The Witch's Fall

The Witch's Fall
Date of Scene:	26 July 2025
Location:	Aklyrr Bend - Tenoo - Outer Rim
Synopsis:	Malgabar's dark hold over the valley is finally lifted.
Cast of Characters:	159, Cayde Alexis, Pike Windu, Navi

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Athena (159) has posed:
As Cayde disappears into the fog beyond the drawbridge, Rykard reaches out into the Force, searching for both Master Windu and Cayde's presence.

<Master Windu> he calls out. <If you can, try to rejoin me outside of this keep. Cayde seems hellbent on killing Malgabar. We must convince him otherwise>

<But first, we must find him. Damn all this fog!>

Meanwhile, as Cayde continues following 'Crane', he'll see some familiar figures in the fog approaching him. "Cayde! Is that you?" A familiar voice calls out.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde frowns, reaching into the Force as he attempts to determine who is calling out to him...was it the Tholothian?

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu appears near Rykard, ignited lightsaber in hand. The Jedi closes his weapon down. "Yes, Master, I am here."

Athena (159) has posed:
The young padawan won't be able to sense anything at first -- but after a moment, he'll sense that Vons is around here, somewhere. His presence will feel faint in the Force. Suddenly, someone will reach forward and place a hand on his arm! It's Thaarin...

Rykard's eyes widen in relief. "Master Windu! You escaped the illusions. Thank the Force. Now, together, we must reach into the Force and search for Cayde -- perhaps even convince him to turn back!" He continues across the drawbridge slowly, beckoning Windu to follow. Then the elder Jedi will feel the Ikkrukki man seek to link forces with him so that they might be able to better reach Cayde, locate him, and perhaps sway him to come back!

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Pike and Rykard are able to locate Cayde's presence in the Force, it seems he is not too far--just across the drawbridge somewhere.

    When someone touches him, he turns abruptly, his hand going to his lightsaber instinctively. But he stops when he sees that it's Thaarin.

Pike Windu has posed:
    "Cayde is not far. Let's go." Windu's field boots thump against the drawbridge as he crosses it.

Athena (159) has posed:
Rykard nods. "Many thanks," he says to Windu. "Lead the way, Master Windu," he says, following the other elder Jedi across the drawbridge and into the fog, towards wherever Cayde is.

The tall blue alien looks worse for wear. His left arm is bleeding, and he looks exhausted. "Thank the light you're alright," he says to Cayde. "Did you find Malgabar, and free the hostages?" Not far behind Thaarin is Vons, trailing uncertainly the other. He too, looks like he'd just climbed out of a sarlacc pit.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [Not yet...but soon] Cayde tells him, and continues to hurry toward 'Crane's' presence. He just wants this to be over, and as quickly as possible.

Pike Windu has posed:
    "PADAWAN!" Windu calls out into the fog. "He's close, I know it."

Athena (159) has posed:
Thaarin's eyes widen. "Cayde, wait!" he cries. He then runs after Cayde, doing his best to keep track of him in the fog.

Rykard nods, and picks up his pace."Let us hurry," he says to Pike. "I can feel his presence receding..."

Cayde will feel a nudge in the Force from 'Crane.' He'd found Malgabar...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde follows the Tholothian's presence through the fog, ignoring the shouts after him. This had to be done. It just had to...

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu senses Cayde's thoughts. "NO PADAWAN! YOU MUST HEED MY CALL! You are a Jedi. ANSWER ME!"

Athena (159) has posed:
The Tholothian man nudges him in the Force, showing him an image of Mal sitting behind a rotten log not so far away. <I await your signal> He tells the young Padawan.

Rykard breaks into a run. <Cayde! You must listen to Master Windu>

Thaarin and Vons wait for the other Jedi to catch up before continuing after the young Padawan.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde searches for that rotten log. But why is she hiding out here? She must know he is near, and wasn't he what she wanted? He glances back toward the others. No no, they weren't supposed to be here, to see this.

    <What should we do Master> he asks.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu has no choice. With a SNAP-hiss, his lightsaber ignites as he runs alonside Rykard. "Padawan, you must obey. Answer us now."

