Graded [Vegard City] Healing the Holy City of Vegard

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Silent Angel ​

Soon enough, Cayde spotted the mayor further down in the sewers. Although it was tough to see past the mayor's hulking figure, Cayde could vaguely distinguish someone lying on the floor, likely the other voice he had heard earlier. It seemed like they were speaking to the mayor, and curiously, he appeared to be listening. Cayde saw that as a good sign; maybe now he could actually speak to him, or better yet, grab his attention. Still, he had to be careful. The mayor was still unpredictable in his current state, and sprinting in would only startle him, potentially leading to another uncomfortable situation.

"If we need a distraction, I might have something in mind," Cayde whispered, taking another look at the scene ahead, this time focusing on the person lying on the floor. He could hear them breathing, but their breath sounded labored - as if something was wrong with their lungs. Their illness didn't instantly click into his head, but Cayde knew one thing, they needed immediate attention. Fortunately, that'd play into his plan too. He nodded to himself and turned to Malerie, "Alright, Malerie, you and I are going to head up there and try to take care of that person - or at least, look like we're trying to take care of them. We'll try to talk to them and the mayor, see if we can grab his attention." Cayde lifted his palms and walked his fingers across them, "We'll have to move slow, but we gotta make sure the mayor sees us both. We can't risk startling him."

Finally, Cayde's eyes locked onto the mayor, an anxious sigh escaping his mask. "Alright, here goes." He then approached the room, stopping just at the edge of darkness. He swallowed the lump in his throat and began to speak, "E-excuse me? Mr. Mayor?" Cayde said meekly as he slowly stepped into the light. "We heard someone in the sewers, so we came to check it out and-" Cayde cut himself off and looked towards the person on the floor, recognizing them as a hare beastkin. "Oh! Pardon me..." Cayde murmured as he slowly shuffled past the mayor, though still making sure to face him. Eventually, Cayde was next to the hare, kneeling next to them.

Now that he was up close, Cayde could finally start working on a diagnosis. As he scanned the hare for symptoms, he could confirm that something was affecting their lungs. Judging from how they were clutching their chest and their heavy breathing, it was likely pneumonia. However, Cayde was still a bit unsure, but that's where Malerie would come in.

"Chest pain, heavy breathing, maybe it's... pneumonia?" Cayde said, slightly shaking his head, "Apologies, sir, I'm still a bit new to this. Miss Malerie'll know some more." Then, Cayde turned his head back to where he came, "Um, Miss Malerie? You, uh, wanna come and check this out?" He called out, signaling Malerie's turn to enter. Cayde's heart started thumping; he was really hoping for this 'starry-eyed apprentice' approach to work.

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

The monster rushed over, looking him over. "Yes, it seems to be pneumonia. Though, not sure what I can do for him here. Though..." She reached in her bag, pulling out a bottle of brandy. She pushed it into the hare's hands, saying, "Drink some. It'll help." She always kept the minotaur in the corner of her eye, but for the time being, she felt like this hare needed her help, and she would offer it.​

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse | Malerie/Malady Silent Angel

Ceylan listened attentively to Cayde's plan. He trusted his companion's judgement on this. However, as he was taking in what Cayde and Malerie were going to do, he suddenly heard Cayde say 'Alright, here goes' and leave off with Malerie. Ceylan clenched his teeth. Cayde hadn't told him what he expected of him yet. Was he supposed to wait a bit for them to have the mayor's full attention or was he supposed to start sneaking as soon as possible? Or was he meant to make a sprint for it the moment the mayor had his eyes on Cayde and Malerie? His studies of religious texts and ceremonies weren't exactly helping him here...

Mayor Wallace

​

Spoiler: Mayor Wallace

The mayor instantly turned around when Cayde started walking towards him, but he turned his full attention to Malerie the moment she started to rush over. It was causing quite some water to splash up before she'd got to the dryer and shallower parts, which was sure to get the mayor's attention, for better or worse. They'd see his eyes were even more blood-shot red than they'd been before and he was foaming from the mouth. However, he didn't attack... not yet, at least. He was also shivering a bit, which didn't seem to be from the cold. He was clearly becoming very unstable. He didn't respond to Cayde's words, but the words did seem to prevent him from attacking them. Perhaps Cayde was just persuasive enough to influence the mayor even in his current state. For now, at least.

???

​

Spoiler: ???

“Oh..” A heavy breath. “Thank heavens, you're here...” Another heavy, painful sounding breath. “Please, the mayor .. he's gone mad!” It was clear the hare was battling both his disease and panic to keep talking, which sounded painful enough to be felt by others simply by listening to his struggle. He weakly lifted his hand to grab the bottle and bring it to his lips, but before he could take a sip...

“DON'T YOU DARE POISON MY PEOPLE, YOU DEMONS!!!” The mayor snapped. Perhaps it was their oddly shaped beaks looking suspicious to him or perhaps it was merely the disease, but the act of them feeding something to the hare was clearly not something he took kindly too. In fact, he rushed forwards towards Malerie and managed to grab her by the neck in a surprisingly quick movement. His physique was a few times greater than that of Malerie, as she could feel his hand close around her neck and start to choke her before she could good and well react to it. The mayor was keeping a side eye on Cayde and looked ready to use his other arm to swing at him the moment he'd get close...

However, this meant that he had his other side exposed. Ceylan, who'd been wondering when to act, suddenly had his moment handed to him, as he pretty much had to act now. Right now. As such, he did, trying to hurry as fast as he could without getting noticed by splashing around and somehow managing to get within the mayor's range. The fact that the mayor's mind was already half gone and divided between Malerie and Cayde gave him enough leeway to get to the mayor. However, as he laid his hands upon the mayor, the latter instantly turned towards him in an attempt to smack him away... It would be up to Malerie and Cayde to somehow buy him the precious few seconds he'd need to heal the mayor, as he wouldn't be able to do so if he'd get smacked away. It also looked like Malerie might pass out if they wouldn't get it right on the first try, as she was currently being chocked badly enough not to be able to take in any new air.

The hare was trying his best to get up and help them, but he was wobbling on his legs so heavily that they wouldn't be able to expect much from him. “Stop... sir... please...” He didn't get through to the mayor at all.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Silent Angel ​

Cayde thought the plan was going swimmingly, but as the mayor grabbed Malerie, he couldn't be even more wrong. He tried to reach out for her, but at that moment, Cayde saw Ceylan rush towards the mayor, taking advantage of the botched situation. He almost cracked a smile as he watched Ceylan make it to the mayor, but as the latter tried to swat him away, Cayde felt his stomach drop. Panic quickly started to settle in, and his mind raced with all sorts of muddled thoughts, "Come on, Cayde. Think! THINK!" His consciousness screamed, trying to piece together something - anything to get him out of this situation.

