09-22-2022, 10:33 AM
Jay fell asleep and Nox couldn't close his eyes. The adrenaline had worn off from the heat of battle and the needs that followed. With the rush of fight or flight gone, the chemicals that gave me super human strength to save children by lifting cars, or the endurance to run faster and further than ever before fled his system, he was left with all the pain.
The silence in the cave was deafening. He heard his heart beating and soft sounds of his friend lying near by. Moving hurt. Thinking hurt. Everything hurt. Their goal was completed but Nox was left feeling hollow and empty. He had one thing... only one thing to give Raffe and he trashed it to hell and back because he couldn't keep the hoard at bay. He'd let his guard down, thought they were gone, when in reality they had never left. Whatever gave him that ability to control them remained. He still felt the far of call of a few left alive trapped in cages. Their pains were only faint whispers compared to what was left of the phantom pain he felt.
Nox pulled out an apple and crunched on it till the core was the only thing left. But the ravenous pit inside was not quenched. Whatever had taken over felt stronger, deeper. He'd given into the impulses and now it ravaged his body. Nox evaluated all his supplies and sorted them out mentally for the return trip and took a handful of the jerkies and stuff them in his pockets, pulling one out and gnawing on it while he situated their things. Nox wanted to see daylight -- to get this over with, however it ended.
He kicked Jay's boot and spoke softly. "Nothing dangerous left, but I want to get the fuck out of here."
When Jay was ready and functioning enough to walk they set out.
Nox set a quick pace, one that might see them out sooner rather than later in half the time. And since they weren't fighting they didn't need to take it slow. Nox didn't even bother with a light, the landwarriors saw enough as he followed the only path out of this hell hole. Nox put on the mask he'd worn his whole life. The good son. The happy child. The kid who was always ready for the next thing, a joke at hand, a quip to kill the darkening mood. He was good at faking it. Only Aurora ever saw through that façade.
At first the sounds of their foot falls, the breath escaping their lungs and the beat of their hearts were the only sounds. And then the slow drip of water could be heard. Where there had once been scratching and sounds of other creatures nothing remained but the sounds of a silent cave waiting to be occupied again. The tunnels wouldn't remain clear of vermin, but for the moment Nox was confident not even a rat scurried in these depths.
The sound of silence was peirced by a dozen beeps from Nox's wallet as messages arrived when his wallet picked up a signal again. A small smile drew across his lips but there was disappointment when all of the incoming messages were from Sage. His heart fell but the false bravado was placed back on his face after that brief moment of disappointment. He pulled up Raffe's number and sent him a text
@"Raffe" I'm alive. Still a few hours out. Need to see you.
Nox reached into his pocket for another jerky stick only to find nothing left. His stomach growled and a low rumble in his throat followed. "Need to stop a moment. Need to tell the Ascendancy we are alive and I need something to eat." Nox dropped his pack on the ground and pulled out the last bits of his rations and sighed. He'd eaten far more than he'd expected and was grateful they were near the end. Nox folded the last bits of the bread into the bag and stuffed it in his pocket then picked up the last hunk of cheese and took a small bite before closing up his pack.
He sent the Ascendancy a text to the only number he had. @"Ascendancy" Mission complete. Almost top side. Need long shower and even longer nap, can debrief after if you need me to
It was only then that he looked at the messages from Sage that got extremely more worried the further down the thread fell.
Nox sent his friend a message @"Sage" Still alive. Stop worrying Aurora.
There was an immediate message followed by another
Thank the fuck. She'd kill me if you died down there.
The silence in the cave was deafening. He heard his heart beating and soft sounds of his friend lying near by. Moving hurt. Thinking hurt. Everything hurt. Their goal was completed but Nox was left feeling hollow and empty. He had one thing... only one thing to give Raffe and he trashed it to hell and back because he couldn't keep the hoard at bay. He'd let his guard down, thought they were gone, when in reality they had never left. Whatever gave him that ability to control them remained. He still felt the far of call of a few left alive trapped in cages. Their pains were only faint whispers compared to what was left of the phantom pain he felt.
Nox pulled out an apple and crunched on it till the core was the only thing left. But the ravenous pit inside was not quenched. Whatever had taken over felt stronger, deeper. He'd given into the impulses and now it ravaged his body. Nox evaluated all his supplies and sorted them out mentally for the return trip and took a handful of the jerkies and stuff them in his pockets, pulling one out and gnawing on it while he situated their things. Nox wanted to see daylight -- to get this over with, however it ended.
He kicked Jay's boot and spoke softly. "Nothing dangerous left, but I want to get the fuck out of here."
When Jay was ready and functioning enough to walk they set out.
Nox set a quick pace, one that might see them out sooner rather than later in half the time. And since they weren't fighting they didn't need to take it slow. Nox didn't even bother with a light, the landwarriors saw enough as he followed the only path out of this hell hole. Nox put on the mask he'd worn his whole life. The good son. The happy child. The kid who was always ready for the next thing, a joke at hand, a quip to kill the darkening mood. He was good at faking it. Only Aurora ever saw through that façade.
At first the sounds of their foot falls, the breath escaping their lungs and the beat of their hearts were the only sounds. And then the slow drip of water could be heard. Where there had once been scratching and sounds of other creatures nothing remained but the sounds of a silent cave waiting to be occupied again. The tunnels wouldn't remain clear of vermin, but for the moment Nox was confident not even a rat scurried in these depths.
The sound of silence was peirced by a dozen beeps from Nox's wallet as messages arrived when his wallet picked up a signal again. A small smile drew across his lips but there was disappointment when all of the incoming messages were from Sage. His heart fell but the false bravado was placed back on his face after that brief moment of disappointment. He pulled up Raffe's number and sent him a text
@"Raffe" I'm alive. Still a few hours out. Need to see you.
Nox reached into his pocket for another jerky stick only to find nothing left. His stomach growled and a low rumble in his throat followed. "Need to stop a moment. Need to tell the Ascendancy we are alive and I need something to eat." Nox dropped his pack on the ground and pulled out the last bits of his rations and sighed. He'd eaten far more than he'd expected and was grateful they were near the end. Nox folded the last bits of the bread into the bag and stuffed it in his pocket then picked up the last hunk of cheese and took a small bite before closing up his pack.
He sent the Ascendancy a text to the only number he had. @"Ascendancy" Mission complete. Almost top side. Need long shower and even longer nap, can debrief after if you need me to
It was only then that he looked at the messages from Sage that got extremely more worried the further down the thread fell.
Nox sent his friend a message @"Sage" Still alive. Stop worrying Aurora.
There was an immediate message followed by another
Thank the fuck. She'd kill me if you died down there.
![[Image: nox_sig.gif]](http://thefirstage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/nox_sig.gif)