The Day My Dream Died

20 - Embolden

— 20 —

Embolden

//\\

Lise pounds the floor. Fool. I'm responsible for the deaths he's weeping for, and I weep with him. She feels flash of self-loathing. I can't change what's already done, but I can still save him. Not all is gone, but it will be if I succumb to my failure. I will save him. I will save Seli. It's not over...

Leaning on the staff, she rises. Her body is tight, creaking at each movement. The pain is terrible but she must push through. Cheeks still damp, wetted again in her efforts to move; she grits her teeth against the weight bearing her down and stands as straight as her wounds will permit. We can't afford to wait out the fiends. I need to get Fiiso out of here and somewhere safe, so I can continue on.

...Elineal. Can I afford to risk Fiiso's safety in confronting her? Can I afford to risk her carrying the fiends to other places? Another thought comes, then. From where she doesn't know but its urgency cuts through. She's coming to me.

Her eyes widen with the realization. "Fiiso! Your master's room! Run!"

The front door flies open. Darkness meets her stare. Behind her, she hears a sharp intake and the quick patter of feet. He yelps. Lise winces, glancing back for just a moment. Fiiso staggers. Just feet from the door. No.

She turns and lurches forward, trying to run—failing. He drops to one knee, hands clutching for his head, creeping across it, crawling. No. She can feel the fiends trying to latch onto her. Slick. They can't. Abandoning the staff, she wraps him up in her right arm. Standing on her left leg, she reaches out with her free hand, precarious, trying to grab the knob. A lance of fire slashes up her arm. Crying out, she falls into the room with Fiiso held to her side.

He rolls away from her, hands still clutching at his face as tears trickle between his fingers. No time to check him, she twists. The pain grows distant, her entire body coursing with energy. She shakes with it, struggling to rise. Leaning against the door frame, she watches.

Sliding from the abyss, a pair of waxen hands, pulling her out the thick dark outside. Elineal appears, wretched. Age deepened furrows contort over her face. They meet eyes, and Lise sees the fiend Fiiso had found there.

"YYOOOAACHKIKIKLLLL!"

Lise closes the door, shaking her head.

Not a good sign. What do I do? They are safe from the fiends here, for now; however, Elineal being there physically brings its own complications. Trapped. Elineal alone would be no issue, but she's let the fiends back in. She briefly wishes she'd stayed in the undermind—she might've been able to do something about the fiends there. Before she can chastise herself she hears a click and stills.

Elineal opens the door.

Oh! Lise punches her. She winces at the give of her soft flesh—she thought she'd held back enough... The woman falls back, stiff as a board. Oh.

"What–" Fiiso turns, face flushed, to find her dragging the unconscious woman into the room. "What's happening?!"

"A lot." She grunts as she bites off a groan. Breathing heavily, she nods to him, "Shut the door."

She props Elineal up against the wall, but she just topples limply to the side. Whatever. She leaves her like that.

"Ergh," She falls back against the wall. Shaky, she breathes, trying to steady herself; the pain is returning to fill the hole fear had vacated. Gesturing for Fiiso, "Scozel. Please."

He pulls out the leaves and hands her two. She chews and swallows, and drags herself onto the bed mat. Letting out her breath in a taut hiss, she tries to relax her muscles. Laying there, the complications that have fallen upon her start to set in.

"Do... Are we safe?" He asks. "What do we do?"

Lise continues breathing—slow, shallow, trying to keep the pain at bay long enough for sequential thought. She feels like she's been stabbed anew. "We're okay for now, but we can't leave. It might come down to who starves first, if..." If I can't conquer my fear.