Velrissa did not run often, not because she was slow, but because there were few beings in any realm capable of forcing the Rose of the Hells into retreat. Yet now the forest blurred around her in streaks of violet and black, her boots tearing divots into the dirt with each desperate stride. Blood, her own, hot and shimmering faintly with infernal magic, splattered the path behind her like scattered rubies. One arm hung useless at her side, the bone shattered, tendons severed; every jolt of motion sent white-hot agony lancing through her ribs. Her breaths came sharp and ragged, each one a fight, while the shadow behind her lengthened...and gained. Even then, Velrissa’s teeth bared in something between a snarl and a laugh. Bleeding out under a sun she could barely see, she still refused to succumb to despair. Her eyes, bright as fractured amethyst, darted ahead, searching, hoping, calculating.
A low whisper of wind curled around her horns, and then the world shifted. Reality seemed to catch on something, like snagging on a thorn, and tore. The forest dissolved at the edges of her vision, replaced by something utterly impossible: the smell of mountain air, crisp and clean; the hush of leaves not native to the realm she had been fighting in moments before. The dirt beneath her boots softened and reshaped, becoming a well-worn path she had never walked.
Velrissa stumbled mid-stride, blinking past dark spots flickering at the edges of her sight. Her footsteps slowed as the presence of her pursuer faded, though not with distance. She turned quickly, noting the pursuer had not accompanied her. Turning back ahead, the evergreens parted and revealed a cascade of soft golden light pouring over her like a salve. She stepped into it, the momentum carrying her into a courtyard of white marble and rose-lined paths. A castle of glittering silver stone rose and was framed by the mountains.
Her knees buckled, but her gaze stayed steady even through the pain, drawn toward the open wrought-iron gates. A wooden sign stood nestled among blooming roses, its gold lettering swirling like an incantation: Welcome to Farhaven Hotel.
For the first time in many years, perhaps centuries, Velrissa Amethra felt something unfamiliar coil slowly within her breast. More startling was the sudden lightness within her. The constant tug of her infernal pact, the subtle weight of Asmodeus’s claim that forever pressed against her soul, was simply… absent. As if something here shielded her, or obscured her, or dared to tell a Lord of the Nine Hells no.
Her lips curved in a faint, disbelieving smile as she sagged forward, shadows slipping from her form like discarded cloaks. The courtyard spun softly around her, colors fading into a blur. She had just enough awareness left to marvel at the sensation of freedom before her legs finally gave way. Velrissa crumpled to the marble path, unconscious before she ever felt herself hit the ground.
(Velrissa... unconscious)
A low whisper of wind curled around her horns, and then the world shifted. Reality seemed to catch on something, like snagging on a thorn, and tore. The forest dissolved at the edges of her vision, replaced by something utterly impossible: the smell of mountain air, crisp and clean; the hush of leaves not native to the realm she had been fighting in moments before. The dirt beneath her boots softened and reshaped, becoming a well-worn path she had never walked.
Velrissa stumbled mid-stride, blinking past dark spots flickering at the edges of her sight. Her footsteps slowed as the presence of her pursuer faded, though not with distance. She turned quickly, noting the pursuer had not accompanied her. Turning back ahead, the evergreens parted and revealed a cascade of soft golden light pouring over her like a salve. She stepped into it, the momentum carrying her into a courtyard of white marble and rose-lined paths. A castle of glittering silver stone rose and was framed by the mountains.
Her knees buckled, but her gaze stayed steady even through the pain, drawn toward the open wrought-iron gates. A wooden sign stood nestled among blooming roses, its gold lettering swirling like an incantation: Welcome to Farhaven Hotel.
For the first time in many years, perhaps centuries, Velrissa Amethra felt something unfamiliar coil slowly within her breast. More startling was the sudden lightness within her. The constant tug of her infernal pact, the subtle weight of Asmodeus’s claim that forever pressed against her soul, was simply… absent. As if something here shielded her, or obscured her, or dared to tell a Lord of the Nine Hells no.
