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| Awaken the Nightmare; Reserved for Liron | |
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| Topic Started: May 31 2009, 09:21 PM (92 Views) | |
| Tsuki | May 31 2009, 09:21 PM Post #1 |
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The Undeadophile
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The fire gnawed at him. It tore at his insides, devoured his abdomen, where all the pain had centered. It was a vicious ball, eating away at the edges of his paper-thin skin, consuming it until it would consume his arms, his legs, his organs, and eventually his heart. Breathing was laboured. It came in shallow gasps, whispy rasps that left his chest, ribs protruding through the flesh like ugly knobs in a ragged rise and fall that lacked all rhythm and harmony. It seemed more like the gaping hole was breathing better than the apparatus designed exactly for that purpose, as if as the blood seeped out in gushing torrents defined unnatural, the air was seeping in to take its place. Soon, the pressure was sure to also lose its harmony, and the thoracic cavity would collapse. With it, the life that which it sustained. Sweat clung to the forehead and the face like liquid parasites, matting dark locks to a face that was as pale as the snow on a white-capped mountain. Sweat also lathered elsewhere, as the body sought to fight against an infection that was likely never to take root. As the body writhed and the sweat dripped to the surface beneath - whatever surface that may have been - it suddenly stilled. Darkness encroached on the fiery red that had consumed him since that night, when the lance had penetrated his abdominal cavity and he had collapsed. Death was all he could have expected that night, and he was waiting for it to come now, for the angel Thanatos to descend upon him and rid him of this blemished body. Sweet Thanatos, he begged quietly, rid me of this mortal coil. But Tsuki was not dead. A low moan parted the chapped lips of the elf. Sprawled on a hard bed, his head turned from one side to the other, and the moans kept coming. The flame returned, and the moans became louder and more frantic. Pain, so much pain! Tsuki's eyes flew open, crimson orbs that were wide and horrified. His back arched, his entire body fidgeted violently, and then he fell back and relaxed. Something had been poured into his mouth, and as it slid down his throat and into his stomach, he felt himself calm. He wasn't dead, but he was damn near close to it. What or who had saved him he knew not. As the mixture, one composed almost exclusively of pain killers, slowly spread throughout his body, the pain faded. His breathing levelled, not completely, but enough. When Tsuki's eyes opened again, he was staring at the ceiling. His skin, naturally cool, was colder still because he had lost his shirts somewhere along the way. His mouth slightly agape, the necromancer followed the ceiling with his eyes. He was transfixed by it as his mind, dangerously low on hemoglobin and confused, tried to comprehend what it was that had taken place. Taiyo, once she had found the strange man in the forest, running towards and not away from the horror that had become her master, had led him to this place, a city that Tsuki had visited before in the past with a fallen god. Although it was not the elf's first choice, it was the closest place, and the best if he hoped to survive. If they had gone for Madrid, he would have died in the forest. They had arrived with only minutes to spare, and a healer had been promptly sought. It would cost far too much for the services performed here and the ingredients used, but it had been necessary. Now the raven perched on a bedside table, comfortable, ever watchful. Taiyo, more colourful and grateful than her master could ever be, would likely have thanked the stranger, if she could have. The necromancer's head tilted again, this time towards those assembled around him. There was a healer, a man, and a woman, probably an assistant. They were blurry, through the pounding of his skull and his unfocused vision. It was she who held the bowl that he had drank from. He couldn't even begin to fathom or piece together exactly where he was, or how many days it had been, or whether or not he was actually out of the danger zone. To this latter question he was sure he was not, and that it'd be days, even weeks, before he'd be able to do anything. If I could... I would kill that bastard... The thought reverberated in his mind, a fantasy that would remain unfulfilled. "How long has it been...?" His voice came out tiny, tinged with emotion, lacking all the weight that it usually carried. He desperately wanted to sit up, swing his legs around, find his shirts, and leave, but that wasn't going to happen. As it was, they had stripped him of his dagger, likely to prevent him from stabbing himself in the thigh when he thrashed. He couldn't see the swath of bandages wrapped around his waist, either, but he could only imagine that they were soaked in blood, or close to it. Tsuki also knew what was coming. He was glad, however, that someone had been generous enough to find his body. Fate, it seemed, would not let him die. He wasn't so sure he wanted to anymore, either. |
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| Liron | Jun 5 2009, 01:11 PM Post #2 |
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lol pacifists.
