Sky High (Job)

Ishtar frowned down at the piece of paper in his hand, then looked up at the large building in front of him. The paper said this was the address for the West Fiore Trading Company, but... this seemed ostentatious for a guild headquarters. He looked down at the paper again, then looked to Navu standing quietly at his side. "You think they gave us the right address, Navu?" The unicorn foal blinked up at him, and a feeling of peace and confidence washed over him. Ishtar arched an eyebrow at her, then looked up at the building again, unsure of himself. A group of people in white uniforms stood at the entrance, laughing and talking. A pang of sadness struck him as he thought of his old guild, laughing and horsing around just like this group. His old friends...
He felt a wave of love and kind sympathy from Navu and smiled down at the black unicorn. "Well, if you're sure," he said. Ishtar took a deep breath. This would be his first time interacting with guild wizards since he was released from the Iced Shell. He was nervous, but somehow relaxed, already prepared for whatever may happen. It was plain and simple. He'd asked Aria and Nathan where he could find wizards to help him escort them across the mountains, and they'd pointed him to the West Fiore Trading Company. "They're very good," they'd said. "They really only help with transporting goods and all, but they might lend a wizard to help."
Here's to hoping they say yes, Ishtar thought with the smallest hint of doubt. He took a deep breath and strode forward to the group of wizards. They stopped talking as he approached. "Hello," he said in what he hoped was a friendly tone. "I'm looking for a wizard who can help me escort some folks across the Phoenix Mountains. Would this be the right place to look?"

Word Count: 321 / 250
Total Word Count: 321 / 5000

A young looking old woman let out a sigh as she walked along, a heavy white bag slung over one of her shoulders. In her bag was fine and fresh quality cheeses, dried meats, and butter. Honestly most of the weight was from the meats, then the cheeses. There was still items there that hadn't been traded away though, a bottle of wine, a few clay pots, and some heaters and fuel for cooking. There was a lot of things she expected when walking into the guild, but not what she found. Their gender shifted from the more aggressive and confident female side to the more gentle hearted and deep thinking male side. He was shocked, it had been so long. Was he hallucinating? Had the thousands of years of life finally got to him? "Ishtar?" No, that couldn't be. It had been so long... But he was certain that was a person he had waited on occasionally many years ago. Back before he joined the guild, when he dressed in blacks and dark greys. The only symbol he wore back then was his mothers family crest, social interacting normally went as far as 'here is your meal, please enjoy'. It was strange to think on that time, he had changed a lot in a short about of time. The skin was paler, but less grey and more healthy. Actual socializing was a thing that he did now, not just doing it to be polite. The mixed blood rushed over to the man, a smile gracing his full lips. Haraka was dressed in his guild uniform, but it was only mostly white.

A white dress vest, a deep grey dress shirt, a pair of white slacks, and black dress up shoes. On the heart of his vest sat a pin that had the guilds emblem. "I'm so used to seeing people just grow old and die! This is amazing, horrible and wonderful." He didn't think he had to say why it was both. It was horrible to live long enough to see people die off, but it was wonderful to see someone that wasn't gone. A smile was on the half demons lips. This was so wonderful! He hadn't been there to hear the request for aid, but did hear someone talk about it. "I'll be willing to help with your job. I'm not a waiter anymore, or in hiding. I'm actually 6,803 years old, never said anything before because... I was pretty used to moving a lot, watching people die, and just laying low and trying to not stand out. I'm a different sort of Haraka Omaras than the one you knew before. I not only know how to use magic now, but i'm pretty half decent at it. I used the medical knowledge I have and an ice dragon lacrima and used both to fix the giant hole my soul used to have. I'm stronger, healthier, happier, and ready to assist. Also if you were going to ask how I'm still alive I don't actually know why I don't physically age. How are you still alive? Sorry for talking so much but, this is amazing to me!" Seeing someone after many years and have them not look old was breath taking. The half dragon wouldn't mind this happening more often.

He was sure this was the same person, it had to be. This job would be perfect for catching up a bit. It was a good thing he had gone out today, the supplies he had would do perfectly for the situation. "I'm actually ready to leave right now."

