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at the edge of the sea of sand (cyra v and walrusesinmykitchen)

It wasn't an exciting life out alone in the desert, Silthra could easily admit. Crossing the hot -- though comfortable, at least for her scaly figure -- sands, observing as some of the sparse, local creatures displayed some further signs of aggression, and always staying herself at a safe distance. There was something wrong here, her family told her, and she could hardly argue the point, given what she'd seen over her several years in this region. She wished, though, that they had sent someone older, wiser, stronger… but she would, apparently, do. As would the thin silk, sandy-colored garments wrapped around her chest, and then her waist as the only bits of clothing they'd left her.

'Why preserve decency for no others to even be around...' she once again found herself wondering in something of a huff. Flexing her otherwise thankfully bared toes in the soft sand beneath her -- much a reprieve from some of the harder patches that lingered here or there -- the snake slowly exhaled a sigh, wiping her eyes from some sand, or mere hallucination, that had seemingly collected. No, there couldn't possibly be a figure a ways off that didn't belong to one of the creatures she knew of around the area; that was just foolish. Her family was never to come, and those outside, they'd always said, would not survive in such a place, especially in its current state. And yet, for all her boredom, could she possibly ignore what could be? Perhaps it would be the death of her -- her family had never told her anything of the people outside besides that one, useless fact -- but she was still a healer, she reminded herself as her legs started to move, breaking into a run through the sand to try and approach the figure... who had since fallen. Someone was here after all. A strange one, too; no scales, but simply smooth, pale flesh. And hair. And... that. That was...

"My... come, then. I shall... do what I can," the snake spoke, even if it was just to herself at that point. Fussing a little to herself about how to pick up the figure, and casting her gaze off in the direction of her oasis some ways off, she ultimately opted to turn the woman over and lift her from knees and shoulders, exhaling a sigh and hoping her strength held out at least that long. To the oasis -- a rare, surprisingly verdant patch of green grass, and trees with leaves large enough that good patches of shade were dotted throughout... never mind the crystal-clear pool of water. Slowly lowering the woman onto the grass in a shaded spot when she reached there, she moved herself over to kneel down by the other female's stomach, casting her gaze over that mark. Not something she knew how to do anything about... but she knew enough to recognize a curse when she saw it. At the very least, she could place her smooth-scaled hands carefully on either side of the woman's stomach, slowly rubbing in such that the light blue magic visibly gathering over her hands transferred into the other female. It wouldn't rid the mark... but it would, at least, relieve the effects. And with night's fall soon to come, if she wasn't mistaken, the fading heat was likely to do wonders on its own.

"Curious..." Silthra muttered to herself when her work was done for now, her emerald eyes wandering over Yuna's form. Nothing at all like her, indeed... well, besides the curves. Hesitating for a few moments as her eyes fixed on that pure white hair, she finally allowed herself to reach out to it, slowly and carefully stroking it away from the woman's face, then through some of the longer hair that had settled behind her shoulders. Almost like thread, she mused... but softer. Biting a little at her lip in nervousness, as the female would likely be waking soon after her magic's tending, she shifted herself, and the woman, a little to the extent where her head would be rested back upon the snake's lap, those long, thin fingers continuing to brush curiously through her hair. Perhaps, she considered, it would be seen as a comforting gesture to wake up to, never mind the water nearby, and the fruits in varying stages of growth on the trees dotting the oasis. "Impressive, though... to make it all the way out here alone... the nearest edge of the desert is quite a ways away..." she muttered to herself, without a clue whether the stranger would wake in time to hear any of it.
 
“What did you think would happen?”

Yuna could feel herself floating through the darkness, a thick fog having settled over her mind. All around here she could hear voices as distant memories slowly made themselves known. Each one sent a distinct shiver through her form, and try as she might it was near impossible to stifle them.

“What was it that you wanted again? Revenge? Oh sweet, ignorant child. For all your bluster you truly are a fool, aren’t you?”

The familiar voice brought with a wave of memories, each one even more crystal clear than the next. She could recall the emotions she’d felt with each: the raw anger, the hurt pride, and more than anything the crippling fear that she’d tried so desperately to hide at the time. Even in her current state the girl could remember how it’d felt as she’d been shoved against the wall, struggling fruitlessly as her foe loomed over her. Oh how desperate she’d been to free herself. Even drained of mana at the time a part of had hoped that she’d be able to manage some manner of trick. Yet, tried as she might, it was all for naught. Even now she could recall how the foe’s hand had crackled with magic, that look of sadistic delight in their eyes as they’d prepared to brand her with an early demise.