Her lips curved in a faint, disbelieving smile as she sagged forward, shadows slipping from her form like discarded cloaks. The courtyard spun softly around her, colors fading into a blur. She had just enough awareness left to marvel at the sensation of freedom before her legs finally gave way. Velrissa crumpled to the marble path, unconscious before she ever felt herself hit the ground.
(Velrissa... unconscious)
It took approximately one second to catch an unusual scent in the air upon stepping out of...wherever it was he'd come from workshed? Sure! Anyway, a new person was well, new, but blood just wasn't something common to be smelling around these parts, it was always so peaceful. And here he was just intending to do a bit of light gardening. Surely a new bloody arrival needed investigating more than some weeds needed pulling though, so the werebear made his way to the courtyard, following the scent.
"Ahh, fuck," he grumbled, upon seeing the state of the new arrival. Crumpled on the ground and unconscious was a bad way to arrive anywhere. The large man stepped over and gave her the briefest of once overs before deciding that there was nothing at all he could do for her personally, aside from maybe biting her and turning her into a werebear herself, but there wasn't even a certainty that would work, on top of it being probably the worst idea in the world. He didn't even entertain that. Instead, he pulled a radio out of his back pocket to communicate with the rest of the staff, or at least those who even used the things. "Wyatt here, got someone out in the courtyard that'll need the infirmary. I'll bring her in."
He crouched down then and very carefully picked up the Tiefling, taking extra care to not jostle her clearly very injured arm too much. "Sorry, should've brought the wheelbarrow, but I don't think you'd like being rolled around in that either, and I don't have a stretcher handy." He did have, however, considerably more strength than he looked to have, and he already looked like he had plenty. So it'd be a smooth enough operation to get her carried into the hotel and directly to the infirmary. He even took care to not bump her into anything, even if he had to get someone to open doors for him.
Once he dropped her off though, he wasn't exactly going to be of any use, so he just went to wash up and then get back to what he was doing! The landscaping wasn't going to be taking care of itself, after all. And while not really his area of expertise, they simply didn't have enough pests around for him to tackle that full time. So he just kind of learned to do a bit of everything. It was a fun way to expand his skill set, really! Give him enough time and he'd probably become a proper EMT on top of everything else. For now, however, his work was done. Maybe he'd come by later to see how things had gone.
"Ahh, fuck," he grumbled, upon seeing the state of the new arrival. Crumpled on the ground and unconscious was a bad way to arrive anywhere. The large man stepped over and gave her the briefest of once overs before deciding that there was nothing at all he could do for her personally, aside from maybe biting her and turning her into a werebear herself, but there wasn't even a certainty that would work, on top of it being probably the worst idea in the world. He didn't even entertain that. Instead, he pulled a radio out of his back pocket to communicate with the rest of the staff, or at least those who even used the things. "Wyatt here, got someone out in the courtyard that'll need the infirmary. I'll bring her in."
He crouched down then and very carefully picked up the Tiefling, taking extra care to not jostle her clearly very injured arm too much. "Sorry, should've brought the wheelbarrow, but I don't think you'd like being rolled around in that either, and I don't have a stretcher handy." He did have, however, considerably more strength than he looked to have, and he already looked like he had plenty. So it'd be a smooth enough operation to get her carried into the hotel and directly to the infirmary. He even took care to not bump her into anything, even if he had to get someone to open doors for him.
Once he dropped her off though, he wasn't exactly going to be of any use, so he just went to wash up and then get back to what he was doing! The landscaping wasn't going to be taking care of itself, after all. And while not really his area of expertise, they simply didn't have enough pests around for him to tackle that full time. So he just kind of learned to do a bit of everything. It was a fun way to expand his skill set, really! Give him enough time and he'd probably become a proper EMT on top of everything else. For now, however, his work was done. Maybe he'd come by later to see how things had gone.