"<Whelp!>" came a rough growl from the edge of earshot, "<I thought I told you an hour ago that the Chief needs...>-"
Ali suddenly felt lightheaded, blinking rapidly as she struggled to keep herself in a sitting position. The foreign language of tongues Ali couldn't quite comprehend passed over her in waves as the newest occupant of the room continued barking at her savior. She sighed weakly as her vision began to blur, catching herself with an outstretched arm to the ground. The Quilava girl tottered slightly as she balanced, using her fingers as base, her frail body swinging to and 'fro as she managed to keep herself from blacking out.
"<Lin Hua!>" it shouted again, now a tan blob in Ali's eyes as she struggled to keep visual composure, "<Are you even listening to me?!>"
"<Yes! I mean, yes I am Priestess...>" came the blur that was Ali's handmaiden, "<B-But you see, one of the girls that we rescued is waking up, and I think she's having a little difficulty staying awake.>"
One of the shapes moved closer, encompassing Ali's entire field of vision. As her sight unblurred, the vaguely humanoid shape began to reveal itself. Facial features slowly started to emerge from the golden bronze blur, such as large brown eyes and a pointed yet distinguished nose. The static above the brown slowly unfurled into long luscious locks of platinum blonde hair, two long strands falling down to the newly revealed face. Eyebrows stiffened and a stern look painted across her face, this new woman seemed to be intently studying Ali...
"<Yes, this one is definitely still a little shaken.>" more gobblty-gook coming from this older woman's mouth as Ali struggled to distinguish what she was saying from the Common Language as the priestess turned to face the chubbier girl, "<I will need smelling salts, go grab them from my chest Hua.>"
Ali could feel callused hands touching her cheek, rough against her young skin yet warm to the touch. Her eyes half-open, Ali watched as the woman slowly became clearer and clearer before her very eyes. Ali could now see that she was a rather young woman, little more than Midnight's age, yet seemed more... worldly somehow. Two long braids fell from atop her shoulders and joined each other to dance across Ali's bound chest as the long white fur from her robes suffocated the rest of her. She seemed discerning, as if she was trying to solve a puzzle or a tough riddle.
"Hello Foreigner girl, I am High Priestess Xiao-Ming." her accent was atrocious, not to mention how choppy her sentences seemed, "You have had little-bitty accident on top of Stark Mountain, but not to worry. Lower Priestesses, Whelp, and I have saved lives of you and companions." she smiled proudly at this, "As you can tell probably, my knowledge of Common Language is much better than that of too-too-young Lin Hua, if you have any questions please ask myself directly."
Ali blinked slowly, drinking in the strange words of the woman hovering above her. Her mouth opened, yet no words seemed to come out. Only the faint sound of breath escaping her body. Her eyes seemed to dance within their sockets, her field of vision still quite unsound as she fought of slumber. The woman above her seemed to notice this, as she quickly and visibly lost enthusiasm in discussing with Ali.
"It is as I feared." sighed the Priestess, "Girl is potato."
"Poh-tay-toe?" Lin Hua curiously parroted her mentor's lament
"Yes. Means she is now unresponsive. Like sleep, but much much worse." one hand seemed to disappear from Ali's line of sight, only to reemerge with a large crudely-formed cleaver, "Must put child out of misery and let do what must do."
"No stop!!" Ali suddenly cried out as Xiao-Ming's wild swing stopped just above her nose, "I'm not potato, I'm not potato!"
"Ah, is good!" the woman cried out joyously as she stroked Ali's hair, "Xiao thought for second there that little girl would lose nostril. Good to know you're still alive and function fully." she smiled as a loud 'CLANG' resounded through the cave, "You are strong, like good all fire-types should be; blood of Entei runs strong in you, not like water companion."
"W-Water companion?" Ali mumbled, "B-Blood of- just what is going on here?"
"I have to explain again?" Xiao answered wryly as she inched towards the cleaver again, "You sure you're not potato?"
"I'm not a potato!!"
"Okay, is good. Just making sure. You took pretty hard blow to head there, is miracle you are not potato. Companions and I saved you and friends before too much damage. Take you back here for three days or so, you have been sleeping as magical Ho-oh feathers heal." she picked up Ali's head and rested it in her lap, "Everyone says Foreigner Girl and her friends not make it, but little Lin Hua there asked that we save you three. You have lots of thanks to give for little Whelp. But for now, you rest."
Her touch, while rough, was rather soothing to the distressed Ali. She found her rough calluses calming, in a strange way, and felt safe knowing that she was in strong hands. "But where... where am I?" she asked weakly as she looked upwards at the bronzed goddess, "How did... how did we survive?"
"Is not important right now." Xiao-Ming said in a soothing voice, "What is important is that you are in good hands. Best hands. Best hands in whole tribe now, little Ember." she cooed as she stroked Ali's hair lovingly, "Do you think you can eat? Yes? No? Either way, you build up strength." On command Lin Hua brought the wooden plate teeming with food to the priestess, who took it upon herself to bring the food to Ali's somewhat reluctant mouth. "We will deal with Chief later- for now we make sure that littlest flicker of all survives... and her companions too. Possibly, Xiao is not so sure about the fat one."
"<Priestess!>" Lin Hua called in her native tongue
"Alright, alright. Fat one lives too."
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