A Healer in a Desert {Hilana}

Sun Jan 26, 2025 3:15 am

21st of Frost, Year 124, A.o.S

ϟ It had been a long time since he had come back to the harshness of the Axtraxian Expanse. He would come here with his father to train, or to watch his parental unit go through the rigorous training he had as a famed warrior. His golden amber eyes peered into the vast open sky of the expanse as went through the motions with his mace. It was a weapon designed to maim and crush, pulverizing anything under the heft of its swing. Given his size it was either this or a sword, but as a reaver it was more than just a weapon for him, it was an extension.

He was under the watchful eye and instruction of a senior gladiator of the troupe he was a part of, checking his form and making sure he was hitting his drills of the Three Beasts Combat style, as he was shown. There could be no room for error, and his booming voice echoed over the hiss of the sands swaying to the whims of the wind. He had three different styles to train in, as he could encounter them at any point in the arena. He took a deep breath as his handler shouted for him to repeat the drills again, while he withstood the course sand as it raced across his skin, readying to go through each style and its drills once again.

With the "Dragon style", he could use it against the most heavily armored enemies and or creatures given the region. It would, in essence, allow him to hit hard and deal as much damage as he could, but subsequently, leave him vulnerable to attack if the enemy was fast enough. At that point, that would be where the "Phoenix style" comes into play. He could use it as a way to strike at a rate that could hinder a counter-attack from his enemy because the blows would be landing in quick succession leaving them with practically no time to retaliate in any way. With the "Chimera style", he could fight two, maybe three opponents at a time, though that could very well be pushing it even for him. When facing mixed groups, it is best to target the weakest enemy, where the chances of missing are the smallest, which made sense even for him.

As Barakael put his styles together, he never saw the unseen predator that had been lurking within the sands themselves. "Fucking hell!" he shouted as the snake hissed and slithered away. His hander on the other hand saw it and trapped it within a box of sand, as he was an elementalist and a damn good one too. He came over to check on the half-giant, noticing that the snake that had bitten him was poisonous, and needed to get Barakael back to the city in time to get him treated. Hoisting the man's large frame he would surf along the sand in the direction of the city, the sand trapped snake in tow as they would need it to identify the antivenom. ϟ

"Vastian Speech"
"Tallenese Speech"
"Vallenor Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

Fri Jan 31, 2025 11:03 pm

Hilana had spent part of her day in the desert with Hayima'el collecting various plants and herbs for their supplies in Sweet Remedies - from gumweed to desert lavendar to horehound. They had left before the sun came up, and under the warming rays of the sun, the Atraxian desert was heating up once again. It wasn't as hot as it was a few seasons ago, but the sun took away the edge of the chill. And compared to her last couple of weeks in Kalzasi, though the spirits of the garden, her own magic, and Lia's wards had kept her perfectly comfortable, these were perfect temperatures. She had had a poncho on earlier in the day, but now that the sun was up and the afternoon was warming, it had been put into a saddle bag.

She had filled a few bags from different places - the gumweed grew along the Vasta's banks, and the whole plant was valuable for a number of reasons: it was beneficial for respiratory problems, bronchitis, cough, colic, and topical wounds and skin ailments. The desert lavender would be helpful for skin issues like rashes, burns, and insect bites, fevers, chest congestion, and inflammation, not to mention postpartum care. Horehound was also helpful for cough and other breathing problems. While it may have seemed like an overwhelming amount of plants to treat similar ailments, this was the time of year when respiratory problems had the greatest chance of taking over - not just in the cities, but in the towns and villages. The nomads certainly needed them - not all of the clans had the number of mages that her maternal clan did. Her paternal clan had splintered and left the sands for that very reason, settling for the most part in Tertium. But she would stock up and prepare as much as she could for as many people as she could. And with her wood attunement... Hilana was able to harvest far more than she used to.

Her spirit companion was draped around her shoulders and her lap as she steered the camel under the sunshade. They had gotten used to one another, her and the wild spirit, and she was learning from him as much as he was learning from her. It was a constant conversation, though he stayed largely incorporeal until or unless he felt like manifesting. White and with feather-like scales, blood-red eyes were constantly looking around. He got along fine with her pythons, though he was larger than Tiaz when he chose to be. The black, grey, and white snake was chilling in his basket at the front of the saddle, relaxing on the cloth where previously her older cat had rode with her when they had spent years traversing the sands. Fiya, her smaller female, had wound herself into Hilana's bun and was draped over her neck. She was learning, as Tiaz had, as Risdra had, how to behave out here with her mother in a way that maximized her freedom while encouraging her not to be shy or nervous. In some ways, it was made easier with Sviras, who could talk to her in ways that Hilana could not.... but there was also her experience in managing them.

