Terminus: Lesser Demon Contracts II

Selenite asks, "Any of these a doctor?"
Etheric Presence's voice (to Selenite): <*a psionic hum murmurs within your mind at the mention of 'Doctor'*>
Selenite thinks, "The woman with the sword, requires aid."
Etheric Presence's voice (to Selenite): I shall bestow a minor blessing, in turn... I request a minor boon of mana. Whether it is yours, or theirs...
Selenite thinks, "You may take mine. As long as it does not harm me, and if you were able to heal the black haired girl with the sword."
Etheric Presence's voice (to Selenite): Present your mana forth... I shall take it, and in turn... She shall have her healing accelerated.
"Just don't take too much."

Was all the young and pint-sized woman said. The supposedly cowardly yet bloodied Lapine shifting in the air, drawing closer towards the subtle waft in the air, one she seemed to struggle to sense or see. Her clawtips flex and dig into her palm slowly, yet not far enough to draw blood.

An offering of mana is given in the vague direction of the Etherical presence, her swirling metaphysical gaze tilting away from the group of Normal Pirates and Friendly Bears. The unblinking stare focusing elsewhere.

Wherever that elsewhere may be.

"Hopefully I'm not being lied to. That'd make me sad. Why, I could even cry."
(Selenite)
The air grew increasingly dense around Selenite; thick, as though attaining the consistency of mud. There seemed to be a manipulation at the atmosphere itself -- a faceless casting was being invoked upon them. However, it was hardly forced in such a fashion that revered violence.

Alas...

Tribute
'Just don't take too much.'

The sensation that doused itself upon the Lapine came from... Seemingly everywhere.

It sought to extinguish the present sapphire pyre of mana, and further deplete one's potential energy reserves. It was as though it was the very embodiment of fatigue resting on their shoulders: The price, was paid.

"This will due nicely... Now, to restore the swordswoman you call 'Mildred'."


This, was where things would likely get dicey...
The entity-turned-Patron that previously acknowledged the woman sought to invoke a field of stasis around her. Something to slow her down, restrain even.

"Do not resist... Your body is to be... Mended..."

Unlike before where it sought to prod and pry at her mind and body subtly, it was much more abrupt and notable.

"First, I must... See..."


So, that was it...
The etheric presence was attempting to examine the woman's physique to determine the nature of their supposed injury. Though, if she had opted to invoke her mana? It would casually ward the effort.
Such, required consent...
Fate would tell of the results of the effort.
(Etheric Presence)

Attempting to examine Mildred's injuries...

Mildred's injuries:

-->
Lesser Blessing of War
[Examine]




Lesser Blessing of War
[Temporary]
"This creature has recieved devious cuts all over their body! Mighty, ragged cuts that were made on Mildred's body. A horrendous mixture of cuts and occultic powers, the black power seem to glow around the cuts, probably due to occultic power those cuts have. And they seem to infest Mildred! With rage, another will to fight! Attack and spill blood of someone.
These cuts can be treated and can be healed, but if not. They will continue being a too-aggressive creature. Those cuts seem to form a sentence..



thERe no pEace, Only WAR.
"
VIT: -19


Selenite has applied Mana Payment to their self.

[View the injury.]



Mana Payment [Temporary]
"An offering has been made to the etheric presence -- Acclaimed Patron of Veresia! With the revealing of one's casted mana, a sizable portion of mana has been seized! A sense of wooziness and overall exhaustion. Perhaps, it was a great deal more than what one might've expected. Though, true to one's hopes? There seems not to be any physical scars to the flesh."
VIT: -21



The Lapine was stiff as she offered her mana towards the dense air that surrounded her. Yet her swirling metaphysical eyes twitched, as if trying to find the center of it. Even though she is surprisingly stoic throughout it. The tribute given...

Seemed almost limitless.

It was unlike that of a normal magi, to be certain. The strings of mana twisting from the usual sapphire blue to idle hints of.. Silver? Among the pyre, before it is depleted. She hovers in place, shoulders slouching briefly before tensing up and returning to her normal expression. Sharp teeth click together as she muses.

"Hmm..."

Eyes narrowed, concentration- and yet she couldn't quite get a 'nail' on the Etheric presence, couldn't quite figure out WHAT it was. Nor does she voice her guesses.

For a brief moment, if the Presence was still lingering in its telepathy, it may have heard a mental thought of;

I wonder if its...

Only for the words to abruptly twist. What was now going on through the Lapine's head was an extensive history and many variations of how the game 'Death Roll' could be played, ranging from dice shapes, types, illusionary dices and the like.

Seems she'd set up a mental barrier to ensure her deeper thoughts weren't inadvertently probed further as she shuffles in the air and sways from the being that'd drawn mana from her.

Now instead focusing on the small child with that empty headed looking swirly-eyed stare.