Athena (159) has posed:
<Talk> Rykard says. <We'll talk to her. Both of us. It's going to be fine. I sense her presence, and she knows I'm here, but hasn't attacked. That's a good sign.>

He holds up a hand towards Windu, motioning for him to lower his saber - for now. "He's stopped running," he says, "I think." And he begins to head towards the log, which is just a few hundred yards north of Cayde.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde shakes his head. <You talk to her...> he argues, stepping back and allowing the elder Jedi to approach first instead of him.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu nods and lowers his saber. "Take the lead, Master. I'll watch your back and keep an eye on Cayde."

Athena (159) has posed:
Rykard nods at Windu, but frowns at Cayde. He places a firm hand on his shoulder. "We will talk to her," he says, "together. Come. We will not kill her unless there proves to absolutely be no other way."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde sighs and finally relents. He follows his master toward the rotted log where Malgabar is hiding...

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu follows. He glances at Vons and the alien, saying quietly, "stay close."

Athena (159) has posed:
Malgabar seems to have forgotten everything that had just happened. She's sitting down, hugging herself, rocking back and forth, whispering in Dathomiri. When Rykard and Cayde approach, she looks up, tears in her eyes. ".... Cayde...?" She doesn't acknowledge Rykard or Windu.

Vons frowns and whispers to Windu, "What's with the kid? Why'd he run off like that?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde fixes her with a piercing glare. [You have to stop this] he tells her. [You killed innocents]

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu whispers back, "Cayde takes a lot upon himself. He blames himself for many things."

Athena (159) has posed:
Upon seeing Cayde's reaction, the girl starts to sob uncontrollably. "I didn't!!" she cries. "I don't remember it. She did it. It wasn't me. It wasn't me...!" She crawls over to Cayde and clings to his leg. "Don't leave me here. Don't leave me here alone... please....!"

Vons frowns. "No kidding, but this seems personal. What's with them? I've never seen him that mad."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    What was she talking about? [Who] Cayde asks. [There is no one else] he signs, even glancing around to see if there is indeed anyone else around besides himself and the group he'd come with, and her.

    [Stop this] he insists again.

Pike Windu has posed:
    "They're young and fairly well acquainted, I think. Avoiding attachments is another one of Cayde's weaknesses."

Athena (159) has posed:
Malgabar doesn't elaborate, but with each passing second she seems more and more desperate. She clings to Cayde's leg even tighter. "No! No! I don't want to be left alone. I'm scared. I don't know what happening... please take me home... take me home..."

"They're dating," Vons says matter of factly, not even posing it as a question. "Oh, well, I guess that explains things. Isn't that like, illegal for you guys?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [I cannot] Cayde shakes his head. [I cannot trust you]

    He sighs, looking down at her as she continues to cling to him. Then he glances at his master, at a loss for what to do. Who knew when she might turn into that monster again?

Pike Windu has posed:
    "It is a weakness," Windu repeats, defeatedly. "I should... nevermind."

Athena (159) has posed:
The young Dathomirian girl unravels even more, sobbing and now begging incomprehensibly for Cayde to take her home, tugging on his robe in desperation.

"We have to take her back," Master Rykard says, "even if it's dangerous. Leaving her out here would prove even more dangerous for her, and everyone else, including those who live in Kublop."

But the young padawan will sense something rising up within Malgabar. That terrible presence he'd sensed before, back when they'd been fighting those undead creatures. It's burying Mal, locking her away somewhere deep within the subconscious, in a mindscape that's surreal as it is beautiful, making her forget about the current reality and her psionic prison.

Rykard is unaware. Perhaps, Pike is also unaware. But perhaps he's not!

Vons arches a brow at the elder Jedi. "You should... what? I mean, if there was ever a time to try something risky, it's now."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    <Malgabar....>

    <Look at me>

    And it's not a request. It's a demand. No, a -command-. Cayde draws his own lightsaber, and holds the business end of it against his chest. It's no bluff, either. He'll do it, if need be. If that's what it will take.

    At the same time, he reaches out to the Tholothian's presence. If the man was going to act, it was now or never. <Do what you will>

Pike Windu has posed:
    SNAP-hiss. Windu has no time to answer. "Get behind me! Watch our backs. Padawan, get out of the way before it's too late."

