"I hope you slept well." I murmur to the two men as I bring their breakfast and tea, dressed in that skimpy outfit as I have to attend Deviago immediately afterwards. I don't have time to change, and I can't use magic to change how I look as that would give me away. Yone is meditating in the right corner of the cell, Yasuo is looking around their new quarters. Both of them react to me being escorted by the two men from three days ago, Beefcakes and Idiot. Neither brother seems worried, more agitated at seeing them.

"Do you have any news on Leilah?" Yasuo immediately asks. Yone's mouth frowns a little bit more, but he doesn't say anything. Both must be worried about me, since they don't know where I am. I don't blame them. Neither of the two men say anything back. Idiot opens up the door and leans into my face.

"Pay the toll, Blossom." Idiot demands. I hold in a shudder as I make him believe that I gave him a kiss on the cheek. Yone and Yasuo's eyes narrow as Idiot seems a little more than happy to let me through even if they didn't see me give him what he wants, but they don't mention anything until the door closes behind me. Beefcakes starts another argument with the man, though we don't pay that much attention to them.

"How did you do that?" Yone asks under his breath, careful to make sure no one can hear us.

"Long story." I try to dodge. Yone doesn't seem all that happy that I didn't answer his question, but he lets it slide. I hand them their gruel and their tea. Both brothers take the offerings before backing away. Yone places his food neatly on the ground while Yasuo leans against a wall. They take a sip from their tea before looking surprised.

"Oolong?" Yone asks.

"That was the only tea they had available." I fib.

"When my tea has hints of mint in it?" Yasuo interrupts. Dammit!

"There was mint in the kitchens, and I thought that you would appreciate-"

"Hey! Piped down!" Beefcakes barks at us. I fight the urge to let out a sigh of relief. That… could have been disastrous. In my effort to give the brothers something nice, I might have inadvertently given away that I am somewhat aware of their preferences. When they don't ask anymore questions, I settle myself onto my knees. Yasuo makes a face while he finishes his meal. Yone's face is very passive, though I know that he hates it. His lips are just a bit too thin. Still, this is the only time of the day that I actually feel relaxed. Then it's off to serve Deviago again...

"Would you happen to have met a girl with stars in her hair and odd eyes?" Yone asks when he's done eating his meal. I blink in surprise before flicking my hands up to my face instinctively. Yone's eyes track my hand.

"I'm the only person I know that has odd eyes. But with stars in her hair… isn't she the mage that Deviago's looking for?" I avoid lying directly. Yone spent so much time with me when he was training me. He knows my tells, and even if I look like a brunette, it wouldn't end well if Yone can tell that a brunette he never met is lying. I still avoid answering his question, but it seems like he accepts it.

"She is. And…" Yone glances over my shoulder to the guards. Both of them are ignoring what's going on in the cell now. He gestures for me to come forward. I do so. The scarf around his waist glows a little bit more. "I think she's in the colosseum."

"What makes you believe that?" A shiver runs down my spine.

"The fabric around my waist, it's hers. It doesn't glow without her." Yone gestures to the sparkling material. I desperately want to make the light disappear, but that… that would be suspicious.

"But, if Deviago's looking for her, wouldn't that just be a life sentence?" I reason, my heart pounding in my ears.

"She's never been able to stay away when something goes wrong… Like I've been telling Yone." Yasuo joins out conversation, his tone annoyed with his older brother.

"If she was here, she'd be worse off." Yone retorts.

"If she was here, we wouldn't even have to wait to get invited in. She could have made us invisible to every single person here and we could search the colosseum in peace!" Yasuo harshly reminds his brother.

"If vulkodalks are being kept here, then all that would accomplish is their aggression." Yone is firm in his stance. "They would realize that something was making the vulkodalks agitated and try to find the source."

"Deviago's holding healers here. I'm not sure where or how, but they're here." I pipe up. That seems to make Yasuo seem even more annoyed.

"All the more reason that we should have brought Leilah with us. Even if there wasn't a single mage here, we could have learned that! Now we know that there's healers here, healers that use magic that vulkodalks feast on! They wouldn't let the creatures run wild unless they knew something was up. We would have had time to search the place before they got the idea to do so." Yasuo rants.

