Wilran tried to roll over, but she was in pain. The sudden burst of energy had caught her flat-footed and in the process she struggled against the abrupt impact of her face against the hard surface of the floor. At some point her wooden chair had tumbled on top of her, but it was by no means pinning her down. For the moment she chose to ignore it and focus on the trickle of blood running down her nose. Around her she could hear a few screams. Someone was crying, but no one rushed the tent.

  The last time something like this happened it was when Delphi teleported...Delphi!

  Wilran tried to move but cried out in agony. Her dominant arm was useless. Its twisted position revealed a dislocation, and her non-dominant arm was stuck through one of the chair's armrests. She managed to shake it with only a few stabs of pain, but she had to roll to her left to even begin to climb to her feet. When she finally managed the simple task of turning over and making her way to her feet, she could see Elineia on the ground sobbing in prostration.

  Still, she gasped at what she saw.

  Floating a few feet off the table was Delphi, but not like Wilran had ever seen her. Her aura glowed with the light of a thousand colors in what she knew to be the transcendence of a Goddess that now occupying the halfling's body. Why or how wasn't important, but she did so all the while blinding Wilran with a radiance she was sure penetrated the tent's denim material and seen from miles away.

  Beautiful...and terrifying, Wilran thought. Part of her knew she should have been overwhelmed, but that had changed with her divine appointment. If it had not been for her own spiritual transformation a few completions ago she would have found herself in a puddle of sobs on the floor right there with Elineia. As it was, she had been so caught up in the glory of the Goddess, she almost missed the ugliness inflicted upon Delphi.

  Beyond the brightness, Delphi was severely burned. Smoke radiated from her body. Half her hair was missing and the right side of her face all the way down passed her shoulder looked as if someone had placed it in a pyre. What was left of the top half of her clothing was drenched in a pattern that made it look like someone had thrown a bucket of water on top of her. Finally, in what she had only seen once in her life before, a mask of wood and twigs expertly placed on her face, somehow avoiding the contortion of what had ravaged her burnt flesh.

  The Goddess turned to Wilran and gave a weak smile. A soothing song slowly erupted from Delphi's lips, and though the words were soft and sweet, the power that radiated from them terrified Wilran. Not because she was afraid of the presence of the Goddess, but because she feared she lacked the ability to fulfil her plea.

  "Save my sister."

  "Edlyn I..." Wilran trailed at a lost for words.

  How could a mere mortal hope to save a Goddess?

  The light of Delphi's aura pulsed until Wilran was forced to shield her eyes from its brilliance. When the light finally darkened its hue, Wilran opened them once more to see that the mask was gone. Now unobstructed, Wilran got a full view of Delphi's face and watched in horror as Delphi's eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body crash onto the table below.

  "Delphi!" Wilran screamed.

  Try, Wilran, try. Chandeidra give me strength. Damn this arm.

  She tried the somatic movements of her healing spell, but she couldn't lift her arm from its dislocated state. With her non-dominant arm, she attempted a short circle of movements down by her hip, but the energy that built up into the single palm sputtered. Short burst of magic left her fingers, but she knew it wouldn't have healed a wounded jack, let alone a cauterized wound. Desperation raced across her body as Delphi's state deteriorated.

  White bubbly foam spilled forth from the halfling's lips. Wilran watched in terror as Delphi shook on the table as her muscles violently rocked about in a convulsed state.

  Chandeidra please, she silently begged. I need help, I need...

  "Elineia!" Wilran shouted still attempting the necessary somatic movements of her magic. The foam started to flow freely. Small amounts of noise accompanied the shaking that violently pierced her soul. Wilran took her good arm and turned Delphi's head to keep the bile from flowing backwards, all the while making vain attempts to avoid the burns. "Help me, please."

  Elineia rushed to her side. Wilran could see her wiping tears from her eyes. "What do you need?"

  "My shoulder, pop it back into place."

  Elineia hesitated. "It will hurt."

  "Do it!" Wilran screamed in panic. It was more forceful than she intended, but she realized desperate times often lack decorum. Still, a pang of regret ran through the back of her mind, while a chastising voice inside her demanded she apologize.

  When it's over, she told herself.

  Elineia grabbed her wrist. A sharp pain ran up the forearm, but the moment Elineia ripped her arm up straight out, the short pain she felt was now replaced with piercing stabs that throbbed along her shoulder. A small cry escaped her lips, but the elf wasn't done. With a quick jolt, Elineia pulled her arm fully to the right which sent Wilran into throes of torment. Her eyes started to water and her vision clouded. Her mind begged for Elineia to stop, but she still couldn't feel the freedom in her arm.

  "Again..."

  A third movement came. Her arm was now straight up teeming with an odd mixture of anguish, distress, and relief. The joint loudly popped into place and though the ache remained; her muscles now obeyed her every command.

  "You'll need to brace it," whispered Elineia. "Even with your magic, it will take some time for the muscle to heal."

