Acroste had left some time after I'd punched him. I'd fallen asleep again not too long after that.
My dreams were murky, with things I never wanted to see again. I fought to rise out of the slumber, but I was only pushed further in to that dark cloud.
I couldn't move as I was forced to relive what had happened, again and again.
Dae, lying there in a pool of blood. The old cleric, in his hands a see-through fetus the size of my palm. The rest of the crowd, saddened by these terrible events.
Dae's sightless hazel eyes stared straight at me. My heart caught in my throat as everyone turned towards me, their collective voice accusatory and low.
"You did this."
No! I didn't! I wanted to scream as they all surged towards me, seeking mob justice.
"Kloss! Hey, Kloss! Wake up!"
I was being shaken and was abruptly thrown out of that dream world. I sniffed as I regained my senses, and Acroste, who'd been shaking me, backed off. "Thank goodness. You were having a nightmare."
"No shit." I wiped at my eyes, not looking at him, instead choosing to focus on a dainty lily on the road. "It's none of your business."
"Mm. Of course not." Something creaked - a chair? - as he sat down in it. "You can tell me about it, y'know."
"I JUST said it was none of your business! I don't need to tell you anything!" I threw a pillow in his general direction. I didn't turn to look, but the delayed pomph on the ground told me I'd missed.
Acroste chuckled. "Whatever you say. They made you put your arm up?"
He referred to the fact that my injured arm now dangled in some kind of metal cast, from my elbow to my wrist. It also dangled from the ceiling from a thin wire.
"It was those invisible nurses." I finally turned to him. He had a pouch pressed against his chin. At my confused look, he tossed it at me.
"It's a cold pack," he informed me, as I caught it with my right hand. Something trickled off the pouch and down my arm - water? "It chills things, reduces bruises. You were almost in a full-body one."
I chucked it back at him. "I wasn't hurt throughout my entire body, though. Just my arm and..possibly my rib." Most of my pain had already died down, but there was still a slight ache in my left arm.
"Your rib? There was no damage there when we examined you.." As he caught it, his tone became thoughtful and he stared outside. "Maybe we missed something..?"
"I hit a tree pretty hard, but that's neither here nor there." I shifted somewhat where I sat on the bed. Glancing out the window, I tried to focus on something other than wherever I was. Acroste hadn't said. I winced as the sun filtered through the leaves into my eyes and looked away.
He was looking at me again, scanning me in that peculiar way he had yesterday. He met my gaze. "Something wrong?"
"Yeah. Why are you looking at me like that?" I hugged a pillow, hunching over the best I could with only one arm available. My lifted one swung slightly.
"Couldn't tell you. It's just..I don't know. I never thought we'd have a Full Blood, just lying here in our infirmary." That small smile was back. "It's always the odd nick or scrape. I'm always here, patching everyone up, if I'm not weeding or pruning the fruit trees."
"Full Blood? You mean, human? That's not something I can control..besides that, are you the cleric here? The healer?" I tilted my head somewhat.
"Yes, human. We can control that, you know. But I hate the fact that we can. And I'm willing to bet the March will want to talk to you." He exhaled, his formerly green eyes deepening to charcoal. "Be careful with them. Don't agree to anything."
"The March? Also, you're giving a lot more questions than you're answering, Acroste." Interested, I leaned forward some. "What makes you so much different from anyone else here?"
He smiled, leaning on the back of the chair. "Okay. When I was younger, I showed interest in learning medicine, which got me to where I am today. I know the ins and outs of this place, every topical treatment and all the chemical treatments we use. I know where everything is. I'm mainly the one that set your broken arm and fixed everything else wrong with you at the time. You'll be fine to leave tomorrow, I think, and will probably be given a room to stay in in one of the housing halls. That is, if the March allows it."
His eyes narrowed. "They're the ones that rule this place. Silvest, they call it. It looks like a paradise, but it's really not. Amande is the one you want to avoid - he's the head 'scientist', but that mostly means he works with DNA and things of that nature. He manipulates things to see how they'll turn out, which means you too." He studied me again. "No one's ever experimented on you. They'll try and use you, see what they can do on a blank slate."
"'Use me'? Make me run and jump? Things like that? That's not so bad.."
"No, Kloss. They'll unravel you and change everything. You won't wake up the same way you fell asleep." He held his arm out in front of him, looking over it. "I wasn't as unlucky as you are. I popped out of the womb like this, I never knew anything different." His gaze slid back to meet mine. His face was distraught and his eyes were entirely black. "Kloss..You don't deserve that. At all."
I felt like I was going to throw up. I blanched, putting my hand over my mouth. He rose in alarm but sat down as I waved a hand. "I'm alright. Just..sickened. How could someone do that to someone else?! To anyone?!"
