Residual (Chapter Forty-Two)
Friday, June 19th, 2015 04:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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mindcrackloveThis is over 2k words of 100% pain, just like last chapter. I'm so sorry.
Chapter list: http://tanadin.dreamwidth.org/382.html
Map of the continent: http://tanadin.deviantart.com/art/Monstrous-Residual-map-526465833
Character status spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yvK6D0XzgjhMNjblFFQaAeJ7JkzdidaLJux1S8qsSUA/edit#gid=1227692709
Chapter Forty-Two
Kingdom of Traz’madar, Minecraftia. October 26, year 373. Time instance 483Z.
Blame didn’t react when someone knocked on his door.
“Blame.” He jerked a little at the voice, thinking it was Iirkolav, but he quickly realized that it was just Vechs and sighed softly.
“Can I come in?” When Blame didn’t answer, Vechs carefully opened the door. Blame heard the Davion sigh.
“It stopped raining yesterday evening. We’re…we’re gonna…hold a funeral. For Iirkolav and Wind. I…figured you’d want to be there.”
Blame shuddered and curled into a ball.
“Blame…”
The Skullblade sighed and pushed the blankets off of him, heaving himself into a sitting position. He shook as he tried to stand, needing Vechs to support him. What little of his face that Vechs could see was stained from tears and he looked like he hadn’t slept.
Too much sorrow.
Vechs didn’t ask if he was okay. He knew that he wasn’t. He walked with Blame down the stairs and out the door, leading him to where the others were already gathered.
The dragons had gathered as well as the mortals. Mokdal had a few minor injuries and Aoxdorren sported a patched up cut on her chest, but Kalzevrah was clearly the worst off of the three. Her wings had clearly suffered severe damage and had been partially healed with dragon healing magic. She also had a cut similar to Aoxdorren’s across her chest and underbelly, as well as a nasty mark on one of her necks.
Apparently, someone- probably Zisteau- had pulled an all-nighter in order to carve two stone grave markers. Iirkolav’s crater had been filled in completely, and a few feet to the side was a grave dug for Wind. The Sunspine had a massive hole in his chest, as if he had taken a claw or spike from one of the Hostiles.
Interestingly, it was Nebris and Etho that stood beside Wind’s body, clearly intending to be the ones to lower him into his grave. Etho’s face seemed forcefully devoid of emotion, but Nebris kept looking down at Wind with a sorrowful expression.
Blame numbly pulled away from Vechs as Aoxdorren began to speak about the ones they had lost, and how they must act so that they had not died in vain. He barely listened, sitting beside Iirkolav’s headstone. He tuned in when he heard Aoxdorren mention that Iirkolav had died to destroy Saltar’vesque and had been a key part of driving back the Hostiles. He listened as she talked about how much he had been through, and how much he had suffered in his timeline before traveling back in time to save Aureylian’s life, and, by extension, everyone else’s.
“He had suffered more than most of us here have, and died to save us once more. Rest, Iirkolav Davion. You will be missed, but your pain has ended.”
Blame bowed his head and gave up trying to read the words on the headstone through his tears.
He didn’t stop listening, however, when Aoxdorren continued to speak, this time about Wind.
“Windstripped Branch was a Sunspine Skullblade who did his best to assist us in defeating the Hostiles, for reasons that we never truly understood. He did his utmost to bring them down and to defend those he knew were essential to the prophecy and to saving the world- even giving his life to spare that of Nebris.”
Blame brought himself to look up at that, realizing why it was that Nebris and Etho stood beside Wind.
A Skullblade is loyal to their allies to the end.
“Wind threw himself in front of an attack sent by one of the Hostiles that would have slain Nebris. He knew what he was doing and the consequences of his actions.”
Before she could continue, Nebris spoke up. “His final words were an apology to Blame for ‘prying where he shouldn’t have,’ although I don’t know what he meant by that.” He hesitated. “Wind’s death won’t be in vain. We’ll bring down the Hostiles. I’ll make the best of my life; the life he saved.” He took Etho’s hand.
Blame bowed his head again when the two picked up Wind and gently set him in his grave.
He didn’t watch as they buried him in the still-damp earth.
He didn’t move from Iirkolav’s grave until after Aoxdorren had spoken again and everyone had filed back inside, at which point Vechs gently took his arm.
“Come on. It might rain again, and…I have something of Iirkolav’s. He fully anticipated dying and he wrote something…in case that happened.” Blame glanced up at Vechs and realized that his goggles were pushed up and he looked like he had been crying. He nodded numbly and let Vechs take him inside.
