Wraiths bite off necks but Isaac gets pulled off from the carriage and drag down to the murky pool. This ugly situation again that he kept falling in the Foggy marsh. He does not know how, but seeing and feeling death so close burn his lungs cold and in an exhale, dark ice sparkles and his breath frozen.
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The scene changes to the feeling of rain pouring on his back. It is raining, with the gray skies and…a cow on top of him. Peeing urine instead of rainwater. Something down to his legs is gnawing at him, the feeling of being bitten by a cat but something larger. He turns to look, there is nothing, other than grill fried legs. His foot being entirely scorched and black.
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Cold soils watch over his silent breaths, and glintless eyes. Sounds of galloping urges the boy to call out but can only groan with dead moans. And a horse comes up to him. Black as night with devil red eyes. Its hoof raised and ready to stomp down but the leather fitted man with an umbrella sticking out from his back pulls the reins to the side “Easy there Merry.”
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A young man’s voice, sliding down with a farmer’s boots. Squishing the mud as he kneels next to the boy. “What happened to you? Hm…” prodding at the boy’s legs who moans in pain at every touch, “Oh! Sorry. Was just curious. Still, pretty bad burns. Like how a witch would escape from being burned at the pyres. Want me to help you?”
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With a heavy, guttural groan and a bloody cough, “Yes” panting,
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“How? Need healing? Or” sheathing out a dagger, “ending?”
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Healing or ending, both choices beating his chest alive and once again moaning in the pain. There is only once choice his bloodshot eyes want to tell the this stranger. But he cannot with pain clenched teeth. Instead, Isaac’s shivering point finger drags the soil as if he is pushing an entire house. Every second burn his muscles and burnt skin bloody. And three minutes of suffering has him draw 1.
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“You still want to live? But I cannot guarantee a perfect heal…”
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And Isaac manages to open his gritted teeth. Hoarsing out “Nautren….” And words that he do not recall of learning, “Moonspring…Alongadol…exchange…Take...” Taking him thirty minutes to say the entire bits of words. And losing as much blood as Merry the horse sneezes a pool of snot at him. “Take…me…”
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“Alongadol? You mean the ancient tree of life in the Chronicles of Beasts?”
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“Moonspring…Just…moo—”
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“Okay, I get it. You want me to take you to a moonspring”
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“nnnh” in the most agreeable groan he can possibly make.
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“Bell” The man calls out for a black ball with red eyes to explode in front of Isaac’s face and encapsulating the boy in a warm black skin. At the same time, stiffening his body in place and massaging burnt muscles. Slowly lulling him to sleep along with hearing the young man’s singing:
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Upon a moonless night so cold,
I ventured through the mist.
When lo, a gruesome sight to behold -
A figure writhed and hissed.
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The boy, his skin charred black as coal,
Reached out a blistered hand.
In raspy voice he pled his toll,
"Please save me from this land!"
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His eyes held such a haunting glow,
Like embers in his head.
"Who did this, boy? I must know!"
In horror I then said.
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Alas, he only moaned and sighed,
No answer could he give.
The mystery of his plight denied,
I knew not how he lived.
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So there I stayed throughout the night,
Beside that tortured soul.
I prayed he'd last till morning light,
His body burnt and cold.
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Isaac wakes feeling warmth against his lips as he tears his eyelashes apart.
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“Drink” the man says, “Its stew for the dinner.”
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And the boy sips so with tired lips, letting this man—wearing a farmer hat, feed him spoonful warm peanut and potato flavored stew. The rain raging outside the warm lit hut. His body still covered in the weird black skin of the red eyed daemon.
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“You must keep yourself fed and alright. While I go and look for a moonspring…Does it taste good?”
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Isaac nods weakly, sighing as he chews on a potato cube for a minute.
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“Good to know. I learned it from my father who was just like you. Not like, your body and everything. He likes to stay alive.” Losing himself in his words, as his body mechanically, yet tenderly feeds the boy, “My name is Bredel by the way. My father’s name is Marbas, and my mother’s is Verdelet. They are both my role models though they never stay around me for too long. Said that I have a curse. Which is why I am here in Cyndoryll…wandering around the peaceful lands that until the civil war started because of a lord magister who claimed that someone illegally entered. Either that is me or not, I really have no other place to go. And I don’t want to live alone in some Djahatian island or get experimented on by the Yoreans. I look just like a Hemrean, so I decided for either Aigai and Cyndoryll and I thought of Cyndoryll being the safest. Which still is because I am a wanderer. And then” Taking an inhale and exhale, “Sorry if I just blurt out words. I don’t get visitors often. And I’d rather do something than feeding you right now but since you’d like to live, I am trying to keep myself entertained as well.”
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Isaac had already closed his eyes but his focus remains on listening and eating.
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“Where was I…Right, some house took me in. A beautiful lady from House Elizabeth who found me and took me into her home of six children. I thought of her as a whore, ugly of me, but then she told me that she is simply taking care of the children. There was one old man who occasionally visits her and give the children delicious meals from the Royal palace. We became friends and even asked me to teach him about my few tricks. In exchange, I wanted to visit the Kinguin Capital. And we did so. Great experience I had especially with the servants. I didn’t get a glimpse of any of the mysterious Noirs but only the majestic castle beasts whom the people call Monsefrius and Quenifir”
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“Oh, and I was on my way back from the southern most kingdom for the Djahatian trade spices that the house lady wanted. But then I met you, haha, I didn’t really want to go back just yet as well because of those wild and feral children. Can you believe what they always do to me every morning? They would get on top of me and take turns riding me as if I am a horse! But every time the old man stays for the night, they always huddle around him. And one of those nights, I saw how peaceful this place is. A perfect symbol for Cyndoryll’s peaceful state though there are the occasional civil war with the children…Have you fallen asleep?”
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Isaac shakes his head,
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“I see…well as for me” He yawns, “I need to sleep. I’m already so accustomed to the Hemrean way of life.” He mutters to himself.
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Barely audible but Isaac can still hear him,
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“Merry, Bell…write a letter to Delrith for mother and father. Tell that their son will not be returning for a while. Make sure that a while, sounds like they will never see me again. And it should be like that. Because they never wanted to see me in the first place. I only have a few memories of them and…” Closing the curtains, “…I don’t know if they are real or simply fabricated implants…Oh, and ask Forneus for more Yorean books, especially about Falyorn. I will be expecting that delivery within the next Mægfæge. I do not know when it will be but I’m sure Forneus knows. Then,” Theatrically blowing the candles next to his bed, “Sending to you my best regards—Write my full name, along with the prince and all that fancy stuff. Then my signature. For now, I shall! OOF the pillows are so soft and cold nice. I shall sleep myself as well”
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