A near full moon slowly rose in the sky as night fell and Ray arrived in Eclipse City. The dense jungle canopy gave way to a large city full of incredible and unique architecture. This city was best viewed at night according to travelers Ray had met on his way there, and so far it lived up to his expectations. Great buildings of white stone and beautiful wood work reflected and magnified the glow of the moon creating a harmonious landscape of cool colors and soft lights.

He'd been urged here by wanderlust fueled by patients from his clinic that mentioned the city and it's splendor. He had particularly come to see the Temple of the Moon, a place of worship wherein travelers come to commune with the gods themselves. Being as he was bound to a celestial it only made sense for him to take an interest in a claim such as that. 

As he entered into the grand temple he found it emptier than expected. Only a handful of individuals sat in the white stone pews that surrounded a massive skylight that allowed the full light of the moon to enter the place. This light was then reflected and spread by a series of mirrors that allowed it to bathe the whole room in a gentle glow. A woman in a flowing white robe approached him gently, she appeared to be a priestess of some sort. Before she could greet him a look of shock and confusion crossed her face and her eyes peered over his shoulder.

The large stone doors that led into the temple were slammed shut and locked by two large figures in dark cloaks. The rest of the doors leading into the main room were also slammed shut and locked as additional cloaked figures seemed to appear from the crowd. 

"What is the meaning of this? Open these doors this instant!" The priestess commanded with a voice of authority.

A shrill scream then echoed from a pew near the center of the room. Ray turned to see a cloaked figure holding a dagger to a young girl's throat as her mother stood by in horror. 

"Nobody move a muscle, and if I hear one more scream my men and I will make sure it's the last!" The voice was low and course. Only a sinister smile was visible of the figure under his hood.

Ray's hand fell to his saber's hilt before he froze, if they saw him draw a weapon they'd kill the girl in an instant. He gritted his teeth and remained still, plotting a way to stop these criminals without causing civilian casualties.  

Deliveries could truly be so unreliable.

There were a myriad of reasons Kvasir preferred foraging on his own terms; he could inspect the quality of herbs, flowers, and other specimens as he found them, judging whether or not they were of proper medicinal standard personally, he could manage the quantity himself instead of fretting over longevity and expiration, and most importantly, he could have them in his hands as soon as he needed them instead of having to count on someone else's schedule or complications. Self-sufficiency and responsibility were his lifeblood, and have been since the day he stumbled out of Zeinav with a heart heavy with grief and a head full of memories that didn't belong to him. It's easier, really, for everyone involved, if he's the only one responsible for himself; he doesn't have to worry about entangling anyone in the unraveled threads of his fraying mind, and he doesn't have to worry about getting caught up in complications.

However, there's always those rare occasions where there are things he can't obtain himself; specimens he can't obtain in person without some kind of permit, flowers or berries that need to be processed or dried a specific way before they can be utilized, so on, so forth. Such is the case for his newest botanical conquest, a powder formed from a rather delicate and rare mushroom known as the Characap; it requires a very specific harvesting method, lest it crumble at the wrong touch, and... Kvasir hasn't exactly been in the stablest state, and obtaining it himself without destroying it feels unlikely as of late.

So, here he is, in Eclipse City, awaiting a parcel that's been delayed. Again.

Really, he shouldn't be so frustrated; he likes Eclipse City. It's beautiful and lively and nostalgic, bringing to mind fragments of memories from his foggy childhood, and he'll chase whatever remnants he can get. Hell, he's even navigated over to parts of the city he hasn't explored before, out to the Temple of the Moon. Kvasir is hardly a pious individual-- having his memories invaded by the consciousness of a dead god certainly destroyed any sign of that--, but even he can't resist stopping by to at least observe the visual spectacle, drinking in the moonlight in all its radiant glory. It's serene, gentle, the halo of milk-white light a balm against his skin, and he can almost understand the appeal.

That is, until all hell breaks loose.

The next thing he knows, the doors slam and voices rise and tensions heighten with them, the energy shifting from tranquil to intense in a mere second. Kvasir's ears flatten against his skull in unease, tension rippling through his body, and he ducks beneath a pew, watching as a cloaked figure grabs some poor child and holds a dagger to her throat. Dear Solaria, how cruel-- he's not sure what these men want, but he'll have to find some way to intercept.

