Errol
The Sanctuary
Errol shrugged at Wroth. He just had a powerful shapeshifter familiar that talks to him tattooed on his flesh until a few hours ago. Nil's disappearance is another thing to worry about, but as far as Errol is concerned, Nil is a resourceful and intellectual being. if he's somewhere out there, he'll be fine. His greatest fear is the fact that the familiar might be dead. Disappeared from existence, somehow. As much estranged they are of each other (being forced to be bound to one another has not been an easy nor a painless process), Nil did help them whenever they needed it. If he does not come back, the idea of him being gone was something he would have to get used to.
"So what her story Errol? She seems to like getting into trouble." At this statement, he couldn't help but feel strangely defensive. "Xena doesn't like getting into trouble. Our days are peaceful more often than not. But... there's just a lot of strange things happening today... and I honestly have no idea what's up." he intertwined his finger together, forming a tense gesture. His thoughts drifted to the other question. What
is Xena's story? He knew so little, probably because she shared so little as well. She never talked about her family, nor her childhood, or even her entire past in general. All Errol knew was her motivations, her dreams, her hopes for the future. And before today, that had been enough. But then, seeing Xena in this state is painful. He wanted to help her, but he didn't know how. It was... frustrating.
***
Xena Mythriel Al'vyon
A secluded bed, The Sanctuary
Pain.
Her head hurts. Her body hurt. Someone was crying. Blood. Blood and Fire. And screaming. And heartbeats, pounding like hooves in the dead of the night. Some has accelerated, some has abruptly stopped, and she can feel it. She can feel all their pain... their suffering...
everything. It was like that time in the Clocktower again, only ten times worse. She gasped, her mind panicking.
Don't find me! Don't find me!
"There you are!"
Laughter. She felt herself being lifted, moving her limbs pointlessly to punch, kick, whatever... She needed to go, she needed to run---
And then there was a scream. Suddenly she was somewhere else. The entire scenery has changed. There was no fire anymore. The walls were white and pristine, and the only signs of blood was on the strange sharp item she was holding.
A scalpel? Why... With her other hand, she was writing on piece of paper, drawing and labeling images of anatomy. Xena recognized it all, she knew all these information by heart already. Then there was a soft whine. Her point of view shifted, on a man strapped onto a metal table, gagged, tears streaming through his face. His entire chest cavity has been carefully opened up, his intestines splayed on the space beside him. Horror grasped Xena's heart.
Who would do this?! But she felt herself walking towards him, and as she did, he only seemed to panic more. "Shh. You'll wake up the others. I get into enough trouble as it is." someone said. It was a very familiar voice... her own. "Stand still. If you're obedient, I might even fix you up after all this. So be a good boy for me, okay?" Carefully, her hand played with the scalpel between her fingers. "Now... I wonder what I'll open up next..."
Stop.
An excited smile. And then her hand touched the mans head, firmly holding it. "I know! Your eyes. Open your eyes!"
I don't want to see this!
The sickening squishing sound. The feeling of resistance as the metal hit the flesh.
Stop!
"Stop! What were thinking, starting without me?" a voice suddenly interrupted her. The point of view turned to the door. There he stood. But she couldn't quite see his face. His lips made a grin as he walked towards her. His voice sounded so familiar though. For some reason, she felt like she has heard it somewhere before.
Who...? She wanted to reach him. She wanted to see his face. As his arms embraced her from behind by the waist, she seemed to try to shrug him off. She then heard her own voice once more, saying something... in a slightly annoyed but amused tone.
Huh?
Xena opened her eyes and gasped, her amber eyes darting all over the place for a moment, her hand tightening on the sheets, as she tried to find out where exactly she was. The place was dim, but she recognized the curtains, as well as the bed.
I'm in... the Sanctuary. she thought. For one second, she was almost expecting to be somewhere else, like the white walled room in her dream. She curled up on the bed, perspiration dotting her face, as she tried to gather her bearings.
What the hell was that? It was a very... strange dream. A very graphic, violent---
She remembered the fire. The blood. The man strapped on the table. The state of his body, the disgusting sensation of flesh giving way to sharp metal--- bile rised in her throat. She felt like she was going to throw up. What was most disturbing was the fact that it felt real. That she knew it has happened, she knew she had done it, a long time ago... when? Tears streamed on her face as she remembered the man's expression, feeling his horror, feeling his pain.
What the hell is this? She was so confused. She felt so vulnerable. She felt so... fake. Everything she knew about herself was a lie.
Who is Xena after all? she didn't know.
Who am I? Who was I? Was she just the same kind of monster she had hated? That sense of nonchalance as she brutalized that man...
Insanity draws close. She could feel it. She was getting unstable, and as a healer she knew that was no good at all. She needed peace of mind. Some closure, some facts. This has all gone so fast, so suddenly. Her head throbbed, and sighing, she opened up the drawer of the bedside table, hoping to find any medicine or painkillers. Instead, she was greeted by the sight of a small pocketknife. One of Errol's pocketknives, no doubt, most probably something he had just forgotten. But she stared at it for... an abnormally long time.
She bit her lip and took the knife, placing it into her pocket as she silently peeked through the curtains. Faintly she could see Errol and the others, a few distance from her. Her mind was racing. The dream was slowly fading out of her memories by the minute, but she struggled to remember.There were clues there.
Leads. First, the anatomy notes. Could she find it? She had seen that exact page before? She could not think of anywhere else it could be other than her books at home. In the back of her head, however, she hoped she would not find it. It may not be much but she didn't want any more evidence that the dream was a real memory. Second, was the last thing she had heard herself say, before the dream got cut off. A name. A very familiar one in fact.
Maric.
Was it the same Maric as the one who had just visited the Sanctuary? He doesn't seem to be around anymore, so she'll have to find him then. If he had been lying to her as well, she honestly would not be able to stand it. But the voice, the blurry physique, and the feeling of his arms around her--- it was certainly pointing at him being involved.
Taking a deep breath, trying to look as presentable as possible, she squared her shoulders and walked out of her secluded little spot, pushing the curtains aside. "E." she said hesitantly as she walked past him with a smile. He looked a little surprised, but before he could say anything, she continued. "I'm feeling little better, but I want to go to back to my house and get some proper sleep, I guess."
He stood up. "Then, let me accompany you---"
"No!" she said, a little too forcefully. Errol's expression turned more curious and worried at her strange behavior. As much as she wanted his support right now, she didn't want to drag Errol into this... mess. Whatever this really is. "I'm alright. You stay here, and get the door fixed. Also, I want you to continue watching the Sanctuary. The attack was still fresh, and people might report complications on their wounds, so please!" Before Errol could argue, she was already out the door. "I'll see you later, E!" she bid farewell and closed it shut.
Taking another deep breath, she braced herself and walked towards the direction of the Residential District.
