by Altias_Bromn » Fri Apr 29, 2005 4:07 am
For the first few hours his thoughts were...meaningless. The blood kept coming, and soon, like Ari and many other before him, his sweat and his tears also became rivers of sanguine gore.
Blackness came, perhaps 5 hours after his collapse. To those watching him it would seem that he was almost at peace, entering the coma-like state. Deep within his mind still worked, finding hidden passageways, the doors to which he had tried to lock long ago.
Memories came unbidden, unwelcome, flooding him with a pain which may even have surpassed the pain of the bloody flux. His Mother, Nathan, Vyzorn, Alexander, Lamai, even Ari. The wars, the plagues, the Baie. Every pinprick his fragile heart had experienced was a gaping wound gushing forth more than blood.
Toward the early morning hours he had vague memories of Quincy. A rag to wipe his face, another to wet his lips. Each time his eyes fluttered open she sat beside them, vigilant.
He heard Sawyer as well, now and again, no doubt worried sick, gentle creature that she was. It had been a nightmare for her to even come to this place. Made worse by Heldenbrand's harsh words and his own eventual collapse.
Beside him, through it all, was Ariane. Her warmth, her constant presence was a comfort, for each time he woke, he could feel her getting stronger. Heard her murmuring words to Quincy. Words, something he had not yet regained the strength to muster. She was going to live, and that made all the difference.
Wrong, in all the right ways