His eye flits around, searching for an out, a sign of a strategy-- when it lands on a... half-human man standing tensely by the entrance, near a priestess, his hand lingering over what looks to be the hilt of a sword, hesitant, uneasy. He has the build of a defender, of a warrior; he's likely Kvasir's best bet at a strategy.

"Hey," he whispers, voice as hushed as he can make it, a whisper so quiet it could be mistaken for the whistle of the wind. He doesn't speak again, merely tilting his head as if to indicate his presence, before mouthing 'Sneak over here?'

Ray's eyes were focused on the blade held against he poor child's throat when a small whistle of wind came in, strange considering how calm the night was. 

"Seeker, scan the room. Your focus is too harsh." Qil's consciousness broke Ray's tense glare from the dagger and he slowly surveyed the room.

A person hidden under a pew that stood out both in physical appearance and attire, another traveler most likely. Ray noticed him mouth the words "sneak over here" and understood that this was likely an ally in whatever situation he'd found himself in. The next thing he noticed, despite the intense situation was a pair of fox ears atop the person's head... Unexpected, yet perhaps not uncommon in the city... If he could find a way to reach them they'd likely have some sort of plan in mind he hoped. Stealth wasn't exactly his forte though, nor was lying. 

"Atreo, Gaun, search the place. You know what we're after... Trent, bind her." He pointed in turn to each of his men, the last approached the priestess with a rope in hand as the woman stood with dignity and faced her captors. 

"Toss me that blade and sit down, cripple!" The lead bandit had finally noticed Ray was armed and unwittingly given him the opportunity he needed. Underestimation was the only advantage losing his arm had brought him.

With a slow movement he took out his saber, holding it by the blade and gave a slight toss so that it landed a short distance from the bandit. With that he slowly sat in the pew where his hopeful ally hid. Now he took to signaling where the men moved to his hidden companion, using a combination of pointing and eye movement to spot the guards locations and relay them. With that done he put his head in his hand and looked down to the hidden one, trying to feign stress and hide his face at once. 

"What now?" He mouthed as best he could. This person had the build of a rogue, it seemed, and Ray could only hope it was not deceptive. 

The bandits moved about the place, searching any place that seemed mildly important. They were oddly focused on this main room, Ray was certain this would be a large complex and doubted any valuables would be intentionally held here... It made no sense what they could be looking for. Ray prayed to the Wanderer silently for some sort of guidance or favor that could help them.

Relief floods over Kvasir with all the smooth gentility of the moon's light as soon as the stranger notices him-- he'd been starting to worry that perhaps he'd been too quiet, that he'd have to chance being overheard by these bandits if he wanted to get this man's attention. But seemingly by pure fortune alone, the man's eyes fall upon him, seemingly understanding the words he tries to convey, and though Kvasir thanks no god but Solaria, he'd throw gratitude at any member of the pantheon right now for the fact that he's managed to go unseen.

He watches in silence as the man is made to toss his sword forth, abandoning his weapon; it's... not ideal, but he's certain there's something they can still do. Ugh, it's times like these when Kvasir wishes he'd invested a little more in self-defense training; healing magic felt natural, flowed through his veins as cleanly as blood, but in a situation like this, it certainly made him feel a little useless. It wasn't as if he could throw his herbs or flowers at these men and expect to get anywhere, either.

At least he had his bow, still-- for now. Lest they noticed him.

As the man approaches, settling in the pew with a countenance of practiced unease, Kvasir gives him a slow nod, glancing around one more time before focusing on the stranger.

"...what do you think they're here for...?" he whispers, voice as low as he can get it, desperate not to be noticed. Tension blossoms through every part of his body like a parasitic flower, his tail bristling with unease, and it takes every ounce of self-control to keep himself obscured, to maintain all of the accursed involuntary instincts his vulpine traits are so prone to. "I've never seen bandits act quite like this... never so organized and practiced. Do you know what they could be searching for in here...?"

As Ray listened in to his hidden compatriot's wanderings he tried to size up the bandits further, they seemed content with having disarmed him and the one holding the captive was busy directing his fellows. From what he could tell they were lightly armed and wore little armor. perhaps they were trying to keep a low profiled in the city, or they had some other means of defense, mages maybe... Their behavior was odd, what would be hidden here they couldn't sneak in to find, why act so brazenly by taking the place hostage?

"I've no idea. They're coordination doesn't line up with this reckless approach..."