Then, Cayde had another idea. There was no chance he'd get through the mayor by stating his or Ceylan's intentions for the city, especially in the bull's current state, but maybe he could tap into something deeper. Cayde remembered seeing the mayor tower over the hare, and though he could've easily crushed the smaller beastkin right there, he hesitated - but why? Though his illness was surely destroying his judgment, maybe there was still just a sliver of the mayor's psyche left, a sliver that still valued the lives of his people. If Cayde could appeal to that ever-shrinking piece of the mayor's mind, he could buy just a little bit more time. He doubted if it'd ease the mayor enough for Ceylan's blessings, but with what little time he had, it was now or never.

Trying to prepare himself mentally, Cayde took a few shaky breaths, but eventually, he was ready. "H-Hey! Mayor!" His voice shook with pleading and a hint of demand, "Look, I haven't been in this city for long, but I've seen enough to know what this outbreak has done. People are sick, everyone's miserable, and there's barely enough help to go around." He paused for a bit before pointing towards Malerie, "But that woman in your arms? Malerie? She's been here, day after day, pushing herself to see the welfare of your people. This outbreak is unlike any I've ever heard, yet despite all that, she persists." Cayde gestured to the room they were in, "I mean, she wandered into the sewers, wading through these knee-high waters, just because she wanted to help someone in need. Tell me, does that sound like a demon bent on destruction?"

As he finished that little section of his speech, Cayde's breathing started to pick up. He hoped it'd be enough for the mayor to let go of Malerie or at least let some tension off her. However, he still had some more words to say, "And y-yeah, I don't really know you, and I guess you don't really know me - but from what I've seen, this isn't you. Miss Nana, this man here, your people, they're all so concerned about you! They care; they don't wanna see you like this! It-It scares them!" Cayde cried out, his breath quickening even faster, "I dunno what you're going through, hell, I don't know if you can even hear me, but you can't let his disease take over you! I know it's hard but think of your people. Do it for them, do it for your city!"

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

Malerie yelped as she was lifted up, her feet dangling above the ground. Her eyes went from her friends to the minotar, her own hands going up to try and loosen the grip around her throat. She took in wheezing breaths as she did her best to try and stay calm, try and force down the other person. Her eyes closed, her head shaking as she forced the other one down, her eyes opening and looking back into the mayor's face.​

 

[Elvario]

Mayor Wallace

​

Spoiler: Mayor Wallace

Mentions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse | Malerie/Malady Silent Angel

The fact that Malerie managed to stay calm worked to her advantage, as while the grip on her neck from the mayor's hand didn't loosen, it didn't tighten either. Something in him was clearly just about 'clear' enough for him to hold back a little, if ever so slightly.

Most of Cayde's words didn't seem to be coming through to the mayor, but his voice itself did. At a few particular words, such as 'sick' and 'people' as well as 'help' he showed a bit of responsiveness, although he didn't reply. At the mention of 'demon' his nostrils flared up and Malerie could feel his grip on her throat tighten for a second. Luckily enough, this loosened again when Cayde continued and mentioned Nana, as the mayor he actually loosened his grip enough to allow Malerie to breath again. It didn't look like he'd fully let go of her, however, as his mind was clearly struggling to use the last bits of reason it had left in it.

Ceylan
​

Thanks to Cayde's distraction, Ceylan had managed to avoid getting hit, but he hadn't gotten close to the mayor. That said, Cayde kept distracting the mayor, so Ceylan knew he'd have to try again. He wasn't sure if it'd work, but he decided to set aside his dignity and got on all fours, crawling across the sewer-floor in an attempt to be as small and unnoticeable as possible. In fact, upon being close enough, he lied down flat on his stomach and stretched out to reach for the mayor as unnoticeably as possible. In the mayor's current state, it might just work, as the mayor kept his attention on Cayde and Malerie, allowing Ceylan to get within arm's reach.

That's when the scariest part was going to happen. If Ceylan would screw up here, it'd be easy for the mayor to stomp his hoof down on Ceylans head and knock him out instantly. Ceylan was furiously praying for Cayde to keep talking, Malerie to keep calm and above all, for himself to gather the courage to reach forwards and touch the mayor's ankle, just above the hoof.

Normally, he used to hover his hand above someone's head when saying his healing prayer. Touching someone's ankle was an odd, but somewhat functional, alternative. He whispered his [Healing Prayer], not daring to say it aloud. The gods would forgive him for it, of that he was sure. Slowly but steadily, the mayor calmed down, especially once Cayde also mentioned miss Nana.

The grab on Malerie's throat loosened enough for her to free herself. Then, all of a sudden, the mayor fell down. Ceylan barely managed to roll away and avoid being flattened by the large minotaur tumbling down. After getting over the initial shock, Ceylan quickly checked the mayor, relieved to see his efforts had paid off. “He's alright! He's just asleep. He must've been exhausted...” Ceylan gave them a very, very deep sigh. “That was terrifying... are you okay, Malerie?”

Harley

​

Spoiler: Harley

“You guys … actually … did it … I'll drink … to that.” The hare's sentences were filled with pained gasps for air, but a certain happiness still managed to ring through, as he opened up the brandy Malerie had given him and downed it like a professional.

Ceylan looked upon him, then to Malerie. “I don't think I'm able to help him at the moment, not after such a task... If I lend you my staff to serve as a focus, do you think you could take care of him?” If Malerie were to accept task, she would be able to considerably increase the hare's condition. Whilst she wasn't able to fully heal him, her combined healing and medicine skill would manage to get him to breath normally again and get back upon his feet, after which he'd introduce himself. “Thanks. I owe you guys my life. Me and the mayor both. Oh, I'm Harley, by the way. I used to work for the guard and retired, but the current situation had me return to active duty.”


Ceylan, whist having quite a few questions and knowing that the others would likely also have them, felt horrible as he was covered in sewer-floor substances and had sewer-soggy feet. The fresh rain had only made it slightly less terrible than it could've been. He was very eager for all of them to get out of these sewers. “Harley, do you know how we can get the mayor out of here?”

The hare looked over to the stairs in the back of the room. “The stairs over there lead to the outside. It's one of the few places the mayor can fit through, but they are barricaded from the inside, so we've got to clear them up first.”

If they were to climb the stairs, they could confirm Harley's words. Planks, bolts and beams were used in a haphazard way to make it impossible to open the door from the outside, but it'd be fairly easy to clean it all up form the inside. If they all worked together, it wouldn't take too long to do so. They would also need to work together if they wished to bring up the mayor. However, if all three of them were to give it their all, they'd be able to drag up the mayor in a sloppy but functional fashion. The exit would lead into a small maintenance room, which in turn would lead out on the streets, surprisingly close to the mayor's office, where they'd be able to put the large minotaur on a couch until he'd wake up.

Ceylan grabbed the first opportunity to grab a bucket of water and a towel and some of the grossest stuff on him cleaned up, before returning to the others to figure out what their next step would be, although it would likely start by questioning Harley, who seemed to expect as much.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Silent Angel ​

The whole conundrum in the sewers had left Cayde weary. Though dragging the mayor's lifeless body to his office was one reason, it was Cayde's thoughts of what had transpired that had exhausted him the most. Even after managing to subdue the mayor, his head was still running with all sorts of what-ifs and if-onlys. He tried focusing on the now, but after everything he saw and everything he put Ceylan and Malerie through, Cayde could only feel remorse. Beneath his mask, he gritted his teeth in self-loathing. He needed to improve, and if not for himself, for his allies.

