IceAndWave/NightmaresOfMine
Nightmares of Mine
In which a soul is wounded, kisses are taken, and the rescue of a city begins...
The 27th Day of Resplendent Fire, Realm Year 763
Blood, dripping down.
The knife sinks into flesh. He ignores the screaming.
Blood on his hands. The voice, familiar.
A horrible tearing, piteous screams.
"No! Sian, please!"
It is Aia.
Sian gasps his way awake, staring wildly at Venia before releasing her quickly, bruises beneath his hands where he was gripping so tightly.
Venia lets out a very soft whimper of pain and a breath of relief when he lets go, relaxing where her hands had tightened to jab the nerves in his elbow.
Sian continues to stare for just a moment, before practically throwing her off, rushing into the bathroom. Loud retching noises issue forth.
She rubs at the bruises on her arms, not sure if she should follow him or not. Eventually, she decides to after a very hard look at Diamond.
Sian is naturally kneeling over the toilet, being very sick indeed.
"What happened?"
Sian tries to respond, but nothing comes up but more vomit, all the stronger for his pause.
Venia turns away, waiting it out.
It takes a while, but he eventually stops, just trying to catch his breath.
"I can get something to settle your stomach. Should have noticed the food was bad..."
"'s not the food..." Sian closes his eyes, feeling weak.
"Oh?"
"Told you I'd dream about it."
"Oh." Venia rubs at her arm again, "I guess I should have left you alone.
Sian nods slightly, silent for another moment, before gesturing vaguely. "Get me a towel, please?"
Venia does so!
Sian wipes his mouth slowly. "Thanks."
"Should I leave?"
"No reason to."
Venia nods, and waits for the moment. She nervously messes with her dress, watching Diamond sleep peacefully, despite what she's done.
Sian pulls himself together after a bit, discarding the towel as he stands. "Mmf. Cassia not back?"
"No. She's going to be with tonight's conquest for a bit longer, I think."
"Mmm. Diamond moved at all?"
"Some. Still breathing."
Sian nods slightly, and smooths his hair back, pausing as he notices the bruises. "...did I do that?"
"Yes. Doesn't matter, they'll be gone by tonight."
"Does matter. Should put something on them. We've got some work to do today."
"I'll just wear a coat. No sense in wasting medicine, right?"
"I have plenty of money. It's not a waste."
Venia shrugs. "If it'll make you feel better."
"It will."
Venia nods, and looks about to see if he has anything left over from dealing with Diamond.
While Venia is helping Sian through the aftereffects of his nightmare Cassia experiences one of her own. Consciousness slowly returns, filled with a pervasive sense of warmth and... pain. Her head throbs, and enough sensibility is granted to her by this to realise that she is not in her own bed, that she is not alone, and that the other person is not Venia.
Cassia winces a little at the pain, trying to work out who the person in bed with her is and just how she got here ...
"'Morning, lovely," a smiling voice says next to her, a hand stroking down her side, "How are you feeling?"
Cassia turns, looking for the source of the voice, hiding a wince as she moves a little too fast. "Morning," She smiles back, "I feel... mmm," is what she settles after the pain dies down a little.
"I made breakfast," he sits up and reaches behind him for a plate with several slices of buttered toast.
"Thank you." She reaches slowly for some toast, and with the food comes a rememberance of who he is... Sella.
Breakfast passes quickly, Sella already dressed as Cassia gets through the toast. "You never did say where you were from," he asks suddenly.
Cassia blinks a little, "No... I didn't... Tideholme," she says as she finishes the last of the toast
"That's some distance to come on your own."
"I'm here with my .. mento- ...Oh, I... think perhaps I should be going..."
"So soon?"
Cassia looks apologetic, "... I'm not sure what her plans are for today... she'll be annoyed if I spoil them..." She lets more of last night filter through her mind's eye, "I wish I didn't though."
Sella nods, sighs a little but his smile remains, "Of course, I understand." He fishes Cassia's clothes up from the floor and passes them to her, "Here."
"Thanks." she dresses herself, then leans across to kiss him again, "Could you show me out?"
"Of course," and he does so, not even looking disappointed at the lack of a goodbye kiss.
