When Screams Fill the Air [Chakahn]

[Krisa]

52nd Day Of Fall 513AV

It seemed almost bitterly ironic that the already scarred Inarten should once again find herself laying on the ground unable to move with her own blood pooling around her. When the riots had started, she and many other people had been in the market place. She’d been knocked clean off her feet, and onto a sea of sharp glass weather accidental or intentional, as rioters careened through the streets. She’d been pushed out of one of the windows of a building and now found herself laying in the shattered remains of what the careless and angry pillagers had knocked her into. Krisa’s thoughts traveled to her companion, Kieran. She held the bird in her hands, having sheltered it for much of the blow, the tough little bird had been reduced to a useless pile of quivering feathers in her hands as shock consumed it. But Kieran was alive and that brought her happiness. At least that tiny heartbeat would go on, even if hers stopped.

It wasn’t too clear to her what was actually injured. She knew she must have hit her head, considering that’s where most of the blood was flowing from, she could feel various other wounds from the glass that pierced her limbs, each cut probably in need of stitching. Vaguely, as her mind slipped into altering stages of consciousness, she was award of the mass panic around her. It seemed the tremors had stopped for now at least, and instead the day had made way for Madmen and women, looting and fighting and rioting through the marketplace. Others were helping loved ones who were injured like her into hiding places, and buildings. But no one knew Krisa. And she had no one else to blame but herself for that. She was too broken, altogether unlikable, and she didn’t make an effort to talk to others, so constantly was she expecting to be mistreated or put in her place, so paranoid was she of the general public that shecould never keep a lasting friendship. Sometimes her hometown and Lhavit merged together in her mind until they were one in the same. Her eyes saw the truth, but her mind had other ideas for what she would see.

How long had it been now since she’d been pushed? She couldn’t barely tell. Her eyes weren’t working properly, and a horrible dizziness had settled over her brain like the mist that surrounded the mountains from whence the earthshattering quake had arisen last night. Her vision went in and out as her blood levels slowly drained into the streets.

Krisa thought about what it would be like to die in this place. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe she’d see her love again. Lem. Maybe she was never meant for this world, but the next. Unless there was no next. Unless it was just nothingness.

Suddenly she was afraid to die again. She found the need to breath, to struggle, to try save herself. That natural human instinct that wants to keep on living had kicked in. With all the power she could muster she called out for help, even remembering through the haze to speak in common tongue. Her Bow was hidden underneath more glass, and her quiver of arrows was still strapped to her back, digging into her cuts from how she was awkwardly laying on top of it. Kieran had retreated into the folds of her shirt, safe as was possible for the time being, but Krisa felt feint from the blood loss she was experiencing.

The worst part was that there was worse all around her. Screaming, crying, it was madness. “H-Help me…H-Help…Hel-“ Her voice was getting quieter by the second, until she released she had closed her eyes, and was finding it very hard to re-open them.

[Chakahn]

Having not yet found a suitable and not to mention affordable place to keep Sanshae stabled, Chakahn pulled the snowy stallion along with him. He had been on his way to find shelter for his companion when another rumbling tremor hit home. The horse's usual placid nature had been utterly rumbled by the shockwaves that had plagued the ground just moments ago, but there was no time to soothe him.

Scraps broke out all around him and he swerved, narrowly dodging a duo of grappling merchants. A myriad of bodies drummed around him, pushing and shoving. Some groped at the unattended goods on the ground, slicing open their hands on the shards of glass and rubble that had burst from the windowframes. Others panicked, attempting desperately to squeeze their way to safety through the throng.

Glass dug painfully into the frog of Sanshae's hooves. He jittered and shied, forcing the crowd to keep a safe distance and creating a clear path for the twosome to tread. Kahn could barely hear his own thoughts over the din of the scene and he headed to the borders of the street, edging past the devestated buildings. Long had he wished to gaze upon the legendary city of diamonds with his own eyes but it seemed for the time being, he was not in luck. He had been standing on ground level the evening before, eyeing the circling path that led to the Amaranthine Gate apprehensively. Night was closing in fast and he had made the choice of ascending, opting for shelter up above rather than down below. Now, struggling to regain control of the horse on the other end of the reins, he regretted his decision.