They were on the return now when she saw Hayima'el's small ears flick back and the spirits informed her that the desert was shifting. She paused, listening, turning her piebald bull on a different angle in order to have a look. "The earth is moving, like a viper in the sands... but much larger. It is not natural," he murmured, his forked tongue flickering.

"Magic," Hilana nodded, leaning forward and preparing to steady and stabilize the earth underneath them. Whatever was coming wouldn't be allowed to endanger them, not so long as Hilana still drew breath. As the disruption came into vision, she relaxed somewhat to see that it was two people, one of whom was manipulating and moving the sand underneath him to allow him to move faster than he might otherwise.

"Salve!" she called out when she realized that one of them was being carried by the other, starting Hayima'el in that direction. That might be something that she could help with. "What's going on?" Worst case scenario, she could always use her Ring of Traversion to get them into the city in a hurry... "Is that Barakael?"

Thu Feb 06, 2025 3:37 am

21st of Frost, Year 124, A.o.S

ϟ He was slowly fading, in and out of conciousness. His handler, Vagos, his voice was muffled and going in and out as well. But he was trying his best to hold out till they reached the safety of the city. At times like this, he cursed his metabolism, as the venom was moving through his system rather quickly. To be felled by a venomous snake was not the way he wanted to go out, and he wished he could have seen it sooner. He was so focused on his training that he never heard the wind trying to warn him.

Vagos did his best as he carried them along the sands, but his main concern was making sure the young lion survived. Even in such a state, Barakael could see the fear on his face. He knew that the older male was fearful of what their sponsor would do if he died. He couldn't let that fate befall him, so he did what he could to hang in there. It was then he felt the breeze that swept across the warmed sands. The wind was speaking to him, and he was straining his focus to hear the words through the feeling. It's how the elements seemed to like to communicate with him, conveying messages and information through feelings.

This feeling was that of another out in the sands, one that made the wind happy to see. The feeling the wind was conveying was that of familiarity as if Barakael had met this individual before. To his surprise he had. Her voice was muffled, but her face wasn't one he found himself easy to forget. Hilana was out here, of all people? Vagos saw the vastian woman as well, and in a panicked tone greeted her too, warning her that they were in a hurry to get him to the city for treatment of a venomous snake bite. Barakael gripped his shoulder. "She...can help."

Through haggard breaths, he convinced the older gladiator to allow the vastina to aid them. ϟ

"Vastian Speech"
"Tallenese Speech"
"Vallenor Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

Tue Feb 11, 2025 10:24 pm

"Oh, snake bit?" She grimaced. On a Moratallen. That was not helpful, not with the way their bodies worked. And even though his Re'hyaean blood was hardy, it was mixed, and that could be good or bad when it came to treatment. Still, he wasn't the first person she had treated for an envenomation and he wouldn't be the last. She slid off of her camel, leaving the larger python in the basket of the saddle while, apparently figuring that he wouldn't go anywhere, while the one in her hair only tightened up a bit in her bun from the sudden movement. The incorporeal snake in her lap stayed with her, clinging to the straps of her rucksack and moving to her shoulders. "Let's have a look, then. How long ago was he bitten? Did you happen to see what the snake that bit him looked like? What colour it was?"

Hilana was far calmer than the gladiator, but this was her element, not theirs. She withdrew a blanket from the saddlebags and shook it out over the sand, motioning for Barakael to be laid down on his back where she could see him. She was glad that he didn't apply a tourniquet; some people liked to, thinking it would help. Though all it did was trap toxins and keep it localized in one area, which led to a higher chance of severe damage to the limb which would require amputation. And for someone who really needed his body for his work and dreams, though his sponsor could pay for the best necromancers to replace a limb with something that would be just as good, but even their work took time and a body that was not kept in motion was a body that got lazy and out of shape.