Needing a distraction from his own thoughts, Cayde decided to pace around the mayor's office. Along the way, his eyes wandered to the shelves of assorted books, the very desk where the mayor raised from, and finally, to the mayor himself, who was lying unconsciously on a couch over to the side. For a moment, Cayde stopped and stared at him, the thought of the mayor's rampage still fresh in his mind. Yet, as vivid as that experience was, Cayde still didn't understand why the mayor acted so violently. He thought he knew the symptoms of Mad Cow Disease, and for the life of him, he couldn't remember psychosis as being one of them - or was it? If he knew of the disease in the first place, he must've read about it and written it down somewhere, and where else could he have put it down than his trusty journal.

After fishing through his backpack, Cayde finally found his journal, and after skimming past a few pages, he finally found Mad Cow Disease. Much to his dismay, he hadn't written many notes on the disease, but what did stand out were a couple of lines describing its prognosis. Apparently, the disease was slow to progress, usually taking a few years for symptoms to show. Once symptoms appeared, they gradually became worse until the victim perished, spanning from a few weeks to a couple of months. After reading that line, Cayde squinted in skepticism. He remembered hearing Miss Nana say the mayor was completely fine just two days - he couldn't have almost lost his mind in that time, not naturally, at least.

After a brief moment of thought, Cayde walked over to Ceylan and Malerie, ready to discuss his findings. "So... everyone holding up okay?" He asked, an awkward pause shortly following. Finally, he cleared his throat and continued, "Alright, so I have a feeling this whole outbreak isn't completely natural. The mayor's disease progresses very slowly, yet Miss Nana said he was perfectly fine just two days ago. There's no way he could've gone from healthy to almost insane that quickly." He stated, before turning his head over to Ceylan, "And you, Ceylan, you had that feeling before we even made it into the city. I remember you had one of those before we went into those woods near Aston, and what we saw in there.... that was anything but natural." Cayde nodded slowly, "I'm gonna ask Harley some questions, see if I can learn anything about the city before this outbreak started. Maybe I can get a lead on what could've caused this."

With that, Cayde made his way over to Harley, "Hey Mr.Harley, feelin' any better?" Under his mask, he smiled, "So, Can you tell me when everyone started getting sick, yourself included? And before that, can you tell me how the city was doing? Was everything going well?"

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

The nevermore slowly stood up, brushing herself off before having a coughing fit into her own hand. "I must admit, getting choked by a minotaur is not the most pleasant experience." She let out a few more coughs before taking a deep breath, steadying herself. "But... I think I'm fine. No broken bones, and my windpipe isn't crushed. Considering the alternatives... I think that went well."

She took the offered staff, looking it over before looking at the mayor. "I think I can. I know how mad cow disease functions, so with some magic mixed in I think I should be able to handle this." She knelt down, the staff resting on the minotaur's head as Malerie started to force the sickness out, her knowledge of it assisting in the healing as she was able to combat specifics with [Heal What Ails You].

When she had finished, she leaned back, her breathing a bit more heavy, but the doctor looking less haggard than the priest. Her eyes went to the bunny. She walked over, starting up another healing, this time less invasive, as she still needed to gain back her strength, but enough to at least get rid of a lot of the issues that he was dealing with. "Keep drinking the brandy. That'll help too. I can't give you the full treatment so soon after the mayor, but I can at least help some. The brandy will be able to help you as well until I can give you the full package."

Once she finished, she handed the priest his staff back. "It is unnatural. You probably wouldn't know this, only being around for less than a day, but my focus got ruined like that because I used it on basically every person in this city over the last week or so. And yet whenever I would heal them, they would turn around and suddenly be stricken with another illness. It's like they all became immunodeficient and they were put in a place where every conceivable illness existed."​

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse | Malerie/Malady Silent Angel

Ceylan had shown clear relief upon hearing that Malerie was alright, as well as when he realised their combined healing powers managed to stabilize both Harley and the mayor. With some rest, both of them would make it, which was a lot considering the situation they found them in. On the topic of rest, Ceylan felt like having it. He was exhausted. Although he'd washed up a bit, he really started to wish for a bath and a good night's rest.

Were Ceylan to have been able to see Cayde's worry, he'd have said some things to cheer him up. However, Cayde's mask hid any emotion from sight, so Ceylan had no clue as to what was going on with his companion. It's only when he spotted Cayde's nervous pacing around that Ceylan figured something might be up. “I'm not sure what you're thinking, but you did good there. You managed to keep the mayor calm for long enough to have all of us make it out alive.”

As for what Malerie and Cayde told him, Ceylan could only nod. “I'm tired, but I'm alright. That said, you're right. I feared this was unnatural when the weight of this city nearly made me faint the moment I entered it. If you two reached the same conclusion, it's safe to take it as a fact. There's some sort of magic or curse cast upon this place.” As they reached this conclusion, they would see the sun was starting to set, as it was going to be evening soon. With nobody around to light the street lights (which were encased oil lanterns), the city was likely going to be very dark during the night.

Harley

​

Spoiler: Harley

When Cayde walked up to Harley, he'd instantly spot two things. There was an empty brandy bottle besides the hare and he was pretty intoxicated. “Aye, I'm great! Couldn't be better!” He spoke with a bit of a heavy tongue. He'd clearly taken Malerie's advise to keep drinking to heart. “Tssss been slowly, you know? First a few sick... then a whole lot. I'm not so sure when the first wasss. I think a month ago? Maybe more... didn't know it wasss something worse then, you know? Anyhow... The mayor, he said... it wasss something from someone, like... someone did thisss, you know? Like, a bad guy.” He then offered Cayde the bottle, only to notice it was already empty. “Oh, sorry 'bout that... tsss empty... perhaps the bird girl hass more... tsss good stuff...”

It took him a bit to get back on track. The fact that he even did so in his intoxicated state only attested to his sense of duty... sort-off. “Mayor said, 't must be someone doing something in hiding somewhere... said it couldn't be the housesss, cause they have people in them, you know...? Said it might be the sssewers... those go unchecked, you know? Sssso, we wanted to investigate... turned out they were barricaded from the insside, so we thought... thought we found it, you know? The mayor got more sick though, sssso I went to check through the manhole covers... you know? Mayor's way too big for those, you know? Sooo I went through them, you know... Tsss been nasty work, you know.. I got through all the sewers... finding nothing but sewer stuff, you know... wasss about to get rid of the barricade, next thing I knew, started coughing my lungs out and could barely walk from the pain... been there, like, a day? Maybe? Not ssuure... time passess slow when stuck in a sewer, you know? Next thing you know, mayor showssss up, thinks I'm the bad guy! Never been more scared in my life, you know?” As he said the latter, he started to lie down on the floorboards... “Sorry... I'mma sleep now... tsss good wood here... soft and warm...” It didn't take the hare long to drift off. His intoxication probably helped him calm down, in its own alcoholic way.