Their holdup made more sense as one of the bandits motioned another over to a certain area of the floor directly under the moon roof. The other raised his hands and mumbled some incantation as stone seemed to cover his fists. Using them like hammers he pounded his hand into the floor of the temple, attempting to break through to the earth below. Everything stopped in a moment as three loud knocks echoed from the main doors. Another temple goer had arrived early and been undeterred by the closed doors. 

Ray's eyes shot between the door and his hidden companion, wide with surprise and anticipation. The bandits all stopped, looking to one another with similar surprise. The bandit leader sighed in frustration and gave a signal to the others. The bandit with stone hands now pounded the floor with increased urgency. The young girl's mother grew frantic as the knock's came again and shouted out.

"Help!! He-" A crossbow bolt struck her in the abdomen and she fell with a stunned gasp to the floor. The girl whimpered but fear kept her still enough to avoid a quick death at the hands of the ruthless bandits. 

"I told ya, to keep quiet..." The lead bandit said in a low voice ripe with the shakiness of stress and adrenaline.

Ray looked to the one beneath the pew again with a face full of anxiety.

"We need to move, quickly, she needs medical attention and things are only going to get more messy." He was tapping his fingers against his leg frantically as he spoke, trying to think of some way forward... An idea came to his mind, a risky one.

"I can possibly take the one with the hostage down long enough to get between the two... I can only promise that much, it'll be improv from there, can you fight?" He whispered as low as possible, using the pounding to cover his speech.

The way Kvasir winces as the poor child's mother takes a crossbow bolt to the abdomen is tangible-- his fingers tense, his whole body flinching as he fights the urge to leap into action, the urge to jump out of hiding and rush to her aid, two decades' worth of a healers' teachings guiding his body like an instinct. But he knows better than this, knows that he'll only cause more problems if he gives away his position, so he merely grimaces and stays still, his fur bristling with mingled rage and terror as he stares out at the bandits.

Then comes the question about whether or not he can fight, and... well...

"I... certainly know my way around a bow, friend," Kvasir begins slowly, giving a tentative tap to the shortbow strapped to his back, the arrows packed away. He furrows his brow, sharp teeth poking out to worry at his lower lip in contemplative unease as he peeks around the pew's edge, careful to keep himself obscured-- especially those perky ears of his. "I can't say I have any other weapons on hand, nor any offensive magic. I'm a doctor before I'm anything else."

He hums below his breath, the sound quiet, a note of pure concern. This entire situation is one hell of a nightmare-- their easiest way through has already been subtracted from the equation, and with both a time limit and another person's life at risk, that... complicates things significantly more than it may have, otherwise. Still, there's no safe way to do this, no safe way to guarantee things will be alright-- it's the same as a delicate procedure. Do nothing, and there is guaranteed failure-- attempt, and there is at least a chance they will pull through.

Kvasir slips his bow off of his back, as well as the cramped space will allow.

"...if you think you can pick off the one with the hostage, then, I can promise you I'm a quick shot. We'd have to be a seamless pair, but I'm willing to take the risk if you are, friend."

The nervousness in his companion's voice and mannerisms was apparent. Ray could feel his own heart racing as all the ways this plan could possibly go wrong raced through his mind. If he didn't hit the bandit just right it just might cause the girl's death. Even if he did hit the bandit just right it could still cause her death. Honestly, there was no good way to defuse this kind of situation unless you were persuasive and he was far from it. The thoughts grew and grew and his hand started to shake before a warm presence eased his mind, Qil.

"Seeker, calm yourself, this is our path. Take it." The celestial's urging gave reassurance at the decision and Ray went into action.

The lady who'd been shot lay weakly feeling of the wound amid shaky quick breaths, they'd need to tend to her as quickly as they could. The other patrons were taking cover behind pews and praying in low panicked voices, barely audible. The knocking at the door had stopped abruptly, whoever had come was likely now rushing to alert the guards of what was happening. The bandits feverish pace created the perfect opening. 

Ray closed his eyes and focused on the presence of his blade where it lay. Leveraging the bond between it and himself he shifted it on the ground til the tip of the blade was directed at the bandit holding the hostage. Shifting closer in the pew he was able to lift the tip off the floor and point it at the right side of the bandit's chest. Hopefully if his aim was true the angle would cause the two to separate.

