Shimmers in the Shade

Immediately, Kendra began to gather her things. It didn't take long, as she had packed rather light. Once her pack was thrown over her shoulder, she looked to Jhyn and smirked mischievously. She knew the potential danger that could happen, but it was a rush of adrenaline. A surge of excitement. As he took her hand and they stepped forward, she couldn't help but giggle.

It wasn't until they saw the vastness of the sea before them that she seemed to give pause. She knew she couldn't really drown here, but it still terrified her. Swallowing hard, her gaze at the water was broken when Jhyn spoke up about them running.

"Oh. Right! Hrm...well it's a shame I do not know the spell Haste. Expeditious Retreat is comes easy enough to me, but I'm afraid that will only work on me. Suppose natural running is the only way to go then, aye?" She said with a smile.

A few hours passed before a call from the shipmates above alerted Jea'nneaste of their arrival. She rose slowly from her resting place, a cot secured in a small room near the captain's quarters. It was empty save for a round window that gave her a view of the sea, letting in a few rays of dusty light, and a chest on a table beside a pile of folded clothes. Such was her privilege, a step below the captain himself, but surely it would have been suspicious to take his own room for the journey.  

She donned a thick cloak to wrap around her lithe figure, securing an elegant silver chain across her shoulders. A smile that couldn't quite fade after watching Kendra on the ship remained etched on her face. She knew of the suspicions in Kendra's gaze the moment they flickered into being. There was something off-putting, but she could not quite put her finger on it. This merely confirmed Jea'nneaste that her old friend's power was still quite potent, if not moreso. But it was not enough to break the shadows circling around Jea'nneaste's presence. While she continued to get dressed she thought of all the possibilities that would come of her first encounter. Regardless of the emotions that might be shared... anger, confusion, delight... all the half-elf could foresee was her own success.

Feet tromped about overhead and outside her cabin. Crew hands darted every which way to hoist and final loose sails and let down the anchor. Jea'nneaste pulled up her bulky hood over her hair, concealing her face in the shade as she peered out from her room to examine the area. There was no sign of Kendra or Jhyn yet on the deck. The ship itself had not yet docked, but it would be a few minutes longer before they came to a complete halt.

Gulls bellowed overhead, swooping around the mast to inspect the new arrival. Along the port ahead, sailors of every sort shuffled about, rolling barrels and assisting their comrades with whatever tasks were assigned to them. She could smell the smoke and taste the grime in the air commonly associated with the lower class citizens of the harbor market. Jea'nneaste scrunched her nose in disgust. It was not often that she had to endure such scents for the benefit of others.

She stepped back into her room, closing the door until there was only a sliver of light reaching in, an opening wide enough to peer out of as she waited patiently for her old friend to surface. The wry smile still did not fade.

Her voice came out in a whisper beside the door frame, a sound as smooth as silk. "Come out, my sister. I am waiting for you."

As if to answer her call, she observed as the Captain made his way down to the lower level followed by two crew members. This brought forth a concerned frown. She turned, opening the chest on the table to grab whatever was inside and with a gentle push she opened the door again and crept after them, peering down the ladder as she made an effort to listen over the ruckus surrounding her.

"Stop yer rompin, kiddies. Be time to pay yer dues..."

Ah, yes. Of course. The salty codger feared them, but he wanted to clean them of everything they had. There was no better thief in the world that preserved his well-being while swindling the very blood out of his customers. The men of the sea were no better than pirates if they felt they could get away with murder. Unfortunately, this was not a fight that would end in their favor.

Another warning came from the Captain, calling out to the pair before she crawled down the ladder after them, stepping up behind the trio to see them finally bust open the room's door. They stumbled upon a surprising sight... no man or woman was to be seen, save for a pouch of coin resting on the cot, a symbol of the couple's passive gratitude. Clever girl.

Bemused, Jea'nneaste grinned to herself, its existence short-lived as she moved closer and tapped the Captain on the shoulder. She smiled up at him sweetly.

"Surely you shood be on deck dealing with your crew, Capten. You have your money. More than enough by the looks of that bountiful sack. Leave this questioonable pair to me."

The Captain, upon discovering that his customers had escaped, was of course upset. The blood rushed to his face as he stood there, humiliated in front of is crew. What made matters worse was the fact the woman along with them had apparently seen his failure too. The tap on his shoulder gave him a bit of a cringe, turning to see the woman smiling sweetly at him.

