Sekhmet

Chapter 9

Chapter 9
Dreams
Darcy

Snow caked Darcy's body, it was so cold it burned when he moved his limbs. But Darcy kept walking, each step down the mountain threatened to give way and allow him to pass out or die. A year, that's how long he's been alone. Stealing from abandoned villages and trying to figure out a plan that didn't involve the risk of dying or getting caught. After all, he couldn't go into the city as a wanted criminal, getting recognised would mean spending his remaining days in a damp Kershel dungeon. He couldn't get on a ship to go anywhere else; his face was everywhere, and he could only hide as a stowaway for so long.

In the cold his mind drifts between these topics, it always ends on how he came here, the palace and Charlie. Only Darcy wasn't so sure if that was his Charlie. He'd be lying if he said he didn't have doubts on the dreams he had, ones of Charlie calling to him through the door. Visions of black liquid coating the world, consuming life and ending death. Darcy should never have said yes to the elven queens offer, teaching him how to see into the future. It was handy at times yes, and a entertaining parlor trick. But he had no control over it, he could pass out at any moment and see something and that can get himself killed in a place like this. Darcy knew vague details about the future, he couldn't change it even if he tried because visions were merely a snapshot of the bigger picture.

Darcy's limbs grew numb and moved automatically, the roughed-up dress pants and shirt did nothing to keep out the cold. The furs he managed to layer around him kept his ragged hair around his ears so they wouldn't freeze off. He wondered what Louis was doing, after all he had thrown him half-arsed into a portal and hasn't come for him since. He gathered through the grapevine that war was on and Kershel wanted no part of it, which was impressive because Kershel always wants a part in something. Darcy felt an unexpected jolt, he didn't realise what was happening until he was sliding down the mountain.

His legs had finally given out and laid numbly under his weight, panic hit him hard. Darcy hurried to grab hold of something, snow tumbled around him his unexpected weight causing a large patch of it to roll down and off the cliff edge. He breathed rapidly the icy air prickling his lungs, his fingers scraped at nothing, and he felt his body suddenly tip. Darcy's small figure plunged off of the mountain.

Blood roared through his ears while his breath escaped his lungs, Darcy's fingers lost grip of the stolen fur coats and replaced them with the rock-face, he clung onto a narrow edge relying on his pale bloodied hands to hold his weight.

He continued to fall, and a dull pain shot hotly along the pads of his fingers. He finally came to a stop when his feet managed to wedge on a small platform. Looking up he realised he was barely ten feet down from the ledge, yet the fall felt like he inches from the ground, he took a quick glance down. He couldn't make out the ground because white clouds circled the mountain, when he brought his gaze up he couldn't see anything there either.

Darcy breathed in deeply, his legs shake and scream in pain as he fights to keep them on the rocks. He can feel warm blood leak down his palms from his fingers, it cools quickly. Darcy tried to reach out to pull himself up, one of his feet slipped and he almost went tumbling again. Darcy pressed himself closer to the stone heart hammering. He could wait for his fingers to loosen and his arms to be ready to pull him up. But if he waits he'll probably die before that happens.

Maybe he could find somewhere to rest, but the cliff was entirely made of smooth rock, he'd have to stand here and wait for the sun to warm him. Darcy knew he didn't have that kind of time, he couldn't remember the last time he ate or slept, his body was more likely to abandon him first before the snow did. He considered using his newfound magic, but he's already tried that about a thousand times while he's been out here and although he is powerful, he has no skill to train it for any good use. Darcy was out of options.