The Caregivers Prompt 3

As the golden clad haedians watched the extremely short and brief happy memories flit past the pink chaser all three of them felt their stomachs turn in sorrow. The leader of the group felt tears welling in her eyes as she saw one of the pink chaser's most cherished memories being a simple conversation in which his current companions had briefly thanked him for his help with negotiating with one of the other clans. This poor creature had lived a life of torment and pain, desperately seeking any sort of praise, recognition, or comfort from the unending torment of his home life. The golden clad haedian looked at the motionless form of the pink chaser floating in the silver waters of the sacred pool, her eyes brimming with sadness and empathy. She had observed this group from the moment they had entered the underground and in all honesty she had disliked Kernel from the moment he opened his mouth. He spoke brashly and abrasively, constantly interjected where he shouldn't have and always seemed to stick his foot in his mouth in delicate matters. But now that she had seen his sordid past she could understand just why the chaser was this way. He wasn't doing it out of malice, he was genuinely trying to connect with those around him in the only way he knew how.

No one had ever spoken to him like an equal, without expectations or biases and with the way he was raised he was genuinely trying to be kind in his own way. He was a hurt, lost soul trying in vain to find someone and something to reaffirm his meaning and worth in this world. He just wanted someone to see him and accept him and so far everywhere he had turned had rejected him. Even his current companions had tried to shut down his advances but that was understandable from a normal perspective. He needed far more care and guidance than they could possibly offer him and even the Caregivers might struggle to guide him toward the right path toward healing. She turned her gaze back to her companions who all shared her heartbroken sorrowful gaze, they all nodded in unison before the golden clad haedians left the viewing pool and approached the lake edge. Using their magic the trio began to slowly pull the chaser from the pristine silvery waters. As he was moved across the lake's surface his connection with the magic of the lake was severed and he was left in darkness once more. The closer he got to the lakes edge the more he regained consciousness until he found himself lying on the polished glittering gems of the lake shore. "Come..." the leader of the golden clad haedians gently beckoned Kernel to rise, she stretched her arms out inviting the pink chaser for an embrace.

Kernel blinked the water from his eyes before everything he had just been forced to re-experience came crashing back on him all at once. The chaser trembled and shook as he hyperventilated on the cold stones. With tears welling up in his eyes the pink chaser tried to curl into a fetal position but the other two Caregiver haedians quickly stepped in and gently comforted the small chaser. He had already been small for a chaser but now that he was soaking wet he looked even smaller. His fluffy, obsessively groomed fur clung heavy to his body, exposing old scares and protruding bones that should be hidden under healthy muscle. It was obvious he had not received proper nutrition and the tiny vayrons frail frame was fully exposed for all to see. The leader of the golden clad haedians stepped forward and gently wrapped her long tail around the convulsing chaser as she gently applied her magic to help calm him down. They should have pulled him from the pool much sooner, she grit her teeth as she watched the chaser suffer. Eventually Kernel's trembling subsided and the exhausted chaser fell asleep against the haedians side. Once she was sure the chaser was asleep she directed one of the other golden haedians to use her magic to dry his fur before directing the other one to return to the viewing pool to check on the other two surface dwellers who were still floating out in the sacred waters.

As the golden clad haedian returned to the viewing pool she gasped in shock and horror at what she saw. Hearing her clansman's alarm the leader of the handmaidens scooped the tiny chaser up with one of her wings and held him close to her chest as she returned to the pool to see what had garnered such a reaction. The pool had darkened once more and had forcefully thrown both of the other surface dwellers back into some of their traumatic memories. Reginald found himself once more thrust onto that battlefield, the armor he wore was the same as the previous memory but his enemies were clad in a different style of armor featuring different colors. Reginald found himself dragging an injured soldier out of the thick of the fighting, the reosean he had a hold of the scruff was limp and heavily injured. From the golden clad haedians perspective it was impossible to tell whether the fallen soldier was even still alive but the dark runner was unrelenting in his efforts to save his comrade. The stench of war burned Reginald's throat as he struggled to breath around his injured friend's scruff and through the acrid smoke of Elder only knew what was burning across the battlefield. Reginald himself was slightly injured but his own pain was completely forgotten as he poured all his focus in getting his fallen friend to the healers that he knew were just over this hill in the nearby trench.

Muted screams that sounded like they were echoing underwater battered his ears as the war raged on around him, the occasional enemy combatant tried to attack the retreating vayron but other soldiers on Reginald's side stepped in the way and blocked their advance. As Reginald watched the tide of battle shift and both threaten and protect him he prayed for his friend to hang on just a little longer. Finally after crossing what should have been an impossible distance across the raging battle field Reginald successfully pulled his friend down into the trench directly into the middle of the healer's triage station. Countless injured vayrons and humans alike lined the cramped dirt walls of the trench and as Reginald landed in their midst he was immediately swarmed by a small group of healers who quickly snatched away his friend. The dark runner stood huffing and puffing, staring after his friend for a while before another healer ran up to him to examine him. Upon finding that the dark runner was also injured they tried to administer first aid but he merely shrugged them off before climbing back up over the walls of the trench. There were countless others lying injured in the churned mud of the battlefield and he knew they needed help far more than he did. With fiery determination flaring in his eyes once more, Reginald charged head first back into the fray. Scattering enemy soldiers in his wake as he fought his way to the next fallen brother in need of aid.

