Indignation is a Fire Emblem Roleplay. It takes place within the Outrealms as worlds collide and kingdoms wage an endless war. However, amongst the quarrels of men do the horrors of the Outrealm reach in to kill and destroy. Fight alone or join forces with other warriors as we create dramatic tales or wage war!
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"I'll bet." Cas' lip twitched up in a smile. With the blood around the wound cleaned up, all she had to do was sew the injury shut. Something easier said than done for her. Then again, she had just successfully removed an arrow by herself. Sure she accidentally enlarged the tear as the stone came out but that was something that could easily be treated. But she had seen John do it before, so at least she had a reference. Never had she seen someone being sutured. Her hands began to shake as she thread the needle.
It couldn't be much different than sewing cloth, right? Except that it was skin and flesh instead of thin fabric. Her stomach turned and a chill ripped through her whole body. It was almost funny how this was what was making her skin crawl. She would've laughed if it weren't for the knot forming in her throat. She took a deep breath before starting.
She'd like to say that she was very calm despite the nerves, but that would be a lie. A huge, very badly told lie. Cas reassured herself over and over again under her breath as she worked. To play it safe she worked using her right hand. Her head was at an odd angle so that she was able to see her work correctly. She was wrong to think that this would be like sewing fabric. Raziel wasn't some cloth bag filled with chamomile or peppermint. He was flesh and blood, and with each pull and push of the needle she began feeling sicker. The time felt like molasses.
Once the thread was knotted and cut she stood up shakily to catch her breath. There she stood for a few moments before shaking herself back into reality. Cas sat back down, grabbed the herbal jars, and began to examine them. She had been in a hurry to get the arrow out so she had just grabbed whatever she thought would be needed. Horsetail, Lotus, Winterbloom, Neem, Slippery Elm, Cayenne.. A frown formed when she saw the low amount of Neem paste and Slippery Elm poultice. They would've been the most helpful now. Maybe she could prepare a new batch after this. Cas settled for the Capsaicin cream and began to apply it around the now closed wound. Ugh, just looking at the stitches made her nauseous.
"All done." Cas sighed happily and rubbed the remaining cream stuck on her fingers into her hands.
The initial beliefs he had about this woman were shifting. Maybe the adrenaline she had from the shock of the situation was beginning to fade away. In those moments where she was stitching his body up, needle in hand, she shook. All sense of ease that she held onto earlier was melting away. This woman was no doctor. Cas was just a kind soul doing what it took to help out a stranger. There were a few instances where the dragon thought to reach out and steady her shaking hand. There were times where he thought to ask her to stop; to tell her in a gentle voice that it would be okay; that he would be okay. And so would she. He kept quiet. Watching her, waiting for her to finish, to avoid distracting her. He knew the way she felt. There was a time where all of this was new to him. As a child, he never thought that he would find himself sitting alone in the woods trying to patch himself up.
“It's not easy,” he finally reassured her with a soft voice when her hand had left the wound. The salve she had put on the wound had already been working at it like it was magic. Raziel moved himself slightly. The torn fabric from his shirt had fallen over his newly stitched shoulder. The soft fabric on the raw stitches irritated him, but he made an effort not to show it. This was for her. “You did a marvelous job Miss Cas. Where did you learn your craft? I find it near impossible that the home I stumbled into really did belong to a doctor.” He laughed lightly at his words. Stumble had been exactly what it was. The man nodded over to the various jars that were scattered about on the floor, especially the one she had just worked into his body. “Where did you get those?”
"You don't have to call me 'Miss' every time you know." Cas said, her tone trying to appear lighthearted but her voice had wavered whenever they caught a good look at the stitches. They weren't the best but they could've been way worse. It did the job. For now at least. She laughed along with him and began to clean up the mess of tools on the floor. The dirtied rags, pincers, and the arrowhead were all placed in the bucket. She would deal them after the floors were clean and the herbs were put away.
"I learned from my uncle's partners, John and Izzy. They ran this place long before I was born. The work was really relaxing, so I picked it up. Though had I known that I would be removing arrows and stitching someone up in the middle of the night, I would've rethought my career choice." A little smirk wormed it's way onto her face as she placed the bucket on a hook. With the bucket off the floor, she began to take in the damage. There was a lot of blood, there was no question about that. Most of had dried by this point and would likely stain. This was going to be tricky to explain to her guardians when they returned. Cas collected the herbs and made way to return them to their proper shelves.
