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Etsali hated to admit it, but she hadn’t been sure they’d ever make it out of those caverns alive. They hadn’t wasted a moment once Ephias and Wolly had rejoined them, not with all that water and debris crashing down after them, but not even that terror was enough to wipe out the fact that they and their lusii were tired and wounded. Keeper struggled to keep going, and Etsali kept pace with her though everything in her screamed to move faster. But they’d made it, somehow, they hadn’t drowned like all those poor things she wasn’t going to let herself think about or been smashed by a cave-in or gotten lost in the tunnels. She could see moonlight ahead and that meant they had survived.

The relief that came with the thought was immense, a weight off her shoulders so suddenly that she felt almost dizzy with it, but there was something else there clawing its way up through the feeling. She shoved it to the back of her mind before she could even put a name to it as she started up the ladder to freedom, and the hands that closed around her and tugged her out into the moonlight were enough of a distraction to keep it there for quite some time. There were trolls dancing in the streets, wearing flowers from below as if they were just decoration instead of something so horrible, trolls calling her a hero, and there was a thought. Her, a hero! She briefly wondered what a certain orangeblood would say to that, but then she was being swept along and even that thought drifted off.

Eventually they set her down, her arms full of water bottles and her head still swimming. She took a moment to look around for where she’d last seen her lusus, eyes sliding over smiling faces in search of orange-spattered fur, and then trekked over to the raccoon dragon’s side once she’d found her. She’d been just about to slump down beside her, take a rest while she could, but instead she found herself standing frozen, eyes caught on the flower crown some celebrating resident had placed around her lusus’s ears.

It was just flowers, she knew that, just stupid flowers, but all she could think about was the vines that had wrapped around the captured lusii, around Keeper, all hurting and controlling and holding her down so she couldn’t move and couldn’t dodge- Etsali’s breathing quickened to painful gasps as she dropped the bottles she’d been given to lunge forward. Her fingers hooked around the crown, the way they’d latched on to the vines and tugged and tugged with no progress, and the force of her movement sent the thing flinging out over and then into the crowd. She was already searching for any more, anything she’d missed that had to go because she had to save Keeper this time, she had to.

Keeper lifted her head, chattering quietly, and Etsali snapped out of it, blinking down at her lusus. She stood there another moment, shuddering, and then finally slumped down beside her, arms curling around her neck in a hug. “S-sorry, I’m alright now.” Keeper huffed, lowering her head back onto her paws, and Etsali pressed her face into the matted fur. “Sorry,” she murmured again, and pulled back, settling into a more comfortable sitting position with her back leaning against the raccoon’s side. Sniffling, she eyed the water bottles scattered around her feet and then, almost mechanically, reached for the closest. Carefully she tugged her gloves off, uncapped the bottle, and began to clean her hands.

After that little panic attack, it wasn’t like she could stop thinking about it anymore, was it? They were alive, they’d survived that awful mess down there, but it hadn’t been because of her in any way. It was so very easy to cling to the relief, but now that she was settled, she knew it was time to face that guilt too. She’d run into this adventure the same way she ran into them all, in search of rewards to carry home and with no real fear of harm. What could possibly go wrong as long as Keeper was around to look after her, after all? She’d thought her lusus was invincible, and that meant that she was a kind of invincible too, didn’t it?

Except she’d been wrong about that, about both parts of that, and she couldn’t believe it had taken her this long to realize it. Even back before all of this, in Old Hemisect or Civisect she guessed it was now, there’d been that moment lost in the crowds where she hadn’t been able to find Keeper and Keeper hadn’t been able to find her. If it hadn’t been for Vulpin, they’d have both died there, wouldn’t they? And then in the caverns, she’d opened her stupid mouth and sent Keeper into the tunnels ahead to get captured. Sure it had been before the bad had started, but everyone had said the tunnels could be dangerous, she’d known that. So Keeper had been taken and she’d been alone, except for her team, but how could they have possibly been anywhere near the safety that Keeper was?

Etsali had kept going because she’d needed Keeper to feel safe, but somehow even then she hadn’t thought- How had she never wondered if Keeper was safe? Until she’d seen her all caught up in those vines, she’d never even considered it. Pausing, the thief flexed her fingers, eyes scanning every little scrape and bruise her hands had taken in her struggles to free lusii. After she’d freed Keeper, the lusus had kept going, had kept protecting her even though she was already hurt herself. And the worst of her wounds had been caused because she hadn’t let the vines take Etsali.

