It’d been a few hours and her condition had only worsened. Ayaka lay curled up on the floor of the carriage, barely conscious. Her hair was matted, messy, and dirty. Her eyes red and blotchy. Her clothes, or lack thereof, completely disheveled. Fishnets were ripped, sleek dress stained with body fluids, she was no longer the visage of bountiful beauty, and was more akin to a newborn fowl who lost its way. Her body heaved with ragged breaths.

Her eyes fluttered open, staring at the side of the carriage in front of her. Beautiful designs were printed onto paper and pressed up against the interior of the carriage. She knew they were moving, the world around her rocked, but nowhere near as much as her insides.

So...this is what it felt like to die.

To be felled by her own profession, and to think it wasn’t even one of her own concoctions. Ayaka lifted a weak hand to push strands of chestnut hair away from her head. It was slick, wet with sweat. She had antidotes and antivenoms, she had brews and concoctions, contagions and remedies - but none could...would be able to fight a toxin like Ricin.

Where...did Jasper get such a thing?

The halfbreed Nekojin struggled to think, to string cohesive thoughts together. They trickled in and out of her mind with only the single daunting awareness setting in.

Her body was breaking down.

A tongue darted out to lick dried lips. “B-Brea-ker?”

The coach trundled to a halt and a pair of heavy boots hit the ground audibly. Moments later Breaker swung the door open and peered inside, concern in his eyes.

“Is there anything I can get you?” He asked.

Ayaka groaned at the sudden influx of light, and tried to breathe in the scent of fresh air. It smelt like a dying carcass in here. Oh wait. That was her.

“Body...dying. F-find Eteri. Blue hair. Sister.” Ayaka’s words were forced between raspy breaths. “Tell her. I’m sorry.”

Ayaka’s eyes fluttered shut as she exhaled, she didn’t have the strength to be conscious. If the man could find her flippant idiot of a sister, and at least let her know what happened - then hey - that was…. Something… right?