Vechs took Blame over to the table that was still covered in various papers of Iirkolav’s, making Blame tear up again. They sat down and Vechs scanned the mess before handing a single paper to Blame. As the Skullblade read the writing, Vechs busied himself with organizing the others. Blame blinked a few times to clear the tears from his eyes in order to read. Iirkolav’s handwriting was somewhat better than Blame had previously seen it, but it still wasn’t neat in any way.
The rushed work of a man who knew his time was almost up.
Blame-
I’m writing this on October twenty-fourth, the day before we fight the Hostiles. If you’re reading this, then I have met my end. I gave this to Vechs as soon as I finished writing it, and he doesn’t know what it contains, but he knows to give it to you. There are some things that you need to know, and I presumably didn’t find time to tell you in the few hours between my writing this and my death.
I’m not blind, for starters. I know that the feelings you had for Vechs carried on to me, and perhaps intensified somewhat- I can’t really tell much past that, but I want you to know that I, somehow, have ended up returning the feeling. When I came back in time, I didn’t anticipate anyone understanding me as well as you do. I knew you had been through a lot, but you told me a lot more about yourself than I ever realized there was to tell. You understood my pain and you helped ease the agony that seeing my old friends- the friends that I had watched die- caused. Thank you, so much.
You’re one of the strongest people I have ever met; how you have clung to life this long, I don’t know, but I want you to promise me one thing, one final thing, as you read this: Carry on. Don’t give up, no matter what happens. You have to live on, you have to continue. It’s hard, I know it’s hard. But you have to live. Promise me, Blame. I can’t bear the thought of you cutting short something that you can turn around. And I really can’t bear the thought that my death pushed you over some kind of edge.
I love you too much for that.
There. I said it. It took me a good five minutes to write that one sentence.
There’s more I need to say, this time on a less personal level.
I need you and Vechs to go through every paper on my table; even the ones I wouldn’t let you guys see. They contain information that Norazdomu and the dragons have given me, some of it about the prophecy. I know what we have to do with the Hostiles. I know the timeframe you have before it’s too late. I’m only missing a few details that, unfortunately, you’ll have to figure out yourself. I wish I could have been there to see them locked away, to see them brought to their knees. I wish I could have seen the puzzle that I have almost completed finished, but I’ve known ever since I heard the prophecy that it couldn’t be.
The papers that I didn’t want you to see previously are written almost entirely in Dranonic runes- you’ll be able to identify them immediately. Most of the others are just information on the Hostiles that I have already showed you. It’s very important that you take in the information on the Dranonic papers as soon as possible- Vechs can read the runes and speak the Dranonic words, and if you have him read aloud the papers to the dragons (the writing is likely too small for them to read) you’ll be able to figure it out quickly. I had to write like that to prevent anyone knowing things before I was gone.
‘When he of the splinter breathes his last…’ That’s me. I’m he of the splinter. Norazdomu gave me information, when I traveled back and when he visited us eight days ago, that couldn’t be known to you until I was dead. Why do you think I was so adamant about the fact that Vechs was more important than I was? I’ve always known that I would have to die in the end.
I’m only sorry that you fell for me before it happened. I couldn’t tell you, warn you off, either, and I’m a selfish person for letting you stay near me, for letting you spend more time with me. I should have pushed you away so that my death would hurt less, so that it would be less of a blow. But I cared too much about how you made me feel to do that, and I’m so, so sorry.
Look over the papers. Bring down the Hostiles. Carry on without me.
Ee mel shun, Malko. We will never meet again, as much as I wish that we could.
-Vechs “Iirkolav” Davion, of timeline 459Y
Blame read the final lines a couple of times before breaking down completely, curling up in the chair and sobbing into his arms.
He was so overwhelmed with everything causing him pain and sorrow that his thoughts were a whirlwind of agony and grief, incapable of sorting anything out and only giving him one reaction; helpless sobbing.
He clearly wasn’t in any state to look over the other papers, so Vechs took him back to his room with the help of Zisteau and Aureylian.
He left Blame alone at the man’s request.
Vechs caused him too much pain.
~~~
Vechs flopped down on his bed and closed his eyes, sighing. The deaths of Wind of Iirkolav were tough on him- especially Iirkolav. He wished he hadn’t seen what was essentially his own corpse, mangled, in a ditch.
He had suffered from horrible nightmares the previous night, ones that even Aureylian couldn’t dispel. Aureylian eventually had to go and find Skera to brew him a potion that put him into a deep, dreamless sleep. Vechs opened his eyes and sat up, looking over at Skera on the other side of the room, deciding to ask her to brew one for Blame as well.
