Bit of Advice

It is snowing heavily this day. Which in of itself should have been, might have been enough to drive any sane person inside. The early hour has driven even more people to their beds if they weren't there already. The temple is quiet then, almost too quiet. The clerics who are still awake - few as they are - move about in a hush slowly. The bell tolls three o'clock and one of the guardsmen snores quietly, unaware of the bell doing _its_ job.

Fortunately for Dolan, it wasn't far, because when he'd fled the small flat he shared with Andelena in the Temple District, he hadn't exactly prepared for cold, or bad weather, and had not taken any more time than he absolutely had to. He'd managed hose, boots, and trousers, and a cloak pulled haphazardly around himself with one hand, but no more than that. The eye is entirely forgotten, and no attention paid to gear at all.

The cold and snow outside got his attention quite quickly, a cold shock to the system that pierced the miasma of nightmares and panic long enough to allow the Redeemer to wake up and take over. So it is that, instead of directing his steps towards his own temple, he goes a few dozen paces further to the temple of His child, the Temple of Dreams, not for solace, but for answers. Blood in his tangled hair and his disheveled look suggests a clear and present problem when he stumbles up the steps and into the doors of Eluna's Temple, chest heaving, and looks around for someone, anyone.

It's the other guard at the door that responds to Dolan's entry. The one that's not asleep. He becomes alert, striding a few steps toward Dolan and lifts an uncertain hand in greeting. "Sir." The word is as uncertain as the gesture. "What brings you to the temple? ... Are you okay?"

"I need the Seers' help," Dolan answers, blinking his sole remaining eye at the sudden intercession of the guard, but stopping and shivering as the snow falls around him. "I awoke from nightmares to find this." With that, he drops his hand from his neck to reveal a still-bleeding bite - that of a vampire. "It's - complicated, but - I ran out without really getting dressed, sorry."

The guard's eyes flick to the wound, and the man blanches, taking a step back. "Seer.... yes. Come in, you should certainly have that checked out right eye- away!" He stumbles over his words and shakes the other guard awake. "Hey! Wake up. You've got to be awake while I take this guy in."

With that taken care of the guard leads Dolan into the temple proper. He grabs the first Seer there that he finds and directs her to look at Dolan before offering a wave and hurrying off again. It's almost like he didn't want to stick around or something. The Seer takes one look at Dolan and leads him over to a bench. "Sit down."

Not many are active yet or still, but Eluna's temple would be one of those few. The other being that of The Healer, as the ovens are already at work for the day's nourishment for those without or otherwise in need. This is why the smell of freshly-baked and still-hot (or at least warm) bread wafts to and through the entrance to the temple as Kira arrives with two large baskets, one over each shoulder and a smile lit between. "Good morning," she offers to the guard(s) (awake or otherwise).

Dolan doesn't argue, although he does turn his head, and really his whole body for a moment, to look after the guard when he runs off. The reaction still stings, but it's not an uncommon thing. When he sits down, he leans back, his remaining eye wide open, the empty artifice socket where the artificial one should be left, for once, uncovered, a testament to his haste. "Thanks. Green garden hells, have I gotten myself in a right pickle."

One of the guards hastens toward Kira, offering her a smile as he comes from deeper inside the temple. The other guard, seeing his fellow returned, quickly returns to sleep. He gets a firm look from his companion which he doesn't notice and the awake guard turns a polite smile on Kira. "Delivery for the kitchens? I'm sure you know your way, but I can escort you if you like!"

The Seer blinks at Dolan, and steps a bit closer to him. "Is the bite the only injury you have? It looks... Well do you mind if I have a closer look at it?"

Kira's smile broadens at the guard as she nods. "Thank you, but I will manage." She reaches up to retrieve two loaves from a basket to offer to him. "For you, and your friend, when he wakes." She doesn't judge, but perhaps food will help energize him?

She then moves further into the temple proper, spying the Seer and the man he is tending. There is some concern at his seeming under-dressed state which causes her to approach further. Kira does not intrude on the Seer's duties, however, but does not immediately move on. The man could use a meal, or a blanket, or more.

"That's all. It doesn't heal, though. I tried." Dolan tilts his head, allowing the Seer to look more closely at the bite on his neck. "At least, I couldn't. Some demons make wounds that don't heal so easily, but this wasn't a demon." The head tilt restricts his vision, but he maintains it anyway. "I - I've never heard of dreams and nightmares causing actual wounds in the real world."

The Seer makes a soft humming noise before beginning to check out the wound. "You say you got this in a dream?" She sounds a bit uncertain, but her fingers are sure where the touch Dolan. "Are you sure it was a dream? It is possible to be harmed in a dream, but it is very rare. One moment, I'm going to try and heal this myself."

That's the only warning she gives before she prays for a spell to repair the damage to Dolan's neck. The injury ceases to bleed, but that's it. It heals no further. It's then that the cleric notices Kira, and she gives the other woman a steady look that asks what she's doing here.

The mention of demons, even if a passing reference, colors Kira's smile with concern. This isn't dwelt on with the Seer noticing her and inquiring. "I am sorry and did not mean to intrude, Seer. I am here with bread from The Healer's kitchens, but saw that he might be in need." She dips her head to Dolan. "He is safe here, in your care, but if I might do anything to help while I am here, I would gladly."

Dolan lets out a hiss between his teeth as the Seer touches the wound with gentle fingers. A sensation of coolness that washes through him as the healing takes effect, but the burn returns in just moments, and he frowns. "I don't think that -"

And then Kira speaks. He starts, clearly not having seen her, and snaps his entire head around to see who is there. "What's the Sentinel doing here?" he asks warily, clearly making an effort to pull himself together. He can't take the worry off of the mobile side of his features, though.

