Eight Intertwined

76 - Dohter

Alfyn shifted his attention throughout the shrine as soon as the shift had taken place, and he blinked slowly but surely to refocus his eyes. He didn't think he would ever truly be able to get used to the transition between the regular plane and the realm of the gods found within the shrines. His vision was still exploding with stars at the corners, and he reached up with one hand to try and banish the phantoms dancing around behind his eyelids. 

Soon enough, he was able to catch a glimpse of the one he was searching for though, and Alfyn immediately found himself hesitating at the sight. He had noticed previously that the gods tended to bear a striking amount of resemblance to members of the group, though he hadn't known for sure quite why that was. Aelfric and Ophilia had worn the same regal grace while Primrose and Sealticge looked so similar that they might as well have been twins. It was something Alfyn had passively noticed, but he had never been given the chance to figure out how he thought about it... 

That was, at least, until this god looked almost exactly like him. 

The man was on the taller side, and his shoulders were broad in a way that seemed comforting and familiar, like his very body was a home that he was preparing to offer up to anyone who was willing to accept it. He wore a green jacket that had been loved to death even though he was a god with more than enough power to clean up the faded colors. His shirt beneath it was a pristine white color, and both obscured his muscles from view. That was the next thing Alfyn noticed: the god was more than prepared for a fight in terms of physicality, and despite his comforting appearance, he had no doubt enough power to push back against all the travelers without breaking a sweat. In other words, this fight was going to be just as difficult as all of the encounters that had come before. 

The god's trousers were a pale blue color, though his belt was where most of the intrigue came from where the lower half of his body was concerned. There were countless small bottles shoved into pockets attached to his belt, and Alfyn found himself passively reminded of the supplies that he used when it came to concoct treatments and elemental attacks. Granted, the god was much more organized about it than Alfyn was, but as long as he was able to get the job done, the apothecary could hardly bring himself to mind. 

The god finished off his look with black gloves that hid his hands from view entirely to match the lace-up boots on his lower legs. The mask that wrapped around his upper face looked a lot like bandages, and Alfyn could only assume that his foe this time around was some kind of healer. The god's hair was a gentle light brown color and tied into a ponytail at the base of his neck, though it was long enough to reach the middle of his back effortlessly. Despite his demeanor looking much more casual than the previous gods had, he still held an aura that showed he more than had everything under control, and Alfyn was confident that this battle would be just as difficult as the previous encounters, if not more so. 

"Hail, travelers..." came the voice of the god as he took a small step forward. His smile was inviting and warm, and Alfyn could feel the aura of honesty and care even if the man's eyes were hidden from view. "Thou hast come a long way to reachen my shrine."

"Who might you be?" Ophilia questioned. She still had one hand resting against the top of the lanthorn, something that had come to be a comforting gesture for her throughout the course of the journey. Given that the group was closer to Saintsbridge than ever before, it made sense that her anxiety would start to mount, though Alfyn wished he was able to do something more to help her. 

For the time being though, the god simply smiled a little bit wider, and that took all of Alfyn's attention away from the world around him. "Dohter, the healer among the gods," he said simply. "Thou art here for the strength I can provide to thee... I hath no doubt that thou understandeth what must come next of our encounter."