Evernight

Maybe he was right. Maybe apologizing wasn't the right course of action. They had come through so much, and it couldn't be faulted that Thalia wouldn't give up, wouldn't let them go... let them be happy. Minette hadn't had it in her to see Thalion brought to shame - made a public pariah, even if it did mean stopping his mother, but it was that love she had for him that would, if nothing else, preserve them and keep them fighting until the bitter end.

Shaking her head, she looked up at him, reaching out to grab his arm, gently, "You don't have anything to apologize for, either, love. This is her doing, and I'm done. I'm done letting her hurt people like this. I wasn't here for my people, for too long... and they've suffered, but this? This is the limit. We stop her, Thal. Today."

Turning, she looked up to the ceiling, to the shuddering chandelier and nodded, "We're going to fight, and we're going to win. But we'll need a better strategy..." Eyes moving back to Thalion, her expression tensed, blazed and determined, "If I can lure her out, do you think you... Do you think you have it in you to stop her? For good?"
 
Dust fell from the ceiling that shook and rattled as it was battered with explosives and mortars. The castle stone growled against the barrage, withstanding, but barely. Non-supporting walls began to crumble and cave, sending brick and powder shooting across the rooms in plumes. Thalion's eyes shot up, brow furrowing as he watched the wooden support beams stream with cracks and weak points. How much longer did the structure have? A few more mortars? Another blast from a dragon? Heat emanated from the rocks, glowing them red hot as fires ignited where ever they could root. The scent of soot and charring flesh burned his nostrils and parched his throat.

His hand tightened around the grip of the bow, glancing down upon it. "I'll try," he said, his voice cracking with a pause of hesitation. "I'll do everythin' I can. I need her to get away from the castle though, into the streets. Can you do that?"

Thalia would never pursue him, not when he knew her greatest safety was near the castle where the dragons circled. Still, she might hate Minette enough to abandon her post to pursue her.

Overhead, one of the support beams groaned as it snapped in two, sending bits of the ceiling and roof shingle with it as it caved in, opening a hole to the outside sky, which was smoldering with sparks of fire and spirals of smoke. "We have to go," Thalion grabbed her shoulder. "This thing is gunna collapse in on itself soon if we don't."

Fire oozed in from the hole like a sentient creature, burning its way across the roof and leaking in as a waterfall of flame, dripping and spreading across the wooden beams and licking at the brick. Overhead, the shadow of a dragon shot across the space, screeching as it flung itself down to the ground and smashed into the dirt with a wailing cry.

"I think they killed one. Come on! We need to do this now!"
 
Minette nodded without hesitation. She was all too aware the dangers their plan posed, but at least this time she was certain the reward would outweigh the risks. Taking Thalia down - even if it meant putting her own life on the line, was worth it. For Thalion... for her... for all of Doyle. They needed to stop the woman, before more lives were ruined, more people hurt. Already, so much had been damaged ,and Thalia wouldn't stop... she had to be stopped.

"Let's go..." She agreed, and taking Thalion's hand, she followed after him, swiftly. There could be no looking back, no second guessing. They had to turn the fight. They had to salvage it, before it was too late. And they could. She had to believe in her heart that they could. Otherwise, there was no point in escaping Evernight, no point in surviving. Thalion's sacrifice, her own... it meant nothing if Thalia still won in the end.

"I'll go to the square." She said, when they were clear of the destruction. She turned to him and blinking, looked up at him, her eyes misting over for a moment, before she blinked the tears away, shaking her head. It might very well be the last time she saw him, and if that were the case, she wanted... needed a memory to hold to that wasn't weakened by her own tears, "Thalion. I love you. With all that I am, I love you. And whatever happens, I am so glad to have met you. If we make it through this, I fully intend to spent the entirety of my life reveling in that gratitude... If you'll have me, anyway."
 
"Go," he urged her when he rushed outside, though it felt worse in the open air. Smoke and soot rose through him, scorching his lungs and making breathing difficult. He wheezed and crinkled his nose, bringing the collar of his tunic up over the lower half of his face. He helped, but only marginally. Sparks of fire rained down from the sky, mingling with flakes of ash and as they fell, they streaked his skin with dark lines. The smell of burning was enough to bring a queasiness up through his stomach and he forcibly swallowed back the increased saliva rising through his throat, threatening to bring bile with it.

