To say this had been a horrible day was an understatement. First their ghostly parents decided today would be a great day to show up and not go away, then Aconite got into a fight with some really annoying Sun elves and lost horribly, then the same Sun elves followed them around for a while throwing things at them to gloat in their victory. Aconite was so close to turning around and sticking them to a wall before the group turned away and left. Finally they had made it to Stargazers Field, and were sitting in the grass tending to their scrapes and cuts with a pretty cruddy first aid kit they found somewhere. It had been a long day, and ignoring the probable dangers, they were going to sleep in the field. 

    Out of the corner of their eye, they could still see their parents hovering there, all arms crossed. With all their eyes trained on Aconite with glaring hatred. Aconite grunted and continued to apply bandages to their cuts. The 'leader' of those pesky Sun elves had a knife with him, fighting unfair. Well, jokes on him, Aconite still had the ability to punch him hard enough to not remember the fight at all. Sucker. 

    Aconite was still riled up from the fight and seeing their parents just standing there wasn't helping. This was one of their more rotten days, even if the fight hadn't happened. Where they just wished the stupid ghosts would do something other than stare with hatred in their eyes, disapproving crossed arms. Aconite hated it, and out of spite would purposefully do annoying things just to watch the ghosts get more and more upset. Of course, they never vanished. Just kept looking at them with those stares. Those cold eyes. Aconite gave a more forceful grunt and finished the bandages. 

Today is the first day. The first time I've gone somewhere just to see beauty, and not to train or help out commoners. I guess I'd forgotten how much I used to love doing this. Such were Sylvari's thought as she broke onto the Stargazer's Field. She had always been enamored of the heavens, ever since she was a little girl, and had many fond memories of watching the stars on cool nights, such as this one.

The last few months had been arduous ones, and, though Sylvari's undead body conferred unnatural fortitude, staving off the effects of physical fatigue, she felt a deep and abiding weariness in her soul that only beauty could soothe. Sylvari knew a chipped blade was an ineffective one, and going into battle with faulty arms, even with all the training in the world, was asking for trouble. Since meeting various friends who had given her encouragement along the way, she had resolved to care for herself better and take time to see to her own needs. This didn't mean she dropped any level of caution in her traveling, still customarily decked out in her full darkened plate armor, carrying her kite shield and massive warhammer in each of her hands as she walked. Old habits die hard.

As Sylvari made her way to the center of the plain, she saw that she wasn't alone. The person was too far for Sylvari to sense if they had arcana within them, but given their position sitting hunched and cradling an arm: one of six. Sylvari's initial reaction was one of suspicion, thinking them to be a monster that needed felling, but she forced herself to relax and reserve judgment. She had met many varieties of peoples in her travels, and surely she hadn't seen them all. She knew from personal experience how much it hurt to be judged for what you are.

She walked a little closer to get a better look at the individual. They were thin and lanky, with ashen skin and long dark hair shrouding the features of their face. They also looked to be hurt and applying less-than-savory bandages to their wounds. Sylvari slung her warhammer through the loop on her back and approached slowly with hands upraised to demonstrate she meant no harm. "Good evening. It looks like you've been injured. I have some better dressings in my pack, if you'll allow me."

    Glancing up quickly, they saw the stranger approaching. "I'm perfectly fine!" Aconite snapped, sending a hateful glare at her. They inched back slightly, not out of fear but more of 'don't touch me or so help me I will bite you'. Their eyes shot daggers at the stranger, a face of intense hatred staring them down. It made them feel better to have someone to glare at, even if only for a short moment. 

    To be honest, they didn't seem all that fine. The bandages were sloppily done at best, and there were still a few smaller cuts that didn't even get bothered with. Still, Aconite probably was about to punch this person if they tried anything. It was pretty easy to see the kid was not at all happy, but also that mentioning this would get you punched. Just for good measure, they voiced their opinions. "Touch me and I bite you." Just for good measure, they snapped their teeth together with little clicks to show their seriousness. 

    They looked stupid doing that, but it made them feel better and stronger. Somehow. They could see, out of the corner of their eye, their mom shaking her head disappointedly. Aconite wanted to scream at her, even if it'd do nothing but make things worse. So they managed to control themselves and not do that, but they still looked even more mad now. 