"I would still rather see her safe than let her suffer in front of me" Yone doesn't stop. It's frustrating me enough to try to pull out my own hair. I can take care of myself. I don't need protecting all the bloody time!

"I know that you want to protect her, especially after what happened to her, but she's not the same girl that would collapse each time she used magic! She was holding off a pack of vulkodalks on her own!" At least Yasuo believes in me.

"Barely holding off." The more incensed Yone gets, the quieter he is. And right now, he's really mad.

"That's where we come in. She helps us, we protect her. She's safer if she's with us than if she's out there, alone." Yasuo finishes. I humbly pick up their empty plates. Yone is silent. Perhaps Yasuo managed to get it through his head that all this could have been avoided if I was just with them from the beginning… Well, I could avoid all this crap is I didn't go on my own and waited at the temple...

"Well, well, well. I didn't know that you two were lovers." Deviago snorts. Two servants are carrying Yasuo's and Yone's swords in their arms. Deviago has taken to having them walk around like that. He likes knowing that he outsmarted the people trying to stop him. I immediately rise to my feet while keeping my head down. Best not make the boss angry. Yone slides to his feet while Yasuo pulls me behind him, trying to protect me.

"We aren't lovers." Yone snaps.

"I never mentioned who." Deviago smirks. He looks over to see me cowering in the corner. "Blossom, here."

I obediently leave the cage. No matter how reluctant I am to leave, I have to. When the door slides shut behind me, Deviago grabs me. Yasuo reacts to my suddenly being held hostage. He tries to move forward, but Yone keeps a hand out, stopping the man from helping. Honestly, it might be a bigger help that he refused to let Yasuo go. I'd really like to not reveal my magic today.

"So, here's the deal, boys. You fight in the pits tonight, and I won't slit Blossom's throat." Deviago states cheerfully, a small blade at my throat. The urge to use magic is really strong, but I have to pretend like I'm a normal girl. My scarf around Yone's waist glows a little brighter in response to my alarm. I never knew it did that… then again, I was never separate from my scarf to begin with...

"How do you expect us to fight if we don't have weapons?" Yone is calm. I see Yasuo's eyes glance between my scarf and around us, trying to find me. I'm really hoping he doesn't put together everything too soon.

"You expect me to believe that master swordsmen are not taught hand-to-hand combat?" Deviago snorts. Idiot and Beefcakes snicker. "If anything, I believe that this is the only way to make a fair fight."

"A performance? We are not your toys." Yasuo snarls. Yone keeps his brother behind him.

"Well, then. What a pity. I have to say, I did enjoy Blossom's company, but-" Deviago starts to press into my skin. I desperately wish I could stop it, but best that I don't. I have to fight to keep my magic from healing. Surprisingly, it's not that hard. The training with Xayah and Rakan must have worked.

"We'll fight." Yone agrees. Deviago pulls the knife away and shoves me to the ground. I'm panting a little bit from the adrenaline running in my veins.

-WARNING! BIT OF GORE HERE!-

"Excellent decision, Master Yone. We'll be coming for you when the sun falls. Blossom!" Deviago barks out. I struggle to my feet to follow him. Idiot helps me up, with an expectation of gratitude. I don't even have time to do anything when Idiot's head is detached from his neck.

I can feel my eyes glaze over in shock when witnessing that. Beefcake sighs in mourning at his friend.

-All set-

"I'm sorry, but you had to do that while Deviago's around. You should have known better. I couldn't save you from his wrath if I didn't kill you." Beefcakes definitely sounds remorseful. He doesn't even pay attention to the girl that he has showered a dead man's blood on.

"Blossom?" Yone calls to me. His hand reaches through the bars to grab onto my still wrists. I can't breath. "Blossom."

"Blossom!" Deviago howls for me. I automatically move, following him. What is wrong with me? That I would obey this man while I'm in shock? "Go clean up. I have to gather a few people. Feel free to consider this a vacation, though I expect you to be here at their cell come sundown, understood?"