Athena (159) has posed:
She looks at him, suddenly backing away, the green glow in her eyes mounting. Flames begin to flicker around her fingertips, as her lips press into a thin line and her expression hardens.

Rykard doesn't even seem to heard Pike's warning. He sees Cayde put the business end of the saber to his chest and immediately, he forgets everything else. "Cayde, no!" The young padawan will be able to both sense in the Force and see the panic in Rykard's eyes. He's not thinking like a Jedi. He's thinking like a teacher who is far too attached to his apprentice. He jumps between Malgabar and Cayde, reaching forward to try to grab Cayde's saber and wrest it from his grip.

But the timing is too terribly perfect. For Rykard jumps in front of Cayde mere milliseconds after Cayde tells him to do what he wills. And 'Crane' does not hesitate. He lifts his rifle, aims, and then fires... right into Rykard's back.

Navi has posed:
Navi had had quite a job in getting out of the lower level of the castle. Although she had stayed initially to protect the former prisoners, the lack of a return or response began to concern her relatively quickly, especially with a homicidal Padawan on the loose.

"Stay here, in this same room," she directs them gently. "Make a circle and hold hands, so you won't get separated. I'll be back soon."

"If she tells us to sing, I'm walkin'," murmurs a Chadra Fan brother.

Navi stifles a giggle. "Only if you want to. But try to remain calm. I'll be back."

"She will, too. She's got her magic underwear on... nothin'll stop her! Or nothin' male, anyway," adds Peeka, drawing a roll of her eyes and a faint blush from Navi.

She hurries to the creaky stairs. Several leaps between the two walls, with the aid of the Force and her acrobatic skills, take her up to the ground floor relatively quickly. If only her companions could get upstairs the same way...

From there she just follows the sound of the commotion. Just in time to witness Master Rykard being shot down by an invisible assailant. She instantly has a pretty good idea who it is, too...

"Master!" she cries, hurrying to the fallen Jedi Master's side. Calling upon the Force, she lays her hands on either side of the entry wound and twists the flow between herself and Rykard, to knit the torn and bruised flesh. If the Force wills it, she may be able to keep him alive...

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu grunts as it's too late. And then Rykard is shot. The Jedi goes to his knees next to fellow master and channels the Force.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde watches in horror as his own master is shot in the back instead.

    But his expression hardens. No...this changed nothing. Hopefully, 'Crane' has another charge in his rifle. Or several more.

    He presses the switch, forcing the saber to energize straight through his own body. The searing pain tears through him for that single moment, burning into his internals before he shuts it off...the damage done.

Athena (159) has posed:
Indeed, 'Crane' has more than one charge - he shoots again, but Malgabar vanishes in a cloud of green black smoke just as he fires again. Whether it hit her or not remains to be seen - a keen eye might have observed that it -seems- to have gone through her head, but the fact that the witch is no longer here seems to prove otherwise. Rykard falls to the ground with a soft thump, as the smell of burned flesh fills the air. He's not dead - not yet. Thankfully, Navi and Pike's combined efforts stabilize Rykard. He's saved - but will need further medical care soon.

But then, they have more pressing problems to attend to, as Cayde ignites his own saber through his chest. Thaarin, immediately rushes to his side, dropping his weapon. "Cayde!" He cradles the young padawan, "....not you too," he says softly, shedding a single tear. "...Navi!!"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde falls to the ground as well, barely conscious. If this didn't do the trick, then he doesn't know what more can be done.

Navi has posed:
Navi breathes a quiet sigh of relief. "I think we did it, Master Windu," she says softly. "The Force was with us."

But the words have hardly left her mouth when the sound of Cayde's lightsaber igniting interrupts her momentary peace. She looks up and screams at the sight of Cayde's lightsaber blade erupting through his back! Almost simultaneously, a rifle fires, and Mal vanishes in a green smoke cloud.

Somewhere at the back of her mind, a familiar presence registers. But she has no time to think about it now. Cayde's life needs saving.

Now.

She kneels beside Cayde and Thaarin, once more calling upon the Force and twisting its flow between herself and the Padawan. "Oh, Cayde, you poor, stupid... why'd you go and do something like /that/..? If you die, I'm gonna kill you!"

