Tyranny: Onwards

Chapter 98- A Rude Awakening

With all of the meat cooked nice and proper, Aegis brings forth stone plates, a wider larger one too for the entire and enormous pile of wooden skewers.

"You cooked all of it?" I ask him, wondering if we shouldn't have saved some for later.

"No, we are going to be here a while I would assume, I buried half of it in the snow, but we should go get more." He sighs and points to a patch of slightly disturbed snow.

Now the sun is high and the clouds still only allow a few rays to stride though.

"Mmmmmmm! What smells so good?" Rin rubs her eyes lazily and sits up, probably having woken due to the aroma.

My stomach aches and gurgles, I am hungry, so hungry, starving; yet hunger takes at least a week to effect my mind, I've been trained like this all the time. Since Genesis has already eaten her fill, I decide to ask her to go get more. She glares at me but I assure her she only needs to catch three and then I'll go out with her again around sun down. I watch her disappear into the forest as Hester then rouses and they hold hands.

Still with mixed feelings and trying to recover from my memories with Rin and the knowledge of what this does and how it changes forever the bond between us somehow, I stare at the trees and away from their passion after Genesis, wishing she was here, yet knowing it must be done to keep everyone healthy.

It is plain to see the effects of lack of food on many of the others, including the Luzumi. Rin is a little wobbly, Hester is clearly a bit dizzy and her thoughts scattered, Aegis is tired and woozy, Phoenix can't seem to find his energy. With this I help them as much as I can, letting everyone else eat their fill first since they need it more.

"Don't eat too fast!" I scold Rin as she digs right in but seems so weak that her face basically smashed into it. "You'll feel very sick, your stomach has probably shrunk a fair bit, you can't fit in nearly as much now." I explain when she half closes her eyes in a strange suspicion.

"Alright, alright," She sighs forlorn.

Hester already seems to know this as she nibbles away in increments and takes her time. Silver steams rise from each piece and the dark black circles beneath their eyes fade away, eyelids open wider and firmer, strength returns and minds are cleansed. The changes are dramatic and obvious as the pile gets smaller and smaller; but I do not mind, their health and safety is my top priority.

"Here, you need to eat too." Aegis flings a skewer into my face and right in front of my eyes, the scent is mouthwatering.

"Yeah Claire! You are still human!" Rin becomes forceful and angry in concern as she always does. 

"Relax I'm taking it!" I attempt to calm them all.

"I don't trust you." Aegis states plainly and smashes the food in my mouth when I am about to reply. "Eat it you fool!" Yelling at me he stares me right in the eyes and into my mind in a scary way.

Once I've taken in a lot of the skewer he is satisfied and minds his own business again. Aegis is so unpredictable sometimes.Genesis returns to us with three more rabbits and buries them with the rest before coming to join me, now too energetic.

"Blaze can't recover, nor can Dagwood, if they don't wake up for food and water soon..." I start and Aegis nods in agreement, standing and going over to them.

Dagwood has been using his body carelessly, too much so, I'm surprised he didn't die out there from the over-exhaustion he caused himself, his face is pale and huge black clouds loom under his eyes. Blaze is also very pale, but still has a blush.

"Dagwood used almost all of his energy to heal Blaze so well and so much so quickly, he almost died, he should've died. Doing something like that takes a lot." Aegis says to me frowning down at him.

"Dagwood?" Nothing happens as Aegis shakes him and then yells for him to come to.

"DAGWOOD! You must wake up or you'll die! What will Blaze do then?Huh?" Aegis continues and I awaken Blaze with much more ease.

"How are you feeling?" I ask gently, leaning over him.

"I mean, I'm still alive." His voice is harsh and rough for many reasons, he gives a tiny sort of chuckle with a light cough.

I watch as he attempts to sit up and figure out his surroundings, his movements indicate to me with my trained eyes, that he still does not realize his left arm is gone. How do I go about something like this?

He topples over and gasps in shock, but I foresaw this and catch him so he won't hit the rock. Blaze's face contorts in agony, jaw clenched tightly, his teeth grind and he gasps for air.

"Hey, Blaze, focus on me, I'm right here, you're going to be okay, you are going to be okay, I promise," I start soothing him for the next ten minutes. "Listen, your left arm was taken, okay? It's no longer there. I'm sorry...but it's not bleeding anymore, it should be fairly well healed by now." I try to comfort and go about it right.

"What!" He becomes too frantic and I calm him again for another twenty minutes before explaining all that has happened.

"You will have phantom pain and it will feel like it still is there for possibly years, but you're okay, you'll be fine." I add as he processes it and works through his thoughts and shock.

"Blaze," Aegis traps his attention. "You need to help us wake up Dagwood, he,"

"I know, Claire explained everything to me already." He sighs.

"Here's some water." Aegis hands me a clay cup with some water in it. Carefully I pour it into his mouth and he looks very refreshed.

"Dagwood, wake up!" He shouts with pained effort, and with that, Dagwood comes to life instantly.