He noted that she seemed tenser than usual, focusing on her work. She held a vial too tightly, though, and shattered it. She swore violently as she cleaned up the broken glass and spilled solution. Vechs tried to ignore the flashback to the lab and what caused this entire mess in the first place as he stood and walked over to her.
Broken glass.
He sat beside Skera and wordlessly hugged her, knowing that she needed comforting just as much as he did.
“At least I didn’t lose you.” she whispered. “I still have one of you. It was a shock to discover that there was a second Vechs, one from a doomed future…he was in so much pain, if you ever looked him in the eyes you could see that he was suffering every second of every day…”
“He can rest now.” Vechs mumbled. “He can rest. He’s done what he came here to do and more.”
“He still could have lived.”
“He always had to die.” Vechs told her quietly. “He’s the one in the prophecy- ‘he of the splinter.’”
“How do you know?” Skera pulled away from him and frowned.
“It’s not that hard to guess.” Vechs sighed. “I’m pretty sure he came to the same conclusion.”
Skera nodded and went back to brewing her potion. Vechs was silent for a minute before he spoke again.
“Do you remember that potion you made me last night? Do you suppose you could make one for-“
“What do you think I’m doing?” Skera shook her head. “He’s so tortured by everything that’s happened. This is just what…sent him over the edge.”
Vechs sighed. “Do you think he’ll be okay?”
“No.” Skera replied honestly. “But I hope he will be.”
Vechs nodded and closed his eyes briefly.
Poor Blame.
Chapter list: http://tanadin.dreamwidth.org/382.html
Map of the continent: http://tanadin.deviantart.com/art/Monstrous-Residual-map-526465833
Character status spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yvK6D0XzgjhMNjblFFQaAeJ7JkzdidaLJux1S8qsSUA/edit#gid=1227692709
Chapter Forty-Two
Kingdom of Traz’madar, Minecraftia. October 26, year 373. Time instance 483Z.
Blame didn’t react when someone knocked on his door.
“Blame.” He jerked a little at the voice, thinking it was Iirkolav, but he quickly realized that it was just Vechs and sighed softly.
“Can I come in?” When Blame didn’t answer, Vechs carefully opened the door. Blame heard the Davion sigh.
“It stopped raining yesterday evening. We’re…we’re gonna…hold a funeral. For Iirkolav and Wind. I…figured you’d want to be there.”
Blame shuddered and curled into a ball.
“Blame…”
The Skullblade sighed and pushed the blankets off of him, heaving himself into a sitting position. He shook as he tried to stand, needing Vechs to support him. What little of his face that Vechs could see was stained from tears and he looked like he hadn’t slept.
Too much sorrow.
Vechs didn’t ask if he was okay. He knew that he wasn’t. He walked with Blame down the stairs and out the door, leading him to where the others were already gathered.
The dragons had gathered as well as the mortals. Mokdal had a few minor injuries and Aoxdorren sported a patched up cut on her chest, but Kalzevrah was clearly the worst off of the three. Her wings had clearly suffered severe damage and had been partially healed with dragon healing magic. She also had a cut similar to Aoxdorren’s across her chest and underbelly, as well as a nasty mark on one of her necks.
Apparently, someone- probably Zisteau- had pulled an all-nighter in order to carve two stone grave markers. Iirkolav’s crater had been filled in completely, and a few feet to the side was a grave dug for Wind. The Sunspine had a massive hole in his chest, as if he had taken a claw or spike from one of the Hostiles.
Interestingly, it was Nebris and Etho that stood beside Wind’s body, clearly intending to be the ones to lower him into his grave. Etho’s face seemed forcefully devoid of emotion, but Nebris kept looking down at Wind with a sorrowful expression.
Blame numbly pulled away from Vechs as Aoxdorren began to speak about the ones they had lost, and how they must act so that they had not died in vain. He barely listened, sitting beside Iirkolav’s headstone. He tuned in when he heard Aoxdorren mention that Iirkolav had died to destroy Saltar’vesque and had been a key part of driving back the Hostiles. He listened as she talked about how much he had been through, and how much he had suffered in his timeline before traveling back in time to save Aureylian’s life, and, by extension, everyone else’s.
“He had suffered more than most of us here have, and died to save us once more. Rest, Iirkolav Davion. You will be missed, but your pain has ended.”
Blame bowed his head and gave up trying to read the words on the headstone through his tears.
He didn’t stop listening, however, when Aoxdorren continued to speak, this time about Wind.
“Windstripped Branch was a Sunspine Skullblade who did his best to assist us in defeating the Hostiles, for reasons that we never truly understood. He did his utmost to bring them down and to defend those he knew were essential to the prophecy and to saving the world- even giving his life to spare that of Nebris.”
