#fenixtj

One drawws a gun, and fires... and Jessica realizes she has no armor , at least, not a bullet proof vest

Jessica charges the gun-welder; up close it's hopefully just a chunk of metal, and she can hit them with her own chunk of metal.

The closing distance works pretty nicely, confusing the shooter his aim off... and she shatters his jaw with her 'chunk of metal'

She brings it down on him one more time and, if he seems well-disabled, she turns to the next, closest attacker.

"Well," One figure snarls "We tried" And the masks drop

Oh, that suits Jessica just FINE....

The thallian stand revealed in all their dark glory! Ogres and goblins, Nasties and Boggarts, Boggies and a Svartal!

"RENAISSANCE!!!!" Jessica calls again, and takes great satisfaction in reattacking the monsters. She is willing to make a lot of allowances; Unseelie, Nunnehi, Chimera.... but Thaillian? No need!!

"Then the Winged Hussars arrived!" Ricardo screams and a dozen other voices cry out "RENAISSANCE!!!!"

Jessica roars the battle cry back, never letting up for a moment.

As jessica feels a knife in her back from one thallian plunge in deep

.... up until that moment.

damn sluagh kin!

She lets the weight and momentum of the swing she was making drag her around to face her assailant.

She's been poisoned... but he won't be standihng to gloat about it

And even as she snuffs the creature into pasty goo... everything goes black and... she realizes, even if she lives, she won't see how this fight ends. She can see, blurry, Phobos and Demos tearing into the attackers. Mitra moving to shield her.... taking blow and blow upon her shield to do so... all of her fief fighting.. fighting for the ...

.................

Jessica wakes ... the healing waters... there are cuts all over her...

even now...

Some of htem are.. did they bleed her?

If I am in the springs, my people are safe.... Wait.... she lifts her jead and calls "Countess?"

"She's awake" Fontaine calls out. He is looking relieved, wearing pants

There is almost a stampede into the room...

wait... is SHE wearing clothes?

No. No she is not.

And then to her surprise, Fontaine of all creatures, throws a towel over her, sure it's a wet towel now, but it's there

"Thank you..."

Under her blush.

Duff bullies his way to the front and stops... gazing at her.

Her eyes GO WIDE
"What are YOU doing here?!?!?"

He snorts. He has..changed a bit. Injuries have scarred over one of his tattoos and they did not rejoin when he healed. His hair is different. "What am I doing here? I came for the tour. I'm here for you, stubborn woman"

"Um." She looks at the rest of the..... crowd. "Who else was hurt? Where is the Countess?"

Diego, Mitra, ... The Cap brothers...

"Guys!?!?!" Increasing alarm.

But it's Nancy the satyress who blurts "Jessica, you've been nearly dead for almost a month"

"WHAT!?!?!" She makes the cave ring.

She sits up abruptly, then WAY back down underwater.

"The poison in you, it was no ordinary venom.. a quest was called for" Mitra says

"A -QUEST-?!?!"

"Look, can.... can Nancy and Mitra and I have the room.....cave.... please?"

Duff raises a brow.

Mitra says to Duff "I'll explain things to her... she just needs space Duff"

Jessica clearly wants to know -what- is to be explained but.....

Duff limps away.

As do others.

"Why is he limping. Is the Countess alive?!?!"

Well, only Duff limps

Mitra says "The countess is alive"