Kira's response has the Seer nodding, but Dolan's concern returns her attention. "She's only here out of concern and a desire to help. It seems that you're right and the wound is not healing properly. It's possible that you were attacked by a creature of the dream realm. A cousin of shadow demons which cause wounds that are difficult to heal. Or that the dream itself for some reason has marked you. If I knew more about the circumstance of the dream I might be able to offer some assistance."

It is not until Dolan speaks that Kira combines the voice, her familiarity to him, the mention of demons, and (now that he turns to face her) his visage. "Oh, hello again. I did not mean to startle you. Please let the Seer help you. I will deliver these." She considers asking Dolan needs anything, but doesn't want to further interrupt the Seer. Stepping back, she turns to head on to deliver her goods. It will give healer and patient some privacy, and she will see about acquiring a spare blanket on her way back. Just in case.

_What does it look like I'm doing?_ The twist of expression the mobile half of Dolan's face wears is clear enough, but the words at least are a bit more politic. "Yeah. It's pretty complicated, so this'll take a minute." His hand wanders gingerly up to his neck, to feel where the bite was left, and he frowns. "I've been working with an artifact of the Dream Realm, trying to learn more about it. I've found the best way to do this is to lucid dream with it next to me, and I've gotten pretty good at it. The only problem is, yesterday I ran into a creature that some of the greater adventurers know, a vampire by the name of Kol Demontry. He got called back from the Dream Realm, by-" He stops, and has the grace to look embarrassed. "Someone who's been working on this with me."

"Anyway, I encountered this vampire yesterday. He's after me. He's fascinated by me. I was able to learn some stuff about him, stuff I might be able to use to stop him. But - he still wants me. I told him no. And I got home, and this happened after that."

The Seer listens intently to this story, her expression growing more and more concerned. "It sounds to me... and I may be wrong here, but it does sound as if you are talking about a creature of the dream realm. A natural vampire's bite would not linger like this. Not unless you were yourself becoming one, and that's not the case here. But if you think that this Kol vampire was called back into the dream realm, he may not be what he was." She hefts a sigh. "It's hard to say. Perhaps I should get one of the senior clergy? They might have actual knowledge about the totems? Or... have you considered communing with Eluna's servitors directly?"

Dolan looks up at the idea of communing with Eluna's servitors directly. "Ma'am, I wouldn't presume to do that unless you think I should," he replies, a little uncomfortably. "I have a pretty good idea of what the totems can do if they're in the Dream Realm. That's how she brought Kol back, using the totem and it did something she didn't expect. They can manipulate the Dream Realm itself, it looks like. But - is there a way to stop it? Maybe a safer way to find out what these things do? And - is there a way to heal this? Is it likely to heal at all?"

For a moment the woman considers. "I would suggest such a thing in this case, as I'm not sure any mortal person has the answers you're looking for. You're talking about things I've never even heard of. If these totems you're talking about are of the dream realm... they are sacred items and might be capable of all sorts of things. Including manipulating the dream realm itself. I just don't know the answers to some of your questions. I can tell you that the wound you have will heal. I can heal it myself, or it will heal itself over time. If it wasn't going to heal, it would not have responded to my magic at all, but as you can tell; it's no longer bleeding."

"No, that's all right." Something in Dolan sags with relief, the calm and ease of the Seer in turn putting him at his ease. "I'd hate to have you extend yourself. Don't know that I am up to spells right now, but I can -" He stops, hesitating, then shakes his head. "Never mind. I'm sure I can get someone to look at it." His hand automatically goes to it, and there's still a hint of worry in the background, but it's much more muted than it was. Kol's marked him all right, and he knows it in a way he can't explain to others.

"Um, what would the Temple ask to do such a commune?" he ventures, carefully. "I - I'm more a servitor of the Sunlord, but - you think that would matter?"

"It matters whom you ask. If you serve the Sunlord you might be more comfortable asking one of His servants to do so, but in this instance those that follow the Sky-singer might be able to answer your questions better. The temple usually asks for a donation, but if you perform a service to the temple you might be able to request that the donation be waved. You might ask the Sunguard, or the Silverguard if there is any way you might be of assistance to them; or one of the senior clergy who would be required to perform the prayer for you."

This gives Dolan pause, but it's not unreasonable, and gradually, he begins to sit up more, shivering again in the cool of the marble temple. He is way underdressed, having not even taken the time to put on a shirt and instead wrapped himself in his traveler's cloak. "I can do that. I've got something else outside the city I've got to look into anyway. And - it probably wouldn't hurt me to get out of the city for a while. They kind of hate us here," he laments briefly. "Sorry," he adds, pulling the cloak more closely around himself, trying to keep it away from the raw bite marks on his neck. "I'll see what I can do. What would the donation be?"

"Around a thousand gold usually. But as I said, you can sometimes do work for a temple rather than pay the donation." She looks at him and offers a faint smile. "Would you like a blanket for your trip back out into the cold? You must have been freezing out there without a shirt on."

"It helped put my head back on straight," Dolan answers, grinning most sheepishly. "So, I guess it was worth it. It wasn't that far," he waves off the offer of a blanket. "I just need to cover this, or I'll rub it raw. I didn't want to bleed on the shirt," he admits. "But - if it'll get me some answers about how in all the green garden hells that happened, I'll do it. Thanks."

-End