"Go to the square. Run and do not look back, do not stop, no matter what. I love you, but you must go." Time was not on their side and while staying a moment to comfort the tears that welled in the edges of her eyes would have been nice, it was a luxury they were not afforded. Not when Doyle continued to burn around them, and he was certain the burning would not cease until all Doyle turned to waste.

He gave her a small nudge. "Go. I'll see you again when this is all over," he said, trying to sound as assured as he could, but the strength in his voice sapped to nothing. A crinkle in his brow spoke of intense exhaustion, focus, and worry, but it was nearly over. Soon, he knew he could rest… alive, or in a grave. Swallowing hard, he slid his bow from across his shoulder and glanced up towards the towers of the castle. The positioning wasn't ideal, and while Minette made her way towards the square, he worked on shifting his location to a better shot. He didn't even know if an arrow could kill the woman, though it was all he had.
 
Minette gave his hand one last squeeze before she took off. It wasn't easy, navigating the chaos, and the smoke in the air did little to aid her vision. She stumbled over debris... over rocks and chunks of the buildings that crumbled around them, over fallen figures that she prayed were only unconscious and not, in fact, dead. By the time she reached the center square, she was exhausted, drenched in cold sweat that made her clothes cling, her hair sticking fast to the sides of her face.

Heart pounding, she stopped and she turned to stare up to the balcony. Only a few minutes ago, their roles had been reversed and it felt strange now, facing the woman after all that had happened so quickly. So quickly, things had turned - but surely they could turn just as swiftly back the other way. They could win, if they could just... get to her. And if anyone could, Thalion could. Minette was risking a lot, standing there... baiting the wicked woman, but it would be worth it to finally, once and for all, end things.

The world seemed to stand still where she halted, and for a moment she only stared... her eyes no longer damp, but determined, fiery and blazing with fury over what had been done to her people. Her hands balled tightly by her sides and breathing in, she called out in a voice derived from authority, "Thalia! Enough!"
 
It'd been a long time since a bow trembled in his fingers, but the bowstring wobbled like it were in novice hands when he drew it tight. Adrenaline throttled his bloodstream, causing his heart to slam and a ringing to pierce his eardrums. Thalion was keenly aware of his own breathing, but little else. The rest of the noise of the chaos decreased to fuzzy background noise beneath the bellowing roar of the ringing. A sharp pain lanced through his head thereafter, blurring his vision like a bad curse. Blinking, he tried to force it away, to see clearly, but the balcony became a stone-coloured splash.

Muscles up his arm and across his chest ached with effort. It was only Minette's voice that managed to smash the ringing. He heard her call; his body went rigid and the shake in the strung bow relaxed. He held his weapon steady.

Above, things fell still. The dragons, called off their chase, landed on buildings and clung to them. Their massive bodies sprawled over them, hissing and growling with bellies glowing between the chunks of their scales. Evernight continues to pour through the lanced hole in the cloudy, swirling sky, and creatures circled and fled, but remained eerily quiet. Only the growl of the fires remained, for even the screams had subsided. Everyone had either fled in to the forests, or were dead.

On the balcony, the doors creaked open and the shadow of Thalia proceeded through them. She brushed a speck of dust from her shoulder and stepped into the burning light. The dragons hissed at the sight.

"Are you ready to bow down, child?" asked Thalia, her hands collecting at the center of her waist, laced together elegantly. "If you agree to abdicate now, to surrender, I shall make your death quick. I give my word."

Below, Thalion muttered. He crouched deeper against the fallen rubble he positioned himself behind, winking as his arrow aimed at the woman who was standing behind one of the pillars. "Move," he muttered below his breath, tightening his grip. He didn't have a clear shot. "Come on," he urged, still in a whisper. "One more step. Come on, damnit."

Someone must have heard his prayer, for his mother took one more step forward to rest her hands on the bannister, leaning forward to survey the damage. A deep exhale depressed his lungs and released the arrow. Whistling through the air, the arrow embedded into Thalia's chest with an audible thump. The force sent her staggering back, nearly plunging off her feet as she gazed down at the wooden shaft protruding from her chest. The arrow tip dug deep.

"A trap?" she wheezed. Both hands curled around the arrow and yanked until it pulled free with a bubble of blood, which dripped down her dress and stained black. "That is very clever, yet you choose such a rudimentary weapon?" she scoffed, letting the arrow roll off her palm and clatter on to the floor. "Don't make me laugh."

