Fantasy Farewell to Kings: Elide’s Tale

[Jodyguru]

When she grabbed the man, she felt a pain in her brain, as if she was being connected with him.
She saw a forest, and heard heavy breathing. A bear was chasing him through the woods. His arms were covered in scrapes and scars. They were similar to the marks she saw on Bart’s arms.
The man pushed and pushed, resisting her magical pull. He couldn’t move forward or backward, and Tess could approach him. She made him turn his head.
His eyes were wide and placid, like he was under some kind of hypnosis. He spoke, but his voice was dry, tiny, and lifeless.
“Watch ouuut-t” he groaned and started walking again.

 

[A Play On Words]

She gasped and pressed a hand to her forehead at the sensation. Elide turned and looked down at the man. "Bart?" She asked, her voice near a whisper, not believing what she was seeing.
Could this really be him? How long had she been trapped in the trance, that would send him to this state?

 

[Jodyguru]

Tess pulled her hand away and looked at Elide.
“What’s happened? He’s acting like a zombie. I’ve seen Bart show signs of trauma before but nothing like that. It’s like he’s seeing the war again.”

She stood there for a moment, reflecting on the awful war that she and Bart fought in. It was bloody, and the coin wasn’t what was promised. Some folk drank their memories away, some moved on, some never left the battlefield.

 

[A Play On Words]

She reached out to him, trying to identify the link they had. The aether found him and she spoke to his mind, in hopes in getting past the walls of confusion and haze. "Bart... Bardlay. Is that you?"

 

[Jodyguru]

The link she tapped into was leading into Bart’s subconscious. She was seeing things that were affecting Bart greatly. A brutal battle between men riding horses, impalements, draw and quartering, executions, just the worst things a person could live through. A literal hell on earth.

His mouth moved without speaking. She wasn’t deaf this time.
“Bardlay... run! Run as fast as you-ARRUUUGGGHHH”
Bart took off like a bolt of lightning into the crowd. Tess jerked and followed in pursuit. People got knocked clear and away when the barbarian hit them with his arms. He was fast and strong like a speeding freight train, and he took off into an alley between buildings.

 

[A Play On Words]

Elide shook her head free from the link before racing after him, stumbling over her feet as she tried to keep up. Her head felt like lead atop a body of sticks. Elide let herself fall to her knees as she stared at the dirt ground below her.

 

[Jodyguru]

Tess stopped, going back towards Elide. “Tired? I saw you using spells to connect to him. What did you see?” It looked like the girl was exhausted. Bart escaped down an alley, but the way he was running meant he was gonna tire out quickly.

 

[A Play On Words]

"A battle...And they told him to run..." She said quietly as she stared at her hands.

 

[Jodyguru]

Tess closed her eyes. There was pain in those words. “He was remembering the fall of Cartagen, our base of operation. I curse those memories with all my heart. I think I know where Bart went. Can you walk?”

 

[A Play On Words]

"I-I think" She murmured, calling to the aether to aid her walk, knowing if she were to use her powers more she could lose control and turn back into the beast she dreaded.
A small part of her begged for her to change and bring upon the pain she felt onto everyone else, but she couldn't let herself break free now.

 

[Jodyguru]

Tess helped her up, but she didn’t seem stable. “Oh, you’re just as bad as he is. You should be taking it easy and resting but instead are running all over creation. No wonder you can hardly stand. Here...” she crouched down and offered to lift Elide onto her back so she could rest.

 

[A Play On Words]

"Thank you" She managed before allowing herself to be carried, feeling sleep call out to her in a soft lullaby.

 

[Jodyguru]

Tess wasn’t much taller than Eli so her carrying the girl seemed a tad silly, yet effective. Most people thought they were celebrating the night. They went down the same alley as Bart, only to emerge on the other side into a back alley where there wasn’t much but garbage cans and a couple discarded wagons. It was on one of these wagons they’d find Bart sitting upright with legs crossed. He had the gait of a child waiting for someone to give him a ride.
“Oh Bart... you silly fool.” Tess set Eli down. “What’s gotten into you?”

“It’s my turn to feed the baby.” Bart said, looking straight ahead and speaking to someone who wasn’t there.

 

[A Play On Words]

She called to the aether, connecting to her sword. "Did you do this? Did you do this to him?"

 

[Jodyguru]

The sword chuckled. “I have nothing to gain from this unless you put him out of his misery. If I had to guess I’d say this was caused by another person in touch with spirits and the mind... or perhaps he’s just a basket case.”

 

[A Play On Words]

"I don't trust you, you lying bastard." She hissed, her anger rising as she kneeled down in front of Bart.

 

[Jodyguru]

“Hehe, why did you ask me then?” The sword took pleasure in Eli’s frustration.

Bart stared off into space with his arms against his body coddling an imaginary baby.

 

[A Play On Words]

She shut off the connection with the sword, cursing its name. She placed a hand on Bart's shoulder, gently shaking him. "Please! Bart!" She pleaded with him, her energy running dry.
Her heart ached for him. Elide stared up at him, tears beginning to dot her cheeks. She loved him. She had ignored the feeling, but now it was something she couldn't hide, as it dangled in front of her fingers. Barely out of her grasp.

 

[Jodyguru]

Tess watched. It made sense to her why Elide was in such a hurry to find Bart. She had wondered ever since she saw them together at the stag party.
While Elide sobbed and shook Bart, she felt something in her mind fray and snap like a taut rope. It was a subliminal tether she hadn’t been aware she still had strung to Bart. How long had it been there? Once it snapped, Bart’s eyes reacted and he looked around, dazed and lost.

“huh, what? Where am I?” He asked. Elide was in tears in front of him. His heart swole up and he had to embrace her. He picked her up in his big arms and hugged her closely.
“Eli... I was so scared... I was... living in the past. It was so strange.”

 

[A Play On Words]

She sobbed as she held onto him tightly, her body shaking at the whole ordeal. She buried her face into his shirt as she took a few heavy breaths, trying to calm herself down. She stuttered words, but none of them made any coherent sense. Elide was felt the feeling of safety and security was over her.

 

[Jodyguru]

Bart held on and stroked the back of her hair. After a few moments Tess started to back off toward the alley.
“Uh, Tess? Did you help her find me?”
She nodded. Bart looked down and then at her. “Thank you”
“Don’t mention it. I’ll see you two later. Seems like you’ve got catching up to do.”

Once she calmed herself, Bart kept holding her and spoke.
“Did you see anything while I was unconscious? I don’t remember much after you started getting real deep into your talk with the sword.”

 

[A Play On Words]

"I-I-It wants me to kill people... when I awoke it was like a dream... I couldn't find you, but I couldn't find myself either..." She spoke softly, gently running her hands along her hair with a sniff.

 

[Jodyguru]

Bart shook his head and held her close. “Well you don’t have to do anything it says. You’re strong enough. A sword is just a sword. It can’t make decisions for you.”

 

[A Play On Words]

"It's connection to the aether isn't something I've ever seen before... Sometimes I feel like I can't even try to resist it's power." She murmured, resting her head against his chest

 

[Jodyguru]

Bart hummed and thought for a moment. “Well, it’s spirit is inside the blade and it’s crying for blood. It’s probably starved and getting desperate. Maybe once it has been satisfied it’ll be more helpful with its answers.”
Bart could feel the hard gaze about to fall on him. “I’m not saying we should go find something to kill, just keep in mind that you shall draw blood with that sword if you wish to learn more from it. Until then, keep it close.”