Young Writers Society

That couldn't be good. She'd just seen Tarr a few minutes -- it couldn't be for him. So, then, it must be for -- Ky felt sick to her stomach, but forced herself to shake it off. This wasn't the time for feelings. She switched them off and went right back to being Kyber instead of Kylia once again -- detached, but objective. "Check the first floor. I'll check the second."

She sprinted off before he had a chance to respond. They both knew fully well that if he was on the second floor, he was going to be tending to Aleth. And neither of them wanted to come face-to-face with that again. But Ky would do it -- for Tadaaki and for Lyra.

(I'm totally down for drama of him being in Aleth's room unless you have a plan of where he'd be xD)

(Not sure how fit to get up Aleth would be but sure! Alex is definitely in there right now doing stitches and disinfecting.)

Tomhas, heart pounding, was already on his way to the second floor. He had a guess as to where Alexander was.

(oh yeah I don't think Aleth would be able to get up, I was thinking maybe Alex needs someone to hold pressure to one of his wounds and so Ky bites the bullet and does that while Alex goes to help Lyra or something and he very vaguely wakes up so he can't hurt her but it be tense idk I don't actually have a plan at all, just been winging this lol)

Ky went to the side staircase -- she'd found they were the easiest way to reach her room from the few times Aleth had forced her to go snooping around on the fourth floor and she'd needed to flee quickly so she didn't get caught -- and bounded down them as fast as she could.

Alex was in Aleth's room. He had to be. Ky's stomach felt uneasy at the thought. She didn't want to see Aleth ever again. Certainly not to be in the same room as him with nothing but a doctor standing between them. But it was worth it.

She was panting by the time she got to the door, but threw it open and rushed into the room.

(also Loquitur is fully welcomed to have made it there before her, I just figured it doesn't make sense for them to meet in the hall lol I fully couldn't care less who got there first)

(Ah perhaps. That could be interesting! Sure, go for it!)

(Tomhas can get there after her)

He reached the top of the stairs and saw Ky disappear into Aleth's room.

Alexander was bustling about Aleth's bedside. A fire was crackling in the fireplace and Aleth had been laid out on the bed above the covers. Alexander was in the midst of cleaning one of the worst cuts, and he didn't look up as Ky came in.
"These burns are healed poorly," he said critically to her. "You three really are a mess, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir," she answered breathlessly, starting towards him. The cut was still bleeding fairly badly, and Aleth looked to be in a concerning state. She forced herself to look at Alex instead. "You're needed in Lord Tarr's room. Immediately. I can handle it here."

"I see." Alexander looked up, then rose and handed her a wad of gauze. "Put pressure on that cut. I'll send for one of my assistants to relieve you." He strode out, nearly bumping into Tomhas.
"I need you," Tomhas gasped, grabbing Alexander by the collar of his shirt and pulling him down the hall.

Ky took the gauze, glancing back as Loquitur dragged Alexander out of the room. She hoped to the gods that Lyra was okay. Or, at least, that she would be. It had to have been her, with how flustered Loquitur was. Ky sent up a silent prayer to the gods, then sank down on the stool Alexander had been on.

She pressed the gauze against Aleth's side, looking him over. He was unconscious, eyes flicking rapidly under closed lids, moaning slightly. She set her jaw.

Tomhas and Alexander, who had paused to grab supplies and send an assistant to help Ky, got up to the bedroom a few minutes later. They both entered, and Tomhas went to the fireplace to take the boiling water off. Alexander sat down beside Lyra and began to examine the wounds gently.
Tomhas brought him the water and a rag, eyes downcast. He still felt ill and shaky; he wasn't sure he could stand upright for much longer. Too much here that was familiar, too many memories. Monsters in the back of his head crawling up to fill his vision...
He slumped down in the bathroom and covered his mouth as tears began to pour down his cheeks.
Lyra, closing her eyes as Alexander began to gently clean her wounds, didn't hear his muffled sobbing.

Aleth was battered badly. Worse than she'd ever seen. There were a few times he'd beaten her within an inch of her life, and she'd once seen Tadaaki beaten senseless like this. It'd left them both bedridden for weeks. But this was somehow even worse.

The result of an angry man hitting another angry man.

She doubted Aleth had figured out the skills of how to take a beating without taking too much damage. How to relax your muscles so nothing would break when you got hit. To roll with the punch so that the fingernails don't rip your skin open. To bow your head so that you looked submissive, while also making the target smaller, so it'd be more attractive to go after your torso instead of your face.

