Solo (Flashback) The Darkness of Hearts (Part 1)

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Spring 6, 512 AV Orion couldn't tell how long they had been crammed down in the bunkers underneath Stormhold Castle, but it was too long. People were restless, the conditions dark, damp, and dirty. No sanitation, never enough food. Fifty thousand people's lives uprooted, sent down to the lowest levels below the keep. The first handful of days were tough but bearable, but as irritations and conditions worsened, so did the attitude. There was little to no information on what had sent them down here, but here they were. They had sent the more 'important' and 'privileged' people were sent down first. Orion was a run of the mill assistant cook, so privileged he was not. Gathered in one of the last days before the gates were sealed and the storm hit, he'd been stuffed into a cave rather than an actual bunker. Joining him for the most part were unskilled laborers, orphans, the general lower class and slightly seedier folks, all clinging to the few possessions they were able to bring. For Orion, he'd brought his medical supplies. It wasn't even that he planned to use them, but they were his most valuable possessions. If it came down to it, he could sell them and be good for a season. Needless to say, the blue eyed man hadn't expected to actually need his medical training. As people panicked and riots broke out, there were injuries. Where there were injuries, they needed a doctor. The young man thought he'd turned the page on that part of his life, but it all came rushing back after the knights found themselves turning their blades on the citizens they were supposed to protect in order to protect everyone as a whole. Men, women, children, no one was safe as humanities cruelty showed itself, willing to hurt, steal, even kill without regard for anyone else. Self preservation at its finest. Self preservation at its worst. A crying child begging for help forced Orion to act. Tears streaking down a young boy's face, Orion watched as he cried for someone to help his mother. "She's been stabbed! Mommy's been stabbed!" It seemed all too common a thing for Orion. People had lost their minds, and were turning on one another. Between the knights and people turning into thugs themselves, everyone was an enemy and everyone was a potential victim. "Somebody, please!" The boy's words came through broken sobs. The young man sighed and shook his head, standing to go over to the boy, medical equipment in hand. "Let's see if we can help her out, okay? Take me to her."

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Spring 6, 512 AV The child was covered from head to toe in filth, but that wasn't a distinguishing characteristic of anyone currently. The living conditions were far from acceptable, but there was little choice at the time. A dirty, tear streaked face looked up at Orion, eyes wide with fear as he tugged on the young man's sleeve, trying to lead him to his mother. The living conditions were cramped, and movement through the mass of people took quite a bit longer for the blue eyed man than it did for the child. Sullen expressions avoided eye contact as a general sorrow weighed heavy on the populous sharing this area of the caves. Men sat quietly as the women sobbed softly. Worse off, thought Orion, the children weren't smiling or playing. They needed to get out of this complex soon, but there were no answers. "She's right over here, sir! Please help my mama." After being led to the child's mother, Orion bit his tongue softly, as his worst fears were realized. The woman was in a heap on the ground, arms wrapped around her stomach, blood slowly surrounding the child's mother in a growing crimson pool. "Stay here," Orion instructed the child before moving over to kneel by the woman. She was in horrible condition, it was clear from a casual glance. Shallow breathing, a dazed expression, and a thin layer of sweat. All before even looking at the piercing wound on her stomach. Orion swallowed, knowing he didn't have much of a shot at doing much. "Ma'am?" He gently touched the woman's shoulder, causing her gaze to slowly shift to him. She opened her mouth as if to talk, but no words came out. Gods be damned, this woman is gone. Setting his bags down, he began rummaging through the healer's kit for something. There were things to deal with pain, to clean wounds, but an internal puncture, he couldn't do anything. He gently moved her arms aside, noting a horrible stench as he moved closer. "Let me take a look, here." He pulled a cloth from his equipment, gently wiping around the wound, but the blood he would clean away would instantly be replaced as it oozed from the opening. He added some pressure to the opening to try and stop the flow, but the woman responded negatively as she cried out in pain and began to cough. Her eyes widened and she began to spit out blood. "Shyke!"