A second arrow followed the first, slicing through her arm but reflecting off and smashing into the back wall.

"You missed, Thalion," she called to him. "How useless you've become when with a mortal, human girl."

"I didn't miss," Thalion said as he stood, emerging from the pile of rubble. "You were the one who taught me blood is most powerful, right? That a Wichon's blood is the most powerful there is?"

"What did you do?" she shrieked, her voice rising.

"Pick up that arrow on the ground."

Thalia resisted, veins protruding from her neck with the effort, but she appeared possessed. Her fingers jostled as she gripped the bannister, trying to fight a great, compelling force within her.

"Pick up the arrow!" Thalion bellowed.

The intensity of his voice caused the witch to cry out, something against gravity shoving her as she picked up the arrow, stumbling to her knees. "Stop, stop!" she begged. "What are you doing? Stop!" Yet she held the arrow as though it glued to her palm, her fingers refusing to open despite her begging them to.

"Put it through your left eye and don't stop until you've reached the back of your skull."

"No, no, stop!" Thalia begged. The strength in her voice sapped, replaced instead with desperate shrieks. "Don't!" Her hand came up, facing the point of the arrow right to her left eye. "Stop!" she begged, though as she did, her hand jerked and she plunged the arrow into her eye with enough force that it sunk in deep.

As the woman crumbled to the floor in a pool of blood, Thalion winced like he felt the arrow himself.
 
Minette didn't watch. In the end, what had seemed so important... the fall of Thalia... now seemed so incredibly sad, and while she knew it was their only hope, while she knew that the woman had given them no other choice, she didn't watch. She knew that it was over when the stillness filled the air and breathing out, she dropped to her knees, the cool stone of the center square the only relief to the fire, raging in her very soul.

They had done it. They had stopped her, finally. Thalion was free. Doyle was free. Tears fell, a mingled mess of solace and sadness. They had tried, they had tried to make her see - to get her to relent, but Thalia would never have given up... yet she was still Thalion's mother. She was still a part of him, she Minette knew in her heart it would crush him. It would crush him, but it wouldn't break him. Minette wouldn't allow it.

Sniffing, drying her eyes, she pushed herself to her feet and without another word, she started back the way that she had come. Thalion was where she had left him, the bow still grasped in his hands and as she slowed her approach, she watched him for a moment, inhaling deeply, before she stepped close. Reaching out, she closed her hand over his, and with fresh tears, she met his gaze.

"...We did it. She's gone, Thal. She's finally gone." With a soft sob, she pulled herself forward to throw her arms around his shoulders, breaking against his chest in a wave of emotions.
 
Evernight didn't disappear. All around them, creatures explored the new landscape. Oilers blotted out the skies in their pairs, swinging and clicking as they faded in and out of plumes of smoke. The scar closed, but how many of them were dropped into Doyle? Hundreds? Thousands? Had all of Evernight been drained into Green Reach? Everywhere he looked, he saw familiar creatures crawling through the streets. The dragons still resting on buildings shifted their mighty heads with a look of dazed confusion, purring low growls and smacking their jaws as though they emerged from a dark, deep slumber. The fires continued to burn, being put out one by one by the heartiest of civilians.

As if to provide mercy, the skies darkened and rain fell. Drip by drip, drop by drop, a light mist quickly transformed into a proper rain. Fires sizzled and blew up more plumes of smoke, but were hushed by sheets of water.

Thalion exhaled as the cool droplets saturated his clothes and slid over his skin. His bow slid between his fingers and clattered to the cobblestone and an open gash on his right palm bled openly, though the deep scarlet was diluted to a light pink with rain. He didn't move; Minette came to him. "Hey," he whispered to her, inhaling sharply in hopes the crisp, damp air would breathe new life into him. Alas, the victory felt more like a defeat. Internally, he was conflicted. Doyle was free… he was in Green Reach… it felt like everything he had ever wanted, but at what cost? Was his mother's blood on his hands, and what did that mean?

"Yea, she is." He caught her as she flung her arms around his neck, one hand resting against the small of her back. "She's gone, and it looks like she took all of the royal city with her." All that remained was ash and the charred bones of buildings. Those that escaped the flames were damaged by dragon wings, bolts, and falling creatures. The amount of rebuilding required seemed nigh endless, for even the castle barely stood… with walls in shambles, and some crumbled completely.

"I don't know what it means though. What now? What next?" He'd never thought about what would come after.
 