"We grow them. We have a little garden of sorts. Some are trickier to grow than others, but sometimes a merchant will pass by and they'll have some on hand," Cas noticed the way Raziel was looking at the Capsaicin cream and held it out to him. "You can have it, if you want. I was actually planning to make some more, along with some other remedies you could use."
For someone who had just gotten an arrow removed and been (clumsily) stitched up, Raziel was a lot calmer than she had anticipated. She had expected moans and groans, maybe even some tears or just flat out passing out yet there he was; asking about the herbs and looking like the whole town wasn't after him. It was almost relaxing.
“I do not have to,” the man responded. The tone of his voice showing that he knew full well what he was doing with his words. It was in him to show respect to every person he came across. The belief had been something that was beaten into him long ago. Those times had changed the man. The young dragon learned what respect was, what it could be, and who really deserved it. Cas' actions really had meant a lot to him. For this night, she had become his hero.
Her story had intrigued him. The man crossed his legs and listened eagerly to what she had to say about the men she inherited the store from. She was no doctor or any form of healer. Instead she worked with plants which could be created into some of the most wondrous of things. He picked up the Capsaicin cream from the woman's hands to examine the jar. Her art could heal, yes. Raziel ran his finger through the cool cream to examine it. It was a smooth concoction. With a nod of his head he thanked her.
“You have a beautiful craft. One day, I would like to learn more of it. How shall I ever repay you for your kindness?” He asked. “I have little to offer, and as the circumstances stand now, I am hesitant to offer labor as a way to repay you.” The kindness she had shown him now would never go forgotten. Never was a very long time. He gazed around the room with his golden eyes. The stains of his blood were all over the room. That was something that had to be fixed as soon as it could be. He placed his hand upon his knee and pushed himself up off the ground. His body protested the action and he gave a grunt from the pain of it, but it wouldn't be enough to keep him down. “At least allow me to help you clean.”
The tone of his response made her a little uneasy. Was he always so polite with people? She didn't have time to linger on the thought. There was a question on her tongue, but it was decided that now wasn't the time to ask such questions. Cas went to place the herbs back into their proper places, leaving out two small jars for the paste and poultice she would make later. The sight she was confronted with caused her to give a small titter. Raziel had reminded her of a child then; sitting cross legged and inspecting the cream she had handed to him.
"I'm not much of a teacher, but I think John and Izzy would be more than happy to help." Cas went to the storage and grabbed a large pot along with a scrub brush. If she was being completely honest, she had no idea if scrubbing out the blood was going to work. Blood was never something she had to clean off the floors before. Tonight had just been full of things Cas had never done, hadn't it? After filling the pot with water from the barrel she used her foot to close the door. She carried it back into the other room with both hands then placed it in a corner that wasn't dirty.
"You don't have to repay me. I don't do what I do to be paid." A pause. "Well, I do, but that's something different. Ah, Let me try again: I didn't take care of your wound to be repaid. You needed help so I gave it, and you're pretty foolish if you think I'm actually going to allow you to help me in the state your in." Cas braided her hair up and pulled the brush from the water, scrubbing at the first blood spot she saw. Water alone wouldn't clean it completely but it was something.
"You can stick around and watch or you can explore the house. Choice is yours."
John and Izzy, her uncle's partners. This was the second time that she had mentioned their names. At first he hadn't thought too much of it, but now he was beginning to think a little bit more about this woman's past. Was this her uncle's house? Her past may not have been something that Raziel would ever find. Yet, he could still only wonder, why was Cas running the store instead of the two of them? Why had it been this woman he encountered tonight? And would he have to face the others by the time morning came around? The time he could spend her was dwindling down every moment unless John and Izzy proved to be just as understanding as Cas had been. "You might surprise yourself someday. However, if that is who you say can teach me, I might have to take you up on that offer then. I am always please to learn."
Instead, perhaps there was something he could teach to her. It was pretty much expected that she was going to deny his help. For now, he wouldn't argue with her. The dragon felt absolutely horrible for thrusting all of this responsibility upon her. Blood was not an easy thing to clean. The simple brush wouldn't get down into the grooves of the floor and water would hardly be enough. Cas was just as unprepared as any civilian would be in this situation. Raziel moved to be out of Cas' way. He gave up on his shirt at this point and instead, fashioned it into a makeshift sling to keep the weight of his arm off of his sensitive shoulder.
"Perhaps I might be able to help in another way. This store carries remedies?" He asked. From what he observed there were herbs all over the place and the Caspian cream had been made to assist in his healing. "Is it possible you have some nahcolite stones? When ground into a fine powder, could be used for many wonders. Mixing a bit into water to make a paste might help remove some of the staining."