In response to the child's goading, Sylvari simply gave a sad smile and sat down in the grass, a fair distance from them. Rather than argue whether or not she would help them, Sylvari simply began unpacking her bag to retrieve her gauze and a bottle of pure alcohol that she used to clean her own wounds. This will hurt like hell if those wounds have been festering long, and the child certainly looks as if they mean to follow up on their threat. But we are not limited in our calling for people it is easy to help. I see a need, and, therefore, I must be there to meet it.

As Sylvari set out the various implements for dressing wounds, she hummed a half-forgotten melody that her mother had sung for her whenever she patched up the young fighter after a nasty scrap. Once all the pieces were splayed before her in an ordered, chronological manner, Sylvari looked up at the child and began pointing to each in turn, explaining their purpose.

"Pure alcohol, to clean out any lingering rot in the wounds. It will be painful if they've been sitting long, but it will spare you much pain in the long run. A mixture of various herbs with healing properties that will speed up the time for your wounds to close and ease any lingering aches. Clean bandages to wrap the wounds and keep the tincture applied to them. I have plenty of experience dressing my own injuries and others'. I can see that you're very tough, but even the mightiest warrior can be felled by sickness. Please allow me to ensure you can fight another day."

Despite her words, Sylvari remained firmly planted where she sat, making no sudden movements. She would not abandon a person in need, but neither would she force help before someone was ready.

    Aconite sat in silence as the stranger prepped their tools, anger increasing. They said they were fine! With a grunt they finished listening to the speech about the tools. Suddenly, they reached out quietly, and seemed to be reaching for a plant to look at. Curiosity or whatever. 

    Aaaaand then they whipped their hand out and grabbed the strangers arm and bit it. They snickered and dropped the arm, which had some bite marks on it now. They couldn't tell if it had broken skin and the arm was bleeding or not, but they didn't care and instead spit at the stranger spitefully. Great manners they were showing here. 

    "Thats why you leave me alone." They sneer, before scooting back from her. They seemed triumphant at biting someone, like it was an achievement. Aconite could see their parents getting more upset, which made them grin wider. Good, let them see who I am. Maybe that'll make them go away. They laughed bitterly inside their head. Giving another grunt, they stood up and turned to walk off. With a glance upwards to the night sky, Aconite began striding off. 
    
    They didn't go out of sight, just out of earshot if the stranger wasn't yelling at them. Good enough distance away to get away, but not far as they'd like. Aconites hand lingered near a cut on their leg, then they plopped themselves down and lay back to look at the stars above. 

Sylvari maintained her composure as the child lunged forward to bite her on the arm, making sure to keep her lips decidedly neutral despite gritting her teeth. This person had an unexpectedly powerful bite, and blood dripped down Sylvari's arm in twin trails from where their canines had pierced skin. Nevertheless, she did not more the offending limb even an inch, as if she had provoked a wild animal and wasn't keen on angering it further with sudden movements. In fact, the only part of Sylvari that moved at all as the child sneered and retreated was the slight downward turn of the corners of her mouth in a sad frown. This child must feel powerless indeed, to require victory from pushing others away. Azreal was like that too, at first, so sure everyone would abandon him that he tried to alienate others before they could do the same to him. I didn't give up on him, and neither will I give up on them.

The child moved a short distance away, within sightline. I was too brazen, and too quick by half. With luck, they will come to me in their own time. I wish I could at least stop potential infection, but better a late cure than none at all. Sylvari did not move from her sitting position, merely taking a bit of the supplies she had laid out on the ground to patch the small wound she had received, more a gesture of the procedure's safety to the child than one of actual prevention. Sylvari knew the wound would not heal until she slaked her thirst once more, and she doubted she could even by afflicted with any type of rot in her current state. After finishing the bandages, she gazed up at the night sky she had come for, occasionally glancing toward the child and smiling softly if their eyes met.

    Aconite looked over to where their parents had followed them. "Well?" They spat quietly. "You happy? Following me around all the time?" Their parents just kept glaring at them. Aconite stood up quickly and kicked at their fathers ghost, to no avail. "Are you happy what you're doing?!" Aconite snapped before flopping back down tiredly. They clenched their fists and continued looking up at the stars. A cloud passed over and, for a moment, the stars were blocked above Aconite. They closed their eyes and waited for the cloud to pass before opening them again. 

