"Okay Raven, while you eat, can you let Cassandra give you a check up?" Ethan asked as he rubbed Raven's back.
By now, everyone else was sat on the floor enjoying their own meals. Though a few there wouldn't normally eat fast food, they decided it was best to eat with Raven to ease her worries about the food going to waste.
Ethan didn't really eat much as he was busy stripping the chicken for Raven to eat, though he almost couldn't keep up with how fast the little one was eating.
Looking up at Cassandra, Raven tilted her head a little before nodding a little. "O-okay..."
At her approval, Ethan gently sat her next to him and stood from the bed so Cassandra could take his spot. Though a little meek, Raven stayed in place and eyed the woman up and down a few times.
"I've heard you know how to use Mana, Raven. Can you circulate it for me?" Cassandra asked as she offered her hand to Raven.
After eyeing the hand for a bit, she finally caved in and slowly placed her hand in the woman's and gave her a curious look. "C-circu...circu...?" Raven tried asking as she tilted her head.
After a soft giggle, Cassandra nodded and pointed to Raven's chest. "That warm feeling when you use Mana, focus on that and make it spread throughout your body like warm water."
After seeing Raven close her eyes, Ethan moved over to where Sarah sat and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. He knew his wife would have the toughest time around Raven, but he really needed her to see what he saw in this child.
He stiffened his leg a little when Sarah leaned against him and held his hand with her own. He saw everything she wanted to say on her saddened face as he looked down to her and gave a small smile in response.
His head then turned to Lilly, who's focus was occupied on Raven as she started to circulate her Mana slowly.
[What do you think of this child, sweetheart?] Ethan asked through a whisp of Mana sent to Lilly.
She seemed to expect her father to talk to her through telepathy, having no reaction save for a shake of her head. [Of the other Wanderers we've had in the Guild, I'd say she's a unique case.]
[How so?] Ethan asked as he cocked his brow. After feeling Sarah squeeze his hand, he sent a whisp to her to let her hear the conversation.
[She's scared, wary and helpless, which is normal of most Wanderers. However, unlike others, she's so accepting of everything. If you hadn't stopped her, I fear she would've eaten the bone along with the chicken.]
[Isn't that normal though? There are some countries that eat the bones along with the meat.] Sarah interjected as she turned her focus to Raven as well.
[You know what I mean, Mom. Take us for example. Dad, you said you asked for her permission to allow us to come in. Wouldn't others in her situation only allow one or two people in at a time? Why would she let all of us in?] Lilly asked as she scowled at Raven from behind the drumstick she munched on.
[She's only 9 years old, Lilly. After being alone for 5 years, she probably thought Guided were more of a rare race. She called me a Mage when she asked about my Aura, so she must have other thoughts about Guided.] Ethan sighed softly and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
[I don't know, Dad. If Devin were here, we could've seen what she was capable of at least.] Lilly replied as she set her chicken down and closed her eyes.
[Lilly! She's nothing but a child, do you expect us to have her fight your brother when they are worlds apart in experience?] Sarah fumed and squeezed Ethans hand to try and control herself.
[Why not? I'm sure everyone here has noticed her attention hasn't been on us as people, but out Auras. It was like she was expecting one of us to attack her at any moment.]
Ethan and Sarah looked to each other in pity. They both knew what she meant, but Lilly wouldn't quite understand due to the environment she grew up in.
[Lilly, Raven's father was also a Guided. I'm sure you're aware, but Wanderers are subject to attacks by groups constantly. Unlike us who don't have to keep our guard up at all times, Raven lives in what is basically the wild. She's lucky to have made it this far alone without getting picked up by a random group, much less by a Dark Guild to be used as a test subject.] Ethan finally returned in a softer tone.
He was thankful that Lilly was so mature. As soon as she got his meaning, her face fell into grief as she bit her lip. It was understandable where Lilly was coming from, especially when she grew up in such a renowned Guild.
She was about to say something else, but was interrupted when Cassandra clapped her hands together to end her session.