"Maybe, who knows, but that would be great. They'd love to have a new student. Especially one so interested in the study." Cas could already feel her fingers starting to ache from how tightly she was gripping the brush. There was a faint fade to the stain, though she felt it was only visible because she was so close to it. She sat up and brushed the loose strands from her face. From her new (slightly higher) view point the fade was hardly visible. There was a quiet whine followed by a sigh a moment after. This was hardly the time for complaining. She didn't have anything to complain about, not when compared to what Raziel just went through. Cas frowned, then dunked the brush back into the water before starting on the spot again.
Her mind began to wonder the more she scrubbed. What would happen to the man now? She couldn't imagine that the townspeople will calm down enough to hear his side of the story. Not tonight, at least. But every minute they searched for him, the more their frustrations would grow. What of the actual murderer? Would they get away without a single worry? Did they even know that their crime was placed on someone else? It wasn't until Cas felt the burning in her knuckles did she realize she had started scrubbing more vigorously. Her sat back and cringed, moving her fingers slowly to break the tight grip they had just been in. On the plus side, the stain seemed to have lightened a bit more.
"Nahcolite stones?" The name had sounded familiar. Had she even worked with minerals before? She brushed the loose hair back as she thought. Standing hurt more than she had expected. Cas wobbled before finding her balance and walking to one of the drawers. Although Cas doesn't recall working with minerals, she remembered someone who had. Or at least taken a liking to rock in general. Two drawers were opened carefully and the man was beckoned to have a look.
"Are any of those stones in here? I don't know what they look like."
The moment she stood the dragon had taken a few steps towards her. She faltered. He had been ready to catch her in a moment's notice but fortune would have it that Cas was able to maintain her footing. He gave a gentle sigh and followed her closely to the drawers that contained the supposed stones. There was a small selection there. Most of the stones had been gently pushed aside as he looked at them. The stone in particular he was looking for was more crystalline in structure. A lot of the minerals within the drawer Raziel had known, while others were foreign to him, which made him wonder if they were native to this area.
Finally he lifted a stone from the second drawer and held it up. It was a milky white crystal. Very brittle, a bit had even broken off as he scraped it against the drawer when he pulled it out. This was what he was looking for. The man ran his nails over it and scratched a the surface of the stone. “Nahcolite,” he repeated the name of it as he showed it off to her. “It's a very soft mineral. When ground into a powder it is very versatile. It can aid in digestion, or be used to sooth a rash.” He gazed around the room for a mortar and pestle, no doubt they would have one for refining their herbs. Raziel took the rock over to it and broke off a small piece of it against the counter. He let out sharp hiss as the force from breaking the rock sent a jolt through his body. With uneven breathing he got to work. Beads of sweat worked at his forehead as he used the two stones to grind the fragile mineral, his body protesting the movements he was making. But he wouldn't stop.
The man gave a few rough blinks to clear his fuzzy head. The stone, now ground, rested in the bowl in as a coarse white powder. He had his hand rested on the table top for support. “Mix, mix that with water and spread that all over my blood. Wait a little bit and then try to clean.” Raziel gave a long exhale and staggered to a wall for support. “I apologize for being unable to assist you further.”
Cas gave the man a grateful look. They both would've most likely fallen, given his current state, but the sentiment was still nice. She looked at the stone he pulled out and took in the stone's appearance and properties. The stone looked fragile, like any amount of pressure could break it. She wondered how long these stones had been in there. The rocks use to belong to the previous owners of the building. While she never knew them personally she knew this was the only thing they had left behind. Why did they have two drawers full of rocks? Any guess would be as good as hers. The various stones were obviously not important enough to be brought along during the move. Time and time again she swore to clean it out but it felt wrong. They had always been there, what were the drawers if they weren't there?
The pained sound made her wince. She could've ground it herself. She would have preferred it actually. Raziel was putting his body through too much, even if he was just working the soft mineral down. He looked too pale, too shaky. It made her nervous. Cas couldn't tell if it was the blood loss or the work he just did that caused this. The sway in his step only put her more on edge. It wasn't until he made it to the wall did she relax slightly. With the man now securely against the wall, she turned her attention to the mortar. A finger poked at the powder. The water pot would probably be too large to create the paste. Another pot was brought from the storage room and she began to mix the two elements.
"You don't have to apologize. I appreciate you doing this, but you really didn't have to. I could've ground it myself." The paste was finished and Cas began to work it into the different stains."You shouldn't put yourself though so much. Relax. Get your strength back up. Drink some water or get some food. I think I have still have some fruit left over in the kitchen. Would you like some? Don't answer that, you're getting some. Especially after all the blood you lost." With the empty pot now placed next to the water pot, Cas brushed her sticky hands against her skirts (there were blood spots on it anyhow, what difference did it make?) and made her way to the kitchen.