"I don't know, Kloss, I don't know." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You should try to escape. People have done it before, but they were Asiid, like me. Changed. They're legends around here, all those that have gone. Lorraine, Rosien, Yomichi.." His tone became wistful and his eyes reflected that in a dark gold.
"I..if that's what they're going to do to me, I need to get out of here. But how?! Oh, by the gods, I would've been better off in town.." I leaned back against the pillows, covering my eyes with my free hand. "It's too bright here..I'm going to get changed, unraveled..at least, back in home, they would've just killed me then and there.."
Acroste didn't speak for a few seconds. "Killed you? Why?"
"They..they think I killed my girlfriend..! They think I beat her until she miscarried, but I never touched her!" The words came out in a slew. A messy, sloppy one, My breath caught in my throat as everything came rushing back. "I loved Dae. Why would I hurt her?" Then the tears came in a rush and everything that came with a meltdown. "I..loved..her.." The words were parted by ugly sobs.
"I.." The blonde trailed off, distraught again. I couldn't even see him, not in this state. I heard the screech of the chair being grated against the floor as he moved himself and the chair; where he moved to, I didn't know, until I felt his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Kloss."
"Don't be..you shouldn't have to see me like this.." My hiccups interrupted my speech. "Agh..I hate this.."
"Hush. Just let it out." His voice was comforting, soothing against my ear. He reminded me of a mother cat, somewhat. Acroste rubbed my shoulder and my back as I slowly calmed down.
My sobs died down ever so slowly, and my hiccups gradually faded too. I hadn't realized it, but I'd been leaning against Acroste kind of hard, and as soon as I noticed. He pulled back too.
"I'm sorry," I said, sniffing. I wiped at my nose, trying to rid myself of the snot. "I hardly know you, and I just cried into your shirt.."
"Don't worry about it, Kloss. It's natural." He gave me a warm smile. "It was my fault for prying. I'm the one who should be sorry."
"Acroste, thank you, so much.." I swallowed, clearing my throat. I hadn't noticed before, but the room was slowly growing darker. "What time is it?"
"I'm not sure. Definitely time for you to sleep. I'll bring you food in the morning," he responded, looking out the window. "You'll need your sleep."
I nodded slightly. "Thank you.."
He smiled at me again as he left the room, closing the door with a soft click. The room was quiet after he'd gone.
I wasn't at home anymore, not in Belund. I was in Silvest, wherever that was. Dae..Dae was dead. The guardsmen wanted me dead. And now, I'm here. An infirmary bed, cared for by someone who warned me of the future.
The world had changed, so, so quickly.
My dreams were murky, with things I never wanted to see again. I fought to rise out of the slumber, but I was only pushed further in to that dark cloud.
I couldn't move as I was forced to relive what had happened, again and again.
Dae, lying there in a pool of blood. The old cleric, in his hands a see-through fetus the size of my palm. The rest of the crowd, saddened by these terrible events.
Dae's sightless hazel eyes stared straight at me. My heart caught in my throat as everyone turned towards me, their collective voice accusatory and low.
"You did this."
No! I didn't! I wanted to scream as they all surged towards me, seeking mob justice.
"Kloss! Hey, Kloss! Wake up!"
I was being shaken and was abruptly thrown out of that dream world. I sniffed as I regained my senses, and Acroste, who'd been shaking me, backed off. "Thank goodness. You were having a nightmare."
"No shit." I wiped at my eyes, not looking at him, instead choosing to focus on a dainty lily on the road. "It's none of your business."
"Mm. Of course not." Something creaked - a chair? - as he sat down in it. "You can tell me about it, y'know."
"I JUST said it was none of your business! I don't need to tell you anything!" I threw a pillow in his general direction. I didn't turn to look, but the delayed pomph on the ground told me I'd missed.
Acroste chuckled. "Whatever you say. They made you put your arm up?"
He referred to the fact that my injured arm now dangled in some kind of metal cast, from my elbow to my wrist. It also dangled from the ceiling from a thin wire.
"It was those invisible nurses." I finally turned to him. He had a pouch pressed against his chin. At my confused look, he tossed it at me.
"It's a cold pack," he informed me, as I caught it with my right hand. Something trickled off the pouch and down my arm - water? "It chills things, reduces bruises. You were almost in a full-body one."
I chucked it back at him. "I wasn't hurt throughout my entire body, though. Just my arm and..possibly my rib." Most of my pain had already died down, but there was still a slight ache in my left arm.
"Your rib? There was no damage there when we examined you.." As he caught it, his tone became thoughtful and he stared outside. "Maybe we missed something..?"
"I hit a tree pretty hard, but that's neither here nor there." I shifted somewhat where I sat on the bed. Glancing out the window, I tried to focus on something other than wherever I was. Acroste hadn't said. I winced as the sun filtered through the leaves into my eyes and looked away.
He was looking at me again, scanning me in that peculiar way he had yesterday. He met my gaze. "Something wrong?"