Using the blade as an arcane focus Ray directed the energy it held to form a bolt of sonic energy. A screeching sound rung along the blade and launched at lightning speed as a small bolt of energy into the bandit's chest. A concussive explosion of sound waves burst forth from his chest and sent the girl and the bandit flying apart from one another to the ground deafened and confused. It was a success! Now to deal with the bandits... 

Ray rose from his seat and allowed Qil's influence to run free, it was time for a more heads on approach. The celestial manifested through Ray's body, regrowing his missing arm covered in golden scales with a blade tightly gripped in its hand, forming antlers atop his head, and turning his eyes a fiery white glow. He looked to his hidden companion and gave a confident nod before a pair of scaled wings burst forth and he rose up in the air to distract the bandits and give his friend a chance to act.

"Wanderer protect me from the tendrils of the encroaching night." He prayed aloud and a ring of light emerged around him as a soft glow emanated from his skin.

(Used Sonic Bolt to separate bandit & hostage, cast Circle of Life on self - protects you and any who are close by from harm for next 2 posts.)

Whoa. Okay.

Kvasir wasn't entirely certain what he had been expecting from this stranger when he'd silently beckoned him over for assistance; he'd seen the resolve in his eyes, sensed some kind of strength lingering within him in the hasty, hushed moments of conversation they'd had, but he certainly hadn't anticipated this: a show of something seraphic, celestial power and gleaming golden scales coalescing into pure brilliance. If this was any other kind of situation, he might hesitate a moment just to drink it all in, to process everything that's unfolded before him-- but this is life and death, and time is slipping away.

So he rises out from his hiding place, ears flattened back against his skull as he starts off across the floor of the temple, crouching low against the intricate tiles as he maneuvers forward as quickly as the space allows. All that matters in this moment is getting to the injured woman and her daughter, using his healing powers, and getting them to relative safety; close-quarters combat has never really been his strong suit, after all. He has nary a weapon to his name save the shortbow on his back, after all, and he'll focus on firing off arrows once his priorities are properly set.

It takes a few more careful paces-- mercifully, the brilliant light emanating from his brilliantly-odd new companion seems to be seizing the bandits' attention-- before Kvasir reaches the woman, and he's quick to signal to her to be as quiet as possible, a finger raised to his lips before he studies the wound. The crossbow bolt is still in place, and... there's really no way to make removing that easy, and he doesn't have anything for her to bite on...

"Hold onto my shoulder if you'd like, miss," he whispers, giving her a sympathetic look as he sets one hand against her abdomen, the other grasping the bolt. He's pulled ammunition from limbs before-- his own included-- and no matter how brief he can make the pain, it stings all the same. "I promise it'll pass quickly."

Just as quickly as he pulls at the crossbow bolt, he's channeling healing energy through his fingertips and pushing it forward, willing it to stitch the wound back together before it gets the chance to sting, praying that the pain is so brief that the poor lady barely has to feel it. [1] Kvasir's heart aches for her-- he'll have to give her another once-over, later, when things are safer-- but for the moment, he just gently pulls her back, trying to guide her back behind the shelter of a pew.

"We'll take care of things," he assures her, his voice soft as he draws his bow and peers back over the temporary wooden sanctuary, carefully aiming for one of the distracted bandits. "Just hang in there, miss... It'll all be okay."

He lets loose the arrow at one of the bandits, trying to pay mind to any lingering toward the edges-- any untouched by his companion's brilliant light and divine blade. If he can pick off the outliers, then hopefully that'll make it easier for the stranger to focus...

---

[1] Major Healing

Now flying about the temple Ray was able to scan the combat and pick out high priority targets. He was more than glad to see his new companion had rushed to heal the wounded woman, those with skill at healing always proved to be superb allies in his experience.

The bandits looked to him with faces of mixed anger and confusion as they began to focus attacks towards him. Near one of the side doors the bandit with the crossbow shot at Ray. The bolt pierced through the robe before bouncing harmlessly off his skin as a crackle of magic energy reflected it. He summoned a buckler of the same golden scales unto his left wrist and slung it towards the crossbowman. The shield struck with a resounding thud into his chest and knocked him to the ground, dazed but mostly uninjured. The shield then whizzed back through the air and onto Ray's wrist once more.

