Livior Origins

Chapter 23

The First Steps Toward Recovery

Every day was the same in the real world. They would wake up, bathe Livior, change him if he needed it, feed him and make him exercise. Then they would care for the children in a similar fashion. After all that they would take care of themselves and work on any issues that needed to be resolved for the people. Weeks began passing and they talked to Livior and around Livior almost constantly hoping he would decide to sit up and say "That's not how I would do it." But he never did.

It was two weeks after Livior started his coma and Livior asked Vahlt "Did you get to go, beyond before death brought you here to me?"

Vahlt said "I decided to stay a while and watch over Mivia and the children, and you of course. I wanted to see for myself what you were going to do with this grand destiny of yours. Not much it seems."

Livior laughed and said "In time, I am just not ready yet I need time to wrestle my inner demons under control."

Vahlt said "I know, I just hate to see you missing so much of our childrens lives while you do."

Livior frowned and asked "Am I a bad father for not just pushing all this to the back of my mind and ignoring it?"

Vahlt said smirking "Of course you're not. You're almost as good as me."

Livior laughed and said "High praise from you."

Vahlt smirked and replied "I need you to do for my children what I can't any longer. Will you do that for me when you wake up?"

Livior smiled back and said "You know I will, they will be treated no different than my own children. They will want for nothing and I will make sure they know everything I know about you and the kind of man you are, were, I'm not sure how to use the right tense anymore."

Vahlt laughed and said "Imagine what I feel like."

Livior laughed and then turned and looked curiously at Vahlt and asked "What DOES it feel like? I mean being dead and the end."

Vahlt thought for a long time and said "It doesn't feel like anything I can relate it to in the living world. When you die it just feels like going to sleep at first. The closest thing I can relate to being how I am now and what I feel is like being in a dream."

Livior then hesitantly asked "Was it scary?

Vahlt gave Livior an incredulous look and said "Of course it was scary I had no idea what was coming next."

Livior looked abashed and said "Sorry I didn't mean to be insensitive."

Vahlt laughed again and said "Even in my death you are trying to be polite and proper. Relax brother, it's just the two of us you don't have to worry about hurting my feelings or insulting me."

Livior gave a weak smile and said "It's too bad we don't have our old stream to swim in."

Vahlt said "Neither of the two of us here in your head have a real body to feel the water anyways."

Livior said "But if it is a dream and you are in my dream, spirit or no spirit you should be able to feel it."

Vahlt grinned impishly and said "Let's see if you can create our stream then."

Livior closed his eyes and thought of the stream with all his might and when he opened them Vahlt said "Not bad brother, it looks exactly as I remember it."

Livior retorted impishly "No, it looks exactly as I remember it."

Vahlt grabbed Livior by the neck and put him in a sort of choke hold while they both laughed their way to the stream. Vahlt took off his spectral clothes and jumped in. Livior looking astonished said "Even when you're dead you find a way to get yourself naked. It's astounding it truly is."