A seamless stem grows all the way up the front of the body.
In a suspended form, the crest prickled a bluish-black blood. Dripping down to the waters, producing a silent ripple.
At the moment the crest began to bleed. An illusory force started to pull each appendages, floating in the room.
Whoosh!
"Ah!"
A stacked illusory wail rang out, settling deeply into the likes of Klein, Dunn, Royale and Leonard.
They were all dumbfounded.
By the time Morroy's body formed itself. It had already lost its spirituality.
The raging howls of the wind, the hallucinogenic spores and the storm brewing on the ceiling. They have begun to settle.
Splash!
Morroy fell into the flooded basement.
As he sinks, more of blood contaminated the waters.
Bobbling up and down on its surface. A frail-looking tiny seed retracted its stem.
"Ugh..." the soft and unsteady voice of Selina waking up resounded.
"What... happened?"
Klein, who's in a state of dire health. Had his limbs greatly weakened failed to process the situation.
Dunn spoke, "What, is that thing?"
His hand was pointing at the innocent seed smeared with blood.
Selina traced the end of his finger and saw that the seed she bestowed to herself had easily shattered the vial.
Quickly, she found an excuse, "Uhm... I saw it in a street. It was lonely so I decided to nurture it."
"Ack!" blood suddenly spewed out of Dunn's mouth. His body shaking while cradling his left arm.
"Whatever that is... Argh! It seemed it had decided for a right time to repay you..." his voice was brittle.
Then as if mentioning the weather, he casually said "Ahem... Now's a good time to make use of your medicines..."
Selina perked up, "R-Right!"
But when she tried to stand up.
Thud! Splash!
Huh?
Her legs failed to respond in her will.
I... can't stand up? Oh r-right this must be the result of intense fear. I have a drug I could use just for this! with the strength on her arms, she produced a vial from her coat.
The vial holds a deep-blue liquid with hints of greenish dark. She quickly lifted it up, tilted her head back and drank.
It's the Serenity Agent!
Gulp!
Almost instantly, she felt the moist travels down her throat.
"J-Just give me a few seconds captain!" she hurriedly notified.
Apothecaries have natural talents and the capability to tame plants. Which is why they're able to produce almost seemingly magical medicines.
However, medicines made from normal materials are and will always results in a non-mystical medicine.
Using ritualistic magic is an exception.
As soon as she felt her legs relaxed and her heart beat normalize. Selina immediately stood up and went to quickly tend her other members.
"Here... Goddess's Gaze. It had some few teaks since I couldn't perfectly replicate the ones in the church. But in exchange, I made it a bit more pleasant to drink."
"Mint?" Dunn blurted out after drinking.
Selina nodded and said, "I apologize if the effects weren't as potent."
"It's alright, I'm just used to blandness." replied Dunn casually and smiled. "It's a nice change of pace."
Hearing that, Selina felt relief.
In just a span of several seconds. She had tended Royale, then Leonard. Klein on the other hand deliberately waited for his turn.
"Are you alright?" said Selina while inspecting his body.
In silence, Klein just looked at the way the silver-haired lady tend his bruises and checking his injuries.
His thoughts either bleak or unknown.
"Klein!" her raised and quite possibly irritated voice stung him awake.
"Yeah, I'm fine... I drank the Goddess's Gaze you gaze me earlier..." Klein observed her, smearing an ointment evenly on his bruises.
"Ack!" suddenly, he spat out blood.
Selina jolted and quickly brought the soothing medicine over to his lips.
After quenching the pain. Klein drew a silent breath.
He clearly heard her rumbling about how her version of the potion is inferior compared to the church's.
But for an inexplicable reason, he couldn't have been more grateful of drinking it.
Seeing Selina finishing up with his injuries. Over the reflection of the waters is still running but had noticeably dried out.
Klein suddenly said, "How about you?"
As she was about to leave and help Royale to the carriage. Selina paused and turned to look back.
She saw Klein's eyes looking strangely serious.
"I'm fine." Selina smiled softly. "You should focus on your health and hold until we get to Old Neil. His ritualistic magic is much better in terms healing you..."