All he did was nod at her. Everything she said struck him as true. He shouldn't have been pushing himself as much as he had. He should be relaxing. In the near future it would be important that he had his strength. The path ahead of Raziel would not be without troubles. The angry townsfolk still loomed over his head. There was somebody still out there that needed to be punished. They wouldn't get off so easily. Choosing to frame Raziel would be their biggest mistake.
A few moments passed while she cleaned and he was able to return to his previous state. The man was moving once again. Part of him didn't want Cas to be alone. In the distance, he could hear the sounds of people in the streets, even now. They were still looking for him. His concerns would be played off. At least for now.
Instead his focus had shifted. “Where are John and Izzy?” he asked almost suddenly. “What is this place that I have stumbled into?” And more importantly, why was she alone in it? Up until now Raziel had only been piecing everything together. From the herbs to how the woman had treated him. With the knowledge that she had with some things to the lack she had with others. He would have taken for a simple shop keep. That had led him to question what had happened to its owners. That was what he could only assume her uncle's companions were to this place.
The hand inspecting the fruit faltered at the question before continuing to rub over a small bruise on the apple's skin. The orange was a little too soft and the apple was covered in small bruises but she doubted that it would preform the job any less than a fruit that was just harvested. A cup, along with her old kettle, was cleaned and filled with water. Cas placed the fruits on a chipped plate and put the glass next to it. The kettle was placed on it's hook by the small fire. She sat down at the table, across from where the plate was set, and motioned for him to sit.
"John and Izzy are with my Uncle Isaac. The three of them left on this holiday of sorts; I don't blame them, to be honest. And this place is their baby. It was a floral shop at first but they switched over to medicinal herbs. Izzy always loved flowers more but she couldn't deny John when he first brought up the change. It was suppose to be equal sellings of both, but I guess the herbs won in the end. We still sell flowers from time to time, though it's rare." Very rare. As childish as it may sound, Cas always felt so heartbroken when it came to picking the flowers from the garden. It felt like she was separating a family or friends. Uncle Isaac teased her mercilessly for it, but Izzy and John just smiled and said they wouldn't pick them anymore. Unless they needed extra help. If that was the case they ended up in the little pots that now litter her room and some of the shelves in the front.
"How did you end up stumbling into this place? I mean there must be quite a few buildings in this area, why this one? And how did you even get in? I could've sworn that I locked both of the doors." It was a question that had been lingering in the back of her back since she first saw him in the storage closet. There were a lot of questions that had been left lingering, actually. The faint sounds of steam could be heard and Cas stood to remove the kettle from the heat. She poured the water into her mug and blindly grabbed one of the tea bags in the container. (Lavender, if she had to guess from the smell.)
"Do you want me to peel that orange for you or do you got it?" Cas asked once she sat back down.
The man welcomed the change of scenery that the kitchen provided. He took a seat upon on of the chairs around the table. A gentle nod of his head indicated his thanks. The orange was rolled around in the palm of his hands. He just listened to the woman's story of John and Izzy, and of her Uncle. It was a relief to hear that her uncle had been on holiday with the pair rather than the worst that pricked at the back of Raziel's mind. "You must be lonely with your friends gone," he said. The look on his face dropped and he just focused on the orange in his hand. After a quiet sigh his frown faded. The orange was held up in his hands and he accepted the woman's offer with a gentle smile. "Could you?"
A part of the man wanted to tell this woman some grand story as to how he got into her home. The way she spoke made him think that was what she was expecting. All he could offer her was a shrug. "I was just walking down the street in the shadows. My hand was rested on the walls of buildings for support. As I walked by your home, I rested my hand upon the door and it creaked open." The movement of his support had nearly made him fall face first into the room. "That's all there is Miss Cas. I hate to say it, but you must have forgotten to lock up last-" The man cut off. It had been that time.
There was a knock at the door.
"Say what you need to say in order to keep yourself safe," he told her. His voice was very low and his tone was serious. "Say nothing in my defense. You know nothing about me or what happened. Am I clear?" The worst thing she could do in all of this was lie. Raziel would not put the life of this woman on the line just to escape.