Words: 601

Ishtar blinked as the march of words crawled out of the man's mouth, hardly comprehending what was being said. Did he know this person? He tried to remember, reaching back into memories from before the Iced Shell and recalled a face- a face identical to the one standing before him. Could it be? Was it possible? Ishtar felt like he'd been punched in the stomach; first it had been Adrian, now another from his distant past was still alive? He felt wild joy to know that he was not alone in this century, that he was not abandoned by fate at the feet of society's disdain. He felt a pulse of similar joy from Navu, some thirty meters away. She hated how lonely he was; it was what had drawn her to him in the first place. She was a compassionate soul, Navu. She couldn't stand to allow a body to hurt, be it emotionally or physically.

However, there wasn't time to reminisce further. He had a job to do, and this man- Haraka, he said his name was- was offering to help. "If you're willing, sir, I'd be glad for the aid," Ishtar smiled, still riding the wave of his happiness. "I should hope we get the opportunity to catch up when we've more time on the trip. Follow me." He strode across the road, calling Navu to his side and occasionally glancing over his shoulder to ensure Haraka was following.

They made their way back to the small inn where Nathan and Aria were staying and knocked on the door to their room. Aria opened it with a radiant smile. "Ishtar," she said fondly. "Did you find someone to help you escort us over the mountains? "As a matter of fact," Ishtar replied cheerfully, "I did." He stepped aside to reveal Haraka. "Aria, meet Haraka."

Word Count: 307 / 250
Total Word Count: 1229 / 5000

Sir? It was strange to be called that by someone he used to call sir along with telling them the daily specials and handing over the menu. Life was strange sometimes, but he wasn't going to question it too much. Honestly it was a surprise that the other remembered him. Waiters and the like? Normally just unimportant faces that come and go. Maybe its the distinct look the ice blue skinned person had? Very likely. "It's okay to just call me Haraka. I'm willing to help." The mixed blood spoke with his soft and gentle voice. He nodded a bit, understanding the other not wanting to talk much. That's right, Ishtar came here seeking aid with a job. Of course Omaras followed the person. His walk along was less exact and large in stride as Starborns, but they were certainly silent. The main person to thank for this was wind, his brutal teacher and probably one of the best people to ask about sounds. An inn? Well it made sense, this was an escort mission. It seemed like getting to the room and meeting the clients was predictably easy. It was better that than to be met with an unpleasant surprise. He gave a slight bow when being introduced. "I'm from the West Fiore Trading Company and will do my best in helping. As doctor that can also battle and cook, I am sure everything will be alright." Even if it involved traveling across a hot landscape. Honestly there was no part of him built to be adapted to lots of heat. The demon side was of a giant deep sea mantis shrimp. This kind, unlike its cousins, lived in deep dark and cold places.

This meant it wasn't built for warm weather. His other half was ice dragon, the name sort of said it all. Phoenix mountains? Lets face it, was a warm area. A place doesn't get a name like that due to being chill. Still, he was the one who had heard and offered to help. Nobody was forcing his hand, nor was there ever ignorance on the sort of place it was. That didn't mean he would back down, though it did mean he would look and feel less than elegant along the way.

Words: 378
Total: 979

Ishtar peered into the room. "Sorry to hurry things along, Aria, but if we're to get you over the mountains any time soon we should leave now. Is Nathan here?" "I'm here!" A voice called from around the corner, and a tall scruffy man with a wide smile walked into view carrying two backpacks filled almost too full. "We were ready to go before you got back. Figured it would help move things along," he huffed, struggling to move under the weight of the backpacks. "You need help carrying the bags, Nathan?" Ishtar asked quickly. Nathan looked relieved as he handed one of the bulging packs over to the white-haired man. "Alright, let's get to it," Ishtar smiled.
In no time at all the four (plus Navu, whom had been told must wait outside by the innkeeper) were out of the inn and standing at the base of the enormous Phoenix Mountains. Ishtar gave a low whistle as he stared up at the towering peaks. "No wonder you asked me for help," he commented to Aria. "Anyone who tried to hike these alone would have to be crazy." She smiled uneasily and said nothing. Now that Ishtar noticed, she looked a little green in the face. "Afraid of heights?" Ishtar asked, trying to be gentle. She nodded tersely. "Don't worry about it," Ishtar reassured her. "Haraka and I won't let you fall. We're both professionals, we'll keep you safe." I hope, he added silently. No telling how he would do, and who's to say how Haraka would perform? The man was a waiter way back when Ishtar first met him. Yeah he said he'd learned magic, and he was still alive after at least a century, but Ishtar tended to trust with his eyes rather than the word of others. Haraka would have to prove he was skilled during the trip before Ishtar gave him any level of trust.
And then there was Ishtar himself. That job he'd done in Capital Crocus still followed him around in the form of newspaper articles and bad memories from time to time. Navu helped alleviate some of the self-doubt that sprung from that particular incident- even now she was sending waves of compassion to soothe him- but the level of ineptitude the situation implied really weighed on his confidence, especially when he'd gotten no practical exercise of Magic Circle before going on the job. It was almost like spending so much time in Iced Shell had reset him somehow; like he was new to his skills, and he needed to relearn everything from scratch. The idea that he might not be as powerful as he was before Kersaidh locked him away terrified Ishtar.
He felt powerful waves of calm and compassion pulse from Navu, and he took a deep breath to collect himself. "Well," he said with forced cheeriness. "Let's not sit like stones here. We have to get you two across these mountains. Off we go." And with that Ishtar started up the mountain path at a determined pace, Navu trotting along beside him.

