The Trial of Life

[hyurg]

A nasty chill ran through his back as his eyelids fluttered. “Where am I?” he asked. Only a barely audible skittering sound could be heard in the encompassing darkness. Cassius strained to sit up but found himself securely fastened to the metal table. Suddenly spasms made him squirm and writhe in pain like a fish on a hook. His vision slowly faded to nothing as his eyelids slowly drooped over frantically searching eyes. Muscles tightened with pain went slack as quickly as they’d tensed.

“You just don’t learn do you?” A woman’s voice echoed in the chamber. “Well no matter for we’ll soon correct this problem of yours. Perhaps your friends will join us as well.”

Cassius felt a long needle puncture his side a moment before fiery pain spread throughout his limp body. Slowly the darkness claimed his mind as it had his vision moments ago.

[hyurg]

The wisp of a ragged clothed woman floated above him. She now took pleasure in taunting him while he languished in his cell. “How long has it been?” he asked himself silently. Time had slowly lost all meaning he discovered. Suddenly, the ghostlike woman stated, “She won’t save you. No one is going to save you my dear son. Your body belongs to them outside that door and your soul belongs to me.”

Cassius tried to ignore her. He attempted to focus on healing his wounds but to no avail. The ghost cackled maniacally. “Did you really think they’d allow you such power? You’re a bigger fool than your father! No wonder you’ve never made anything of yourself!” she exclaimed. Teeth slowly ground against each other sounding like a millstone. Cassius screamed, “You’re not real! You can’t be real! My mother is at peace!”

The apparition slowly drifted to the floor smiles and grimaces flickering across her face as she silently shuffled her way to him. A chill flashed through his body as she caressed his cheek. “What peace did you give me? How do you know the peace of the grave?” she inquired, “You, who’ve never rested in one with a body as cold as the stone floor of this room.”

Tears gradually began to streak down his face creating rivulets of dirty water from each eye. “You were sick and dying! All of you! What was I to do?” Cassius pleaded as he fell to his knees his joints popping as they struck the floor.

The ghost stood before him with eyes aflame that burned their way into his very being before whispering, “Well flesh of my flesh, some might have resorted to getting a healer rather than run the edge of a blade across our throats.”

[hyurg]

Cassius writhed on his pallet. Quickly, he leaned off to the side and began to regurgitate what little food he had just eaten mixed with blood. As his retching subsided he pondered the events of the past few days. The elf that was brought to see him merely looked down and asked, “So all your behavior has come back on you has it?”

Other words like floated through his mind like leaves in a brisk fall breeze and he felt as though he floated with them. He longed to regain his footing and be rid of the magic that was slowly devouring him. Hate began to seep into his body warming it to a feverish degree. Then she was upon him with caring words and cool cloth. Cassius’ hatred fled to a dark corner of his soul to snarl and wait for surely this red headed deva would eventually give up on him.

[hyurg]

The gaunt faced man stood before Cassius in his cell. “What are you running from?” he asked the priest just before sleep was about to embrace him. Cassius bolted to the barred door and shook it with all his might yelling for the guard but to no avail. The man merely smiled, “Oh I assure you we’re quite alone right now. Wonderful things dreams, they can give you hope or grant you the most terrifying nightmares. Now, what are you running from?”

Cassius closed his eyes and replied, “There is no answer, just let it be. I’m leaving.” With that he began to pinch himself and slap himself anything he could think of to rouse himself from slumber. However, the man shoved him against the wall so hard he felt his ribs begin to compress “No you’re not! You’re not out of here! Do you think I just let people leave my service? You’ve killed how many for me fifty, a hundred, a thousand? You were good at it and I know you liked it! Those people were nothing! That village was nothing to you with me on your side!” the man screamed in rage.

The man picked him up with ease and tossed him onto the ground. Breath left his body as his back collided with the stone floor of his cell. The man sneered, “She gives you hope does she? Well then we’ll just see what the future brings. You’ll see things my way again soon I think.” As darkness overtook his vision he heard a cruel laugh.

[hyurg]

Several days had passed since the gaunt faced man appeared before him. He had known fear but now knew hope and joy. “Fear is no way to live.” Cassius remembered telling Castilla. A smile spread across his face as he heard Castilla’s voice in his mind assure him this wasn’t an ending but a beginning.

“You are doomed mortal,” the voice whispered again as he reminisced, “forsake me and you’ll wish you were dead!”

What had once brought him terror seemed so empty. It was amazing how he’d never realized that until then. Ignoring the voice seemed easy with the joy contained in his heart. Taking the remaining pieces of orange Cassius placed them upon the barrel in his cell and began to pray in earnest to her who had sent him sign after sign. After pronouncing his makeshift prayers he lumbered over to his straw bed and fell fast asleep. There a red haired deva danced and sang freeing his heart and uplifted his soul.

[hyurg]

Slowly Cassius sat up and got off the bed so as not to disturb her. He looked at her knowing what she'd say to him and he closed his eyes tightly remembering everything about her. Then quietly walked over to the desk, wrote a letter, and set it near her on the pillow before leaving and quietly shutting the door behind him.

[hyurg]

A man travels the road back into Suzail. Smiling at all around him on the road he heals any who come near using various bandages, ointments, and herbs. Occassionally a wand gets used on an injured person to help speed up the healing process. After all is said and done when there are no more people in need he moves on into the city to ask the most important question of his life.

[hyurg]

A man is seen walking about Suzail healing all who come to see him for free. He has a nasty cough for a healer and looks sickly. However, he seems kind and always offers a smile and encouragement to those who see him.

[hyurg]

The blood flowed freer with every cough. He did his best to hide it. He didn’t want any to see and not seek him out for healing. After all what kind of healer couldn’t heal themselves? Unfortunately, nobody would really understand and so he continued on wondering every night if he would wake the next day or see his tormenter.

[hyurg]

Cassius worked hard to help the old man overcome the disease with his meager supplies. Suddenly someone whispered in his ear, "Give us all your coin sir or die!" and pressed a knife to his ribs. The old man smirked as he suddenly appeared healthier and pressed a knife to his chest.

He fought to supress a laugh but it came out a violent cough. "I would if I had any real coin to speak of but I'm afraid what little I have buys the supplies I was using on your friend here."

"Then we have no real need of you." the whisper spoke.

A blinding pain flashed as a knife slid between his ribs from behind. As he twisted in pain the knife of the old man glanced off one of his ribs. Somehow he managed to run away bleeding towards a guard and collapsed. Darkness overtook his vision and blessed unconciousness soothed his pain.

[hyurg]

A man armored in shiny burnished plate with a white hood and cloak roams the roads coughing violently. He thinks about how Bentin threw him out of Great Gaunt and how they claimed he was spreading mummy rot. "It's just a cough. That's all", he says to himself and proceeds down the road to the next town where he hopes they'll be more welcoming.