Ceylan
​

Ceylan had been listening to Cayde and Harley, but his mind was elsewhere. He'd been worrying about a few things, but with what Harley said, things started to fall into place. “The church here has crypts underneath them. Considering I'm from the Syncretist Church, I'd have access to them. It'd take some convincing to get you two along, but it might work out.” He said, out of the blue, assuming the other two would make the connection based on what Harley had told them. “We'd have to go there in the morning, but...” He clearly looked conflicted, struggling to figure out whether to tell them what was on his mind or not. “We should rest first, but...”

Eventually, he sighed deeply. “I'm afraid to sleep.” He'd finally gotten it off of his chest. “I'm getting more in tune with my ability to pick up on malicious magic and curses, but that also means it weighs heavier, especially here. I've never tried sleeping in a place so heavy and I'm honestly not sure what will happen. Even if I set up all the rituals to ward off evil that I've ever learned, I fear it'd still not be enough... is it weak of me to be scared of something like that?”

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Silent Angel ​

Cayde didn't expect Harley's drunken slurring, but in the end, he got all the information he needed. Still, his eyebrows quirked when he saw the hare lie on the floor, "Thanks, Harley, I'll uh, leave you to it." With that, he left Harley and regrouped with Ceylan and Malerie, now understanding what was happening. It turns out there was someone behind all of this, and all they had to do next was find them and put a stop to their plans. It sounded easy in Cayde's head, but if this person managed to afflict an entire city, there was no telling what they could do to him. For a moment, Cayde shuddered, hoping the coming confrontation wouldn't be anything like the last.

Fortunately, it wouldn't take too long for Cayde to receive his next lead, as Ceylan opted to check the church's crypts. "Hmm, if I wanted to keep my magic secret..." He trailed off, "then yeah, I'd probably head into a crypt! Good thinking, Ceylan." He looked outside, noticing the sunlight slowly fade, "Maybe the mayor will be up tomorrow morning. Then we can ask him some questions, get a better description of our culprit here."

As for Ceylan's confession, Cayde would touch upon that too. "Of course not! Look, Ceylan, to be honest, I'm kinda freaked out too..." He murmured, lowering his gaze to the floor, "I was already a bit nervous from the start, and now that we know what's causing this... yeah, I'm still a bit on edge." He let out a warm chuckle and raised one finger, "But, you know what's holding me together? You guys." He looked towards Ceylan, "Ceylan, we've been through so much: from that time in the woods with that gnoll to wading through the city sewers - we pulled through, and we'll pull through this too." A bright smile started to form under his mask, "We're not the same people we were back in those woods, Ceylan. We've improved - you especially. So don't doubt yourself for a second, friend."

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

Malerie went to the bunny, moving him somewhere more comfortable and lying him down on his side, checking him over once more before doing some final medicinal healing. As she did, she talked to the others, trying to console them and calm them. "It isn't wrong to be scared. But I would still try to get a full night's sleep. It's important, or else you might have even more mental anguish when the morning comes. I know it's difficult, but rest is the best thing for you."

After she finished with the bunny, she slowly stood up, walking over to Ceylan before sitting down right in front of the dog boy, her eyes searching his face to help figure out what might be the best treatment for him. "You know, if you want, I could help with your sleep. I can't do much about your subconscious, or nightmares that might happen, but I know I can at least help you to rest."​

 

[Elvario]

Harley

​

Spoiler: Harley

Mentions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse | Malerie/Malady Silent Angel

Harley was already asleep by the time Malerie checked up on him. He'd probably be fine come morning, other than likely having a nasty hangover. Being moved would at the very least make sure that his awakening didn't also include aching muscles from sleeping on a hardwood floor.

Ceylan
​

Ceylan was relieved to hear his ally speaking supportive words. “Thanks, Cayde, I'm glad to have you with me.” His reply was simple, but it was as honest as it could get. That said, he was also honest when he took up Malerie's offer. “If you have something that might work, I'd gladly try it.”

The next obstacle in the way of a night's rest was finding a place to sleep. The office they were in, despite being fairly sparsely decorated overall, turned out to have a few other rooms with large enough couches to sleep on. It'd be a lot better than a bedroll or floorboards, that much was sure.

Whether or not the stressful day and worrying future were enough to keep Cayde and Malerie from having a good night's rest was up to fate, but for Ceylan, it wasn't just fate that was bothering him. As he feared, his sixth sense didn't stop whilst he was sleeping. If anything, it worked its influences far stronger on him. He'd barely been asleep for half an hour when the first nightmare hit him, finding himself in the body of an elderly badger-like beast who's body was covered in itching wounds. The dream was so real that Ceylan was barely able to realise it was one, as he even felt the same itching through-out his body. He woke up in anxious sweat, but the drugs had gotten him woozy enough to fall asleep almost immediately afterwards. It's when the next dream hit him. This time, he was a neko, who was barely able to walk a few steps before almost fainting from exhaustion. As he fainted in his dream, he woke up again, only for him to fall back asleep and enter the next nightmare. The process started repeating itself. A young bird-like beast who was starting to loose her feathers out of the blue. A large, strong rhino-like beast who prided himself on being able to lift the heaviest weights being reduced to a weakened mess by some sort of flue... Whilst Ceylan's nightmares were too hazy and his mind too far away to make sense of it all; the dreams weren't random, they were what many of the citizens had gone through and were going through. The type of thing Malerie had been battling while she'd been here.

When Ceylan finally woke up, he felt more exhausted then when he started sleeping. He grouchily made his way outside, recalling he'd spotted a water reservoir just outside the building at the central plaza in the city where he could drink some and freshen up. It was eerily silent on the streets, likely due to everyone being sick at home.

At the office, Harley had also woken up. The hare instantly grabbed his head. “Fuuuu.... what the hell have I been doing...?” He looked around, spotting the mayor on the other couch in the room. The large minotaur was still asleep, but he was no longer in any danger. His sleep was one of simple exhaustion, as he'd been exhausted from trying to figure out what was going on in the city even before he'd gotten his disease. That said, it might be best to let him sleep to make sure he'd get a full recovery, as waking him would require a fair bit of force and might not get a lot of results, as he likely wouldn't awaken in the best of states right now

There was, however, another person that came into the building.

Miss Nana

​

Spoiler: Miss Nana

Miss Nana hopped in, looking around until she'd find Malerie. “Ah, miss Malerie, there you are!” She'd proudly present a basket of freshly baked bread and a few bottles of milk. “Since all of you are working so hard, I figured I'd get up early and at least make sure you'd all get a good breakfast... but... how did it end up with the mayor? Is he okay?” The bunny was displaying an equal amount of pride towards her work as worry towards the mayor, but beneath it, Malerie might spot another thing. Nana was hopping around slightly less energetic and her eyelids looked like they were swollen a little as well. Upon paying attention to it, it also looked like blinking was painful to her.

