Path to Apotheosis [IC]

[Silverkiss]

A black abyss.

...

Eternal darkness, surrounding all your self.

...

Nothingness.

...

Nothing, not even despair.

...

Who are you ? What are you doing here ? Where is "here" ?

...

You don't remember.

...

You have forgotten everything.

No... that's not true. There is one thing you have not forgotten. The pain. The unbearable pain. The pain so strong that it could tear your mind just by thinking about it. With the memory of the pain, you see flashes, you hear sounds. You don't know what they are, nor what they mean. But as soon as you try to comprehend them, the pain is back. It sears through your flesh like burning needles, you feel it in every inch of your body.

Why ?

Why ?

Why do you feel so much pain ?

Your senses shut out, and you're back in the black abyss.

-------
Year 742, Summer, Day Unknown

You awaken, shaken by your dreams. Your memory is hazy, and you don't remember much of anything. You don't know where you are, and your head hurts. You are laid in a bed of sorts, more like a bedroll, and a blanket covers your whole body. Light is coming from one of your sides, and on the other side there is a wall. Sweat flows freely, and you feel hot. Staring at the ceiling, you notice that the whole place is moving; you must be in some kind of wagon or transport. You hear some voices, and they grow louder and louder, aproaching you. You try to move, but a sharp pain crosses your whole body, and you remain immobile.

Voice1: "I'm telling you, he seemed to be quite bad. He mumbled something in his sleep, and he was really agitated."

Voice2: "Is that so ? Terrible, terrible. Let's see how he is doing now, shall we ?"

Voice1: "Yes. I hope he is okay."

Before you have any time to prepare or get up, you hear footsteps aproaching. A shadow is cast over you, and an old man's face enters your field of vision. The man puts his hand on your forehand, and smiles at you, in surprise that you are awake.

Old Guy:"Oh, he is awake. How are you feeling ? Are you okey ? Does it hurt somewhere ?"

The man looks at you with caring eyes, like a father would, and waits for your answer.

[Bitzeralisis]

What... where am I?

Rayne thinks out loud.

"Where... am... I?"

[Silverkiss]

"Easy, easy. You are now in a caravan, my caravan exactly. You seemed to be in a quite bad shape, so I though you would apreciate the odd helping hand, huh. You've been sleeping for three days since we found you, I was starting to get worried."

The old guy smiles, and you notice that he was really worrying about you, even if you never met him before. He sits down at your side, examining you up and down.

"I won't force you to tell me, but I would really like to know what happened to you, why you were sleepping so soundly for days and why we found you in an empty grass field, with nothing and no one near you."

[Bitzeralisis]

"I... I can't remember..."

A wisp of the past enters Rayne's subconscious, and he instinctively grabs for Paige. His arm sears with pain, and Rayne yelps, half in surprise. He clutches at the empty book.

"What's... this?" Rayne attempts to read the book, but the pain is too much. He grimaces and remains still.

[Silverkiss]

The old man frowns at your yelp, and he moves slightly forward, as if to help you, although he does not touch you, afraid of causing more pain. You can also hear another person moving besides the old man, possibly the girl whose voice you heard before, but you cannot see her.

"Easy, easy, it seems you are still in pain. That... blank book was already with you, I don't know what it is. But don't worry, I am sure that soon you will remember everything."

The man gives a pause, and he stands, walking away from your field of vision. You can hear him whispering something, and soon he is back to your side. He casually talks, trying to make you feel better and forget the pain.

"So, you should be hungry. We are going to stop the caravan soon to make camp, but I don't think it is a wise idea for you to be moving about yet. It will be best if you eat here, while you still rest."

[Bitzeralisis]

"Food... would be nice," mumbles Rayne. The exertion of speech tires him.

He closes his eyes. He sleeps.

He dreams.

There is darkness.

A girl shouts. "Master!"

"What? Who are you? This is certainly a strange dream..."

"You've... forgotten who I am..."

"Who are you? I can't remember a thing."

"I am... you..."

An awkward silence as the voice sobs a little. She grows furious.