She removed his sandal, setting it aside so that the foot and skin would not be damaged through the swelling. She didn't want the limb to lose circulation, and now she could Manifest water and sluice her hands and his wound. The earth beneath the blanket rose at her murmured request, helping to keep his legs elevated to help ward off the signs of shock that he was experiencing. The rest of his clothing was not so tight that it might feel restrictive, so she left that alone, and it was warm enough out here in the Atraxian sun that he was not going to catch cold - she could feel his temperature from his forehead, that he was warm enough. Practised eyes found the wound site, the two punctures on the ankle, and she rinsed it out with the pure water and then opened a jar for her witch hazel solution to help flush any further bacteria.

A few bottles and vials were withdrawn from her rucksack, along with one very large hypodermic needle made of metal and crystal. Depending on the snake, judging by the way he was reacting to it, this was a severe envenomation, and needed to be treated as such. Still, this was part and parcel of why she carried around supplies with her when she went into the sands - one never knew when this sort of unfortunate accident would happen, and if one didn't plan properly, death could be the result. Not today. Not on Hilana's watch.

Mon Feb 17, 2025 8:34 pm

ϟ Vagos relaxed a bit, realizing she was a professional. He was calm enough to answer her questions in a coherent manner, not allowing his fear or anxiety to take the reigns. He informed her it happened 5 minutes ago, as to why he was moving so quickly through the sands. A mound appeared next to her, revealing the slithering attacker as it hissed and coiled within its sandy holding box. His iridescent blue and gold scales radiated against the sunlight.

When she got down to business the senior gladiator was impressed. She was accurate and knew what to look for, and Barakael couldn't help but stare, watching her work. He would rather focus on her than on how his body was feeling at the moment. He was also glad he had on fleshly clean clothes and bathed earlier that day. Vagos noticed and nudged him with a smile. "Now dont you go getting any ideas, I'm sure the pretty lady is already spoken for." he jested, causing a strained chuckle from Barakael.

"Praise Deus Aværys and Domina Varvara for you being in the right place at the right time. It's like finding an oasis in the expanse." he mused, focusing on the woman, but also keeping his breathing steady, despite it feeling like his heart was racing. He didn't think a single snake bite would be his undoing, but if it was, he at least had someone pretty to look at as he died. He chuckled at that thought as he laid his head back down on the sands, wondering if delirium was a system of the snake bite.

He knew however he was in good hands and wasn't worried. Hilana was going to make sure he could see another sunrise. ϟ

"Vastian Speech"
"Tallenese Speech"
"Vallenor Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

Tue Mar 11, 2025 10:44 pm

"Smart man," Hilana smiled up at Vagos that he was moving quickly to get them back. When it came to venom, seconds counted. She noted the serpent when it was revealed in its earthen prison. "Oh, viper. That's a good looking specimen. If you'll just hang onto it for a while longer, I'll take it off of your hands when I am done." Judging by the snakes around her, she was an adept animal handler, and chances were, she may even have kept some on hand for exactly this purpose: creating antivenin from their venom for treatment of those who had been injured.

She did chuckle at his words, though, when he suggested that she was taken. She was, if anything, sort of the concubine of a duke, and that was really a matter of convenience for both of them - Raithen enjoyed her company, and knew she wasn't eager to be married off by her father, who had that power over her. It was an easy thing for him to pull some rank and it offered her some opportunities and protections she might not have had otherwise. Besides, if she got married, it likely would not have been in the capital, and her husband might well have objected - fruitlessly due to the difference in Caste, of course - to Raithen's visiting, and it would have been a bloodbath most nights. No, this was a far better arrangement for both of them. But it wasn't something she regularly talked about. Some things were better left private.

"Just focus on your breathing," Hilana smiled down at Barakael. "You're doing great. How much pain do you feel?" She set some of the vials aside now that she knew what species had attacked him. Solunarian vipers had a potent blend of venom, as it was both hemotoxic and neurotoxic, and that presented a difficult array of symptoms that needed to be managed carefully and quickly. Instead, she lined up the three that she was going to keep out - each bottle was about two doses, but Barakael was a larger fellow, and with his metabolism, he was likely going to need twice what the average person did. He would likely need four doses, perhaps six, but she would start with the four. She moved aside the fabric of his attire in order to reveal his thigh, sluicing a patch of the skin with witchhazel - no point in causing an infection due to having debris get into an injection site, after all - and uncapped the needle. The vial was uncorked, and she inserted the needle into the solution, withdrawing the plunger to empty the vial into the needle.

