OOM: Elysium or Shephard's quest for an arm.

[brave_kreyu]

Even before the Combine came, Shephard's world had few places left that had never known the touch of men. This forest has no name, for no tribe of wanderers has ever dared to settle here, to harvest the mighty oaks that tower far above his head.

It is nearly noon on Midsummer's day, but little light reaches Shephard and Kreyu down here on the forest floor. The only thing of note in the clearing is a large ring of mushrooms, a formation sometimes called a faerie ring.

Comments

[brave_kreyu]

"That will be well," the Physician replies. "It will take a few minutes for the brew to be ready at the very least."

While Shephard takes off his belt, the Smith straps the arm temporarily into place and Kreyu adds a small amount of her blood to the cauldron.

[hecu_marine]

Shephard can't help but poke at the arm with one finger. It's... there, you know? And shiny. And in a minute it's going to be attached to the rest of him, so he kind of thinks he's entitled to poke it.

Okay, now he'll get his belt in place for biting down. He's done enough for the moment.

[brave_kreyu]

The metal feels oddly warm and smooth under his poking, for the record. (It LOOKS like silver, but that can't possibly be what it actually IS.)

Once Shephard has firmly bit down on his belt, the Physician lowers his arm and its metal hand into the bubbling cauldron.

It might be most accurate to say that the binding process feels exactly like having the arm cut off, only backward. The damaged bones and tissues of the flesh portion of that arm are being activated all at once and they are very unhappy about it.

[hecu_marine]

Maripyaipok's people, the Satere-Mawe, have an adulthood ritual that involves being bitten repeatedly by the most painful insects on Earth for a period of two hours, during which time the person being bitten is not allowed to make a sound or flinch. They've got another that involves the same silence when bitten by a venomous headcrab. Mari has said he'll be first in line to join the Marines if Shephard goes through the ant rite.

This? This is a rehearsal. Fuck it to absolute fucking utter shitfucking hell this is a dress rehearsal.

[brave_kreyu]

Possibly a very good dress rehearsal.

Once the agony dies down, it feels just like having his flesh and blood arm back.

He can feel the liquid sloshing against the metal arm, feel the heat of the brew, feel those fingers relaxing their tight grip as the last of the pain departs. It weighs no more than flesh and bone did, and moves no less easily or fluidly than his other arm that is fully flesh.

[hecu_marine]

He's sweating, and he's got a lot of it in his eyes, so he's not going to look at first. He's just going to lift it out and wriggle the fingers a little while he blinks the sweat away.

And then, because even he is entitled to a pun or two once in a while, he's going to throw up the horns with it... it is, after all, metal.

[brave_kreyu]

Shephard, you have two fey and a dragon looking at you with faintly confused expressions.

"It seems to work well," Kreyu finally says with a smile. "Is this so?"

[hecu_marine]

He hastily straightens out all the fingers.

"Yeah," he says a little hoarsely as he spits out the belt and catches it in his lap. "Yeah- it works just fine. Y'all did some damn fine work, here."

[brave_kreyu]

Both of the fey brothers look pleased at that pronouncement.

"It is yours for as long as you live," the Smith begins, "but upon your death to Elysium it must return."

[hecu_marine]

Shephard nods. "I'll find somebody to do it for me," he says. "One way or another."

He'll probably make a point of getting some ink to that effect on the part of the arm that's still meat, below the Corps bulldog. Just in case.

[brave_kreyu]

"I will make that journey if need be, when the time comes," Kreyu promises.

Kreyu glances at the sunlight visible through the doorway. "We've light enough to make it back home, unless I miss my guess."

Somehow, she doubts Shephard wants to spend another night in Faerie.

The Physician smiles. "You need not worry about what light remains, I expect the smithy door will lead you where you wish to go now that your business here is concluded."

[hecu_marine]

"If that's the case," Shephard says, "I won't waste no more of your time, sirs. Thank you all again."

It's a bit of a relief to be able to salute properly once more.

[brave_kreyu]

The two fae nod in acknowledgement of the gesture. "Fare you well, warrior," the Smith states. "Fare you well, warrior," says the Physician.

Through the smithy door lies Milliways with its usual sights and sounds...