(OOC) Sun Mar -->

The Intimidator soars high above the Savan, passing over the mountains of Kilmanjar on its northernmost shores.

The ship does not travel quite so quickly as it did before, and Zoltan has picked up that the craft has suffered some 'minor' damage tied to the destruction wrought by that strange black weapon, and that several of the mages are in greatly weakened condition.

The Life Mages have been in quite some demand, but one has scheduled an appointment with Zoltan Cambio, to examine him after being caught so close to the … explosion … over the Himar.

In the chamber reserved for the Life Mage, Zoltan is ushered in by a young Jupani Temple assistant, who then bows and goes to wait outside the door if needed to run a message.

The chamber is much like many others on the craft, with walls that are at odd and space-inefficient angles, due to the constraints upon space caused by having all of the cabins located around the circumference of this quasi-spherical craft.

Nonetheless, every available space along the walls is lined with shelves and cabinets, or simply pegs from which suspend various talismans, trinkets and assorted knick-knacks of either magical or perhaps merely decorative purpose.

Zoltan nervously enters and looks for a place to seat himself. His hands fidget with the strands of his tail, showing more anxiousness over meeting the mage than the whole Eeee army. But he wants answers, and this may be the only place to get them.

The chamber is by no means ill-kept. The walls may seem like the epitomy of chaos, but there seems to be a method to the madness, and the floor is kept bare, though it bears faint traces of chalk circles, evidencing previous rituals held here.

*shwip shwip shwip* Zoltan's ears are met with the leisurely sound of a broom sweeping the cold, stone-like floor of the chamber. Around a cabinet, a child in robes of all the colors of the rainbow can be seen, employing the broom.

The child's head is cowled, but the muzzle of a Cervani (or Rhian or Aeonian?) can be seen poking out of the front.

The Vartan steps back to allow the child room to do his work. "Um… hello. Is someplace I can sit so I no be in you way?"

*shwip* The sweeper turns around, looking up at the Vartan with large, liquid eyes. He nods, and picks up a bean cushion from a nearby stack, and sets it right out in the middle of the floor. "If you please… I will be with you in just a moment."

Feathers bristling, Zoltan sits in the proffered cushion. "Don't you mean you master will be with me? Or is you… ?" He doesn't finish his sentence, and just goes back to worrying at his tail again.

The sweeper, resuming his chore, shakes his head. "No. Just myself. I am just cleaning up. I would not wish the diagnosis to be tainted." A few more sweeps, and the broom is set aside, and the cowl drawn back. The strange creature resembles a Cervani child with milky-white fur, and a silky mane, but with four tapering ears – a pair on each side of his head. "I am Healer Gavriel, newly accredited by the Collegia Esoterica, and new as well to the Temple. I am an Aelfin, from Aelfhem of Ur, and am not so young as I appear." He smiles.

The hippogryph quirks his head sideways curiously. "Is pleasure meeting you… hrrr." Zoltan realizes that he's gawking and looks at the baubles on the wall for a bit instead. "I apologize if I acts a bit nervous, you know how my people feel abouts magic. I no as… strong… in my beliefs, but I no can help but feel a little bits scared."

The Aelfin nods. "I will endeavor not to draw this out for longer than is necessary, then." He pads up to the Vartan and leans forward to look at the shiny band that runs across the Vartan's chest. "I have heard the reports, but can you tell me, in your own words, how you received this mark, to the best of your knowledge?"

Zoltan straightens his posture to allow a better view. "It run on both sides. And you can take as long as you need to find out what happen." His ears splay as he recalls the incident. "I was on Eeee airship trying to find boomer thing when bottom dropped out. I try and go after boomer, hoping to catch it before it hit ground. When I realize I no strong enough to pull it up, I try to fly back to Intimidator."

The Aelfin only nods in response, circling the Vartan (and avoiding the wings) as he visually follows the discolored scar.

"I gone little ways up when… when it seem like everything around me just shatter, and bits and pieces of places on large shards of glass fly around me." Zoltan continues, unfurling his wings a bit to allow the healer a better view. "Most of them show stars, or bright fire… but one piece show some strange upside-down land. That piece hit me… it felt like I was cut in half, whole bunch of strange feelings at once as it pass through me. Then all the sudden I was back in air flying towards Intimidator. I land, and my slave noticed marking."