"Remember. Remember. Remember!"

Memories flood to Rayne.

Images of little children float by. An incident involving soup and an angry "caretaker" flash through. Pictures of an orphanage appears. Then the street it is located on. Then the city. A large, important-looking city. Indiscernible sounds enter and exit Rayne's mind. "N... n... ny... nyír..."

Rayne sweats profusely in his sleep, as well as mumbling anxiously and shaking.

[Silverkiss]

As soon as you fall asleep, the man leaves, seeing that you need rest. You dream, a confusing yet clarifying dream. You become agitated once again...

You suddenly awaken. You remember your name. Some of your memories, most of them from your childhood, are back now, and the pain seems to have diminished; enough to be able to move slowly at least.

You look around. It is darker now, and the place is lit by two candles. At your side, you find not the old man, but a young maiden, writing something in a small book on the light of one of the candles. She notices that you are awaken, and closes the book hastly. Even in the dim light, you can see her pretty well; she is so near. Her long, golden hair falls all the way to her perfectly round breasts, and her big, emerald-like eyes stare at you with a little hint of shyness and fear. Her marble skin is smooth, and you get the feeling that you're staring at a princess, just because of her beauty.

Girl: "He...hello. Are... Are you feeling better ? You should be hungry, right ? I have brought you some food..."

The girl motions to a bowl of food next to her, containing a simple, yet delicious-looking meal, especially since it has been days since you last ate.

[Bitzeralisis]

Rayne slowly sits up, seeing if any pain comes to him. He takes the food and eats it modestly. After three spoonfuls, Rayne speaks.

"I saw a city called Nyír... something... in my dreams... I think I should go there. Maybe I'll regain my memory."

Rayne tries to remember what he saw. He closes his eyes, slightly apprehensive, slightly fearful.

"I was an orphan..." says Rayne, voice shuddering. "I didn't have any friends... and I was... alone..."

Rayne opens his eyes, looking down at his food, stirring it thoughtfully. "I think my name is Rayne." He looks curious, slightly scared, and lonely all at the same time.

[Silverkiss]

The girl moves forward, getting closer to you, and slowly, almost fearfuly, she raises her hand, moving it towards you. She hesitates for a moment, but them holds your hand.

Girl: "Don't worry... Rayne. I am sure you will remember everything..." - Her eyes show sadness, as if she knew what you passed through - "I believe the city you saw was Nyírbátor, the capital. We are on our way to a small city now, carrying goods to trade, but I am sure we can take you there afterwards."

The girl smiles, and you again find yourself thinking about her beauty. You are thorn in your memory loss, but you still can't avoid noticing the girl... That is strange, a woman had never catched your eye like this before.

Girl: "Oh, yes... I am being rude... You gave me your name, I shall give you mine. I am Mayara, pleased to meet you." - She giggles.

[Bitzeralisis]

"Y-yes," stutters Rayne, slightly embarrassed. He blushes slightly, and suddenly notices it, shifting uncomfortably but smiling shyly. Something about the situation clicked in his mind. He wanted to be less embarrassed, he needed to seem less embarrassed. Rayne blinks for a split second.

Suddenly, Rayne looks upon a wall of masks. Each one, a different face, a different personality to assume. So many different people to be. Rayne feels his own face, his own persona melting from his skull. Rayne nearly sobs. "Who... who am I?" The unyielding faces stare back at him, unmoving, expressionless, ghastly. "Who am I!" shouts Rayne. Have I... did I become so... corrupted that I no longer had a personality? Did I become a blob of insanity, changing my anima at will? Was I so little of a person that I could be any person?

"NO!"

Rayne opens his eyes, and notices his vision blurring, tears brimming. He did not hide them, not wanting to become what he was. He did not speak. He did not cry. He just stares at the wall, thinking over what he saw, feeling Mayara's hand in one palm, Paige's in the other.

[Silverkiss]

Mayara notices the tears forming up in Rayne's eyes, but says nothing. She just stays at his side, silently, holding his hand. Time slowly passes. It could have been like that for hours, Rayne wouldn't know. All that he knows is that, after what feels like an eternity, the need for sleep slowly begins to appear, and soon Rayne falls into a deep, dreamless sleep.