    They turned their head to look at their parents again. All three of them scowled at each other, before Aconite sat back up to fix their bandages. Not once did Aconite look to the stranger a bit away, they kept their eyes trained on anything else. They didn't want pity, nor did they need it. Pity did nothing but get in the way. Aconite would leave, but they had their heart set on staying the night here for some relaxation. The thought made them laugh slightly. Relaxation, huh? Yeah right. Aconite didn't relax, ever. Letting your guard down could be a disaster. 

Sylvari looked to the child, hearing an outburst. They were far enough away that no words could be made out, only the upset tone in their voice carried on the night air. A look of shock spread across Sylvari's face as the child leapt up to began kicking the air, before flopping back down. Concern gripped Sylvari's heart in its icy claws of dread. Is the child seeing visions, or is it just delirium from their wounds? This night air will get cold and colder, and I doubt they have my resilience to the cold.

Steeling her resolve, and praying that she wouldn't scare the child off, Sylvari stood and unclipped her fine fur cloak, a gift from Romarii for her journey. Such a warm and luxurious coat was wasted on one who barely felt the chill's touch any more, and the child undoubtedly needed it more, so Sylvari was happy to part with her little treasure. She did feel slightly bad about giving away Romarii's gift and didn't relish their reunion, however.

Sylvari walked over to the child, as close as she dared without threatening to make them flee again, and smiled serenely as she held out the fur coat in her hands. "It will be cold tonight. I don't want you to catch chill. Please use this if you need something to warm you up." Sylvari deposited the cloak where she stood before retreating to her prior resting place, medical supplies still arranged and ready.

    Aconite warily looked at the cloak after the person retreated. It was cold and they only had their sweater and pants on, with some rips in them from the fight. After a couple moments of hesitation, they gently grabbed the cloak and pulled it over themselves. They didn't look up to the stranger, just focused on the ground. When was the last time someone was this nice? Aconite frowned and pushed the thought away. 

    With a shake of the head they laid back down, closing their eyes. Not a great choice. They saw the skeleton man and the ghost woman. What even were their names again? Aconite bit their lip and banished that thought as well. No time to dwell on that anymore. They were alive. Aconite shook their head again and turned over, drawing their knees up to their chest. They closed their eyes again and nothing happened this time, so they allowed themselves to drift off slowly. 

    It didn't last, peacefully sleeping. After about ten minutes they started thrashing around, wildly whipping around. The rotten day often came with a nightmare, and this wasn't an exception tonight. Dangit. Nightmares were plaguing them and overrunning them quickly, turning a night of what was meant to be a more relaxing time into a horrible evening. 

Sylvari watched with interest and then concern as the child laid to rest, seemingly disturbed by nightmares. Memories drifted into her mind, overtaking her perceptions, as Sylvari thought back to her own childhood and the dreams that often plagued her as well. Every night as she laid to rest, her mother would lay with her until she slept deeply, her gentle singing voice warding off the bad dreams. How I wish Mom was here now, for a multitude of reasons. You'd know what to do. I just want to help this child.

Inspired by the remembrance, Sylvari gathered her supplies into a small bundle that could still be readied in an instant and moved closer to where the sleeping child lay. An unpracticed vibrato is a poor substitute for Mom's singing, but any port in a storm. Sylvari lifted her voice, the melody carrying softly on the night wind, as half-forgotten tune formed words that transported her back to a happier time.

"Little child in the night
Yearning for the morning light
I'll keep you safe, it'll be alright
Dream dreams of good tomorrows

Though nightmares come and mean you harm
I'll keep you safe here in my arms
I'll be right here, don't be alarmed
Dream dreams of good tomorrows

Dream dreams of good tomorrows
There's hope for better days
No need for fear of sorrow
Within my arms you'll stay"

    The song seemed to calm them slightly, not thrashing around as if fighting something. But tears streamed down their face, as they whispered things incoherently. They curled up in a protective position and stayed there rigidly, shivering. Not from the cold, as if you were to touch them they seemed normal at a temperature. 

---

    Aconite stood in a clearing. It was warped from fear. The trees towered over them and the small houses, even though in reality the trees barely stood above the homes. It was night, but the crickets and other nighttime creatures had fallen silent. There were creatures milling about the clearing, going about their business. They didn't take the warning of the silence before the storm. 