I'm too numb to do anything but nod. I… I didn't feel my magic backlash from him being killed, even when he's right in front of me, but I was injured when I was assisting someone. This blessing is so weird. I still don't know my limitations for my magic after all these years. I think I'm still in shock. I don't even realize when I'm in a shower until the water spraying against my face brings me back. I gasp in surprise. Trixie's standing in front of my naked form, dropping a bucket of water on my head. I frantically check my hands for scars, making sure that my magic hasn't faded in my shock. To my pleasant surprise, I still look like Blossom.

"There you are, Blossom." Trixie sounds so kind. A few tears flood my face, though it's hard to tell with the water. Still, I find myself unable to be that upset for long. I've spent too much time as me to actually be sad. I have to pretend I am though. It wouldn't do for a country girl to be not at all upset over the death of a man. With that in mind, I force my magic to do a little bit more for me, making me cry. I let out some of my pain and slump to the ground. It's not really a noticeable increase in magic, not like trying to hide my scarf's light. Trixie gives me a tight hug, gently providing me with comfort. I rock a little bit, but I don't actually go into my horrors. Now is not the time.

"H-h-he just…" I trail off. I am still in shock over someone being killed like that in front of me.

"He deserved it." Trixie murmurs. I want to snap a look at Trixie. She just… condoned a man's death. This coming from a woman who told me that I made a mistake… He's changing us. And definitely not for the better. He's making us… into numb little slaves.

"No one deserves it." I whimper out loud. That… That can never change. I have to do whatever I can to help. And I might be a bit weak, unable to truly stop everything… but I will make sure that he will never win, even if it means I'm going to be found out and held prisoner for a long time, I know for a fact that Starshadow would save me. I have enough magic to ensure that he could tear this place down by himself… Though I'd rather take care of this myself. I got myself into this mess, I can get myself out.

"If Deviago believes that he was to die, then he was to die." Trixie soothes. What makes me freak out a little bit is the feeling of agreement. How I am feeling this way… that is a horrible feeling. I can't wait for all this to be over. I'll have to figure out how to deal with these feelings later. I have to gather myself and get ready for the upcoming day. Deviago's let me out, but I'd rather spend my time with Yone and Yasuo. I'll have to be careful to not reveal too much, but I want to get them to trust me.

"Thanks, Trixie." I mumble under my breath. I wipe my tears, real tears from my face and push her away. Trixie leaves, letting me take care of the rest. I carefully wash each strand of Idiot's blood from my hair. It takes some time, but I get all of it off. With one last water splash, I'm clean again. I really could have just used my magic… Though I'm not sure how to make it permanent like Starshadow can.

After I'm clean, I have to slip into the more showy clothes. The ones I was wearing… I don't think I can wear those again. This set is almost skimpier than the last. More of my cleavage is showing. I hate showing so much of myself. I'm not a callgirl, I'm a healer… and that is going to ground me until either we save ourselves, or Starshadow comes back. Until then, I just go back to the cells. I'd really prefer to have some company I enjoy while I process Idiot's death.

Beefcakes gives me a sympathetic look as he lets me in. Both Yone and Yasuo get up when they notice me back. Yasuo gets close, wanting to give me a hug, but also not sure what I want. I'll be honest, I'll take a hug from anyone right now. With that said, I slip into Yasuo's range. He gently gives me a hug.

"Will you be ok, Blossom?" Yone asks. I have to say, I appreciate the question. He's not asking if I'm alright. I'm clearly not. He's asking if I'm going to be ok. And I will. Even if someone was just blatantly killed in front of me, it still doesn't terrify me as much as I scared myself. Someone being killed in front of me doesn't even begin to compare to me torturing someone else gleefully.

"Yeah." I mumble. Yasuo squeezes one last time before he helps me to the ground. I shiver and look over at Beefcakes. "Could we… get some privacy?"

"Sure thing, Blossom. I'll bring their lunches this time." Beefcakes readily agrees. At least someone has sympathy around here. He leaves easily enough. Yasuo slumps into a corner while Yone takes a seat nearby. His footsteps quieter the longer he walks away. We're silent, my scarf gently twinkling, wanting to give me comfort. Maybe I can see Daamien and Aurora.

"If it's ok… can I take a nap?" I ask. As much as I want to meditate, a simple farm girl would not know how to get it right.

"Go ahead, though don't be surprised if you can't sleep. That kind of trauma is harsh on anyone." Yone is gentle. I slump against a wall and close my eyes, focusing on breathing deeply...