"It's okay..." She breathed, and she inhaled the scent of him, as if in that simple breath, she could take on his pain, his struggle. She knew it would take time... for him to heal, for all that he had endured to fade and the wounds to scar. She knew that it would take time, and it would take patience. But there was much of that left for them... so much, because of his actions. They had lost, yes... and it would be a while before Doyle recovered, before they recovered, but because of him, his choice, they could.

She could only imagine the hurt... the pain that he felt, and never more than in that moment had she been more grateful for him. For all he had done, all he had given. Never before had she wanted to help him...

Leaning back, she followed his gaze to the buildings, shaking her head as she reached for his uninjured hand again, gently squeezing it, "We rebuild." She said, with a steady nod, her voice becoming clearly, stronger as she spoke, "We rebuild it, stone by stone... It's all we can do, Thal. And we make it better... the city, the people... We make it all better. We make it something worth the work, worth the sacrifice."

Turning, her free hand stretched up to cup his cheek, and the corner of her lip lifted in a small, sad smile, "Death didn't break us, my love. This won't, either."
 
The idea of rebuilding—stone by stone—seemed so farfetched and exhausting. He sighed, his dark eyes shifting out over the city. Many of the fires quenched by rain, though hot coals burned bright. All the homes, belongings, livestock, farm fields just… gone. Confused animals fled into the forests and away from the city and even the dragons spread their wings and, one by one, took the skies. They disappeared behind veils of clouds and into the darkness.

"Looks like you have some new creatures," he commented idly. He imagined the creatures of Evernight would survive—even proposer—in Green Reach. A bounty of prey for them to hunt: horses, dogs, cats, people… all unaware and unprepared for the new array of predators. "Tough break on that."

Shaking his head, Thalion flung droplets of water free and pushed his hair back with his free hand. His palm stroked down his eyes and cheek in a vain attempt to swipe the exhaustion away with it. "I guess there ain't anythin' else we can do." But all he wanted to do was sleep for an eternity. The exhaustion sapped him will and resolve, even under the tender loving touches from Minette. He knew she was giving him her all… trying to make what happened, what was happening, just a little more bearable. It was appreciated, but he was tired. Too tired to be consoled. Too tired to feel alright.

Still, he forced on the small tip of a smile when he glanced her direction. "You should find Ben," he mentioned, "make sure he's alright n' all that." He imagined many died in the scuffle. He could see some already from the corner of his eye, though his brain did what it could to ignore the grim scape around him. Not until he got some rest; there were no thoughts left to process anything more. "And tell him not to hunt after those creatures. They'll get ripped apart by 'em."

Even the dragons seemed too disoriented and confused to hunt, but they'd get hungry again… they all would.
 
Shaking her head, Minette didn't move, hand fixed in his, "I'm not going anywhere, Thal." And she meant it. She knew his inclinations by now - Thalion was a warrior... a creature all in his own right, as much as the dragons and halfhags and rocs... He was a man who could no sooner breathe relief than those which had fallen through from the veil, and it would be a long time, if ever, before he found peace in Doyle. She knew his urge to push her away when he felt most vulnerable... and she knew that he would, if he could, dissolve completely into himself, into his sullen, repressed darkness...

But she wasn't going to let it happen. She hadn't in Evernight and she wouldn't here, "I don't want to go anywhere, Thal. Not now... not ever." There was concern, of course, for Ben, for the people of Doyle... but those things could be addressed later. In time, the smoke would clear and the damage would be known... but for now, she knew where she was most needed, and she was already there.

He needed her, and she would stay with him until he was ready... until she was sure he wouldn't fall away, back beneath the husk of rage and misfortune that she had found him under. She would stay with him, until she was sure he could stand...

"Come on..." She said, softer, giving him a tug towards the husk of the palace, "Let's get out of the rain..."
 
There was some comfort in seeing creatures from Evernight. Perhaps if only for the fact that there was something weirder, wilder than him there. Then, would the people of Doyle grow more suspicious of magic than ever? Between Thalia, the creatures of Evernight… he wondered if, within them, the people of Green Reach would ever find any shred of acceptance. Alas, those were questions and concerns for another time, for he couldn't dwell on them. The rain washed them away too quick and the cool numbness that followed was a welcomed one. It cleaned away dirt, mud, and blood like a rebirth of some kind.

