03-29-2020, 03:51 PM
Nox heard the fear in Raffe's voice. He nodded but knew in the dimness it was hard to see. His voice cracked with the falling tears. "I think so." The power was shredding through him. It was painful and glorious and it was that pain he held on to as he wove an orb of light above his head. The brightness of it flared into existence and Nox had to close his eyes. He whispered. "Sorry." But he needed to see.
It took several long moments listening to Nova whimper and whine in his grasp before he dared open his eyes. And he saw what he didn't want to see - At the base of Nova's neck was a bite, not clean through the throat, but the blood had caked the skin. The scab that had formed was the color of the skin of the creatures who had ventured into the light before he'd rid himself of it.
Nox let Nova go and the dog scurried after the pack that it come with. Tears streamed down his face and Nox fell on to ass and the power winked out. The last link. The last of his sister was gone to his own stupidity. Another epic failure.
His own misery was cut short as he heard Sterling's soft voice in the darkness. Nox pushed himself upwards and walked back to the pair waiting for him. He pried Sterling from Raffe and lifted her easily up and carried her with his good arm. "You need to speak to Julianna first, but as soon as we get signal we'll call your parents." Nox's voice reflected his own sadness and tears.
Raffe's gift was pressing into his side as Streling clung to the plant. He grinned at Raffe in the eerie light of the flamed whip. "A fucked up day." Though he was trying to put on the best face Nox wasn't sure how long the mask would hold. Because that's all it was. A mask - hiding the truth of his reality. "Let's go home."
"Here take this." Nox handed Raffe his wallet, "That dot is where we want to go. I can't hold her and that at the same time." A blinking blue dot on the map indicated their exit. It wasn't near Kalisti exactly more like the old warehouse where he'd first found Nova, but it was the closest to where they wanted to go. Kalisti would be a short walk from there.
It took several long moments listening to Nova whimper and whine in his grasp before he dared open his eyes. And he saw what he didn't want to see - At the base of Nova's neck was a bite, not clean through the throat, but the blood had caked the skin. The scab that had formed was the color of the skin of the creatures who had ventured into the light before he'd rid himself of it.
Nox let Nova go and the dog scurried after the pack that it come with. Tears streamed down his face and Nox fell on to ass and the power winked out. The last link. The last of his sister was gone to his own stupidity. Another epic failure.
His own misery was cut short as he heard Sterling's soft voice in the darkness. Nox pushed himself upwards and walked back to the pair waiting for him. He pried Sterling from Raffe and lifted her easily up and carried her with his good arm. "You need to speak to Julianna first, but as soon as we get signal we'll call your parents." Nox's voice reflected his own sadness and tears.
Raffe's gift was pressing into his side as Streling clung to the plant. He grinned at Raffe in the eerie light of the flamed whip. "A fucked up day." Though he was trying to put on the best face Nox wasn't sure how long the mask would hold. Because that's all it was. A mask - hiding the truth of his reality. "Let's go home."
"Here take this." Nox handed Raffe his wallet, "That dot is where we want to go. I can't hold her and that at the same time." A blinking blue dot on the map indicated their exit. It wasn't near Kalisti exactly more like the old warehouse where he'd first found Nova, but it was the closest to where they wanted to go. Kalisti would be a short walk from there.
![[Image: nox_sig.gif]](http://thefirstage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/nox_sig.gif)