You have to get out of there. Aurora is quick to hug me.

"I'm in too deep. Besides, I can't leave Yasuo or Yone in there!"

"As much as I hate to say it, Leilah's right. Besides, we still don't know where the healers are. We can't leave." Daamien snarls under his breath. I have to admit, while I am still trying to understand Idiot's death, it's nice to hear my real name again. Aurora whirls around on him.

We have to be able to do something!

"We already agreed that all things on this adventure will be on Leilah." Daamien does not sound happy. Still, he looks at me with a hint of pride in his eyes. "I know that this is hard. For a true war healer, you will never get used to it. But you've already shown resilience since the first time you teleported. You took in your surroundings, you performed well under terrible circumstances, and you didn't stop. If you ever need someone to talk to or need someone to listen, remember we're here."

"...Can we talk about healing?" I ask quietly. He nods.

"Alright. It's time that we talked about mind healing. I do have that ability, though it's very rare that I actually use it." Daamien readily distracts me. This is something that I could definitely use. "Mind healing is the art of bringing the mind back to sanity. It's not always easy. Sanity is one of the most fragile things in a body. Once broken, it's impossible to bring back. The good news is that there are plenty of natural methods to ensure that sanity is protected. Shields, numbness, sometimes even complete breakdowns are used to protect sanity. The problem with that is the person slowly gets more and more enveloped by their shields. They lose themselves to keep themselves sane."

Daamien was a good example. You healed him, brought him on the start of the good path. Aurora rubs my shoulder. I remember when he first came back. I also remember that I didn't bring him all the way back. I gave him the option to heal…

"Why didn't Daamien cause havoc? I remember saying that it wasn't going to be easy and that he had to get himself out." I point out. Daamein smirks.

"I see you remember that you had to offer me a way out. It wasn't as hard for me. I knew the path. I did fall before. If it wasn't for my vow, I would have been unable to get out as easily as I did. As it was, Aurora had to calm me down and remind me that I was alright a couple of times. You saw one of the times that I struggled. Between my past and Aurora's assistance, I was able to recover after a few months."

"Ok. So how do I heal the mind like that?"

"... All you can really do is assure the mind that they are safe. They have to process what they did themselves. It's not easy. It's actually one of the hardest things to get used to. Some, warriors, are more able to accept what they've done. They know what they did, and they grow… accepting. I wouldn't say it's numbing if it's a good warrior. They know what they did and can accept it. They can still mourn and cry, but they aren't as horribly affected by it. The ones that are not… they live off the feeling. They live in that world, and sometimes they can't get back…"

Are you talking about Varus? Aurora asks. I perk up. This is the first time I've heard another name of a darkin.

"Varus is one as he couldn't live while his family is gone." Daamien acknowledges. Holy Aurora, this is dark!

"How does mind healing work, exactly? I just go in, find the real self, and give them an option out?" I bring us back to the topic. Daamien gives a nod.

"It's not always easy to find the real self. For the more broken ones, they actively protect themselves. You have to find ways to bring down those walls carefully, or the real self is going to be lost forever. Our blessing helps in that regard, where we can sense when something is going to hurt."

"Can… it work on me?" I hesitantly ask. Both the beings in my core slump a little bit.

"Unfortunately, you would have to have outside help. It's part of why Aurora sent Starshadow to you. He'd keep you sane, but he's not here right now." Daamien explains hesitantly. I pale a little bit.

"Does that mean… I might lose who I am?" I struggle to stay calm. It's hard. I can see Aurora and Daamien reach for me before I find myself being pulled out of my core.

Be strong, Leilah. You are going to get through this sane. I promise.

"Lunch time, boys and girls." Beefcakes is trying to be cheerful as he brings in three plates of blandness and some cups of water. He puts down the plate and opens the door. He barely gets a step in before Yasuo and Yone are pouncing on him. Beefcakes goes down within a second, knocked out cold. I blink in realization that they're freeing themselves. Yasuo starts to leave the room when Yone stops him. Yone offers his hand to me. My scarf around his waist glows a little bit brighter.

"We're going to shut this place down. Want to help?" Is that even a question. I grab his hand and let him pull me up. The scarf around his waist glows a little yellow color. That's when Yasuo smacks his face quietly. Yone raises an eyebrow at the behaviour.

