When they get up to the first floor, using the Master Staircase once again, they find a group of people in black robes with Engwithan runes stitched onto them - runes that detail an oath that binds them to Woedica's service, no matter the sacrifice, even if it means sacrificing their souls - and wearing hooded masks. Great, perfect timing.
A fight breaks out, no surprise, and they get most of them killed - and then Cera's eyes widen and she moves just in time to avoid getting stabbed in the back by another member of the Leaden Key. As it is, she gets a shallow slice in her side just under her ribcage, but then the man suddenly looks dazed and looks around in utter confusion - which is quickly solved by Pallegina's Greatsword.
Kana looks like he's about to say something when they notice the knife the last attacker had - notice how Itumaak is sniffing it and growling dangerously. Sagani snatches it up and sniffs, then says "They coated it with poison. Did anybody get cut?"
Cera holds her hand up, then promptly collapses for the second time in as many hours. When Aloth catches her again, her temperature is already rising and her breathing coming in more shallowly.
Sagani hurriedly says "I can stop the poison, but we can't well do it here. Let's get her back to her room in Brighthollow!"
Pallegina says "I'll organize some search parties, just in case we have any more…guests lurking around."
They quickly split up, Eder, Pallegina, and Kana each going to round up some guards to search the grounds while Aloth carries Cera to Brighthollow with Sagani in front getting doors and making sure there isn't anyone waiting to ambush them. Luckily, they used a rare poison made from the berries of a plant that only grows in Nasitaaq - because Sagani knows exactly how to treat it, as kids would eat said berries and accidentally poison themselves from time to time. And she's got everything she needs in her pack.
Aloth puts Cera on the bed, and Sagani shoos him out and gets to work once the door is shut - he waits outside the door, with the excuse that he's making sure no Leaden Key members come in and finish them off. Maybe twenty minutes later, Sagani comes out of the room - she doesn't say anything, but raises an eyebrow at him knowingly.
"Don't start, Sagani. Please don't start."
"I didn't say anything."
"You weren't saying anything so loud a deaf person could have heard it loud and clear."
"Well, here's what I'm saying now: I patched Cera up. She'll live, though she won't exactly be ready to take off to Defiance Bay tomorrow or anything."
Aloth's suddenly hit with a feeling that can only be translated as 'don't leave, don't leave, don't leave' - and he's got no clue if it's from Cera or if it's his own feelings. And unlike the mystery of which feelings and urges are his own and which are Iselmyr's, he's happy with the question being there.
Eder comes in with a piece of bloody paper in his hand, and says "Well, this was in the pockets of one of the Key members down in the basement. Take a look, its orders to kill Cera. Her description, where she's known to be - here - and people who might have a lead on where she'd go if she's not here."
Aloth lets out a few words he learned from Iselmyr, making Eder and Sagani smirk at him and Iselmyr herself start cracking up inside him.
Sagani says "So there's likely more inside the keep somewhere. Maybe."
Eder nods, and says "Came to tell you, seeing as they seemed real damn determined to do the deed and all. How's she doin'?"
Sagani says "Alive. Sleeping, but alive."
Aloth says "I'll make sure nobody gets to her. You two go search the grounds." They trade knowing smirks, but don't even argue the plan.
Cera comes to with a sharp feeling of pain in her side and the rest of her body aching. She feels hot, her body feels sluggish and heavy, and her head is pounding - all of which results in a groan escaping her as soon as she registers everything. She quickly realizes she's not alone when a wet piece of cloth is laid on her forehead and Aloth's voice says "Easy, Cera. Don't try to sit up."
Wasn't planning on it… "Ow, even using my powers makes my head hurt."
"I'm not surprised about that, Sagani says what they used would have killed you with a little more time."
She moans and then the rag leaves her forehead for a minute and she hears it being wrung out before its put back where it was. He takes her hand in both of his, and she asks "Where are…"
"We're back in Brighthollow, it's been a few hours since we got out of the Endless Paths. The others are around the Keep, looking for more Leaden Key agents."
"Mm…find any?"
"Not as of yet, I think. None have come to try and finish you off, anyway. You need anything?"
She tries for a weak grin, and jokingly says "You mean aside from a different soul, new body, and better luck with ambushes? Water please, I feel like I could drink a river dry."
Aloth gives her a pained smile, and says "At least you can still joke about stuff like this, I don't know how."
"Better than crying about it. Like when I left home. Didn't take any extra clothes, but that just meant I could design my own wardrobe instead of it being handed to me according to my parents tastes." She lets out a weak laugh, which turns into a moan with her hands on her head and her curls up on her side. She feels a third hand rest on her head for a moment before running through her hair, and opens her eyes to see Aloth with a worried expression on his face.
