Caitlin almost stumbled when she stepped through the gateway, the Water Shrine was unfamiliar to her. But with Rai-Lynn in her arms she caught her balance. It would appear that the poor girl had been through enough and the last thing that she needed was to be dropped by her rescuer. She could read Elvish now from all the books she had been reading, so the words were not a mystery. The doors opened at her touch and Caitlin ignored her settings for the moment, there were much more important manners at hand. Flame blue eyes skimmed over the portraits, seeing them but not recognizing who they were.

Stepping towards the altar, Caitlin hoped the Water Avatar was somewhere close by as she called out "Lady Water, I need your help! I've found Rai-Lynn, but she needs help!', her voice quiet but urgent. Carefully shifting Rai-Lynn, Caitlin could tell her own body was tiring after fighting and casting as much as she had. Hopefully the Avatar would be along in very short order to help.

Rei had been in a panic. Rai’s companions were alone in her room and they all were extremely worried. She tried her best to discern their frightful chatter. None of them, though, could tell her where the girl had gone to. They relayed to her that Rai had been feeling well and the Avatar had known that. The companions also were worried because she was in such an upset frenzy when she had left. Now, she had magically been searching from the Shrine but could not detect a presence. It made her extremely disappointed in herself. Even Thanien had been sent through the oceans to see if she was on a boat. If she had been, she was off it now.

The Avatar had desperately reached out to her brethren- the two she could anyway. People were searching for her, but if she was in trouble, would someone find Rai in time? Surely she would know if she was in danger. However, she couldn’t be sure. Rei’s fears were soon realized. From her spot pacing in the library, she heard the frantic roar of Ophidia. Someone was coming to the Shrine carrying to body of another. She was slinging the door open wildly when the young half-dragon was entering the room.

The limp and bloody form of Rai was cradled in her arms.

Ophidia, go to Althea D’Jal and get someone!

Immediately the Avatar was flooded with a wave of emotions. She could feel tears coming to her eyes, but fury burning in her heart from the person who could do such a thing. “Thank the Gods! What happened?” The lycan reached out and took the nearly lifeless form of Rai into her arms. Blood started to stain her pristine robes, but she didn’t care. Hurriedly, she brought Rai to the pool of purest water that made up the altar to the element. Carefully she knelt and set her body in the water. “This will stabilize her. The damage is so extensive, I can’t manage this all. I’ve sent for another healer.”

Rei sunk down next to the pool, her hands coming take the damaged girl’s face in her hands. She had failed at protecting her. “Tell me what you know of what happened to her… and who did this to her.” She looked down at the pool, seeing the gentle convulsion of the water away from her at the signs of taint on her body. But upon realizing her core was pure, the water surged to her, feeding a gentle flow of energy into her body to keep her heartbeat steady and her breaths coming.

[[Hope it's okay! If there is anything that needs to be fixed, let me know! <3]]

Something within the angel broke. Surrounded by paperwork within her desks at the Althea D’Jal, the Agrata gasped and put a hand to her chest. One of her own had been injured. It was an odd connection she had to every healer she had, for every time she inducted them or met them they were bonded. They would be under her care and protected by her, but someone had gotten out of protection; someone had been hurt. A groan mixed in with the gasp that followed, silver eyes looking out for an answer, as if it were written in black and white a mixed the papers. They had the names of every member in her society. A few of them had gone missing or had become inactive in their duties, and it was the angel’s job as their Agrata to cut them from the healing guild, but this odd occurrence had become more important than any office duty. Flipping through the papers feverishly with her fingers, Nami eyed each profile until a new healer came bursting through her door.

Forgive the intrusion, my lady Stormweaver. . . Something has happened to Rai. A blue dragon came and reported her case to me. She is at the Water Shrine. They have requested a healer. . .but the wounds are too severe for any of us to manage. Will you please go?

The Agrata nodded and motioned her to leave immediately. Tears stung hot in her eyes, small trails sliding down her cheeks. How could this have happened to one of her own? The Avatar probably felt just as shambled up and to blame as Nami did at that moment, but that wasn’t important. The shapeshifter needed her help now, more than ever. Grabbing her bag, she slung it over her shoulder before opening a gate that would lead to the Avatar’s Shrine. It was her home and she knew how to get there magically as if it were like breathing. It was a routine. The blue colored void enveloped her body, it seamlessly placing her beside the Avatar and the woman who seemed to be covered in Rai’s blood. Taking in a deep breath, the pregnant angel had to take a step back. There was blood. . .everywhere. The gashes within her legs would need to be dealt with first.