"Besides a bit of malnutrition, you're perfectly fine, Raven. I'll let Ethan have his spot back now, okay?" Cassandra said as she rubbed the top of Raven's head and stood up.
Raven gave a crumb covered, bright smile after hearing the news. Ethan could see Cassandra bite her cheek as she nodded to him. He knew this look and nodded as he swapped places with her.
[It's amazing that she's lasted this long. I'm sure everyone is aware, but this child should not have been able to survive on her own for 5 years.] Cassandra spoke through telepathy to everyone in the room as she went back to her spot.
[What's wrong with her?] Ethan asked as he rested his hand on Raven's head.
[She's been using Mana to preserve her state for an extended period of time.]
[What?] John shouted through his Mana as he dropped his chicken.
Everyone else did their best to keep their poker faces as they stared at Raven. Preservation was widely known to be used by Guided Monks to allow them to fast with an easy mind. One can survive on one meal every month if used properly, but your body would suffer the effects of hunger and thirst all at once if their Mana Control was lost for even a second.
Of course, it was a practice never taught to children, as it would risk not only their growth, but also their mental health. Just because it stabilized your body, that didn't mean you weren't aware of how hungry or thirsty your body was.
"Raven, how long would you usually go without food?" Ethan asked for everyone in the room, as if unfazed by the sudden news.
After thinking for a bit, Raven set her cup down on the nightstand and hopped off the bed. The group watched as she trotted to a bookshelf towards the door of the room and pulled out a rather thick book from the bottom shelf.
As she went back to the bed, she opened the book and showed it the contents to Ethan. Everyone saw his face pale a bit as he read the contents, sending chills down their spines with held breaths.
"Preservation, which is used by the Monks of Tibet who thought of their Mana as a gift from Buddah for their service, is a good way to save yourself from hunger if you cannot find food for yourself over an extended period of time. My little Raven, use this method until you have found a stable source of food and water. Never go more than a week as it would be dangerous, and never use your powers while doing so. If you ever have to go for more than a week with Preservation, it will be time for you to search for..." Ethan stopped halfway in disbelief at the words.
Everyone could clearly see Ethan's hand trembled as he lifted his hand to the book. To everyone's surprise, Lilly was the one to stand up and rush to Ethans side to read the last line.
"To search for the Pheonix? Why would her father mention us when he lived in New York?" Lilly asked as he looked up to Ethan with a cocked brow.
It was Sarah's turn to stand up and look at the writing in the book as her curiosity reached its peak. Her eyes had only swept over the words before tears welled in her eyes once more and her hand came up to cover her mouth. "By Elthain...is that...?"
Ethan nodded as he closed his eyes. Though he struggled, he managed to stop the tears from forming in his eyes as he replied. "It's Varric's writing."
Both John and Cassandra suddenly stood up in shock at the news, spilling some of the food around them.
"Impossible!" John shouted as he walked up to Raven and grabbed the book from her to read the words.
"Didn't he perish in the Great War? You're telling me he lived through all that and only passed 5 years ago?" Cassandra argued and balled her hands into fists with tears filling her eyes.
Where everyone was both shocked and angry by the news, Lilly was the only one to notice Raven had suddenly backed up against a bookshelf in fear. Walking over, she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl and rubbed her back. "Everyone stop, you're scaring Raven!"
The room fell silent as they all looked at the scared child in Lilly's arms. Regret laid thick in the air as they watched the fear filled tears stream down Raven's face, making them all look away from her.
Standing up, Ethan walked slowly over to Raven and Lilly to kneel beside them. His face was struck with a deep grief, but he tried to hide it behind a warm smile as he asked. "Raven, what are the names of your parents?"
Raven sniffled a bit as she tried to calm down. If Lilly hadn't helped to dry the child's eyes with her sleeve, she wouldn't have had the courage to finally speak. "V-Varric Hawke...and Al..Althea Raven."
A deep chill filled the air at the mother's name. Everyone knew of her, even Lilly, who's face had frozen into shock. Where Varric was a well renowned member of the Pheonix Guild who was known as the second most powerful Guided in the world, Althea was much more infamous.
