(LORE) HEALING

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:07 am

Sid felt like he'd been waiting there for hours, but in fact, it had been under five minutes. He made his stinging eyes open and look at Rhen again. The elf lay still as death. Sid tried once more to move, and found that he could finally control his back enough to sit up, though it hurt like a bitch. He reached out and touched Rhen's shoulder, shaking him gently. It wasn't just an act of kindness; he was too sore to do much more.

Soran showed no sign of life. Sid sighed and touched his neck, just to be sure he really wasn't dead. "Damnit, Rhen," he said hoarsely through the wet cloth protecting his mouth.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:55 am

Mizuki tried hard to expand her senses to find Soran in the burning city. But the strain was too much for her and she was getting no feeling from him. She wondered if he was even alive. Coming out of her trance, Mizuki stared at the ground numbly. He couldn't be dead, could he? No, she was just having a hard time finding him. There's chaos down there, and not to mention she's very new at this...

He couldn't be dead... She wouldn't allow him to die.

"Damnit Soran, where are you?" she asked as if he could hear her and answer. Closing her eyes again, Mizuki reached out again with her mind, trying, in what she hoped wasn't in vain, to find him. 'Soran, Soran, Soran...Rhenn...'

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 1:25 pm

In the blackness of Soran's thoughts, voices were calling to him. "Soran", "Rhen", "Soran...,"

"Damnit, Rhen...just wake up." Soran opened his eyes very slowly to the voice, but he didn't know which was beside him. "Mizuki," he breathed faintly, extending his hand as if he could touch her.

Sid found his hand, squeezed it so hard it made the elf flinch. Soran's eyes opened warily. He couldn't understand what was going on; he was vaguely aware of flames, heat, someone beside him. But it wasn't Mizuki...he could have sword he was with her a moment ago...

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:14 pm

'There!' Just as Soran had found his way back to conscious thought, Mizuki's senses locked onto him. She also knew someone else was with him, and it didn't ease her.

"At least he's not dead," she said after coming out of her trance and standing up. Scooping Rai in her arms, Mizuki stalked off at a hurried pace to reach Soran. 'I'm coming!'

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:55 pm

Soran's hand tugged free of Sid's as if there was no pressure at all and pressed to his forehead. Another voice in his mind... it had said "I'm coming!"... Mizuki? He was taking time to gather his situation, but it began falling in place. Mizuki was alive...thank the gods...but she was coming here? No...no, don't, he thought with a shudder of dread, pulling his eyes open and staring at the inferno surrounding him. Was Rai okay? No, he had to think about one thing at a time. Something firm was grasping his shoulders, pulling him upward.

"Rhen, can you stand up?" Sid asked from beside him. "We're out of time, you have to move."

Soran's eyes shot to Sid and the sight of him brought firmness back into his spine, his limp neck straightening to stare at his old partner in stunned disapproval. He clenched his fists. "Let go."

"No, not yet," Sid frowned.

Soran called on his armblades with a deadly glare. They burst from his bracelets and wavered in the air, fading in and out of substance. He struck out at Sid's neck, and only drew a thin line of blood from the unflinching human's neck. His pulse wasn't steady enough to maintain the weapons' forms. Sid glared at him in astonishment. "You would have killed me?" He made it a question, but it wasn't.

Soran lacked the strength to shout at Sid, and his arm suddenly felt too heavy to hold up. He shuddered as it sank to the ground at his side as if weights were attached to it, the blades all but fading away, flickering dimly at his wrists.

"Stay awake, fool elf!" Sid ordered coldly, struggling to his own feet. Soran slumped forward, but remained sitting, desperately trying to regain control of his strength. Sid looked around for some kind of exit from the flames. The buildings to their rear and right were on the brink of collapse, and the street to their left was too enflamed to be passable. The only choice was directly ahead of them; a path that was hardly safe, and from the flames pouring from the buildings on either side, wouldn't last much longer.

"Up, up, you bastard," Sid grunted, dragging Soran up toward his feet. Sid could barely stand himself, it was laughable to think he could drag Soran out of the city, but he didn't leave him in the middle of the street.