Word Count: 512 / 250
Total Word Count: 2119 / 5000

The mixed blood watched everyone's interactions and talking. It was interesting to hear and watch the differences in personality and capability from person to person. The job was starting up fast, which was a good thing anyway. Anyone who tried to hike this alone? But the fear of heights being revealed started showing him why she said that. It wasn't the critters that ranged from deadly to thieves, or actual robbers, or avalanches. Something as simple as elevation issues was a bit of fresh air. It did seem like the first time in a job where having his wings out might help reassure someone. This would take at least over one night, so they would see them anyway, right? Thus Omaras allowed his wings and tail to be seen. The large dragon wings and long mantis shrimp tail both looked to just appear, cutting through some of the fabric in his clothes in the process. The wings and tail looked to be coated in some hard light cover that was a mix between scales and a crustacean carapace. The necklace under his dress shirt was the item that kept him from glowing, causing most of the blue on the wings and tail to be the same dark sapphire blue as his horns. The only mark that stood out was the dimly glowing snowflake pattern at the base of one of his wings. The circular pattern formed a loop, a dragon shape in the center. What it meant would be lost on most or all he was sure, it wasn't information that had been relevant for thousands of years.

Should he add something to help reassure? Sometimes the best way to do that was to offer a good distraction. "Do either of you have any animals that you like? Under my clothes is my pet baby demonic clam. He's tiny, sweet, and shy, but he can also become very big and fly. His name is William and he really loves to help out. Ishtar, would you like to talk about your young friend?" Haraka watched Ishtar move along, starting to walk after him. The majority of possible dangers would come from the front, the others from the sides or above. The young looking old man still looked about with careful eyes though, making sure he would notice if any dangers decided to come yet. Nothing had, but things just started. In any danger started coming their way though, the half demon was sure to notice. For a few hours, nothing really happened. The heat had caused sweat to roll over his skin quite a bit. Being built for the coldest and darkest of conditions, he certainly felt a bi out of place. At least things had started to cool a bit at this point as it seemed the sun would be setting in an hour or so. If they intended to set up camp soon, then they would have to scan for critters. Those things may be small, but they would still steal things if left alone. The bigger dangers would likely pop up the next day, when they got deeper into the mountains.

Words: 523
Total: 1,503

The wings and tail were a bit of an unpleasant surprise, but Ishtar refused to let his thoughts travel to the... things, that had brought him to Kersaidh. Clearly Haraka was a creature unique in his own rights and had little to no association with beings of that sort, so there was no need for concern. None at all.
Navu pulsed calm to Ishtar anyway, just to be safe. "Yes," Ishtar said slowly in response to Haraka's question. "Yes, of course. Navu is- well, quite simply she's a treasure." He smiled down at the black unicorn foal. She sent joy to him empathically. "I met her in Sakuramori, when I was... visiting an old friend. Suffice it to say she showed up at exactly the right time, as always." The joy from Navu became more bashful, but the happiness still shone through. Ishtar contented himself with silence after that, feeling as though he had already said too much but pleased he had said something anyway.
The small group made much headway that day; Aria and Nathan were sufficiently distracted by William, Haraka's demonic clam, and even Ishtar had to admit the adorable creature caused him to relax ever so slightly. Navu helped, too, of course; she always did.
When the group reached a sufficiently wide overhang, and the sun was just below the horizon, the sky awash in orange and yellow hues, Ishtar halted the group. "I advise we stop here for the night," he remarked. "Very little chance of bandits or avalanches sneaking up on us here." Aria and Nathan, both looking fatigued from the hike, agreed, and set their bags down. Ishtar helped them set up their tent and, when they had settled in for the night, immediately took up a position with his back against the mountain, standing at attention so he could observe any creature that attempted to sneak up on the group from either side.
All was quiet save for the wind that whistled softly between the mountain peaks, and Navu and Ishtar both felt tranquil in the presence of such sheer majestic nature. Ishtar glanced at Haraka and cleared his throat. "So, Haraka," he began awkwardly. "We can... talk, now. I know you said you don't know, but... how? How are you still here?" Ishtar's voice became a little choked and he cleared his throat again. "I just... it's incredible. I thought I was alone in this century, and then suddenly... well, here you are. So just- how?"