"This will sting a bit, so try to breathe and relax. Deep breath in, and let it out. Nice and easy," she encouraged him before deftly inserting the needle within the muscle. It was important to stay relaxed, because the calmer the patient, and the less tense he kept himself, the less swelling and bruising there would be later. There was a prick, but Hilana had gotten quite good at giving injections, and her technique wasn't just stab and force and hope for the best. "What sort of training were you doing?" she asked him to try to make sure he stayed with them and did not pass out, and not letting him focus on the steady injection of the antivenin. It was better to distract him if she could, and give him something else to focus on. She depressed the plunger with constant, consistent pressure, not jerking the needle or wriggling it within the fibres of his muscle.

Even if he couldn't talk too much, the healer wanted to make sure he stayed with them.

The antivenin would at start to work in minutes, helping with the pain and attacking the dangerous substance that had been moving up his leg. She withdrew the needle, and applying gentle pressure with a puff of cotton to the injection site.

Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:33 pm

ϟ The lion cub nodded as she instructed him to focus on maintaining his breath. "It's an eight, but I will endure." he responded, keeping his breath even as he could while she worked. He found himself looking at the bright blue sky, his eyes shifting between the sky and the bronzed skin of Vagos, then back to Hilana's voice. Her inquires were keeping him alert, and he appreciated the care she was taking in making sure he survived.

He couldn't help but be embarrassed and was glad that her sister was with her. He wouldn't be able to live down embarrassing himself twice over. "The Sand Dragon League. I'm preparing for my debut in the gladiatorial circuit on the 32nd at the start of Rime." he noted in a hushed tone, continuing to keep his breath steady. He could feel the slight sting of the needle and let out a sigh as he knew everything would be ok.

Tapping Vagos on his ankle, the older warrior came to kneel beside him, propping the young man up on his thigh so he could look Hilana in the eyes. "I appreciate you for this. By both Deus Aværys and Domina Varvara I am in your debt." he noted, feeling the antivenom working its way through him. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he was happy to have survived this, but he knew that Aya would tear him a new one for being so careless. He wasn't looking forward to that at all.

"Our Lady Aya will surely want to thank you for your aid." Vagos spoke, giving the pretty Vastina a bow of gratitude for her aid. "Once we return to the city, I will be sure to get your information so that she can contact you herself." he added, looking to the vishan mortallen. "Is he good to stand?" the elder gladiator asked. ϟ

"Vastian Speech"
"Tallenese Speech"
"Vallenor Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

Mon Mar 31, 2025 3:45 pm

"That must be exciting. You'll be ready for it, have no fear. This won't impede your training too much, though I would highly recommend taking the rest of today off, along with tomorrow. If you need to do some sort of training, I'd recommend something that is low-impact, like swimming or using weights in water for your upper body, and lightly, I cannot stress that enough. You'll want to take it easy with the leg for the next two days and just make sure that everything has been cleaned out and you do not stress your system," Hilana gave the injection site a moment before she took up a second needle and delivered the second injection with a similar procedure a few inches away. She did keep to the same leg, since that was where he was bitten, and that made the most sense. Disinfect, inject the antivenin, and remove the needle, then apply pressure with the cotton puff. He was big man with the half-giant blood, and with his metabolism, she did expect that to at least be beneficial for him as well in this regard.

"Again, swimming is good for that. I know a body at rest is anathema to someone who has to do a lot of physical training, but you just want to be mindful. What that snake's venom does is damage your blood, which can lead to the damage of tissues and muscles, right? But it can also lead to damage to your nervous system, which means your nerves and you could experience periods of paralysis. So while you're swimming, make sure someone is watching you and supervising you. After a few days, you really should be fine and good to go. I've got some restoratives that will be of use to you, and I'll give you a few of those," she lifted her hand away, and checked on the bite wound again. Now that the injection was over, she could deal with that with more attention.

"I'm happy to help. Sometimes we have the good fortune to be in the right place at the right time, despite how vast our homeland is," she inclined her head to Barakael and Vagos, smiling at the two of them. "I work at Sweet Remedies in the Port Vasta district of the Luxium. Can't miss it, we're pretty close to the Port itself." She sluiced the bite on his ankle once again, though this time it was with the same witch hazel solution she had used on his injection sites, and opened a squat, metal container to apply a dab of salve to it. That would just help the skin close up and keep bacteria out.

