THWACK!
Arin's eyes snapped open, the sickening noise still ringing in his mind.
There was also a disorienting roar, echoing painfully in his tender head. All of the blood in his body seemed to be rushing hotly through his vessels, and the desperate drumming of his heart seemed to pound against the walls of his chest with each beat; it was as though his entire body was noisily clamoring – clamoring to prove to him that it was still alive.
He was still alive.
He lay there for a moment, gasping for breath. He could tell that he was lying down on… on a bed? In a dark, cool room, that smelled strongly of melted candlewax. Out in the real world, it was still nighttime.
And Siel? The others –?
Arin tried turning his head to one side. His body didn't obey him.
…It's fine. Take a moment…
As his senses slowly returned to him, Arin started focusing on regulating his breathing – he was still breathing! - trying to calm his racing heartbeat. In a bid to regain some control over his body, he tried wiggling his fingers first, only to suddenly realize his hands were trembling uncontrollably under the covers.
Yeah, no shit, considering what he'd just experienced.
Arin didn't rush it. He knew there was no point. His body – or, well, Rin's body – was just vehemently expressing its utter rejection of what he'd put it through, mere moments before. Fair enough, especially in view of the fact that his own mind and soul seemed to have also joined it in its angry protests.
Still, that guy was definitely going to have to seek out this world's version of blood pressure pills when he got back.
…
After taking in a few more slow, deep breaths, Arin tried moving his fingers again. This time, even though they were still painfully stiff, the trembling had stopped, and he successfully managed to get them to twitch, then curl, and finally, extend outwards.
Repeating the motion, he also began to work on moving his toes and ankles.
And once he overcame the initial stiffness, with every repeated motion, they also started moving just fine.
Well, why wouldn't they?
It had only been in the dream world that his spine had shattered, smashed by the sheer force of his fall, bones cutting sharply through his torn skin –
Arin suddenly felt a strong tremor run along his entire body. The harsh sounds of his sharp gasps sliced through the silence of the darkness. He had to force himself to grit his teeth tightly, and start focusing on gaining control over his breathing, and his body, once again.
…
It had hurt.
It had hurt, dammit!
It had hurt like hell when his stupid bedroom ceiling had fallen on him and crushed him, and it had hurt just the same when he himself had been the one to fall instead.
It hadn't been quick. It hadn't been pretty.
And, just his luck, he'd managed to remember it all; every single detail, right up until the exact moment of his two 'deaths', had remained excruciatingly outlined in his stupid mind for some damned reason.
And. It. Had. HURT!
…
…
…Anger helped.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Arin found himself marveling at how the rage that was bubbling in his chest… helped. While biting back his fury at the unfairness of it all, he was also steadily becoming more awake. More aware. More in control of himself, and his body, and his thoughts.
With one, final, whooshing exhale, he sat up. He'd been lying in a small bed, in what was possibly a spare room somewhere… within the headman's estate. He could tell by the twisted, shriveled lilies that still remained in vases placed around the room.
The sole window of the room had been carefully sealed shut to keep out the cold night air, and his covers, that had now fallen in a soft pile upon his legs, had previously been pulled up all the way to his chin...
…Sir Veylon had probably found both Siel and himself, asleep on the floor of Elara's bedroom, when he'd returned to Silvershade the previous morning. The poor man must've been racked with the grief of their failure. Even then, he must've kindly laid them in spare beds, to helplessly wait for their deaths along with those of the rest of the villagers.
They'd troubled that already harried man far too much. It was time to finally fix things.
Determinedly, Arin rolled out of the bed. He then stumbled slightly towards the left, and hit the shin of his left leg hard against the bedside table with a loud, painful – thud!
He doubled over, and rubbed the area hard through his trousers, whispering curses under his breath.
This wasn't good…
Just two days of starvation and motionlessly lying in bed had already affected even Rin's well-trained body. Would Elara and Lana even be in any state to help them?
…He had to find Siel first.
Straightening over and making his way to the door, Arin threw it open without a care for the noise it would make. He didn't know which room Siel had been given. He didn't waste any time on checking.
The kid was probably in the same state he'd just been, working on getting his body up-and-running again. He'd find him when he was up.
Instead, Arin ran towards the room he knew was Elara's.
He ran down the now-familiar corridor, his sandals slapping loudly against the floorboards, and immediately yanked the door open when he reached it.
'Elara!'
There was no response.
He ran up to the bed, then slowed down somewhat when he saw the sunken, withered appearance of the girl who lay in it.
It was so very strange to see her like this again, as she struggled to breathe, in a body barely kept alive by the efforts of healers. So very strange, after having spent the last couple of days in her company, and having seen the way she once used to be.
'Elara…' he said again, a little more gently. Then, he reached out a hand and gently shook her bony shoulder.
At the same time, there was the sound of footsteps rushing down the corridor, getting louder and louder as the person they belonged to got closer.
The door was yanked open again, and Arin turned his head to see Siel standing at the entrance.
'No one else has been freed from the slumber,' said the boy as he entered. 'It seems lady Elara's escape doesn't directly destroy the dream.'
'We can't be certain of that…' said Arin in a low voice, as Siel walked up to him.
The boy threw him a questioning glance, then looked down at Elara in her bed. 'Lady - …oh.'
Arin ran a hand through his hair, and sighed.
'Lady Elara is still asleep.'