The grim news that shrouded the bedroom as much as darkness shrouded the land of Boreas and Auster could no longer be avoided. Laeta was fading, and fast. Her health had taken a deep dive for the worst. Her paralysis due to a broken neck, diagnosed by Syanna, was incurable. She was unable to move her legs for the rest of her life, as it seemed now. She could only lay on her bed, pillows propped beneath her sunken skeleton of a body that almost appeared..well..the ‘d’ word. Mel refused to utter what looked to be the inevitable. The badger tearfully watched as the glowing pustules that had appeared overnight swelled like flourescent bubbles beneath the woman’s fiery-hot skin. Some of them had even burst, much to his horror, and he had cleaned them up the best he could, blubbering as tears welled his beady eyes. It didn’t help matters that Lae’s comprehension of reality was slipping each day that passed, sometimes not remembering gaps of conversations with the badger or her pack mates that stopped by, and sometimes not remembering who they were at all. She’d sleep for hours at a time, abnormally long stretches of slumber, and she barely had an appetite. The glowing ooze needed to be wiped from her facial features as it flowed every half hour now, or else it accumulated beneath her head to the point where she’d begin to choke. At this point, the ooze was overwhelming, and her ruby-clawed companion could only try to encourage the woman to spit out the gunk and clear up her eyes and ears, that is, if she was lucid enough to understand him. "M-My dear, Lady Laeta," Mel whispered, "I-I pray you return to us, in this realm..". Earlier that day, he had spoken in a cheerful loud tone, and that spooked the paralyzed wolf so badly she had screamed and wept, and the ooze that gunked up her eyes so bad they swelled like crabapples. So, he kept his voice soft as a mouse, and his movements around her bed and in her room were as slow and predictable as possible. The curtains at her window remained drawn, as the darkness of the night terrified the woman a great deal. She had to lay facing the fireplace at all times, at the cost of her joints aching horribly. She’d develop sores at this point, but Mel could do little about it. Helpless, he sat in his spot curled by her neck, one ruby-clawed paw resting upon her shoulder in comfort. It seemed to soothe her, for the times she spent awake she would murmur about her mother, father, and siblings visiting her, and them beckoning her to their pack. The beckoning part frightened Mel deeply..he knew what that word meant. She’d have moments of lucidity to communicate to her companion, but not even a moment after she’d forget the conversation entirely and they’d have to repeat it again. And again. If he curled by and pressed himself against her, she usually was asleep. Allowing himself a moment of quiet respite, Mel began to sniffle, stifling his sobs. Though he had only known Laeta for but a few days, he cared for her a great deal, as if their friendship was forged by forces beyond their comprehension. Anger was not in his placid nature, but the thought of the firefly man having done this to her was unbearable. She didn’t deserve this, no matter what she had done to anger that horrible thing that delighted in the torment of others. She didn’t deserve to be unable to care for herself. She didn’t deserve to not be able to even walk around, drink water normally, heck, even breathe normally without those bone-chilling rattles she rasped with each weak rise and fall of her chest. He feared each breath she took at this point could very well be her last, and that mere thought sent him into more chest-tightening sobs. He removed his monocle, burying his face into her fluid-slicked neck fur. It was ever so soft, despite it being wet from ooze and the burst blisters. He wanted her to be okay. He needed his friend here, with him. She couldn’t leave, not now. She was all the little badger had in this world. "Speech"

Laeta was not the only wolf infected within The Hallows, but she was by far the most severe case. Sota knew little of what had happened to her beyond her condition, and he wasn't the sort to pry. Paralyzed, he'd heard. Her legs were not simply injured by she could no longer walk, nor even crawl. As good as dead, was all he could think, and he immediately felt ashamed of himself for it. A wolf who couldn't move, couldn't tend to their own basic needs... such a thing was unheard of where he'd grown up. A wolf in that condition would've been swiftly put out of their misery. He remembered the kind of guilt he'd felt when he'd broken one leg and sought refuge among this group while he healed up properly, but this was something else entirely. The wolf he'd been raised to be wouldn't have been inclined to tend to her, no matter how terribly he might feel about the state she was in.