"There's no way out," Soran muttered between clenched teeth. "A building...with a basement."

Sid nodded. He knew as well as Rhen that the edge of the city would be the worst. There was no way out; in their past, the only survivors had been those they found while combing the foundations of the buildings. In the rare cases where the building didn't collapse on top of the exits...but they had better chances surviving there than walking through a quarter mile of solid flames.

Sid groaned and lugged an unwilling Soran down the road, trying to pick a building that had a basement.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:03 pm

It was hard to make her way back into a city that was engulfed in flames. But she had to do it somehow! Frowning in concentration, Mizuki knew she couldn't bring Rai in there, nor could she leave her. 'Damnit! Soran! Soran, Gods tell me if your alright!'

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Sat Mar 10, 2007 11:36 pm

Soran had trouble focusing on everything at once. He didn't know if he should punch Sid in the face or hold on to him. He held on. "I'm here...looking for a basement," he struggled to keep the thought clear enough for Mizuki to receive it, "There's no way in or out. Rai?" He sagged against Sid, suddenly tired.

Sid almost dropped him. There wasn't enough air; both of them were asphyxiating. Soran regained his balance and made himself move with Sid until they came up next to a house that Soran knew. It was Micah's house. The entrance was still navigable...and it had a basement. Close enough. It was here or burn. "Here," Soran ordered, pushing Sid toward the door. Sid seemed dazed as he followed directions, and unsteady on his feet; suddenly it looked like Soran was the better off of the two.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 8:54 pm

'She's fine. I have her with me now. Soran, I can't just sit here and wait for you until the flames die! I must do something! Micha is recruiting survivors into the forests away from the devastation, but I want to help you!'

She couldn't just leave him, not when she had thought she lost him. Too many times he left and never seemed to come back. Twice was one too many.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 9:31 pm

Mizuki...You don't have another option," Soran said gently through their link, knowing they both knew he wasn't likely to make it out of this. He was moving toward the basement as he communicated with Mizuki, and Sid finally collapsed forward. Soran looked at him for a moment, thinking, and finally reached down and dragged him to his feet again, opening the basement door and nearly carrying him through.

He felt dizzy as he shut the door behind them and more or less fell down the stairs with Sid, though they were both a bit too numb to care about a few more bruises. They wound up at the base of the stairs, Sid lying still on his stomach with arms pressed in front of his chest and Soran sprawled on his side horizontally on top of him.

Soran and Sid both lay tense for a moment before mutually deciding to just remain where they were for the time being. The basement was pitch black, but the glow of flames shone under the door at the top of the stairs. Smoke leaked in slowly, but it was much easier to breathe than it was outside. They were safe, for now. I'm hiding out in the building where Micah lives. When this fire dies out, soldiers will scour the area. If, after they leave, you can make your way to me, you may do so. But if you can find me, so can the soldiers, and I probably can't handle them as I am now. I think the best choice would be for you and Rai to...go somewhere safe." Soran clenched his eyes; this couldn't get much harder. He might very possibly never see her again.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 9:40 pm

'Damnit Soran! I promised myself--Rai too!-- that we wouldn't lose you again! I can't just sit here!!--' She was getting distressed. She didn't want to think of Soran sitting in some basement in the fire laden city where he could possibly die. If he didn't get killed by the fire, or suffocated by the smoke, he'd be killed by the soldiers.

"Damnit..." Mizuki stamped her foot like a stubborn child. tears formed in her eyes from frustration, and something else. Damn, damn, damn! She couldn't help him without possibly hurting herself or him! "Damn Sid, damn him to the Gates of the Underworld and beyond. Take Arken with him."

'I will find you when the chaos is over. Stay with me though... don't.... don't fall silent....' Even her inner voice choked with her tears. She did not want to lose her connection to him. Not for any reason...

