As we drag, well, as Teuila drags everything and everyone ashore, there’s a somber air amidst our party. We’ll be providing Tim with some provisions, and a ghostly steed that will last for about a single day. It should hopefully be enough to reunite him with the other refugees, but still, I’d feel horrible if he were stranded in the wilderness somewhere. I have no idea what to say to him.
It’s not like Tim coming with us would be any better an option. We’re heading through almost assuredly dragon-destroyed territory, that may have hostile Imperium forces bearing down on it. We also have limited space in, and on the carriage. Not enough that we couldn’t bring him, but he’s not a magically empowered combatant. If we end up fighting Felgres, or anything else, he’d be at risk the entire time.
Teuila is speaking with Tim, bidding him farewell. She’s spent more time chatting with him, and, well, she’s been conscious more over the last couple of days during our trip across the lake than either of the rest of us. I don’t really have anything to contribute to a farewell. I just feel awkward, as I truly know almost nothing about Tim, and yet he risked his life and livelihood for us. He lost one, and nearly lost the other. And he calls us heroes? What a guy.
Oh, there he goes. I wasn’t even paying enough attention to do more than nod and wave. Now I feel like a dick. I suppose I’m slightly preoccupied, supporting Tiktik in a position that seems to cause her to whimper in pain the least frequently. Poor Kitten. I’ve been noticing something odd happening with her over the last couple of days as well, and it slightly worries me. Her body seems to be drawing in threads of mana, or something. That’s the best way I can describe it. They seem to assault her mind, but I don’t sense any sort of psychic damage occurring. As far as I can tell anyway. I’m not magnificently psionically endowed, so I don’t truly have any array of senses that would clue me in to such things. Probably not anyway. But at least nothing has sent up red flags saying that her brain is melting within her cranium.
It’s almost like the threads, or fibers of mana, are being knitted, woven into her somehow. It’s worrisome thinking that she might become piloted or puppeted by some agent of magic, yanked about as if on marionette strings. If something like that happens, it’d feel like facing down Dawn’s curse all over again, helpless to stop it. But I do know that I can sever a string, at least within extremely close range. My only hope is that if something along these lines does occur, that I’m able to pull off such a severing before anything irreparable occurs.
I’m almost certain I’ve seen these threads taking something away from Tiktik, and perhaps replacing it with something else. That’s incredibly worrisome. What was taken also looked to possibly contain those runes related to time. Could magic be stealing time from Tiktik? Should I start trying to sever these threads immediately? I don’t know enough about this world, its systems of magic, or Tiktik’s magic in particular to make an informed judgement call on something like that though.
Come on Kitten. Pull through, be alright. You too Bud. I’m worried about the two of you. Even Essie and Icey have been unusually quiet on our flight from The Brook. Teuila’s done hitching up the two ghostly horses to pull the carriage northwards, so the two of us have really nothing we can do other than fret over our unresponsive friends. Teuila wraps me in her powerful embrace, stroking my hair and rocking me gently to comfort me while we all rest and recuperate.
Several days have passed, and we’re traversing the early segment of the gap now. Somehow it looks far more foreboding than the first time we’d passed through. The ominous air is only exaggerated by Rayileklia’s constant lightning-storm and its booming thunderclaps. Tiktik is beginning to rouse more often, hungry, playful, yet sleepy. Thankfully it seems like she’s pulling through.
In response to my train of thought, Tiktik asserts, “Better than that Tiger! I’ve reached the eighth circle! Fully and totally! My source and I have been doing some kind of, I dunno, bargain. I’ve been giving up access to mastery of some runes and spells, for access to others, I think. I’m still pooped though. Plus it was all subconscious, so I’m not even sure exactly what the trade-offs were yet. You said you thought my timey wimey rune thing was taken? I think so too. Dangit. That spell was so useful for helping keep people safe. Oh well. I guess we’ll see when we have to deal with more deadly stuff. I think my big fire spell is gone too, blargh.”
I flash Tiktik a half frown. It sounds like her sorcery is more complex than I initially realized. Things about it are innate, and yet can be taken away? I have no idea how I’d feel about that. Well, that’s not true, I’d feel rather upset. I’m glad she’s okay though. Teuila is gazing over the two of us fondly, and I flash Te as warm a smile as I can muster in response to her gaze.
I could swear I hear coughing, coming from outside the carriage. Our horses definitely don’t cough though, in fact, unless we command them to, I don’t think they make any noises whatsoever. Teuila, riding my thought train, peers out through the window-slot situated along the driver’s seat, and she suddenly motions for me to have the horses stop. Bringing them to a halt immediately, I raise a brow at Teuila who motions towards the door. The three of us shuffle out of the carriage, two of us agonizingly slowly. Tiktik is barely retaining consciousness, while I’m fighting my muscles and my new nervous system situation.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
In the dark haze of Rayileklia’s constant storms, the fog at the edge of our vision, there’s a squat figure approaching in a shambling motion. I’d almost believe it was one of the Aasimovian ancestors if it weren’t for two things. One, the ancestors were all wrought to dust. Two, its short, stocky stature is more akin to the dwarves of this region than to any Aasimovian I’ve met. As it gets closer, the silhouette's figure clarifies slightly, and it appears weak, feeble, frail, emaciated. Too thin to be a dwarf. And yet--.
