Post by elethea on Dec 27, 2009 18:17:24 GMT -5
"Would you give your life for one most would gladly see an end of?"
She opened her eyes to light and could see nothing else. The question lingered around her like the echo of a breath, the words she knew well and the voice that spoke them, she knew that voice.
"Is this death?" She wondered aloud.
She suddenly became aware of her body. It was nothing more than pain and the light drew away from her, though did not leave her vision.
"No, but close by, I see." She replied. What would death mean now? Was it then end of one journey and the beginning of another, or was it simply rest? Would there be peace there for her, or would it merely be a parting without end? And who or what would that parting be from? And then, why did she care as long as the pain left, she had done what was needed and that was all she had asked for. A memory swept through her, a fleeting look in the eyes of another, something she had never expected to see, she sighed as a different pain assailed her. This was not supposed to happen; she had asked for nothing in return, there was never a question of price or debt.
Without any kind of warning the light above rushed at her and she was engulfed, becoming a part of it yet not losing her sense of self. The light was a living thing, more ancient and wise than any mortal creature could imagine, more than mother or father, more than good or evil, more than time or space, it was the well from which all began, the ultimate and eternal parent of all creation. And she wept in the face of an acceptance she never thought she would know. She felt herself lifted upright and closed her eyes arms outstretched as a child waiting for a beloved parent's embrace. The embrace caught her and carried her higher, away from the cold stone that she had been patiently dying upon. The moldy walls of her prison were gone, the world fell away from her leaving her soul naked and casting its own radiance in the endless light. Then she fell. Icy wind rushed past her, ripping at her hair and flailing her skin. Looking out through her tearing eyes she saw that she was plummeting head first towards a frozen coastline, a land gripped by some unspeakable evil. With a cry of terror she stretched out her arms again, this time in an instinctive attempt to slow her fall, but something else obeyed too, something that shouldn’t have been there. Whatever it was flexed with unexpected power and when she reached the beach her bare feet touched the cold sand lightly. She shivered and saw that she still wore the rags that had covered her in her prison and then from the corner of her eye something at her shoulder, paler than her rapidly chilling skin she saw feathers, white feathers.
A sudden cry above startled her and she looked up toward a cliff top where a man in mismatched armor was fighting a creature she had never seen before, something that looked as though it belonged swimming in the ocean more than walking on land. It moved clumsily but had enough force to make each of it’s powerful blows count and the man was weakening fast. She whispered a prayer and raised her arms toward the man sending the healing power she controlled to the man as he fell to the ground beneath a bone shattering blow and watched him leap back to his feet and drive the monstrous creature back, his sword moving faster than her keen eyes could see. Now it was his adversary that fell to the ground weak and near defeat. Something behind the man moved and she saw it was a second man, an elf struggling to his feet. His hair was matted with blood and though dazed his large almond eyes sought out and found her standing below. She lifted her arms once more and directed healing light to the elf who’s gaze was locked on her in surprise, even as she dropped to the ground exhausted and unconscious.
She opened her eyes to light and could see nothing else. The question lingered around her like the echo of a breath, the words she knew well and the voice that spoke them, she knew that voice.
"Is this death?" She wondered aloud.
She suddenly became aware of her body. It was nothing more than pain and the light drew away from her, though did not leave her vision.
"No, but close by, I see." She replied. What would death mean now? Was it then end of one journey and the beginning of another, or was it simply rest? Would there be peace there for her, or would it merely be a parting without end? And who or what would that parting be from? And then, why did she care as long as the pain left, she had done what was needed and that was all she had asked for. A memory swept through her, a fleeting look in the eyes of another, something she had never expected to see, she sighed as a different pain assailed her. This was not supposed to happen; she had asked for nothing in return, there was never a question of price or debt.
Without any kind of warning the light above rushed at her and she was engulfed, becoming a part of it yet not losing her sense of self. The light was a living thing, more ancient and wise than any mortal creature could imagine, more than mother or father, more than good or evil, more than time or space, it was the well from which all began, the ultimate and eternal parent of all creation. And she wept in the face of an acceptance she never thought she would know. She felt herself lifted upright and closed her eyes arms outstretched as a child waiting for a beloved parent's embrace. The embrace caught her and carried her higher, away from the cold stone that she had been patiently dying upon. The moldy walls of her prison were gone, the world fell away from her leaving her soul naked and casting its own radiance in the endless light. Then she fell. Icy wind rushed past her, ripping at her hair and flailing her skin. Looking out through her tearing eyes she saw that she was plummeting head first towards a frozen coastline, a land gripped by some unspeakable evil. With a cry of terror she stretched out her arms again, this time in an instinctive attempt to slow her fall, but something else obeyed too, something that shouldn’t have been there. Whatever it was flexed with unexpected power and when she reached the beach her bare feet touched the cold sand lightly. She shivered and saw that she still wore the rags that had covered her in her prison and then from the corner of her eye something at her shoulder, paler than her rapidly chilling skin she saw feathers, white feathers.
A sudden cry above startled her and she looked up toward a cliff top where a man in mismatched armor was fighting a creature she had never seen before, something that looked as though it belonged swimming in the ocean more than walking on land. It moved clumsily but had enough force to make each of it’s powerful blows count and the man was weakening fast. She whispered a prayer and raised her arms toward the man sending the healing power she controlled to the man as he fell to the ground beneath a bone shattering blow and watched him leap back to his feet and drive the monstrous creature back, his sword moving faster than her keen eyes could see. Now it was his adversary that fell to the ground weak and near defeat. Something behind the man moved and she saw it was a second man, an elf struggling to his feet. His hair was matted with blood and though dazed his large almond eyes sought out and found her standing below. She lifted her arms once more and directed healing light to the elf who’s gaze was locked on her in surprise, even as she dropped to the ground exhausted and unconscious.