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It had been three days, three long days since Liron had discovered bleeding man on the forest floor and brought him to this sheltered place. If it hadn’t been for the raven, darting in front of him every now and then to provide silent direction, he never would have found the man and woman living there, and would have been left lost in the forest, with a dead man on his hands. For that was the fate that would have befallen the wounded man if Liron had tarried any longer, a fact confirmed by the healer the ginger-haired man had been led to. Even after bandages had been wrapped around the bleeding torso and droughts and brews had been force fed down an unwillingly, it still looked as though Death had staked a claim on the fallen man. He thrashed and twisted, and a fever raged within him, burning him up from within steadily over the course of two days. To Liron, who knew only the basics of healing, it had appeared as though the man quite simply would not make it, despite their best efforts. But the healer was of a different mindset, and never ceased issuing quiet steady orders to his wife, determined to save the patient before him. Liron had remained silent in the corner, not wishing to interfere with the complex processes occurring before him. He could have merely dropped the man off with the healers and left, but that had seemed cruel and uncaring, and so he’d remained, volunteering to aid the healer with simple tasks. Something they’d done must have worked though, for on the morning of the third day – that particular morning, in fact – the fever broke, and the strange man stilled, falling into a deep sleep. He was awake now, and from the tone of his voice, also fairly lucid. The healer eyed the man for a good few seconds before answering. “Three days, but it’ll be a good while longer than that before you’ll be able to be up and about. You’re still far from recovered. Don’t put too much strain on yourself; there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to save you a second time if you injure yourself. But if you take it easy for the next few weeks, you should be good to go. In the meantime, however, I fully plan on getting some rest. You were an awfully troublesome patient to take care of. Come, Mischa.” He turned and walked towards the door, the woman following behind, but at the doorway, he paused and looked back. “Oh, you’d best thank him for finding you and bringing you here, otherwise you wouldn’t be alive.” That said, he left the room. Perched on a chair in his customary corner of the room, Liron gave a small start at the indirect reference to himself, but remained silent. After the healer and his assistant had exited the room, he got up and walked towards the bedridden man, stopping some two feet away. He eyed the assorted medicines and herbs that lay on the table next to the bed before turning slightly to face the patient. Watching him now, Liron wasn’t sure if he’d made the correct choice in saving this man. Though his particular set of values hadn’t really allowed for any other choice, he couldn’t help but wonder if saving this man would only lead to pain on his behalf. He hoped it wouldn’t. “Don’t thank me. If you need to thank anyone, you should probably thank your raven.” He nodded towards where the raven was currently perched, a small amused smile on his face. “If it hadn’t been for her, I never would have found you, and I certainly wouldn’t have found those two. How are you feeling anyway? Do you need anything? Painkillers? Water? Your injury was fairly severe. I can’t help but wonder how you obtained it.” |
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| Tsuki | Jun 7 2009, 07:47 PM Post #3 |
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The Undeadophile
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Tsuki was no idiot, despite what some would have believed. Although he said nothing in response to the healer and his wife, he knew better than to try to even stand, let alone walk. Although he didn't know the nature of his disease, or what it actually did to him, he knew that it led to an excessive amount of bleeding, and that bruises lasted for weeks as they bled into the rest of his body. The last thing he wanted was to aggravate the wound and, in so doing, tear it open. Besides, the blood loss would inevitably lead to vertigo, and he didn't think he'd be able to pick himself up off the floor. Sighing deeply, Tsuki did struggle