  Another thing for later.

  Wilran ignored her friend and lifted both her arms. A stiffness started to settle in her dominant one, but she pushed through. Instead, she focused all her concentration into her spell. As her arms and wrist made it through their final rotation, she placed her hands on the halflings face and shoulder.

  Heal, she willed.

  Blue light pulsed from her hands. Waves began to spread from the tips of her fingers along the cracks in the blackened skin. However, as Wilran willed more energy into the halfling's body that sputtered and convulsed, the light began to grow. She found her arms quaking to the beat of the halfling's own convulsed body. The black started to fade and new flesh filled in the cracks, but it was far from over.

  More and more Wilran poured her soul into the halfling. The longer it went on, the weaker she felt as if the very act was sucking the life out of her. At some point, it occurred to her she might be sacrificing herself, but she couldn't stop. Her heart started to race erratically. She could feel her beat pounding through her chest while her breathing became shallow. It wasn't long before her world started to darken.

  Here we are again my old friend. Always under the worst of circumstances.

  Just before Wilran passed out, Delphi's eyes bolted open thus breaking the connection. In the process, Wilran's knees buckled, but at the last second, she was caught by Elineia.

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  "I got you."

  It was over. At least, she thought it was.

  Her body continued to shake even though the magic no longer flowed. A deafening sound rung in her ears and her body refused to lift a single muscle. She knew it wouldn't be long before she greeted darkness fully, but she had to make sure the prophetess was okay before she yielded to its luring call.

  Fortunately, Delphi turned in her direction and smiled. The black scaring was now gone. What was left behind was half bald scalp and pale skin three shades lighter than the rest. If Wilran hadn't met the prophetess before, she might have thought the area to be a birthmark.

  It's not pretty, but at least it's fixable. Hair would grow. Skin would darken. Death was permanent.

  Delphi's faced creased among the dimples and her eyes thinned as exhaustion started to take the two of them. There her blue eyes stared into Wilran's brown intertwining their fates. The two shared a moment and while Wilran wanted to ask a million questions about what had just happened, the droopiness of Delphi's eyes and her own body told her it would have to wait. With a final blink, Delphi mouthed a single phrase as the two of them succumbed to the mysterious events that led her here.

  "Thank you."

  ***

  Sometime later, Wilran awoke in the infirmary. For the past several months she had been using the tent as an unofficial headquarters having learned the medicinal craft from one of the field healers. Medicine wasn't the most effective way for her to fix wounds, but it provided a nice supplement to her magic when her energy had run dry.

  Since taking up residence in the tent, she had started to think of it as home. Therefore, she was not surprised to find herself here despite the dizziness of her head and the grogginess of her body. Someone had placed her on a field cot and laid a blanket all the way up to her shoulders; much higher than she would have liked. She wasn't sure how long she had been here, but the light that would have normally penetrated the tent flap was gone and it's in place she could see only darkness.

  Across the way, laid Delphi. Her small frame moved to the rhythmic chant of soft snores. Someone had placed her or perhaps the prophetess had subconsciously turned face down on the side of her head that had been reconstructed by Wilran's magic. From her prospective, it looked as if Delphi had just chosen to turn in for the night.

  She look almost Saintian. If I didn't know better, I bet she could be someone's daughter.

  Wilran continued to marvel at the small form that barely looked twelve completions. The longer she focused, the more her vision cleared and the nausea that spun her head slowly descended into nothingness. She was vaguely aware of a commotion outside the tent, but the heaviness of her body and the peace she received by watching Delphi pushed it from her mind. It wasn't until one of the voices stepped inside did she finally snap from her serene state.

  "I'm not sure what happened," explained a feminine voice. "One moment, we were in the meeting tent talking and the next, the Prophetess appeared out of thin air. By the time I was able to compose myself, we found her in a horrid state."

  Elineia.

  Wilran turned towards the entry way, to see three figures emerged behind her friend. She barely had time to register the Prince, the Minister and the Commander before the three of them pelted the poor half-elf with questions. Given the lateness of the day, she was surprised they were at the camp at all, let alone loudly talking in a place where people were normally resting.

  As they approached, Wilran thought she should get up, but the group moved right passed her and focused on the Prophetess. Despite the stubbiness of his body, Goodshadow was the first to make it to the halfling's bed. Wilran watched him lift a small arm that pulled back Delphi's hair and reveal the bladed patch and newly formed skin that graced the prophetess's face and head. Once the Minister was done with his examination, he dropped her hair and posed a question Wilran was sure was on everyone's mind.

  "What do you think happened to her?"

  It took Wilran a while to put it together, but once she did, she realized the answer should have been obvious. Only one being in all of Sainta could have and would have left such a devastating mark on the powerful Prophetess. She might not have known the how or why, but the who was clear the moment she said it.

  "Adreanna."