As for Cayde, now that they'd spent the night in the mayor's office, he likely would've spotted the small library in the building, which included some books on alchemy and biology. He'd probably recognise most of the titles in there, but what stood out weren't the books on the shelves, but the books that were laying around. They were all about medicine, opened on various pages, with notes written down on pieces of paper strewn about in the room. After a bit of rummaging, it'd be clear that someone had been looking for clues as to what might tie all the diseases together, but hadn't managed to spot any similarity. As the handwriting was pretty neat and tidy, it didn't seem likely for it to be from the mayor's large hands or Harley's old ones.

Ceylan would head back into the office after freshening himself up, looking a tad bit better than he did before, but still clearly being rather exhausted. Even so, he went to put on his official vestments and even got some incense ready. If he was to try getting Cayde and Malerie into the crypts with him, he'd need to be on his best behaviour. Letting outsiders into such a place wasn't normally allowed and Cayde and Malerie didn't exactly look like they were the most saintly individuals. He wondered if he should try to bring that up to them, but decided against it. Once he was done, he just wanted to go through a few things with Cayde and Malerie one more time. “It won't be easy to get you two into the crypt, but I'll try to convince them to allow it. Please don't get frustrated if they come across as needlessly rigid or unreasonable. A lot of the time, they act a lot more unreasonable then they look like, just to test someone's patience and we can't afford to make an enemy out of the church here.”

If Malerie or Cayde still wanted to do something before heading for the crypts, whether arranging for things or getting supplies or anything of the like, now would be the time to do it. After all, it wasn't likely they were going to be allowed to freely enter and leave the crypts whenever they wanted.

 

[Elvario]

Holy City of Vegard

​

Mentions: Maikoa Groave NeramoDJI

The first thing that stood out about the Holy City of Vegard (located in the beast country above Ryken, in the far north of it) was that the entire city wasn't visible from a distance, at least not from those approaching it by land. The entire city was located on the rocks of a cliff-side below a large open plain. Like everyone that walked towards the Holy City of Vegard, Maikoa would be faced with a thick fog spread around the cliffs, especially now, in the early morning. Amongst that fog, however, was a single bridge that would lead people off of the cliffs and onto the small path towards the city itself. (In the image, it's the large bridge near the top of the image. Maikoa would be approaching from the top right of the image. Imagine there being a cliff-side and plains behind that fog.)

The bridge was normally heavily guarded, as it was the only way into this city of religious and cultural importance to a lot of the [beast] populace. However, with nearly everyone being ill, the guards were spread incredibly thin. At the moment, there was only one person guarding the bridge. Upon seeing Maikoa approach, he walked up to the middle of the bridge to stop her from wandering through.

Bridge Guard 2

​

Spoiler: Bridge Guard 2

“Halt. The city is currently on lockdown due to diseases roaming free. Whatever your purpose is here, I'd advise you to turn back around.” Luckily for Maikoa, the guard didn't seem to be using an orb to scan people's titles and didn't seem to suspect her to be a [monster], instead likely assuming her to be some type of fae. He also seemed to be having some trouble focussing, likely because he was in pain, which was confirmed when he reached for his head with one of his hands, likely dealing with the pain of a severe headache.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Silent Angel ​

Cayde slept like a rock that night. He wasn't sure if it was the day's work, the fact he was sleeping on something other than a bedroll, or that he felt safer sleeping inside. However, what he did feel was the sharp pain in his neck as he woke the next morning. Still a bit groggy, Cayde winced and lazily rubbed at the pain. Hopefully, a sore neck would be the only nuisance he'd experience today. After a few minutes of massaging, the pain in his neck finally subsided, and Cayde rose from the couch, grabbing his mask off a nearby table. When all was said and done, Cayde trudged into the hallways, making his way to the mayor's office.

Cayde was fairly inattentive along the way, but as he passed by a certain room, something within caught his attention. He doubled back and peeked inside, spotting what seemed to be a small library. Several books and scraps of papers were lying about, and Cayde, being the nosy person he was, decided to quickly look around. Interestingly enough, the first book he found was about alchemy. Though the title didn't ring a bell, the words on the pages did: on it was instructions on how to create restorative salves and potions along with their effects. The next book he picked up was about Biology and was turned to a section describing illnesses and viruses attributed to humans and beastkin, with a short section describing their signs, symptoms, and treatment. Next to it, a small note was attached with several questions and theories written down. He spotted several more notes as he looked around him, all with similar theories. His eyes squinting in speculation, Cayde shut the book and grabbed a few notes; he'd have to show Ceylan and Malerie this.

Eventually, Cayde entered the mayor's office, notes and mask in hand. Fortunately, he came just in time to hear Ceylan speak, "Hopefully, it won't take too much convincing. I'd say they're running out of options." He stated, before showing them the note, "And before I forget: on the way here, I found these notes attached to some books. I don't think the mayor wrote them, but whoever did was trying to figure this whole thing out. Get the pieces together, y'know?" He took a moment to re-read the notes and nodded along with them, "It sounds like they know what they're talking about. Who knows, maybe we'll find them on the way to the crypts?"

In the corner of his eye, he caught Miss Nana hopping around. Considering he just openly admitted his ransacking of the library, Cayde felt a little bad. A small frown formed on his face as he addressed her, "Sorry for being so nosy, Miss Nana. I probably should've come to you first..." He trailed off, before noticing the basket full of bread and milk. Instantly, his frown shifted to a warm smile, "But thank you for the food. We appreciate it."

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

The monster woke from her slumber, blinking away the sleepiness as she stretched. Her eyes flicked to the door, thinking, hoping that today would be the final day she needed to be constantly healing those in the city. She had gotten used to the lack of sleep she often received on those days, but after taking a good rest, she could feel the exhaustion catching up to her, and she much preferred to not have this feeling hanging over her anymore.

She slowly stood, stretching once more as she smacked her lips, thinking about the other bodily needs she had. Specifically, her stomach. As she thought about that, the monster heard the door open. She turned to see Miss Nana bringing in the bread and milk, causing her to grin. "My hero~ You always seem to know the perfect time to make an entrance, Nana~" She walked over, about to take some of the food when her eyes flitted to the bunny's face. She took the food and milk from Nana's hands, but instead of eating any, she walked over to a table, placing the food down, before coming back over to the bunny. The healer knelt down, checking the bunny over, searching for a diagnosis. "Nana... What did I say when I left to go after the mayor?" She reached down, lifting the bunny up and carrying her over to one of the more comfy chairs.