into a sitting position, his crimson eyes wandering around the room, following the man's, who'd found him, to the assortment of herbs and concoctions, on a small table beside the bed. They really had done everything they could to save his life. He wondered how they'd done it, as well. He'd have to ask, if only to satiate his own curiosity. And he also hadn't really intended on thanking anyone yet, but he supposed he should. This man had clearly gone out of his way, and Taiyo had clearly forced him to follow her, unless he had wanted to see his eyes pecked out by her sharp beak. The raven burbled quietly in recognition of her success. She didn't dare perch on her master's shoulder or arm, as her talons would most certainly pierce his flesh. "Thank you," Tsuki said finally, his eyes briefly flicking to the other. His hair was matted to his head, greasy, grimey, disgusting, and he could feel the sticky residue of sweat along every inch of his flesh. If he could have done anything at that moment, it would have been to bathe, but that was a prospect that would have to be saved for the future. Hot, or even warm, water was not something that should touch the wound at this stage. Again, seeing it split open would mean certain death. Death wasn't an option right now. The elf appeared thoughtful for a moment. "Some sort of painkiller would be... most appreciated." His tone was devoid of emotion, as it usually was, the corpse playing the part of one. He thought for a moment: to explain, or not to? Did he really need to divulge any information to this other, this man whom he didn't know, but whom was kind enough to risk his own life for the sake of another? It wouldn't hurt, and an explanation would likely benefit. It wasn't everyday one ran into a man who had a massive puncture wound in his stomach. "I really... am not sure myself," the necromancer continued after a moment. He glanced down at the bandaged wound. "A man appeared, apparently looking for me, because we share a mutual acquaintance. He decided that it would be better to remove me from the picture that he had created, than it would be to leave things be. I suppose I deserved it, but not of the caliber he delivered. I imagine that he thinks I am indeed true and dead." There was a pause, as Tsuki's thoughts fixated on things he would have to do: first, he would have to discover who this other was; second, he would have to discover where this other lived; third, he would have to go there, and that was where things turned ugly. Not only would getting there be a problem, but so too would staying alive once he was inside. "Where are we?" Tsuki asked suddenly. There was something oddly familiar about this place, something he didn't like... Despite the wound, he spoke fluidly. To those who knew nothing of necromancy, he had slipped part of his brain into Death willingly, Thanatos having retreated, to sooth his mind and his body. Unless he immersed himself completely, the icicles would not form. |
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| Liron | Jun 13 2009, 09:27 PM Post #4 |
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lol pacifists.
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There was a decided lack of…anything emanating from the sickly man, a fact that Liron found somewhat unsettling. He’d always been a touch more sensitive to living beings than most, and even when around the calmest of people, he was usually able to pick up on some small thing, whether it be a hint of irritation or a flicker of pleasure. Yet, there was nothing, except for perhaps a desire to live, made clear more by body language than anything else. His voice was certainly flat, detached and even, sounding more like an automated creature rather than a living being. Had Liron not seen proof of his vitality in the form of warm scarlet blood, he would have certainly given the automated creation theory a great deal of merit. As it was, he had to admit that this stranger he’d picked up and rescued was one odd man indeed. An odd man in a great deal of pain, judging from the need for painkillers. “Of course. Just give me a moment.” Moving to the table, the ginger-haired man poured a good amount of powdery white substance into a bowl before diluting it with water and mixing it. He didn’t know exactly what was in it, but it gave off no aroma and the healer had told him it was tasteless, which Liron could only surmise to be a good thing. Injuries he had tended to avoid, so the