Closed The dark seems darker than I remember. (Malvora)

[Torias]

“My apologies for drudging up such painful memories.” Halfbloods rarely had pleasant family lives, and Malvora was a particularly unique one. Still, her vocabulary was impressive. Most of the humans Torias had met in his travels would struggle to sound as educated as this beastly girl. Clearly her mother had taught her well. Torias’s respect for the Vantha was not misplaced. The observation that Torias was a Nuit drew only a brief glance away from Malvora’s neck. He was checking the intent in her eyes, but when he found no malice, he returned to the task at hand. Once the neck wound was cleaned, Torias disposed of the soiled rag into the now discolored water. The basin was carried back to its original table, where it would be left until he managed to remind himself to empty and refill it at the reservoir. “The neck wound needs only a simple bandaging,” Torias informed his patient, making his way toward the cluttered table where had set the vials of seawater. A mortar and pestle was plucked from the chaos and set at the forefront. A cloth was lifted to reveal a bundle of small, flowering plants, from which three leaves were removed. “I have the materials for a salve that should quicken healing and stave off the corruption,” he continued as he began to grind the leaves into a paste. “It will leave a scar, but with any luck, you’ll survive. The cut on your arm however, I would like to stitch closed. An open wound invites a more severe infection.” While two hands operated the pestle against the mortar bowl, the other two located a roll of bandages and a small knife. Torias inwardly thanked his Eypharian donor (although in life he never knew his body would go to a Nuit) while lengths of the cloth were cut into equal parts. Using the pestle, now coated in thick, green paste, he spread a generous amount of salve onto one of the lengths of bandage, which would be the innermost layer on her neck. He approached Malvora again, awaiting her invitation before he began to wrap anything around her fragile neck. “I did not know the Zith could interbreed with humans,” he remarked, once again belatedly. He seemed to favor gathering his thoughts before voicing a meaningful reply. “But the world does make a place for everyone, even the unwanted.” There was a pause as a thought appeared to find him. “Or those with the unique property of having chosen to be what they are. A shame such a place is not always a pleasant one.” The bandages would be applied gently, the antiseptic paste causing a mild burning sensation that would quickly fade. Once the first layer was down, the second was applied at a quicker pace. A poignant statement Malvora had made produced another reply from the Nuit. “Civility does not prevent one from committing beastly acts. I have seen civilized men do terrible things to innocent people. Reason can be as deadly as instinct. “You may need your strength, now. Do I have your permission to apply sutures? I shall not keep you here if the sting of a needle frightens you.”