Her words even sounded like ice to him, despite how sweet she tried to make herself out to be. He had got his coin, sure. But at the cost of his pride. He took in a deep breath and looked to the large sack sitting on the cot. Motioning for one of the crew members to count what was inside, he waited for their answer.

"Looks like about double, Captain."

Hearing that seemed to ease the blow to his pride a bit, and he looked to Jeanne and gave her a bit of a nod.

"Ye wanna go play with tha rats, fine by me. I ain't gonna stop ye."

He knew it would sound disrespectful, and his tone suggested he'd expected nothing more of her than to go do exactly what he said. The woman gave him the creeps. She paid well, sure. But she and her...were they friends? He didn't know. But they knew things about him he would have killed to keep quiet. He cleared his throat, realizing just the way he sounded and hoped she'd let it slide.

"Ye, eugh...ye in need o' anythin' before ye go after em?"

He silently hoped and prayed that was enough to make up for it.

The woman's smile remained wide and warm, despite the dark chill apparent in her gaze. She challenged his words with a questioning arch of her eyebrow before responding. "Need? Noh. You will be in port for a few days," she instructed calmly, "and if I have need of you aggen, you will heer from us. Now. Off you goh. You will not see me aggen today."

With that she gave a small dismissive wave of her hand and turned away, examining the room and giving zero recognition to the others. Her eyes darted about, scanning the quiet, empty vicinity. It didn't take long for Jea'nneaste to come to a reasonable conclusion... that the pair had simply "stepped" out of the ship through the very wall. It made the most sense. An ethereal spell, no doubt. She didn't know every secret of the lover, but certainly enough to know he had something up his sleeve. But, she decided, it was more likely that Kendra was invoking her own arcane knowledge to keep them on the safest path.

Wherever they were by now, it was beyond her sight again. Jea'nneaste frowned with dismay at having to wait at least an hour more to come across them in the harbor. Her gaze flicked towards the room entrance, making sure that the Captain and his smelly followers had departed. Once alone, she muttered quickly under her breath, somatic-ally gesturing a few times before the world around her faded in vibrancy, distant vision blurring and falling into silence.

She turned, quietly stepping through the wall and out into the sea, her strides long and sure as she began her hunt for Kendra and Jhyn.

Chapter Two: Home Sweet Home

Kendra looked around as Jhyn gestured to the bustling market before them. Was this really ever my home?, she thought to herself, her eyes studying that which was before them.

The town smelled of sewage and rotting fish. It always had. The alleys were unsafe, pickpockets were everywhere, and if one wasn't careful, they could come across a quick death should they offend the wrong person. The market itself was almost beautiful in a way; it's rainbow tents placed everywhere as merchants went about their day to day sales.

Past the various tents, towering five stories high into the sky was The Tower. It had been so long since she'd seen it. It wasn't really a beautiful sight, just remarkable how well it was placed within the center of all the business itself. It made sense, of course, considering that The Tower held everything the city needed within it's walls. The counting house, various noble offices, the town armory, and the jail underneath. She remembered just how large it seemed to her as a child. It still seemed just as imposing, if not more. Her thoughts drifted towards all of the other places she would see once more, her teeth gritting a bit.

We'll probably have to walk past it on the way to the Hall...

Her expression immediately went to a more calm one as she thought about the festhall. She couldn't wait to be inside once more. It was the only place she had felt safe. The barmaid there had taken such good care of she and Jeanne in their time as children, even if the woman wasn't their guardian. Kendra quietly hoped the woman was still there, though she imagined it was likely not the case. Regardless, it was a good place to start the search. If she could in fact find that woman, perhaps she knew about Jeanne or if anything had happened otherwise.

Kendra had a feeling that if that was not the case, she was sure that whomever had been watching them before would likely seek them out anyway. She quietly calculated a bit of a plan in her head and tsked her tongue. "Bah! I've been in my thoughts too long. Sorry about that!" She said, flashing Jhyn a big smile.

"We'll head to The Purple Lady first. It's a bit of a walk from here, but we can cut across the smaller roadways. So long as my memory is well enough, we shouldn't get lost." Her tone was playful, suggesting that she did in fact know where they should be going. How could she forget? Walking these streets many nights within her dreams happened often.

"Did you want to stop at any shops on the way, love?"

She smirked, giving him a playful nudge. "The coin toss was the alternative, yes. You know me too well."

"We can rest at the festhall. In the past they've had some of the most comfortable seating. It's a bit more expensive of a place, but well worth it in my opinion. That is, unless things have changed."