necessity for pain relievers in his life had been small, but what few he had needed to take had tasted…well, disgusting, and made him never want to take them again. Of course, he’d had to work with him – it was part of what his mother did for a living – and the healer here had stated on no uncertain terms that he would share in most of the patient care, seeing as how he’d brought the patient in. Liron didn’t mind though, and truth be told it provided him with a chance to learn some skills that would probably be useful later on in life. “We’re in Rurakanara. The exact location I can’t tell you, seeing as how I don’t know myself, but I presume you’ve been here before or knew of it, if your raven managed to lead me here.” He shrugged and kept on mixing. “Of course, I could be wrong. I frequently am.” He chose not to comment on what little information the elf had divulged about the nature of his wound. Frankly, it sounded too complex and of a nature Liron didn’t particularly like. Intrigue, drama…he’d had plenty of it in the past, and all it had led to was death and more death. He was sick of it, and the last thing he wanted to do was to entangle himself in it again. But, it seemed he didn’t have to worry about that, since he was being kept in the dark as much as possible. Finished mixing, he held the bowl out towards the patient. “Are you capable of carrying it or do you need me to feed it to you?” |
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| Tsuki | Jun 17 2009, 03:41 PM Post #5 |
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The Undeadophile
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((In a post or two more I'll probably skip this forward, cause having Tsuki sit around not being able to do anything makes posting uber difficult. XD And I'm sure you wouldn't mind, either.)) Although Liron may have believed his patient to be completely devoid of emotion, the scowl that crossed the elf's lips would denounce that theory. Indeed, his expression shifted briefly and there was a silent growl in the air. Rurakanara... Damn right Taiyo knew where it was. He knew where the hated city was, the city that was Neriasis' haven. His saviour may not have noticed yet, but there was a distinct lack of women in Rurakanara. The fact that there was one at all here, in a healer's hut, surprised the necromancer. "No, you are not wrong," Tsuki replied, watching as he made the mixture. "Watch yourself in this city. The men here are... Let us simply say that very few of them are attracted to women." It was a warning, but there almost seemed to be a sort of smugness beneath the apathetic words. Having been the victim of Neriasis' incontrollable lust on too many occasions to count with either hand, he knew exactly what sorts of trouble the other man would find if he ventured too far into the streets of the city. Tsuki did owe him some form of gratitude and thanks for saving his life. This was how he would repay it, even if it didn't even begin to amount to what the other had done. One navy eyebrow arched, the one that the other was able to see. Despite it all, the moment Tsuki had finally managed to sit up his hair had fallen back into its usual pattern, across his right eye, leaving only one crimson orb visible on his ashen face. "I can hold it myself, thank you." A normal person may have made a retort, and he may have too, if not for the complete exhaustion that had overtaken him, and his lack of interest. How was the man to know whether he was weak enough or not to hold a bowl? As the concoction was passed to him, the elf sniffed it. There was no smell, which likely meant that there really wasn't a taste to it, either. Lifting the bowl to his chapped lips, the necromancer downed the drug with ease. He would give it a few more minutes before the burning sensation in his abdomen finally became a dull throb, or even ceased to exist at all. In the mean time, there was something that interested Tsuki, for usually most picked up on it. That did not seem the case here, with his saviour turned healer. Had this other been aware of the stench of Death that surrounded his person, would he have done what he had? For most the answer was a resounding no. "Why did you rescue me?" The question was softly spoken. Taiyo, her beady eyes now watching them both, fluttered her wings. |
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| Liron | Jun 21 2009, 06:37 PM Post #6 |
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lol pacifists.