Thalion followed her towards the shell of the castle, grunting as they stepped past the thick wooden doors thrown open and off-kilter on their hinges. He found the inside air colder than outside, perhaps because he was no longer being battered with rain and there was nothing particularly welcoming about the inside of the castle. Rubble and dust piled high… broken beans, statues, and art all fell from their former locations and spread across the floor. Nothing seemed to be intact. Water dripped through the roofline that was ripped apart by dragon talons, which left gaping holes. Puddles pooled in cracks in the marble floor.

"Everyone's likely hiding in the dungeon beneath," he mentioned. "Seems like it was the only safe place to be." Swiping a hand through his hair, Thalion shook out as much moisture as he could. "Pretty cold and dark. Wonder if we can get a fire started somewhere." He was damn sick of fires, but as the cool air began to penetrate his damp clothes and skin, it was the only viable option.

"Unless you got a better option." Warmth, sleep, food… it was only the basic necessities of life that weighed his mind. He couldn't think about anything further, couldn't allow himself to stretch out beyond his most dire needs. Not yet.
 
Nodding, she looked around, trying her best not to think too deeply about all that had happened around them. It was difficult for Thalion, and she knew that - he was out of place, and it would be hard to adjust to the new world, to a world without his mother - a world where he was a stranger, and a stranger people would undoubtedly fear. But in some ways, he was lucky. He got to start anew. But this had been Minette's life... her home. And it had been ravaged... torn to pieces.

She needed to be strong for Thalion, for Doyle. But she wanted nothing more than to fall to pieces like the castle around her. To allow the weight of the past few months to crash down, and to fall beneath it for just a little while... Her hand reached out and glanced across one of the crumbling walls and biting her lip, Minette struggled for a moment to hold back tears.

"...We'll need to find them." She noted, agreeing that they were indeed most likely down in the lower area, "We'll need to find them and tell them it's over." Pulling her hand back, she looked to Thalion, and steeling herself, she swallowed, "The kitchen is closer to the center of the palace, it's likely there wasn't much damage, and the fireplace there should warm the rooms around it. If we gather everyone there, we can feed them, and get some rest."

Before what... The question rang in her mind, clear as a bell and blinking, she looked away again. It seemed much harder to rebuild, looking at it, now...So much harder. It was likely to take years, and even then, some things could not be replaced.

"...Will... will you see if they're there? I'll..." Swallowing again, she turned to the doorway, "I'll check the kitchen and try to get a fire going."
 
"The kitchen? Good place as any, I suppose." He pondered how much of even that survived. The ice house was likely to be ruined, but perhaps the pantries contained some breads, rolls… something they could eat. Surely, some of the stores would have survived, even if all the meat in the ice house was long decimated and cooked to charcoal in the dragons' flames. Hunting could be an option, though any wise small critter would have long fled the heat of the flames… he knew it'd be days, or weeks, before they could find any sign of a rabbit or a squirrel. There were Oilers, but he struggles to believe that any one from Green Reach would want to eat one, no matter how dire.

All that was left, then, was the silent prayer that some dried goods survived. Enough that a cook could piece together some bread, or biscuits. Anything. At the thoughts, he stomach growled. His mind lulled… two equally strong forces, hunger and exhaustion, pulled like wild horses in two different directions. He couldn't even decided which he wanted, or needed more.

"Yea," he answered. "You go to the kitchen. I'll meet you there."

He turned off and picked a path towards the military quarters. No single hallway was left untouched and each provided obstacles he struggled to kick over. Debris, glass, broken wooden beams were all things he wrestled with before finally reaching the spiral, stone staircase at the end of the wing leading down. The minute he swung the door open, squealing as it did, the muffled murmurs carried upon the stone vault.

"It's alright," he called down in a monotone voice as he made his way down the steps. "It's over."

"Sorcerer!" a woman cried, shielding a child from him by pressing the small thing against her chest. "Get away. We've done nothing to you. Leave us be!"

Thalion grunted and stopped, not even reaching the bottom of the landing. "Ain't here to hurt you," he said.

"Then what are you here for?"

The stench of urine and decay swept up from the dungeon. A small group, five or six individuals, huddled together. Five maids, he counted… and a soldier, who abandoned his post and bore trousers saturated at the front.

"It's over. Queen Minette is victorious," he said and turned to head back up the stairs. "She's in the kitchen, trying to get a fire started. Come if you want."

"I will not fall for your trickery, mage," the soldier barked.

"Whatever," was Thalion's only response. "Then sit here and freeze."
 
