Felfar, Mould and Voices

JP with Tarmen, Wim, Voah, and Gonyaul.

“Half,” he said louder with his voice showing the effect of the egg.

“Tits!”
Tarmen pulled his hand back reflexively after stabbing it with the hook. Seeing that stuff was like an extra kick in his gut and of course Voah had to be right there.
He was unsure if he should stop her from giving to to Wim or keep his knowledge of it secret from her.
Taking too long thinking on it, he kept his mouth shut and continued the last bits of his work, though feigned curiosity.
“What is that stuff?”

He had this on him the whole time? What had he gotten himself into? She wouldn't feel right giving it to him, though she had already given him a questionable method of pain relief. She just stared at him speechless until Tarmen stabbed himself and interjected. She saw his response. Was his expletive a reaction to the injury or the sight of the vial. Then she sensed the awkwardness of a lie.

After all of their time together down in the torment of Ypogeios… Tarmen was hiding something… She had known that Wim had been involved with the creed and the Felfar and all was explained to her. It was their way of hooking new members. But Tarmen… where had he been during all of that?

If not the creed, Tarmen at least knew of the Felfar, she would have to prove it. Looking at Tarmen she popped the cork and slowly poured the liquid gold onto the ground next to Wim to gauge the reactions.

Tarmen watched Voah with measured confusion, purposefully focusing on finishing his stitching.
“That bad huh? Wonder what Wim was doing with it.”
Biting the thread and starting on wrapping, he looked to Voah and tried to diffuse the tension.
“Is that stuff from the Creed? He mentioned havin’ some trouble for a bit on the way out here, but I wouldn’t have thought it was that bad.”

Wim groaned as she started poured it out.
“Half makes you sleep,” he said pleadingly.

She looked back to Wim as she mulled over Tarmen’s response. He was not one to break that easy, she already knew that. Days in darkness would have done him in, he had to have a strong mind. But that first reaction was enough, the first crack in his façade. This was going to take some work.

She let it go for now, putting on her Arbiter face. The mask of the Siren Swan that said, don’t mind me, I’m just a pretty thing that knows nothing, everything is fine… before eventually luring you into her trap.

“Yes. And I never got a full account of exactly what it does from Cagliostro. But I know that they used it to hook new potential members.”

*~You see… He is a liar… a member of the creed…~* whispered the voices.

“Wim Riese.” she didn’t use his title and in his state of pain she knew that she wouldn’t have to do much to get some real answers.

“Why did you still have this and where is Blackwolf?” she questioned calmly.

*~We have said… the creed of Slivikhi… both of them…~*

Tarmen was growing more concerned about Voah and her sudden interrogation. He had another internal debate on what to do and decided this was enough.
“Voah, let the man rest. If anythin’ he got suckered in a bit because he is a dumb lordlin’. “
Continuing his work, he gave her a cautious glare.
“We all need more rest, us especially. Can’t know when the mold will hit us, right?”

“Felfar is addictive. Found some in town, Master Cagliostro says has some some other properties. Half just makes you sleep,” he said licking his lips wondering if he could suck it from the ground.
He let Voah redirect him back to her questions,.
“Master Blackwolf tried to kill me over Ms. Sadir. He is dead down in the tunnels, buried under rocks,” he said while looking at her pleadingly.
“I told him I did not want to fight him, he kept coming at me slashing,” he said Wim said throwing his good arm like a sword slashing.
“I killed him just like the girl from the Slivik… the cult that tried to kill me,” he said with a mournful look on his face.

“Why did you pour it out?” He asked looking sad.
The pain giving into intoxication.

Out of ear shot from their conversation, Gonyaul had helped finish clearing and setting up enough of the camp to accommodate Wim using the tent system he found on the wagon. He made sure to make it as comfortable as possible. Once they were ready to move him, he would have a place to recover.

The idea would be to set up Tarmen and Voah’s tents next. He could use Boyce’s tent for Tarmen. Gonyaul would use his own for Voah. He figured it would be best to have their tents near to Wim’s because of their ability to tend to the man well.

“I… “

Voah was confused. She felt Tarmen was too quick to try and stop her questioning. Perhaps her tone sounded too severe. He was right though, they all needed more rest but she needed to get an answer about Blackwolf while she had the chance. And she did.

So Blackwolf was dead… and from the sounds of it, the mould got to Blackwolf or both of them.

How much if his story was truth, she wasn’t certain, but it was enough for now. Part of her was angry, another part empathized with his pain and the mental trauma they both must have gone through.

Then she heard the voice of Zinheim, the same she heard from the deep. *~Do not be fooled… They lie… you know it… Kill them… kill them both… they betray the Pillars…~*

She stood up and let Wim rest on his back and she walked away grabbing her sword off of the ground.

The voice was angry now, *~Do not walk away from your duty Arbiter!~*

“Enough!” she shouted, clutching her head as the headaches returned.

Gonyaul was on route to inform them that he had finished setting up a better place for Wim to be relocated to, when he suddenly saw Voah clutch her head and shout. He moved quickly to her.

“Voah, something wrong?” He said saturated with concern.

Wim looked at Tarmen and asked, “Am I going to loose the leg?” Then laid back down.

“Depends on how it wants to heal, but it should be fine. Might have a limp though.”
Tarmen tied off Wim’s leg wrapping quickly, more concerned with Voah’s growing instability to wrap his arm.
She was suspicious of him now, for sure, but her actions were very similar to when they were in the caves and that did not bode well.
“Voah, you need to lay down. Eat some of the bread, it’s our best defense against the mold, which is clearly having a returning.”
He worried about his own state, when would it take him and what would happen once it did.
“Whatever the voices are sayin’ it’s just your fears speakin’ louder than usual.”

Gonyaul paused as Tarmen appeared and interjected his sound advice. Gonyaul looked from Voah to Tarmen and then back.

Voah didn’t hear Gonyaul or Tarmen as a piercing ache sliced between her eyes.

Then a woman’s voice came, ~but you wanted us to speak…~

‘You are not my Gods’ she argued. She paced, fists clenched and shaking, her knuckles white in the hilt of her sword.

‘Pillars, please…’ she knelt to the earth and pressed her forehead to the ground in supplication until the headaches and whispers slipped away.

Gonyaul blinked, stupefied. It appeared as if Voah was fighting enemies from within herself? It seemed more than just your everyday negative thinking, but something strong enough to force itself to win if you let it.

He tentatively moved closer and knelt down by her side. Placing a gentle hand on her back. “Voah, need anything to help?”

She shuddered at his touch at first, his words came into focus.

“…Pray for me.”

Gonyaul hesitated. Pray? He had never done that before. How exactly does one pray he wondered. Was it an established set of words one just recites? Was it a frame of mind? He had never payed much attention or actively avoided this topic.

He was in a predicament. She needed prayer from him and he was ignorant on how to honor her request. He could fake it by performing what he witnessed others do; however, that would be false. Vauxians never lie in their words or actions is how he was raised.

He gulped silently and leaned down next to her in a similar position of supplication. His one hand still remained on her back.

He turned his head to face her and whispered, “Okay … … … how do I pray?”