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((So I totally didn’t notice you posted until yesterday. My bad. And you can fast forward.)) Liron relinquished the small bowl, not surprised at his patient’s insistence on holding it himself. From his knowledge (limited though it might have been), he knew that invalids were often fairly testy about their status, preferring to do as much as possible without the aid of someone else. And this man, whoever he was, certainly didn’t seem to be the type to ask for assistance in anything, even if he might have required it. The navy-haired man held the bowl steadily though, and not once did he waver as he poured the concoction down his throat. While he drank, Liron took a moment to ponder the weight of the words Tsuki had previously spoken regarding his place here in Rurakanara. The Fae had never actually been here before, though he’d heard of it in passing, a surprising fact as he’d lived most of his life in Soto. He’d certainly never heard any rumors concerning any abnormal sexual tendencies in Rurakanara, though he supposed that was simply a result of him not paying attention. There was the smallest possibility that his patient was jesting with him, but his voice had been deadly serious when he’d murmured the words, even if it had been colored with faintest trace of self-satisfaction. Well then. Liron would simply have to be careful, since he had no desire to be accosted and then forced into bed with someone of his same gender. Although, since he had no desire at the moment to share a bed with anyone, male or female, at the moment, he supposed the point was moot. After finishing, Tsuki set the bowl down, looked Liron in the eye, and asked the ginger-haired man the very question he’d himself had been pondering all this time. “I…am not quite sure myself.” The words left his lips softly, but not unsteadily. “I suppose it had something do with the rules I have set for myself, not to injure anyone ever. And though leaving you there and not laying hand on you would be seen as harmless in the eyes of most, I consider things differently. True, I wouldn’t have hurt you directly, but my actions would have dictated you living or dying, and I’m quite positive death would be considered harm by most.” Here, Liron paused, and shrugged, an artless gesture meant to represent a seeming indifference to the philosophical debates that lay at the core of his beliefs. “I would have done the same thing for anyone else. I know, it’s not the wisest course of action, and will probably kill me one day, but old habits die hard.” He glanced at the man then, wondering if Tsuki was secretly laughing at him inside. His particular faith, if one could call it that, was a path very few chose to take, and it had resulted in others ridiculing more than once. But it was what he had chosen, and it would abide by it. ‘You should get some rest. You’ve got a lot of recovering to do.” |
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| Tsuki | Jun 26 2009, 10:24 PM Post #7 |
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The Undeadophile
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Tsuki was silent, before and after the other's explanation, not at all surprised. There were those in the world who strove to help others in need, good or bad, angelic or demonic, because they simply could not abide by while someone else died. It was not so much that they enjoyed what they did, or that everyone was always thankful, or that they really wanted to, but that, if they did not, they would inevitably and indirectly have dirtied thier hands, would had dabbled their hands in blood simply by being aware of possibility of another's death. Now, whether this was Tsuki's saviour's situation or not, it still stood. And deep down, well below the surface of presentable emotions, the necromancer was grateful. "Yes," he said finally, pulling himself down into a laying position. There was no sense in arguing, being that he was fully aware of his own disease and the fact that, if he overstrained himself, the wound would most certainly burst open. For that reason, and perhaps that reason only, Tsuki felt his crimson eyes slide shut. With the painkiller having taken effect, the fiery burning had become a dull throbbing. That, at least, was bearable. "Are you crazy, man!?" "No, but I cannot help but wonder if you are not yourself." The healer was up in arms, his wife standing patiently behind him, shaking her head. It had been four weeks since the kind young man had brought in the dying one. After two weeks it had become a struggle to keep him bed-ridden and now, as Tsuki stood, leaning against a counter, his cold eyes steady despite his mounting frustration, it was almost impossible to keep him from making his way towards the door. His raven was perched upon his shoulder, his clothing in place once again, ignoring the massive, bloody hole in the middle. At the next town over he would find a seamstress to make new ones. Bandages still encompassed his torso, but there was no blood on them as there once had been. Luckily for the elf, the wound was healing nicely; it was quite unlikely to tear open now, which meant that he could be on his way. "Tell him he's crazy," the healer continued, staring pointedly at Liron. "Make him stay, until there's only a scar left. We worked so hard to cure you - you should stay here another week, maybe two, to ensure that there are no complications." He looked from his wife to Liron to Tsuki before throwing his hands up in exasperation. "I am pleased to see that we are in agreement. I will be taking my leave now. Neriasis will take care of the cost for me. Be sure to ask him when you see him next." The elf glanced at each one of them briefly before his eyes flicked towards the door. Clearly, he did have every intention of leaving. "I thank you all for what you have done for me. Though it may not seem that way, I truly appreciate it." |
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| Liron | Jun 28 2009, 11:58 AM Post #8 |
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lol pacifists.
