Disarray

Chapter Twenty

Aden sat on a bench outside for while, enjoying the moment of silence. He was slightly shaken by his brief visit with Rylan. He was grateful seeing him awake and alert again, but it was also strange, for he had no memories that made him who he was. It had been quite strange and foreign speaking to him, knowing who he was before Zayleth took his memories, for his personality had changed slightly, some aspects were there, and others were gone.

          He stood, wanting to visit Raelein. Aden had been quite worried about her, for Rylan’s sake. He slowly made his way toward Malifar’s house, dawdling as much as possible, for after this, he would have nothing else to do.

          Aden knocked on the door, and waited for a reply. Malifar called for him to enter, so he did. The elf was inside, sorting through old books and scrolls yellowed with age.

          “Have you visited Rylan yet?” he asked, glancing up only slightly.

          “Yes. He remembers nothing,” Aden said, feeling even more dejected by saying the words aloud. “How might I go about retrieving his memories?”

          “Talk to him, tell him stories of his life. There is no telling how long it will take. Let us hope that fate favors us in time.” Malifar answered.

          “By what do you mean?” he inquired, unsure if he wished to know the answer.

          “At her state, Raelein will not survive for more than a sevenday. I do not know if Rylan could help bring her mind back to consciousness, but perhaps hearing his voice will make her wish to return. Even though this chance is slight, we are going to try.” Malifar replied. He spoke patiently, his entire attitude changed when he spoke about something relating to injury or illness.

          “I don’t think I comprehend this. She does not wish to wake?”

          “No. Reviving juice will revive those who have died, unless, of course, if they have died in an irreparable way. However, if you do not wish to come back, it cannot force you to live. Your mind slips away into a deep sleep, and you die soon after,” Malifar answered, sounding more casual than grim. “If this is the case, her love for Rylan was indeed true. Raelein tried to speak with him before she was killed, she must have thought that there was no chance for Rylan to ever be brought back, and in her depression, lost her will to live.”

          “How could you ever love someone so much to not want to live if they are dead?” Aden asked, marveling at the strange thought. A look of pain set in Malifar’s gray eyes.

          “I wondered the same. You will understand one day.” He said quietly. Aden sympathized for him, for with the emotion he spoke with, he would have had experienced such a love.

          Aden turned to where Raelein lay; she slept gracefully upon an extra bed across the room, tucked away in a quiet corner. Slow, deep breaths seemed to be the only sign of life. She was absolutely still, and her skin paler than usual. He turned away, saddened by the vain hope that she might have been better today.

          “I’ve sensed her emotions,” Malifar spoke, gesturing toward Raelein.  “She is enduring great sorrow, and such a thing is difficult enough to survive even if one is healthy. I fear she will give up, for her mind is the only thing keeping her alive. If she does, I will not be able to revive her. If someone in this state dies, their condition will not improve, it only worsens.”

          “How could loosing the will to live get worse? How is there anything more horrible than preferring to die instead of live?” Aden inquired. He was worried for Raelein.

          Malifar stared at him, his bleak gaze answering his question.

          “There is a difference between being apathetic about your own life, and begging for death.” He replied. The words sent chills down Aden’s spine, making him shudder.

          “I am sure you’ve noticed I am occupied. Unless you have further questions, I would prefer you leave.” Malifar stated, oblivious to the point of being polite.

          Aden nodded, and left, leaving the old elf to work in peace. He stood on the path leading back to his quarters, but was reluctant to go. Having Rylan even near him now made him anxious and agitated.

He broke off from the path back, and started toward the home of the fairies. Aden felt somewhat at ease there, the beauty always took his mind elsewhere and helped him ignore his troubles.

          Fairies fluttered across the large pond, darting around in the air, perfectly content. Their glowing colors were dulled by the direct light of the sun, but still stood out among the greenery.

Aden remained there for a little while, savoring the few moments he could forget his problems, and pretend that everything was going to be okay.

He tried his best to be positive, despite everything, but he found it quite hard to do so. Finding peace in the midst of disarray was proving to be difficult. Nevertheless, no matter what, he was determined to prevail.

For the remainder of the day, Aden avoided people. He was not in the mood to speak to anyone. When he did encounter someone, they left him alone.

          He was awake late into the night, his thoughts keeping him alert. After a while of thinking to himself, he was able to sleep.