I can give you freedom from your guilt with a flick of my wrist
The Ascended runs for her patients, and Nephele’s mind clicks away, considering. Nobody has emerged fully yet, and that gives her an opportunity. The flames are licking away, growing larger by the moment, and Ludo’s Rags may protect her from the cold but they certainly don’t from fire. Time is running out, but her identity has not been forsaken.
So she makes a very risky choice.
Using her illusion one last time if she can to make a loud distracting sound behind Isla, she spins immediately and darts for the doorway - counting on the rags’ blackness and her raised hood to lend a vagueness to her form even if Isla does spot her retreating. Past the doorway she turns sharply and throws her cloak off to stuff in her bag, ripping her braid out and shaking it out to reveal the red that wasn’t surface-coated with clay. “FIRE!” she shouts at the temple goers, and then - face revealed, hair down, wings out and looking entirely different (or so she prays) she races back inside.
“Who is in here?!” she yells past the crackling that even through the wall is a cacophony of sound. There is only one way to get to the humans - through the wall or back through the fire. But at least she can say she ‘tried’.
If she can help get the patients out, perhaps the infirmary will continue to burn while they move them, and no humans will be lost. And surely the helper would not have caused the fire.
- - -
Nephele runs out the door and to the side and does an appearance-switcheroo then runs in to help Isla move the patients.
So she makes a very risky choice.
Using her illusion one last time if she can to make a loud distracting sound behind Isla, she spins immediately and darts for the doorway - counting on the rags’ blackness and her raised hood to lend a vagueness to her form even if Isla does spot her retreating. Past the doorway she turns sharply and throws her cloak off to stuff in her bag, ripping her braid out and shaking it out to reveal the red that wasn’t surface-coated with clay. “FIRE!” she shouts at the temple goers, and then - face revealed, hair down, wings out and looking entirely different (or so she prays) she races back inside.
“Who is in here?!” she yells past the crackling that even through the wall is a cacophony of sound. There is only one way to get to the humans - through the wall or back through the fire. But at least she can say she ‘tried’.
If she can help get the patients out, perhaps the infirmary will continue to burn while they move them, and no humans will be lost. And surely the helper would not have caused the fire.
- - -
Nephele runs out the door and to the side and does an appearance-switcheroo then runs in to help Isla move the patients.
I can give you death with the look upon my face