Word Count: 414 / 250
Total Word Count: 3056 / 5000

William enjoyed the attention, slowly coming out of his shyness around the people as the day went on. Yes, obviously the nap had ended at some point during the long trek. "Navu seems very special, I'm glad she has a good friend." He didn't see pets as property, even if they technically were. Haraka saw himself more like a parent to William, which was why he planned to not let anything bad happen to the clam. Well, bad things would happen eventually, the mixed blood just wasn't open to the idea of it happening while the creature was a baby, or at least as long as he can help it. The stop for the night was expected, even if the half demon wanted to keep going for a bit longer. It looked like Ishtar had watching out for scavenging animals covered, so Omaras picked a spot then started to set up. A compact metal heater with an old and simple design. The fuel for it were cylinders made of wax, animal fat, and oil. It was easy to put in the small round metal heater, fitting in the upper half. The lower half was just flat metal that had enough distance from the top to keep from heating up. The design was small, simple, old, and effective. The top had more than enough space for the well sized clay pot placed on top. It didn't look like anything modern, a red clay pot that had an autumn forest design painted on. It showed clear signs of expert hand craftsmanship, of being manually made, painted, glazed, and baked.

He made a piece of garlic and an onion, mincing both with his talons and letting the pieces fall to the bottom of the pot. While not needed, he added a small bit of fresh butter to add some glorious flavor to the stew base. A different compact heater was placed down, fueled, then lit. While that heated, haraka proceeded to add baking power, eggs, and butter to a bowl. After that? He made grains of wheat then took out a small grinder. This would be a good distraction, grinding the flower. Still, he knew he had to answer. One guy whos lived too long to the other, right? "In the bronze age I was born in a country that was a land of ice. It used to be a land lived on only by ice dragons, but they allowed others to move onto the land. Four people who became known as Gods worked and created a spell to keep the land from melting. It was fueled by magic from those four people. DezLovaas was our god of Stability and Earth. HahdrimAl was our god of the sun and riddles. GliiwrWelun was out goddess of the moon and culture, and GulBekif was our fallen goddess of ocean and medicine." He finished making the flower, mixing it in the bowl after. It was time to mix good! Make this nice biscuit dough for frying. "I am pretty sure they were given those titles for the deeds they have done, since I can't deny they existed at some point. To be a child of a god meant your magic originated as a side effect as being born within the country, effected by the spell created by those four people.

If you were deeper connected than it would effect your genetics or magic, but that's normally it. For children of GulBekif like me? We had the possibility of being born with a hole in our soul and never having a chance to ever rise pass middle class, if we were lucky enough to even make it that far." He finished mixing the dough, mixing the contents of the pot a bit with a wooden spoon that he had quickly created. After that he made and chopped up some seasoning, then some minced celery, minced carrot, and potato. "I'm a child of GulBekif, one of many that used to exist in that country. It never meant anything to me outside of making it more possible that people would look at me as something dangerous... So I did my best to be good, well as best as a curious child can be when they want to be a doctor and their mother was a doctor. My blood parents were killers, but I was raised for the first years of my life by a wonderful doctor who was the best in the world t that time. Doctor Fennos Omaras! I got my last name from her, she named me Haraka for how quickly I won her heart. I'm half of a type of demon that these days? only lives in hell, a deep sea mantis shrimp demon. My other half is ice dragon. When I was eight and a half, a group walked into town." Was there anything to do with his hands right now? He grabbed out a clay pan, putting it on the open heater. After that? A little butter, spread it... and... that was it. Damn. Well, the story must go on.