The Aelfin stops in mid-stride, his demeanor one that suggests one of sadness. He slowly nods. "It is not comforting to know that such things could be possible with any sort of weapon. I am sorry for your fear of magic, but I this is beyond my skills as a physician. I must try to divine what has been done to you by means other than my five senses."

With that, he walks about the circumference of the room with his small, padding steps. Here and there, he grabs some trinket, or a few candles, or a bag that rustles with the sound of many stones or chalks inside.

"I was from Himar. Not know if I had any family there… but part of me still consider it home." His head drops a bit, and Zoltan swallows nervously. "I scared of many things, sir… but I learned over time that hiding from things that scare me only make things worse. I admit my fear… but I cooperate with you as much as I can. If my nervousness going to affect spell any, you can put me to sleep if nessicary until you done."

The Aelfin nods. "You need not be awake for this, and there is no telling whether this may cause pain." At a trunk that opens up to reveal rows of flasks and glass tubes filled with colored liquids, he takes some of the containers and spends some time making a mixture. "Drink this and sleep. If you should try to stay awake through my preparations," the Aelfin dares a smirk, "you would be tempted to nod off regardless."

The liquid brought to the Vartan is a light blue, translucent fluid that smells of some sort of berry juice.

Zoltan takes the liquid and stares into it… as if trying to scry something in its depths. Then, shutting his eyes tightly, he swallows it down in one quick gulp.

The Aelfin takes back the empty container, and takes it over to place it in a box of similarly-empty containers, perhaps awaiting a washing. And the Vartan's vision gets a little fuzzy…

Very fuzzy…

… and then it clears again. But somehow during this little interlude, several chalked circles have come into existence around the Vartan, as well as a multitude of low-burning candles. The circles look distinctly magical … and the most colorful of their kind that the Vartan has seen yet. (Jezebel tends to settle for just chalk of black or purple, for the most part.)

The Aelfin walks back into Zoltan's line of vision. "Ah. You recovered a little more quickly than I had expected. It is good that I listened to Wynona's suggestion."

Zoltan blinkblinks and tries to shake a bit of the haze out of his head. "Suggestion?" he mumbles.

The Aelfin nods. "Yes. That I up the dose a bit – that you might be tougher than the average Vartan. Now then … I can say that I have found nothing – to the extent of my ability to find something, without knowing just what to look for – that should endanger your life as a result of this."

"I grateful to know thats. The line go through my heart… I wonder if it maybe poison my blood or something." The Vartan runs a finger across the point on his chest where his heart is, and where the line intersects with it.

The Aelfin frowns slightly. "There were crystalized cells distributed in your blood. But I was able to draw them out." He taps on a bandage around the Vartan's right upper arm. "It will heal soon enough. As for the rest of you, your body is taking care of itself rather nicely."

Zoltan peers at the bandage. "Anything else you find?"

The Aelfin shakes his head. "No. As for the mark, it should dissipate in a matter of months – or, at the worst, years. If you wish to accelerate this, I would recommend a trip to the surface with a mage of the Sphere of Life."

"Is just another mark… Himar marked me last time I visited it as well. I no mind if it stay, I just wanted to make sure it no going to kill me." The Vartan runs a taloned thumb across his chest again. "Were you able to tell what caused it?"

Healer Gavriel looks down and shakes his head again. "The world itself splits open and mixes with stars, fire and trades places with another? This is something beyond my experience, Zoltan Cambio. I am sorry. I can tell you nothing more."

Zoltan stands himself up. "I thank you for what help you was able to offer, Mage Gavriel. If you know someone who mights be able to tell me more, please send word to me." He itches at his neck. "Is anything more I should know before I go?"

The healer shakes his head. "Nothing more for now. Do not worry. Many a mage of the Sphere of Light will be employed to find what they can about this. This is not something the Temple will be content to leave a mystery."

Zoltan winces a little. More mages. He manages a smile and moves to exit. "Thank you again for seeing me, I know you been busy."

The Aelfin nods and smiles, holding up a hand in a gesture of farewell. "All health to you, Baron Zoltan Cambio."

The Vartan pauses on his way to the door. "Sir… if you no disposed of the cells yet, perhaps you could give them to Light Mages in my absence? I gots feeling life going to get very busy for me soon… " He opens the door and steps out. "Anyroad, you probably gots other people to see. Have a good day, Sir."

The Aelfin watches the Vartan leave, and then picks up his broom again, drawing up his cowl. *shwip shwip shwip shwip*