there were rumors that he had a few of his more... sinful allies aid him in some sort of escape." She was about to answer his next question, but mainly out of her own fear. She no longer felt like she could trust this guy to be civil. The woman was alright, but he was not someone she wanted to make mad.

"And as I said before, everything was supposed to be destroyed. If anything was left to maybe restart the project in later years, that information would be in Haven. I don't know everything about the project..." Lillianna explained, now fully standing and keeping her attention on Reaper. "Okay, you're freaking her out!" "I can practically taste the hostility." "It's not hostility." "It's something!" "He's not going to hurt you." Selena turned to Reaper, "I would hope that he isn't that paranoid."

"Look, the device can be removed, but it's an extremely long and very dangerous procedure without the remote that controls it. I know people here that can do it, but still... With every surgery there are risks and this one just has quite a few more than the others." Lillianna quickly explained to Selena. Selena stood up and stood between Lillianna and Reaper, "Look. I understand your fear. You're not a fighter, nor are you in your comfort zone, but we're not going to hurt someone that wants to help us."

"I want to hear that from him. He's the one that looks like he actually wants to eat me."

"He... has cuter tendencies than he thinks; Only us women could even pick up on them, right?" Selena said with a bit of a smile. Lillianna's jaw was half-dropped and staring at Reaper until she asked that question. She turned to Lillianna and nodded, laughing a bit. "Just... one of them traits, I guess. He's still a frightening man." Lillianna said and sat back down near the sister. She examined the device a little closer while Reaper was asking questions, some of which Lillianna hated the answer to.

"Right. I don't have the skill to preform the surgery, at least not on my own. What I can do is reverse any damage the surgery my cause. That's sort of my specialty." Lillianna reassured Selena with a confident smile and then turned to Reaper. "Everything else you're talking about is difficult. I personally don't know anyone who could back track a signal with the Arcane, but I'm sure it's possible. It's another situation where most of what you're looking for isn't in Aria, but Haven or Colburn."

"As for suppressing the signal over tracking it? That's much easier. We just bring her to certain rooms in the hospital made out of Ariac Marble or other Arcana blocking substances. While Arcana can be preformed within the room, nothing can get through the walls." Lillianna explained with a more optimistic look. "So it's possible to save my sister then!?" Selena practically hopped with joy and grabbed Lillianna's hands. "Yes, yes it is." Lillianna confirmed and Selena became school-girl giggly.

"Oh thank Rydia! How long will the surgery take?" Selena asked. "Well, around four to five days depending on how deep they put the tendrils that connect to her brain stem." Lillianna explained and Selena crossed her arms. The excitement fell. Reaper wouldn't want to stay here for five days and she wouldn't tell him to go without her or that she'll 'catch up'. She also had another sister out there that needed finding. "Is it... um... Would you be able to contact my Mom? I can't stay in Aria for that long."

"Uh... Yes? Where is she?" Lillianna asked. "Zakat." "That makes it quite a bit more difficult. Um... Well crap. I'll try. Give me the information I need to find her and I'll do my best." "Thank you."

"No, I'm not. I have no idea how to find her. There are no clues leading to that." "When your sister wakes, y-..." "Can't stay in Aria that long." Selena sounded disappointed and almost angry at this fact. Her assumptions on Reaper's decision to leave Aria were quickly proven wrong. Selena didn't think he'd want to stay in such a big city for so long, but she was glad she was wrong. She smiled and sat back down. "Thank you." she muttered as if a massive weight had just been lifted from her shoulders.

And then things got quite a bit more serious. There was an instant change of atmosphere in the room, especially when Reaper asked about an attack that happened quite a long time ago. Even Lillianna's demeanor hardened. She stood firm and crossed her arms. "Your initial reason for coming to Aria is to ask about me being attacked?" Lillianna narrowed her eyes. Selena turned around on the bed, scooted herself closer to the wall and actually slammed her head on it. Lillianna jumped, startled at this.

"A-... Are you okay!?" Lillianna asked confused, shocked, and a finding the gesture funny. "Yeah... Yeah... He j-... Ugh... Aye... I'ma see how long this works for him..." Selena waved Lillianna away and kept her head in the wall. First decent person they speak with and he treats her like a criminal.

"Well color me impressed." Selena thought to herself, able to pull her head from the crater it had created in the wall. She sighed in relief and laid back on the bed while the two talked. Lillianna was happy to see this, but also had a few things going through her own mind about the attack. For example, the unknown Guild Leader of Aria Grand was there that day. Was Juliette their actual target? Or was the target the "assumed" leader of the guild? Is that what they had actually been after that day?

"In truth, I foolishly brushed it off as mercenaries trying to take me out for some reason. When I later learned of the world wide attempts, I did immediately point my finger at Zakat, since they had nothing done to them or anyone within their borders, at least there were no reports of such events. Of course, if there were, I doubt they'd share it with Arcadia... Maybe Brauk? I don't know, but when it comes to the attack on me... I was there for one of Rydian's celebrations, a festival of sorts..."