Klein failed to utter a word for nearly ten seconds.
"If there's nothing more I'll-" just as she thought that was the end. Selina felt a hand grabbed her wrist.
Startled, she returned her gaze back to him.
"It would certainly allow me to recover much faster if you could tell me your condition..." Klein pressed while facing her, added with a faint smile.
Mr. Moretti is unusually troubled... is it perhaps seeing me almost at the brink of death unsettled him? I... would've died if it weren't for the seed...
Selina thought for a moment and said, "Yes, I feel bit soreness and pain... but luckily I didn't experience any injury. I have a medicine just for this so don't worry about me."
Hearing this, Klein suddenly went quiet. The monster Morroy really reserved her as a meal... almost devouring her...If this wasn't it, then when's that destiny going to happen?
After some consideration, he blurted out, "What about the..."
Just as he was about to add. Klein suddenly recalled something.
Right... she passed out...
"What is it?" Selina tilted her head to the side.
Klein shook off the first question and subsequently added a new one. "Do you remember anything after you wake up?"
"The dream?" Selina blurted out of guess.
While loosening his grasp of her hand, Klein shook his head gently, "No, the one after that."
Once again, Selina fell into a short thought before finally replying, "No I don't... When I woke up, I saw that the storm and winds began slowing down."
... Klein once again fell silent.
As the scenes of him and his teammate's helplessness flickered in his mind. The duo suddenly heard Dunn's deep voice:
"We'll need to return back and seek medical health or ritualistic healing. I don't think Ms. Roy's Goddess's Gaze would sustain us for long..."
Selina's eyes lingered in their captain's direction for a bit before saying to Klein, "I'll need to help Royale walk. Mr. Moretti, could you stand on your own?"
Klein examined himself shortly then answered, "Thanks to you I'm feeling much better, it's alright to leave me now."
He saw her nod with a beautiful and calming smile before leaving.
The lady with the silver-hair now cascading down in relation to its usual braided-bun style briskly walked to the basement and take out a vial.
After emptying the vial, she carefully scrapped the seed out of the waters, tying her hair loosely shortly after and before rushing to escort Royale.
Seeing this, Klein secretly reminisced the minty flavor of both the Goddess's Gaze and the soothing medicine in his mouth.
Being used to the bitterness of administered medicines in the past. He found himself unfamiliar with the flavor.
Subconsciously, he muttered. It's not bland...
...
36 Zouteland Street.
Over the course of the moonlight.
The dark silent halls of the reception area greeted Selina after the unlocking the door.
Rozanne wasn't there and the partition was calm and quiet.
Their shadows passed the crimson light filtering from the blinds, following a hasty steps down to the basement.
Lamps stayed alit regardless of the absence of the staffs. Selina merely glanced at the them before fixing her gaze forward.
After reaching the intersection and taking a turn, they arrived at a separate room, few doors away from the armory. They saw Old Neil, reclining back to his chair.
"Good Goddess!" Old Neil said in shock. "What happened to all of you?"
Dunn rustled himself from Selina's side. He presented himself to Old Neil while saying, "We were caught in an unexpected case of a rampager."
"Haaah... Haaaah..." Royale's breathing begin to grew heavy.
Selina noticed this while escorting her arm and body, prompting her to say, "Mr. Old Neil, my Goddess's Gaze are losing its effect!"
Old Neil jolted, "A-Alright, quickly, lay them here."
He pointed to the couch, where Leonard, Klein and Dunn sat. Feeling the aches of their bodies worsening, like an anesthesia expiring.
"Alright we're here." said Selina in the process of putting down Royale on the couch. "I-I'll be outside."
"Wait." Dunn called right as she reached the door. "Ms. Roy, take the suitcase back to the Chanis Gate. Just give three consecutive knocks and wait for the Keeper inside to take it."
"A-Alright..." Selina nodded and complied.
Soon passing the intersection and taking a turn, she reached the heavy, cold and domineering black-iron gate.
Forcing herself to set aside the pressure. Since the door was likely too thick to be knocked in a casual manner, Selina drew her breath and slammed on the door.
Thud!