She turned and picked up a bit more of the gauze, dipping it in a disinfectant so that she could work at clearing away a bit of the debris that were lodged in the largest cut that Alex had been working on.

(Gonna leave it there for now, I think. Tomhas is gonna move Lyra to the infirmary and try and figure out what to say to Tarr.)

(Cool! You're breaking my heart ;-;)

Ky worked quickly. She, unfortunately, knew exactly what to do. Ironically enough, because of him. Aleth had a third slave -- Yuane -- who came to him timid enough that she didn't take much of his abuse. That, and because she was merely his maid, so there was far less direct contact between them than there was Ky or Tadaaki. She did most of the healing, but Ky had helped Tadaaki several times, and even helped Yuane with Ky's own cuts, when Aleth had left Ky with too many for Yuane to handle on her own.

His fingers wrapped around her wrist.

She tensed, eyes flicking towards him.

He scoffed, voice a croak. "Not even worth a proper doctor?"

"There was an emergency, sir," Ky murmured, turning her gaze back to the wound and pressing the gauze against the cut, left hand still in his grasp. "I'm sure he'll be back soon."

There was a silence. Ky might have let herself hope that he'd fallen back asleep, but his fingers were still wrapped around her wrist, fingernails resting on her soft flesh even though he wasn't digging them in.

"Bet you're enjoying this."

Ky swallowed hard and looked up to meet his gaze. There were few things in life she'd enjoy less than being right there right then. His eyes were barely open but still managed to be filled with a weak fury.

"No, sir," she murmured.

He scoffed. "Don't lie to me. You know how I feel about lying."

"I'm not lying, sir," she answered gently, not quite working up the courage to pull her arm away from him, but she awkwardly moved her other hand to clean his wound. "I don't enjoy people being hurt. I never have."

With Lyra made somewhat comfortable in the infirmary, Alexander returned to Aleth's room. He glanced between Ky and Aleth for a moment. "Did my assistant never arrive?" he asked, perplexed.

Tomhas had followed Aleth to the infirmary, Lyra in his arms. He deposited her on a cot near Tadaaki, murmured something he guessed was comforting, then left. Now he was simply wandering, unsure of what to do with himself. He still felt lightheaded and weak in the legs, but he couldn't make himself sit down.

Aleth snorted. "You've always been so weak."

Ky swallowed hard, focusing her gaze on his abdomen. "Yes, sir."

"Don't think that just because..." Aleth swallowed hard, cringing as pain ran down his side. "Loquitur decided to be cute you're off the hook."

"Yes, sir," she answered quickly.

"It's no different than if I was here," he threatened, fingernails now digging into her wrist. "You try to escape -- or somehow convince that idiot to let you go -- you try to get away from me. And I will make your life a living hell."

"Yes, sir." Her chest felt so tight again. She could easily overpower him with his current state, and yet, she was filled with just as much terror now as ever.

"And you better get me some information about Loquitur while you're there," he snarled. "Send it to me. I know he'll have you on the messages."

"Yes, sir," she said quickly, feeling vaguely sick at the thought.

She sprang to her feet as Alexander walked back in -- Aleth didn't let go. He dragged his fingernails down the length of her wrist. She winced but turned her attention towards Alexander, pretending that Aleth wasn't clawing her. "No, sir. But I think I managed okay."

"Did you." Alexander came up beside her, watching Aleth passively before reaching out and gently prying him from her wrist. "That's impolite," he said to Aleth. "She was helping." His eyes flickered to Ky. "You may go. If you're bleeding there's disinfectant down in the infirmary." Then his attention returned to Aleth. "You shouldn't overexert yourself. You're bleeding quite badly and Lord Loquitur would be rather upset if your departure was delayed again."

(ok I love Alex xD "don't be ROOD aleth" haha)

"Yes, sir," Ky murmured, quickly taking her leave before Aleth could order her to stay.

"Fuck Loquitur," Aleth muttered, watching as a blurry form of Ky disappeared out the door. He closed his eyes. "Fuck this entire fucking realm."

Ky shut the door behind her and took several steps down the hall then stopped, body trembling again. How was she still so scared of that man? She could easily have picked up one of the basins and shattered it over his skull if she'd wanted. And yet, she simply sat there and let him dig his fingernails into her wrist and threaten her. At his weakest, and yet, still stronger than her.