OOM: All Skate Skellig Dream Magic Weirdness? -Part Two

[brave_kreyu]

Kreyu intended to dance in the sky with Skellig the very next day, but events have conspired to prevent that from occurring. A raid on the village by former soldiers meant many wounded to heal and much damage to fix. Akatan's sister, Neferet, has a definite crush, an infatuation, with Skellig. She hasn't done anything but look and exchange some friendly words, but it still makes her brother FURIOUS.

For all that Euripedes was from a different time and place, a line he had Medea speak in the play of the same name still rings true: "I would rather stand three times in the line of battle than once bear a child." Even with Kreyu's magic, with Taweret's skill, childbirth is incredibly dangerous. There are reasons why Taweret's goddess image of She Who Is Great has elements of the hippo, the lion, and the crocodile, a fearsome appearance to drive off the many threats facing a woman giving birth. The second birth in a week began this morning and was still going on when the sun began to set. Not a good sign.

Skellig, trying to burn off nervous energy while Kreyu was working, happened across a few of the village men drinking. They said things about Kreyu they should not have said. That he was FEEDING on Kreyu, drinking her blood. There...may have been a fight. At least they don't think he's a demon anymore, you can't give a demon a black eye in a brawl with your fists!

It is truly night now, and Skellig can hear Kreyu's tired footsteps on the road...

(OOC: Warning for explicit adult content starting around tag 194.)

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[brave_kreyu]

She works on the concoction to help him sleep.

"But you did not," Taweret says, attempting to offer some comfort. "The nightmare did not become waking truth, WILL not."

This tea is far less bitter than what Kreyu drank what might feel like a lifetime ago, when she hands it to him.

[27_53]

"No, it will not." Skellig cocks his head slightly to the side and listens closely to Kreyu's body. "She is...stable."

Healing better than he had expected, actually. Taking the tea from her, he allows the warmth seeping into his hands from the mug to ground him (briefly, he is reminded of the feeling of Kreyu's blood coating his hands, how hot it was on his skin) and bring him back to the present, to this space.

Where they are both safe.

He drinks readily - even if it was bitter and he had to choke it down, he is so very done with this day.

[brave_kreyu]

Taweret smiles softly. "Sleep well dear."

Kreyu's body is warm, familiar, as he crawls into bed. She turns a little, reaches out to him, even if she doesn't wake. Some part of her KNOWS he is there, wants to be as close as she can.

[27_53]

Skellig is grateful for the familiar in this moment, in this space. And it is not long after he has curled up carefully around her, and drawn the blanket up to cover them both that he is asleep, the combination of exhaustion and just whatever was in that tea helping to make it solid and soundless.

He does not dream, and it is a blessing.

[brave_kreyu]

He wakes, many, MANY hours later to his body tangled up with Kreyu's. She sleeps still, breathing deep and even.

He can hear Taweret snoring quietly in her chair. Heqet and her child have gone, must have recovered enough while he was asleep to go home.

[27_53]

As he wakes, he initially tries to extend his senses to beyond the walls of Taweret's home but everything is so very, very wrong and off-kilter, suddenly nauseating - so he quickly pulls himself back into the space of just one room, focus sharpening to simply Kreyu's heartbeat.

It will take awhile before he can do anything more than listen to just her.

He knows Kreyu is still asleep (and Taweret as well) so he does not speak, simply curls up and reaches a hand to place upon her chest. He can hear her heart, but he needs to feel it, too. Ensure this isn't some illusion, that he hasn't lost her to Death after all.

[brave_kreyu]

Her heart is strong under his hand, the most real thing in the world right now. As he feels it under his hand, her heart speeds up, headed toward waking.

Her eyes are violet when they open. "Skellig," she says, voice raspy. She's so HUNGRY. Hungry as she hasn't been since she last incarnated. She'll need to hunt large prey, SOON.

[27_53]

The relief that washes over him when she wakes and speaks his name is nearly palpable, and he presses his hand firmer against her chest.

"Kreyu, my love. I'm right here."

[brave_kreyu]

She puts her hand over his on her heart. "I should have died," she says quietly. "You must have paid dearly to keep me." There's concern in her eyes for him, for his well being.

"I have not been this ravenous since I last incarnated. I will need to hunt soon, for far larger prey than this area can provide."

[27_53]

"I am not hurt," he says quickly, noticing the look in her eyes.

When she mentions hunting prey, his expression shifts slightly, but it is moreso concern for her trying to let that part of her soul out so soon. But he understands hunger. He glances at Taweret.

"She sleeps, and would likely protest if we left without waking her," he adds. "But I'm sure she would understand."

She still might protest Kreyu getting out of bed anytime soon, but it is what it is.

[brave_kreyu]

"Can wait, until morning," Kreyu decides. The sun is setting, now. "The great singers in the sea, the whales, one of those would be best."

"My mate's ears can help me find my prey." She looks pleased at that.

[27_53]

That is not the prey he had been considering when she said 'large', and he manages somehow to keep his expression neutral. But it makes sense, given what she said about needing to feed.