The bandit who had stood in the center of the room pounding the floor raised his stone covered fist like he was aiming a gun at Ray. A blast of stones slammed into him, hitting his body and his wings forcing him to land to avoid crashing into anything. He landed just beyond the bandit leader and the young girl's position, skidding to a stop and steadying himself. Before he could react the bandit leader, now conscious once more, took the chance to slam a dagger into his gut from behind multiple times. It was only as the first sting of pain was felt that Ray realized the blade was magical, overcoming his barrier. 

"Ahh!!" He screamed and twisted, using the wings to knock his attacker away. 

Ray attempted to push healing magic into the wound to stop the bleeding... nothing... the dagger had cut off his access to magic. This had gone from a heroic charge to a fight for survival quite quickly. Changing tactics he drew on the energy within his swords to heal the wounds, he'd hoped to save that as the last option.

Ray charged towards the bandit leader with his saber above his head and sliced towards his legs. The bandit jumped back predictably and Ray twisted the blade about to quickly follow up, swinging directly for the man's neck. Before the blade could connect the stone handed bandit punched Ray in the chest from the opposite side. He could feel some of his ribs cracking as he was knocked to the side by the attack. He flew away into the air again to avoid more damage, struggling to stay afloat and breathing with increased difficulty. 

"Kill this winged bastard!" The lead bandit barked to his companions. 

Well, things were certainly going south at a devastatingly quick speed.

There's that foreboding aching feeling festering within Kvasir's ribs, resonant as it wraps around his heart and seems to seize it, his whole body stiff with unease as he watches the tides quickly turn for his companion in battle. If he isn't quick enough, there's really only one way this could go, and despite the anxiety hammering away like a jackrabbit at his heart, he's quite determined not to let it. It's merely a matter of a healing spell and a few good shots, it seems-- for all his new companion has put on the line, it's only fair for Kvasir to start taking risks in turn.

He nocks an arrow and quickly fires one off, then two, aiming for the lead bandit in an effort to deter him-- if he can incapacitate him, hopefully the rest will be significantly lesser threats. As soon as the arrows land their mark, Kvasir stops to leap atop one of the pews, illuminated by the light of the milk-white moon, ensuring that he's in perfect sight.

"Hey!" he calls, the volume of his voice amplified by the temple's structure, unmissable even amidst the commotion. It certainly isn't as if he's escaped the bandits' notice by this point, anyway-- he's fired off too many arrows for them to completely ignore him by now, and he's hardly staying hidden. As long as he can patch his odd companion up, or at least get the bandits' attention off of him for long enough, then he'll consider that some kind of victory. "To me, friend-- seems you've all been focusing a little too hard on one target."

Kvasir flashes a false smile before darting away from the pews, not wishing to lead any of the bandits back toward the crowds of ordinary people-- if he can just get into contact with his companion for long enough to heal him, then hopefully, they can wrap this up quickly enough for things to be alright...! He just has to pray he's quick enough on both his feet and with his magic...

Dear Solaria, help him-- dear Kasra, stay inactive.

Just as Ray lifted into the sky and turned to see the bandits chasing after him the lead bandit was struck with not one, but two arrows and fell to the ground clutching at the shafts now protruding from his chest. It seemed his companion had been modest about their skill with a bow, thank The Wanderer. Once more his blades poured magic into the wounds, healing the worst of the damage the punch had done and using up his blades ability to heal him completely.

His brave friend now rose up on a pew and screamed at the bandits to draw their attention away. Using the distraction Ray was able to land and assess his wounds. The magic severed by the blade was slowly returning, but he couldn't heal completely yet. The wounds seemed less than life threatening and he could likely afford to enter combat again now that the dagger was out of action. His breathing was still labored and the blood loss made him slightly light headed as he returned to the fray, flying up into the air once more.

At this time the doors were now being pounded on by some larger device, presumably the guards were attempting to bust through the barricaded door from the outside. The rhythmic BANGs echoed through the room acting like a loud clock ticking down for the bandits.

As his friend sprinted away to distract the bandits one followed, the man with stone covered fists. Ray looked about the room and spotted the crossbowman now back on his feet and aiming a bolt towards his heroic companion. He was too far from the bandit to reach him in time, instead throwing his shield once more and hoping for a miracle. The bolt left the crossbow just as the shield was about midway through its arc, Ray's aim was true though and the shield struck the bolt out of the air. Ray then charged full speed, sailing through the air like a bird of prey towards the surprised crossbowman and striking him down with a combination of saber blows before he could draw a weapon to defend himself. 