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The small cottage was in a tizzy that day, for it was the day that Tsuki had decided to leave. Never mind that his wound had not yet fully healed or that the healer was furious and about ready to tie the necromancer to the bed to keep in place and allow the gash to heal cleanly, Tsuki had clearly made plans to leave, and it seemed that there was nothing that could be said or done that would change his mind. Of course, the healer wasn’t about ready to give up so easily, and even now had turned to Liron with the expectation that the ginger-haired man would be in accordance with him and convince their not-fully-recovered patient to stay in bed for just one more week. The Fae glanced at Tsuki, green eyes taking in the stiffly held upright position, tinged with lines of irritation, and the snowy white bandages untainted with red. The fact that he could hold himself upright for such a lengthy period of time said a great deal about the extent of his recovery, and truthfully, the hardest part of tending to his injury had been to stop the blood flow and prevent death from blood loss. Now that there had been no bleeding for several days, Tsuki was probably in good enough shape to leave, as the only thing he would require now to heal was rest, and that was something he could get anywhere at any time. Turning towards the healer, Liron shrugged and shook his head. He wasn’t going to convince this man to stay any longer, even if doing so would have been beneficial to him. “He wants to go; let him go. He knows what is best for himself, or so I should hope. In any case, I have no jurisdiction in this area; he is his own person, and I rather suspect he will go running off no matter what I say.” There was clear irritation in the healer’s face, directed towards both his patient and his impromptu assistant, but he seemed to realize he was outnumbered here, so instead of trying to convince the elf any further, he merely remained silent, choosing to glare at the unruffled man. Liron turned back towards Tsuki. “You’d better go before he throws a fit. Be careful, though. You might not be as lucky next time.” His words were harmless enough, but his eyes held silent warning. Whatever it was that Tsuki was off to do, it was bound to be dangerous, and there were not so many people in the world who would have done what Liron had done. If Tsuki was going to leave now, he was on his own. Still, Liron couldn’t stop himself from uttering one last sentence. “Travel safely.” |
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| Tsuki | Jun 29 2009, 11:21 AM Post #9 |
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The Undeadophile
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For the first time since Liron had found him, true emotion split across Tsuki's impassive countenance. A grin, wicked in nature with malicious undertones, grasped him for just a mere moment as he leaned against the counter behind him. Of course Liron wouldn't object to his leaving - in fact, the necromancer would have liked to think that he had had his fill of the elf for one life time, an elf with darker secrets and a darker past than most would have ever guessed. Sphynx knew some of it, of course, but she knew the more recent things, of the children and the extent of his necromancy, but she didn't know a thing about who he had been all those years ago, when he was just a young boy with vibrant blue hair and wide, awe-inspired crimson eyes. He intended to find her now, even if it did result in his death, to demand an explanation. Beneath the calm plane that was his face there boiled an unseen anger. If she had not sent Andromalius, she had at least had a hand in it. He had no intention of getting between them - oh no, he wasn't interested in that aspect at all if it meant that he lived. But he wanted answers, and whether she had them or not he'd still track her down. And he knew it wouldn't be that hard. "I shall." The only two words to pass the necromancer's lips, he turned away from them, towards the door, hearing the muttered complaints of the healer. Poor man, didn't much like the idea of his patient running off. He may have considered lingering another week, perhaps two, but there were pressing matters to attend to and he also despised the thought of having to remain in Rurakanara any longer than was absolutely necessary, and he had certainly pressed beyond the absolutely necessary threshold that bound him to its soils. He hadn't made mention of his previous experiences with the city, and he had no intention of doing so. Taiyo ruffled her wings as he pushed away from the counter. He had ensured that he'd gathered a healthy supply of bandages, food, water, and painkilling mixtures, all stored away safely in a cloth bag. While appearing frail and brittle, he hoisted it up easily over his shoulder, only flinching slightly as pain tore through his abdomen. It was a tenth of what it had been. The healer opened his mouth as if to speak before his wife pressed a hand against his shoulder. There was no use. Tsuki left the small house and its inhabitants behind. Soon he would leave Rurakanara behind for the Erth'netora Forest, and, eventually Morrim. The journey would be arduous and long, but it was a journey he was determined to make. |
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