-------
Year 742, Summer, Day Unknown - Morning

Rayne awakens with the sound of birds, with his head far clearer than it was the day before. He still doesn't remember much, but feels almost recovered, and the pain on his body is almost gone, although it still aches a little. Rayne quickly notices that the wagon is moving, and he can hear faint voices from outside the caravan, although he can't understand what is being said.

[Bitzeralisis]

For a moment, something surges through Rayne, a wisp of the past. He sits up wildly, grabbing his sword, flipping Paige open furiously, eyes set on an imaginary danger. But then it passes, and Rayne relaxes, left sitting, not really sure of what just happened.

"Am I... Rayne?"

Silence for several long moments, heavy as lead.

"Am I... rain?" And wherever I go, clouds cover the sky, blocking out the warmth of the sun, bringing sneezes, sorrow, and single destruction...

The song of a monochrome winged beast wanders through.

"Am I Rayne!?" nearly shouts the broken soul.

He answers himself. "I don't think so... no, not anymore..."

The nameless man looks out the wagon, at the glorious star called the sun. "I haven't felt this warmth inside me for such a long time."

"But how do I know that?"

Tangible memories may be lost, but feelings are forever.

He thinks for a moment. "Do I want to know who I am?" he asks the door.

[Silverkiss]

Time passes slowly as the man struggles with himself. How much time has passed ? Minutes ? Hours ? He doesn't know. He doesn't care. All that matters for him in this moment is himself.

However, the man's thoughts are disturbed when he feels the wagon slowing down. The voices he was hearing before get louder, as if they are closer. The wagon comes to a stop, and he wonder what happened.

[Bitzeralisis]

[[ Sorry I couldn't post yesterday. Wednesdays are hectic for me. ]]

Rayne simply leans out of the door, seeing if anyone is nearby.

[Silverkiss]

As Rayne reaches to open the wagon's door, it is opened from outside, and he suddenly finds himself to be staring at Mayara. She seems suprised and stops for a moment, taking a while to regain her composure.

Mayara: "Ah...Eh...Hi. We are going to stop to rest and eat now... If you're still not feeling well, you can eat here."

[Bitzeralisis]

Rayne looks surprised too, contemplates for a moment, then smiles. "Actually, I'm feeling much better today. I wanna see if I can walk." And fight, whispered the sheathed sword, hiding skills beyond Rayne's imagination.

[Silverkiss]

Mayara's eye seem to lighten up at Rayne's comment, and she replyes, with a dreamy look in her cute face: "Really ? That is so nice ! I'm relieved.... Come on then." - Mayara grabs Rayne's hand, pulling him eagerly to the outside.

The sun is hot, but a cold breeze cools the air. The grassy field the caravan has stopped is seemingly empty, but perfect. A group of people sit on a wide circle, passing bowls of food between themselves. All are young, and seem to be workers for the caravan. Mayara quickly leads Rayne to a rock a little distant from the others, and soon there is a bowl of food before each of them. The old man who talked to Rayne in the night before is nowhere to be seen, and no one seems to care about the newcomer eating with them.

[Bitzeralisis]

Rayne, smiling, slowly chewing on his food, enjoys his moment with Mayara.

"So... tell me about yourself. I can't really say anything about my personal life, I don't really have one..." he laughs half-humorously, half-wistfully.

[Silverkiss]

The girl chuckles with Rayne's joke, before procceding and talking about herself. SHe talks while staring at her food, without looking Rayne in the eyes.

Mayara: "Well.... I don't have much to tell, either. Since I remember I have been living and traveling with Drogan. Oh, he's the owner of this caravan, you met him yesterday. I don't remember anything from my life before being adopted by Drogan.... Much like you." - She smiles at these last words.

[Bitzeralisis]

"Hm," says Rayne thoughtfully. "Who am I supposed to be?" His fingers twitch toward his sword's hilt, like tigers prowling, itching to pounce, but pull back, soldiers retreating from an ambush of attackers.

