Eusebius the Madi.

It took Severance a few moments to remember why that name sounded familiar. It was the name Agadhi had mentioned when the strangers had visited the House late at night. This wild-looking man was the reason that Severance had been shooed out of Elionia by Mouna.

Now Eusebius himself was standing before Severance, clad in mismatched furs and wearing an amused twist to his scarred lips.

"Need some help with that?"

Eusebius nodded toward the arrow embedded in Severance's shoulder. He didn't seem to be bothered by the snarling vastlhidan between them.

Severance sat on his knees, his body shaking slightly as his health bar continued to flash an angry orange. It had still been green when he'd tried to pull out the arrow.

How long had he been out of it?

He gritted his teeth. "What do you want?"

"I want to help you."

The wildman's face twisted; scars stretched, ivory teeth flashed, and brown leathery skin creased into a caricature of a smile.

It was possibly the most unsettling expression Severance had ever seen in his life. And he'd seen a few.

He laid a hand on Vast's rump, and the beast immediately quietened down, backing up to sit beside him. Vast still made an effort to show his own pointy teeth in warning.

"And after that?" Severance warily asked.

"We have a little talk. Don't worry, little cibel. I promise not to bite." Grinning, Eusebius stepped forward.

Vast immediately stiffened, rumbling louder. Severance stroked the beast's back, silver fur slipping through his fingers. He considered his situation. It wasn't good. He couldn't heal himself until the arrow was out, and he lacked the fortitude and strength to pull it out himself.

Really, he should just directly teleport back to the House and get the Veiled to help. But...

Eusebius the Madi was known to the Veiled. There was a connection there, one that even the Veiled Head, Agadhi, refused to elaborate on.

Severance narrowed his eyes slightly. This was risky. Very risky. But at the end of the day, Eusebius had already seen him passed out on the grass in a very non-Outsider way. That meant he already knew of Severance's greatest weakness.

There was little point in hiding it.

"It's okay, Vast," Severance decided. "Let him be."

Vast lowered his head a little, his rumblings softening just a tad. He watched intently as the wildman approached.

"You call him Vast?" Eusebius grinned. "Creative."

"It does the job." Severance tensed as the man closed in.

"Aye, that it does. Now let's take a look at your shoulder." Strong fingers grasped Severance's upper arm, holding him in place. There was no warning nor any hesitation on Eusebius' part. The man simply grabbed the arrow and yanked it out in one smooth motion.

Next thing Severance knew, he was sprawled on the ground. He couldn't breathe. White spots danced before his eyes, and the corners of his vision pulsed an angry red. Death was perilously close. Vast practically lay on top of him, snarling at Eusebius.

He groaned. A rough hand clamped down on his shoulder, applying agonizing pressure. Severance struggled for a second before realizing Eusebius wasn't intentionally causing him pain; the wildman was slowing the bleeding.

"I thought Outsiders were tough," remarked Eusebius. "But you're squealing like a babe."

Severance hissed through his teeth. He called a war fan to his hand and silently activated Earth Dance. The wind kicked up around them. Without a word, he threw up a Radiant Dome, followed by a Mend.

Only then did he have the strength to focus on Eusebius. "You can let go now. And I was not squealing."

"No?" The wildman cocked his head, like he was listening to something. But he did remove his hand, casually wiping the blood off on his furs like it was nothing more than a bit of rainwater. "Even so, I have yet to see another Outsider as reactive as you."

Severance grunted, shoving at Vast. "Off, you beast."

Vast moved reluctantly, only to twist around so he could thoroughly investigate Severance's face with his slobbery doggy tongue. He whined, his ears still laid flat against his skull.

Severance scowled and shoved him back. He wiped his face on a sleeve, then cast another Mend. By now, his health bar was mostly restored. The Dome would look after the rest.

"I'm not like other Outsiders." He eyed Eusebius warily.

"Hm." Eusebius sat back on his haunches, studying Severance like a scientist might observe an interesting specimen. "You are not, no. But isn't it interesting? How the Keepers, who once proclaimed balance and fairness for all, have done this to you."