Not only did she not belong to any Guild, she was so powerful that even the top Guilds couldn't hold a candle to her. Though the Great Guided War had lasted for so long, it ended in a battle that had laid waste to most Guilds and left them crippled, even after 50 years. The person that ended it, was none other than Althea the Catalysm.
What's more, she was indisputably the words strongest Guided in history.
"R-Raven, has Varric, your father, ever mentioned the Pheonix Guild?" Sarah asked as she stood behind Ethan and rested her hands on his shoulders.
Raven looked between everyone before giving a small nod. Instead of answering, she grabbed Lilly's hand and dragged her towards the bed.
Everyone watched as the little girl tried to push the bed against the wall a few feet away in quite a struggle. Getting her meaning, Lilly joined in and used her Mana to push the bed against the wall to allow Raven to crouch where the bed used to be.
After a few moments, Raven found the wooden board she was searching for and pulled it from the ground to reveal a metal ring attached to the floor below.
Seeing this, Ethan knelt by her and grabbed it. After an affirming nod from Raven, he finally pulled on the ring to open the large door that had been built into the floor with some effort. Though the place Raven was plenty dirty, it was incomparable to how dirty the pathway below was.
Raven was the first one to step down the steep staircase, dragging Lilly by the hand in determination. Everyone else followed the children inside with Ethan in the lead. Unlike the staircase that lead to the top floor, this staircase winded in circles well past the basement of the building.
Even without lights, everyone was still able to see where they were going due to some Runes etched occasionally in the stone that made up the walls. It was easy to see that the passage was made using Mana, hidden by various Runes to make sure no one would know it was there even if they were searching for it. It was a common practice for all Guided, especially for Guilds to keep their buildings hidden in plain sight to the general public.
As they finally reached the landing, the group found Raven and Lilly standing infront of two massive doors in a large room. On either side of the doors were two torches, one lit in a red flame to represent the Pheonix Guilds colors, and the other lit with a violet flame.
The metal doors were embedded with a Pheonix standing on a pile of ashes behind the purple flame. This was the standard mark of the Pheonix Guild, but the head was looking down to the right as if watching something. On the other door was a raven resting on a crescent moon looking down to the left at the same spot the Pheonix was looking.
After everyone gathered, Raven stepped aside to show everyone what the two birds were watching over, a rabbit curled up in a bedding made up of feathers from both of the birds feathers.
"Raven, is the Raven your mother's mark?" Ethan asked as he eyed the large doors. He could clearly see that the left door was embedded to signify the day of the world, and the right was for the night. What was strange was to see a rabbit being cared for by the birds when the child was named Raven. What's more, the torches were on opposite sides of the doors.
It was then that Raven pulled on Lilly's sleeve a little to catch her attention. She was a little shocked when Raven turned her back to her, but noticed the smaller girl wanted her to take her jacket off.
She hesitated a second, but obliged and wrapped her arms around Raven to grab the lining of the jacket as Raven unzipped the front. To everyone's surprise, Raven was naked underneath the heavy jacket. Though this surprise was heightened when they felt a shift of Mana in the air.
The group watched as a deep black fur began to grow over Raven's body, covering her from head to toe and change her shape a little. After but a few moments, what was once a malnourished child, now stood a rabbit cloaked in short, deep black fur that seemed to glisten under the combined lights of the torches. Two floppy ears rolled lazily down Raven's head to her sides down to her elbows and a tiny tail puffed out from her lower back. Though her fingers remained the same, her nose shrunk a little to form a rabbit nose with whiskers on either side, and her legs shifted to make a normal rabbits hind legs with her thighs growing a little thicker to make up for her balance.
The group recognized this as a Beast Form often taken by some Guilds, especially by those of the Saber Guild Ethan had faced the night before. Not only did it enhance one's physical abilities, but also gave them an animalistic instinct depending on the animal chosen.
Though the Mana felt was not the same. It was as if she wasn't actually Human, but the Beast itself.
"S-sorry... lying. Make sure...you Pheonix."