"What are you doing here, Blossom?" Yasuo asks, emphasizing my name. Dammit, he figured it out. Well, I'm not alone, so there's no point in trying to blend in anymore. Maybe I can use the suggestion that Yasuo had earlier, using my magic to help us blend. I start to open my mouth.

"I thought you would try to escape." Deviago smirks as he appears. He's holding a dagger to Trixie's throat. Her eyes… they're glazed. It's not her usual sharpness… "You would attempt to take one of my prizes? Tsk tsk."

"Trixie." I call her name in alarm. Her eyes flick to mine. They clear for a second before it's dead again. Yone gently pulls me behind him.

"Is that all you do? Threaten to kill someone in front of us?" Yasuo snarls. Still, he's slipping towards me. I can see his muscles tense up as he blocks Deviago's view of me.

"In a way. I threaten to kill Trixie, which Blossom doesn't want. Then I threaten to kill Trixie's defenseless sister, which Trixie doesn't want. So, I get my way." Deviago carelessly waves his knife around, but he did just give a lot of information. Either he's really cocky… or he knows that we can't do anything. I still can't give away who I am yet. It would be even worse if I did as Deviago would do anything to get me.

"Someone will figure out what you are doing, and they will stop you." Yone snarls, accepting this defeat. None of us want to cost one more life than he has already given. Deviago snorts.

"They already tried. They sent for you, after all. Isn't that right, Trixie?" Deviago presses the knife against Trixie's throat, causing her to bleed a little bit. She doesn't even make a noise.

"Leave her alone!" Yasuo snaps. He sees just how much I'm trembling from watching all this. The worst thing is that I can't use my magic. She'd know that magic was used and they would be able to figure out that I have it. I have to let this happen, and it's killing me inside.

"Blossom, to me." Deviago orders. With a huge amount of reluctance, I follow him. Yasuo looks like he wants to grab me and take me away, but he doesn't move. Deviago stops pointing the knife at Trixie. He pats my head. "What a good girl. Tell you what, to reward you, I'll let that little incident where you were going to help them slide… with a small punishment…"

-WARNING! ANOTHER ROUGH SPOT!-

Deviago slashes his across my open chest. The sting is sharp. I clutch my injury, forcing myself to stop the magic from healing it. It's nothing compared to the next attack. Deviago slams his knife into my shoulder. I scream from the pain.

-All set-

"Leave her alone!" Yasuo snarls. Deviago snorts and removes it.

"Trixie, my dear…" There's an expectant look on his face. Trixie just walks to me and places a hand on my shoulder. Both injuries disappear under her hands. I can't help but gasp. Sure, she left scars… but she's a healer. Who else is a healer here?

My mind jumps to all the women in the first room I served. Deviago had so many on his chair. He was drinking a ton of alcohol and remained conscious. Could they be?

"I said it was a small punishment. She'll have the scars, but they won't last. That should teach her to not go against me." Deviago snorts. I am absolutely terrified. This man… he doesn't care at all. He'll break every single one of us… And it seems like my time is going to be coming in four days… I have to figure out something… And fast.

So... This is rough. Yone and Yasuo attempted a jailbreak, and Yasuo knows who 'Blossom' is. And Leilah's got another Trauma she's going to deal with. Fun. I do apologize if her traumas seem a little on the 'I can handle it easily' side. As you guys have probably noticed by now, she's dealing with it remarkably well. Part of it is because she doesn't have a break. Once she's gotten through this episode, She's going to meltdown. I promise you that.

Anyway, time is running out for our wayward Aspect/Darkin. I'm serious, can you guys come up with a name I can give her? I'm starting to get tired of writing Aspect and Darkin because she is both. I would love to hear a suggestion about what she is now.

Today's character is... Anivia! The Cryophoenix! Alright... I got this... Times these days, especially with Covid and everything going on in the world is making everyone... a bit screwy in the head. For that reason, may you all accept what hells you have encountered, and grown stronger from them, like a phoenix rising from ice. (Ok, I tried.) As always, when you feel like you can take a moment and absorb everything that's happened to you, be as extraordinary as Anivia, and may your day be just as interesting.