My Avatar.

A small head bow of respect was given before she dropped to her knees and began to work, ignoring the 9-month old bump that was growing in her womb. Manipulating the blood that was trying to escape her legs, the angel urged it to continue coursing through the body. It began flowing as normal, Nami’s right hand extended to allow her mana to flow through the poor woman’s body. A stench rose to her nose and almost made the ultra-sensitive woman vomit. The smell of sex tainted the victim’s body, and from the hormones that were given off by the maiden laying on the floor in front of her, it was unwanted. A feral growl escaped her throat as she continued to work, the open hand pulling bandages and cloth out of her bag. It would be for when the wounds were temporarily closed so she could be transported to a bed. The healer brought her left hand into the equation, it bringing the water against the eight gashes that decorated the woman’s thighs. They were the deepest and would require the most energy. The water surrounded the wounds and began to glow with the Agrata’s silver energy.

What kind of monster could have done this?

The words were whispered in a growl as she pushed another wave of mana into the wounds. Sweat beaded on her brow as she worked, the silver aura urging itself into the woman’s skin. The magic wound itself in the deeper tissues, slowly mending them together from the bottom up. The need to control the blood flow was unnecessary since the precious blood-ways were repaired. Waving her right arm, the silver orbits of the angel then stopped on Rai’s face. It was completely burned, and by the smell of the burn and the scents coming off of them, it was from scalding hot tea. Nami sighed, the magic stopping at the top of the leg wounds. They were still slowly bleeding, with only a few millimeters of work left, but it was significant improvement. The scars would be hefty and easily noticed, but it was a start.

We need to move her to a bed or something so that we can properly wrap the wounds and apply herbal ointments to them. I will start working on the burns on her face after I have given myself a second to breathe.

She spoke quickly and professionally, as if she wasn’t talking to her friend, Rei, and the person who brought her. It was as if she was talking to the family of someone who was in her care at the guild. Shaking her head back and forth, the angel stood up slowly and picked up her bag.

Gods if I could I would hunt down the thing that did this and make sure his Spirit is in a never ending torture for eternity.

Caitlin was very grateful for the Avatar's quick appearance, especially when she took Rai-Lynn from her arms. She watched at the Avatar lay the girl in the water and said "I did what I could to mend her wound, but it wasn't enough, I'm sorry" she said in a quiet, exhausted voice. The adrenaline that had been pumping through her veins was wearing off and the weight of what she'd done started to weigh on her. Caitlin knew that she was right in killing the man, but it still bothered her to an extent. A promise she had made to Killian, to never let killing worm its way into her heart.

Caitlin had to take a moment to sit down, extremely grateful that her armor was magically manifested, so she didn't have to worry about taking it off while tired. She had dismissed it before taking the pair of them to this place, so Caitlin sat on the floor of the Shrine. She shook her head and added "I"m one of Sabishii Kouen's students, he told us that one of your own was missing, so I went looking. I found her near Trinsic, someone smelled of demon did... that to her", some of the exhaustion in her voice edged out for a few moments by hate. It hadn't taken Caitlin very much to figure out that Rai-Lynn had been through the same thing she had.

It wasn't long before the Avatar's summoned help arrived and Caitlin sighed a bit in relief. It would seem that the angel was an adept healing, given the speed she was tending to the wounds. In a soft, pained voice Caitlin answered her first question. "It was a demon, I'm sure of it. I know their scent too well. I wish I couldn have done more to help mend her wounds before I brought her here" she said, then watched in mild fascination as the wounds were mended. She could heal a small amount of damage through magic, but nothing like this. Caitlin pulled herself to her feet at the mention of taking Rai-Lynn to a room, but stumbled a bit. She didn't realize how tired she really felt.

With a grim smile, Caitlin had something else to say about the angel's other comment. "Oh he's very dead. I made sure of that. I cut his head off and burned the body. And dragonfire isn't forgiving in the least", her voice dark. She wished that she could have done the same thing to the person who had harmed her in the same way. But at least she could try and help others. And Caitlin knew that the demon who had done this to the girl would never do such a thing again.

