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Post by Alledyra on Oct 27, 2007 15:51:40 GMT -5
Crystal clear blue eyes regarded Lily, and Dyra struggled into a sitting position, sipping from the flask delicately. The brandy was smooth, but felt like fire burning down her already rough throat, and she coughed sharply after the small sip, "I don't usually drink. But that was...fortifying, I think." One hand went unconciously to her temple, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying vainly to focus her thoughts on what was happening around her rather than what was still happening inside.
"Kane. Kane was here...wasn't he?" Dyra paused, looking between the two women, and considered telling them what was happening to her, but decided against it for the moment...they had more work to do, and worrying over her wouldn't get that done. Unconciously shaking her head, she queried instead, "How goes the battle? Have we won?" While asking these quesions, she was fighting the pressure that was still building...she had fled last time, when her soul tried to fit in all of the tiny pieces she had taken from others....but it hadn't stopped the act, only delayed it a bit. She had to keep herself together enough to make it out of the castle, at least...and hopefully long enough to finish the battle.
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Post by narym on Oct 27, 2007 16:14:11 GMT -5
Narym frowned. " Kane?" She looked to Lily for enlightenment.
" Did you see anyone Lily?"
She helped Dyra sit up and wrapped the cloak firmly around her. What was it these two young women had that brought out her long buried maternal feelings?
" Oh, wait. There was a presence when Kaden fell, someone was there helping me heal him." She shook her head. " He was also there when I tried to call you back the first time. But I didn't see anyone."
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Post by Alledyra on Oct 27, 2007 16:27:40 GMT -5
Chuckling lightly, as though she had not come even remotely close to dying, Dyra's eyes were lit from within, when she replied, "He was here...he might not have been seen...but I know he was here." She paused, and then continued more delicately, "Kane is a god, the god of time, actually, so you might not have been able to see him." She didn't know how to explain that she had fallen in love with Kane from almost the first moment she had seen him, or that she believed he loved her just as much, though they rarely saw each other.
Wearing both her own cloak and Narym's, Dyra finally began to feel like she was getting warm again, and took another quick sip of the brandy before handing the flask back to Narym.
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Post by lilyrose on Oct 27, 2007 16:35:34 GMT -5
Lily intercepted the flask and took a swig.
" Hmm, nice," she commented. " Kane. This guy suddenly appeared from nowhere after Fallow flew off with you Narym. He talked to Cassandra about the amulet she's wearing and then they went off to find the king."
She drank some more and handed the flask back to Narym.
"There's been alot of strange things happening here," she said, looking meaningfully at Dyra. " Some explanations would be nice!"
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Post by Alledyra on Oct 27, 2007 16:41:06 GMT -5
Chuckling ruefully, while holding onto her temple, Dyra smiled and dropped her hand down to her side. "Fair enough, Lily," Dyra said with a grin, "What do you want to know? I'll do my best, but I don't know everything..." She didn't know Lilyrose all that well, but the girl was sharp. Taking slow, even, deep breaths, that hopefully wouldn't seem too obvious as a means of control, Dyra continued to split her attention between the two women before her and the damage her soul was trying to absorb inside...
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Post by narym on Oct 27, 2007 16:56:12 GMT -5
Narym watched Dyra closely as she spoke to Lily. Altho the young woman chuckled, she was not fooled. Dyra was in trouble. She could feel it, but couldn't explain how she knew. She touched her lightly on her forehead with one finger and before Lily could voice her questions, asked softly, " What ails thee Alledyra?"