"If you're gonna be stupid... it's not half of what you deserve." The voice came from being Thalion, a familiar sound as Ben emerged in the doorway. Apart from a solid cut across his forehead, he appeared relatively unscathed, a small miracle, considering how long it had taken him and his men to take down just one of the creatures in the sky. He stepped fully into view and dusting off his armor, shook his head at the soldier.

"Only a coward runs from battle... and yet you have the nerve to suggest you're somehow better than him? I'll have you demoted for running... Breathe one more syllable elsewise, and I'll make sure you rot in this dungeon for the rest of you miserable life." Turning to the crowd, his hands met his hips and he shook his head as he looked everyone over. It was a mottle crowd, but not in terrible shape. They were finding them all over the palace, all over town... Survivors... and it was a relief, considering what they had all expected to find.

"You lot listen, and listen good. That man, he just saved your lives. All of you. You aren't going to sit there an insult him, not in front of me... Not ever, am I understood?" Silence met the question, before a few of them nodded, the soldier lowering his gaze, dejected, flushed.

One of the maids, a younger woman, inched forward from the crowd, her eyes moving to Thalion, bright and wide, "...Th... those creatures out there? Do you know what they are? Are they dangerous?"
 
Thalion wasn't expecting anyone to speak up for him. Hell, he never banked on it, but hearing Ben's voice caused him pause and to perk his ears. He frowned at first, half expecting some sort of lecture or demeaning talk… but he didn't really have any reason to. Aside from their very first meeting, which was rather unfortunate, Thalion hadn't much excuse to dislike Ben. He just did because of how things first played out. It wasn't necessarily any fault of his own, Thalion never really learned how to like most people. Still, the rousing speech was encouraging and brought some much needed contentment into Thalion's psyche.

He'd only considered the evil in his act—the killing, but not the good: the saving. Maybe he helped save those peoples' lives and while he couldn't claim full credit for any of it, it gave momentary perspective. He wasn't quite jumping for joy and swooning into Ben's corner. He had, after all, attacked Minette—sincere or not—but his dislike for the man trickled further towards neutral.

The question brought him back to reality. Realizing he was getting lost in his own thoughts, he raised his eyebrows a ways. "Uh, yea… yea, the creatures aren't great," he admitted. What was worse, he was the only person in the entire Green Reach who knew anything about them, except Minette. She was a quick study, but her knowledge was still limited to what she encountered during her time in Evernight. "Just… let's just get to the kitchen right now. They ain't going to be coming back here right now."
Creatures from Evernight, like Green Reach, were still animals. The fires, the chaos, the noise, the newness… they were scared off for the time being, of that he was certain. Scratching a hand through his hair, Thalion glanced back up the stairs.

"Let's just get up to the kitchen for now. We can try and find somethin' to eat, warm up, n' go from there. There will be a lot ahead of us."
 
Almost as though his words were magic, themselves, the people seemed suddenly far more interested in following after Thalion. In truth, their fear had been largely in the unknown, but somehow, hearing his words, hearing his knowledge of the creatures seemed to imbue in the people a sense of certainty. Only the soldier chose to remain behind, though no one paid him much mind, and as Ben followed Thalion out, he gently clapped a hand to the man's shoulder, nodding.

"Thank you. I was in the parapets... but I saw what you did. Not with the witch, though I heard about that, but with Min... That guard. You saved her life, Thalion, and Doyle thanks you." Releasing him, he waved the others forward, up the stairs to the main level, before taking up the rear.

In the kitchen, Minette had had some success as well. The cook, who for all intents and purposes, was quite attached to both his job and his kitchen itself, had already managed to straighten most of the room out, and a roaring fire met her as she came in through the archway. There was food in storage, enough, decidedly, that they could feed those few who remained in the palace and as he rifled about gathering what he needed, Minette helped to chop vegetables for a stew.

No one protested her presence or her aid... There was no time to worry about stations or propriety, and when the others arrived, Minette appeared no more royal than the cook himself, stirring a large pot, tendrils of hair curling over the heat of the fire. She looked up to Thalion, and despite the raging emotions within her, she smiled.
 