The golden haedians watched, enraptured by the dark runner's bravery and devotion to his brethren as he pulled injured vayron and human out of the battle and to the relative safety of the medical trench. Every time he left the trench he was accosted by enemy combatants but the highly skilled vayron either managed to bring them down or was able to slip away from the confrontation by using the constantly shifting bodies around him. The Caregivers were so entranced by Reginald's memory that they failed to notice how the dark runner's face was scrunched in pain as he subconsciously recoiled from what he knew was coming next. Just as one of the Caregivers noticed Reginald twitching in the sacred pool a dark shadow covered the pool as Reginald was dragging yet another injured comrade off the field. A massive object slammed into Reginald sending him flying through the surrounding combatants, sending his vision spiraling into distorted blurry stars as the dark runner tried desperately to figure out what had hit him. Just as the dark runner tried to shakily raise his head the dark shadow appeared once more sending Reginald flying once more, this time up into the air. Time seemed to slow down for the dark runner as his vision briefly cleared and he could see the terrified eyes of his comrades staring up at him as he went sailing past. What had hit him? What could possibly have enough force to send a grown, armor clad runner flying through the air like a stuffed animal? Reginald would never know as he slammed roughly into the ground directly in front of the medical trench he had been desperately trying to reach. The inertia behind the blow sent him skidding through the mud and the vayron slammed roughly into the back wall of the trench before dropping to the mud and blood soaked wooden floor of the trench. As his vision faded to black once more he could vaguely see the shapes of the healers rushing towards him.

The golden clad caregivers cringed violently witnessing the conclusion of the memory, they looked at the dark runner whose expression was clearly creased with pain as his body twitched and writhed in the eerily still waters. The leader of the haedians quickly instructed her companions to pull him out of the waters as well. She was shocked by what she just witnessed in many ways. This runner has a truly noble heart and obviously cares deeply for his comrades even to the point where it's to his own detriment. The pink chaser tucked inside her wing stirred from his exhaustion induced slumber and she briefly stopped to check on him. As she was doing so the rippling of the viewing pool beside her caught the corner of her eye. Once more the colors of the viewing pool were shifting and fading as the focus of its magic was removed and it changed its image to depict the memories of the still floating green empyrean. The golden clad haedian could hear her companions gently comforting and coaxing the obviously rattled and distrustful Reginald as he regained consciousness but she found that she couldn't take her eyes from the pool. Over on the shore Reginald was finally back in the present and as soon as his eyes opened he immediately tried to jump up into a defensive position. The dark runner was left feeling confused and disoriented and he wasn't sure where he was anymore, one second he was fighting for his life on the battlefields of Roenden and the next thing he knew he had giant golden ladies waking him up inside a very glittery cave. As the adrenaline wore off and Reginald slowly calmed down his more recent memories came flooding back to him and he realized what these haedians had done.

He clenched his jaw tight as he glared at the golden Caregivers for their forced intrusion into the most vulnerable parts of his mind. The Caregivers immediately noticed the runner's displeasure and profusely apologized to him. Reginald glared at them with fiery eyes but didn't say anything, if it wasn't for his highness' orders he would have let them have it but he needed to follow his mission above all else. He couldn't afford to sour their relations further than his painful memories likely already had. With a forced sigh and an attempt to hide his growing scowl the runner turned away from the two handmaidens and scanned his surroundings. He could see the leader of the Caregivers staring intently at something in the ground and as he looked further he was alarmed to realize neither of his companions were on the shore with him. He quickly searched his surroundings and was surprised to spot Lianna floating out in the middle of the ethereal silver lake. The green empyrean wasn't moving at all and looked as if she was sleeping out there, he almost questioned aloud why she was out there but quickly pieced together that this was somehow related to how they pried into the surface dwellers memories. He still didn't see Kernel anywhere so he decided to walk over and see what the handmaiden's leader was staring at. As he approached he realized that the pink chaser was not in front of her but a rippling pond displaying images shifted in front of her. He frowned as he realized this must have been how they were viewing their memories. The dark runner and the two other haedians silently took up positions around the pool. Reginald didn't feel right spying on the past of his companions without their permission but he knew that if he said anything it would surely cause problems between the surface and this intrusive clan.

