Ach, my head...

My head is pounding. I remember something happening, but it's all a hazy blur. My mind's trying to link things together, but none of those connections are working.

"Okay, put them here."

Everything spins around me, then it stops.

Then it starts again. I want to feel sick, but my thoughts aren't making sense.

"There. Yeah, is it ready?"

"Yes."

I realize. If I want to feel sick, I should feel sick, so why do I not? Does even that not work properly?

"Okay, are you sure we're doing this?"

"Don't even ask that question."

Suddenly, everything spins wildly, but my mind locks firmly onto what it wants to feel.

*urr-laaaulff*

I almost feel like that's a victory. Almost. But why do I feel sick? That isn't coming to me.

*urp*

"Get a trash can."

The sounds sway around in my head. My vision flows this way and that. Wait, my vision?

*uallllff*

Ah, right. An image flashes through my mind.

"You got it?"

"Yes."

That damn...

My mind stops spinning all at once. I see what's outside the nearby window. I'm stunned.

image [https://timjames.net/data/acd/images/020.png]

Maro? Maro, why are you—

My mind falls to pieces again. Then, it reconstructs.

Ah! When will this stop?

And why is Maro on the execution platform?!

I need to say something. I need to ask. But...

*uuuullfff*

I feel so empty inside. My mind won't work, and I haven't had enough food to be so sick.

"Here's the healer. I don't know what that thing did, but we'll find out soon enough."

"Tch. Say 'Pure Evil' or 'the lord' from now on. I don't want to be killed for randomly pissing him off, not using the proper term or something."

Why... Why are they talking about that? That...

"Yes, Raiz. But how would the lord know?"

"How does the lord know anything? He's a dragon. So who taught him?"

I don't understand. Why does my head keep spinning? Why can't things make sense?

"I have no idea who taught him, Raiz. I wouldn't think anyone would dare to teach him."

"Or not teach him, should he demand it."

"Point taken."

I see the two of them shift their gaze back to me, somehow, despite my broken senses.

"Hold on, you look pretty damn bad. We're not sure what's wrong, but our best healer's here."

A woman appears in my vision.

"Aight sweetie, ya hold on tight. I'm 'onna start. It might feel good or it might feel 'ike the gods've forsaken ya. Jus', don' give up. M'kay?"

I nod, woozily. She chants something, and then... The spinning gets ten times worse. I want to pass out, but my brain's warning me.

Don't give up. She told you! Don't give up.

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I struggle out words.

"I... sthan kyu."

The woman's head flows sideways. I think she's shaking it to say 'no.'

"Talk all ya wan' sweetie, but this's my job. Well, my second job. I get paid for this, too."

Who is she? Why does she feel familiar?

"Hoo... Reyu?"

I think the woman's smirking.

"Oh, ya don' 'member? We met yesterday. Discuss'd the city tradin' post, yanno, 'bout that kaizen. Then ya waltzed off like ya had more important things ta be doin' than be discussin' info with an info broker."

Right. She was— well, it made sense. She was nearby after all. I just couldn't see how any of that was related. I still don't. Ah, I need to think about something to keep my mind off the spinning. Let's discuss that.

"Soh, whhy do you... Think th—hose thinkgs are at all... Relahted? I nevher... gotto, uh. Ashk."

"No sweetie, I gave ya every chance ya need'd. Didn't so much's ask fer payment. I tell ya, some o' ya folks get so full of yaselves when ya'don't know wha's goin' on. It's always 'musin'."

My mind flips again, but I power through it. This seems to be getting easier.

"Sorry, you're... Right. I was disorien... Nned by... What I'd been through earlier that day. But, please. I need to... Know. How were those two... Things related in your view?"

My speech is improving. Good.

She looks a bit miffed for a moment, then turns to that 'Raiz.' He nods. She turns back to me.

"Sweetie, orange may just be a color, but tha timin' was impeccable. Kaizen aren't norm'ly orange; usually green, brown, 'er blue. A few red, mayb' white. But freakin' blazin' orange? Tha's unique as all hell. It ain't much, I know. 'Cept as an information broker, it' lit'rally my job to pick da wheat from tha chaff. My mind scream'd 'wheat' 'n I ain't neva' dou't m'self, mm'kay?"

My mind suddenly stops spinning; my vision seeming to turn sideways like my eyeballs are messed up. I can tell it isn't my mind anymore. My vision is VERY wrong.

Adelia seems to recoil.

"Gods almighty, what happen'd ta ya? This's gonna take time. I ain' never heal'd this much 'cept fer practice on tha dead. You ain' dead, are ya sweet?"

"I don't know. Everything is scrambled."

I didn't parse her question correctly. She looks genuinely concerned because of my blunder.

"Is anythin' missin'? Different from watchu 'member? Think back ta when it started."

I try to think about what happened. My mind, it was blanketed by blackness. By pain. Then, all at once, memories fly into my brain.

An orange leg. An orange hand. Darkness.

