06-19-2017, 11:23 PM
The elf's entire body hurt. She squeezed her eyes shut as tightly as she could, terrified beyond reason or hope by what she'd see if she opened them; Pinay thought that she was dead - doomed to burn for her cowardice, trapped forever in a moment of senseless immolation. It wasn't until the pain, panic and confusion began to fade that she realized the hoarse, choking wails which seemed to come from all around her originated in her own beleaguered throat.
Her screams trailed off into a long, rattling cough, and wisps of reason began to waft gingerly through her fevered brain. She opened her eyes, but her vision swam; All she saw was shifting colors, brown and green and white and grey.
A thin-fingered hand touched her chest, just over her heart, a gentle-yet-firm pressure which encouraged her to lie back. Some far-off part of her recognized the textured sensation upon her recumbent back as a bed of fresh-cut grasses. A foreign presence whispered in the elf's mind, a distinctly female voice that breathed feelings of serenity, safety and friendship. It had, she realized, been there all along: exerting a benevolent influence, slowly calming her down.
"Shhhhhh. Relax."
Pinay opened her mouth to speak, but another coughing fit overtook her the moment she made the attempt - her larynx was still raw. A tingling warmth spread from the hand upon her sternum, soothing and bright, and the cough subsided. The voice in her head continued:
"Don't try to speak: only thoughts - I'll hear you just fine. You've been through a lot, Pinay."
Am I dead?
The voice was silent for a moment, but the elf got the impression its owner was smiling.
"No. Your injuries were appalling, almost beyond my power to heal, but you're out of danger now. You've been asleep for three days."
What happened?
The glad sensation vanished, replaced by a somber aura. Pictures stirred in Pinay's mind - the source of her pain, the impetus for the terrible conviction that had so recently consumed her.
"Your people were attacked by King Ghidorah – the golden ravager of worlds."
The three-headed dragon. I remember - We ran...Oh gods, Jushap!
She tried to sit up, but dizzinesss overtook her, and the attempt ended in black-spotted failure. She shut her eyes again. A quiet sob escaped her lips.
“Rest for now. You'll be stronger tomorrow – then we'll talk.”
Pinay started to protest, but her thoughts were already growing fuzzy, gently coaxed by the comforting presence of the stranger in her head. Sleep reclaimed her.
She dreamed of moths.
Her screams trailed off into a long, rattling cough, and wisps of reason began to waft gingerly through her fevered brain. She opened her eyes, but her vision swam; All she saw was shifting colors, brown and green and white and grey.
A thin-fingered hand touched her chest, just over her heart, a gentle-yet-firm pressure which encouraged her to lie back. Some far-off part of her recognized the textured sensation upon her recumbent back as a bed of fresh-cut grasses. A foreign presence whispered in the elf's mind, a distinctly female voice that breathed feelings of serenity, safety and friendship. It had, she realized, been there all along: exerting a benevolent influence, slowly calming her down.
"Shhhhhh. Relax."
Pinay opened her mouth to speak, but another coughing fit overtook her the moment she made the attempt - her larynx was still raw. A tingling warmth spread from the hand upon her sternum, soothing and bright, and the cough subsided. The voice in her head continued:
"Don't try to speak: only thoughts - I'll hear you just fine. You've been through a lot, Pinay."
Am I dead?
The voice was silent for a moment, but the elf got the impression its owner was smiling.
"No. Your injuries were appalling, almost beyond my power to heal, but you're out of danger now. You've been asleep for three days."
What happened?
The glad sensation vanished, replaced by a somber aura. Pictures stirred in Pinay's mind - the source of her pain, the impetus for the terrible conviction that had so recently consumed her.
"Your people were attacked by King Ghidorah – the golden ravager of worlds."
The three-headed dragon. I remember - We ran...Oh gods, Jushap!
She tried to sit up, but dizzinesss overtook her, and the attempt ended in black-spotted failure. She shut her eyes again. A quiet sob escaped her lips.
“Rest for now. You'll be stronger tomorrow – then we'll talk.”
Pinay started to protest, but her thoughts were already growing fuzzy, gently coaxed by the comforting presence of the stranger in her head. Sleep reclaimed her.
She dreamed of moths.