The grey haze that had replaced the blackness over her eyes, seemed to do little for sound. Or smell. The scent of blood was heavy in air, and something deep inside her squirmed in anguish at the scent. She had never been fond of blood or gore, the smell of it made her stomach churn. Next she heard Rei's voice, and fought against her heavy eye lids to open. She did not know who had found her, or what happened to the male that -- she stopped, not wanting to bring back those memories just yet. Rei's where cool against her burning skin, and she heard her say something about a healer. Of course Althea would know what happened before she even managed to visit the guild hall again. It briefly glinted in her mind that this evening would put her behind in her training.

She felt a sharp pain in her side as she was set down in cold water. The intake of her breath was painful. Leaving her to wonder if the male had broken more than her skin and virginity. Blackness at the edge of the grey crept forward, but she managed to hold onto Rei's voice and her touch. She did not want to go into darkness, afraid that his face would appear grinning. When Nami's voice broke through against the black that had began to win over her will, she wanted to cry in relief. The angel was a great mentor, and she knew everything would be better soon. Knowing with Nami and Rei watching over her, she gave herself into the blackness. She could fight him knowing that those two women would be watching over her body.

Rei didn’t know how many hours had passed by them in a blur as she sat there, her knees without cushion on the hard and cold marble floor. The sight of Rai before her, broken in more ways than one, had been too horrifying to look away from. There was too much blood- too much. The Avatar knew in the back of her mind had she been delayed even a breath of a moment longer, the girl would not have survived.

It took an immense amount of Nami’s power to full heal her wounds even with the aid of the element. It was clear this demon- as Rei could tell by the smell of his blood- had done a good deal of work on Rai. There had been layers upon layers of bandages fastened around her. The burns of her face had mostly been taken care of, albeit the pain and itch would still reside. The Avatar had placed a thin coating of salve on the area to keep these things at bay. It wasn’t until she had her damaged friend deep within a dreamless sleep that she turned her attention to the woman whom had brought her.

“I am in your debt, Caitlin. He is dead? You are sure of this?” It seemed a silly question to ask, but Rei would not remain here if there had been even he slightest chance this vile beast was still breathing. “I know you are exhausted. I will help with that. And then please, you are free to visit the kitchen and get whatever you like to eat or drink.” Rei took a moment and knelt by the woman. This close, she could clearly smell and sense the strong blood of dragons within her. With a hint of a knowing mile, she rested a hand on her shoulder and gently funneled a font of energy into her. Caitlin would feel a vigorous second wind come to her.

With a heavy sigh, she felt comfortable enough at last to leave Rai’s side. The image of her body, though, was still firmly implanted her mind and constantly reappeared just as if she was looking upon her once more. Rei’s robes that once been so fine and pristine were now soaked heavily with blood- a mix of the sweet scent of Rai and the stench of that demon. The Avatar walked with heavy footsteps down to the edge of the beach and waded out into the water, the red trickling away in streaks, until her body seemed to melt into the ocean that surrounded it.

Caitlin stood by quietly for the moment, watching the healing, watching the blood seeping into the water. Even though it was technically her opposite element, Caitlin winced a bit at the stained water. She had an idea of how much it took to heal Rai and she was tempted to ask in lessons in healing. Eventually anyway. It was something that had been on her to do list for quite some time. She nodded at the Water Avatar's question, she was very sure that he was dead. "I only wish I had gotten there earlier. Then she wouldn't have been so injured" Caitlin said with a sigh. It seemed like she was always just a bit too late. But Rai wasn't dead and that was surely something. Caitlin had to think about that much and not dwell on a self imposed failure.

The energy imparted to her by the Avatar was enough for Caitlin to find her way to the kitchen and get a sandwich and some tea. The food and drink did her a lot of good, but she was also quite tempted to nap. Bare feet padded down a hallway and she found an empty bedroom with a pitcher of water and a bowl on a table. She washed her robes clean of the blood, then used a bit of Fire magic to dry them. After she was clad in the cleaned and dried garment, Caitlin lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling for a few long minutes, just thinking. Thinking of what she had seen in that hovel, thinking of what had happened to Rai, thinking of what had happened to herself. She wondered how Rai would react to what had happened. Her own rape had driven Caitlin to train herself very hard, begging Sabishii to train her as a knight, no matter how many cuts and bruises might come of it. To keep others safe, to avenge those she was too late to save.