When she reassures him that her head won't explode, he gently helps her turn over onto her back again, then holds up a glass full of water for her - at least her throat isn't feeling like it's as dry as Ixamitl now. After she's drained the glass dry, Aloth helps her sit up enough so that she's leaning into the pillows - not sitting fully up, but enough that she can eat and drink. The fact that she's using her Cipher powers to block her pain helps a lot - though something tells her that all the pain blocking in the world wouldn't keep her on her feet if she tries to stand up. She closes her eyes for a minute, then feels Aloth's hand under her chin steadying her. When she opens her eyes again, he's maybe a few inches from her and looking worried once again. "I'm fine…"
His lips twitch into a frown for a moment, and he leans closer saying "Cera, you've been poisoned."
His hand leaves her chin, but he doesn't move back - and Cera immediately notices how he has to sit on his hands to keep them still, but takes them back out from under his legs after a minute. The hand further away from him reaches over to still his hands, and then suddenly they're both leaning forward. Cera reaches up to put her other hand on his shoulder - whether to steady herself or pull him closer she couldn't say if she had the rest of eternity - and then a bolt of pain suddenly hits her side where the bandage is.
Aloth's face is maybe inches from Cera's, they're both caught up in the moment, and then its ruined just before it could begin when she suddenly lets out a gasp of pain and her hands fly to her bandaged side. Aloth snaps out of it - mentally berating himself for nearly kissing Cera - and quickly presses his own hands to stop the bandage from turning even redder than it already is. His own cheek hurts a little, Cera's hand having caught him by accident as she suddenly started bleeding again, but he hardly cares about a scratch when her side is bleeding again.
Cera gasps "Must've…stretched…too far…"
After a few minutes, he's pretty sure they've stopped the bleeding - or at least slowed it - and Cera seems to have regained her focus enough to make it hurt less. She then looks up, likely to thank him, when her eyes stop dead on his cheek and the slight wetness he can feel on it. "What happened?! You weren't hurt when I woke up!"
Her good hand snatches up the wet rag that was entirely forgotten and presses it to his face. To think that she can be worried about a shallow little scratch on his face when her side was bleeding not a minute before. "Cera, its nothing. I'm fine, I swear."
"You didn't have that scratch on your face when I woke up, Aloth! How'd…it was me, wasn't it? When…gods, I'm so-"
Aloth doesn't let her finish that sentence, cupping her face in his hands and making her look at him. "Cera, its nothing. A scratch, that's all."
"One I gave you."
Aloth shakes his head and says "Your side started bleeding! I seriously doubt an accidental scratch compares."
Before she can argue, the door bursts open and Eder comes in followed by all the dogs - Rusty, the puppy they found in the Iron Flail fort, being the first and most excited. "I didn't find any more Leaden Key members, but I did find a few visitors for you."
Aloth quickly lets go of Cera's face, using picking Rusty up as an excuse - and when Cera is thoroughly distracted by getting her face licked profusely by the puppy, he sends Eder a look that says 'not one single word, or I'll hex you permanently.' The farmhand gets the hint well enough, merely smirking and rolling his hand in a 'get a move on!' motion.
The rest of the dogs jump onto the bed, some getting their front paws on the bed while others just pin Cera underneath their weight and proceed to lick her as much as possible. Eder mumbles "Maybe they were too excited to see you. Oops."
Cera's voice is filled with laughter though, as she calls out Trapped under a dogpile, guys! Please get some of them off me!
Eder's chuckling as he picks up one of the bigger ones, and he and Aloth free Cera before she can suffocate under all the dogs. They're all laughing by the time they get most of the dogs off of Cera, though she keeps Rusty beside her.
When Aloth and Eder leave Cera's room, Eder asks "So what was going on when I walked in?"
Aloth turns bright red and says "Not what you think, Eder. Cera accidentally scratched me and I was trying to calm her down."
"So how'd she scratch your face by accident?"
"…No comment."
Eder raises his eyebrows, and asks "No kidding? You kissed her?"
Aloth makes a 'quiet!' gesture and looks at the closed door down the hall, then quietly says "Nearly. And then her side started bleeding again. She scratched me by accident when she went to stop the bleeding."
"Oh."
"Do. Not. Laugh."
Eder shakes his head, holding one hand over his mouth.
"I mean it, Eder."
He nods his head, starting to snicker despite his obvious efforts to not do so.
Cera shakes her head as she hears Eder's sudden laughter, though she has no idea what it's about.
I can't believe I nearly kissed Aloth. Would have to, if my side hadn't started bleeding. What was I thinking?!
She knows what: she wasn't thinking. She was giving in to what she desperately wants for just a minute, seems she's had one too many near-death experiences for today. She can't help wondering what would have happened if she hadn't lost all her focus and her side hadn't started bleeding though.
Damn side. Damn feelings.
AN: Alright, next chapter is up! Yes, the Leaden Key ambush really does happen if you finish Kana's quest. I just added the part about the poisoned knife, because why not? They seem really determined in the game after all, ambushing you randomly in Defiance Bay in the middle of the day multiple times - and they're supposed to be a secret organization. Doesn't seem like there's a whole lot of discretion involved there, to be entirely honest. At any rate, yes, I'm getting back to the rest of the game soon!