She plopped the bunny down on one, continuing her diagnosis, thinking it was either a Stye or pink eye. "If you forgot, I said if you weren't well rested when I next saw you, I was going to tuck you into bed and make sure you stay there for the rest of the day. And while I don't have a bed here, and I can't stay for too much longer, you are not only not rested, but sick." She started to go to work, mainly helping the lady through more mundane ways, before finally pressing her back up against the chair. "Now, I'm gonna leave you here with Harley, and you better stay here or go into a bed and rest off the healing I did on you, or else I'm going to come back here and sit by you, watching you, waiting on you hand and foot until you're rested. See if I don't!" She stuck out her tongue at the other lady before her stomach growled. She giggled, somewhat embarrassed, as she stood up, turning back to the food. "However, my beautiful, wonderful, amazing hero, I will partake in the offered food~ Have you eaten yourself? If not, I'll share the portion you made for me." She strode towards the food, picking up one of the bottles of milk and a loaf of bread, turning to look quizzically at the bunny, waiting for her answer.​

 

[NeramoDJI]

Maikoa Groave



Maikoa looked towards the guard, her eyes slowly looking over the rhino beast man, her tone quiet and soft. Her instincts told her to get into the city, and she had no reason to fight her instincts, so she simply nodded. "I am aware, but I cannot turn back. I must get into the city Illness or no." She said softly, shaking her head at the refusal of the guard. She had come here after the battle, having run all this way, simply following where her instincts told her to go. And this is where she found herself.

"You seem unwell. Are you yourself stricken by this illness?" She asked, her tone still soft, like wind billowing through leaves as she got a bit closer, tilting her head on her approach as her bare feet made barely a sound against the stone bridge, her wooden covering moving as if it were cloth, beginning to approach the guard closer. She had no idea why she did what she was doing, but all she knew was to continue and follow her instincts into the village.

"Perhaps there might be some way for me to help." She offered, reaching a hand out slowly, the bare skin protruding out of the bark that made of sleeves of sorts.

 

[Elvario]

Ceylan
​

Mentions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse | Malerie/Malady Silent Angel | Maikoa Groave NeramoDJI

Ceylan couldn't but give a small chuckle at Cayde's optimism. “Running out of options might only make them more obstinate, as they wouldn't want to come across as desperate.” He then took a look at the notes Cayde had found. “It's...” Ceylan started his reply before figuring out how to frame it. He'd been dreaming about a lot of these diseases through-out the night, but saying it directly like that might be a bit much. “It looks like a record of the illnesses everyone in the city experienced and how to cure them.”

Miss Nana

​

Spoiler: Miss Nana

Miss Nana, before being intercepted by Malerie, was addressed by Cayde. “That's okay dear, I understand, although it'll probably take a while to get my notes back in order.” The latter statement probably reminded Cayde of how miss Nana had been introduced as the town's doctor the day before, which would put the presence of all those notes into place. “And don't worry about the food, it's the least I can do.”

That's when Malerie caught onto Nana's presence. She instantly managed to embarrass the poor bunny women. “But... I did return home. It's just that, this morning, the son of miss Whitefeather came by, saying his mother had gotten sick again and I couldn't just leave her be, right? So I made sure to prescribe her some medicine again.” Malerie would recognise the name as that of a family of aptly named swan-like beasts, of whom the mother had a pretty bad throat infection that required her to be on medicine to keep the swelling down just to keep eating and breathing.

As for Nana herself, now that Malerie was looking at it from up-close, it looked a lot like it might be myxamotose. The latter's effects ranged from mild to severe depending on the type of rabbit it was affecting. What it'd do to miss Nana was entirely unclear, but the current effect didn't seem all that severe. The bunny was surprisingly fierce in her reply to Malerie. “It's just a little swelling dear. I can't just rest because of some discomfort when there are people at risk of dying out there!”

Ceylan, overhearing the conversation, sighed and headed up to them. After debating his options, he ended up siding with miss Nana. “I understand wanting to keep her safe and sound, but we need every available healer out there if we want to continue making sure that nobody dies to this. I promise I'll use every bit of magic at my disposal to heal her if she becomes seriously ill, but I don't think we have a right to keep her from doing her work. Until then, the best we can do is to solve this at its core as soon as possible.”

With that all out of the way, however, it was time for them to head over to the church. The building wasn't located far from the office, so it only took them a short walk to get there. However, they wouldn't even make it inside before running into their first obstacle, as the door opened up while they were approaching, revealing a rat-like beast.

Reverend Preston

​

Spoiler: Reverend Preston

“Ah. You.” The rat-like beast looked to Ceylan, ignoring the other two. “You're the Syncretist, then?” There was some hostility in the rat's voice.

Ceylan remained calm. “That is right. I am Ceylan, High Priest of the Syncretist Church.”

The rat looked at him from top to bottom and back again. “You smell like sewer.”

“I'm afraid I did not have the luxury of a change of clothes and that yesterday's events forced me to explore the sewer system.”

The rat was scratching his neck, looking annoyed. “So a dive into the sewers was more important than meeting a fellow priest?”

“The situation led to it, for which I apologise.”

The rat was scratching his arm now, but still looked annoyed. “Fine, I'll forgive it. I was just heading out to check up on some patients. Are you here to join me?”

Ceylan shook his head. “I am afraid I cannot do so at the current moment. We have reason to believe that the source of these diseases may lie within the crypt and wish to inspect them.”

At that, the rat genuine seemed surprised. Shocked, even, at the fact that Ceylan would suggest such a thing. “Our sacred grounds are no breeding ground of disease. Your suggestion is an insult to our entire church. I hope you realise that.”

“I am well aware, but I still hope to beg your forgiveness and continue to press the issue. If I were to be proven wrong, it would put my heart at ease.”

The rat sighed, scratching his right leg. “I would allow you entrance, seeing how you're still a priest, despite being a Syncretist, but you sound like you're suggesting that you wish to bring these two...” The priest swallowed some choice words. “... into our sacred crypts?”

“That is correct. I can vouch for their good nature and ability to aid.”

Rather than replying, the rat looked at Cayde and Malerie, clearly expecting them to say something. What he wished to hear from them, however, wasn't entirely clear. Ceylan could only hope they wouldn't say something provocative.

Bridge Guard 2

​

Spoiler: Bridge Guard 2

Further outside the city, the bridge guard was clearly struggling to make sense of Maikoa in his current condition. Something felt off about her, but he didn't have the right state of mind to make sense of it. “Everyone is.” He replied to her question. He was highly sceptical of her ability to help, stepping back when she offered him a hand. “Unless you're a healer or someone with that priest and alchemist that are going around town, I doubt you'd be able to do anything.”

Unknowingly, the bridge guard had just given her two excellent excuses to be let into the city. Or perhaps the bridge guard did know about it and was looking for an excuse to not have to deal with her. Either way, it looked like he wasn't willing to risk having to face her in his current condition and that he was eager to find an excuse to let her pass. He likely wouldn't even be able to come after her, if she were to just jog past him, for that matter. It was clear his headaches were severe enough for him to not even function properly.

