Shrike's Heart (#2)

[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

[justfuckingtryit]

[...yeah.]




[Yeah.]

It's okay, if you sleep a little. We'll watch out for him, while you do.

[constellationprize]

... Um, it's - Thorn, right...?

Can you stay here with him...? We're -

Sekhmet is looking for medicine, and we're going to take his brother somewhere safe, but he shouldn't - falling asleep, or being alone right now, I think...

[ both of those could be bad. she's not a medical professional, but ]

[justfuckingtryit]

[Lowers his voice, so that the man can't overhear.]

His brother's dead already. The man... all that we can do is make him comfortable.

[constellationprize]

[ similarly low, ]

I know.

But - if there's a chance that we could still help him, then... I think that we should. That's why we're taking the smaller boy, too . . .

[justfuckingtryit]

I've... seen this before. In a dream.

He has a minute left. Maybe two.

[constellationprize]

... Ah.

Then . . .

[ she doesn't know what to do with this, really, stalling pensive with the boy cradled in her arms. what do they do from here? ]

[justfuckingtryit]

Then we make him comfortable.

1/2

[constellationprize]

[ there's a murmured "okay," almost too quiet to be heard, so soft it barely moves her lips ]

[constellationprize]

and then she says, loud enough for the man to overhear ]

Then I'll take this boy somewhere safe while he recovers, okay...? They can meet each other again when he's feeling better...

[justfuckingtryit]

...yeah.

We'll keep an eye out for him until his brother's strong enough to take over again.

[constellationprize]

Mm. So - I'll go with...

[ whatever this pep's name is. she kicks herself a little for not knowing already; she has to get out more. ]

[justfuckingtryit]

Mm. Alright.

[handpuppets]

I have to—

[ he coughs, again. it sounds painful.

those whispers come to you again, from the dark—

Give him the final mercy.

Here, though, it's just a suggestion. ]

—have to, have to try. Right? Everyone says I have to try.

[justfuckingtryit]

You've tried very hard. You've done a lot already.

[handpuppets]

Maybe if I'd tried... harder.

[ but the coughing is getting worse. ]

[justfuckingtryit]

You did enough. You got him out, didn't you?

[handpuppets]

It's never—enough—

[ and it's just like in that dream. you saw him cough and cough and choke on his own blood as his overworked, injured lungs finally failed him, and here he is again now, dying in front of you. a stream of blood leaks from his mouth, running into the water at your feet. ]

[nihilmancy]

[She says a silent prayer over his body, and closes his eyes.]

[handpuppets]

[ he lies still.

and then... ]

[justfuckingtryit]

[Glances toward the path... and then back at the man.]

...we shouldn't leave them here.

[nihilmancy]

[Whispering to him]

His chances do not look good, but they go up if he stays conscious. That could buy us a little time. Shouldn't we try to maximize that?

[justfuckingtryit]

I've... seen this before. In a dream.

He has a minute left. Maybe two.

[nihilmancy]

...Mm. If there's a chance to save him... but if not, let's keep him comfortable.

[justfuckingtryit]

That's all we can do.