| I suddenly emerge from another period of blackness. Lying on the cold dank floor of the dungeon, I feel as if I am in a state of shock but paradoxically elated and invigorated at the same time. As my eyes begin to focus and take in my surroundings I find Xun’riia lying sprawled beside me. She looks close to death! What has happened to her I do not know but I immediately sense that I am responsible for her condition. I gently cradle her head in my lap and begin to cast healing spells at her, rapidly and continually. No response. What in Lloth’s name has happened here? There are no obvious signs of physical damage, in fact she is unmarked but she looks completely drained, not of lifesblood but of something else.
Franticly I continue to shower her with healing spells and futilely call for the Divine Mothers intervention. After some time she eventually begins to respond. Her eyes flicker and her breathing regains strength. I continue to cast healing and re-invigorating spells on her and I can feel her getting stronger with each passing moment. A little later she opens her eyes fully and smiles. “Faeryl” is all she says.
I get up and gently lift her up into my arms and struggle gainfully to carry her from the dungeon to our room. Her arms are wound tightly around my neck and she has a serene expression on her face. I look into her eyes expecting to see a fierce burning hatred despite her calm demeanour, yet all I see is what can only be described as loving admiration. How can this be? I have done something terrible to her, something I cannot comprehend or remember. There is a period of time that is just a void, a black void of nothingness. I therefore resolved that once Xun has been made comfortable, I will lock myself away with my tomes and research till I find a solution to this. I cannot allow for this to happen again, I cannot allow for this loss of control.
I gently lay Xun’riia on the bed. Her expression is still one of serene calm. I can see that she has almost fully recovered from whatever I did to her. Now all she needs is rest. As she closes her eyes I gently place a kiss on her forehead. She smiles and says in a voice soft and silky, “Usstan ssinssrigg dos Faeryl, Usstan ssinssrigg dos”. I look at the scar on my left palm, then at the wound on my right thigh which weeps with a strange fluid and scream out “Nau !!!!!!!” |