Athena (159) has posed:
"Shit, man..." Vons mutters, dropping to his knees to examine both Cayde and Rykard, feeling bad suddenly for all the times he'd been mean to Cayde. "... Can you save him?"

"Please tell me you can," Thaarin says desperately, already pulling some medipatches from the inside pocket of his jacket. "Either way, we need to get both of them back to the colony as quickly as possible." He sighs. "The hostages," he says, "are they safe now?"

Navi has posed:
"I hope so... I'll keep trying, but it's up to the Force now," Navi replies to Vons. "The hostages are safe for now, but they're still in the lower level of the castle. The lift is trashed, and I really don't like the look of those stairs. We might be able to have them come up the stairs one at a time... I can stay in the dungeon with the ones left until they're all out, so they're less vulnerable to the Dark Side. Maybe if we could secure a rope at the top and bottom of the stairs for them to hold on to for safety, just in case the stairs give way, so they won't fall to the bottom. I hope there's a liquid cable dispenser or two on the ship..."

She continues to tweak the flow of the Force through Cayde's body, trying desperately to knit the cauterized flesh and replace what tissues were eradicated by the lightsaber blade. "You stay with us, Cayde," she whispers, tears running down her face.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    It seems he is at least stable for now, but as Navi channels the Force through his mind and body, she can feel that he still thinks this entire ordeal is his fault, and that what happened to Mal is also his fault. Whatever the reason was for what he'd done, it must not have achieved the desired result, and there is a strong sense of defeat. Disturbingly strong. Enough that perhaps he does not -want- to recover.

Athena (159) has posed:
Thaarin and Vons help Navi administer medipatches to Rykard and Cayde, and when they finish Thaarin stands. "I'll get the ship," he says, "I don't know how we'll all fit. Oona was injured, so I saw her back to the vessel. Chad was lost to the fog - and as terrible as this sounds, at least that frees up room for at minimum for one more person."

He gets up, disappearing into the fog and leaving the rest of them to tend to the two gravely wounded Jedi. But not long after Thaarin leaves, Peeka and her family, along with the wizened Latero who hardly seems to know what's going on, appear on the drawbridge, approaching quickly.

"Navi!!" Peeka cries out. "The illusions... they all went away. Turns out there was another staircase all along, in plain sight, that we could all go up easily. Can we go back now?"

Navi may notice though, that the Dug, Wensicio, is missing. And of course, the marauder, Dart, isn't with them, either.

Navi has posed:
"I think he's lost the will to live," Navi says softly. "I know that sounds like an overwrought afternoon holodrama, but it's true. He blames himself for this entire situation, and I think he believes he's failed us."

She hugs Cayde's mostly limp form against her, continuing to work through the Force to heal him as best she can. "Cayde, you listen to me... maybe you made a mistake, but /we all make mistakes/. A miscalculation here, an accident there, a dumb choice over there, a misinterpreted situation a mile further back, it /just happens/. /Don't blame yourself/ for a situation you only partly had a hand in, if any. Force knows there's plenty of blame to go around. I know damned well I didn't help make things any better."

"I know you don't believe it, but /we can still fix this/. But we can't do it without you," she continues, a tremor in her voice from her composure wavering, as it's presently standing on very shaky ground. "So you absorb that and keep on fighting, you hear me?"

Peeka's voice comes to her then, and she looks up. "We can, Peeka. It might take a couple trips, but we can," she says, nodding. "I see Wensicio's run off again. It just seems to be what he does. Right now he's the least of our worries."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde gazes into Navi's eyes as she holds onto him. But he can't shake the feeling that he -keeps- messing up. And for whatever reason, his mistakes always had such dire consequences. Still, through her warm embrace, he can feel his strength returning.

    When Peeka approaches, he looks over at her, his expression brightening even a little bit at the news that the illusions had gone.

Athena (159) has posed:
Peeka peers at Cayde, patting his arm. "We can all go back to the colony now," she says, "we're alright - except for maybe the Dug, but he was stupid and no one cares about him."

At that moment, the vessel arrives. There's some lap sitting, and both Vons and Navi will have to stand, but somehow, they all manage to cram into it.