Blame brought himself to look up at that, realizing why it was that Nebris and Etho stood beside Wind.
A Skullblade is loyal to their allies to the end.
“Wind threw himself in front of an attack sent by one of the Hostiles that would have slain Nebris. He knew what he was doing and the consequences of his actions.”
Before she could continue, Nebris spoke up. “His final words were an apology to Blame for ‘prying where he shouldn’t have,’ although I don’t know what he meant by that.” He hesitated. “Wind’s death won’t be in vain. We’ll bring down the Hostiles. I’ll make the best of my life; the life he saved.” He took Etho’s hand.
Blame bowed his head again when the two picked up Wind and gently set him in his grave.
He didn’t watch as they buried him in the still-damp earth.
He didn’t move from Iirkolav’s grave until after Aoxdorren had spoken again and everyone had filed back inside, at which point Vechs gently took his arm.
“Come on. It might rain again, and…I have something of Iirkolav’s. He fully anticipated dying and he wrote something…in case that happened.” Blame glanced up at Vechs and realized that his goggles were pushed up and he looked like he had been crying. He nodded numbly and let Vechs take him inside.
Vechs took Blame over to the table that was still covered in various papers of Iirkolav’s, making Blame tear up again. They sat down and Vechs scanned the mess before handing a single paper to Blame. As the Skullblade read the writing, Vechs busied himself with organizing the others. Blame blinked a few times to clear the tears from his eyes in order to read. Iirkolav’s handwriting was somewhat better than Blame had previously seen it, but it still wasn’t neat in any way.
The rushed work of a man who knew his time was almost up.
Blame-
I’m writing this on October twenty-fourth, the day before we fight the Hostiles. If you’re reading this, then I have met my end. I gave this to Vechs as soon as I finished writing it, and he doesn’t know what it contains, but he knows to give it to you. There are some things that you need to know, and I presumably didn’t find time to tell you in the few hours between my writing this and my death.
I’m not blind, for starters. I know that the feelings you had for Vechs carried on to me, and perhaps intensified somewhat- I can’t really tell much past that, but I want you to know that I, somehow, have ended up returning the feeling. When I came back in time, I didn’t anticipate anyone understanding me as well as you do. I knew you had been through a lot, but you told me a lot more about yourself than I ever realized there was to tell. You understood my pain and you helped ease the agony that seeing my old friends- the friends that I had watched die- caused. Thank you, so much.
You’re one of the strongest people I have ever met; how you have clung to life this long, I don’t know, but I want you to promise me one thing, one final thing, as you read this: Carry on. Don’t give up, no matter what happens. You have to live on, you have to continue. It’s hard, I know it’s hard. But you have to live. Promise me, Blame. I can’t bear the thought of you cutting short something that you can turn around. And I really can’t bear the thought that my death pushed you over some kind of edge.
I love you too much for that.
There. I said it. It took me a good five minutes to write that one sentence.
There’s more I need to say, this time on a less personal level.
I need you and Vechs to go through every paper on my table; even the ones I wouldn’t let you guys see. They contain information that Norazdomu and the dragons have given me, some of it about the prophecy. I know what we have to do with the Hostiles. I know the timeframe you have before it’s too late. I’m only missing a few details that, unfortunately, you’ll have to figure out yourself. I wish I could have been there to see them locked away, to see them brought to their knees. I wish I could have seen the puzzle that I have almost completed finished, but I’ve known ever since I heard the prophecy that it couldn’t be.
The papers that I didn’t want you to see previously are written almost entirely in Dranonic runes- you’ll be able to identify them immediately. Most of the others are just information on the Hostiles that I have already showed you. It’s very important that you take in the information on the Dranonic papers as soon as possible- Vechs can read the runes and speak the Dranonic words, and if you have him read aloud the papers to the dragons (the writing is likely too small for them to read) you’ll be able to figure it out quickly. I had to write like that to prevent anyone knowing things before I was gone.
‘When he of the splinter breathes his last…’ That’s me. I’m he of the splinter. Norazdomu gave me information, when I traveled back and when he visited us eight days ago, that couldn’t be known to you until I was dead. Why do you think I was so adamant about the fact that Vechs was more important than I was? I’ve always known that I would have to die in the end.
I’m only sorry that you fell for me before it happened. I couldn’t tell you, warn you off, either, and I’m a selfish person for letting you stay near me, for letting you spend more time with me. I should have pushed you away so that my death would hurt less, so that it would be less of a blow. But I cared too much about how you made me feel to do that, and I’m so, so sorry.
