Night was falling quickly, but Raz didn't notice- her eyes were seared to the city, growing closer and closer. Sweat beaded at the nape of her neck, slithered down her back in icy rivulets. The fire spluttered and died in her chest, its quiet whispers becoming howls, then dying off into silence. Raz could almost smell death in the air. The taste coated her throat, the taste of coppery blood... Raz realized she had bitten straight threw her lip.
"Azra's tits." She muttered shakily, wiping the stains away with the back of her hand. Her skin was tainted with red, and Raz disgustedly shook it off. One would almost say she flailed frantically to get it away.
The temperature was dropping again. Raz curled her fingers and lit them, yet the fire remained quiet. The eerie silence stretched on, and nothing seemed about to break it- God knows Talon wouldn't.
With quick glare at the man, Raz sighed, "Here's goes nothing." Her feet ate up the ground between her and her home until nothing separated them and the familiar setting embraced her with its empty arms. The silk around her rustled, and a bonfire blazed to life at the center of the circle of tents.
Welcome home, it cackled, Welcome back.
"Fuck!" Stunned, Raz stumbled back. Her foot caught on nothing and she sprawled into the sand. She hadn't conjured the flames. Perhaps they were drawn to her very presence. Perhaps they relit when the city became rehabilitated by a Ruiken. Perhaps the hearth had recognized Raz, had fed from the heat around her- after all, a fire is always hungry, and an empty city does nothing to feed it. Whatever the reason, the dead land suddenly seemed remade, and shadows danced at every corner.
Raz huddled on the ground and closed her eyes, slowed her breathing. A knot was forming in her throat as laughter and music seemed to echo into the sky. The market place buzzed like the bonfire, dancers spun like the twisting of the flames, gold and red and violet painted the sky and made ceilings over her head. It wasn't until the wind blew and brought ashes to her tongue that Raz was able to harden her heart and rise to her feet.
With one last pause, Raz forced the bonfire out, and she snapped in Talon's direction. Frustrated, she attempted to mime what she wanted, "I..." Hand gesture, "... am going to look..." Point to eyes,"... for clues..." What the hell was she supposed to do for that one? Um... Magnifying glass? "... to my family's murder." With a sweeping, stabbing movement, Raz nodded for emphasis and then determinedly went to retrace her steps.
"Azra's tits." She muttered shakily, wiping the stains away with the back of her hand. Her skin was tainted with red, and Raz disgustedly shook it off. One would almost say she flailed frantically to get it away.
The temperature was dropping again. Raz curled her fingers and lit them, yet the fire remained quiet. The eerie silence stretched on, and nothing seemed about to break it- God knows Talon wouldn't.
With quick glare at the man, Raz sighed, "Here's goes nothing." Her feet ate up the ground between her and her home until nothing separated them and the familiar setting embraced her with its empty arms. The silk around her rustled, and a bonfire blazed to life at the center of the circle of tents.
Welcome home, it cackled, Welcome back.
"Fuck!" Stunned, Raz stumbled back. Her foot caught on nothing and she sprawled into the sand. She hadn't conjured the flames. Perhaps they were drawn to her very presence. Perhaps they relit when the city became rehabilitated by a Ruiken. Perhaps the hearth had recognized Raz, had fed from the heat around her- after all, a fire is always hungry, and an empty city does nothing to feed it. Whatever the reason, the dead land suddenly seemed remade, and shadows danced at every corner.
Raz huddled on the ground and closed her eyes, slowed her breathing. A knot was forming in her throat as laughter and music seemed to echo into the sky. The market place buzzed like the bonfire, dancers spun like the twisting of the flames, gold and red and violet painted the sky and made ceilings over her head. It wasn't until the wind blew and brought ashes to her tongue that Raz was able to harden her heart and rise to her feet.
With one last pause, Raz forced the bonfire out, and she snapped in Talon's direction. Frustrated, she attempted to mime what she wanted, "I..." Hand gesture, "... am going to look..." Point to eyes,"... for clues..." What the hell was she supposed to do for that one? Um... Magnifying glass? "... to my family's murder." With a sweeping, stabbing movement, Raz nodded for emphasis and then determinedly went to retrace her steps.