The bang resounded across the hallway, startling her.
T-That was loud... maybe I should've just knock on to it normally... she raised her right hand and again greeted the door with it.
Thud! Thud!
The sound now wasn't as loud as the one from earlier. However, she waited too long that she began reconsidering.
It has been thirty seconds... Let's try it again.
Right before she raised her hand. She suddenly heard a loud mechanical turns echoing from the inside.
Selina's body tensed up, sensing that the Serenity Agent was waning.
"What is it?" a frail voice of aged man spoke from the door's gap.
"O-Oh..." Selina was startled for a bit, turning her head to the fellow inside of the gate.
That fellow had a gaunt face and a lifeless expression. Sporting a clergy robe, he stood hunched right at the door's crevice.
"Here, this is the Sealed Artifact 3-0137. I'll be returning it." Selina presented the suitcase.
Without uttering a word, the old clergy simply took the suitcase and dragged the door close.
Selina wasn't in the mood to say anything as she only watch and left.
She returned back to the only door filtering a golden light.
"Alright, now lie down on the table." Old Neil's voice muffled vividly from the wooden pane.
Selina became hesitant on entering that she later decided to stay outside.
Her mind stirred in thoughts while her eyes stares blankly at the illumination of the lamps.
...I almost put them in danger... she suddenly muttered.
They almost died if it weren't for the seed...
She lifted her hand right before her face, opening it to reveal a turquoise seed inside a clear vial.
Haah... I'm glad they're safe... a sigh escaped her lips.
The cold air seeped into her coat, damped and was now drying due to her body heat.
Won't I catch a cold? Selina murmured subconsciously before recalling that she's a beyonder.
Apothecary is a duality of both bad and good. Bad that it's almost unusable outside of medical field but conveniently good for specific environment...
Speaking of its use, I can tame plants right? This seed is also a plant... her hand caressed the vial from inside her coat. Suddenly, she hesitated.
It's from the dreamworld... let's just... let it be inside the vial. I think it cozying up inside it...
Her hand slowly pulled away from her coat.
"Alright, Klein you're next." Old Neil's voice continued to resound across the room.
This made her recall of the following rituals that bestows healing. One of them was with the use of thin silver needles.
Old Neil calls this "Spirituality Redistribution."
What this do is it allows the spirituality to focus on one point which was the point where the needle had pierce. This creates an area of high spirituality, increasing the process of healing.
The procedure fallows the usual altar preparation, a deity to be prayed which granted with a response can greatly aid the process of healing. This is another one of the clear advantages of being affiliated with the orthodox churches.
Subsequently, the use of the silver needle requires Spirit Vision to precise penetrate the damaged area. Silver is used because it corresponds to the Evernight Goddess, similarly the needle's material must direct to the God it plans to be prayed to.
Spiritual darkness... tranquility... the Goddess's loving grace... Selina reviewed the incantations silently.
Right as the evening deepens. The door right next to her rattled open.
I pray for the condition of our member... suddenly, Selina noticed a foot coming out.
Almost instantly, she jolted upright from where she sat on her legs.
"Captain..." she murmured. Seeing Dunn walked out with a damped clothes but with a much better posture.
"Are you feeling well?"
Dunn's eyes reflected Selina's visage.
While recalling some things, he said to Selina, "Aren't you going for a ritualistic healing as well?"
"It's fine..." Selina replied with lowered voice. Seeing Klein after she turned to the door, undressed as he sat on the table.
She immediately turned away and added hastily, "I don't think I've suffered that much. Rather, I think my mental health should be the one that needs treatment."
Especially since I didn't get to contribute much as I kept on fainting... she commented playful in her heart.
Dunn sized her up and found nothing out of the ordinary.
"You should take some rest. Beyonders with poor mental health are prone to losing control."
"...Alright." Selina didn't reject the kind suggestion.
Then, just as she turn away, her mind rushed back to the Sealed Artifact they held.
"Captain." she called right as Dunn was about to head into the other direction.
Having been called, Dunn turned back and heard the young lady say, "Can I know the full description of the Sealed Artifact: 3-0137? The Dream Catcher?"