"Because of the nature of the event, I'm sure anyone who had been to one of their fairs knew I would show up. Serenity," Who would actually be more helpful than this guy thinks, since Serenity could remove this foreign object easily, "was merely there by coincidence, so I'm unsure whether she was one of their targets. She doesn't go every year... I will say that I agree with you on one thing, the survival rate. If they were serious about killing us, why send archers and novice swordsman?"

"You say you were attacked? The Regent General, Duke of Cieria, Aria Grand's 'assumed'," Lillianna mimicked quotation marks with her fingers, "Grand Master, possibly Serenity, a well-known healer and savior of thousands in Arcadia... Then why you?" Lillianna had a bit of accusation in her tone, "I can tell you're not just an average Joe coming to me for help and answers. Unless they were actually after Rider, here." Lillianna pointed back and stuck her tongue at Selena, who sat up with a huge smile.

"So you actually knew who I was?" "Of course! There aren't many woman with a blindfold and extremely long lavender hair, and the chains. I'm a huge fan of your work. You've done a nice job clearing out the bandits and mercs near the Arcadian-Zakatian border. In fact, you ended up saving little Levi a while back, one of our newer Aria Grand members." "Okay, so you're not gonna tell anyone I'm here, right?" "Oh god, no. Secret is safe with me. Anyone removing the scum of Aurora is good in my books." Selena giggled a bit and cheered, "Lillianna Cascella knows who I am, that is so cool!"

"As for you," Lillianna turned to Reaper again and crossed her arms, "I have no problem helping you and answering questions about this. Something like this is bigger than any of us thought and we need to get to the bottom of it before anything irreversible happens. However, I will only do that if you agree to be completely honest with me, including sharing information about what you know and who you are. I don't work with shadows. You can be shadows to others, but not to me. It's only fair."

Lillianna did indeed show her disapproval. She wanted information on the man that wanted her help. She wasn't going to work with someone that she couldn't trust. When Reaper glanced toward Selena, she smiled and nodded once to show she trusted Lillianna. Reaper went on to explain a bit about himself and Lillianna didn't even seem stunned. Once he finished, she stared at him and thought about what he had said. "In truth, someone that Rider would side with is sort of automatically trustworthy, at least the way I see it." she explained with a smile, "And my gosh, I'm part of a Guild, not the ADL."

"Aria Grand does what it can to protect Aria. And sometimes, those things aren't entirely abiding by the Laws of Arcadia." Lillianna explained with much more confidence in her voice, "So don't worry. Everyone has a few skeletons in their closet. I know people who have an entire boneyard, but it's about their intentions and their allegiance. So yes, I can agree to work with you. Everything said between you both and myself will stay secret, especially about your identity. However, information on these attacks will have to be given to the few people I know I can trust, such as the actual Guild Master."

"As for your sister," Lillianna turned to Selena and pulled out a pen and paper, "In exactly one hour, I will have someone come here with this word to gain entrance. They will be someone I know we can all trust and will take her to the Aria Grand wing at the hospital. She will be taken care of there and I will contact you before surgery starts, after it's finished, and then when you can see your sister. Depending on her mental and physical state after the procedure, it's sometimes best not to see her immediately." Lillianna handed over the paper. Written on it was the word 'Azalea', after the flower.

"Now, once I get this done, I'll be going home and everything will start tomorrow when the Doctor I know can do the surgery is in." Lillianna smiled and held her hand out to Selena, who took it and shook. She then looked to Reaper and held her hand out as well, but half-expected it to be ignored, so that'd be fine. "Have a nice evening." Lillianna said and left the room, walking back to the Guild. Selena sat down and sighed, "That was more stressful than it needed to be. You surprised me; Didn't think you'd want to stay and the jumpiness around, out of all people, the non-combat healer."

"I wouldn't say less useful. I mean... What entirely did you expect her to know? She was attacked by unknown assailants just like we were. She seemed just as confused about the situation too." Selena explained. She sat back down on the bed and laid down, stretching out quite comfortably and turning on her side to face Reaper as he talked. He showed an amount of concern for her that just made her smile. She felt a little fuzzy inside as he talked and it was making her happier. She pulled the blindfold off and tossed it toward the table, landing it perfectly in the center. "It's as if they healed all the way."

"I didn't think someone like her would be in your sights, honestly. Woman has absolutely no physical ability, especially compared to you or I. She obviously works out, but her muscles are much weaker. She obviously just stays fit and healthy..." Selena explained, having been able to get all of that from Lillianna's presence. "Anyways, I'm more talking about you being jumpy. If she had gotten hostile, I would have been able to sense it before you could see it and acted before even she had a chance to jump at you. It's a blessing being able to sense every change in the body of another person..."

"Except you. You and that shield. I can't tell whether you're angry or nervous... Do you have any idea how frustrating you are? I've had to study you... like seriously study you. I could barely tell you were ready to pounce before and only because you have very small habits when you're readying yourself." Selena said with humor in her voice and then rolled over to face the wall, "If she was stronger, I would have been on guard. One of these days, hun, you're gonna have to trust me. You don't have to worry about what's around every corner because I'll already know and won't let anything hurt you."