Tyranny: Onwards

Chapter 105- Solace

Aegis gets up and relaxes once more opposite Dagwood, who holds onto blank eyes and an empty face.

"So when exactly was the last time Blaze was awake?" I ask as we are all gazing upon the despairing trio. My tone is low and serious.

"Depends what you consider to be 'awake'." Phoenix sighs and shuts his eyes, as though wanting to erase the pain of watching those so close to him suffering.

"Elaborate?" I become confused and further concerned.

"He was awake as in his eyes were open, though I believe his mind was filled with a chaos and many thoughts we can only guess at. He said no words to even Dagwood, he didn't even want to look to his left side. Understandable though it is." Hester takes Rin's hand as she tenses from the apparent memory.

Suddenly I am overcome with a feeling of helplessness, because I am sitting here, right beside tragedy in a solid form, yet I am unable to touch it, or tell it off, unable to heal Blaze's mind, unable to relieve his ultimate agony. I also cannot see into his mind and calm the storm raging inside, I cannot comfort him when he sleeps in perhaps a nightmare.

My heart jumps and leaps in pain and agony, in hurt and loneliness and is swallowed by an anger and frustration at my own weakness. If only I was stronger, then maybe I could do something, if only we had found him sooner, if only I hadn't allowed him to be stolen away from us right under my nose.

Surely this is my fault, and surely I need to be stronger to help him at all. How am I so useless right now? Just watching such suffering?

I subconsciously smash a fist into the rock, teeth grinding, eyes shut tight, annoyed and irritated with myself. He's not getting that arm back. He'll never be the same and it's all my fault! How could I let this happen!

On and on the internal conflict rages in my head, ceaseless at best.

How am I supposed to be a witness, and not do anything? Yet, what is there that I can do without getting in the way or complicating anything?

Torn up, Phoenix recognizes my anguish with his observant mind and shuffles over to sit by me. His hand rests in console on my shoulder atop Aegis's camouflage cloak I still bear.

"Hey, I know what you're thinking, but you don't need to deal with all this turmoil right now. You need some rest Claire, you've traveled so long and far." He comforts me in a voice sweeter than honey and more pure than the wind itself, a tone so relieving it's touch is unavoidable and reaches my heart.

"About that, I found obsidian mountains which deny all snows, there are two walls of them, two ridges, and in-between is a valley of moss and moisture. I thought it would be a better spot for healing refuge." I murmur quietly and try hard to release my tensed muscles.

"Oh? Sounds interesting, but I deduce that you are indeed right, we should try to go there whenever we can. But we must find a way to make a proper way of transportation for Blaze." He contemplates as the fire radiates a patient heat.

"Yeah, Aegis probably has an idea, as he always does." I say and am tempted to glance over at him, though I know the internal war that could again light within me.

"Sleep now, don't ruin the present with the problems of the future nor the past." He moves his hand to guide my head down, he shifts and my head lays in his lap sheltered from biting colds.

I can't even respond as my eyelids are so very heavy and my mind so silver fogged with weariness. The last thing he does is to stroke my face and wish me sweet travels among the dreams of my mind.

Thanks to his provided peace, I find the darkness of night calm and relaxing.

~~~~~~~~~

I wake first is seems, my eyes open hesitantly and with regret. The sun has yet to show itself, and the sky is still grey with cloud. When I sit up, Genesis has her head on my outstretched legs and my head was laid atop Phoenix's stomach.

At first my expectation is for my own embarrassment and flustering, yet I do not blush, maybe because I know it was a gesture from one friend to help another in knowledge of their weary mind.

Phoenix seems to have also stretched out, considering how my head landed on his stomach. Hester and Rin are holding one another, but I am too tired still to consider it or have feelings about it as I rub my eyes. The fire has reduces to mere ash and ember.

Aegis is also asleep next to Dagwood in a protective kind of way, on his side as though blocking dangers or warding something off. I can't help but grin with this small light in the grey of our present situation. Blaze is pale, but since the others are at peace for now, I decide to go and pay some respect to him, to see how he's doing.

Once kneeling at his side I see every precious inch of his mahogany face so perfect and seemingly calm, despite the challenges which lay undoubtedly ahead of him and us. So badly I want to cry, yet I know if he were to wake and see that, it would not help him, knowing Blaze, it would cause him to feel guilty despite knowing none of it is his fault whatsoever.

I now wish I had cried when I was so far away and so alone. But can I even shed a tear if I wanted to now?

He moans and his eyes open bit by bit, I wait, sitting there anxiously and with some excitement, my heart beats fast for reasons I've no time to figure out.

"Hey," I greet him gently.

"Hey," He rasps. In contradiction to what form of 'awake' he was, he is now apparently doing better. Thank goodness.