Eventually she drifted off to sleep, her dreams mercifully calm. Dreams of flight as a dragon, others being cradled in a lover's arms, some were things she already had and others were things she wanted. Then Rai's scream pierced through her sleep and Caitlin sat up abruptly, got to her feet and headed for the sound. She found the Avatar holding Rai carefully, Caitlin had a fair idea of what happened. Keeping a small distance as to not startle either of them, Caitlin said softly "She'll be alright, won't she?", watching Rai more than the Avatar. It was odd, they could almost pass for sisters, Caitlin's eyes were a more intense blue and a slightly different shade of red, but otherwise they did look a bit alike.

The angel smiled at Caitlin. Revenge seemed all too sweet for this kind of situation, considering it would be of great help to Rai’s mental state when she was conscious and sane. If the attacker was alive, it would plague her dreams until there was closer. Before giving one more check to the body, she then nodded before they moved their friend to a room where she could rest and heal more.

The next morning arrived rather quickly for the Agrata, who was in her own room reading up on dragon fire and its capabilities. It Caitlin’s mention of its unforgiving nature her curiosity was perked. The mind would not rest until its questions were answered and her unsettled brain was at ease. The elementalist had just finished a chapter on the origin of dragon fire when the stifled sounds of uncertain footsteps reached her Lycan ears. A blue, ice wolf sitting outside made a small whimpering noise, looking in at his master and friend through the open door. Instinctively the healer’s lips pulled back over her teeth in a snarl. Why was she up? It took a few moments before she was actually to her feet. Pregnancy had made every little action more difficult to accomplish, especially since she was so close to birth. A small groan of effort left her mouth, the moment of relaxation being broken as the fearful shrieks bellowed down the hallways.

Immediately Varindra, the elemental, ran down the hallway and found the source of the sound, screaming It’s Rai! in a telepathic shout. The pregnant angel moved faster then what would have seemed possibly, but in a few seconds she was next to the Avatar, the patient, and her many companions. The wolf of the Avatar’s element stood proud next to Nami, cold eyes looking down upon the scene. He was thinking the same thing as his master, why was she up? The lunar angel shook her head back and forth as the fire wielder from the night before came, silver orbits resting on her. She crossed her arms over her chest and murmured in angry, terse words. Death can’t erase memories. It had taken months for the woman to recover after seeing her parents commit suicide in front of her. Even though they were dead and peaceful, the act itself would stay with her forever and haunt her dreams. A shiver went down her spine as she looked back to Rai, shaking her head back and forth in response to the young dragon’s question.

It will. . .take a while. Physically she will be back to normal soon. But unless she finds a personal closer for herself, this mental torture will happen for a while. It’s a battle she will have to face alone unless she wants the memories erased by a powerful deity. I know Judge can do these services, but he does not enjoy it.

The silver curls that bounced around her shoulders were stiff with stress and worry. The healer was concerned that Rai would not change her ways and allow herself to heal. If she didn’t wish to be better, the magic would fail within her system and return the pain that was taken away. One hand reached out to Varindra, it running through the freezing fur that covered his body. The temperature calmed her mind and allowed her to think more clearly. The companions that surrounded the woman made her think of her own, and a smile appeared on her lips.

We need to get her completely surrounded by her friends, if she will allow it. If the bed is large enough, they all need to be touching her so that familiarity will keep her linked to sanity. My dear, she then turned her attention to the other red head, making sure to catch her gaze. Perhaps you should share a room with her to remind her of the man’s death when she is ripped from her nightmares. I fear that if she is left alone with her thoughts for the next couple of days she will never recover. When she can sleep a full night without waking, then I think she will recover more rapidly.

Tears splattered her plain linen dress as Rei appeared and gathered her into her arms. Rai clung to softness of her Avatar's shushings, the same that Kinnie would make to soothe her if something was causing her to panic. It had been so long that someone had treated like she was someone to be cared for, that she was fragile. The memory that had been passing before her eyes, slipped away in a soft silver glow. Clinging to Rei, she buried her face against her neck, crying away the last bit of fear that was slowly leaving her body.