"They used my as bait to lure everyone in town over to them. The only one that had been fancy there was my grandmother, but she had picked me over that sort of life way before this event. Still, nobody wanted to abandon the sweet quiet well behaved kid. Everyone in town thought of each other as family... and they all died slow horrible deaths, some were eaten alive, others eaten at death. Every single building burned, the ground was coated in red, the skies were clouded in grey from the smoke of the fires. I was kept as bait to lure in those who didn't want to see a child suffer, or simply felt a kinship with me due to also being stuck in the lower ladders of life. For half of a year everything was pain, screams, fire... They only killed for pleasure. The reason I didn't try to die? The would have just found a new 'bait', it wouldn't have solved anything. But.. I did develop my magic early, likely due to..." He paused, mixing the stew a bit. After that? He added water to the stew, watching everything sizzle a bit before... "Stress. I was in survival mode that entire year, probably the only thing that kept me from running away from everything through death. The first magic that developed was ice, but I used it to attack my soul that.. was already in a poor state. I removed a large part that more easily allowed communication and self expression, then tricked them into believing I felt nothing. This made me poor bait... and they became disinterested on continuing the murder spree."

He started filling each biscuit with some seasoning and a bit of cheese. After that? Haraka started buttering each one. "it seemed less fun to them if that was what happened to the 'bait'. So... that's how a none year old me had tricked a deadly group of murders who took down armies, dragons, and everything else that made the country that couldn't flee. Those who survived the slaughter thanked me, but also looked at me with pity. I was seen as a savior, but also as someone who had nothing in any sort of sense. My country no longer had a population of people, the spell broke, along with the continents ice. Everything sunk to the bottom of the ocean." Some bacon was placed onto the pan, since... the butter wouldn't last forever and the pan needed something to cook. Also, bacon fat would be good for the stew and the biscuits. "I worked as a waiter, then a bartender, eventually a cook as well. Haraka Omaras... waited for old age to kick in, to vanish with the generation of survivors that he was part of. Instead? I outlived every survivor, have crawled over corpses to escape dangerous situations, have hid in thick fabrics and dark places to avoid times of disease and fear caused madness taking me... I used to wonder and think many reasons for why I wouldn't age and die, but that was during a time where it was hard to see any light. I would always move, just in case that group still existed."

He added some corn, green squash, and eggplant to the stew pot, all chopped by his nails. "At that time when I was a child, it sounded it, it felt like... They were going to experiment on me if I hadn't tricked them. After they had moved on, nobody has seen the group. I don't know what they are waiting for or why, or if they had just dug so deep in the dark that I can't find them so easy." He flipped the bacon over. "They are why I moved around so much, why it took so long for me to gather the courage to stop running and start learning magic. Every time I thought of doing it... it felt like I was directly challenging them. The memories of what they were capable of doing as never left my mind. That nightmare has never left... the screams, the blood, the smoke and fire... Why am I still alive? Anyone I could have gotten any answers from are all dead now. Who am I going to ask, the dead?" It was the first time he had shared all of these details fully. Maybe its because there was a connection felt in the thought of someone else possibly suffering a similar fate. A strange bitter pained laughter started coming out, his quiet and soft voice being a bit less quiet in such things. His eyes begun to leak... and he removed the bacon from the pan to put on the biscuits. The dough let out a satisfying sizzle, the bacon being quickly broken up then tossed into the stew. These sort of simple tasks, it felt so relaxing.

It was so easy to melt into them. The simple nature of the tasks made it easier to distract himself in it. It was easier to not think about the pain that came with everything, how much it hurt to experience all that, awaiting a death that never came, running from people who he knew likely had an easier time search for him than he did in finding them. Running and being scared was exhausting, but so was holding onto everything. Answers? He had none of those. "Sorry that was a bit long..." The laughter slowly died down, but the tears still remained. They weren't going to stop so easily, though... William poking at his face with his foot definitely made them stop. He pat the tiny demonic clam, the creature deciding that Omaras face was its spot for now. "so.. Ishtar, how are you still alive?"

Words: 1,806
Total: 3,309

The beginning alone was enough to make Ishtar light-headed. The bronze age? Haraka must not have been lying; he really was a thousand years old. And as the story progressed, he felt more and more inadequate. What right did he have to feel misery when poor souls like Haraka walked the earth? He felt a mild despair fall upon him until Navu began gentle pulses of comfort and love to him-- and to Haraka. Ishtar felt a moment of pride for his faithful friend for wanting to heal all who are hurting, and he forgot his pain for just a little.