[Silverkiss]

Giggling, Mayara answers to Rayne's question:

"Well.... We could discover that together."

[Bitzeralisis]

Rayne holds back for the rest of the day, debating within himself whether he wants to know who he is or not.

[Silverkiss]

Feeling much better already, Rayne keeps up with the caravan, when it leaves, on foot. He refrains from talking much, but answers when someone talks with him, being polite. Mayara mostly walks alongside Rayne, or dissapears, "going take care of some stuff", as she says.

As the day comes to an end and the Sun starts it's descent in the Sky, the caravan comes across a group of travellers. As they get closer, they signal the caravan to stop, and aproach Drogan and a few other men, starting to talk. They remain talking for a few minutes, and Drogan seems to be worried about what they say.

[Bitzeralisis]

Rayne watches cautiously, not getting involved.

[Silverkiss]

The man seems to be saying of important matters, but Drogan refuses whatever he is saying. The other man seems to be pissed, but gives up after seeing that Drogan was uniyelding. The caravan moves on it's way, leaving the men behind.

[Bitzeralisis]

After the caravan's out of the men's earshot, Rayne walks up to Dorgan. "What was that all about?" he whispers.

[Silverkiss]

Drogan seems still agitated, and speaks hurriedly in a whisper;

"Oh, it's you lad. They were trying to scare me, to make me not continue in this path. You see, the city we're heading to is being heavily attacked by a group of powerful bandits. The Empire has forsaken the small city, and are denying any help to it. But I can not stand this. We are not soldiers, but I think that we should at least be able to hold the bandits for a while as we supply the town with food and medicaments."

[Bitzeralisis]

"You... fight?" says Rayne, surprised. His fingers twitch for the silver blade hiding within a leathery cave. An arbitrary longing of battle wells up inside inside him.

[Silverkiss]

The old man laughs a little, and replies, in a louder voice, forgetting his concern.

Drogan: No, no, lad, I don't fight, am too old for that. But my boys, oh, they have some training. Only enough to fight off the occasional bandit, though. These roads ain't safe like they used to be."

[Bitzeralisis]

Rayne speaks tentatively. "I think... I may be able to help." He points to his weapon.

[Silverkiss]

Drogan looks to Rayne for a minute, before giving a hearty smile and answering;

"No need for that, lad. This is our problem after all, and you're still recovering. Wouldn't want you getting hurt, you're still so young."

[Bitzeralisis]

Rayne nods. Something primordial inside him roars savagely, and a strange flame erupts in his eyes. Rayne, taken suddenly by the feeling, looks sick for a moment. The world slightly muffles, and Rayne drags himself back to the wagon he was resting in.

He lets the last leg of the trip go by without incident.

[Silverkiss]

Year 742, Summer 39 - Night

Rayne's dreams are once again clouded with strange voices and visions from places lost in the mists of memory. He has an agitated night, but at least he doesn't have nightmares, and neither wakes up.

Year 742, Summer 40 - Morning

Rayne wakes up with the sound of shouts and horses moving about. The wagon is not moving, and he can clearly sense that a lot of people are moving nearby the caravan, surrounding it maybe. Rayne feels something inside of him fire up, but he doesn't know what it is.

[Bitzeralisis]

Rayne's sudden waking and practiced instinct causes a subconscious process in his mind to activate, flinging him out of bed and outside the caravan cautiously but quickly. So quickly and cautiously, in fact, that probably nobody sees or hears him seemingly appear out of thin air, slightly crouching, fingers lightly touching the ground from his practiced landing, wagon door shifting slightly from the aftershock of Rayne's movement. Rayne looks around confusedly for a moment, shocked by his own speed.

[Silverkiss]

Surrounding the caravan are some men mounted in horses, accompanied by others on foot. The caravan workers have adopted a defensive stance, circling the wagons, and Drogan is talking with a armored knight, probably the leader of the men.

Knight: "You really thought we would be so stupid as to let you arrive in that damn city ? Never. The boss orders are absolute, he wants all your goods. Be happy that he is letting you live. Now, step aside."

