Wishes and Curses

[DragonSong]

"Of course." W smiled and added softly, "And you don't need to call me master."

He turned to the vendor. "The locker please." A pause. "And how much for the ring?"

[Draconian]

"Too much," She snapped back, "Locket is free if you take that thing away from here." She pointed to Nika and held out the necklace.

[DragonSong]

He drew himself up. "That thing?" His voice went low and dangerous. "Madam, do you know whose companion you speak to? You owe her your respect- and an apology."

[Draconian]

"D'you think I care?" She held out the necklace, frowning, "Take it and leave or take nothing." Nika just stared in a daze, frowning at the ring before she took the locket and Mikhails hand and started to tug him away, a far away look in her eyes. The way her fingers threaded through his was telling of how she felt, hands trembling slightly, pale.

Nika licked her lips to make her mouth not feel as dry and she just stared. An empty feeling in her belly. What was that ring?

[DragonSong]

Mikhail glared and threw a few coins at the woman. "Do well to knew your place," he hissed, before letting Nika pull him away.

"I could have her sales liscence revoked," he grumbled, not quite noticing his companions distress.

[Draconian]

Nika frowned at the cloth in her hand, confused. Dazed. Tired like she'd just woken from a nap more tired than before. She shook her head to whatever Master said and looked over her shoulder to the woman, eyeing the ring.

"She feels dangerous," Nika whispered, pressing a hand to her chest,  breath shallow. She was dangerous right? Maybe she'd been away from herself too long. "Why is the ceiling so high?" She panted, flushed and panicked, though it wasnt the ceiling, it was the sky.

"Misha," Nika looked around, letting go of his hand before she started to back away from everything, smashing into one rather well off couple in the process.

The fancy dress melted away into the exotic clothing she was actually wearing and she squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm gonna fall off," she panted, "everything is going to fall --" and then.

She fainted. Crumpled down like a bag of potatos, locket still clasped in her hand.

[DragonSong]

"Nika!" Mikhail managed to catch her before she hit the ground, gathering her up in his arms to hold her against his chest as he straightened up.

A healer. He needed a healer. Maybe she'd been in the sun too long? Or perhaps it was the shock of having a physical body after residing in a ring...

Either way, he couldn't care for her, he knew that. He needed help. "You." He gripped the arm of the man she'd bumped into. "Here." He slipped a few coins into his hand. "Call a healer, send them to the Bartok estate." Without another word, he turned and hurried home, the girl clutched to his chest.

[Draconian]

The healer was a gentle looking older man and he arrived at the estate in decent time.

Time enough to get Nika onto a couch, still passed out as she was.

The man balked slightly at her choice of clothing but he didn't judge. Out loud at least.

"Well, your servant needs some food and water," He decided before pressing a hand over her cheek, cold and clammy, frowning slightly, "Some rest." He shrugged, "There's nothing visible to fix." A tilt of his head and he clicked his tongue at Mikhail, "Really though, letting your servant faint. Very neglectful of you."

[DragonSong]

Mikhail glowered, kneeling next to the couch. "I had no idea she was unwell," he said stiffly, deciding to refrain from mentioning that he had no idea what might be a strain on a djinn's body.

[Draconian]

"Well, perhaps, next time she looks unwell you could ask?" The healer smiled kindly and stood up. "Perhaps move her to a bed to sleep and have an easy meal for her when she wakes."

[DragonSong]

"Yes, thank you." Distractedly he called for a maid to help him move Nika into a guest room and then asked the girl to fetch some tea and a light meal, not quite sure what her stomach would be able to handle when she'd woken up.

[Draconian]

The maid worked quickly and the passed out girl was deposited onto a bed.

Nika was passed out.

There was only darkness. Back in the ring? Why did she feel so sad?

It was a good hour before Nika shot up, gasping loudly, looking around. The room was strange. The smells were strange and Nika slunk out of the bed, trembling, eyes wide and stared over it while trying to calm herself down. She eyed the tea on the bedside table and she swallowed thickly, confused, looking around terrified.

"Mom?"

She choked out, but then like a snap everything was gone and familiar.

"Misha?" 

She lifted her head up over the bed to peak around, "Are you here?"

[DragonSong]

Mikhail had begun to doze off by the time Nika woke, settled onto a settee near the bed. He started awake and got to his feet, crossing to look her over worriedly.

"I'm here." He touched her her shoulder gently, tilting her chin so he could look her over. "How do you feel?"

[Draconian]

Nika frowned at him, pale, fingers trembling.

"What happened. How did i get here."

[DragonSong]

"You fainted." He felt her forehead, then leaned away to gather a cup of still lukewarm tea and held it out to her. "Here, try to get this down."

[Draconian]

Fainted.

Nika wrinkled her nose.

How very human sounding.

she slunk her way back onto the bed, kneeling on it before she took the tea in her hands and stared at it, frowning. It had been so long since she'd ... Been aware for so long. Nika brought it to her lips and held the tea in her mouth, though once she realized there was flavour her eyes went wide and she  forced herself to swallow.

It was bitter and awful and amazing.

Nika looked at her current owner, wide eyed and in awe.

"Does everything taste like this?"

[DragonSong]

He laughed, then realized she was serious. "Like tea?" He shook his head. "No, Nika. There's so many more flavor a than that, I promise," he told her with a small smile.

[Draconian]

"Well thats good," she sipped the tea again curiously, "its awful."   Nika gave a little shiver and handed the cup to him, looking tired but a little enthusiastic at this tasting thing.

[DragonSong]

Mikhail chuckled and took the cup from her. "Have some water then, at least," he murmured, handing her a glass. "Do you think you could eat something?"