HOME | DD

Description

Previous

Rhavek…

Rhavek’s eyes opened, the sound of thunder in his ears and the echo of a whisper in his mind. His eyes focused on the wood grain of a ceiling above him. He could feel the cushion of a bed beneath his back. There was warmth and though his body ached, particularly his jaw, he didn’t feel particularly out of sorts. If anything he felt lethargic and as if his thoughts were sloshing their way through the muck of a tired swamp. He sifted through his memories. The last thing he remembered was…

“Talon!” Rhavek jolted upright, his heart hammering in his chest. They had been surrounded by wraiths, the twisted spirits of the dead, one of them had pushed itself into his body. Rhavek went tense just remembering how it had shoved its way into his mind and tried to completely snuff him out. He’d never fought harder in his life and though his will had been strong...it hadn’t been strong enough. Distantly he remembered seeing the purest light imaginable and then darkness.

“Easy there, friend. You’ve been out of it for some time.” Rhavek swung himself around to face the source of the voice. His vision was blurred for a moment before clearing. As it did, an pale skinned Orkhan turned to face him. Rhavek blinked a few times. He tried to speak but only ended up coughing. The Ork poured a cup of water and extended it to him. Rhavek accepted it with a slightly shaking hand. He felt like he was moving through mud. The Ork helped him drink. When he’d gulped down the water, Rhavek coughed and cleared his throat.

“Where’s...where is my friend?” A tightness built in his chest. They were in a single room cottage from the looks of it. He was on the only visible bed and the whole of his form didn’t even fit on it properly. The Ork regarded him for a moment of silence, golden irises appearing like soft amber in the firelight.

“I am sorry. There was noone else when I found you.” Rhavek shot to his feet. A mistake he soon regretted as the whole room spun. He swayed and struggled to stay upright. The Ork immediately reached out to steady him.

“Easy! You’ve been unconscious for two days.” Rhavek shook his head and tried to take a step nearly plummeting to the floor with the effort. He grit his teeth and with little more than meager urging, the Ork ushered him back to the bed.

“You...you don’t understand...I have to...I have to find him.” Again Rhavek felt that ache in his chest. It made him nauseous. The Ork released him but Rhavek didn’t try to stand again. His head was still spinning.

“You can barely stand. If what I found scattered around you holds any truth, I know where this companion of yours might be. You’re in no condition to go there and if your friend is there, you have time. Maybe.” The Orkhan went silent. His pale skin held a golden cast to it in the firelight. Rhavek stared at him. The two held gazes for a moment before the Ork went to the fire where hung a heavy stew pot that was obviously cooking something. The Ork lifted the lid to the pot and stirred the stew inside. A rich scent filled the cottage that had Rhavek’s stomach growling.

“Who are you?” The Ork glanced over his shoulder and from that angle, Rhavek could see there was a faint pattern over the left side of his face, similar to the one Talon had. Similar but not quite the same.

“Korik.” Rhavek took in the name. It struck a chord in him.

“You’re Atinorin?” The Ork nodded. Rhavek felt a little more at ease. Silence hung in the air while Korik continued to tend to the pot.

“Where are we?” Korik stood up, going to grab some herbs that were hanging from the ceiling in the cottage. He spoke as he returned to the pot, plucking the herbs and adding them to the stew.

“You are still in the Dead Wood, though in the far western side of it.” Rhavek sat forward staring down at the floor. Again he felt that ache in his chest and he knew, he just *KNEW* that Talon was suffering wherever he was. He clenched his fists.

“Where is my...my friend?” Korik stopped tending to the pot. He stared into the fire for a long stretch of silence before looking at Rhavek. That did not bode well.

“I suspect he’s been taken by an alchemist. Not a good one either.” Rhavek rose from the bed, firming himself against the weakness in his body that clung to him like a cloak.

“Where?” Korik was silent. Rhavek spoke more firmly. “Where?”

“You need to rest. You’re in no condition to--” Rhavek whirled, reaching out to grab the Ork and yank him closer.

“Tell me where!” Korik didn’t flinch. He stared at Rhavek. The half-giant could feel his heart racing. His breathing was elevated and felt like he was going to be sick. It was hard to push down the taste of bile in the back of his throat.

“If you go there as you are now, you and your friend are as good as dead. You need your strength if you’re going to rescue him.” Rhavek growled and released Korik. He turned away from the Ork. That ache in his chest returned prompting the half-giant to curl his fists tightly in barely concealed rage and anguish.

“You don’t understand…” Korik spoke softly.

“No, I think I do.” He heard the Ork’s footsteps shift over the floor. Rhavek was shaking but not from anger, from weariness. Korik was right. He was exhausted. He was barely standing as it was. He was not in any condition to do any rescuing.

“The alchemist’s home is well warded against intrusion. I can help you get past them but even still, you’ll need to be prepared for what waits for you in there.” Rhavek sighed, his shoulders drooping. He felt Korik touch his bicep drawing Rhavek’s gaze.

“Your friend is alive. I can guarantee that.” Rhavek stared out the nearest window. The ache in his chest tightened.

“I know he’s alive. But...I also know he’s suffering.” He felt Korik squeeze his arm sympathetically. Rhavek seated himself on the bed once more. Korik grabbed two bowls from a nearby shelf.

Talon. Stay strong, please. I’m coming.

The ache in his chest lessened.