She squeezed his hand back and began to take the route she figured would be quickest. It was fairly crowded, so she stuck rather close to him. How easy it would have been to get separated. She'd be able to figure her way around, but unless he happened to find a map, she knew for sure he could get himself into trouble if he wandered into the wrong area. This wasn't a place to just go exploring.

The streets continued with their bustle of buys and sellers and as they made their way, she began to get excited to see the festhall again. The expression was rather clear on her face. "If Yila is still there, you're going to love her to pieces. Sweetest woman I've ever known. It's been a number of years though. If she's there, I don't even know if she'll remember me. I suppose we'll see!"

When they finally got to the festhall, she paused outside, remembering a very, very important fact about the place. Turning to Jhyn, she cleared her throat, looking a bit awkward. "So...I may or may not have forgot to tell you a little something about this place..."

Upon emerging stealthily into her home plane, Jea'nneaste's eyes darted every which way, scouring the busy streets. Residents had begun to emerge from their homes to begin their daily rituals, stepping into view as she began to stride south, deeper into the city. The pair could not have gotten far, or had waited until they were out of sight before breaking the spell. It was to her advantage that she knew the town and its people inside and out as she weaved and glided through the crowd, her steps almost rhythmic in her precise dancing. Never once did she touch them.

Her elegant cloak billowed gently around her legs, a dark, woven shadow following her movements and concealing much of her features. To the people of Westgate, she was not but another face. They looked elsewhere, or their gaze did not linger for long. Some were unfamiliar with her and stared too long, while the rest knew better and averted their eyes so as to avoid conflict. The weight of whispers bore heavily upon the city.

Wherever she glanced, however, the half-elven maiden could not find the gaze she sought. Blue... open... intelligent. Kendra was nowhere in sight, and the minutes passed like hours. Jea'nneaste once more tried to think as her old friend would. Where would she start first? They needed rest, but when encountering an explosion of fond and bitter memories, sleep was the last thing on anyone's mind.

Then, a particular memory sparked in the back of her subconscious. It was a place she had not been to for quite a while, even after living in the city for so long. The excuse was not so personal as she would have liked it to be. The Purple Lady, where the color violet went to die.

She took a sharp turn through the crowd, yet again evading the shuffling and hustling with a skilled ease as she cut through them and took a shortcut down a long alley. The sun flickered above through cloud and dusty air particles to highlight her movements. Heeled boots clicked smoothly on the rough cobblestone, echoing off the tall homes surrounding her. In and out of the shadows she stepped, her pace ever quickening until at the last moment she vanished yet again, fading into the blanket of remaining dark. The gentle clicking ceased.  

The festhall stood before her not long after, and she grimaced at the sight before turning to look elsewhere. Beyond in the distant crowds, raven-hair floated in the breeze, and the occasional opening revealed a head of soft brown matching its stride. This was it. It was finally time... after years of searching... Her heart skipped a beat, freezing her in place. Jea'nneaste forcefully heaved in a deep breath, taking back control of her body before she stepped forward a few paces and reached up to draw back her heavy cowl.




Platinum hair tumbled out, the long, straight hairs framing a pale but delicately oblong face. Flecks of light glistened on her skin, accentuating the cold blue hues that drifted like liquid along her alabaster flesh, only to be seen by the sharpest of eyes. A few pieces of jewelry decorated her body as they draped along her collarbone and dangled from her ears, their shades matching a robe-like tunic of dark blue that hugged her lithe form. Holes were opened purposely around the tunic, exposing her upper chest, arms and smooth hips. She stood silent as the grave, black eyes staring down the female in the crowd as she blocked the way between the humans and the festhall to purposely make herself known.

She would be noticed. Oh yes, she would. And hers was not a face so easily forgotten when revealed to the world.

"Cats...", she said thoughtfully, tapping her chin in thought. "Well, I was going to explain about the women who work there. Their clothing is translucent. It's how the place actually gets it's name, you know? I wanted to warn you. I mean, I guess it's filled with cats..." Kendra explained, and couldn't help but snicker to herself. In all honesty, she had hardly noticed it as a child. Now, if anything, she thought they'd be beautiful. Not that she had interest in women, mind you, but the elegant and smaller frames flowing against a purple translucent silk was almost art in a way.

As Jhyn pulled her a bit closer, she looked at him, confused. Her gaze followed his and the moment it met the figure before them, she froze.

It can't be...

There was no way it was true. She'd seen her friend's heart carved out right before her eyes. How was it possible? Was she raised like Dacius? But then the same question with him came to her mind. Why would Bane have allowed that to happen? Unless he had plans for the person? But that would mean Jeanne was her enemy. But she wasn't. She couldn't be. No, this had to be an illusion.