But now? He was a changed man, and empathy won out over tradition. The Hallows was a place of healing and Sota had taken that mantra to heart. All wolves were worth of care unless they proved otherwise, and Laeta was no exception. Though he wasn't quite sure how to face her in the state she was in, he knew - or at least hoped - that some company might do her some good. Anything to marginally lift her spirits had to be good, right? He certainly hoped so. He almost doubted his decision by the time he reached the door to her room, hesitating for a long moment before clearing his throat and making his intent to enter known. By her beside stood a creature he could only assume to be her companion, and by way of greeting he gave a deep bow, nose brushing the floor before he straightened and entered properly, as quietly as he could manage. "Can.. can she take company?" He all but whispered to the badger, as wary as ever before daring to approach further. If not he'd be quick to leave, but he thought visitors might improve her mood. Perhaps he should've brought a gift too, but the world was far too strange lately to go collecting flowers. No, he needed to stay home and tend to his duties here while this all persisted.

Can..can she take company? A whisper reached the ears of the little badger on the bed. Mel raised his head from where it was buried beneath Lae’s neck fur, scrambling to grab his golden monocle to see who was at the door. Upon seeing an intricately patterned wolf, only a little smaller than the woman he cared for, he sniffed and crept off the bed, returning the same bow the male had offered him in the doorway. "I-I believe she’d appreciate it, sir," The badger said softly, taking one forepaw to wipe his face. Luckily, he was unaffected by the ooze, like most of the companions in this place. At least that was fortunate. Laeta’s chest heaved slightly as she coughed, the flourescent gunk clogging up her mouth. The rattling of her lungs due to her worsening illness was apparent, and yet another new glowing pustule had made its home on her shoulder, among several others that spotted her torso and legs. If Sota wished, he could enter the room, the badger beckoning him towards the woman. She was only able to move her head and part of her neck due to her injury, and she weakly raised it to spit out a massive clot of ooze into a bowl beside her face. The liquid ran in a seemingly endless torrent from her face, soaking into her fur, which remained almost constantly wet, slicked, and a complete mess. She looked beyond miserable. Truthfully, in her moments of lucidity, she had briefly considering asking Mel to steal some heavy sedatives from the pharmacy to..well..end her suffering. She quickly cast that aside, knowing how Mel would utterly fall apart at such a deadly request. She kept in under wraps, concealing it under soft smiles she offered to the badger, at least, when she remembered him. This illness often made her forget things, so far as to forget her companion, or even where she was. It was agony, day in and day out, to be unable to care for herself. It was torture to lay on her side, her sore joints flaring up massively with throbbing pain. Her fever spiked and fell at random intervals, and she often lost gaps of time when she wasn’t asleep. She kept seeing visions and hearing voices of her dead family; her mother, her siblings, her father and uncles as well. Some days, they beckoned her to join them, though something was tying her back here. Why, though? Why, in her condition, was she being told by something out there that her time in this world was not yet finished? Wasn’t this illness on top of her paralysis cause for divine intervention? Shooing away the thoughts, the woman blinked her ooze-slicked orbs to see a familiar face. Through the pain, the woman managed to crack a smile on her lips, lifting her head to meet the small wolf. Her gaze glimmered with recognition of him despite her excruciating pain. "Sota.." She croaked, swallowing back the thick ooze with a wet, hacking cough. She was so grateful for his company, as he was a kind soul. She needed that right now. The woman didn’t need judgement for her sins, or for how she deserved what had happened to her thus far. She needed to swallow back the fact that she was a burden to the pack as it stood, needing constant care while most of the pack was incapacitated by the illness as well. It was a sickly feeling that stuck to her mouth like the glowing smile that kept crawling down her features. She looked the male over, as if making sure he was really there, and added in a muffled voice, "I’m so glad..you’re here.." "Speech"

Sota felt terribly for her, not in the pitying sort of way, but instead he genuinely sorry that such a thing had befallen her. Though he knew little of the circumstances behind what she'd endured, he knew it wasn't fair and it wasn't right - not that the world seemed to care much for justice anyway. It was a lesson he'd learned when he was very young and it had stuck with him as he'd grown older, though it didn't make those sharp pangs of sympathy any less painful. Not that it could even begin to compare to what she was enduring. The small male nodded understand at her companion's words, glad he accepted his offer of company. Though he was intent on keeping a safe distance from her in case her illness was contagious, he hoped his company might offer some comfort to her if anything. Perhaps he could even bring her food or something to drink, somehow, though it looked like her friend there had that all covered..