She considered when the other man asked if he could stand. "Drink this first," she retrieved some pale violet coloured liquid vials from her rucksack, uncorking it for him to drink. "It's a general restorative of mine. Then if you feel up to standing, let's give it a go." Hilana had done effectively all that she could for him medically out here - antivenin had been given, the wound hand been cleaned, the bite did not require a dressing. A restorative was on board... it was up to him, now, and getting some rest. Worst case scenario, he couldn't support himself, and if that was the case, Hilana could put him on Hayima'el... or Vagos could surf them back through the sand as he had been before.

Thu Apr 03, 2025 1:29 am

ϟ The two gladiators nodded to her instructions, and much to his disappointment he knew it would be for the best to follow her advice as she seemed more versed in these matters then he was. He knew Vagos would make sure he listened to that advice and adhered to it, the man was a stickler for such things, and it was why he was one of the top trainers within the gladiator troupe. When she mentioned that she worked in the Port Vasta district, Vagos smiled, snapping his fingers in realization. "I thought you looked familiar as I've seen you through the shop window. Our troupe has a contract with some of the merchants in the district, we provide security when they are travelling through the expanse.

He would go on to ask her about the many shops and cafes there, nudging Barakael to pay attention, as the older elf was trying to play matchmaker. Barakael would frown but ultimately not give it much thought as he knew she was far out of his league. The Vastina was refined and he wouldn't think she would be interested in him. He had pride, but he wasn't arrogant enough to believe he was a god given gift to the fairer sex, or even the same. He allowed the woman to administer the anti-venom, feeling its effect almost immediately. It was like a cooling sensation washing over him as the symptoms of the venom were beginning to subside.

With the restorative given to him, he was able to get to his feet with the help of Vagos. Feeling a bit refreshed now, he would take the good doctor's advice and allow Vagos to surf them the rest of the way back to the city. "Come, join us on the way back to proper civilization. You can regail us of how such a pretty and sweet girl became so knowledgable in the healing arts. I'm sure you have had the best tutelage. the older gladiator inquired. He also solidified the sand that held the viper, forming a rocky basket with air holes for easy transport.

"Hopefully, in your hands, it won't be a menace to those who venture out here." he chuckled, poking the stone box. ϟ

"Vastian Speech"
"Tallenese Speech"
"Vallenor Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

Fri Apr 11, 2025 1:29 pm

Hilana nodded when Vagos mentioned that they contracted out security. That wouldn’t surprise her, there were some that did. Her father had his own teams for that that covered Atraxia, but he didn’t deal much with the capital. That left openings, obviously, for others. She was happy to talk about other shops and businesses in Port Vasta – cross-promotion was always good business, and if it helped others, why not?

She was able to keep up a conversation now that the worst of the danger had passed, Barakael was able to stand up with assistance from Vagos - the patient would be fine. He'd need rest and to take it easy, but he would recover from this ordeal. He was fortunate indeed that they had been close together and the disturbance on the sands had been felt... otherwise this could have had a decidedly different outcome. They were still a while outside the city, and as fast as they could go, seconds counted with injuries like that, particularly with his metabolism.

Once he was upright, Hilana cleaned off her tools and put them back in her rucksack, rearranging the python that was in her hair. The silvery snake wriggled her way around her bun once more, the tip of her tail coiling under the strap of her shirt. "Well, I was on my way back in, so certainly. Always good to have more travelers together." The enormous piebald camel had been largely patient throughout this whole affair, and was unbothered when she took the now stony box and secured it to the large saddle. "Snakes generally like to be left alone unless they're raised otherwise," the Vastiana with her pythons suggested she was well-versed in handling such creatures. "He will be alright. He will go into quarantine and then join my collection once I've assessed him and made sure that he is healthy and not carrying any parasites or sicknesses that might affect those I already have."

A small pillar of dirt rose up under her feet, and she thanked the sand spirits for that as she took the boost to get into the saddle. The grey, black, and white python was resting in his basket, and the white feathered spirit snake moved from her shoulders to see the one that was captive in the box as Hayima'el started the walk back towards the city. "I am of nomadic stock, and if you do not have someone who knows what plants harm and what plants heal, and how to make cures and such things, your entire family can fall. Many small ones have, and that is the way of the desert. My great-aunt is a well-known herbalist, and she taught me her ways. Experience, though... that is the best teacher."