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Spring 6, 512 AV Orion hadn't seen anything like that in years, but thinking back on his training, it was pretty clear what that signified. The piercing wound had ruptured an organ. It was beyond his skills to heal this, especially without an actual medical area. Maybe someone with the Healing mark could do something about it, but considering their location it was unlikely that a marked healer would be tucked down in the cramped cavernous area. "I'm so sorry," Orion whispered to her, his heart sinking. Maybe this is why I got out of the business.. The woman's eyes were mostly glossed over, but Orion thought he saw some semblance of understanding of what his words meant. The child's mother slowly moved her hand up to Orion's cheek, as she once again tried to speak. "Sssss..s-s..son..?" she asked, tears beginning to stream down her face. Orion swallowed heavily, fighting off the urge to join her in sadness. A mother losing a son. A son losing a mother. It didn't matter, at these ages they were all too young. "Yes, your son brought me. He's a good boy, you should be proud," he reassured, managing to force a half smile as he looked down at her. The woman simply nodded in response, her had slipping from Orion's face, leaving a ruby red streak of blood, which was quickly joined by a salty tear from his eye. The life had faded from her own eyes so suddenly, but that's how quickly a stomach wound could take someone. It shouldn't have surprised him, but he felt ill, he felt like breaking down, he felt like being angry. It had to be the cramped survival situation they were in, at least somewhat, which had Orion feeling so emotional, but he'd never felt like giving into them so much. The former doctor clung tight to the woman's hand, resisting his urge to let the warm liquid flow freely down his cheeks, instead choosing to silently swear a promise. I'll get your son through this. Somehow. I'm petching murder anyone who tries to steal from him. Or anyone else. You have my oath. He turned and looked at the child who had stood a few steps away the entire time, trying to smile, but his lips wouldn't move. "Hey, buddy.." The boy looked drained, tired, and defeated. He knew what had happened, but it seemed there were no more tears to lose. Orion opened his arms to the woman's son, and the boy walked slowly into his embrace, resting his head on the man's shoulder. "Mama..isn't gonna be okay..is she?" "N-no," Orion stuttered. It was the hardest part of being a doctor, he recalled, having to tell someone that, despite his best efforts, someone near to them had died. The boy sighed quietly, making a visible effort to stay strong. "Your mother said something to me," he told the boy, causing him to look up at him through eyes which still sparkled in the dark caves. "She said, no matter what, her little boy needed to grow up big and powerful and happy," Orion said. It was a lie that she'd spoken those words, sure, but Orion wondered if that wasn't something that almost all parents would wish of their children. "So we're gonna get through this so you can do it, okay? Just stay with me." The wide eye boy nodded at him, clearly afraid, but with no where else to turn, he'd have to stay by Orion's side.

[Orion Michaels]

Orion, Day of Spring 6, 512 AV The blue eyed man led the child away from his now deceased mother, the boy clutching his hand tightly. He'd taken the child under his wing for now, so for as long as it took them to get out from underneath the castle, that woman's son was his responsibility. It pained him to leave his mother where she lay, but there was nowhere to dispose of it right now. They were locked down in this forsaken caves, and all there was to do was wait and survive. I can't even take care of myself, damn it. What am I doing with this kid? The weight of the situation was heavy on the young man, and he could feel the fear coursing through him, wild, nearly uncontrolled like a raging river. Surely this was almost over, he hoped. It couldn't be more than a few days. A few more days, then he could take the boy to the orphanage, and wash his hands of things. If the orphanage is even there.. "Mister, what's gonna happen?" the wide eyed boy asked, his lip trembling from all the emotions surely running through his veins. It was a million miza question, wasn't it? Orion couldn't give him a good answer. Or maybe an honest one? "Umm...the knights are gonna protect us. When the trouble is over, they'll take us out from here and then everything will be better." He hoped the boy believed it, because Orion would have spat his own words back at himself if he could. The knights treated them like cattle ever since the move to below the keep began. "Do you promise?" the boy inquired, taking Orion at his word. A simple nod was all he could manage in return. He didn't enjoy making promises he didn't think he could keep. He enjoyed even less promises that were complete lies. He knew there was precious little choice, though, and the boy would have to accept what he said as truth. A child left to his own in this conditions wouldn't have a chance to survive, so Orion would do whatever he could to keep his word.

[Accolade]

Orion Michaels

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Observation	+ 1 XP

Lores

•	Lore Earned
•	Fulfilling a dieing wish
•	The Knights are the enemy

Lores :

Sad thread, well written, but sad. Keep them coming!

The Sylir has spoken

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