Slowly he crept in, as quiet as possible so as to not startle her - though she became aware of him quickly enough given her state. It wouldn't surprise him at all if she wasn't lucid, but she seemed to recognize him right away and his features brightened, temporarily unraveling the worry that had woven itself tightly there. She was alive, and though unwell... at least she was still here. He'd like to say it was better to be alive than not, but in her condition? It wasn't his room to say, but imagining her living like this forever made his stomach turn with dread. "Laeta. I'm glad to see you as well," he spoke quietly, painfully aware of the sound of his voice in the quiet room, only broken by her labored breathing and the crackling of the fireplace not far off from where she lay. "I thought you might like some company. Or I could bring you something- anything you need, say the word and I'll fetch it," Sota added quickly. At his core he was a caretaker, this was something he'd learned over these last few years, and little would please him more than helping her in whatever way she wished.

In some ways, Laeta was fortunate to not be fully in reality all of the time. Her condition was agonizing, the pain unbearable at times, and sore and uncomfortable at its best. Sometimes it could be perceived as a blessing, cruel as that sounded, to forget gaps of time and to have her memory seemingly erased every while. In her dreams, her family, particularly her mother visited her, talking and talking. They said all the words they never said to her in their lives, and when Lae still lived in her birth pack. While her siblings and father urged her to "come home" - even in her state, she knew what that meant - her mother begged her to fight. Stay in this world, horrible as it was, and fight. Don't let the ooze consume her life, and certainly not her soul, which her mother said was as brilliant and bright as the day she was born. A star that refused to burn out, and a star that continued to shine even in the darkest of times. The monochromatic woman held onto those fragmented dreams and memories dearly, tethering her to the living and the dead, giving her some shred of hope. Though it was difficult, when her lungs were lined with the bioluminescent fluid, making it hard to take in a breath, and her face was slicked with the stuff, too. Her fever raged despite Syanna's treatment, and the fear that her body was shutting down despite her determination to live on was growing by the day. Not that she could tell time much anymore, with each hour as lightless as the last. Her friend came into the room, but maintained a safe distance, which eased the woman greatly. Sota had the kind heart of the other pack members, and she felt fortunate to be here. She could only imagine what would happen if she'd lived in a different pack, where they weren't so keen on caring for a paralyzed and sick wolf, or worse..left for dead in the loner lands. Her stomach twisted uneasily at the thought, but the small male in the room kept her present. Visits from the pack members who weren't sick, or at least, less severely affected, lifted her spirits even for a little while. Through the relentless flow of glowing ooze, a soft smile continued to crack her lips, as pained as her expression was. "I thought you might like some company. Or I could bring you something- anything you need, say the word and I'll fetch it," Sota had said. Melis busied himself about the room, quietly muttering to himself about how he needed to tidy the place. He did not wish to intrude upon the wolves' conversation, especially because Lae's lucidity was a rare moment these days. "I only need someone to..be here.." She wheezed hoarsely. "But I won't..keep you..if you worry about..getting infected.." After all, infection was getting all the more likely for the pack, as many of them were affected - or so she heard from her companion, who had done his own recon through the castle. Many members had fallen ill, and there was no telling when casualties would eventually begin to rise. Maybe it seemed selfish for her to enjoy Sota's presence, but she craved the company of another wolf. Melis was of great help, but he could be a bit..well, anxious. And Sota was relatively level-headed, or so he appeared. She gave off a few muffled, rattling coughs, with more liquid pooling down her lips. She reached to the bowl next to her to spit out another clump of gunk, her ruby eyes glancing at her friend with an almost shameful look. She didn't want to be a burden to the pack, even if they were all willing to help. But she spent little time pitying herself, as it was a waste of her own energy and helped little. Her ruby eyes glazed over for a few seconds, as if she had zoned out, and when she slowly blinked the ooze from her orbs, she glanced at Sota again. This time, the lucidity she'd upheld had faded, as did her memory of him entering the room. "Sota..?" She recalled his name at least, but appeared confused."When did you..come in here?" It was that tone of gratitude and warmth she held in her hoarse, ooze-clogged voice, but she had no recollection of him coming into the room. The ooze's side effects were, yet again, merciless. "Speech"

It was a terrifying thought to him, to be slipping in and out of reality; if anything Sota was always painfully aware of the world around him, and the thought of not being in control of that was frightening. But he tried not to dwell too much on how he pitied her. Pity wasn't part of the Songa way of life and spending too much time on it felt unkind. He would not pity her, even if he felt terrible for the situation she'd found herself in - though he would offer any help he could, and of course his company, if that helped ease her soul any. At least she seemed willing to pull through, though he feared if things would truly get any better for her. Would she waste away here, unable to properly move? Would The Hallows care for her for the rest of her life, if that was what she needed? He had to hope the answer was yes; he'd fight for her right to live too, if he had to. It only seemed right.