Drogan: "No ! You have no right to do this, you bandit scum !"

Knight: "Step aside, old fool, or we'll make you." - The man draws his sword, and so do the rest of the bandits - "This could end peacefully or this could turn into a river of blood, it's really your choice."

Drogan: "..."

Knight: "I see. MEN, ATTACK !"

[Bitzeralisis]

What? No! Rayne stands helplessly.

[Silverkiss]

As the mounted bandits and the leader watch, the men on foot start to aproach the caravan workers. They stand firm, with improvised weapons in hand, only a few with a proper sword or spear. They prepare to die protecting Drogan and the caravan.

Looking around quickly, Rayne sees a great opportunity; he could easily hide behind one of the wagons and run towards the nearby woods. There are no mounted bandits in this part of the circle, and it shouldn't be hard to reach the forest, especially if his speed is as great as he just thought it was.

[Bitzeralisis]

I can survive!

But... the caravan! I can't let them die!

Rayne stands helplessly, internal conflict raging.

[Silverkiss]

As Rayne is engulfed in internal conflict, the battle around him starts. Swords clashing, woodcutting axes being slashed at the bandit's shields, one of the workers plunging his spear on a bandit's chest. Blood starts to flow, from both sides. Drogan runs towards the wagons, and soon stumbles on you.

"I'm sorry lad, that it ended this way. It seems that we saved you just to die because of our own problems. But at least we will all die fighting !"

Taking a beautifully decorated sword from one of the wagons, Drogan turns around to the bandits. With a shout, he charges forward, slashing at the nearest enemy.

[Bitzeralisis]

Rayne watches as blood spills all around him. Tears come to his eyes. "NO!" he shouts, with unintended ferocity, flames erupting in a small ring, spinning rapidly about a foot from his waist. He doesn't notice them. Charging, Rayne draws his sword.

Swh-inngg!

The silvery, thin, gleaming blade comes out vibrating ever so slightly, dancing in the blood of a bandit. Rayne's lowered head stares at dark nothingness, eyes squeezed shut. His hair flows wildly.

Another bandit charges from the right. Rayne's crazed eyes look up, not yet satisfied with the battle. The bandit suddenly stops, recoiling from the spinning flames and Rayne's look. Stabbing the bandit, Rayne growls, fire dripping off the ring like syrup from a branch. Everywhere it lands, the flame devours blood, erupting into reddish nothingness as it supplies Rayne with strength. Roaring, the ring suddenly expands into a nova of piercing fire, selectively destroying the bandits but not the caravan workers.

A knight, seeing an opening in Rayne's savage and emotion-fueled attack, charges in from the back. Rayne's use of raw emotion rather than skill becomes his downfall. Attempting to avoid the attack, Rayne's sudden fear instantly extinguished the flames of emotion, and he is stabbed in the side.

A strange burst of humor comes across Rayne. "Heh. Ha! Darn! That just healed!"

"Eh?"

Rayne slashes at the knight, first scarring him across the face then dismembering his horse's front left leg. Rayne falls as the knight falls.

Thud.

Rayne lies, back in the condition he was found in.

The knight lies, too stunned to move.

The bandits lie, many burnt to a crisp.

[Silverkiss]

A few minutes pass before anyone understands what really happened. The bandits are scared, even the workers are scared. After a few minutes, the bandit leader shouts;

"Retreat ! Leave the wounded !"

As the bandits run away, the workers quickly restrain the ones still left alive, and Rayne slowly feels his consciouness fading again. This feeling was becoming disturbingly familiar to him. The last thing he remembers seeing was the surprised face of Drogan, looking down on him from a high place...

-------

Rayne feels a cold pressure on his forehead. The pressure is lifted, and instead of it a cold hand starts caressing the man's head. Rayne slowly opens his eyes, but the world is blurred. He sees a familiar shape at his side, the arm stretched... A pretty girl... What was her name again...?

Dropping in and out of counsciousness, Rayne struggles to remain awake, without much result.