  Wilran forced herself to sit up as her body moaned in protest. Elineia moved to her side to once more assist in her aid. As she did, the three males began a second round of questions that once more brought about the dizziness in her head.

  "What's going on?"

  "What happened to your hair?"

  "Why is the Prophetess here?"

  I really should lie back down. Wait? What's going on with my hair?

  Wilran pulled down long streaks of the brown to find only gray. A twang of sadness pricked at her heart. She didn't consider herself a vain person, but she enjoyed the shiny locks that normally rested on her shoulders.

  More and more you demand of me my love. Must I give up everything in your service?

  Ignoring the questions the males continued to ask her, she considered her vanity until the softness of Elineia's voice broke through her mental barrier.

  "Are you alright?"

  "Yes," Wilran said as the tips of her ears turned pink. "A first for me. The Goddess might have taken some of my life for hers...I should be glad to give it."

  I wonder if Rory felt the same way?

  Goodshadow nodded. "A noble sacrifice."

  Will shook his head in disagreement. "You think too little of the cleric, Minister. What makes her life any less important? Why must she drain her own life at the cost of some healing?"

  Goodshadow was flabbergasted. "I...she...you...do you know who that is?" he said gesturing to the Prophetess.

  "I do. I also know she's been off doing El knows what on her own without anyone's help. She imposed this on the good cleric. She could have worked together with us."

  "But..." Goodshadow continued to sputter.

  "I think the Commander is right Minister," chimed Elaneiros. "We aren't going to win this war going it alone. As much as I respect Madam Delphi, she more than anyone knew what she was getting into. Who was she to demand from others if she so callously threw her life away?"

  "Exactly!" Goodshadow shouted. She knew what would happen. That's why she came here."

  The three of them continued to bicker. Wilran wasn't sure what she was feeling, but knew Delphi must have come here for a reason.

  But why here? Why now? It had been so long since we last saw each other and wasn't Gamma the more obvious choice? Sure, I am becoming more powerful, but Gamma had the power of the mask. Would Chandeidra had demanded so much of Gamma's life with it? I highly doubt it, but yet here we are. And I'm the one paying the price.

  She tried hard to think back to the last conversation she had with the Prophetess five completions ago in the snowy cabin. It was just before she got her arm healed and Bidant and Gamma had kissed for the first time. Gamma had just started to see the first hues of Gamma's aura and Delphi left with a bit of parting advice.

  "What the three of you do now is up to you. What I suggest you do is find your team, find Thepa, but most importantly, find Chandeidra."

  It had taken some time, but the second and third suggestions eventually happened; much to Wilran satisfaction. Wilran let go of her passed fears and securities and fell in love with the Goddess that guided her past the hurt and pain caused by Lilith. It certainly wasn't an easy path, but once she pushed forward, she was dedicated; no matter what the outcome. Finding Thepa, had been even easier.

  Finding the team didn't go as planned, or at least not the way she thought it might go. Julius and Yenry had returned to their homes. Zuna, broken by her imprisonment, had given up fighting for good, and Tash stayed in Lightmount as a liaison for peace talks between the Galak and human residents.

  But yet, I found a new team. Not a team of elites trained for a specific purpose, but a team of sisters in arms. It wasn't our common enemy that binds us, but our love for each other.

  "Gentleman please." Elineia said snapping Wilran out of her thoughts. "This really isn't important. I know it's been a long day and some of you still have a long journey ahead of you. If it doesn't bother Wilran it shouldn't bother you. Can we please let the poor soul rest?"

  Once more Wilran stared back at the sleeping Prophetess. A light smile turned up at the corners of the halfling's mouth. In that moment, Wilran had hoped that whatever had happened to the halfling, it managed to remain elusive to the dreams she now saw.

  It must be a lonely life, she thought. Long in completions and infinite futures to comprehend, it's no wonder she went alone. Maybe all three of them are right. She needed to go alone because she was the only one who understood the task, but she needed someone...no... she needed sisters to love and support her along the way. Why must we push others away in our time of need?

  Elineia tried to shoo the three of them out of the tent, but as the Prince stood to leave, he turned to the former lieutenant and stopped just short of the flap.

  "What do you think Ms. Kilyn? As a soldier you must agree there's a fine line between recklessness and sacrifice."

  "I think..." Elineia paused as if to carefully consider her words. "If one is not subject to authority, we must carve our own path. Actions may have consequences, but what is life without choice?"

  The words jarred Wilran. She turned her head towards her elven friend and for a moment, she thought she saw a small flicker of light on the woman's psyche. She checked again to make sure she hadn't been mistaken, but it was gone faster than it had come. If it was even there, Wilran couldn't focus on it long enough to identify the color.

  "Well reasoned," stated the Prince. An exchange took place between the two of them Wilran couldn't quite comprehend. It might have been love, but it lacked the innocence normally associated with infatuation. It wasn't until much later, as she started to drift off to sleep, she would find the right words to describe the feeling.

  Respect and admiration.