She tried to tell Rei how much she loved her, but her words just turned into a soft gurgling noise. At a question from a voice she did not know, her body flinched away from it, before turning her head to look a similar image of herself. The red hair was paler, and the eyes darker, and the woman looked like she was trained to fight. She felt very much like a child in Rei's arms and her eyes huge as she stared at the woman. Blushing, she hid her face into the caring Avatar's robes, and stayed hidden as Nami joined them. It seems that everyone was awake, even the mice. She felt horrible at her impulsiveness to leave her bed, it would have been simpler to just send one of her companions to find Nami or Rei.

"I am sorry for waking everyone." She managed to turn her head out of Rei's body so that Nami and the similar redhead could understand her apology. "This is all my fault for leaving, please forgive me." Looking them all in eyes, she tried to convey her sorrow for bothering them and causing this trouble. When the angel suggested that she share her bed, she nodded in agreement. Even though she never really slept alone, her bed was large enough to fit Rei, the other red head and at least Frost and Tithe too.

Crawling out of Rei's lap, she managed to stand on her own for a few seconds before starting to topple over. Nerthus managed to catch her and supported her while still receiving a dirty look for trying to do things while still weak after the attack. She managed a sheepish smile, before turning to the redhead who also was just as short she was. "I am not sure who you are, but I am guessing you saved me? Thank you, I owe you my life and would be honoured to serve you when I am healed. May I be so bold to inquire your name?" She coughed, her throat growing scratchy from the long time screaming the other night, and the recent bought tonight. Ignoring the nudges from Frost to ask for water to drink, she would wait her turn to ask for the small item. If she were anything, she was polite and respectful. Kinnie made sure she was well equipped with all sorts of manners. Even after an attack that could have cost her life, habits were hard to break.

Though she heard the soft sound of footsteps, she felt the presence of the young half-dragon as she came down the hallway. Her approach was so soft and quiet- betraying that she obviously felt this was a very delicate situation. It wasn’t until the woman finally spoke in her soft voice that Rei finally acknowledged she was there. “She will be fine in time. This took a great toll on her- as it would anyone- but especially on someone who always had such a bright outlook as she had. It will make it much harder for her mind to fathom and come to terms with.” Her face set in a frown, she found her hand gently stroking along Rai’s deep red hair. She hoped she would fall asleep then but it was unlikely.

The very noticeable presence of Nami’s elemental pricked at her senses before the water wolf came peering into the room. The Avatar knew then that Nami would be alerted to the situation, though she didn’t find so much attention good for Rai. It would likely have been better for only one of them to be there. Sometimes the pressure of other people around made those in need feel embarrassed. “She is strong. She will come through this in her own time.”

Rei would have been surprised if Rai’s companions weren’t all already in the bed with her as the healer suggested. But perhaps having another person there as well would be of help. “I would have her stay with me, but Larren still suffers his night terrors. I am up and down constantly and I hardly spend much time in my own room.” A soft sigh escaped her at the mention of this. Truly she wished the boy did not have such things to haunt him at night. Nothing seemed to help.

Then at last Rai seemed to come to her senses, finally managing to speak. The Avatar was less than please that the first words out of her mouth were an apology for waking everyone. “You owe no one an apology.” Then her stone seemed to stiffen with firmness. “And what happened to you is not your fault nor will it ever be. I would prefer to never hear you say it again.” But then she was quiet, watching Rai come to her feet with the help of one of her companions. It brought a smile to her face to see her thanking Caitlin.

In a brief flash of magic there was a cup brimming with chilled water in her hands. “Water for your cough,” she commented lightly as she handed it to Rai. Rei pushed herself up from the cold marble floor and smoothed out her robes before glancing in the direction of Rai’s room. It was time to get her off her feet and back into bed. She wasn’t obligated to sleep but at the very least she needed to rest. “You need to be back in your room. You don’t have to sleep, but you need to rest. We will all certainly come with you if you like.”