When Haraka asked the question, however, it all came crashing down again. "I- I-," he stammered, and his heart began to hammer. He instinctively looked around wildly for a sign of feathers, for a flash of teal cloth, for that horrible, gentle laugh that promised a cruel end. He started breathing faster and faster, and images seemed to flash before his eyes: Adrian's withered face, images from the attack on the Fortress, and then older images, scenes from a life before the ice and Ishtar's long sleep.

Twin elves, a girl and a boy, laughing as they tumbled on the soft carpeted floor of the guildhouse, Kayla and the other guild members smiling and smoking as they watched from their comfortable chairs. Theo... Tenari...

Ishtar breathing heavily as he swung his swords in a vicious rhythm, striking at the large shield before him, trying with all his might to reach the woman standing behind it. She was grinning, and despite his frustration, so was Ishtar. Kayla... Ishtar felt tears begin to pool in his eyes.

A tall, cold woman in a thin teal dress, standing above Ishtar and commanding him to pick up the swords he'd thrown to the dirt. "No," he moaned, falling against the wall and sliding to the ground. As though from far away he could feel Navu frantically trying to reach him, to revive him from this traumatic trip down memory lane.

He wouldn't do it. He refused the goddess a second time, crossing his arms to emphasize his defiance.

The look on her face was beyond rage.

"Stop," Ishtar begged his poor brain. "Stop!"

She asked him a third time. He refused again. Knowing he would never obey this one command, even under pain of death, she turned and lifted the child by its head, and she-

"No."

She picked up one of his swords and she-

"Stop it!"

Ishtar could only look on in horror as the goddess tossed the body aside and turned to him, the promise of death in her eyes.

"Please!" Ishtar begged her, please, just stop, don't do this to me...

And she snapped her fingers, Ishtar's vision filling with blue and the eternal cold of winter already gnawing on his bones.

Ishtar screamed in pain and terror, not knowing how he had been lost a second time, too deep in the dream to realize it for what it was.

Word Count: 502/250
Total Word Count: 5364/5000

There was a bit of worry at first when Icarus was silent. The worry only built at that sort of expression they made in that silence, something glossed over like their mind was somewhere else. Whatever had happened, it was a safe bet to now assume that this person was not yet ready to share. There was a hope that the memories wouldn't take the other individual too far away. When an event was bad enough? If you didn't find a way to conquer the memories, then you would always be haunted, no matter how good you get at tucking them away. Why do any of that? Haraka flipped the biscuits, feeling tempted to turn off the heat. The deeper you get in the long gone past, the more it gets its grip on your soul? The more lost and weakened you become. It was a trouble the mixed blood used to have a lot worse than the west fiore trading company member had at current. How deep the other was lost in memories was a question soon answered with screams. "William, watch out for critters for us! Make sure nothing is stolen." He needed to focus less on food or watching out for hungry or curious scavenging animals. The tiny baby animal left it's owner temporarily, changing into it's large form. The demonic clam now watched out for any possible dangers while Omaras temporarily abandoned the food and his bag. What the other needed right now was a strong wake up call to return them to the here and now.

This was why the half dragon used his magic to dump sea water on Starborn. It wasn't an attack, just a lot of water that would soak any that didn't have a way to quickly dry off. The cold salt water didn't seem to be enough, to the half demon took the risk of touching someone having a flashback. He knew that this wasn't safe if someone had fighting experience, that this person before him did have such experience, that it could trigger violence before the other is fully aware that they were lost in the past and reacting in the present. Still, Haraka wrapped his arms and large not so soft wings around Ishtar. This was an awkward position, hugging someone who he had never been close to in the first place. At the same time there was a strange connection he felt, knowing there was someone out there that had also experienced the world changing under their feet. "Wake up! Whatever happened, if any of those thoughts involve anyone who cared for you, no matter what happened, they wouldn't want you to defeat yourself with despair! It's okay to not talk about it if you aren't ready, but don't loose yourself. Return!" The world was not a fair place all that often. The more one looses, the harder it can get to forgive yourself for being unable to do the things you felt you should have been able to. In a perfect world, this wouldn't be happening. But the world was flawed, full of the naive that die or get broken apart.