There was nothing to be done about his choice now. A loud protest erupted from Sanshae's throat and Kahn found himself skidding to a halt as the horse planted his feet firmly on the ground, refusing to carry on. The whites of his eyes were showing and he was panting from the stress. "Come on, Sans," Kahn hissed, his impatience fuelled by concern. "All this time you've been right as rain and you're choosing now to panic? Really?"

However hard he tried, it was a tug of war he couldn't win; Sanshae was going nowhere. Kahn swivelled his head from left to right, searching for a solution. Thinking quickly, he shifted his weight suddenly, ducking under the arch of the horse's throat and pulling him right. On entering the abandoned room he aimed a kick at various objects in his path, lending Sanshae a clear passage. He made for the window, where there was no furniture for Sanshae to demolish.
The horse was more than willing to get away from the writhing mass of people and turned eagerly, throwing his rear abruptly left to make the turn. His back legs swung out, the hooves narrowly scraping past a figure that was huddled against the side of the building.

Chakahn let go of the reins, gripping Sanshae's forelock instead and pulled him closer, murmuring soothingly. Satisfied for now, he peered out of the window and down at the slumped figure, seeing only a mass of red locks from where he stood.

'Help me ... help ...' Her voice was barely audible, let alone above the racket of the riots mere inches from where she sat. She was fading fast and her head lolled, clearly losing consciousness. Kahn stood there for a moment, a tuft of white manes in one hand, leaning on the frame of the window with the other, gazing at the figure.

~

[Krisa]

SQUARK! SQUARK! SQUARK!
“It’s too late Kieran… won’t you…let me… die in peace and quiet” She said softly, this time in Nari, in response to his ill-mannered protests. Kieran was primarily a quiet and shy bird. Speaking in common was no longer a priority. She’d given up on the kindness of the people around her. Kieran was going absolutely nuts now and in her state she couldn’t fathom why. He’d climbed on top of her head, she could vaguely feel his feet dancing about, and getting caught on her hair. The bird would not quiet down. It was the only thing she could focus on properly. Then she heard his tiny wings beat the air and panic consumed her. He couldn’t leave her! There was no way… No way… Her best friend, her only companion. Leave her while she’s dying? It wasn’t true. She had to check. She had to open her eyes and move her head.

SQUARK! SQUARK! SQUARK!
It was agonizing fighting the fog that had near engulfed her, let alone trying to look around for her bird. She yelped as she tried to move, and then all of it was worth it. There he was, still with her. He was attacking someone who was staring down at her. Pecking his fingers, pinching his skin and zooming around like a . It looked like he was trying to protect her. “K-Kieran… stop it” She tried, still speaking her native language. She felt another wave of the dizziness take a swing at her efforts to stay awake, this couldn’t go on much longer now. If this man could bring about a swifter death, maybe it was worth it. That was assuming he was a rioter. She no longer had the will to be scared. She just wanted her friend to come back and nuzzle her neck one more time.

SQUARK! SQUARK! SQUARK!
She closed her eyes again, and began to slump further into the dark, head lolling to the side. The squaking of her companion continued until she could no longer hear it.

[Chakahn]

Decisions needed to be made, and actions undertaken. From his position at the window he couldn't make out if she was physically injured, otherwise hurt or merely had the bad habit of taking compulsive naps against uncomfortable brick walls. The only way would be to take a closer look and take it now, as her time seemed to be running out. He freed the horse, the grey manes sliding out of his grasp as Sanshae backed reproachfully into the farmost corner of the room. He shook his head irritably at the horse, willing him to understand.

A searing pain in his left hand made him yelp, and he snapped his attention back to the windowsill. "What the .. ?" Again the pain sprung up, and again, and again. He swatted at the source, failing to make contact as the bird in question zoomed out of reach, aiming instead for his arms. His head jerked from left to right, attempting to follow the movements of his undersized attacker. It hovered still for a moment, puffing out its chest so close to his face that it made him cross-eyed. Kahn eyed it angrily, was this normal bird behaviour in this city?