"Seeker! One escapes!" Qil yelled into Ray's consciousness. 

Ray quickly looked about the room, spotting the last bandit who'd been out of the combat so far grabbing something from the ground where they'd previously been digging. He lifted off once more and attempted to reach the bandit before he could make an escape. The young woman turned to see Ray approaching and looked to the sky with panic across her face. She spoke a few words and held her hand towards the hole in the roof as a flash of light consumed her with a slight 'poof' and she disappeared. A slight thud from above indicated she had blinked her way onto the roof from where another flash appeared. 

With the escapee likely long gone Ray returned his attention to his companion and the bandit now chasing them down, flying over to help.

Once again, Kvasir has never been an especially pious man.

He's prayed to Solaria a couple times before-- invokes his name now and then when he's deep in thought, musing, wondering over things or if something catches him off guard, merely because it's what he was raised with and it feels right to pay respects to the deity that oversees all light, the very thing that flows through his fingertips whenever a wound runs too deep for the simplicity of medication or a poultice. He's... fairly confident that his father had prayed to Solaria for the same reason, but confidence seldom equates to certainty when it comes to him.

Either way, if anything was enough to have Kvasir praying, it's the situation he's gotten himself into now. The heels of his boots pound just a little too hard against the tiles of the temple floor as he darts about in convoluted circles, merely doing whatever it takes to seize the bandits' attention and still keep them off of his own tail as well as he can. It's proving difficult, though, even as his companion manages to pick a few of them off-- namely the one who'd fired a well-aimed bolt at him, one that likely would've struck true if not for a beautifully-time throw of a shield. Kvasir owes his new friend quite the thank you for that as soon as they're in safe enough standing.

Even so, adrenaline's starting to look like it isn't enough to keep him out of the bandit's range, and this is the one with the fists embraced by stone-- not a fight Kvasir wants to pick, and certainly not one he'd win. Still, he's never been the type to go down without some kind of pushback.

Light sparks to life in his hand, jagged and sharp, a last-minute and desperate measure [1]-- he whips around and throws it, at short-range, right at the bandit, well-aware it likely won't do much--

Ah, but still. His companion approaches, and this is all he needs. If this bandit's occupied with shrugging off a good old Purity Bolt, he may not see a divinely-blessed saber looking to strike him down.

---

[1] - Purity Bolt

Ray's flight was short lived and his humanity was again brought to his full attention as the wings faded from his back forcing him to land. He had a short lived feeling of deflation as the freedom of the skies was again taken from him before refocusing on the still deadly situation. His new friend, reminding him more and more of a fox, now skirted about evasively from the stone fisted bandit. The bandit seemed to get angrier and angrier with every tricky turn made as the weight of his stone gauntlets threw him off balance more than once. It would have been enough to make Ray chuckle in a different situation. 

As Ray ran full speed across the temple to intercept the chase his friend pulled yet another surprise out of his pocket. A purity bolt! So this person was a servant of Solaria? He would have to talk to them at length once this was over, he didn't many religious folk of this disposition. 

The bolt struck the bandit in the right stone gauntlet, shattering the stone and sending shards flying into his face and body. He moved to continue the chase despite bleeding from many small wounds. It seemed he was blinded by rage to the fact that his friends were either dead or long gone. Good, they needed someone to question...

"I'll take im from here!" Ray yelled as he lowered himself into a charge. 

Emerging from a row of pews as the chase passed it Ray caught the Bandit by the waist slamming him into the temple wall before pushing him to the floor and holding him down. The bandit was still wry enough to put up a fight, kicking Ray off to the side. The bandit slammed a fist into the ground and spoke a word of a spell. The next thing Ray knew a spike of stone erupted from the ground below his side and rammed itself through, impaling him and dragging him up and away from the bandit. 

"Seeker! Below!" Qil shouted in warning, a moment too late.

"Ahhh! Shite!" Ray tried to pull himself free but was entirely stuck by the jagged stone, he'd likely need to be pulled off of it by at least one, maybe two, people.

The bandit struggled to raise from he ground, still reeling from the blow against the wall. Ray looked to his companion once more in a place of need, they didn't seem too physically strong but The Wanderer was with the two of them.

