New Friends and Old Enemies (Sol Stone Pt 2)
Feb 15, 2023 14:18:34 GMT -5
Post by Ray Castien on Feb 15, 2023 14:18:34 GMT -5
Ray's eyes darkened to the world as his body fell to the ground. A strange force tugged at his body as a feeling of emptiness met him, Qil was gone, he could feel the reassuring presence's absence with a stinging poignance. The strange tug seemed to drag him free of the earth and a weightlessness took hold of him. Opening his eyes he was met with an empty void. The only thing he could see was a swirling mass of energy off in the far distance. It seemed to twist and turn, like a ribbon with no beginning or end, and along its length were wisps of light of various colors. Each struggled or flowed along with different levels of ambivalence or combativeness as the whole mass roiled about itself.
As the feeling returned to his limbs a sensation of touch brought his attention to his right arm, now in its original form, free of scars or any blemish. In fact, his entire body was whole and not a single injury was present from the all too recent battle. He remembered clearly the pain of his bones breaking and the sinking feeling within himself as his neck was snapped. Had he really died? If so, what kind of afterlife was he being brought into.
His eyes met, at the source of the sensation on his hand, a being of pure light. It smiled reassuringly as kind eyes, black as the void itself, looked at him reassuringly.
"You are finally here, I told them it would come to this." The figure's touch was warmth itself, and the smile caused Ray to feel entirely at ease, totally accepting of whatever was to come.
Before he could reply a strange look replaced the being's utter calm, one of perplexity. A familiar sensation arose within Ray, his head turned in the direction of a presence he knew as well as his own. His eyes met a crack in the void, through which a white fire streaked towards them. Qil in his true form; with a lions body, a deers head, massive antlers, skin and wings of pale golden scales; had burst into the afterlife. The being holding to his arm released him as a massive sword formed in its hands.
"Release him! Seeker, our time is not done!" Qil shouted. White fire cloaked his being as he charged into the being of pure radiance. As the two impacted Ray's vision again blacked as his consciousness left him once more.
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Where Astrid and Shun crouched over Ray's dead body a gentle light emanated from the dead body. For a moment it seemed to fade to nothing. Then, his swords that lay at his side each began to evaporate into particles of golden energy. With each particle that left them the glow intensified, by the time they had completely gone the body was not entirely aglow, almost blindingly bright. A moment passed as the body remained in this state before a sizzling burst of flame encased the body. The neck and all other broken parts righted themselves as the body lifted from the floor, rotating to a standing position as if held by strings. As suddenly as the fire and light had come they faded away, leaving the body standing of its own accord. The fiery light still remained in the eyes, leaving suddenly as Ray's own irises replaced it. He fell to his hand and knees, gasping for air and feeling of his face and body, looking finally to his again missing arm his breath slowed and he sat up and looked at his companions with eyes agape.
"What... how did I? Qil!" He shouted suddenly and looked past the two.
"Seeker, we've made it back... All will be explained in time. For now, know that you must yet live." The voice was tired, just as Qil's energy seemed drained so his voice did as well.
"Wanderer be praised! I've never felt so utterly al-" His eyes returned to Astrid and Shun and he paused, blinking for a moment as he focused on each.
"I... I'm sorry. Whatever happened, I thank you for... for saving my life." He was uncertain if they had, or if Qil had somehow, but they were concerned for him and that was more than enough to be thankful for.
The only thing he was truly certain of was his need to sleep. Dying and coming back to life was enough to exhaust anyone, he thought.
As the feeling returned to his limbs a sensation of touch brought his attention to his right arm, now in its original form, free of scars or any blemish. In fact, his entire body was whole and not a single injury was present from the all too recent battle. He remembered clearly the pain of his bones breaking and the sinking feeling within himself as his neck was snapped. Had he really died? If so, what kind of afterlife was he being brought into.
His eyes met, at the source of the sensation on his hand, a being of pure light. It smiled reassuringly as kind eyes, black as the void itself, looked at him reassuringly.
"You are finally here, I told them it would come to this." The figure's touch was warmth itself, and the smile caused Ray to feel entirely at ease, totally accepting of whatever was to come.
Before he could reply a strange look replaced the being's utter calm, one of perplexity. A familiar sensation arose within Ray, his head turned in the direction of a presence he knew as well as his own. His eyes met a crack in the void, through which a white fire streaked towards them. Qil in his true form; with a lions body, a deers head, massive antlers, skin and wings of pale golden scales; had burst into the afterlife. The being holding to his arm released him as a massive sword formed in its hands.
"Release him! Seeker, our time is not done!" Qil shouted. White fire cloaked his being as he charged into the being of pure radiance. As the two impacted Ray's vision again blacked as his consciousness left him once more.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Where Astrid and Shun crouched over Ray's dead body a gentle light emanated from the dead body. For a moment it seemed to fade to nothing. Then, his swords that lay at his side each began to evaporate into particles of golden energy. With each particle that left them the glow intensified, by the time they had completely gone the body was not entirely aglow, almost blindingly bright. A moment passed as the body remained in this state before a sizzling burst of flame encased the body. The neck and all other broken parts righted themselves as the body lifted from the floor, rotating to a standing position as if held by strings. As suddenly as the fire and light had come they faded away, leaving the body standing of its own accord. The fiery light still remained in the eyes, leaving suddenly as Ray's own irises replaced it. He fell to his hand and knees, gasping for air and feeling of his face and body, looking finally to his again missing arm his breath slowed and he sat up and looked at his companions with eyes agape.
"What... how did I? Qil!" He shouted suddenly and looked past the two.
"Seeker, we've made it back... All will be explained in time. For now, know that you must yet live." The voice was tired, just as Qil's energy seemed drained so his voice did as well.
"Wanderer be praised! I've never felt so utterly al-" His eyes returned to Astrid and Shun and he paused, blinking for a moment as he focused on each.
"I... I'm sorry. Whatever happened, I thank you for... for saving my life." He was uncertain if they had, or if Qil had somehow, but they were concerned for him and that was more than enough to be thankful for.
The only thing he was truly certain of was his need to sleep. Dying and coming back to life was enough to exhaust anyone, he thought.