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:08 pm

In the forest, Micah was moving steadily but slowly through the well-hidden areas of the foliage, searching for signs of life. He had managed to find a small group gathered together, and with their location set as a return location, they'd spread out to look for the rest of the survivors. It would take some time to circle the whole city, and meeting all in one place was too risky; it was dangerous and hard to conceal. So each scout would cover a certain area of the periphery of the city, collecting in five points well enough away to avoid attention from the soldiers; hopefully. Later, they would devise a signal to reunite at the original position. It was a risky plan, and there was no way to maintain communication between them all. A huge problem. Only Micah knew all five meeting locations; that made things a bit more secure if Arken captured one of the groups and decided to torture them for information. Unless the group was his...

On top of that, there was disorder in their own ranks. Some were rumoring that Micah had masterminded the whole attack, and how could he blame them? Up till now, he'd had a hand in everything that went down in Hepian, albeit a very elusive one. For now, they seemed to be cooperating with him, but- He cringed and paused to let his throbbing wound rest a second. He was almost finished with his portion of the scouting; all that remained was to bring the group following behind him back to his meeting place, while attracting as little attention to his condition as possible. He wished. But they knew he was hurt; he was at their mercy if they turned on him now. Fifty or so men and women, and children followed him back to their meeting point. Very little was said. It was like the situation was just too big for words. They just reached the place, and sat down or paced or whatever it took to stay sane, and waited for someone to magically explain how they were going to get through this alive.

* * *

I'll try, Soran answered her, though he was losing some of the mental clarity in their connection. It was like his mind was worn out from maintaining the level of connection needed to stay in contact. Or maybe he was just losing his composure, and his mental clarity with it. His mental voice was coming out scratchy and broken up. Mizuki...if I can't see you again...I lo--" the connection broke off.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:14 pm

Mizuki flinched. She had lost him. "I... love you, too." she sniffed then rubbed away her tears. Turning around, Mizuki headed back the way she came, all the while trying to quell her raging emotions. 'He's not dead,' she kept telling herself.

Eventually she came back to the place where she had parted with Micha. She couldn't find him, he must be gathering the survivors. Sighing, Mizuki called out to him, finding him easily but not able to make a connection. But that was enough, she now had a sense of who he was with and where he was going. Gathering what was left of her wits, Mizuki held Rai tighter to her chest and marched off to where she expected to find Micha, trying hard not to think of Soran's situation.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:23 pm

Micah was overseeing the distribution of rations they'd pilfered from the Arkenian checkpoint he'd been held at with Mizuki earlier. The survivors were cooperating, but growing more and more restless. They wanted to go search for friends and family, they wanted to search for food, for medicine for a sick infant, for weapons. Some just wanted to go fight every Arken soldier he could before going down, regardless of the consequences. Micah had to resort to threats to keep everyone in one place. All it took was one person to give them away. They needed to stay together. He tried to look authoritative while sitting down, not having much choice in the matter; he barely had the strength to maintain his posture, let alone his feet. He wondered what was going on with the seer and that rogue. He regretted letting her go her own way, but he'd been at her mercy at the moment. If she were here, she might be able to do something. Everyone expected him to be able to communicate with all five rally points. They assumed he had a network of spies set up to do this, but in fact there'd been nowhere close to enough time to set up such a system. It was just a matter of time till they realized they were all counting on his gamble, and then things could become very bleak.

Mizuki · Post by **Mizuki** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:28 pm

She heard the murmmer of fearful, angry voices up ahead. That was where he was, and she could tell he was having problems. She whistled for his attention and sent out a calming aura for the whole group of people there. That was an effort. All night she had been using her powers more than normal, and performing tasks she never knew she could do. Either way, they worked and she wasn't going to sit and wonder why.

The group of people immediantly calmed down and turned to look at her. They were all thinking the same thing. Why were they calm now? Who was she? Where would they go from here? Would they all live to see tomorrow?

"Micha," Mizuki called out a weary welcome to him as she came closer.

Post by **Soran Nightblade** » Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:33 pm

Micah turned to look at her like she was a well in the desert. "You're back," he called to her. His gaze grew darker. "What's happening?"