“I won’t kill you child, but I will teach you your place.”

She could remember the hot pain that shot through her form and that shrill, unearthly that’d assaulted her eardrums. At the time it’d taken her a moment to realize that it was her screaming. The two holding her had let Yuna collapse into a crumpled heap on the ground, and over her own pain-filled gasps the girl could make out the sound of uproarious laughter. That monster savored her agony, her tears, they wrung from her every last drop of misery. Even at the time Yuna had realized that it wasn’t just about teaching her a lesson, it was to sate their own sadistic appetite. Apparently, not even the life of Yuna’s-

The memories faded, the shrill pain as well. The blackness would begin to ebb as sensation returned to the girl’s body, lips curling into a faint grimace as she stirred from her fitful sleep. Mind still somewhat fogged it would take the girl a moment to make note of the strange ticklish sensation around her forehead, and the comforting softness beneath her head.

"Impressive, though... to make it all the way out here alone... the nearest edge of the desert is quite a ways away..."

“...hrm…?” She squirmed slightly, mind slowly coming into focus. Her eyes would slowly part, and blinking away the sleepiness she’d watch as the figure looming over her came into focus. “Ah…” For a brief moment she’d simply stare. Then, finally-

The girl let out a loud ‘eep’, pulling herself up off the strange woman’s lap with a lurch and quickly scooting away. Flight or fight kicking in, she’d fix Slithra with a nervous stare. “Who are you?” The tone was harsher than she intended, but better safe than the sorry. The last few months had made it hard to place much trust in charity. “Where...where am I?”

She winced slightly as her stomach flared up again, the discomfort in her face visible as she gripped the fabric of her tunic. It did feel better than it had before though...was this woman responsible for that?
 
Mm? Ah... movement, even if just a little. She was awaking, then? Perhaps, then... it might have been prudent to move, to let her have her space, but yet Silthra couldn't help her curiosity. And, even besides that, it wasn't as though she was doing the girl any harm, was she? Certainly, it was not to be the most... normal situation to wake to, but a human being this far out in the desert was quite abnormal on its own.

Still, the snake couldn't help but jump slightly when the girl, ultimately, got herself away as quickly as she could -- not as quickly as she might have if she still had energy left, Silthra had to imagine. She'd have to do something about that -- the water and fruits would no doubt help -- but first, she'd have to get the girl to trust her at least that much.

"To begin with, as it's the thing I myself am most curious about right now... you are quite a ways into the Navarre Desert, in an oasis that I've come to make something of a home for myself. There's clean water and fresh fruits, just as well; I'm sure you're quite in need of both," she replied to that particular question, giving a small wave along the oasis from where she sat, inviting the girl to see for herself what it provided. "As to who I am," she added, placing a hand over her heart practically by means of introduction, and even bowing her head slightly. "I am Silthra… perhaps you could say, something of a roving healer of the desert. Though I confess, I'm no closer to finding an answer, even after my years here," she added with a wry little grin. Every day, there almost seemed to be more; it was quite hotter now than it had been in years past since she'd been here. To say nothing for the local creatures... but that was her issue to deal with. Somehow.

"But no matter... who might you be? And what happens to bring you here? Would it be that curse symbol on your stomach?" she asked. Shifting herself some so that she was resting on her knees, she leaned forward enough to meet the grassy ground with her palms, a soft smile on her lips and a glint of pure curiosity in those emerald eyes. "Forgive me if I'm really quite curious... but all I've heard of your kind is that you'd not survive out here, and yet here you are all the same! Ah... but I suppose I must be quite the strange sight for you as well?"
 
“Ah…” The girl stared cautiously as the snake-woman spoke, shoulders bunched up as though she were moments away from either fight or flight. Her eyebrows would quirk at the mention of both food and succor, the young mage able to feel a faint rumbling in her stomach as she followed the woman’s gesture and eyed the sweet fruits hanging from the tree. She’d been so caught up in water that she hadn’t even considered eating. Though admittedly, considering the pain that’d been gnawing her belly Yuna hadn’t had much in the way of a proper appetite. Hesitantly rising to her feet, still visibly tensed, she’d keep an eye on her supposed savior as she approached one of the trees. With a hand still somewhat shaky from weakness she’d snap one of the fruits from its branch, wiping away a few grains of sand with her thumb as she gave it a glance over. It was soft beneath her touch vaguely the shape of an apple, the skin a vibrant orange that seemed to match the color of the setting sun itself.