Holy City of Vegard

​

Regardless of her methods, Maikoa would find herself being able to go through. It'd set her on the same majestic path down into the city as the others had walked through before her. The bridge itself was a spectacular piece of architecture whilst the cliffs were full of natural beauty. The path winding downwards and the second bridge between both cliffs even further highlighted the beauty of it all as the lower parts were free of the fog and gave an excellent view of the ocean spreading out before her. However, upon entering the town proper, it'd be eerily silent. Everyone seemed to be at home, hidden away behind the safety of their doors. The only thing that would stand out was a group in front of the church, which included a dog-like beast and a rat-like beast that were arguing about something and two people with beaked faces.

 

[NeramoDJI]

She simply told the rhino she was a healer, and walked past him. She had no reason to do anything else, simply seeking to enter the city for whatever reason. As she walked down the path, she wondered softly at the architecture, and how permanent everything felt, yet at the same time so fleeting. Stone could last for centuries, if properly formed. However, at the same time, the slightest error would result in chipping and failure overtime.

When she saw the group in front of the church, she began to slowly approach, pulled by her instincts. She was nearly silent due to her bare feet against the ground, approaching behind the impossibly thicc nevermore, but not really paying that fact much mind, more listening to what was going on silently, her wooden clothes making nary a sound as she stepped behind Ceylan and Cayde. "What... is happening?" She asked, forming her words as she went, unfamiliar with speaking the common tongue, but still giving it her best shot.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: NeramoDJI Elvario Silent Angel ​

Cayde listened in quietly as Ceylan and Preston conversed, waiting for his turn his speak. Hearing the smaller priest rebuke Ceylan was surprising but not unexpected; Ceylan did say they were pretty rigid. As they continued speaking, Cayde wondered what'd he'd say when it was finally his turn. Unfortunately, Preston seemed to be in a sour mood, so flattering him was not an option. Instead, Cayde would have to do what he did best: blinding honesty.

As soon as Preston looked towards him and Malerie, Cayde immediately stepped forwards. "I'm Cayde, Alchemist by trade." He greeted, giving Preston a courteous nod, "Ceylan and I have been trying to put an end to this outbreak since yesterday, but our friend Malerie has been aiding the sick here for far longer." He said, glancing to both his companions, "We've managed to cure a few, including your city's mayor, but I'm afraid there's still more work to be done, which brings us here." Cayde straightened his posture, "Look, I understand if you're hesitant to let me in - to be honest, I'm not as well versed in religion as you or Ceylan, but I swear I will uphold the sanctity of your crypts. If I so deviate, I trust for either you or my friend Ceylan to set me back in line."

As his monologue came to a close, Cayde failed to notice Maikao creeping in on them. It was only until she spoke that he'd turned his head to look at her, and as he caught sight, Cayde's eyes went wide with confusion and slight intrigue. He thought Malerie looked strange, with her resemblance to kenkus, but the woman who stood behind him looked like no beast he'd ever seen. Cayde could only fumble out a few words from his lips, responding, "Uh...hi?" He promptly turned his head to Ceylan, his voice hushed but full of bewilderment, "Um, Ceylan, who... who is that?"

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

Malerie opened her mouth to respond before closing it, deciding it would be better to not say words when the other woman was so riled up like this, and when she herself had felt a surge of annoyance that she would prefer to not grow into anything worse. She instead started to eat her roll, waiting to for herself to calm down before she said, "Nana, you won't be able to help anyone if you yourself are exhausted from working while sick."

As the others started to head out, she started walking towards the door, before pausing in the doorway. She waited once more as she thought about her next words. Finally, after almost half a minute of silence, she said, "At least wait for fifteen minutes. By then what I gave you should have done enough for you to continue work. But after this pandemic is done, promise me you're going to rest, alright?" Without another word, she exited the building, closing the door behind her
___________________________________

Once they got to the church, Malerie decided to not get into the argument taking place. Instead, she waited, patiently, as the others talked. As the tree lady walked towards them, her eyes flitted to the other monster, not sure how to respond. This lady wasn't sick, so she didn't need healing. Maybe the others would be better when it came to talking to her.​

 

[Elvario]

Miss Nana

​

Spoiler: Miss Nana

Mentions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse | Malerie/Malady Silent Angel | Maikoa Groave NeramoDJI

Malerie managed to strike a deal with the bunny women, as the latter didn't seem eager to argue with her any more than she'd alrady done. Being a doctor herself, Nana knew what exhaustion could do to you, but at the same time, her pride as the city's primary healer was on the line here. She'd take the fifteen minutes out of respect for Malerie's work, but didn't look like she'd give it as much as a second more than that.

Reverend Preston

​

Spoiler: Reverend Preston

Preston, whilst scratching his right leg, listened to Cayde's introduction with a badly faked sense of disinterest. “The both of you look more like the type of people that'd be sent in when an apocalyptic plague requires the city to be cleansed of all life.” The priest didn't exactly mince his words. “That alone might violate the sanctity of this place.”

Ceylan
​

Ceylan was about to interject, but he spotted the same creature heading towards them as Cayde did. He stood in silent wonder until Cayde's question snapped him out of it. “I truly have no idea.” The odd new arrival truly complicated things even more, as while she didn't seem hostile, just her being here under these circumstances was about as suspicious as it could get.

Considering Malerie held her tongue and Cayde was too caught up by surprise, Ceylan ended up being the one to address Maikoa. “The city is suffering from an increase in disease and illness, likely caused by a curse of sorts.” He observed her as he gave her his reply. “Now that you know what's happening, I'd like to know who you are and what brings you here.”

Reverend Preston

​

Spoiler: Reverend Preston

The one that was by far the least amused with all of this was Preston. He looked at Maikoa with a mixture of distrust and hostility. “So now we've got odd woodland creatures running wild as well?” All of a sudden, however, he seemed shocked by something. It wasn't exactly clear by what, but the shock vanished soon after. Only a slight change in attitude remained when he spoke up next. “How about this. I'll let you all into the crypts in exchange for the group of you keeping an eye on this ... plant, over there. Surely our ancestors will understand that the sanctity of our crypts comes second to the safety of our city, so if you truly believe there is something to be solved by entering the crypts, I won't stop you from going there.” He wasn't exactly good at hiding the fact that he had some ulterior motive, but regardless of what it was, he seemed to be willing to give them exactly what they wanted for it. Whether or not they'd trust him was another question.

 

[The Last Curse]

Mentions: Elvario Silent Angel NeramoDJI ​

It didn't take long for Cayde to notice Preston's sudden change of heart. He was keen on keeping them out just a second ago, but he turned on a whim as soon as Maikoa arrived. Underneath his mask, a slight frown formed. It was clear Preston had something in store for them, but just what exactly was it? As bad as he wanted to know, Cayde tried to resist the urge to ask him. As far as Cayde knew, Preston was the only way to get into the crypts, or at least - the only way they could get in without provoking the church. Probing for more answers would only spoil this opportunity.

Still, Cayde was unsure if he should even take the offer. Not only were Preston's motives was incredibly vague, but so was Maikoa's. Granted, she could've been a curious passerby, but that'd be unlikely with the city's current condition. Maikoa could've been a traveler like him and Ceylan, but how would she have entered the city? Wasn't it on lockdown? Maybe she was a healer? Or perhaps she was a citizen? The longer Cayde thought, the more questions he had.