Cassia does kiss him, once she's let the cold air outside wake her up fully. She wants at least one memory of him that isn't blurred by alcohol.
Sella smiles genuinely at that, bows politely, and then watches Cassia head down the open street for a few minutes before closing the door. Up here, out through the summer doors, the city is markedly different from the dark, mazelike streets below, to the point where it feels like a normal city, albeit one with numerous airships in the sky overhead.
Cassia wanders back to the inn she left Venia in last night, looking up and around her, drinking in the sights.
Venia is, in fact outside! Admittedly, in a formfitting coat, but it is surprising.
Cassia waves at her from alittle down the street, "Morning." she says with a small smile
"Morning. Advice work?"
"In a way. Sella was... different to you."
"I would certainly hope so! That was part of the point." Venia pauses, "And... did you say Sella?"
Cassia nods, "He said he was a local councillor."
"He's controlled by the death cult... sorry." Venia sighs, "Let's go inside. It's been one of those days..."
"...wha?!" Cassia looks understandably shocked. She nods a little at the suggestion to go inside.
Through the alcoholic fuzz Cassia remembers something that, at the time, didn't seem to matter hugely. A metallic gleam, low on Sella's back, something there as they lay intertwined on his bed.
Venia explains in a low voice what's going on with the city, and that Sian is distinctly under the weather.
Cassia shudders "... He had one of those spiders in him..." she says quietly. She manages to nod absently to the news about the city, not quite ready for that kind of information right now.
"I'm sure they're not controlled all the time. It's too bad he can't live, but then, who does?"
Cassia looks a little ill. She decides to change subject, "...What happened to Sian, anyway?"
"Nightmares. He cut Diamond's false arm off, and is feeling down about it."
Cassia looks more ill.
Venia slips an arm around Cassia's shoulders. "I know it's bad. But think of what we're doing for the city. This is why it's important we do these things, so that worse doesn't happen. We're tough, we can handle it, right?"
Cassia presses closer to Venia. She nods.
Venia knocks on Sian's door.
Sian just makes an 'mmm' noise in response, barely audible.
Venia heads on in with Cassia. "I know you're not feeling well, but she's back. We have a city to save."
"Mmm." Sian is decidedly grey, but nods a reluctant affirmative.
Venia moves to check on Diamond.
Cassia perches on the bed. She looks sympathetically at Sian.
Sian doesn't offer much of a response.
Diamond is, well, fine. Minus an arm and in the last stages of an induced sleep, but otherwise she's in decent shape.
"Thought of a plan?" Venia asks. "It won't be easy getting them out from under the walls..."
Sian shrugs, "Not really. Dig them out, deactivate them."
Cassia questions, "Where below the walls are they?"
Sian tries to remember. "The watchtowers, and the gates. There's twenty of them. I imagine they had to dig to get them under there, so the dirt should be loose, so long as we find the original holes."
Venia inquires, "How do we explain to the fine guardsmen that we're helping?"
"Flash aspect markings and hope? Bribes?" Sian shrugs slightly.
"Might as well try it."
"I nominate one of us stay behind, look after Diamond. One of you two, since I can probably dig faster."
"I'll stay. Better at taking care of her, and Cassia's more athletic than I am."
Cassia nods "Okay then..."
"Mhrm."
Venia slips out of her coat and into the bed beside Diamond. "I'm here if I'm needed for anything."
Sian waves at her vaguely, and wanders out, after retrieving his own coat.
Cassia follows Sian out.
Sian breathes deep of the cold air! It does not help much. He doesn't say anything to Cassia, just starting off towards the nearest guard house.
Cassia follows after Sian, still replaying last night in her head
The upper streets of Icehome are busier now than they were, with hundreds of people going about their daily business. Finding a guardhouse is easy, due to their tendency to tower above the rest of the city by a full floor, airship docking platforms easily visible.
"So what exactly are we looking for?" Cassia asks quietly as they spy the guardhouse, "And wouldn't it be more sensible to be in the winter city, if it's buried?"
Diamond stirs in her sleep, moaning slightly as her drug-induced dreams burst free once more. The bandage on her arm appears to be holding.