But it wasn't.

There was no magic there. There was no illusion. Her dear friend, Jea'nneaste, was standing alive and well right before them. Her thoughts couldn't even process the fact. Whatever Jhyn said next, she couldn't even make it out. Sounds were muffled and the world began to tunnel before her eyes. Her dear friend's beautiful face was the last thing she saw before she simply blacked out, knees buckling and body dropping.

The reaction was reasonable; Kendra thought her dead. Who would ever want to see a ghost suddenly appear out of nowhere? People turned their attention either with concern or curiosity as the woman collapsed, and Jhyn caught her before she met the ground. Jea'nneaste blinked a few times, taking in the scene with just as much surprise and but a sprinkle of amusement.

She took a few steps closer, extending a hand with a motion of interest to assist, but stopped short as Jhyn began to carry her closer, focused on the half-elf specifically. With a few more purposeful steps she moved to meet him, her staring eyes instantly taking on their own concern as they flickered between the man and unconscious companion.

At his words she managed a weak smile, itself followed by a saddened sigh. "Yes. I am heer for her, and she is heer for me. We have not met, Jhyn, but I know of you. I am Kendra's friend." Her gaze moved beyond towards those still watching before it shifted again almost nervously to look between the two humans, lingering on Kendra's peaceful face. "Please, let us not talk heer. Inside will do for now. Come.."

Jea'nneaste beckoned gently, moving towards the door of the Purple Lady to push it open and usher Jhyn inside. In his passing she would once more peer towards those watching, but the nervousness faded as the few eyes peering in her direction were met with a sharp glare. The door closed behind her as she stepped up behind him into a wide, open foyer, the smell of food and perfume filling her lungs. It was mostly empty save for the passing festhall attendant.  

"You," she demanded coolly, attention focused on the nearest purple-clothed host, "fetch us a basin of water and a cloth." Her robes and cloak billowed in and out around her body as she moved, slipping into the next room to gesture towards an open bench beside the wall, the natural lighting filtering in the windows to warm the old wooden seat. "Heer will do for now. She will be back with us soon."

The small side room was empty save for the trio that now occupied it. Beyond, the area was still rather silent, but with the activity of morning folk there was a consistent rhythm of feet and gentle murmurs to create ambiance akin to white noise in the background. Jea'nneaste assessed the area as she kneeled down beside the pair, nodding a few times at Jhyn's words.

"Oh, yes. Words cannot describe our connectioon. A good friendship. In that bond there is a stubborn determinatioon... and it helped me find her and guide her back heer." There was a definite honesty in her words. The half-elf could not have lied about that one piece of truth even if she tried. But the facts were all there; she worked diligently to learn as much as she could, to find out what happened. Once everything was in place, there was nothing left to do but reunite and see Kendra's face again.

Even if, of course, it was currently a closed-eye, resting face. She doubted inwardly that there was truly any peace for her, even in her dreams.

Jea'nneaste looked up to see a woman arrive with the requested bowl and a small, cotton cloth. She took both from the lady without offering a nod, and instead dipping her hand and the folded fabric into the water to moisten it. Pivoting on her knee she turned to the resting Kendra, patting the cloth gently across her face to cool her down. At that proximity, the heat coming from the woman was almost unbearable at first. The close contact of frost to fire made her hand tingle, the skin of her fingers turning a shade towards pink.

Despite this she persisted, slowly adapting to the heat. A small, fond smile once more grew on her lips before she continued to speak. "It took me a long time, as you said. There was a lot of tracking, a lot of informatioon to gen. But once her locatioon was made known everything fell wonderfully into place."

Another second passed before she dared a touch against Kendra's forehead, palm to skin. The half-elf's  burning chill silently battled the writhing heat below, sending more of that wonderfully strange but still pained sensation through her hand.

Where am I...? It was so dark. The only sound was a single repeated drip over water. It wasn't...was she back where it all started? I can't see...why can't I see? Where's the light? Drip.

Her thoughts swirled around her confused mind with each passing moment. Drip. Yes...the prison... She knew where she was again. It was the same dream over and over again. Or was it a nightmare? Or simply a memory? She could never determine. Drip. My hands are still bound, aren't they? Her hands moved within her dream, finding that she was indeed right about the memory.

In reality, her hands twitched slightly.

Drip.