"Kind of, but I've been enjoying the quiet so far." It wasn't a complete lie. Uncle Isaac was always off fighting and would only come back for a few weeks at a time. While she does miss her uncle dearly, she missed John and Izzy a little more. The two stopped fighting when Cas had starting living with them. They had put away their need to join the fight so that they could raise her properly. Uncle Isaac loved his niece, but couldn't find it in himself to 'leave my brother's fight unfinished'. She remembers hearing arguing late into the night between the three of them about Isaac going back to fight and so on. It's not something she likes remembering. Cas smiled back at Raziel and took the orange.
"What about your friends? I would expect a traveler to at least have a friend along as a companion." She wondered if the question was too personal to ask, but his traveling alone made her curious. Most, if not all, of the travelers that came in and out of this town were accompanied by a little group. If he were traveling with someone maybe the townspeople would've treated the situation differently. As she peeled the orange, Cas made some observations about the man. Raziel was, for lack of better words, was intimidating. She honestly couldn't imagine him with a large group or striking up conversations with random citizens, but who knew.
Orange peels littered her side of the table, her fingers were sticky with the juice. There had been a knock that stopped Raziel from finishing his explanation. Cas didn't want to agree. She wanted to say that she would stand up for him and help talk the townspeople into listening to his story, but she knew these people. Telling them out right wouldn't be enough. She would have to come up with another way. A small frown wormed it's way to her face but she nodded nonetheless. The fruit, now peeled, was handed to the man. "Crystal."
There wasn't time to change or hide the blood on her skirts. Maybe she could lie? Say she hurt herself coming down from her room. Maybe she could just not open the door. They could stay quiet and wait until the person decided to leave. If they even did. There was no preventing this, and deep down Cas knew. Despite how ready she felt, nervousness filled her belly as she slowly opened the door just enough to poke her head outside.
"Good Evening. I apologize but the shop is currently closed right now. Please return when the sun is overlooking the town."
The dragon had been left with no time to reply to Cas. There wasn't much he had to say about it. Raziel wasn't looking to tell his life story to anyone. The woman had been very hospitable, but there were many secrets that Raziel held dear to him. Too many. The orange had been left upon the table while Cas went to tend to the door. He ate little of it and with swift movements began to extinguish the lights that had been lit around the home. There wouldn't be much he could do. As Cas talked, Raziel would work on the stains of blood as quickly and as quietly as he could. The dragon was just within earshot of the conversation at the door. He needed to be.
Cas had been greeted by a woman. Her silvery hair, pulled tightly into a bun, glistened in the light of the moon. In her hand she held a riding crop. A guard had stood nearby, holding the reigns of the woman's horse. She stood in ways to accent her curves, and her mannerisms of dress had been just the same. She offered Cas no smiles or apologies for disturbing her at this hour.
“I have no interest in your business,” the woman replied.
It was as she thought. The faint trail of blood had barely been visible in the streets. Most had been already smeared by the townsfolk as they ran through the streets in pursuit of the man. A load of idiots in Amelia's opinion. The trail of blood had seemed to stop at the door,. It was something that couldn't be hidden in the light of the torches that her fellow guardsmen held. The woman pointed to the other with the riding crop she carried in her hand. Her blood red eyes bore into Cas' for that split moment.
“We are looking for a fugitive. It has been reported that he slaughtered a woman in the streets earlier this evening. He is a tall man, tanned skin, and a scar upon his face.” The riding crop whipped around to point at the streets, “There is a trail of blood on this street. It ends right here. I have been told that the man has been injured. My dear, have you seen anybody who fits this description?” The question had been asked out of a formality. The glint in Amelia's eyes showed that she knew something. She suspected that the man was here, and she was determined to get it out of the younger woman.
//And I have no interest in talking to you.// Cas thought bitterly. Still she remained unfazed, even though she was dying to for the chance to reply sarcastically. There was a time and a place for everything. Being rude would only make them more suspicious of the woman and the last thing she wanted to do was aggravate someone she was trying to get rid of. Said someone was a woman. A woman who looked far too serious for her own good. As much as Cas wanted to cut eye contact, she found herself unable to. The only comfort she found was stealing glances at her horse. It seemed like a quiet creature, and definitely too sweet for this woman.
"No ma'am I haven't. I do believe if such a murderous man found his way into my shop I wouldn't be here to speak to you now. I've been inside the whole evening, reading letters you see, and I haven't heard a single thing. Well, besides that crowd of people passing by. I was gonna come down and ask what it was all about but I felt something tell me to stay inside." Cas felt like she was rambling, and maybe she was a little. It was hard for her to not while in front of such an intimidating woman. The worry was something she hoped didn't show through her calm mask. "I'm glad I stayed in, if that really what the mob was about. I do hope you find him soon."
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