    Suddenly, people burst out from the shadows. Townsfolk. Creatures fled or fought, trying to protect those around them by attacking or grabbing others and running for shelter. People with torches lit the homes ablaze and others with weapons attacked those they considered beasts. 

    And in the middle of it all was a small child wailing. One with dark gray skin and light freckles. One with long black hair and fearful eyes. It was themselves. 

    Stuck in place, Aconite watched the horror unfold. Anyone in the homes were killed by the flames, and anyone outside were attacked by the villagers. The young version of Aconite was grabbed up by a skeleton man who was commonly referred as the musician of the place. A young ghostly woman followed and they fled for the woods, just managing an escape. 

    They waited until the fires burnt themselves out before returning. Aconite still stood in the clearing, looking around at the devastation. Their eyes landed on two familiar forms, laying lifeless on the ground. 

    Their parents were gone. 

    Aconite was still stuck in place as the survivors gathered up what was left and scattered into the forest. The ghost woman and the skeleton man took Aconite to the city to quickly get anything that could help them survive. Aconite screamed at them to not go, but they couldn't hear them. 

    Then they woke up. 

---

    With a large shudder and a loud, quick scream, Aconite woke up. They quickly sat up and hugged their arms to their chest, staring forward with wide eyes. They thought these would go away. That everything would stop bothering them. That, somehow, they'd magically stop caring and waking up with tears and screams. 

    They couldn't have been more wrong. 

Sylvari stopped her song short as the child awoke with a scream, failing to quell their fears. Her heart sank. Why was she surprised? Even setting aside her nature, she was a dealer of death, not a bringer of comfort. Her hands were stained with too much blood to nurture. I'm not Mom, and I never will be.

She remained silent as the child regained their composure. She didn't retreat from her newly gained ground, but neither did she dare move closer to comfort the child as she wished to. Sylvari merely set her little medical bundle in front of her and knelt down, stock still as a statue. Under normal circumstances, Sylvari's patience might have waned to nothingness by now, but the cold sting of inadequacy and guilt kept her rooted where she was. She would remain as long as the child did; a silent oath was given, and nothing short of the grave would keep her from fulfilling it.

    Aconite took a deep breath and closed their eyes for a moment. They didn't want to see anything. They kept their eyes closed for a little bit more, before opening them and looking straight ahead. Aconite knew someone was next to them, but didn't bother to check who. They took a guess and figured it was the one who gave them the cloak. Rubbing their eyes, they finally turned to the stranger. What even is her name? 

    "...Hey." Aconite oh so casually said, like nothing just happened. "Do you need something?" Their voice was less confident and rude, more dull and defeated. They didn't meet the persons eye, just kept staring at the ground between them. They didn't realize they were still hugging their arms to their chest protectively. 

Sylvari looked up to the child and smiled. Their tone was not hostile, and they weren't trying to run away: a small victory that gave her an outsized swelling of satisfaction. Sylvari remained where she sat and began speaking in a soft tone to the child.

"I do not require anything of you, child. I only want to help someone in need. I am a justiciar sworn to help people wherever I can, and I would like to assist you if you'd allow me." Sylvari paused a few moments, before remembering a vital piece of introductions was not yet completed.

"My name is Sylvari Dawnsage. Would you tell me your name, little one?" A serene smile was plastered on Sylvari's face, and she tried to project sincerity, as much as one could with half of their face covered. She was pleased to see the child still drew the cloak about themselves; it was plain that any additional comfort was a godssend as they huddled their knees close to their chest protectively.

    They bit back a snarky reply at being called 'little one'. They gave a sigh and answered with their name. "Aconite." Aconite seemed to relax slightly, going back to the same amount of defensiveness that they had before, rather than curling up in a protective way. They stretched their long legs out slowly, hugging themselves less tightly. 

    Aconite wasn't planning on talking much more. They weren't the most social on a good day, using fists instead of words to get their point across. So, on this not very good day, it was a wonder they weren't trying to stab her. They took a breath and glanced away, towards the sky. Stars flickered and burned against the night, draping a dark, flickering blanket over the lands. Clouds passed over the skies, throwing shadows over the already dark landscape.