As she observed it Yuna would continue to quietly listen, a small twinkle showing itself in her otherwise cautious gaze as the woman made mention of both her name and occupation. A healer? Her free hand, almost out of reflex, swept back down to her belly. The mark remained quiet, lacking the raw fury of before. She’d thought it curious when she’d awoken, and yet as Slithra spoke it became clear what had happened.

Curious. Most curious.

The mark was impossible to clear, and at the same time, Yuna had always figured the symptoms were impossible to abate as well. From what she’d read the maker had made certain to guard it against most known forms healing magic. In some cases, a healing spell would only serve to bolster the agony that it inflicted. Truly, it was the most sadistic of spells...and Yuna had figured that she’d never be given any sort of respite from the pain. As Slithra turned the tables and began to ask her questions, the girl would glance up from the fruit and allow her golden-eyes to linger upon the healer for a brief moment. Finally, after several seconds, she’d let out a sigh as her shoulders slumped. If Slithra was an enemy, then no doubt she could’ve killed her when she was asleep.

“Yuna. I’m a student from the Baldae Institute.” Situated in the Vanar Kingdom, it was perhaps one of the most distinguished academies in the civilized world. At the mention of the curse symbol the girl would flinch, the mere mention of it sending a bolt of pain through her gut. She winced. “...and something like that. Apparently, though, I’ve bit off more than I can chew.” She blushed slightly with embarrassment, “I didn’t think this desert to be so, well, big.”

She didn’t want to elaborate on her reasons for being so far out, at least not yet. Not everyone took kindly to tomb-raiding.

“You...used healing magic on the mark, correct?” She took a step towards Slithra, “If I might ask, what manner of spell was it? If I can be blunt, I didn’t think it was possible to ease the symptoms of the gutrot curse.”
 
Watching carefully as Yuna picked herself up to her feet -- as weak as she must have been, that alone must have been difficult, Silthra assumed -- the snake otherwise remained where she was, though her eyes closely followed the other female. Both in case she might need to act again, with her magic or anything else, and merely because she was quite curious about this figure that wasn't 'supposed' to be here, and yet very clearly was. Thus far, it seemed fine... but she wasn't going anywhere until some proper rest, if the healer had anything to say about it.

Yet, as the girl spoke, the snake's head quirked slightly in curiosity; clearly, she'd not heard of this 'Baldae Institute'. Or, perhaps, anything really outside her desert home. Not that most would likely blame her... she hoped. At the last statement, though, she couldn't help but curl her lips up in a partly amused, partly wry grin. Big indeed... and slowly growing, if her observations over the past few years had been correct. How one possibly hoped to heal a desert, though, she couldn't even begin to imagine... but if this girl had any useful information, perhaps... at the very least, she certainly didn't intend to let her go off alone afterward. She was just too interesting to let go just yet!

"'Spell', hm... if I'm to be honest, I'm not certain what I possess can be called anything like a 'spell'," she thoughtfully mused, her eyes turning skyward toward the slowly falling sun -- thankfully partly shaded, from her position -- before returning to the mark on Yuna's stomach for a few moments, then her face itself. "If I'm to believe what my parents have told me... these 'spells' of yours require some type of chantments, like words or symbols... am I correct?" Silthra asked, though all the same she elaborated before she could really wait for an answer yet. "For myself... I use something rather more direct. A transfer of pure energy, in some sense... though it does require physical contact both for me to be able to transfer the energy, and make sure it's going where it needs to. This 'gutrot curse' of yours is... troublesome, and not something I'm able to fix, but I can directly bypass it to mend the effects. As it looked like you were still in pain... would you permit me to demonstrate?" she asked. With that, she carefully raised one of her hands, letting it be engulfed in that light blue glow of magic that was her own... and, only if she was permitted, slowly and carefully rubbing it into the girl's stomach, around the clearly cursed area. Just as she'd stated, bypassing the curse itself to relieve the symptoms alone, even if it did require that extra physical touch that in effect became a massage.
 
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