There was a groan from outside, followed by a faint call in words he couldn't make out. The language sounded vaguely familiar, though this definitely wasn't the time to dive into a portion of lore. Warding off the bird's repeated assaults with one hand protecting his face, Kahn made a dash for the door. He slammed it shut, barring its passage. He cursed, knowing it would be on him in an instant when it plummeted through the window to take another swing at him with its surprisingly sharp beak. He didn't understand, was it Kelvic?

Wasting no more of her precious time, Kahn strode over to the girl, alarm sweeping over him. He crouched down in front of her, taking in her tattered appearance and touching his fingers to her bloodstained clothes. She was obviously in desperate need of medical attention, not least of which the removal of the shards of glass embedded in her skin. She didn't seem responsive, but he wasn't sure. His dark eyes searched her face for signs of recognition, and he raised his hands, placing them on her shoulders.

"Hey, can you hear me?" He spoke in a loud and overly articulate voice, the sentence rolling off his tongue in the common speech. He shook her gently, willing her to open her eyes. "Come on, please, come on," he muttered. Tension gathered in his muscles as he searched for a response, any response, that showed there was still hope for her to be saved.

~

[Krisa]

[i]Krisa felt the bird return to a familiar place on her shoulder and she managed a smile. Kieran sure was braver than usual. “Take’s a long time to die, doesn’t it, Kieran.” She whispered in Nari. Weather the bird understood that she was slipping or not didn’t really matter. She was ready to let go, but once again, she was rudely pulled back into reality. This time by a man shaking her gently and speaking to her. Her brow crinkled as she tried to make sence of this. Was someone going to save her? There was no pain anymore. She couldn’t feel anything. It would take a lot of effort to open her eyes again. It was as if her eyelids were made of stone.

In one last desperate swing at survival, Krisa got her eyes to flicker “Sssorry… abouuut m-my… bird… he…’ss… ppro..tective off me.” She murmured in drooling common tongue, voice so small and slurred that it was barely audible, even if it had been quiet around her. She tried again to open her eyes, but it would be so much easier just to sleep…forever. So much easier to give up. She felt the only thing keeping her alive was her own will to live on. Combined with the will of her companion, and possibly this stranger who had stopped to help her.

That was the man she had glimpsed when Kieran had began attacking him. Kieran always attacked strangers in order to protect her, even if they meant no harm. He was so temperamental around every other soul on the planet except his owner. But it was… sweet. Trying again to open her eyes and look at him, Krisa groaned. How much blood had she lost now? How long had she been bleeding? She didn’t remember.

There was hope again though, if very small. She just had to fight for it. Slipping would be too easy. Lem would be disappointed if she just gave up… like she used to when she was a Dek. ‘Stay awake, Krisa, Kieran needs you to survive’. But she was running out of time and strength. A dream that she’d had came back to her. ‘life will push you low to the ground… but you must fight to get back up…’ That strange Wind eagle who had turned into a woman in her nighmare turned into a dream. Hopefully the fact that she was still recalling and thinking was a good thing. Hopefully it wasn’t just the start of her life flashing in front of her eyes…

[Chakahn]

In a flurry of wings a small bird rocketed into eyesight, landing gracefully on the girl's head. The goldfinch twittered angrily, pattering to and fro anxiously. He surmised it must be a part of her, else it wouldn't stick around in this full to bursting crowd. The riots all around them were well and truly underway now, the roar of angry brawlers mingling with the fearfilled screams of children.

The girl's green eyes flickered open briefly, their green colour dull from pain and exhaustion. The effort it took for her to do just that ate away at her remaining life energy, and a wave of pity gushed through Kahn's body. A tinge of guilt resurfaced too, making every muscle in his body tense and freeze. Images that he'd buried deep inside flashed before his eyes, a life he had led in the past resurfacing.
A laughing face, clear blue eyes. Sword raised, Sea of Grass.

Kahn shook his head vigorously as if the memories would simply fall out of he tried hard enough. Focus, focus, he urged himself, fixing his eyes on the girl in front of him once more. She stirred, murmurs escaping her mouth. Kahn moved closer instantly, straining to pick up any recognisable speech. “Sssorry… abouuut m-my… bird… he…’ss… ppro..tective off me," she slurred.