As Reginald continued to silently fume about their situation the dark images being displayed in the pool suddenly caught his attention. As he watched he realized he was witnessing a memory from Lianna's perspective. The light green empyrean found herself flying through a blinding thunderstorm, wind roared past her ears as thunder exploded overhead, fat drops of rain blasted her from all sides as the tumultuous winds lashed out at her threatening to strike her down from the sky. The only thing that kept her from panicking was the faint flicker of gold just barely visible through the blinding torrent slamming into her face. Not too far ahead of her, her adoptive mother was guiding her through the powerful storm as the duo tried to fly to a safe location to land. The mother daughter duo had been traveling across the countryside of Warrenfall when unbeknownst to them, an incredibly powerful storm dragged its way across the area. The unexpected and massive storm had easily swallowed the two tyrians and now they were left desperately seeking any form of shelter. The icy raindrops slathered themselves across Lianna's face as she desperately pumped her wings as hard as she could, trying to keep up with her mother. She wanted to call out to ask her to slow down but every time she opened her mouth water flooded in, threatening to drown her in the sky. She gagged and coughed on yet another unwelcome mouthful as she fought to keep up. Terror gripped her heart as yet another blindingly bright bolt of lightning suddenly flashed across the sky around them. It was honestly a miracle that neither of them had been hit yet, but odds were at this rate one of them would surely be struck.

Tears streamed from her terrified eyes as she flew but it was impossible to tell against the unending rain that battered the tyrian. Just as she was starting to lose the last bit of her composure she nearly flew directly into her mothers back. The golden empyrean she had been following stopped and was now hovering in the stormy sky as she believed she had suddenly spotted something far below them. It was only for a moment but it almost seemed like she saw a small orange light far below them amidst the seemingly all encompassing gloom of the thunderstorm. As Lianna finally caught up to her, the golden tyrian spotted the light once more. In muffled words she called out over the high winds before dropping into a dive. With barely enough time to register what was going on Lianna also dove toward the ground not seeing what had caught her mothers attention. The two tyrians dropped from the sky so fast that the raindrops falling around them almost seemed to stand still in the air. Finally the ground came into view and the two were shocked to realize what they had just dove head first into. Rushing across the land was a raging tidal wave of debris, huge chunks of land with vegetation still attached to it, fallen logs and large boulders were rapidly flowing like a river across the slightly hilly landscape. It was a flash flood, and a massive one at that. The sound of roaring water resounded both above and below as the two tyrians just barely managed to pull out of their dives in time to avoid crashing into the rushing debris. As the two hovered over the flood, not sure what to do, Lianna's mother caught a glimpse of the little light once more.

A small patch of land with a large tree at its center was being carried away down the river of debris. There clinging desperately to its trunk a small form could just barely be seen. The golden haedian squinted as she tried to see through the slashing bands of rain and was shocked to realize the small blob on the tree appeared to be a humanoid child. Her mother called over her shoulder to the still panicking Lianna before darting towards the figure. Her words were muted and muffled as if she was speaking underwater, adding to the green empyreans confusion. Why couldn't she hear what her mother was saying, surely the wind wasn't so strong that she couldn't hear her at all. Lianna stared in disbelief after her mother, not believing that there could be something else in this torrent let alone a child but she quickly pushed aside her hesitations and launched herself after the older female. The two tyrians rapidly maneuvered themselves over the constantly shifting debris, narrowly dodging the sharp logs and rocks that periodically jutted out from the murky frothing water. As the two closed in on the child on the tree, it spotted them and screamed out in terror. Its cries were incoherent and soul shattering, nothing but pure fear and desperation conveyed in its purest form spurring the empyreans to fly faster. Lianna's mother reached the child first and tried to gently coax the child to let go of the tree so that the golden tyrian could save her but the child was too afraid to listen. It continued to scream and cry, not listening to the golden tyrian begging for it to quickly let go. Lianna watched the two uncertainly but as she watched she realized the chunk of land attached to the roots of the tree was quickly being eroded away by the raging current. She realized they had mere seconds left before the ground beneath the little human's feet was gone and then the child would surely follow.

The green tyrian grit her teeth as she impulsively dove in and wrapped her talons around the tiny humans frame. She tried to be as gentle as possible but at the same time she was a little more forceful than she had intended in her panic. The sudden impact of the tyrian not only knocked the wind out of the girl but also tilted the tree it had been clinging to. The shift caused the last of the ground attached to the roots to shatter and melt away rapidly. With a few rapid beats of her wings Lianna had successfully snatched up the little girl and narrowly avoided being swallowed by the rushing flood waters. As she returned to her mothers side, the golden tyrian quickly asked if they were both alright. Lianna confirmed she was okay but was surprised to realize the little girl was unconscious in her back claws. As she started to panic, her mother quickly soothed the green tyrian with gentle but firm words before turning to lead them away from the raging river. The unending waterfall of rain was still cascading down upon them as then two soared across the sky. Now that they were closer to the ground it was a little easier to see the landscape below but the seemingly unending open plains of Warrenfall were not helping them find shelter from the storm. The two flew with their heads on a swivel scanning for anything they might be able to use as shelter until the two spotted an unnatural silhouette in the distance. They both exclaimed to each other at the same time, indicating the object and rapidly hurtled themselves towards it when they realized they had both seen it. As the two got closer they realized it was a large farm, complete with a sizable barn not too far from the main house, the two tyrians could just barely make out the tiny figures of a human trying in vain to wrangle a large herd of cows into their barn.