Description

Previous

Rhavek…

Rhavek’s eyes opened, the sound of thunder in his ears and the echo of a whisper in his mind. His eyes focused on the wood grain of a ceiling above him. He could feel the cushion of a bed beneath his back. There was warmth and though his body ached, particularly his jaw, he didn’t feel particularly out of sorts. If anything he felt lethargic and as if his thoughts were sloshing their way through the muck of a tired swamp. He sifted through his memories. The last thing he remembered was…

“Talon!” Rhavek jolted upright, his heart hammering in his chest. They had been surrounded by wraiths, the twisted spirits of the dead, one of them had pushed itself into his body. Rhavek went tense just remembering how it had shoved its way into his mind and tried to completely snuff him out. He’d never fought harder in his life and though his will had been strong...it hadn’t been strong enough. Distantly he remembered seeing the purest light imaginable and then darkness.

“Easy there, friend. You’ve been out of it for some time.” Rhavek swung himself around to face the source of the voice. His vision was blurred for a moment before clearing. As it did, an pale skinned Orkhan turned to face him. Rhavek blinked a few times. He tried to speak but only ended up coughing. The Ork poured a cup of water and extended it to him. Rhavek accepted it with a slightly shaking hand. He felt like he was moving through mud. The Ork helped him drink. When he’d gulped down the water, Rhavek coughed and cleared his throat.

“Where’s...where is my friend?” A tightness built in his chest. They were in a single room cottage from the looks of it. He was on the only visible bed and the whole of his form didn’t even fit on it properly. The Ork regarded him for a moment of silence, golden irises appearing like soft amber in the firelight.

“I am sorry. There was noone else when I found you.” Rhavek shot to his feet. A mistake he soon regretted as the whole room spun. He swayed and struggled to stay upright. The Ork immediately reached out to steady him.

“Easy! You’ve been unconscious for two days.” Rhavek shook his head and tried to take a step nearly plummeting to the floor with the effort. He grit his teeth and with little more than meager urging, the Ork ushered him back to the bed.

“You...you don’t understand...I have to...I have to find him.” Again Rhavek felt that ache in his chest. It made him nauseous. The Ork released him but Rhavek didn’t try to stand again. His head was still spinning.

“You can barely stand. If what I found scattered around you holds any truth, I know where this companion of yours might be. You’re in no condition to go there and if your friend is there, you have time. Maybe.” The Orkhan went silent. His pale skin held a golden cast to it in the firelight. Rhavek stared at him. The two held gazes for a moment before the Ork went to the fire where hung a heavy stew pot that was obviously cooking something. The Ork lifted the lid to the pot and stirred the stew inside. A rich scent filled the cottage that had Rhavek’s stomach growling.

“Who are you?” The Ork glanced over his shoulder and from that angle, Rhavek could see there was a faint pattern over the left side of his face, similar to the one Talon had. Similar but not quite the same.

“Korik.” Rhavek took in the name. It struck a chord in him.

“You’re Atinorin?” The Ork nodded. Rhavek felt a little more at ease. Silence hung in the air while Korik continued to tend to the pot.

“Where are we?” Korik stood up, going to grab some herbs that were hanging from the ceiling in the cottage. He spoke as he returned to the pot, plucking the herbs and adding them to the stew.

“You are still in the Dead Wood, though in the far western side of it.” Rhavek sat forward staring down at the floor. Again he felt that ache in his chest and he knew, he just *KNEW* that Talon was suffering wherever he was. He clenched his fists.

“Where is my...my friend?” Korik stopped tending to the pot. He stared into the fire for a long stretch of silence before looking at Rhavek. That did not bode well.

“I suspect he’s been taken by an alchemist. Not a good one either.” Rhavek rose from the bed, firming himself against the weakness in his body that clung to him like a cloak.

“Where?” Korik was silent. Rhavek spoke more firmly. “Where?”

“You need to rest. You’re in no condition to--” Rhavek whirled, reaching out to grab the Ork and yank him closer.

“Tell me where!” Korik didn’t flinch. He stared at Rhavek. The half-giant could feel his heart racing. His breathing was elevated and felt like he was going to be sick. It was hard to push down the taste of bile in the back of his throat.

“If you go there as you are now, you and your friend are as good as dead. You need your strength if you’re going to rescue him.” Rhavek growled and released Korik. He turned away from the Ork. That ache in his chest returned prompting the half-giant to curl his fists tightly in barely concealed rage and anguish.

“You don’t understand…” Korik spoke softly.

“No, I think I do.” He heard the Ork’s footsteps shift over the floor. Rhavek was shaking but not from anger, from weariness. Korik was right. He was exhausted. He was barely standing as it was. He was not in any condition to do any rescuing.

“The alchemist’s home is well warded against intrusion. I can help you get past them but even still, you’ll need to be prepared for what waits for you in there.” Rhavek sighed, his shoulders drooping. He felt Korik touch his bicep drawing Rhavek’s gaze.

“Your friend is alive. I can guarantee that.” Rhavek stared out the nearest window. The ache in his chest tightened.

“I know he’s alive. But...I also know he’s suffering.” He felt Korik squeeze his arm sympathetically. Rhavek seated himself on the bed once more. Korik grabbed two bowls from a nearby shelf.

Talon. Stay strong, please. I’m coming.

The ache in his chest lessened.