The ride back is bumpy, and Thaarin appears to be expending every inch of his energy into piloting so they can all make it back safely. Miraculously, they do.

As they pile out with both Rykard and Cayde on mediberths, the doctor rushes up the gangplank to meet them. He looks utterly crestfallen when he sees both the Marshal and especially his padawan gravely wounded. "How could this have happened..." he says softly and incredulously. Then he and his droids quickly take the two of them to the infirmary.

Navi will notice that everyone's disembarked at this point -- except for Thaarin. He's still sitting in the pilot's seat, his expression glazed over and distant. He looks like he might be on the verge of passing out -- the young Sephi may notice that this whole time, his left arm had been bleeding, but in the chaos and rush to return to the colony, his wound had been forgotten and left untreated...

Navi has posed:
The arrival back at the colony is almost overwhelming to Navi. Between the departure of Peeka and her family and the unloading of Cayde and Master Rykard, she has her hands full, and is kept rushing aboard and back to assist this person or that person.

Eventually things calm down, and she leans against the hatchway, weary and sore. Within a few moments, it dawns on her that she hasn't seen Thaarin leave the ship.

Going back aboard, she finds him where she'd last seen him, still in the pilot's seat. A glance confirms, to her dismay and regret, that it's more than fatigue keeping him here.

"Force help you, Thaarin, I forgot all about your arm..." she murmurs, kneeling beside his seat and laying both hands on either side of the wound. She begins to draw upon the Force, monitoring and adjusting its flow between herself and the Chiss, and within his body, trying to knit the damaged tissues. She loses all track of time as she tweaks and nudges that flow of energy, sending it where it's needed and shifting it from one damaged area to another...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    The Dug...why hadn't Weniscio gone with the others? Had Malgabar targeted him specifically? But why?

    Cayde averts his gaze away from the doctor, hoping no one will tell him how this had happened. But they probably will, anyway. He sighs...at least the colonists were rescued (for the most part) and the dark side spells were gone.

Athena (159) has posed:
"I'm the least of your worries," the tall blue alien grunts softly. When she heals him, he says quietly, "Your usage of the Force will never cease to amaze me..." while attempting to stand up. However, he still quite weak from the blood loss and he stumbles. Instinctively, he'll reach out for the nearest thing - Navi's arm. If she isn't prepared, he might unbalance her and cause both of them to stumble into the pilot's chair...again!

Strangely, the doctor isn't even asking. He seems to be in no shape at all to even ask how this had all occurred. Instead, he's just weeping profusely.

Navi has posed:
"No, you're not. Why do you have to be so... so /noble/ all the time?" Navi asks, in gentle frustration, as he seems to try to send her away. But she's not ready for when he tries to rise from his seat after she's done healing him. "ThaaRIIIIIN!!!" she yelps as she's unbalanced mid-sentence, landing on top of him in the pilot's seat.

"Geez... didn't I just leave this scene?" she says softly. "Maybe you better stay put for now. You're probably exhausted, and you lost blood before I was able to heal you," she advises him, trying to stand.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde sighs and reaches into Soren's mind, attempting to soothe him at least a little bit by showing him that Navi had already done a good amount of the necessary healing. He would be fine, there was nothing to fear.

Athena (159) has posed:
Well, she's sitting in his lap again. But this time, she doesn't have any pants on. Oops.

He doesn't seem to mind though. He embraces her gently, "the last thing I'd like right now is to be left alone," he says softly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. He gazes compassionately at her, his expression full of empathy. "You're worried about Cayde, aren't you? And Master Rykard," he murmurs quietly.

He stops crying, at least. But the tears give way to rage, and he suddenly sweeps everything off of the bed side table next to Cayde's berth. "Stop!" he bellows. "You know I hate it when you do that!" he says harshly. "Don't you want me to care about you? I thought that part of all this troublemaking was so that I'd pay attention to you! Well, you have all my attention. You always did. But I couldn't admit that, it was too dangerous for both of us. Are you happy now?!"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    The doctor probably knows that some of Cayde's behavior is indeed attention-seeking. Although it is not as focused specifically toward Soren as he might think.