Is, is that Hellga Hellridge? I cry out, “Hellga!?”
The figure stumbles towards us, battered, scarred, hairless, sorely in need of better clothing to be out beneath Rayileklia’s constant acid rain. She’s almost unrecognizable, but I’d still wager that she is indeed Hellga. She stumbles four more paces towards us, and collapses. No. No no no.
Not after Selunie, not after Dawn, no. Please. I’m sorry I abandoned you. Teuila and I rush to her side as Tiktik stares in shock at the distressed woman. Tiktik quickly snaps to her senses and rushes to join us in helping Hellga. On our way to her, I have my magic hand snag the bedroll tied to the side of my haversack. We wrap Hellga in our bedroll that we haven’t had to use since we got the carriage, and find the leeward side of a stone outcropping. She looks malnourished, a tough feat for a dwarf to appear as, given their stocky nature. I condemned her to this. I did this. I did this and I’m going to be sick.
The pressure of a migraine builds behind my eyes as I attempt to work with Teuila at covering and comforting the feeble form of Hellga Hellridge. Tiktik wobbles woozily nearby. I can tell she’s in pure agony even standing and putting any pressure on her muscles and bones at this point. I motion for Te to catch Tiktik, and thankfully Teuila’s speed is enough that Tiktik’s swoon lands her in Teuila’s waiting arms. It’s almost comically cute. If it weren’t for the rest of the surrounding situation, I’d probably be smiling and laughing about it.
I ask aloud, “Te, Tiktik, can you two dig some spare clothes out of our packs and stuff? Tiktik maybe you should rest in the carriage. I don’t want to move Hellga any more than we already have just yet. She needs food and water too. I don’t want to leave her side. Please?”
Without another word, Teuila fully scoops Tiktik into her arms, and strides purposefully towards the carriage, where she deposits Tiktik within. The two shuffle about inside the carriage as they comply with my request. I kneel next to Hellga, holding one of her hands, angling so that I shield her face from the rain, and I mop sweat from her brow. Te returns with clothes and provisions, so we work at getting Hellga into the clothing, and at least getting some clean water down her throat. I think it would be safe to move her, because I can’t spot any spinal injuries, or signs of a heavy concussion. Even still, I want her to at least regain consciousness before we basically abduct her. Even if it is to help her out.
When Hellga finally awakens, she’s screaming in terror. My eyes flash wide and I barely fight back a flood of tears at the fate I’ve brought down upon this poor woman. She gasps and glances fearfully around in a quickened, heightened state of panic. Upon seeing us, her jaw hangs low, slack. Recognition slowly dawns on her face She looks down at her no longer bare form, and back to us, and a slow, sad smile creeps across her face as her eyes well with tears.
Teuila and I offer her kind, warm, half-sad smiles. The two of us are holding her right hand, stroking the back of it gently, offering comforting murmurs. Te offers Hellga something that looks like a donut, and some fish-jerky. Hellga involuntarily salivates and tears into the fish jerky immediately, loosing sounds of pleasure as she savors the flavors that flood her mouth. She then nibbles daintily at the donut, savoring it in a longer fashion, drawing out her enjoyment of its nourishment. Te and I sit patiently next to her, while I can tell Tiktik is laying inside the carriage, trying to keep us in view.
I’m about to offer to help Hellga into our carriage when she finally speaks. Her earnest nature seems to demand that she tell us the entirety of her honest tale. In that strange mixture of Scottish and New-York-Italian accent, she mutters, “Yous, yous guys. The, the greatest. I was, wa-. After, after a long time, maybe some prison stuff, yous knows. Don, he came and just, just unlocked my cell. Just stood there. Somehow I knews what it meant. I wanted to stay, to fight. To protect my home, my family. I begged. But Don, he said, he said he couldn’t fight ‘longside no one he didn’t trust. Gave me rags, some food, and booze. I. I was banished. But, but just getting out, I. It was all hellfire and acid and. I. I thought I didn’t make it. Thought I been dead a long time, and was just wanderin’ Hel for what I done. Ah, I dunno, maybe Jotunheim or Niffleheim or somethin’. Some bad place. But yous guys. Yous look different than I ‘member yous. Is it really yous?”
I nod sadly, fighting back tears as I struggle to answer Hellga. Teuila takes over, “Yeah, yeah Hellga, it’s really us. You can rest babe. You’re safe now.”
Hellga sinks back down, crying tears of relief, muttering, “Thank yous. Can’t thank yous guys enough. I-” Hellga bursts into sob-laden tears, and grips at the two of us frantically. My heart wrenches to see such a stoic, passionate person reduced to despair. A state I’m all too familiar with. A state I’ll be having to fight off for as long as I can in order to try to find my cure.