Look over the papers. Bring down the Hostiles. Carry on without me.
Ee mel shun, Malko. We will never meet again, as much as I wish that we could.
-Vechs “Iirkolav” Davion, of timeline 459Y
Blame read the final lines a couple of times before breaking down completely, curling up in the chair and sobbing into his arms.
He was so overwhelmed with everything causing him pain and sorrow that his thoughts were a whirlwind of agony and grief, incapable of sorting anything out and only giving him one reaction; helpless sobbing.
He clearly wasn’t in any state to look over the other papers, so Vechs took him back to his room with the help of Zisteau and Aureylian.
He left Blame alone at the man’s request.
Vechs caused him too much pain.
~~~
Vechs flopped down on his bed and closed his eyes, sighing. The deaths of Wind of Iirkolav were tough on him- especially Iirkolav. He wished he hadn’t seen what was essentially his own corpse, mangled, in a ditch.
He had suffered from horrible nightmares the previous night, ones that even Aureylian couldn’t dispel. Aureylian eventually had to go and find Skera to brew him a potion that put him into a deep, dreamless sleep. Vechs opened his eyes and sat up, looking over at Skera on the other side of the room, deciding to ask her to brew one for Blame as well.
He noted that she seemed tenser than usual, focusing on her work. She held a vial too tightly, though, and shattered it. She swore violently as she cleaned up the broken glass and spilled solution. Vechs tried to ignore the flashback to the lab and what caused this entire mess in the first place as he stood and walked over to her.
Broken glass.
He sat beside Skera and wordlessly hugged her, knowing that she needed comforting just as much as he did.
“At least I didn’t lose you.” she whispered. “I still have one of you. It was a shock to discover that there was a second Vechs, one from a doomed future…he was in so much pain, if you ever looked him in the eyes you could see that he was suffering every second of every day…”
“He can rest now.” Vechs mumbled. “He can rest. He’s done what he came here to do and more.”
“He still could have lived.”
“He always had to die.” Vechs told her quietly. “He’s the one in the prophecy- ‘he of the splinter.’”
“How do you know?” Skera pulled away from him and frowned.
“It’s not that hard to guess.” Vechs sighed. “I’m pretty sure he came to the same conclusion.”
Skera nodded and went back to brewing her potion. Vechs was silent for a minute before he spoke again.
“Do you remember that potion you made me last night? Do you suppose you could make one for-“
“What do you think I’m doing?” Skera shook her head. “He’s so tortured by everything that’s happened. This is just what…sent him over the edge.”
Vechs sighed. “Do you think he’ll be okay?”
“No.” Skera replied honestly. “But I hope he will be.”
Vechs nodded and closed his eyes briefly.
Poor Blame.
no subject
Date: Friday, June 19th, 2015 09:27 pm (UTC)...congrats....this is one of the extremely few times I have ever been teary-eyed reading something....
(As a general rule I never cry due to books/movies/fanfics. This is one of those few exceptions)
no subject
Date: Friday, June 19th, 2015 09:29 pm (UTC)G.C. (::)(::)(::)(@)(@)(@)
no subject
Date: Friday, June 19th, 2015 09:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Friday, June 19th, 2015 09:32 pm (UTC)Sorry Blame.
no subject
Date: Friday, June 19th, 2015 09:56 pm (UTC)/#/ /#/ /#/ /#/ /#/ /#/
no subject
Date: Friday, June 19th, 2015 10:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Saturday, June 20th, 2015 02:47 am (UTC)Also, poor Blame.
-awkward anon.
no subject
Date: Saturday, June 20th, 2015 04:17 am (UTC)I know who you are
I don't know why you do this
But if you mess with my feels like this again
I will find you
And I will kill you.
Nah. Just kidding :p
no subject
Date: Saturday, June 20th, 2015 05:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Saturday, June 20th, 2015 05:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Saturday, June 20th, 2015 07:17 am (UTC)and I will kill you
Is Iirkolav's death pushing Skera over that edge into insanity? 'Cause she said she can postpone the effects, but not permanently. So would that be it?
G.C. (::) (::) (::) (::)
no subject
Date: Saturday, June 20th, 2015 03:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Friday, June 26th, 2015 11:32 pm (UTC)(btw dealing with laptop issues again so I may not be on skype for a bit)
no subject
Date: Friday, June 26th, 2015 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Monday, July 20th, 2015 03:33 am (UTC)DANG IT FEELZ WHY
*mumble* damn amazing author making me feel all the feelz *grumble*
no subject
Date: Monday, July 20th, 2015 03:42 am (UTC)