"Yeah. Why are you looking at me like that?" I hugged a pillow, hunching over the best I could with only one arm available. My lifted one swung slightly.
"Couldn't tell you. It's just..I don't know. I never thought we'd have a Full Blood, just lying here in our infirmary." That small smile was back. "It's always the odd nick or scrape. I'm always here, patching everyone up, if I'm not weeding or pruning the fruit trees."
"Full Blood? You mean, human? That's not something I can control..besides that, are you the cleric here? The healer?" I tilted my head somewhat.
"Yes, human. We can control that, you know. But I hate the fact that we can. And I'm willing to bet the March will want to talk to you." He exhaled, his formerly green eyes deepening to charcoal. "Be careful with them. Don't agree to anything."
"The March? Also, you're giving a lot more questions than you're answering, Acroste." Interested, I leaned forward some. "What makes you so much different from anyone else here?"
He smiled, leaning on the back of the chair. "Okay. When I was younger, I showed interest in learning medicine, which got me to where I am today. I know the ins and outs of this place, every topical treatment and all the chemical treatments we use. I know where everything is. I'm mainly the one that set your broken arm and fixed everything else wrong with you at the time. You'll be fine to leave tomorrow, I think, and will probably be given a room to stay in in one of the housing halls. That is, if the March allows it."
His eyes narrowed. "They're the ones that rule this place. Silvest, they call it. It looks like a paradise, but it's really not. Amande is the one you want to avoid - he's the head 'scientist', but that mostly means he works with DNA and things of that nature. He manipulates things to see how they'll turn out, which means you too." He studied me again. "No one's ever experimented on you. They'll try and use you, see what they can do on a blank slate."
"'Use me'? Make me run and jump? Things like that? That's not so bad.."
"No, Kloss. They'll unravel you and change everything. You won't wake up the same way you fell asleep." He held his arm out in front of him, looking over it. "I wasn't as unlucky as you are. I popped out of the womb like this, I never knew anything different." His gaze slid back to meet mine. His face was distraught and his eyes were entirely black. "Kloss..You don't deserve that. At all."
I felt like I was going to throw up. I blanched, putting my hand over my mouth. He rose in alarm but sat down as I waved a hand. "I'm alright. Just..sickened. How could someone do that to someone else?! To anyone?!"
"I don't know, Kloss, I don't know." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You should try to escape. People have done it before, but they were Asiid, like me. Changed. They're legends around here, all those that have gone. Lorraine, Rosien, Yomichi.." His tone became wistful and his eyes reflected that in a dark gold.
"I..if that's what they're going to do to me, I need to get out of here. But how?! Oh, by the gods, I would've been better off in town.." I leaned back against the pillows, covering my eyes with my free hand. "It's too bright here..I'm going to get changed, unraveled..at least, back in home, they would've just killed me then and there.."
Acroste didn't speak for a few seconds. "Killed you? Why?"
"They..they think I killed my girlfriend..! They think I beat her until she miscarried, but I never touched her!" The words came out in a slew. A messy, sloppy one, My breath caught in my throat as everything came rushing back. "I loved Dae. Why would I hurt her?" Then the tears came in a rush and everything that came with a meltdown. "I..loved..her.." The words were parted by ugly sobs.
"I.." The blonde trailed off, distraught again. I couldn't even see him, not in this state. I heard the screech of the chair being grated against the floor as he moved himself and the chair; where he moved to, I didn't know, until I felt his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Kloss."
"Don't be..you shouldn't have to see me like this.." My hiccups interrupted my speech. "Agh..I hate this.."
"Hush. Just let it out." His voice was comforting, soothing against my ear. He reminded me of a mother cat, somewhat. Acroste rubbed my shoulder and my back as I slowly calmed down.
My sobs died down ever so slowly, and my hiccups gradually faded too. I hadn't realized it, but I'd been leaning against Acroste kind of hard, and as soon as I noticed. He pulled back too.
"I'm sorry," I said, sniffing. I wiped at my nose, trying to rid myself of the snot. "I hardly know you, and I just cried into your shirt.."
"Don't worry about it, Kloss. It's natural." He gave me a warm smile. "It was my fault for prying. I'm the one who should be sorry."
"Acroste, thank you, so much.." I swallowed, clearing my throat. I hadn't noticed before, but the room was slowly growing darker. "What time is it?"
"I'm not sure. Definitely time for you to sleep. I'll bring you food in the morning," he responded, looking out the window. "You'll need your sleep."
I nodded slightly. "Thank you.."
He smiled at me again as he left the room, closing the door with a soft click. The room was quiet after he'd gone.
I wasn't at home anymore, not in Belund. I was in Silvest, wherever that was. Dae..Dae was dead. The guardsmen wanted me dead. And now, I'm here. An infirmary bed, cared for by someone who warned me of the future.
The world had changed, so, so quickly.
Comments
Log in or register to post comments.