Something twisted in Severance's gut. His expression tightened. "It wasn't their intention."

"Wasn't it?" Eusebius smiled. This time, his teeth were hidden, but it made his amusement no less unsettling.

"How do you know them?" Severance asked, trying to change the subject.

"We go way back."

Eusebius abruptly stood, which prompted Severance to rise as well. To Severance's surprise, he was taller than the other by several inches. Yet it didn't give him an advantage at all. Not when the other man had far more muscle than he did.

"Let's walk," Eusebius said, and gestured vaguely in the direction of Two Bridges.

After a slight hesitation, Severance fell in beside him, and the two of them began a leisurely stroll across the boulder-laden grassland. Vast kept close to Severance's side, a constant, low rumble deep in his chest. He kept one eye always on Eusebius, making it clear he was only tolerating the other man's presence because Severance had ordered it.

"What is your name, little cibel?"

"Severance," he answered. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

Eusebius glanced over, amusement written all over his face. "Cibel? It's what you are. A little, scurrying rodent that hides in its hole."

Severance frowned. "I'm hardly little. And I don't hide in holes."

"Don't you?" Eusebius chuckled. "I am Eusebius the Madi. I am named after the Madidi. Do you know what that is?"

"No," Severance said curtly. He was feeling a little irritated by the wildman's insinuations. He did not hide in a hole. Well, not anymore, at least.

"I'm not surprised. They are rare creatures, even rarer than your vastlhidan. Imagine a creature half the size of a man, with long muscled arms and claws longer than your fingers. It hollows out big trees and lives in them, and eats any creature that passes by, no matter if they're as big as a krako or as small as a bird. They are purely carnivorous, you see. They'll even eat their own young if food is scarce."

Severance grimaced. "And you're named after that?"

"Yes," Eusebius flashed his teeth again. "I killed one with only my hands. Wrestled it for half a day before I managed to kill it. It took its due. Look." He turned his head, revealing the ugly knot of scar tissue that used to be one of his ears.

Severance felt faintly ill. "I see."

"Names have power, Outsider. So many of you Outsiders have foolish ones, which I fail to understand. Yours in particular has some meaning, but I wonder if you truly understand it."

It was a fair point. A lot of the player names out there would seem very odd to Elionans, if not outright nonsensical. Severance's own name had been chosen by his uncle, and sometimes he did wonder at some of the design choices Fenn had made in regards to his character. One thing he did know was that Fenn meant it to be a new start. A severance of the past, and the beginning of something new.

"Now, Outsider." Eusebius' voice cut into his thoughts. "I have a proposition for you, if you are interested."

"What kind of proposition?" Severance asked carefully.

"It's nothing complicated," Eusebius said, amused. "My brothers and I could use a healer. There're some old ruins we wish to clear out, and the area they are in is a bit... difficult. Help us, and we'll return the favor."

"Who exactly is 'we?'" Severance asked. For all he knew, Eusebius and his brothers could be Knights.

"Ah. I suppose I neglected that detail." Eusebius scratched at his beard. "You can call us the Fang. Like your Veiled, our original clan name no longer has meaning. So for now, we are merely the Fang that bites."

Severance frowned. "I've never heard of you."

"Good. That is how it should be."

For some reason, Severance was getting a strange sense of deja vu. And he didn't like it.
"You don't have anything to do with the Knights, Traders or Chosen clans, do you?"

"Ha!" The wildman barked out a laugh. "No, little cibel. They are but small prey. My brothers and I do not play with the other clans. Though if it puts your mind at ease, we have no interest in fighting your Veiled."

"But you'll fight the other clans," Severance guessed.

Eusebius shrugged. "If they wish to throw themselves against my fists, who am I to argue?"

With a startled laugh, Severance shook his head. He found himself liking this wildman. Eusebius didn't seem like a bad sort, but the Veiled certainly had been cautious of him. Because of that, Severance didn't let down his guard.

"Alright then. Say I agree to help you. What's the catch?" Because he wasn't stupid—there had to be one.