Together in unison the two tyrians swooped down out of the stormy sky, scaring the day-lights out of the human and his herd. The cows immediately stampeded towards their barn, attempting to run to the known source of safety from predators. As the herd rapidly made their way into the barn the human quickly followed in and stood in the entrance, gesturing for the two tyrians to follow. Without needing a second invitation the two tyrians quickly made their way inside the dimly lit barn much to the livestocks dismay. The entire group sat huffing and puffing for a second before the farmers smiled gratefully and started to thank the two tyrians for their help. Before he could get more than a few words out Lianna's mother quickly turned to her and ordered her to set the girl down under the nearby hanging lamp so that she could assess her condition. Lianna did as she was instructed and sat back trembling from an overwhelming mixture of emotions. Upon seeing the small girl, the farmer immediately freaked out and rushed to her side. Apparently this little one was the daughter of this farmer, she had followed her father outside without him knowing, wanting to help him bring in her family's beloved cattle when she had strayed a little too far and been swept away by the flood. Lianna stood back as the shock of the experience she had just been through rushed over her, threatening to overwhelm her. The fear, panic, anxiety, and adrenaline fueled exhaustion swirled through the green tyrians chest making her throat tighten and restricted her breathing, causing her to hunch over with her mouth open wide as she tried to gasp for breath. Just as Lianna's vision began to darken as she hyperventilated, her mother suddenly firmly gripped both sides of her head. Her mothers voice finally came through crystal clear as the golden tyrian spoke firmly, "Lianna, please darling I need you. You're okay, I need your help, she needs your help." her mother moved Lianna's head up so she could see the little girl lying lifelessly in the thick hay of the barn floor as her father fretted over her. "Just breathe... Now please come help me."

The golden empyrean held her panicked daughter until she finally blinked a few times and was able to bring her breathing back under control. With tears welling in her eyes, Lianna pushed down the panic and anxiety she felt and tried to focus on the tasks at hand. Together the empyreans were able to ensure that the little girl would be alright. The golden clad haedians watched this riveting memory unfold with baited breath, finding themselves unable to turn away as they witnessed the strength of the mother daughter bond these two surface dwelling tyrians held. Even Reginald found that he had forgotten his anger as he witnessed the spectacle presented by the viewing pool. The golden handmaidens looked up at each other and smiled underneath their veils. It was impossible for Reginald to tell what they were thinking but apparently they all agreed. Two of the handmaidens quickly left the viewing pool and went to retrieve Lianna from the unmoving waters of the sacred lake. The dark runner turned to the leader of the haedian trio as she swiped her paw over the viewing pools surface, severing the connection and guiding the sacred lake to return to its inert state. "What now?" The still unhappy vayron questioned while eyeing the golden haedian suspiciously. "All done peeping into our pasts?" The golden haedian didn't appreciate his tone but considering what she had witnessed today and what she knew he had gone through she chose to meet his barely concealed hostility with grace. "You all have done well. All three of you possess a strong and righteous character." Reginald raised a skeptical eyebrow at that, not believing that Kernel had passed their test as well. "You all are worthy of an audience."

Reginald frowned in confusion at her words. "An audience?" he repeated quizzically as a shaky and disoriented Lianna stumbled up to stand beside him. The green empyrean was just as unstable on her feet as the dark runner had been. But the Caregiver merely nodded, not explaining more as she turned away from the two surface dwellers and started to lead them across the glittering gemstone shores of the sacred lake to a magnificent set of doors that they hadn't noticed before. The doors were intricately carved from the glittering crystals of the surrounding cave but also had other gemstones inserted into it in an also stained glass like fashion. As the two surface dwellers started to follow, Lianna finally noticed the pink chaser's absence. "Wait a minute, where is Kernel?" She asked as she looked around not seeing the tiny pink chaser anywhere in the cave. The leader of the golden clad haedians chuckled before unfurling her wing slightly to reveal the pink chaser's sleeping form. "Fear not, your companion is right here. Now, follow." The leader of the handmaidens ordered as she pushed open the doors to the cave. Both Reginald and Lianna were shocked, how on earth had that little idiot managed to win over their good graces so thoroughly? The two shared a confused and skeptical glance as they followed the handmaidens through the gleaming doors.