    The padawan however, just looks away, trying to hide the tears in his eyes. [I am sorry...] he signs. He'd only been trying to help. But that was just typical wasn't, it? Every time he tried to help, he'd manage to mess it up somehow.

Navi has posed:
Navi nods mutely, squeezing her eyes shut against more tears. She begins to shiver as the adrenalin drains out of her, leaning against him wearily.

"Worried about everyone," she mumbles at last. "Cayde, Master Rykard, Gael, Mal, you, the colonists... Xera too, a little. Even Xera's bitchy aide. Sounds dumb, I know. Dunno if I'm worried about Amarik anymore. It's clear that I can't trust him."

She sighs quietly, wearily. "Maybe I never could... Cayde's not the only one who's bungled things."

Athena (159) has posed:
His fingers find her spine and trace it, softly, gently, soothingly. "Don't," he says quietly, his voice barely audible. "They're strong. They'll pull through." He pauses. "It's like you said, Navi. No one's without mistakes. And maybe Cayde is right about Mal. Maybe the only way to really stop Mal, is to end her." And if she turns to look at him through her tears, she'll see a side of him she hasn't seen before. The normally brave, unshakeable Thaarin suddenly seems fragile. Afraid. Full of regret. She won't need the Force to sense that he's not sure if he believes what he's saying. He's saying it for his own sake as much as he's saying it for hers, hoping it'll serve as a temporary balm for a terrible situation.

Cayde is unsuccessful at hiding his tears, though. And suddenly the doctor is undone, again. "No, no. Don't cry. Don't be sorry. I should be sorry. I'm sorry," he says, suddenly embracing Cayde tightly like he never wanted to let him go.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde returns the embrace, <You are a good man> he tells the doctor, even though he knows the man probably doesn't believe it.

    Suddenly a thought occurs to him, that he doesn't remember very much about what his mother was like. Maybe Soren could tell him...no...there must be a reason he doesn't like to dwell on his past. He shouldn't bring it up.

Navi has posed:
"Trust in the Force, Thaarin," Navi whispers, hugging Thaarin gently. "I do. If we stick together and keep working to save each other and the colony, things will work out. Maybe not without pain or danger, but they'll work out, I promise. We just have to keep working on it."

Athena (159) has posed:
Indeed, the doctor does not believe it. And him saying that he is, makes him feel even worse. He finally lets go of Cayde, but still holds onto his hand as if tomorrow, the galaxy would end. "Do you remember anything about your life before the Order? Did you ever meet your brother, Kuyvar?"

He presses his forehead against hers gently, his arms closing around her, returning the embrace. "I guess we both know that running on promises we know may never be fulfilled is better than utter despair," he says softly.

Then after a moment, he says, "You should go." But his eyes are saying the opposite of that. His arms are still around her. That look on his face, it's not that different from the one he'd given her back at the nightclub when he'd been completely inebriated...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde nods, although his eyes are a bit sad. He remembers the day they sent him away...and how much he misses him now. <I would not make it without Kuv> he tells Soren. <I do not remember much...>

Navi has posed:
"We both should go," Navi whispers back. "But I'm so tired I don't know if I'd make it back to my hab. Even too tired to shower, and Force knows I'm an awful mess. Sorry I got this awful crud on you," she murmurs, seeming to sink down against him. "... so sorry..."

The words trail off into a gentle snore as the Sephi sinks into an exhausted slumber, the weight of the all-too-recent nightmarish hours finally catching up to her.

Athena (159) has posed:
"You'll have to tell me all about him sometime," the doctor says mournfully. "But for now, you should rest," he says, pulling the covers up to Cayde's chin. "Just promise me you won't try to leave the infirmary prematurely."

Thaarin smiles weakly and wanly when Navi falls asleep in his arms. He scoops her up bridal style with some effort, and kisses her forehead softly before carrying her back to her hab suite.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde nods vaguely, although it is unclear whether it was in response to telling him about Kuv or promising not to leave prematurely.

    Anyway he cannot stay there all night. He still reeks of undead animal entrails, and besides that he is starved. It's almost time for his nightly trip to the kitchen to sneak into the emergency rations...but he'd be back, if anything to soothe the doctor's nerves.