[ AW ] Fallen Angel

Run, keep running and don't stop. That's what the voice in my head says. But I'm tired, I'm hurt, so so badly hurt. I can't keep going, but I have to. Where did the Percy boy go? Who is he? He's important, I miss him. Will he find me if I keep running?


The sound of her uneven footfalls competed for space in her head with her ragged breathing and the rapid pulse of her heart as she pushed herself on and on. Stumbling and diving down to flatter land, Effy escaped the fear of blood and long falls. I fell, so far from up on that cliff. I'm scared and hurting, I can't breathe. "Please..." she whispered to herself, "Please stop running". Tears streamed from her eyes and sobbing came soon after as she slipped down a mossy slope and lost her footing altogether as the trees fell away.


Persephone landed in a heap amongst tall grass with stuck and dragged at her wounds and to the blood still dripping from her head. "Someone please help me, I-", she called, cutting herself off as the loud cry of her voice scared her into silence. I'm lost, and alone. I don't want to be here, I want to go home... where did Percy go? There was an image of black and white in her head but it was blurry save for the golden eyes. Was that Percy? I'll keep going. I promised him I wouldn't stop.


Effy struggled to her feet, lifting the left forepaw as the bones and muscles of her shoulder screamed at the pressure and the tight band around her ribs stole her breath with each renewed sob. The delicate blossom made it to lower grasses and a patch of pretty yellow flowers, tiny ones. Butter. Butterflys? No, Buttercups. That's it. They remind me off- As an image of bloody sunflowers filled her vision, Persephone Saratos collapsed where she stood, fear, exhaustion and bloodloss stealing the last of her strength.

I

t was time to see herself off to the next large town of Rionnach to preach her way of The Voice. The next area would naturally have been Melrose and The College, though she thought she might stop by there on her way North. And so her ventures were now likely to take her back into the Mainlands and head down to Sussex.

Then again, there might be nothing to help the citizens of that town and shed likely do better in Yorkshire even if it was close to the Imperial Barracks. Perhaps she would just have to wait and see which way she felt moved to journey towards once she reached a crossroads. That was all that was on her mind as she had begun to depart Edinburgh...at least until a scream stole all of her attention.

“Someone please help me, I-"

When she'd caught sight of the young woman, she watched her collapse in a bed of flowers nearby and she blinked for a moment, glancing up at her scald crow that fluttered above her. Tentatively she approached, lowering her voice gently as she crouched nearby to check on her. She was no healer, but at first glance she could tell this female was in dire need of medical attention. “My dear, what's happened? Are you alright?"

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

The time of unconsciousness was short but Effy had no recollection of collapsing. One moment she was seeing red and yellow in awful stark contrast and then... a brown face with deep blue eyes swam into her watery vision, asking her questions. The poor woman pulled herself up gingerly, saddened by how the flowers had bent and been crushed beneath her weight. "I ... I... I don't know- Where I am -I fell down a tall... " Her body began to quiver as the feeling of falling dragged at her stomach, causing her to heave and release the small contents that lay within.


I'm scared, I"I lost my... the boy I was with. I think he's-" she whispered, sobs cutting off the dreadful thought. Her next attempt to stand went better until she cried out at the pain in her left shoulder and ribs. Whines continued to escape as she tried to make sense of the terror and blank spots in her head. "My head... ribs and shoulder... they hurt", managed between the tearful hiccups, "Do you know who I am? I-I- my brain has... blanks. Per-perse...phone. I'm called.. I think.. He was Percy. He was, no, he's Percy I'm-"That boy, he calls me Effy. Persephone Sarantos. That's m-m-my name"


The shaking and crying stopped as suddenly as it started and the frightened young woman limped from the flowers and made her way to the larger stranger, Please help me. "I think I... I need... help", she whispered, staring with a pitiful expression into the kind blues turned her way. Her head felt like a cloud now, like her words had run dry. She'd used them all up. Ears tilted back, Effy couldn't find a way to make the questions in her mind come out of her mouth. Thank you for finding me, who are you? Where do you come from? Is this a good place or a bad place?

Most days, Aisce would have to be sought out for aid. Found and cornered, forced into helping with grating small talk and awkward social rules they never knew how to get out of. It was easier to look the other way, hear a sob story on the wind and then keep pretending that losing your outer ears actually did make you deaf. This situation piqued their curiosity enough to eavesdrop, though, at least. The first voice was quickly met with a second - aid was provided. They wouldn't be needed. As the panicking wolf began to explain to their savior, Aisce prepared to slip away unnoticed and return to their travels.

"My brain has... blanks."

Oh.

That was familiar.

Stepping out of the shadows, Aisce moved in what they guessed was the direction of the two wolves - it was hard to pinpoint the exact direction sounds were coming from, and scents were of limited use in such close range. Still, they were reasonably sure they'd approached to a few feet or so away. "I have enough healing knowledge to stabilize you until you can get to someone more experienced," they volunteered, voice emotionless despite the strange kinship they felt with this fellow amnesiac, "but I may need some aspects of your wounds described to me."

W

hen the girl came to she was frantic to the point of making herself sick and Nimue instantly moved to her, drawing a gentle paw along her back in a soothing motion if she would allow it. “There, there...you fell down a tall...what?" She'd started to ask, looking around them seeing that there wasn't much of a tall anything around Edinburgh to her knowledge. She peered down to subtly inspect the woman's feet, taking note that the pads appeared to be raw. “Whatever you were getting distance from, I'd say you've certainly outrun it." Nim made the idle comment, before the woman began to stammer about a boy and then blanks in her mind as she seemed to be trying to work out the memory of her own name.

“Persephone? Alright, then Effy it is, if you'd prefer it. That's a very lovely name." She offered in a soft tone, doing her best to put the frightened girl at ease while she was so heightened. “My name is Nimue, but you may call me Nim." The state she was in was concerning at best, but she would not be able to assist her properly if she remained panicked. “I will help you, of course. You needn't have any fears while I'm around, you are safe." Just as she was about to lift her head to determine where to lead her in order to get her some medical attention, another figure joined them.

This one, Nimue was shocked to find, had similar features of another healer and good friend of hers. She was not so offput by the lack of eyeballs, moreso it was the missing ears and tail that left her curious. “My, my...it seems like you could tell a story as well, hm?" The comment was meant to be lighthearted as she dipped her head to the newcomer and then gestured back to Effy. “Could you help me get her somewhere more comfortable where we can have her injuries treated properly? I'm afraid I'm from out of town, so the best medics I know are the ones found in Melrose. I'm Nimue, by the way. This is Persephone. And you are?"

@Persephone
@Aisce

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

The woman with bright eyes seemed friendly enough. Her demeanour was calming and her voice sweet and soothing. I fell off a high… it was… a ra-ra- The words in her head kept floating around, making her wish she could snap them in her jaws and hold them still enough to make sense of them. The random images in her head were the same. The nice lady kept speaking and when she confirmed that the danger was long behind her, Effy heaved a sigh of relief and the sobs began to subside.


With introductions done, the lost girl felt she had a better handle on things, especially as Nim told her she would be safe now that she was no longer alone. ”Th-thank you”, she mumbled, rubbing her cheek along a foreleg in an attempt to dry her tears. They just didn’t seem to want to stop.


The calming affects of her first companion subsided briefly when they were joined by another. His appearance had her shaking though she could not figure the cause. [i]What happened to you? Who took your tail and ears and eyes? Was it bad people? An accident? [\i]”Hello… nice to meet you” , that seemed the right thing to say, ”M-my head, it won’t stop bleeding… my shoulder feels weird, won’t-it won’t- take weight”. She hoped the strange man could help them.