Serenity | Halsin

Eight

She was hurting from the moment Ragzlin had shoved his foot against her torso, but she pushed through it as her, Shadowheart and Astarion made their way through the sanctum.

It was quiet during their walkthrough. They played the part of being an Absolute as they passed a goblin here and there, whom didn't seem to notice the death of the priestess or Ragzlin just yet.

As they walked, Astarion noticed the way Roralei pressed a hand to her rib as she walked with a heavy breath.

"Are you all right?" Astarion asked.
"I'm fine. I just need to make sure Halsin is alive." She said. Her breathing was ragged as she spoke.

"These doors should take us to where they hold prisoners." Shadowheart announced.
"Well, after you, then." Astarion said. Rolling her eyes, Shadowheart opened the doors.

Roralei could smell the foul stench of feces, blood and sweat as they entered the prison room. A group of goblins sat at a large table in the corner of the room above the stairs, speaking quietly to one another as they drank from their oversized mugs.

"This place is absolutely disgusting." Astarion said. "And that blood is old, gods, it's old."

She couldn't even imagine the smell for Astarion, being a vampire and having to have the increased sense of smell. It had to be ten times as worse for him.

"There! Is that. . . Is that a bear?"

Roralei peered over the railing and focused her eyes on three goblins standing before a cell. Inside of the cell was a large, dark bear, who was turned away as one of the goblins threw a rock at it.

Her chest tightened and she felt her stomach churn. "Halsin!"

The bear growled as he turned, staring out of the cell. As the three rushed down the stairs and towards the cell, the goblins turned to face them.

"Get away from him, now." Roralei demanded.
"Stay out of this, and go back to where you came from." The oldest goblin said. The two goblin children cheered as they reached for another rock to throw.

"I said enough!" Roralei reached for her staff as she gritted her teeth. As she did this, Halsin stood on his hind legs and bashed his large paws against the bars. The grinding sound of the bars tearing from the wall echoed through the room, followed by the loud thud as the door came down and trampled the goblin.

"Get the guards!" The children shouted. As they darted for the stairs, Astarion and Shadowheart quickly stopped them until they were no lingering standing. Roralei turned and focused her mind on the approaching spider as it chittered towards her.

Halsin snarled, running towards the goblins ahead of them near the monstrosity's cell. She used her staff to attack the spider, dodging as it tried to bite at her with its large fangs. Her eyes were wide as she stared up at its several eyes.

"Nature is a very beautiful thing, but you are not."

As the spider reached for her again, she huffed as one of many of its legs slammed into her, knocking her to the ground. The woman glared up as it crawled and hovered over her, hissing loudly as it caged her beneath it. The spider began to lean is as she struggled to grab her staff.

A set of paws swiped at the spider, causing it to hiss in pain as its leg fell from its body. Roralei grabbed her staff, and as she held it tightly in her hand, the bear above her closed his mouth around the top of the staff and dragged her across the ground, away from the spider. She took this second to regain her breath and stagger to her feet. By the time she was up on her feet, she watched as Halsin struck at the spider once more, causing it to fall over and curl the remainder of its legs.

Shadowheart and Astarion watch as the remaining goblin fell to the ground in a pool of his blood.

Roralei turned and watched as Halsin's bear form disappeared, and back into his human form. The tall, masculine man stumbled lightly as he stood upright, staring at her.

"Roralei. . ."

She sighed of relief as she clutched her ribs, watching hesitantly as the man began walking towards her.
"You selfish, arrogant, son of a bitch—"

The woman huffed lightly as Halsin's long arms wound around her frame and lifted her from the ground, holding her tightly as he hugged her. The man buried his face in her neck as she hugged him.

"Thank the oak fathers you're safe." He sighed of relief.
"Me?" She asked as he placed her back onto her feet. "You disappeared! You left that night, and you never came back. Do you know what I was thinking? I was thinking that. . . That. . ."

Halsin stared at Roralei as her legs wobbled lightly. She was growing pale, and her words were starting to slur. Despite this, she had tears in her eyes as she tried to tell Halsin off.

"Roralei, what's the matter?" Shadowheart asked.
The woman's face only paled more, and her eyes suddenly rolled to the back of her head. With wide eyes, Halsin leaped forward as the woman began falling towards the ground.

"What the hells?" Astarion asked. "What's wrong with her?"

Halsin shook his head as he studied her skin. "The spider, she must've ingested its venom. I—I thought I got her away from it in time."

The man cursed as he looked up at the two. "I must tend to her for now. But I need you both to get rid of Minthara, immediately. If I wait any longer, Roralei will die."

"She went through too much trying to find you." Shadowheart told him. "We'll take care of Minthara."

As they disappeared, Halsin carefully lifted her and carried her to the top of the stairs. When he got to the table, he quickly shoved everything off of it before laying her down. Halsin quickly gathered what things were actually available to use to free her blood from the arachnid's poison. The druid used his power to try and suction the venom from her bloodstream.

"Don't give up on me just yet, Roralei." He begged, tilting her head back. He noticed her heavy breathing when he pulled the shirt up from her waist. The purple color of her skin over her ribs caused him to grimace.

Pressing his hands to her ribs, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to heal her as much as he could with no access to anything. He wished he had never left that night, never had to put her through any of this. He wished he could take it back.

"Come on, Roralei." He whispered as he studied her face again. There was no possible way of knowing he got all of the venom out of her bloodstream.

He brushed her hair from her face as he stared at her busted lip and sighed.

"Roralei. . ."