Venia carefully slips an arm around Diamond's waist, locking her hand on Diamond's wrist to make sure she doesn't go anywhere.
She calms down a little, resting her head against Venia's chest, but her face still bears the lines of a deep fear.
Venia would feel bad about the things she has planned, if she were someone else. But she isn't, and Diamond is going to continue having bad days for a while.
Still, she strokes Diamond's face, whispering soft words to relax her. It's good practice.
"I'm sorry, Master," Diamond whispers, "I know I was weak, but I couldn't help myself. He was... he..." tears leak out of her eyes as she dreams.
Venia wipes them away, listening carefully to her and continuing to speak.
"He was so terrible, so unrelenting..." Diamond shakes her head, "No, Master! I could not resist him. I tried, but I couldn't! Please! No! Please!!!" her eyes open suddenly, staring straight into Venia's and she begins to scream.
Venia jams the end of the pillow into her mouth with snake-like reflexes. "You are awake now. You are safe. If you do not stop screaming, you will stop being safe. Is that understood? Nod once if you're going to stop."
Diamond blinks, uncomprehending, but then nods once.
Venia retracts the pillow. "Nightmare, or visit in your dream?"
"A... a visit. He knew I... I had failed him!"
"How?"
"He has eyes everywhere!" Diamond whispers, "Ghosts and spirits who do his bidding. He has marked my soul, and I cannot escape!"
"Of course you can escape. Almost anything is possible. But you're going to have to trust us, and you're going to have to be strong. Can you manage that?"
"How? My master will find me, and bind my soul into eternal torment for my failure," in terror of what is, literally, a fate worse than death, Diamond moans, "I am doomed."
"What is your master then, that you think many of the Dragonblooded cannot stop him?"
"He is a lord of the Underworld, one of its mightiest. His reach extends far and none can stand against his wrath." She shudders, "You are as nothing to him."
"We are standing still, and my companions are stopping the threat to this city as we speak. I do not believe in beings I cannot eventually take down. I have run into none thus far."
"Then you know nothing," Diamond closes her eyes and sighs. "I will help you, for although our fate is certain, I do not wish to hasten it."
"Are you sure you can? If this Dark Lord is so powerful, how do I know he won't break you like Sian did?"
"You don't," Diamond shivers, "Nor do I."
"Then why shouldn't I just slit your throat and leave him to collect your spirit?"
"Because I know much about my master's plans."
"That you haven't already told us?"
"I know of agents for my master elsewhere in the north, in Whitewall, Tideholme, Cherak... He did not ask me everything."
"I guess you get to live then. Congratulations." Venia perks up, "Stump feeling alright?"
"If by that you mean that it is merely agony, yes."
"That is roughly what I mean. Who knows, we may even find you someone to get a real arm back if you're useful enough."
Diamond snorts, "How little you know. The sacrifice I made was of body and soul. The arm I was granted was a contrivance of dark knowledge, but what is... what is left of my soul has no arm."
"Sorcery isn't my thing, no." Venia shrugs. "It's a shame. You were pretty with the arm."
"Flesh is a prison, only in death are we free."
"Except when someone powerful decides to do horrible things to you, right?" Venia leans over her captive, "Diamond, we are never, ever free. All that is left to us is to enjoy ignoring that."
"I will help you, because in that way I can avoid my torment a little longer." She laughs bitterly, "Don't insult me with your platitudes, though."
"Why not? Are you going to do something about it?"
Diamond just glares at Venia, obviously impotent and just as obviously unhappy about it.
Venia nods, satisfied. "Consider it payback for your dreary "The world is ending, oh, the dark brooding joy" talk."
Diamond just sits there.
Venia slips out of the bed, shaking the wrinkles out of her dress. "There's some more painkillers, but I think you'll be fine without them for a while. You'll get more once Sian is back."
Diamond looks puzzled, "Aren't you going to ask me anything?"
"Not now, no. To be quite honest, I am going to get some breakfast. Would you like some?"
"Yes, I would." The admission seems to pain her.
"Anything in particular?"
"Something with fish."
Venia nods, and goes to get such! Locking the door behind her, obviously.