Kahn couldn't take a moment longer of her pitiful state. It brought back too many memories, too much pain. He couldn't let her die; he couldn't, she mustn't. Ignoring the bird's vocal protest, he reached for her clothes, leaning in and letting his gaze sweep over the injuries. They were extensive, fatal and incredibly bloody.

Supplies, he needed supplies. Back in Cyphrus Kahn had never been a healer, though he originated from a long line of descendants of the Opal Clan. His mother and brothers, their fathers and grandmothers before them had all shown a degree of talent, eagerly passing mounds of knowledge down by generation. He remembered attending endless theoretical lessons, where his own thoughts would take him away from his father's scholarly lectures. His mind would race to the planes of the Sea of Grass, his legs tireless and his sword hacking at the fierce creatures skulking in the marshes. The lessons, of course, were shortlived after his father ceased his clearly failing attempts.
Kahn didn't know where his talents lay but without a shadow of a doubt, he certainly lacked the skillset to maintain his family's heritage.

Nevertheless, he had picked up a thing or two and if there was ever a right time to put it to use, it was now. "Hold tight, this may or may not hurt," he told her, lowering his hands. One supporting her back and the other sliding in under the crook of her knees, he harnessed his strength and pushed himself up, scooping her clean off the ground. He strode back into the building, laying the girl on the table, away from the dizzying chaos of the Lhavitian streets.

Kahn placed his hands on her face, knowing it was his best bet of getting her attention. He gestured to the horse, shooting the Frostmarch stallion a stern glance before turning his gaze back to the injured girl. "Stay awake. Do not fall asleep, you have to stay conscious; I don't care how tired you are, you are not dying today. Sanshae will keep you awake, don't be afraid of him."

With that he raced out the door, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of medical shops and stalls.

~

[Krisa]

The feeling of weightlessness, and the fluttering of wings about her head, strong hands held her bloody head and the back of her knees, and then lay her down on a flat surface. She didn’t hear much of what he had said when he lifted her. It would be so easy just to sleep. So easy. But Lem would be so disappointed in her when she found out she had given up on her life so easily. She was the one who had spent so much time trying to teach her to overcome her lack of focus, or will, and to concentrate. She could hear her annoying nagging voice in her ear now. “Concentrate, Krissie, like when you’re using the bow. Focus on your target, and don’t let yourself fall into darkness.”

The man’s voice was back, telling her the same thing Lem was. “Llemm jussst ssaid thaatt” She muttered unaware that this would make no sense at all to him. He mentioned a name. Who was he talking about? Was that the sourse of the hot air that kept blowing on her face. It was uncomfortable, and she wanted Sanshae to stop it. Her eyes flickered again to look at the horse. “Pretty…” She told him, even managing to crack her lips into a smile.

Darkness closed over her again. It was so sweet letting her head loll, and her worries disappear. But the horse whinnied into her ear rudely awakening her. She didn’t have the strength to tell the horse off, all she could do was attempt to look at it crossly. Though that probably looked more like a grimace. It had been a while since she’d registered it, but the agonising pain was still there. Maybe she could use it to hold onto. It would be difficult to bare, but the important thing was that it meant she was still alive. So she moved her leg and glass shards dug deeper into her skin. She cried out with pain, but her plan had worked.

If she could feel, she knew she still lived. But now she could feel everything. The agony that her brain had been shielding her from suddenly became known to her all too well. It was excruciating, but it was real

[Chakahn]

On exiting the building he paused, eyes scanning the area thoroughly. He had briefly considered breaking open the large saddle packs that were fastened to Sans's saddle but thought better of it, realising in time that he did not possess the correct currency for this region. Swapping his golden mizas for kinas had been the first thing on his list today. The hefty protests of Mizahar's core had prevented the transaction, rendering him empty-handed for the time being.

Instead of veering away from the heavily populated crowd at the heart of the market, Kahn made a beeline for the centre. His broad physique did little to part the crowd, as Sans's nervous presence had done and he soon found himself struggling keep his footing as man after man careened into his path, knocking him off balance. He grew increasingly agitated, motivating his search even further.

