The World Upside Down

Lyra returned to consciousness from a nightmare filled dreamscape filled with demon's and gore. Despite the chi that instinctually began to circulate to remove her fatigue she had a hard time remembering everything that had happened before she passed out. Everything after leaving the dungeon was slightly blurred, especially once she was visited by someone. When she tried to remember who had come to speak with her, only a dark silhouette filled in the space within her memories. It was like the person was in her mental blindspot, and no matter how much she tried to focus on them their identity remained a secret.

Finding that she couldn't put a face to her memory, the context surrounding it filtered in slightly. She couldn't remember specifics, but as she thought on it the memories of screams filled her mind. It took her only a moment to recognize them as her own, leaving her wondering why she had been screaming. In a moment of anxiety she scanned her surroundings and found herself in a wooden room that was very familiar to her. Even though she had only been here a few times, the person it belonged to gave it the importance needed to be remembered.

The various pieces of furniture were arrayed in the same minimalist pattern that Kantan always maintained. After spending countless years cleaning up after his grandfather, he had gotten into the habit of keeping a clean room. There was only a small desk with a stool meant for doing his homework, as well as the twin sized bed she was currently laying in. Seeing that she was somewhere familiar at least, she then scanned her body to check for the source of her horrid memories.

What her eyes saw made her mouth fall open while nervousness and fear swarmed through her mind like a tsunami. Bruising and bandages covered almost every visible part of her arms and neck, making it seem like she had been caught in a landslide or something. Lifting up the blanket with tender muscles she inspected her lower body. Suddenly her throat clogged and her stomach sank to a point so far below her that she would have thought it came out of her had she not been looking down upon herself.

Dark ugly bruises in the shape of hand prints covered the inside of her thighs and knees. The thought of how she would have acquired bruises like that was not lost on her, and it was then that her stomach heaved against her. Lyra violently emptied her stomach over the side of the bed, tears began to stream as her mind ran down the darkest paths it could. Just as she managed to expel the acid in her stomach a soft footstep sounded next to her bed. At the same time she could feel a hand press down on her shoulder.

With her nerves wound as tight as they were, she jumped away from the touch in fear. Even though she was somewhere safe, her mind was not prepared after what it had just seen. As if she were going to be attacked again, Lyra's chi flooded out into her hand as she swiped at the aggressor in order to defend herself. Her hand was caught by a firm but gentle grip, the chi that had been empowering her movement having seemingly no affect. Looking up at the target of her fear driven ire left her startled, unsure of what to say or do.

Standing at the side of the bed was Kantan's grandfather Alistar. When she saw him, relief immediately overflowed her body as she began to sob. Alistar had always been kind to her, even though they had not interacted very frequently. Whenever she did visit, he made sure that she felt like she was family, that she felt like she belonged. If she had gotten into a fight with her father, Alistar was willing to help her through her troubles with a kind smile. She knew that despite his isolation tendencies, he was always kind to those around him. If he saw someone struggling with something he would help them.

He treated those around him fairly, and even the lowliest beggar in the town would feel his warmth when he spoke to them. The other grand elder's only came out of their respective caves to decide things about the clan, and their attitudes were less than pleasant. The chief was too intense, his interpretations of things too literal. If one spoke the wrong terms, did the wrong things in front of him, they would be punished severely. In a way he ruled the clan through direct fear, though he was the only one who took it so far. The second grand elder was lazy and indulgent, using his power to horde wealth and power. Anyone weaker than him was something to play with, leaving Alistar as the only reasonable visage for the clan's common folk to deal with.

That said, each grand elder was powerful for a reason. They stuck to themselves and focused on obtaining power, meaning that most of the clan hadn't had a personal interaction with them.

Seeing that she had recognized him, Alistar let out a sad smile and spoke, "I am sorry little one, what you have gone through is horrible." He had retracted his hand upon seeing her reaction, taking a neutral stance that held neither pity nor potential aggression.

"Di… Did they…?" She didn't want to finish the sentence, the thought of speaking it out loud was too much for her. Instinctively she closed her eyes hard, tensing as she waited for the words that would seal her fate as the victim she believed herself to be.

"No." Alistar's voice was firm, the conviction and truth of his tone left no room for argument.

When his words were finally processed in her brain she was shocked, looking up to him abruptly. "But… the marks…"

"I stopped them before they were able to get what they wanted. I am sorry that I arrived late." His face showed true sorrow as his eyes shifted between the different marks that covered her upper body. Her chest was covered in bandages, keeping her decent much to her relief. "Bamor and his thugs are being held in the clan dungeon as we speak. Their trial will be held before the end of the day, and I suspect even the chief will not be able to save his vulgar kin."

"Bamor?" The name made her skin crawl, and suddenly the shadow in her memories was filled in with the unsettling visage of the stone ranker that her father had brought to court her. She couldn't help but think of what he had done, placing his hands on the bruises in her mind.

"Yes. I only managed to get there thanks to your father, who had called out for me." When Alistar brought up her father images of her father covered in wounds, his body broken and battered outside the medical tent flashed through her thoughts. Again she dry heaved from the memory, Alistar was quick to move her long hair out of the way. She only knew he had done it because she could see it through teared eyes, his touch imperceptible.

"What about my father?" She coughed hoarsely between words as her body struggled to maintain her upright position. "Is he alright?"

Alistar's face grew complicated, the soft and kind face became slightly harder. Without saying a word she had gotten her answer, which quickly overwhelmed her emotions. Alistar answered, "Bamor and those thugs attacked your father while he was waiting for you outside of the medical tent. He put up a good fight, but 5 on 1 is not a fight he could win. The medical nurse that was attending you was also caught in the cross fire. By the time I arrived he was beyond the effects that medicine could heal. With his dying words he bid me to save you."