Also, dragon.

"Your mate will do so, come morning."

He is happy to curl up with her again and fall back asleep, this time there are dreams but they are mostly full of Light. Darkness does creep into some of them, but he merely holds her tighter when it does.

It is sometime in the early morning when he wakes again, to the sounds of someone - Taweret - moving in the space. Perhaps feeding the fire, or preparing more tea.

[brave_kreyu]

"Good morning dear, did you sleep well?" Taweret asks.

Kreyu starts to stir at the sound of Tawerets' voice, and his own awakening.

"Hello, Taweret," she says. The relief on the midwife's face is palpable.

"Good morning, dear. I am relieved to see you awake."

[27_53]

Skellig merely mutters something that sounds like 'morning', though it's hard to be exactly sure - an acknowledgement of being awake, paired with a pained groan. He rolls himself over, burying his head under the nearest pillow - possibly also into Kreyu's body. He's not exactly sure. He also doesn't care.

Everything hurts.

(Even with the faint traces of dragon blood still in his veins, the amount of energy he expended yesterday - mostly in his fight to beat back Death, to keep her from drowning - and the mental fortitude he had to call upon to stay sane...)

This morning is going to be a struggle. He weakly slings an arm around her, trying to hide his eyes.

[brave_kreyu]

"Skellig?" she asks, concerned, afraid, her heart speeding up.

Taweret makes a soothing noise. "The aftereffects of yesterday, nothing dreadful." She decides that Skellig needs beer, starts pouring him some more.

Kreyu's blood is still in the bucket, still un-clotted, as it was when he retched it up. Some lingering effect of what he did, perhaps, since it's certainly not natural!

Kreyu holds him close, blocks the sun from his eyes.

[27_53]

"Just...just need a minute."

(It feels as if the entire room is spinning in circles, the bed tilted at an awkward angle, perhaps even trying to walk out the door of its own volition with them held captive within it.)

His ears are ringing and he can't hear and even just the thought of movement makes him even more dizzy, so he presses his face into her body and holds tight to her, until the worst of the nausea and unsteadiness fades. The ringing in his ears eventually does as well, and he can feel her hand gently stroking over the back of his neck, refocusing on her heartbeat.

"Just...very dizzy."

Opening his eyes slowly, he looks for her (he knows she's right there, and she's looking at him, worried) and offers a weak smile.

"You've got me."

[brave_kreyu]

"I've got you," she echoes. His feathers are still woven into her hair, plastered to her body.

Tawaret coughs to get their attention as she finishes pouring the beer. "A drink might help," she offers.

[27_53]

"Drink...drink will definitely help."

It takes him a moment to right himself on the bed so he's at least sitting upright in it, and against the headboard for balance - the beer is taken as soon as he's sure he's not going to fall over.

He is still so very thirsty, but he forces himself not to down it all at once. He pauses to look over her form, feathers stuck to her skin. It takes serious willpower to force his mind to block out the images of blood pouring from her wounds, her bleeding out under his hands, but he manages.

Another drink.

[brave_kreyu]

Taweret has another drink ready for him when he finishes the first. It's almost like she's done this before.

"This many feathers," Kreyu says quietly. "You didn't damage yourself to give them to me, did you?"

[27_53]

Skellig carefully shakes his head, trading out mugs and sipping from the second with less urgency.

"No, my wings are fine." They might not be the prettiest, currently - he actually hasn't bothered to even check what they look like, since he got back. "I was still able to fly quite easily last night, after I left here."

[brave_kreyu]

"I'm glad," she replies. "Especially since you're likely to need them again soon."

She doesn't ask why he left, what happened to Akatan. Knowing what she knows of him, she can imagine only one reason and one response to what happened last night.

[27_53]

One downside of rapidly downing a mug and a half of beer, plus not getting out of bed for nearly a full day...he really has to pee, and he knows there is a place to do so outside. It is with great effort that he forces himself to his feet, balance wavering slightly - not unlike her attempt to stand after washing her legs...was that merely two nights before?

It feels like an eternity.

Sarcastically: "I should be fine...so long as I can walk first."

His kilt is covered in blood - most of it Kreyu's, but a bit of Akatan's as well - dried mud, grass stains, and probably some other things that he needs to ignore. He looks at himself, then to Taweret.

"Is there any chance you have another length of linen?"

[brave_kreyu]

Taweret nods. "I do, just a moment."

She fetches a length of linen. "This will do," she says. "Do you need help getting dressed?"

[27_53]

Skellig considers this offer briefly, before politely shaking his head.

"I do not tie the finest knots," he replies. "But Kreyu can vouch for me that I can manage well-enough on my own."

However, he does not bother to hide his body as he works the bloodied fabric off - though he does turn his back, more out of habit than anything else. (Kreyu will notice his hands struggling slightly with the folds, fingers stiff from overuse.)

[brave_kreyu]

She shifts in the bed, moves to reach him. "Let me help, please?" she asks.