Countless collisions later, his eye caught a deep-green sign that flapped to and fro off one hinge, the other hanging loose, having been blown to smithereens during the tremor. One corner of it was obscured, but he could just make out the silhouettes of various herbs overlapping each other on the sign. Triumphant, he shouldered his way swiftly through the crowd.

Herbs, spices and plants littered the floor of the makeshift apothecary. What supplies had been left intact by the storm had been trampled on mercilessly by blundering townsfolk, significantly reducing their use. He glanced hurriedly around him before crouching down on all fours to get a better view of his choices.
He reached out, sifting through the rubble with his fingers. Dirt stuck under his nails, his fingers closing on a group of withered Leiyona stems. Kahn scowled, tossing the useless, long dead stems to one side. He knew they only grew in summer, so the chance of coming across a new patch of antiseptic wonders equalled zero.

He searched on, completely unaware of the fuming merchant who was glowering down at the man sifting through his hard-found supplies. Kahn's heart leapt as his eye fell on a shelf housing a set of needles and even included stitching string. Heart beating fast, he bent down once more and plucked a handful of Kariino flowers, knowing the sleep tonic would be invaluable to his cause.

Picking up the pace he forced his muscles to enter into a mad dash, almost sprinting through the street back to the grubby, windowless house where the girl with the flaming hair awaited his help. Or, was she? He didn't know if she was too far gone to think about much else than pain, but he had hope. And, soon enough, so would she.

~

[Krisa]

“You’re back…” She recognized as he came thundering inside, arms full of something that looked like herbs. It was a stupid thing o say. After all, he’d left his horse here, and he’d seemed desperate to help her. Another wave of pain that seemed to burn through her entire body followed the comment, making her cry out pitifully. The back of her head hurt the most. If she moved it a fraction it felt as If someone was sawing off her arm. She felt so utterly helpless that tears began to streak down her cheeks.

She couldn’t do this for much longer. Her dulled green eyes closed again and her eyes rolled back in her head. Her mouth was slightly agape as she lay about as mobile as a life-sized doll. Her hair had matted together with the blood, and her arms and legs felt as if they were on fire. Alive, stay alive… just a little longer

The blackness was cloaking her now. She could hear vaguely the world around her, but could see nothing. Her body went completely limp. The only signs that she was still alive was her shallow breathing. In and out, quieter and quieter, she faded.

[Chakahn]

Without breaking stride, Kahn crossed the room and littered the stolen possessions across the table. 'Stealing' wasn't really the right word for it; he'd merely scooped up some crumbled remains that nobody would miss in the heat of things to ensure the girl would stay alive. He shoved the thought to the back of his mind, feeling slightly uncomfortable by the illegal term.

He crossed over the Sanshae, who was clearly confused by the presence of the girl. Kahn reached for the strap binding the saddlebags shut and pulled upwards, his other hand sliding in between the contents and fishing out a wooden bowl and a waterskin. He upended the water container and crumbled a few of the Kariinos into the liquid, shaking it around lightly.

He remembered his lessons, where the importance of talking to the patient and guiding them through the process was emphasized on, so they always knew exactly what was happening. Kahn didn't bother speaking to the girl. It was likely that she wouldn't hear him anyway so he kept his mouth shut and concentrated on the task at hand instead.

Taking her head, he tilted it up and carefully tipped the mixture into her mouth. Whilst waiting for it to work its magic, Kahn moved closer and scanned the wounds thoroughly, removing pieces of embedded glass as gently as possible. Sewing up a wound with foreign material still inside was never an option, so he needed to be absolutely certain that he'd gotten rid of it all before closing the wound.

He reached for the thread and poked it through the eye of the needle. It wasn't performing the stitching that made him anxious; he dreaded losing this girl. He didn't know her, he'd never known her but if she died, she would die as his brother did - in pain, bled out. It was his brother's death and the consequences he was running from here, far from Cyphrus and here he was, in a similar situation all over again. A life in his hands, counting on his actions to save it. Kahn closed his eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling rhythmically.

After what seemed like an age he stood up, somewhat shaky, and flexed. It was down to the waiting now, to see when and indeed if she awoke.

~