"Can you feel it? The voice echoed. It reached out from the darkness. A soothing voice, but one that chilled her to her very bones. She knew this voice. She'd heard it before. She knew she couldn't see a thing, but her eyes closed anyway. I don't want to hear it again. Get it over with.

Drip.

More silence. Was it gone? Was it possible it would be finished before it started? Kendra quietly listened within her dream. A soft smile crept up her lips. Maybe I can have peace this time. Drip. It was nice, to be able to sit in the darkness with almost complete silence. No voices this time. Only the quiet.

Drip.

It began to get too quiet. It seemed to almost bore into her ears. Drip. What made it worse was the darkness. There was nothing to focus on to ignore just how quiet it was. Drip. Except that damn water. It almost seemed to echo throughout the cell she knew she was in. This...will not do. She thought to herself. Without another thought, she began to hum to herself a happy little tune; one she'd heard often as a child. However, when she hummed, no sound was heard. Drip.

She tried and tried, but the song simply would not surface.

"Can you feel it, Kendra?" The voice echoed within her mind, this time it was less soothing. It was mocking. She could even hear it grinning. It was completely pitch black, but her eyes opened and a flicker of...shadow? Was it a shadow? The darkness flickered before her.

"Feel it bore into you. Feel it eat you away. Feel it beckon you..." The voice began to mold differently. It sounded...familiar?

No...I don't want this... Once more she began to stir in the real world. It was likely clear she was having a nightmare. Her body began to radiate heat even more now, possibly at a concerning rate. A cold sweat formed on her forehead, which was highly unusual for her.

Drip.

"The memory will never escape you, or her. It is a mark upon the soul." Jea'nneaste continued to rest a hand atop Kendra's forehead, even whilst she stirred in her unconsciousness, hoping to cool her skin and her mind with the icy chill of her own skin.

At Jhyn's words, there was barely a moment of hesitation before she responded, surety in her explanation. "Noh words written in a letter are ever safe. Anyone cood have read it. I knew that Kendra wood understand regardless. I also knew she'd be wary, uncerten. Only a fool wood have visited this city with the belief that they'd be arriving and departing unscathed."

She shook her head slowly, as if disappointed. "There was too much risk to myself as well. What if she were not the same Kendra I knew? I had to see her aggen, regardless, but I wanted it to be on my own hunting grounds. To be more comfortable with my surroundings. For safety reasons. Surely you understand that, Jhyn. If the letter was more obvious, wood it have made any difference? There are too many variables to consider when choosing words carefully."

Suddenly and with a sharp hiss between clenched teeth, Jea'nneaste pulled back her hand, noting the redness of her palm. Dark eyes darted to Kendra shortly after. "She does not sleep well. We shood find a better place for her to rest."

Why is it different? The darkness was still there. The feeling of dread was still there. But the words were different. The way it was all playing out was different. It felt worse.

Drip.

Words seem to flow within her mind even more, shadows seeming to manifest in what she believed was pure darkness.

...will never escape...

Jhyn had given her hand a squeeze, but what she felt in the dream was the bindings tightening. No, this wasn't right at all. It was supposed to just be voices. Why does this feel more real than usual? She knew she was dreaming...or did she? What if it wasn't a dream? What if she really was back within the cell, unable to even speak. She had to do something.

Wouldn't it be such a perfect little happy world?

The darkness parted for a brief moment, a sickening sight of blood pouring around the sockets of a skull.



Her eyes widened in fear as a drop of blood fell into the black abyss around her.

Drip.

Quickly, she closed them and let out a small whimper. This was nothing like what she had experienced before. This was real. She had to get out of there. Had to figure out a way to escape. The sound of ragged breathing filled her ears now as the being got closer. A soft touch was felt on her cheek and she jolted at the feeling. Her eyes bolted open in the dream as the shadowed claw touched upon her face.

Kendra...

Drip.

In the real world, Kendra was seeming to hit an extreme point. Her hands were fidgeting, but there was more to it. Jeanne could likely notice they were making small attempts at tracing out a somatic spell. It was failing thus far, but depending on what she may cast could be dangerous. The heat of her body kept increasing to an almost unbearable state now, slowly threatening to burst out into flames at any point.

Quietly she lead Jhyn out of the Purple Lady, standing and gliding towards the exit. She had little reason to want to be there, in all its false claims for joy and merriment. Her own home was far more protected. In more ways than one. "We will goh to my own home... I have beds for my guests and it will keep your purses full." She didn't want other eyes to watch, to see her secrets unfold. Kendra and Jhyn were her business and her's alone. The Westars would never get their fill of curiosity.