I grab my head with both of my hands.

"AAAAHHHFFFFFFGGGGGGAAHAHHHHHAHHEEEEEEEFFFFEEEEEEERRRR!!!"

"Good gods— stay with me! STAY WITH ME!"

My mind trembles. I want to sleep. But. Not yet.

"Aggshhhh. Aaareehheh. Eeeeehhherrr."

She grabs one of my hands and squeezes it hard.

"FORGET THAT. FORGET IT NOW. FOCUS ON MY HAND. FOCUS ON ME."

I think of the hand I'm holding. It's so warm. So soft. I want to throw up again.

*uuuuuuhhhhhh-hurr*

Nothing comes out this time.

"Okay, ya'll saw tha', ri'ht? Don' bring it up 'gain 'til at leas' two days' r'covery."

"Yes."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Ferget m'am. I'm Adelia."

"Yes, Adelia."

"Thank ya, hun."

She's still gripping my hand tight. But, for some reason I want to remember. I MUST remember.

"Erg... Aaagh... Eauage..."

She whips back to me.

"I told ya hun, let it go! Let it go!"

"I can't, it's just... It won't let me go. Jagh..."

Her eyes open wide.

Then, she turns to Raiz. He nods at her slowly, tapping the side of his head with his fist. She nods at him, then looks back at me with sadness and pity. What, is what I said so bad?

What's wrong?

"Haugh... WHA-t... What's the problem? Uah!"

She shakes her head.

"Ahe, we think yer brain's been mess'd with. A lot, hun. We ain't sure what's been done."

As if on cue, my vision finally stops spinning.

But another memory comes to mind.

I grab my head.

"HUUUUUuuuuuuuhhhhhhHhhhhHHHh?!"

"Oh, gods! Keep 'et steady. You two, keep 'et steady. You 'specially, Raiz, hun."

The two of them grab me and hold me down.

Raiz talks.

"Is she safe, though?"

"Yea, I'm thru tha wors' part. This is just 'em memories reconnectin'. Though, I wanted ta wait 'til la'er."

I see it now. In front of my face. I know what it was. What happened. Why I'm like this.

"That... Huagah! That fucking bastard!"

"What, hun? What'd he do to ya?"

No, not him.

"An arrow. It... Went through my face. My eye. I felt it come out the back of my skull. Then, I remember— walked over to me. Put his hand over my head. And..."

My eyes widen.

"NOOOOOOOOO! NOOO DON'T!"

I start thrashing violently. She lets go of my hand.

*krsh*

*koof*

*kerr*

*thash*

*kersh*

*tish*

"Puttin' aside tha' last bit for a sec', any one a ya wanna 'splain how she 'members an arrow goin' thru 'er damn skull, 'n out the backside?"

*kerk*

*kark*

*terh*

*kert*

It's like I'm fighting against my own mind. But I manage to force myself to calm down.

"Aughhhhhh!"

I hear Raiz.

"It had to be her pursuers. No way would Pure Evil be using a bow, or at least, I hope not. In your professional opinion, is her memory possible? Does that ever happen?"

She looks lost for a moment, staring at my now-shaking form. I feel so weak.

"Hun, if ya saw the swellin' o' her brain, you' be askin' how she's still 'live. Hearin' that she 'members an arrow clear thru 'er skull? I can see it bein' true. Must'a tossed bone fragments everywhere, shreddin' 'er brain as it went. 'n my medical 'pinion? She's either a zombie... Or Pure Evil's a bett'r healer than I. He just, somehow, don' know the basics. Weird tho it may seem, I'm sidin' with the second. Nothin' seems 'mpossible for 'im, 'specially aft'r wha' he som'how figur'd in our meetin'."

"So, why ask for our thoughts?"

"'Cuz I'm worried. Tha' he di' some'in' ta'her. It's possible, 'kay, wha'bout tha' last part?"

Raiz shakes his head.

"It doesn't matter. Our job is to keep her alive and take her in. That's why we're executing Maro, too. For her sake."

Oh, gods. Who are these people? They're executing Maro for me? Why? He... Wait. Where was he when I was shot?

I ask them confusedly and quietly.

{"Maro? What did Maro do?"}

"Sweets, he's tha one who backstab'd ya. Ahm sorry, I hope ya can live with it. With us. 'N I hope ya don' hate us. We 'ssigned him to ya. Me, sp'ifically. I knew tha boy's past and mold'd 'is future. So, I'm tha one who put 'im up on that platform, ta be execut'd."

{"But, does that mean you're—"}

"Yah, we're tha insurrection, hun. Welcome ta tha syndicate's new HQ: tha mayor's house."

None of this is making sense.

I manage to more normally voice my confusion.

"Why am I, the— the guard captain, in your HQ? And if Maro did his job, and you won, why is he being executed? How am I here if your team shot me?"

Adelia shakes her head.

"This is gonna be a looong story. Ya ready?"

No. I don't want to know.

But... I must know.

...

"Yes."