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Post by Alledyra on Oct 27, 2007 17:12:18 GMT -5
Laughing softly at the question, Dyra shook her head and smiled tiredly at Narym, "So, we start with the hard questions first..." She paused and looked down before continuing, "That's as it should be, I suppose." Returning her eyes to Narym's, Dyra took a deep breath and spoke softly, "I don't know how much you know of my gift...but it's somewhat...well, it's not an easy gift to live with." Carefully keeping her eyes away from the decapitated body she'd noticed only moments ago, she continued, but her tone had soured a bit, "I am a healer, in a way...but when my gift heals people, it takes away parts of them. It takes those little pieces into me, and right now, all the little pieces are fighting for control, in my mind. Sort of." Dyra paused, knowing that she was already telling far more than she usually did...and knowing that doing so could easily get her killed...but there wasn't any reason to sugar coat what was happening to her. She didn't have the energy for it, anyways, so she continued.
"The little pieces...they're someone's energy, or soul...they're memories, or feelings, or knowledge. Everytime I use my gift, to heal, to harm....to touch...a piece of their soul sticks to mine, and it finds a place inside me. Inside my soul, and my energy... And it makes my own smaller...or appear smaller in comparison." She paused, unsure of how to continue from there, but started speaking anyways, "Right now...all the people I've killed today, and the ones that hadn't yet found where they fit, are trying to find a place inside my psyche....recently, it's been a more...physical...experience than before." Pausing, Dyra looked between Lilyrose and Narym, trying to see if they understood, and trying to gauge their reaction.
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Post by narym on Oct 27, 2007 17:21:42 GMT -5
Narym nodded, understanding at last. " You don't usually remember when you kill, do you? That explains why you didn't understand my reference to the cafe."
She followed Dyras gaze. " He taught you, didn't he? Melachem." She spat out his name. " I thought he looked familiar. I came across him once, a long time ago. I sensed his teachings were twisted."
She looked back at Dyra and smiled gently. " I knew you weren't yourself. Ah Dyra, my friend. Do you remember anything you've done recently?"
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Post by Alledyra on Oct 27, 2007 17:34:44 GMT -5
Smiling again, Dyra shook her head; surprised that Narym was taking this with such composure. "Actually, I do usually remember when I kill people...it's only lately that I've been losing so much time...forgetting so much. And I did think that it was Melachem that taught me...when I first heard of his gift, I was sure it was him...but I saw his face. I was wrong." Pausing, Dyra thought for a moment, and then continued, "I was hoping it was him, and hoping it wasn't...if it was, maybe I could get back the piece he took...but I don't think it's that easy...I know I haven't been able to give anything back."
Grimacing at Narym's final question, she sort of shrugged her shoulders, before replying, "There's been quite alot of time missing in my life recently. I don't know what it means...but what do you mean about the cafe?" Paling, sudden understanding flooded her with vertigo, "You mean...I killed people at the cafe?" Unable to believe that she had done that, her mind started spinning, and her control over her internal battle faltered for a moment, light scratches developed along the back of her palms, but she didn't notice, as instead she was searching for answers, "Please...please, tell me I was provoked...not that I did that without any cause." She knew the answer before Narym spoke, but she had to hear it anyways...
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Post by narym on Oct 27, 2007 17:49:55 GMT -5
" It wasn't you," Narym insisted again. " Whoever did this to you, he is responsible."
She looked down at Dyras hands. With a soft exclaimation, she grasped them in her own and concentrated. Slowly, the scratches faded, but for how long she couldn't tell. This was all so very complicated.
She looked at the distress in Dyras face and decided that now was not the time to tell her she attacked Kaden.
" I made a promise that I would watch out for you Dyra," she stated. " That still holds. I know you aren't responsible for what happens when the ' other you ' takes over. If I can help you, or help you find help, I will."
She looked at the sorcerors head again. " Are you sure it wasn't him?" She sighed. " Ah, and that's a pity, so it is, for his hold over you would have died with him."