Escorting the raven-haired man with a brisk step, Jea'nneaste moved hastily towards the northwestern part of the city, taking a few turns down cobbled roads that lead further and further away from the harbor. Given the circumstances of lack of planning, they were forced to walk. But regardless of this difficulty, it was good for sea legs. Having noted the hand gestures Kendra made, she insisted towards her lover to keep her hands down, or tucked in around her to prevent any chances of injury. "My home is not far from heer, but I will not have a crisis on my hands if she burns down my own beds instead of a public place."

The half-elf strode with a practiced step, each footfall clicking gently upon the uneven surfaces without any sort of difficulty. Years upon years were worn into those streets with her very own feet... she could walk them blindfolded and deafened. Sometimes nose and tongue were enough to get her where she wanted to go. The overwhelming smells and tastes that floated through Westgate's air were all too familiar, and like a hound she could follow the scents of invisible trails.

If she so wanted to. But that was thankfully never necessary for her; most of her work was quite easy.

Minutes passed as she walked, glancing over occasionally at the nightmare-ridden Kendra and her partner. Her eyes flickered about, watching the shadows, and those that trudged by. They continued onward in silence for a time until at last she spoke again, attempting to calm down the situation with a bit of small talk. "You must tell me more about yourself, Jhyn." she insisted gently. "If Kendra is to believe I exist when she wakes, surely there will be much to share. But you might maybe have something to add that she may not? Your homeland? Your family? Oh! And how was your trip heer?" With her questions, she reached over, setting her hands around Kendra's face briefly, icy chill against the burning fire, if only to cool her down a little before it was too much for Jeanne that she had to pull away.

The darkness seemed consuming. Not just physically, but it felt like it was eating her away. It was a horrible feeling- almost as if a terrible weight was crushing her chest. She wanted out. She had to get out. If she was in the cell again, where was Jhyn? What if they had him too? Her teeth clenched in anger and she stared the shadowed creature down.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with..."

It grinned, showing a long, excessively sharp row of teeth. Like the maw of a dragon. The shadowed touch withdrew and once more there was complete darkness. The dripping ceased.

Is it over?

A voice came once again. This time cool. Calm. Loving. Familiar.

"Kendra."

Now from the shadows, a beautiful face appeared. It was pale, perfectly accented by the platinum color of the silkened hair. This was a face she knew well.

"Jeanne..."

A hand reached out to touch upon Kendra's cheek. It was cold as ice, but oddly comforting. A confirmation that she was there and that everything was okay. Her eyes closed and a tear ran down her cheek.

Everything will be alright.

Kendra's form diminished the heat being emitted and she relaxed.

Despite rushing in as hasty a manner as possible, Jea'nneaste knew it wouldn't have been enough time to get the soon-to-implode Kendra to a safer area. She had no spells to counter such things, save for a protective ward around herself and Jhyn. The destruction of the area around them would have been minimal, given all the stone foundations and cobbled paths. She was prepared to stay alive and spirit everyone away if need be.

The urgency in Jhyn's voice alerted her to the critically poor timing as the woman overheated too much to be carried, and so the half-elf turned on her heel, rushing back to the man's side as he set Kendra on the ground. Quietly she uttered a few phrases, preparing a spell to protect against any flames that were likely to erupt.

"Her dreams, I suspect," she said cooly, almost casually in the desperate moment as she leaned down beside the woman once more. "Something to feer within them? Memories brought back at the sight of a dead face? The stirring reminiscence beneeth your thoughts can be a dangerous place when pulled out of the shadows, you knoh."

Logically, Kendra had repressed her old memories. If such were the case in that moment of time, she had accidentally cracked the shell. It was flooding back steadily. Jea'nneaste then smiled down at the unconscious woman, continuing to quietly cast her spells of protection around Jhyn and herself. The heat was almost overwhelming again, but only an idiot would have stepped into the volcano without the expectation of being even moderately scorched.

She hissed up towards Jhyn, palms and fingers spread wide. "If she breaks into the real world, be ready..."

But it was not to be. The human female's body began to relax, and the heat permeating radiating from her being lessened, fading to a lower core temperature. Or at least what was normal for a creature with such traits.

Jea'nneaste blinked a few times in silence, scanning Kendra's person just to be sure nothing had been licked with flames. Her old friend was still a strong woman, even in her sleep.

Good.

She leaned back, sighing with relief as the small smile returned. "There, our companion has battled her demons. For now. Still, it might be better for her to wake up in a comfier place."