Those that survived long enough became jaded, harsh, or bitter in some way, having to find their own ways for surviving in such a reality. Even if the half dragon had gotten a lot better and had faced his old fears of the past, it didn't mean that there wasn't many things unresolved. That did not mean that the doctor was incapable of helping. No, he wanted to help. As someone who understood how the mind could world harshly against you, and a friend with a sturdy body that can handle a few blows. Though his own body was cool, the ice blue colored skin had some heat from the long day still had heat seared in it, along with some sweat. He was the cross between a very large mantis shrimp and an ice dragon in person form, a mixture that even sounded like an abomination. If one thing was working for him, it was how he looked like something gods would shun, not embrace. This was not something Haraka knew might be good in this case though. How could he?

Words: 707
Total: 4,016

He was drowning in waves of his miserable existence, the ocean of filth that was his mind, that wretched sea, and floating on the surface were the corpses of all his dead companions, on which he must cling to stay just above the waters. With every wave that crashed into him, the harder it became to understand why he still wanted to live. Looking around there was only death; death that he had caused. It was all his fault... They were dead because they tried to save him. Why did they try to save him? He wasn't worth that. He wasn't worth anything. He was nothing. Nothing at all.

As though from a great distance Ishtar heard what could only be described as the voice of some divine being in his hysteria; it commanded him, in no less a divine tone, to return. To stop drowning. But that was inane; he couldn't stop drowning when he was still swimming, and nothing could pull him from the waters. That was when he felt another presence; powerful undercurrents of emotion swept underneath the pleading of the divine voice, lifting Ishtar a few feet in the air so that his toes brushed the surface of the dark waves of filth clouding his mind.

He resisted at first, turning half-way on his back while he hung suspended in the air so he could look down at the pale staring corpse of Kayla, his old friend and guild master. Come back to me, she whispered. Don't you want to see me again?

Of course I do, Ishtar said sadly. The divine voice rebounded again off the dark walls of his head, and the emotional wave lifted him further into the air so he could no longer see the waters or his friends. But you're dead, and I'm not. I'm still alive. I'm still here.

And I will never forget you, I promise.

He awoke with a strangled gasp, feeling Haraka's arms around him, Navu pulsing strong emotion to him, scolding him while barely masking her intense relief that he came back to her. And Ishtar had returned; he felt, at least for now, the ghosts in his mind had settled, letting him live a while in peace. But they would return. He knew it. He counted on it.

He began to sob quietly into Haraka's shoulder.

Word Count: 391/250
Total Word Count: 6492/5000

The doctors arms and wings did kept their holding grip around Ishtar, though the grip loosening a little. It was a relief to see the person return, he didn't get attacked before that either. Omaras wasn't going to count on not getting hurt if it happened again, but this was the kind of damage trauma could leave behind. For now he kept quiet, letting them cry. Ah, that smell though... Dinner was finished. Words couldn't dry tears, but maybe food could. Maybe serving food would help them both think and function. It was a good thing William was so willing and eager to help. Said demonic clam had just scared a fox away from the tent area, the creature scurrying away after its theft attempt was stopped. Haraka decided to carry his friend a bit, doing so with his wings and arms still holding on to the other. After getting close enough to the food, He grabbed out some things with one arm, keeping the other on the mourning friend. In the end? The man didn't manage to stay quiet for as long as he had hoped he would. A bowl was filled with a good serving of the stew, bits of cheese sprinkled on top. Two fluffy biscuits were placed on the side of the bowl, barely not touching the stew. He carefully loosened his grip on the other enough to gently push the food into the others lap. After that? Well they couldn't drink alcohol on a mission, so he took out a cup then filled it with the essence of dragon fruit. The essence came out in the form of juice, filling the cup. The half dragon placed the filled cup next to the bowl of food.

"It's okay to feel pain. I'm sure you know your friends wouldn't want you to suffer over memories of them, nobody wants to be the cause of suffering from someone they love. Memories hurt and the mind can betray you, but in time, maybe you will find a way to help you heal. Talking about it is too early and that's okay. When I have memories trying to hunt me down, I think of the rain washing everything away.. But different things work for different people." He put a spoon into the bowl, then proceeded to take the biscuits off the heat. All of this he did with one arm, keeping the other on Ishtar. "Some food might help, how do you feel?"

Words: 413
Total: 4429