Belford's Heart

Chapter 28: Mark of the Aukan

Total-blue surrounded him as Belford's eyes opened. His body ached in a way it never had before. His pack was gone, his ax was gone, and...she was gone. Evelyn, his purpose, his singular purpose remaining in all the world, was gone. His heart ached along with his limbs, pounding in his chest as though it had doubled in size when the world fell to darkness. Slowly, his feeling returned to him, along with the stinging of wounds covering his torso and his face. A pool of blood was his bed atop the stone surrounding him, but the total-black clouds were not above him. It was more stone, and it covered his entire view. He tried, but could not move, and he heard something stir nearby. He struggled, forcing all his strength to his mouth to try and speak.

"No, no," a man's voice said. It was soft and calming. Footsteps followed it, and they grew louder as they approached. "You must be still, my friend. Your strength is all that could bring you to me, you must rest now."

"Who," Belford tried, the aching of his body even persisting to every muscle on his face. "Who are you?"

"Once a man known to the world," the voice said as a charcoal-black face came into view. His head was topped with one full horn, and one shaved to a smooth nub like Mu'las and her people. "Now only known to you."

"What...happened?" Belford continued to struggle. "Am I...alive?"

The man nodded, leaning out of view to reach for something. Belford heard a splash of water hitting something solid. "Very much so, my friend. The pain you feel is certainly an indication of this. What I must do to help you will be no more pleasant, I'm afraid." He met eyes with Belford, his golden eyes shining in a calm way toward him. "May I begin?" Belford nodded all that he could, thankfully just enough for the man to understand. "Brace yourself. This will be far worse before I can make you better."

The man pressed a cloth covered in a strange liquid against one of the many wounds scattered throughout Beflord's body. He began on his torso, and from the cloth came burning far worse than a normal flame upon his skin. It was as though it began at the center of his bone and pushed its way out. As the man continued, it spread over the entirety of his body. It overtook the pain that was already there, overpowering it even. After a few moments, it felt as though his mind was removed from his body. He could see himself through the man's eyes. A goliath lying lifeless upon a stone table, wounds that appeared like his former marks. Blood outlined the sharp edges, flesh had been removed to fill them, and they worked their way up his torso and onto his face. These would not wash away in water, and no amount of healing would bring his skin back to clarity. As he was returned to his body, embracing a wave of calm that washed over him, he knew now that these were the marks he was truly meant to carry.

Movement was granted to him again, but the aching was still living within his limbs. He was able to turn, lifting himself into a sitting position and taking several long breaths as the man helped support him. "Thank you."

"It seems we owe thanks to each other," the man said, smiling as Belford met his eyes. "You are a terribly brave man."

"Foolish," Belford said. "I let her go. I can't even know if she is alive."

"The girl?" The man questioned, grabbing a firm hold of Belford's shoulder. "She is very much alive, and well on top of it. I saw to that before we were pulled away."

"What?" Belford turned his head. "You were not with us as far as I remember. Third light came upon us and we made for the clearing."

"Did you think she learned all those tricks out of nowhere?" The man laughed. "That was the work of many years of training by yours truly. Haven't been able to use them in quite some time." Belford just stared at him. "Oh, right. I apologize for any confusion. Allow me to name myself." He stood tall, smiling widely. "I am Vathas."