He returned the smile she offered. He wished he could get a bit closer, but contracting this strange illness, assuming it was contagious, would be foolish. The pack needed all the healthy wolves they could get right now and risking his own well-being would be selfish, for the pack if not himself. "Don't worry, I'll stay over here," he assured her gently. Perhaps he was taking a small risk by being in here but he hoped the distance would keep him safe. Sitting here with here was the least he could do though, and he'd stay with her as long as she wanted his company. For a moment he felt his spirits lighten - she was deeply unwell but she was still alive and communicating, but suddenly her demeanor shifted. Her eyes grew unfocused, her mind drifting off elsewhere.

Sota swallowed hard. "I just arrived. Only a moment ago," he explained patiently. His mind was reeling with confusion that he tried to conceal. This illness was not just physical, it seemed, but mental too... or perhaps it was exhaustion speaking, taking a heavy toll on her body. "I wanted to see if you needed anything, or perhaps... just wanted some company," Sota explained again. He feared for her now, for what her symptoms might look like if they worsened- was it possible that she might lose herself completely to this sickness?

Sota

You feel an overwhelming sense of dread.


You gain:

• Crystals (3x)- Used in Firefly's Shoppe, and perhaps elsewhere...
  

The Songa had reassured the ill woman he’d stay, and that was enough to keep a hopeful expression upon her ooze-crusted features. That is, until the cruelty of the illness had taken over and she’d entirely forgotten that he’d been there in the first place. Lae frowned softly as she attempted to rack her brain for some memory of his arrival to her room, but alas, her ailment had whisked the thoughts away, leaving her mind blank. I just arrived a moment ago, he had told her, only for her to knit her brow in confusion. Did he come in? When? Even her train of thoughrs began to blur into an incomprehensible cluster. Nonetheless, his statements and offer of compny refreshed the soft smile that returned to her lips, despite the excruciating pain. Sota. He was such a kind friend. "Company is..always nice.." She rasped, her lungs crackling with each heaving breath she took. The rise and fall of her chest was rough and seemed to take much effort. Her wheezing brought Melis over, as he grabbed a hankerchief in his ruby claws and helped clear the ooze away from her face and what had dribbled down her neck fur as well. Behind Sota, the woman saw the faint glow of her family’s spirits as they watched her, their bodies transluscent and wrapped in a soothing, ethereal glow. Sota would likely not even sense them, and whether or not they were truly one of the many spirits that wandered the lands at this strange time or were just another figment of her fevered mind was unclear. What was clear, though, was their expressions. They didn’t want her to join them. Not now. Lae, dear, Her mother’s spirit spoke, barely a whisper. The figure Lae saw would approach her side, pressing her nose to her face in comfort. It is not your time. Stay with your new family. They will give you hope, guidance. You have yet to find yourself. Sota would only see the paralyzed woman’s saddened expression as she murmured to something that wasn’t there. "I-I will..mother..I’ll stay.." She croaked, bioluminescent ooze of tears streaming down her face. She watched behind Sota as her family faded away into nothing, leaving only the living souls in the room. Mel watched his friend with concern, wiping her eyes again as he glanced at Sota with an apologetic expression. "I truly hope this has not scared you, good sir..the illness has made her mind suffer as greatly as her body, it seems," The badger said softly, taking a blanket and draping it gently over the woman’s shivering frame. Lae’s ruby orbs flickered at her companion in reassurance - it seemed the poor creature needed a lot of it. He’d done so much for her even if he wasn’t confident that she was strong enough to pull through. Laeta glanced at Sota, back in a lucid state. For how long she’d remain this way was unclear. "Sota..I’m not going..to die. Don’t worry." Maybe he wouldn’t believe her, but she didn’t feel she was going to die. It wasn’t her time yet. She still had so much to experience, so much she hadn’t learned about pack life. She couldn’t, and wouldn’t go yet. "Speech"

Laeta

You remember how nice it feels to have your teeth slice through flesh. The hunger becomes uncontrollable.


You gain:

• Mushrooms (7x)- Used in Firefly's Shoppe, and perhaps elsewhere...