If she had moved fast enough, if she hadn’t been stupid enough to just stand there and stare as the ceiling crumbled, Keeper wouldn’t have had to knock her out of the way of the trap. And if she’d been able to pull the vines away before the sunlight got too bad, if she’d ever bothered to find knives like Vulpin’s instead of just thinking about it, then Keeper wouldn’t have been stuck in place while debris fell down on her. If Ephias hadn’t saved her, she would have died, and Keeper would have died because no one would have saved her. And now Keeper was so wounded, it would be a long time before she was ready to defend anything.

So…So. She reached for the next bottle of water, using it to scrub dirt and tears and blood and makeup off of her face. Inevitably this meant her hands needed cleaning again, but that was alright. She’d do it as many times as it took. Shaking excess water off her hands, she reached for a third, finally taking a drink to soothe the dryness of her throat before turning the dump the rest into the new project of attempting to clean up Keeper’s wounds at least a little.

“Hey, Keeper. I’ve decided.” Keeper shifted slightly without ever lifting her head again, but Etsali saw her ears perk up attentively. “No more just pretending. I’m going to really learn this time, and I’ll get so good you won’t even need to save me.” There’d never been a time in her life that the feeling of Keeper’s fur under her fingers hadn’t calmed her, and she savored it now. “And if you’re ever in danger again, I’ll even find a way to save you. That’s a promise.”

All the great thieves always kept their promises.

Was he for real? Shrugging her shoulders, she decided to fill him in. He seemed pretty serious so why not. "Oh uh...Soper slime patches is what I meant! I didn't get to much sleep, but it helped a little." She admitted brows furrowing some.

Oh, so he did live in town! Awesome. "Yeah! I'll come bug you in a couple days, I'll go find a rental room and stick around in town sure no problemo." Voscil watched him get up, having still been in a small giggle fit from his crikey remark. He headed towards what appeared like a redblood if her eyes weren't deceiving her. They looked like friends too based on the leg hug.

Voscil pulled herself to her feet, tugging at MamaJu as she followed after, there in no time flat. "Yo! I'm glad you're okay Mr. but I'm tired!" The yellowblood complained even as she smiled. "You have neat horns by the way!" She blurted, keeping the ball rolling without pause.

"I'ma go find a place to stay in town now! Reemus, see you later man!" Quickly hugging the strangers other leg and then Reemus she was off in a quick little shuffle. She didn't wait on either to respond. Vos was cranky, and incredibly impatient and wanted what she wanted right now. It was as simple as that.

∞ Ephias Sagine

“Am I all right?” Keionx echoed, laughter mocking. “Well, are you?”

Ephias blinked. Then his face settled back into its usual cold, impassive mask. Her words stung, penetrating the walls of his deadened emotional state. He supposed he deserved that. His approach had made him look clueless if not outright inconsiderate. Even so, he would not let her see how she had cut him. Regardless of whether he deserved her sharp tone, he knew she at least did not deserve to suffer guilt over it.

“Oh... I...” Ephias floundered. “I'm alive. That means something. Doesn't it?” He continued to hold the orangeblood's gaze, trying to communicate with his eyes what he could not with his words. She broke away, laughter dead in her throat.

“I'm sorry,” she said after a moment. Ephias' face did not move. “That was not called for. I'm sorry.”

Wolly, detecting the misery in her tone, stepped forward to gently nuzzle her shoulder. Even dirty, his wool was soft and his nose velvety. He dipped his head to her waist and began to scratch his neck against her side. It was hard to tell if that was his attempt to cheer her up or if he was just shamelessly seeking attention.

“It's okay.” Ephias said. “I understand.” When she asked if he would walk with him, he nodded. In the back of his thinkpan he remembered that he had yet to rendezvous with Zindel, Etsali, and Voscil. He could not leave them without saying goodbye. But nor could he leave Keionx by herself. Not now. She was hurt and he needed to help. Hopefully the others would be fine on their own. At the very least, maybe he could talk with Etsali later. She knew where he lived after all.

“Wherever you want to g-to go,” Ephias said. “I'll be right behind you.”