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Post by Alledyra on Oct 27, 2007 20:02:06 GMT -5
Narym had healed her before Dyra realized what was happening. Drawing her hands back slowly, she looked at them curiously, and then to Narym, her eyes reflecting her fear and shock. Dyra hadn't intentionally let anyone heal her since she found what her gift did...for fear that what she had could be caught as a virus, and also because she didn't want to accidentally release her gift to another healer. Her voice soft but filled with shock, she whispered, "Thank you...for healing me, and for trying to give me solace...but I can't accept the latter. You see, before, when I didn't know what my gift did, I could blame my mentor. But now, when I know full well what my gift does, I can only blame myself." Pausing, Dyra turned her hands over, searching for something but she wasn't sure what, before continuing, "I'm afraid that it isn't as simple as a spell gone wrong, or a defined way that someone controls me...My gift is my own, as it was taught to me...which may in itself be wrong, or my gift may be wrong, I don't know for sure, but he has no hold over me. It's just that I cannot control my gift at all times...the 'other me'...is still me, only a me without any compunction against killing. All I think about is energy, and consuming it."
Smiling, even though a look of defeat had entered her eyes, she said with brittle coolness, "In truth, I am very much like what I saw Melachem as..." Turning her face away from the two women, she could feel the slight control she had falter again, and forced herself not to react, although her body tensed with pain. Struggling to stand, Dyra looked around for an exit...she needed enough energy to see her through the physical damage she was about to take due to her gift mending her soul...but she refused to use it here, now...she needed to make it to the forest again, where trees and grass wouldn't feed the damage she had already done...
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Post by narym on Oct 28, 2007 7:26:14 GMT -5
Narym stood and held out a helping hand to Dyra who was struggling to stay on her feet. She looked at Lily and saw her own compassion reflected there.
" Dyra," she said forcefully, " you are nothing like Melacham! Your gift was corrupted. I don't believe that, given a choice, you would continue to be this way." Her heart was filled with admiration for this woman, who struggled to fight the twisted path of her gift and suffered as a consequence. The deaths of innocent people that she had caused was terrible. As was the attack on Kaden. But Narym could only feel sorrow for the effect on her friend. Her friend! She looked at Lily and then Dyra. Two friends in such a short time. And maybe Cassandra too, even tho she was high born. And the others also. Her life had been bereft of such gifts she realised. What a waste.
As Dyra made to move off, she sensed her deep loneliness and held on to her.
" Wait, please," she implored. " Let me help you." She held up Dyras hands to reinforce that she could help. " Helping you did not hurt me. We are linked now, for good or ill." Her eyes pleaded. " I don't know what I can do about the fragments of souls that you carry with you Dyra, but you owe it to them to find the answer." She studied her friend for a moment. " I think that's why you joined this fight and came to the castle, isn't it? I'm sorry, so I am, that the answer wasn't here."
She smiled slightly. "Let me help you."
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Post by lilyrose on Oct 28, 2007 8:13:02 GMT -5
" Hey, don't forget me!" Lily protested. " I'm your friend too, right?" She looked from Dyra to Narym, a frown wrinkling her forehead. " I'd like to help too!"
Her look softened. " I may not be a healer, but I want to help you Dyra. Anyway," she grinned impishly," Narym needs watching over, she keeps getting into trouble by herself!"
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Post by narym on Oct 29, 2007 3:31:22 GMT -5
Narym elbowed Lily none too gently in the ribs and smiled evilly at her " Ow" of pain.
" Well Dyra, what do you say? Would you like two friends to come along with you to wherever it is you're going?"
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Post by Alledyra on Oct 29, 2007 4:40:36 GMT -5
Smiling through the grimace that had inched it's way across her face, she replied to both women, "Sure. But I warn you...it might not be pretty. Most of what happens is internal acceptance, but I don't know what kind of physical reaction there might be." How was it that she had found friends this good? This understanding... And Kane was out there somewhere too...she was sure of that. Hoping that Cassandra, Kaden, Cassiel, Eli and Kratos were still doing well, that they wouldn't need three extra bodies for the final part of the battle, she started towards where she thought she had entered the room, trailing one hand against the wall to keep her balance and to let her know that she was, indeed, moving.
After only a few steps, she realized she wasn't really sure which doorway she'd entered from, and looked a bit sheepishly at Narym and Lilyrose, querying "Any idea which way is out?
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