"So all we have to do is bring her with us...?" Cayde asked skeptically, turning his head to scan Maikoa once more. He shrugged and turned to Ceylan, who was already asking her questions. "I mean, she's probably here for the same reason we are, right? I don't see why we shouldn't take her with us?" He said, voice still laden with uncertainty. Cayde would have to wait for Maikoa's answers to finalize his decision.

 

[NeramoDJI]

Maikoa listened to those around, first responding to Ceylan while placing a hand on her hip. "I.... I am Maikoa." She said, recalling her name as she had never introduced herself before now. "I have no reason to be here. I only followed my instincts and they told me to come here." She explained simply, looking around at the group as the priest began to speak, her eyes looking down at him. She saw his surprise on his face, but she had no reason to bring it up, so she simply ignored it for the time being. Instead, she looked over the group curiously, wondering why they needed to keep an eye on her.

"I wanted to go within either way. So I suppose I will follow you." She said, her hands slowly moving to her hips as she gestured for them to lead the way, swishing her hair out of her face. "I will go where you wish." She said, walking closer to the group, looking at the other monster in the group, humming to herself before looking at the steeple and priest once more, her yellow eyes gazing over all of it while she gently gripped the fruit at her hip.

 

[Silent Angel]

Malerie

The doctor shuffled awkwardly at the way the conversation went. The new person troubled her, but possibly more importantly the priest made her uncomfortable. He seemed to have motives that he wasn't saying outright, and she couldn't exactly infer that much with someone like him, who she hadn't really met during her time in the city. All she knew was she would probably be checking her back when they went into the church.

She glanced at the wood lady as the other did the same, and after the hum was elicited, the puzzlement inside of Malerie's mind only increased. What was with this new person? She seemed strange, almost alien, unlike anyone she had ever met before in the last world or this one. She scooted closer to Ceylan, almost as if expecting him to protect her from the two new, confusing people.​

 

[Elvario]

Reverend Preston

​

Spoiler: Reverend Preston

Mentions: Cayde Whitinger The Last Curse | Malerie/Malady Silent Angel | Maikoa Groave NeramoDJI

Preston nodded at Cayde's question. “Yes. All I need is for you all to keep an eye on her.” He said, as he scratched his arm.

Ceylan
​

Ceylan, meanwhile, was thoroughly confused. “Your.. instincts, told you to come here?” She didn't look like someone with a strong sixth sense, nor like someone being granted godly divination. Her desire to enter the crypts was odd at best and dangerous at worst. That's when Ceylan figured out Preston's plan. It was a good one, save for a few uncomfortable facts... After an awkward moment of silence, Ceylan decided he'd make the gamble. “Cayde is right. There's no reason not to bring her along.”

Ceylan felt bad when he noticed Malerie was uncomfortable, as he had an inkling of what was about to happen when he turned to Preston. “Please lead the way.”

Preston smiled. “Of course.” The rat-like priest went back into the church, walking all the way to the other side of it and entered a small side-roam with a spiralling staircase downwards. They first entered a relatively normal basement level, with supplies stacked up in it. Preston grabbed a few torches for them and lit them up. There was another staircase down further into the room, which led to a small hallway. “As you might know, the crypts are part of a natural cave located deep into these cliffs. They say it even stretches far enough to go under the water and to lead to entrances hidden away in the mainland, so please make sure not to get lost in them.”

Ceylan nodded, as that was the final clue he needed. By now, the others might've figured out what Preston was up too as well, so he hoped they realised it was best to play along. It wasn't long after entering the hallway that they encountered a heavy looking door. Preston moved ahead of them, using a set of keys to open up two hefty looking locks and moving aside a door beam. After that, he opened the door and stepped aside. “Well then, good luck and may your gods be with you.”

Ceylan nodded. “And with you. Thank you for your aid.”

Not long after they'd all entered the first room of the crypts, which was an entirely empty small and plain room, they'd hear the door close behind them and being locked. If the others hadn't realised it yet, they'd probably do so now. Preston's change of heart was the switch from seeing them as wanting to intrude into the crypts to people that had intruded into the city and needed to be sent out.

Ceylan didn't take long to finally do what he felt he should've done before, using his appraisal on both Malerie and Maikoa. He gave a deep sigh upon seeing the results confirmed. “That priest is too sharp for his own good. He almost instantly realised the both of you were monsters.” After gathering his thoughts, he presented them to the others. “In any normal scenario, he would've had to call for the two of you to be executed on the spot. Considering the vast majority of monsters are dangerous, deadly and unreasonable, people don't tend to take risks with them. Those that fail to report a monster might even be at risk of being arrested themselves. However, in the current condition of the city and perhaps due to Malerie's aid, it seemed like he thought his best move was to lock us out of the city by sending us into the crypts. All things considered, it was the most reasonable course of action from his perspective.”

After another sigh, Ceylan continued. “I think we'll be okay if we manage to find the source of the diseases here and if the tunnels he alluded to truly exist, as we'll be able to fix the issue and escape without issue. If either of those things turn out to be wrong, however, we're in deep trouble.” He didn't wish to think about the latter alternative. “I'm sorry I didn't warn any of you when I realised, but this was the best way for us to get into the crypts without risking a conflict.”

As he finished speaking, he turned to Maikoa. “Would you mind telling us a bit about yourself?” Her sudden arrival was the most dubious factor in all of this. Ceylan still wasn't sure whether he'd done right to be locked away with her.

Not long after he finished, however, he started to feel bad. The lack of sleep, the relatively claustrophobic space, the presence of an unknown monster with unclear intentions, the fact hat they might be locked away in some crypts, the suddenness of it all and the feeling he'd betrayed Cayde by going along with this plan without informing him all weighed heavy on his mind, but they were still no match for the terrible feeling of something being wrong. If the city had been tainted by the feeling of 'heavy weight' due to his sixth sense going off, these crypts were like an overwhelming burden. A wry smile spread across his lips as he tried to keep himself up. “At least it feels like we're in the right place...”

Their next challenge, however, would be of a different kind. The crypts existed of multiple dark hallways that branched off into random directions. Some were naturally formed parts of a cave, others were man-made hallways between them. There were sarcophagi placed on shelves cut out of the rocks themselves, with a level of detail suggesting that this crypt was mostly used for the rich or important figures. There weren't any signs of this place being disturbed, but the area was one that wouldn't easily show such signs to begin with.

What the crypt lacked most was a comprehensive lay-out, as it was interwoven with the randomness of the naturally formed cave. All that was clear was that it wasn't all that big horizontally, only vertically. They'd find staircases going further and further down through-out the crypts if they kept looking. With Ceylan being in the state he was in and getting worse the deeper they went down, he wouldn't be of much help navigating, so it'd be up to the others to find a system or manner of navigation that'd get them through this smoothly enough.