Caitlin nodded when both the Avatar and Nami said that Rai-lynn would be fine, but would take some time. "The couple of times I've met Judge I got the feeling that he hates doing that sort of thing. I'd imagine he would say the same thing you are, that she needs to face it" she said, her most recent visit to the God had been a strange one. Her eyes shifted from Rai-lynn to Nami when she was addressed and Caitlin nodded, it was something that she wouldn't mind doing in the least. "I just need to let Sabishii know I'm staying here for a bit, he worries about me too much" she said with a soft laugh. He was like the big brother she'd never had, so Caitlin knew full well he'd be worried. She completely agreed with the Water Avatar's comment of not wanting Rai-lynn to apologize, she agreed that it was completely unneeded.

She took a few steps forward when Rai-lynn tried to stand, but her pets got there first and the dirty look from the red wolf made her smile just a little bit. Caitlin nodded at the question, but then quickly shook her head no at the mention of Rai-lynn serving her. ". I'd rather we be friends if anything. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. My name's Caitlin, I live with Sabishii Kouen at the Fire Shrine" she said simply. She watched as the Water Avatar conjured a cup of water for Rai-lynn, then carefully stepped closer and offered the girl a hand of support back to her room so that she could rest. Caitlin knew that she could help soothe the girl's nightmares, if nothing else she could assure Rai-lynn that the demon was dead.

[Bleh, not one of my better ones, sorry >.<]

The pleasantries being exchanged between victim and savior caused Nami to let out a sigh. There was a time and place for that, and it wasn’t now. Varindra nudged her arm and made a few small wolfish noises to communicate a message to her. He said he was going to run to the woman’s room and prepare for a healing session. The wounds on her face were still prominent and the healer needed to take another round of it. The elemental could prepare a bowl of fresh water, made with his own powers, and grab a bunch of cloths to dress her wounds with. The angel nodded and pushed him off. He bounded down the hallway with a happy joy in his step. He used to be a sociable creature, that was when he was a bear, but now he was slightly antisocial. The whole scene of women giving sympathy over a single woman was not his style or his way. He left Nami to awkwardly stand there with her arms crossed across her chest. Being in the guild had made her very black and white. There was no getting attached to the patients, even if they were one of her healers.

Once the introductions were through, the Stormweaver looked to Caitlin and made a motion towards the room. Can you help me get here into there? I need to readdress the scars on her face. A few more waves of magic should make them close to normal. The angel offered her arm if it was necessary for the woman to use to get up to a standing position. She would then take her down the hall back to her room and lay her down gently. The femme assumed that her menagerie of companions would jump into the bed with her and provide her with their warmth. It made her miss the three wolves that she had back at the guild. They had become her sleeping companions as of late; the little pets were too busy scrambling amongst themselves. Letting out a sigh, Nami ran a hand through her silver curls before turning back to Rai. She needed to let go of her stiffness and become the kind healer that she normally was. Times had been hard for her lately.

I’m not sure if you remember but yesterday I did a pretty thorough job of getting most of your wounds, but the more sensitive skin of your face will require a little bit more right now. It will feel cool and refreshing and soon your face will be kissable again!

The elementalist then smiled and brought a basin of water to the side of the bed, giving a kind look to the animals. Fear for their master was written across their faces in a flurry of emotions. The water came to her hands at her will, the cool fluid wrapping itself around her wrist for easier manipulation. She hesitated for a moment, silver eyes meeting the victim’s before she continued with the healing. The water came out to caress the wounds and give her a gentle comfort while the woman’s magic flowed in with it. A tingling feeling would be felt as the slender fingers of the seraphim manipulated the water and magic inches above her face. The skin became smooth under her touch and the water became dark with tainted matter. Varindra used his own power to take out the darkened water and replace it with cold water quickly, taking the bad water outside in a flash of movement. Nami then smiled and pulsed with one more push of mana before retracting the water altogether. One hand contained the water while the other grabbed a cloth and dabbed her face dry. It was close to flawless.

Taking a step back, the Stormweaver then wiped off her own hands before looking to Caitlin, hoping she had followed them into the room. I thank you for rescuing her. She is an amazing woman. Thank you , my Avatar, for taking her in during her time of healing. The silver gaze then turned to Rei, a soft smile coming to her face. She then turned back to Rai and spoke in a gentle voice. If you need anything, you can send an animal or yourself to my room. I’m not far away and Varindra likes to sleep with the door open so you can see him easily.