Shrike's Heart (#1)

[idolpro]

The woman before you is beautiful—fair of features, with lovely golden skin and luxurious long black hair, petite. You have the immediate and distinct impression that she's just let go of your hand, and she steps back, and smiles.

It's not quite a happy smile.

"I'm sorry," she says. "There's just nothing I can do, as things are. But the way is there; it just needs to be lit."

You open your mouth—maybe to say something, or to express confusion—but you have to cough, and taste something metallic, spattering black blood onto the ground in front of you. Then you realize—blood seeps from opening wounds in your arms, your chest, your stomach, your face. It rims your eyes and trails from your nose and you feel like you're dissolving—

—and you fall through the ground like it's the surface of a lake, and go down, down, down.

> Wake Up

Comments

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[mind_blown]

[you know it's too bad he doesn't have his memory of being raised from the dead, because let me tell you. he sure would have some feelings about that.]

Seriously?

Knock it off.

[to the person. raising the dead.]

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[handpuppets]

[ the woman raises an eyebrow. ]

Really? You're already making it hard enough for me to do my work by not giving a shit about what state the bodies are left in, at least let me do my job.

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[mind_blown]

Yeah, again. Knock it off.

The dead generally like to stay dead.

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[handpuppets]

[ she snorts, and waves a hand. her skin is ghost-pale, and her hair a sickly grey-green shade. ]

Since when is that a stance we have around here? Send a letter to the Walker, don't take it up with me. I'm sure he'll take it very seriously.

[ she seems to also do A Sarcasm. ]

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[mind_blown]

What if we just burned the bodies instead, gave them a cremation ceremony? Surely that'd go over well, right?

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[handpuppets]

Didn't tell me it was new recruit season— Then again, I guess you meatheads don't get any training in the occult arts since he thinks it's useless.

If we're thinning the boundary between here and the underworld, we have to have a catalyst. If ordinary burial of the dead counted, our work would already be done for us across the whole world.

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[mind_blown]

[so many things he'd have issues with if he remembered them.

but. hm.

sounds bad.]

Why?

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[handpuppets]

's what the Neverborn want, boss wants favor with the Neverborn, we want favor with the boss, so it goes. I preferred not to be dead, and it seems like so did you, so who's complaining?

Except you, I guess. Want me to fix that for you?

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[mind_blown]

[he considers for a second.]

Nah. I'll take that letter though. Got pen and paper?

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[handpuppets]

Ugh. If it'll get you off my back.

[ she rolls her eyes, and pulls an old-style brush pen and ink from one of her belt pouches, plus a small scroll of vellum. ]

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[mind_blown]

Oh, probably not.

[but he will take it.]

Where's the closest mail box?

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[handpuppets]

[ squints ]

What?

[ what's a mail box. ]

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[mind_blown]

Hm.

You know.

Sending a letter?

Or do I just give this to you?

[I think I know who's heart this is.

I'm sorry, I made the wrong choice before.

Also, sorry your memories suck.

Mine do too.]

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[handpuppets]

[ she scoffs, but tucks it into her belt. ]

Everyone wants the sorceress to send their messages. Fine, fine.

[ but you get the impression that the message is... sent? ]

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[mind_blown]

Thank you.

[he's going to take the seeds with him.

and head... to the town.]

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[handpuppets]

[ you take some of the seeds, and head to town, where you find some shit going down. ]