Spring 8, 516 AV
This was going to hurt.
Ever since Sayana had been given her mark, her six-lined ‘X’, embroidered into her flesh by the Seamstress, she had considered if and how she was going to remove it. At first the red stitching had rung with beautiful symbolism, seeing her own mark sewn into her flesh. That is, after it no longer burned in pain with every breath. But it was also a point of identification. In Alvadas among the zith there, it didn’t matter so much. However, now that she was on board a ship back to Syliras, she wasn’t sure if she wanted such a keen mark of identification. She could hide it with a scarf or a high cut top, and of course her six arms and rich brown skin identified her quite plainly for who she was, but there was something about the striking red thread that stood out just that much more.
The Eypharian sat in the ship’s cabin near a window and in front of a mirror. In one hand she held a needle and in another she held one of her smaller daggers. It would have been less painful to have done the deed before the stitching healed upon her chest. It might have left scars, but this time she knew for sure it would leave scars. What was better, red embroidery or pale white scars? She knew the answer, but she still lingered, staring at herself in the mirror.
To one side was her healer’s kit with several bandages at the ready. She had also boiled up vyfox leaves in a tea and even added some connal to help her sleep once the deed was done. There were some crushed vyfox flowers and some krolar paste at the ready to apply with the bandages.
She took a breath and raised the dagger. Wait. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to get her resolve back, but there was something else she needed to do before proceeding. She removed her top so that her torso was bare. The sea air was chilly upon her skin but that was the least of her concerns. Then she took a clean bandage, folded it, and twisted into a roll. At last she shoved the fabric into her mouth.
Sayana could feel her heart pounding in anticipation. Almost absently she wondered if it would make her bleed all the more quickly. With another deep breath, she lined up her dagger with precision upon her smooth brown skin, as near as she could get to the first line of red embroidery.
As blood broke upon the surface of her skin, her initial gasp was muffled by the cloth in her mouth. Deeper, it had to go deeper. She pushed the dagger harder upon her flesh feeling the fire burn where the blade dug in. She clamped her teeth down hard upon the bandage, and in mere ticks blood was dripping down her chest. Panting hard she tried to keep herself calm despite the pain that washed over her.
She lifted up the needle now and she tried to open the fresh wound so she could pick away at the thread buried deep within her flesh. Sayana gave a muffled yelp as she pulled her skin open and began reaching in with the needle. Blood now covered her hands, and what had once been a very visible and obvious red line, was now obscured by the bleeding of her wound. She picked and pried, her eyes beginning to water as she struggled to keep going. For a moment she felt something tug nastily within her flesh. Then she realized she had reached the scarlet thread. With a few more tugs, she tried to loosen the thread. It felt like it was squirming within her very soul. Using a free hand, she slid her thumb into her wound and pinched the thread between thumb and finger.
The pain escalated several fold as she sobbed into the cloth in her mouth. Slowly she began to pull at the thread, afraid that if she yanked it then it might break. It was excruciating and by the time it had come out, she was a bloody mess and trembling all over.
One done, two more to go.
This was going to hurt.
Ever since Sayana had been given her mark, her six-lined ‘X’, embroidered into her flesh by the Seamstress, she had considered if and how she was going to remove it. At first the red stitching had rung with beautiful symbolism, seeing her own mark sewn into her flesh. That is, after it no longer burned in pain with every breath. But it was also a point of identification. In Alvadas among the zith there, it didn’t matter so much. However, now that she was on board a ship back to Syliras, she wasn’t sure if she wanted such a keen mark of identification. She could hide it with a scarf or a high cut top, and of course her six arms and rich brown skin identified her quite plainly for who she was, but there was something about the striking red thread that stood out just that much more.
The Eypharian sat in the ship’s cabin near a window and in front of a mirror. In one hand she held a needle and in another she held one of her smaller daggers. It would have been less painful to have done the deed before the stitching healed upon her chest. It might have left scars, but this time she knew for sure it would leave scars. What was better, red embroidery or pale white scars? She knew the answer, but she still lingered, staring at herself in the mirror.
To one side was her healer’s kit with several bandages at the ready. She had also boiled up vyfox leaves in a tea and even added some connal to help her sleep once the deed was done. There were some crushed vyfox flowers and some krolar paste at the ready to apply with the bandages.
She took a breath and raised the dagger. Wait. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to get her resolve back, but there was something else she needed to do before proceeding. She removed her top so that her torso was bare. The sea air was chilly upon her skin but that was the least of her concerns. Then she took a clean bandage, folded it, and twisted into a roll. At last she shoved the fabric into her mouth.
Sayana could feel her heart pounding in anticipation. Almost absently she wondered if it would make her bleed all the more quickly. With another deep breath, she lined up her dagger with precision upon her smooth brown skin, as near as she could get to the first line of red embroidery.
As blood broke upon the surface of her skin, her initial gasp was muffled by the cloth in her mouth. Deeper, it had to go deeper. She pushed the dagger harder upon her flesh feeling the fire burn where the blade dug in. She clamped her teeth down hard upon the bandage, and in mere ticks blood was dripping down her chest. Panting hard she tried to keep herself calm despite the pain that washed over her.
She lifted up the needle now and she tried to open the fresh wound so she could pick away at the thread buried deep within her flesh. Sayana gave a muffled yelp as she pulled her skin open and began reaching in with the needle. Blood now covered her hands, and what had once been a very visible and obvious red line, was now obscured by the bleeding of her wound. She picked and pried, her eyes beginning to water as she struggled to keep going. For a moment she felt something tug nastily within her flesh. Then she realized she had reached the scarlet thread. With a few more tugs, she tried to loosen the thread. It felt like it was squirming within her very soul. Using a free hand, she slid her thumb into her wound and pinched the thread between thumb and finger.
The pain escalated several fold as she sobbed into the cloth in her mouth. Slowly she began to pull at the thread, afraid that if she yanked it then it might break. It was excruciating and by the time it had come out, she was a bloody mess and trembling all over.
One done, two more to go.