"One of Invictus's, I presume. You seem like quite the prodigy."
(Selenite)

Soon a cloak was shed, Mildred allowing the- entity to do as it bids, given that herself doing otherwise would simply undermine Selenite's own efforts to say the least.


"Do whatever you need' to do.."


Soon glancing back at Selenite with a bit of a dead-pan look, as the lapine seemed quite spent all of a sudden, her own 'offering' not going unnoticed.
(Mildred)

Selenite sweats under the dead-pan look. She suddenly felt like she was the youngster who was about to get a fierce talking to.
(Selenite)
A blessing invoked by a rival entity?
Surely, this would not serve well! The body was covered in cuts -- tainted with the occult. Something familiar...
Committed to by a demon? The essence of the Patron sought to sift through the details of the body under examination.


"It would appear this spell is anchored to the mind, through rather simplistic runes. It is hardly complete, requiring no counterspell to weaken.

Your magus circuitry should be able to vanquish it on its own... I, will accelerate that process."

An unseen weight seemed to coat over the woman. To those on-looking? They'd find the air around her immediate proximity shimmering -- especially in the wake of the daylight.

It was as though the atmosphere was warning of a pending pyre afoot, and indeed ignition ensued. Lavender flame sought to engulf Mildred outright, rendering her body to naught but a silhouette amidst it all. It... However, did not burn, rather chill. It sought to pry the air from one's lungs. It sought to blacken the veins beneath the skin. This, was a healing endeavor unnatural to human ilk:

Reverse Occultic Casting

The utilization of the Occult typically allowed for practitioners to pry vitality from their targets... But in the hands of an ancient seer? It could be redirected from one entity... And bestowed upon another.

This, of course, had a cost... For the dismay of this temporary curse was partially transmitted to... An unseen body. The flames extinguished themselves as swiftly as they came. Though, the body was soon to warm up thanks to sunlight? The change in tone and blackened veins would likely linger for a few fleeting moments.

The body's natural rebellion against the curse had been rapidly accelerated via the transmundane.

"The offering was small, but the curse was dwarfed as promised... Your prayers unto me can suffice, where tributes are not accessible. Though, I do not believe that is necessary for the time being."

(Etheric Presence)

Etheric Presence applies first aid treatment to Mildred.

You have reduced the duration of Mildred's
Lesser Blessing of War
injury by 50%
You gain 1 medical XP (Total: 1)!

Judging by the position of the sun in the sky, it appears to be around midday

The current season is: Summer

A cold sweat soon enveloped Mildred as her frame was subjected to a more prying examination. She felt as if her circuitry was being tugged at the seams, a feeling not too foreign to the likes of her.

Soon to be enveloped in such a nauseous flame, a flame so unnatural that it didn't even sear the flesh not burn her semblance in the slightest, but transmit nothing but a harrowing cold instead.

Her body staying in place. The discomfort evident albeit such a procedure shouldn't be something any magi worth their salt couldn't endure, even if such capabilities had been grafted instead of its alternative much, much prior.


"A bit of-.. a head's up would have been-.. fine, Ugh.."

Not everyone is as keen as being enveloped in cold flames as she seemed to be at least no matter how jarring an experience that might be.

As she soon shook her head and at least felt a bit lighter, but that gaze was quickly fixated back onto Selenite, as if expecting her to speak-up if little else.


"..."
(Mildred)

The hand slid towards her hip at the shows of potential occultism, but animosity fades once she realizes that the Presence was doing as it had promised. The young woman's swirly-eyed stare darting towards Mildred, just in time to catch the fixated gaze upon her. There's a flick of one ear, a twitch of another, a wriggle of her cottontail..

"What? Don't like surprise healing?" She offers a lopsided grin in response before rolling her shoulders slowly. "In hindsight, I probably should've bought you to Londo for healing. But I'm a naturally curious person... How do you feel?" She flitters through the air, a bit more emotive now, the young woman floating slowly around Mildred.

"Your assistance is appreciated. Doc-.. Miracle worker." May as well play into it a bit, right? Even if she was about as religious as a wet noodle. The hovering Lapine soon lowering herself to look Mildred over quietly.

"Though a tiny itty bitty warning, would've been appreciated."

She muttered before turning her gaze elsewhere. Vaguely towards the presence that she could.. Not even really see, but barely detect.

Something was there, after all, it'd spoken. "Interesting though.."
(Selenite)

Selenite types a message into their transceiver.

Thus, the exchange had carried out exactly as promised.
Payment, for restoration -- Even if the process was far from complete.
Perhaps, in having experienced such? Word would spread of this enigmatic event at this budding settlement.

No more words were necessary for exchange. No apologies. No expectation of review or criticism. The sensations that encumbered them prior would be relinquished outright.

As though they were being departed from...
In fact, being inclined to sensory magics would decipher exactly that!
It was as though a translucent rolling fog was spreading out across the area, and passing for the east.
(Etheric Presence)