Thalion was not a hero. His actions were selfish, he knew, and he wasn't disillusioned by the admiring gazes. Everything he'd done had been for his own gain—to come to Green Reach, to find freedom from his prison, for Minette, yet the people started to revel after him following Ben's rousing speech. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it all. Aside from a small snort, Thalion turned away and began to pick a new path through the fallen rubble and debris towards the kitchen, as wordless as ever. People were strange creatures. Monsters? Monsters he understood. They killed and hunted for survival, but people? He still wasn't sure what to make of them. He wasn't even sure he liked them.

A bristle ran up his spine when a hand clapped on his shoulder. Glancing over, Thalion eyed Ben with some suspicion. "Yea…" he replied. "Thanks." People said thanks for that sort of thing, right? It had been so long since he'd been around anyone, except Minette, he couldn't remember. An uneasiness crept through him, but not the same kind he felt when around a creature… it was different. It made heat rise up the back of his neck and a cool sweat to slicken his palms.

Ben left him alone and Thalion hurried on back towards the kitchen. Warmth crept up on him and when he stepped in through the threshold, the heat of the fire caused his skin to prickle uncomfortably as he warmed. The cook was a whirlwind, but seeing Minette, he paused and smiled. "Found Ben," he mentioned casually, stepping around the kitchen to glance about, impressed with how much work had been done. The damage was plainly evident in the walls and ceiling, but the mess had been picked up and swept away. Shelves were organized and neat.

"Found a few folk, too." He flippantly motioned to the people who had followed after him. "We have water?" he asked. "I can go get some, if we need." Thalion swiped his hand across his face, grimacing when he pulled his fingers away, the cut hurting more than it should have.
 
Moving to Thalion, Minette shook her head, "We've got water. We've got food. Chef found some linens, and there are some tinctures made for anyone who has injuries." Her eyes moved to Ben, who caught her case and with a smile and a nod, she relayed as much appreciation to the man as was possible in a simple gesture. It wasn't much, considering how much they all had lost, but knowing at least one person she had been close to before the fall was still alive gave her encouragement...

Turning her eyes back to Thalion, she frowned at the grimace and reached for his injured hand, "Come on. We'll get that patched..." And giving him little room to argue she led him along to a table set with bandages and small vials of medicinal herbs, crushed into powder and applied to water. Plucking one from the bunch, she sank down onto a stool, gesturing for him to do the same. Plucking the vial cork out, she poured the liquid onto one of the bandages and careful, holding his hand flat on her lap, she worked against the wound, gently smoothing the liquid into it.

"I don't remember if I thanked you or not, Thal... For what you did. I know that it wasn't easy and I'm sorry that you had to make that decision. I'm sorry that she... that she made that the choice at all. I wish it could have gone differently. I'm not sorry that this all happened, because without Evernight, I wouldn't have you, but if I could save you the pain, please know there's nothing I would not do."
 
Thalion didn't bother arguing. He was too tired to argue, so when Minette gestured for him to come, he followed her lead. Sitting down, he melted back into the chair with a groan and kicked his legs out in front of him. His form slouched, his eyes closed. The tiredness he felt was unreal, like anvils had been strung from his eyelids and he was powerless to keep them open. Even the tingle of pain from whatever Minette was doing to his palm did not disturb him. He kept his arm jutted out towards her, letting her do whatever she wanted without protest or argument. It seemed he was nearly dozing off.

"Don't thank me," he replied when she extended her gratitude. His actions, at the time, had been so easy. He never even blinked, or hesitated. Killing Thalia had come as easy as breathing in the moment, and the implications of his actions came only long afterwards. Was it the right thing to do? Had their been other options? An arrow laced with his blood left her powerless against him… he could have told her to do anything. He didn't have to kill her… he couldn't have forced her to go into a prison cell, to go back to Evernight. Alas, those thoughts weighed on his mind. The spell would have worn off eventually, but it begged the question: did he have to end her life?

Did she even deserve to live?

It was an argument in his brain that raged as violently as a hurricane on the ocean. "It's over now anyways. There are other things to worry about." Out of one prison and straight into another, it seemed. Like it or not, that seemed to be what life was all about: choosing a prison. Licking the edge of his lip, Thalion cracked his eyes open and watched his fingers wiggle. The wound wasn't bad and the bandage would hold fine until the scab managed to connect. "I don't really wanna be thanked for anything, anyways. Don't really want to think about it."

The sooner he could move past it, the sooner he could begin helping to clear away any visual of her presence, the better. "We should eat and rest. Come tomorrow, you'll need to be Queen n' I'll need to help people deal with Evernight," he said, scratching his cheek and looking towards the stove.
 
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