these things?
Did it matter? She was free! It was a miracle! Even if her freedom lasted for one fleeting lifetime, it was a no less a miracle. Al’bah moved into the sunlight pouring into the room, closed her eyes, and raised her face to the light.
I cannot remember the last time I knew true light.
For a moment, she felt one with the radiance filling her vision behind her closed eyelids. Letting out her breath, Al’bah felt the torturous pangs of thirst that plagued her for as long as she could remember. How I long for water! I cannot even remember the last time I knew water.
Oh, how the legions of hell savored the tortures of thirst and desperation! Such cruelty, such mindless satisfaction the damned took from denying water to the punished. But this time, I can smell it. I can smell water! There is water here! I will find it!
Turning her head to the heavenly scent of water and opening her eyes, she saw the smell led away from Cain. Al’bah turned to look at him. She did not like the idea of leaving his presence for even a moment. But the thirst that parched her throat became more desperate to be fulfilled, and she instinctively knew her flesh would die without water. “Please forgive me,” she whispered hoarsely and exited the room.
Even with the overpowering need for water, a wash of horror spread its icy roots in Al’bah’s gut. She trembled, glancing around corners and staying as far from darkness and shadow as she could. She slowly calmed down, realizing her spiritual awareness could sense nothing of Taint’s presence, and she at last began to notice more of the abode of her Bond.
Hmmm, these other rooms are not as beautiful. They are more barren, and they feel less inviting. Indeed, the other rooms that Al’bah could see on her way to the scent of water appeared empty and forlorn, whereas the room where Cain slept appeared full and more content.
Al’bah entered the room where the scent of water was strongest, but she could not see where it was coming from. She saw what looked to be a strange altar with an odd cover. She lifted the cover and saw a shimmer inside. Al’bah peered closer and shrieked upon seeing a distorted face within and closed the cover with a hollow bang . She scooted away from the altar and panted, unsure of what she had just seen. Again, there was no sense of another spiritual presence anywhere, even from the altar, just the tantalizing smell of water.
She lifted the cover again; her trepidation burst into elation! ”Water!” she gasped, about to cup her hands to partake of the water there, when she stopped. No, it can not be this way. This water must be sacred. After all, it is in an altar of sorts.
She looked at another spot where the smell was coming from. There! It was an odd-shaped metal instrument that protruded from the wall completely littered with holes and shaped like a cone. Al’bah reached up and was about to touch it when she realized, Strange, I can smell Cain’s blood here. I—
Al’bah’s jaw dropped as she stared upon the two sets of dates written in blood upon the wall.
She gasped, and with a trembling hand she reached out to touch both dates. A primal despair filled her awareness. Oh, how close her Bond had come to taking his own life! Al’bah wept bitterly as his lingering despair filled her being. She cradled her left hand, allowed her tears to fall upon it, and then smeared the date which Cain presumed he would die, today. Wait, how did she know that? She looked at the smear of blood upon her hand and realized she absorbed Cain’s state of being from the moment of inscription.
She held her hand out and the remaining smear lifted from the wall, and was absorbed by her flesh.
Al’bah sniffed and wiped her nose, catching the scent of even more blood. She turned and saw his traces upon odd metal pieces from the wall and turned one slowly.
A spitting noise sounded, startling Al’bah for a moment. Her alarm subsided in an instant, as freezing
Did it matter? She was free! It was a miracle! Even if her freedom lasted for one fleeting lifetime, it was a no less a miracle. Al’bah moved into the sunlight pouring into the room, closed her eyes, and raised her face to the light.
I cannot remember the last time I knew true light.
For a moment, she felt one with the radiance filling her vision behind her closed eyelids. Letting out her breath, Al’bah felt the torturous pangs of thirst that plagued her for as long as she could remember. How I long for water! I cannot even remember the last time I knew water.
Oh, how the legions of hell savored the tortures of thirst and desperation! Such cruelty, such mindless satisfaction the damned took from denying water to the punished. But this time, I can smell it. I can smell water! There is water here! I will find it!
Turning her head to the heavenly scent of water and opening her eyes, she saw the smell led away from Cain. Al’bah turned to look at him. She did not like the idea of leaving his presence for even a moment. But the thirst that parched her throat became more desperate to be fulfilled, and she instinctively knew her flesh would die without water. “Please forgive me,” she whispered hoarsely and exited the room.
Even with the overpowering need for water, a wash of horror spread its icy roots in Al’bah’s gut. She trembled, glancing around corners and staying as far from darkness and shadow as she could. She slowly calmed down, realizing her spiritual awareness could sense nothing of Taint’s presence, and she at last began to notice more of the abode of her Bond.
Hmmm, these other rooms are not as beautiful. They are more barren, and they feel less inviting. Indeed, the other rooms that Al’bah could see on her way to the scent of water appeared empty and forlorn, whereas the room where Cain slept appeared full and more content.
Al’bah entered the room where the scent of water was strongest, but she could not see where it was coming from. She saw what looked to be a strange altar with an odd cover. She lifted the cover and saw a shimmer inside. Al’bah peered closer and shrieked upon seeing a distorted face within and closed the cover with a hollow bang . She scooted away from the altar and panted, unsure of what she had just seen. Again, there was no sense of another spiritual presence anywhere, even from the altar, just the tantalizing smell of water.
She lifted the cover again; her trepidation burst into elation! ”Water!” she gasped, about to cup her hands to partake of the water there, when she stopped. No, it can not be this way. This water must be sacred. After all, it is in an altar of sorts.
She looked at another spot where the smell was coming from. There! It was an odd-shaped metal instrument that protruded from the wall completely littered with holes and shaped like a cone. Al’bah reached up and was about to touch it when she realized, Strange, I can smell Cain’s blood here. I—
Al’bah’s jaw dropped as she stared upon the two sets of dates written in blood upon the wall.
She gasped, and with a trembling hand she reached out to touch both dates. A primal despair filled her awareness. Oh, how close her Bond had come to taking his own life! Al’bah wept bitterly as his lingering despair filled her being. She cradled her left hand, allowed her tears to fall upon it, and then smeared the date which Cain presumed he would die, today. Wait, how did she know that? She looked at the smear of blood upon her hand and realized she absorbed Cain’s state of being from the moment of inscription.
She held her hand out and the remaining smear lifted from the wall, and was absorbed by her flesh.
Al’bah sniffed and wiped her nose, catching the scent of even more blood. She turned and saw his traces upon odd metal pieces from the wall and turned one slowly.
A spitting noise sounded, startling Al’bah for a moment. Her alarm subsided in an instant, as freezing
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