Danny regretted his words pretty much as soon as he said them. Aura was dead, like... undead Grim Reaper dead. Even if she was ill he was pretty sure it'd be a problem for the gods and not some lowly clinic doctor, prodigy or no. He struggled to come up with some sort of quick, intelligent save, but - no surprise there - words failed him. Gods were just so... overpowering. Especially Aura. Realizing his thoughts had derailed, he turned his full focus back to the goddess just in time to take his hand. He gulped and closed his eyes, opening them again only when he was certain he'd stopped moving. Now he was getting teleported by gods. Again. Greeeeat. Oh, shit, was reading minds one of Aura's things?! His stomach rolled, but his gaze sharpened when Aura spoke. Aura wasn't one to mince words from what he'd heard, but something about her abrupt explanation warranted a closer listen. A shiver ran down his spine - The Realm Between Realms? Was he dead? Had George successfully made him so annoyed and so bored he died? All speculation ended in an instant when Aura spoke again - Thoth? In the kennels? He resisted the urge to swear again. How many times had he told Thoth to be careful! In actuality he'd told Thoth it was too much of a risk - that Cy could just suck it up. She loved him, and as soon as someone reminded her the danger Thoth faced in visiting her there - in wolf form or no - she'd reluctantly understand. He'd take two more hours of pathetic Cy-sighs and missing Thoth poutiness over either of them being injured or... He swallowed, still looking at Aura. Or dead. A girl? Danny's heartbeat picked up even more. It had to be Cypress, and from the sounds of it she was injured. The unconscious man... could it be? He nodded quickly, almost sharply, at Aura's question, already going into problem-solving mode. A small frown formed on his features, a low, ugly feeling in his gut. He'd had his concerns, and he'd talked to Cy about them, but... gods, he could have been more clear with his fears. It wasn't like he didn't know how to talk to Cy after all. She was stubborn, just like someone else he knew, but she wasn't stupid. If he'd spelled it out more clearly, if he'd stayed closer to the kennels. Hell, Alder had connections on the darker side who would happily have a little chat with the master in exchange for a few coins, or free access to a competent doctor off the books. He had all these thoughts and a thousand more rushed through his mind as he hurried to gather what he needed. Thank the gods he'd always carried around his medical bag while on the go; no one would even question it. Using his abrupt "faint" (thanks to Aura) - and his exhaustion, which was no lie - to take off a little earlier than planned. Who knew what he was walking into. ---- Cy was so tired. Her head and her heart and her body were all one big, ugly throb and her eyes were gritty and too-dry. She was going to cry eventually, soon, but right now she just wanted... she flinched a touch as Thoth worked his magic, explaining what he was doing quietly. He was pretty good at this, being kind when... Cy swallowed hard, lips trembling. The ice felt good - cooling, cleansing - and she didn't even mind it when he held the iceblock to her ribcage. It hurt, though. If this hadn't happened, he might've been touching near there in a wholly different way. The dull ache in her heart squeezed tight, shutting off her voice. She squinted her eyes closed, shutting them tightly and sniffling a little. Why did it have to be today? Why did it have to be now? Why did it ruin everything? She jerked slightly at Aura's voice from nearby, reaching for Thoth with her good hand in a mindless way that was totally instinctual. She held on to the shoulder of his shirt as she looked up. Thoth was a safe place - he'd already been one to Cy, probably for longer than he would have ever guessed, but especially now. In a world that felt terribly dark and scary at that moment, Thoth definitely wasn't either. "Thank-" she started to say, and promptly burst into tears. Danny entered mere seconds later, having taken one of the escape tunnels from an upper floor to the far end of the kennels. "####!" He exclaimed, rushing forward. Cy stopped crying abruptly, jerking away from his approach with a fearful expression. The world spun before her; Danny coming into focus as he slowed his approach instantly, his gaze going from the kennel master to Thoth and Cy; the pieces fell in place effortlessly. ####. "It's Danny, Cy," He cleared his stinging throat, speaking more softly and working his serenity magic into his words. The effect on Cy was pretty quick, some of the tension easing off a little - it only made Danny more worried, though. Cy usually fought his magic tooth and nail, even when she didn't mean to. For it to have this effect so quickly meant she quite literally didn't have the strength or will to fight it. "Would it be okay if I examine you?" Cypress didn't respond at all for several moments, just staring at him vacantly. Finally she nodded a little, and Danny moved forward again more gently. He set his bag down and crouched down at her side. His touch was cool (mint-like chill was a trademark of his magic, after all), professional, and as slow as he could manage under the situation, working around Cypress's deathgrip on Thoth's shirt without commenting on it. Cypress was silent, flinching now and then as he probed. The weight of time passing was heavy on his mind. It had already been too long; they'd need to leave, and soon, if they didn't want to get caught. That was the very last thing Cypress needed now. "Your hand?" Danny asked Thoth in low tones; he sounded distracted but was listening closely, caught up in the sway of his magic as he did a deeper study on Cy's battered body in search of internal injuries. Besides the obvious, most of her injuries were external. Severe bruising on her ribs, a broken arm, and more scrapes and bruises than he could stomach counting seemed to be nothing next to her emotional and mental state. She seemed... broken. Cy didn't do broken. |