"Wanderer, strengthen our will against darkness!" He held a bloodied hand out towards K'vasir as it was engulfed in light. The same light then glowed from K'vasir's skin as he was empowered by holy energy.

The door was still being pounded upon by guards as this all went down. A few hinges seemed to break loose from the wall as the large doors now shook with each heavy blow against them. It would be a matter of moments before they either caught the bandit or he attempted to make an escape.

The grimace that flashes across Kvasir's face at the injury Ray sustains is not at all subtle.

He hisses in secondhand agony, brow furrow, visible eye dark with sympathy for the position the poor warrior's been caught in; this battle has not been kind to his organs, or his bones, or any part of him, really. Kvasir owes him quite a bit of medical attention after this, and probably more than just that-- he should probably offer to buy the poor man dinner or something for sustaining all of these injuries, all while Kvasir lingered back and fired arrows and sprinted around like a fox darting away from particularly foolish predators.

Still, there'll be plenty of time to worry about that later; in the moment, there's far more pressing matters, far more to worry about than all the gratitude and apologies he owes Ray for this wretched series of events. In the moment, there's a bandit they still need to subdue, a man he needs to prevent from bleeding out, and he doesn't exactly have the capability to do much for either of them.

That is, until Ray extends a hand, divine light blossoming from his blood-soaked fingers, a ghostly echo of that blessed warmth seeping into Kvasir's own skin, the gentility of it a far cry from the searing pain of stolen memory, of overwriting, of-- of things that do not matter in this moment.

He takes a deep breath.

"I-- well, alright then. Thank you? I'll attend to you shortly."

Kvasir quickly draws his bow and one last arrow, aiming one last shot for the bandit's leg-- not to kill, but to ensure he cannot run. The benefits of being a doctor is knowing all the weak points of the body as well as the strong points, knowing how to dismantle as well as how to reassemble; if you know your target, you only need one shot.

When his arrow finds his mark, he approaches, cautiously, staring down the lead bandit with a disapproving eye, settling his foot over the man's wrist-- not harshly enough to do any severe damage, but strongly enough to pin it in place, at least with the divine blessing he's been given.

"I really don't hope you had any intention of getting out of here," he says, shaking his head with a tsk. "It seems like time may very well be up for you."

Ray had relaxed slightly atop the spike of stone. It wasn't the first time he'd been stabbed, maybe with a rock it was, but that didn't make much difference. He was used to pain and suffering, perhaps many would have gone unconscious in a similar situation, instead he watched with pride and excitement as his new companion drew an arrow and expertly placed it in the bandits leg. As they pinned the bandit with their boot the door finally burst from its hinges and the guards rushed in with bows and spears drawn. What a sight they would find, a fox person standing triumphantly over a bandit and a priest smiling at him while impaled on a jagged blood covered stone. He quickly withdrew Qils influence and returned to his normal appearance.

"Heroic, Seeker, you got yourself stuck on a rock." Qil seemed goading, also ignoring the seriousness of the deep and ragged wound.

"Shut up. If you'd detected that blade earlier I wouldn't have been stuck at all." Ray fired back. Distracted by the pain he didn't realize he'd spoken aloud.

The guards quickly assessed the situation, spotting the multiple dead hooded figures lying about and the damage of the room it was obvious what had happened. The recently saved pedestrians all errupted in cheers at the two heros, a few even moved to help Ray with clear hesitancy. Once the guards had untied the priestess she rose and relayed the events to them before approaching K'vasir and Ray along with a few guards. 

"This is one of them." She said with obvious contempt as she pointed a boot at the grounded bandit. 

The guards quickly tied the man before setting him against the wall.

"These two..." she knelt and bowed to Ray and K'vasir. "Saved many lives in the process of defeating the invaders."  The guards gave a quick bow of honor as well, following her lead.

Ray was finally lifted from the spike and set on a pew. With his magic finally returned he placed a hand in the gore and a warm light shined out from it.

"By the light of The Wanderer, all that is broken shall be reformed..."

He prayed in a low voice. At first nothing happened but soon the wound seemed less jagged, then it closed and any mark of damage disappeared. Ray let out a deep sigh as the pain left and his strength returned. All that was left now was a giant hole in his robe through which scarred skin could be seen. He stepped over to his companion, extending his hand with a smile towards him. 

"You really held your own out there, I thank The Wanderer for puttin ya here when he did. Name's Ray; healer of the order of the Blessed Wanderer."