Eusebius showed his teeth in one of those chilling not-grins. "The ruins are deep in the Lost Lands. You'll probably die a few times. But I'm told that's not a problem for Outsiders."

"Not... really." Severance grimaced. "Are there a lot of monsters or something there?"

"Heh. Not exactly."

"Then what?"

"Curious, are you?" Eusebius scratched at his beard and cackled. "We'll make it worth your time, little cibel. The Fang are honest folk."

It was a bit weird to hear that kind of statement coming from a rough barbarian's mouth. But people came in all shapes and sizes, and Severance knew better than to judge a book by its cover. Mrs Beakor was one living example of that.

He sighed. "Then why would you choose me? You've seen my ah, weakness. Wouldn't you want another healer instead?"
Eusebius stopped. He turned, and in a very quick motion, he grabbed the back of Severance's neck and pulled him in. Their foreheads nearly bumped.

Vast immediately snarled and clamped his jaws around the wildman's bicep. With a fierce yank, he tried to pull Eusebius back. If it were anyone else, he would have succeeded. But Eusebius didn't budge. Not even when his own blood spilled onto the ground. He didn't even blink or show any sign of pain.

He simply bared his teeth and held Severance's startled gaze.

"We are not here to play, Outsider. So many of your kind view life and death as a game. We have no use for a healer like that. And I know the Veiled would not have kept you if you hadn't already proven your worth."

Severance held Eusebius' gaze, a cold sort of feeling settling in his stomach. The man was right. The Veiled wouldn't have permitted him to stay if he hadn't proven his loyalty and commitment. Sure, they had treated him well, but they had always been watching him closely for the first while. He hadn't forgotten how easily they had killed him that first time, either.

"I see," he finally said.

"Hm." Eusebius let go and stepped back. "Your answer, then?"

He glanced down and shook his arm, as if casually trying to shake off an annoying fly. But Vast was hardly a mere fly. He growled, his jaws clamped tight around the arm. He still tugged, even though Eusebius had let go. Any more, and he'd probably tear off the wildman's arm.

"Vast," Severance called. The beast let go instantly, blood dripping from his jaws. He laid his ears back flat and whined as he looked up at Severance, as if in protest.

Severance held out a hand, and Vast slunk over, shoving his nose into it. After settling the beast with some pats, Severance nodded slowly.

"Tell me one thing. Are you guys strong?"

Eusebius looked at him, brows lifting. And then he threw his head back and guffawed loudly. "Strong enough, cibel. You won't be disappointed."

What kind of reaction was that? Severance scratched his jaw, feeling somewhat dubious. Would this guy be able to handle a Knight? He wasn't so sure. But at the very least, surely the guy who wrestled wild animals would be able to slow a Knight down.

Severance sighed. "Okay. I'll help you."

Eusebius grinned as if there wasn't a massive wound in his arm at the moment. "Good. Then let's head to your House. The others are waiting."

Severance's eyes widened. The others? "Your brothers? Wait, they're at the Veiled House?"

"Why do you look so surprised? Of course they're at the House. Did you think we waste time like Outsiders?"

"But..." Severance sucked in a deep breath. "The Veiled are not going to like that."

"No," Eusebius agreed. "They will be very angry with us, I imagine."

"Because you're wandering around on their property!" Which, Severance thought, was supposed to be impossible.

"That, too. Now, if you don't mind, little cibel, can you transport us there?"

A sense of doom settled over Severance as Eusebius held out his uninjured arm. Almost like he expected Severance to take it and teleport them directly to the Veiled House. As Severance hesitated, the wildman grinned.

"Please. We already know where your Veiled hide. There's nothing stopping us from busting down the gates, if we so wished. And be honest, do you really wish to walk all the way through the forest with me breathing down your neck?"

Severance narrowed his eyes. He really didn't. But he wasn't going to teleport a potential enemy directly into the courtyard of the Veiled House, where Tayci and Mirren often played.

"Yes," he curtly said. "We'll walk through the forest."

To that, Eusebius' grin widened, and something flashed through his eyes. It made Severance feel like he'd just made a mistake.