Cold Poison (Closed)

[miss_sanguine]

There was no point in acting like he'd done nothing out of the ordinary, but he wasn't going to acknowledge it, either. He continued to stare as she wrapped her arm, willing himself to not look to the blood pooled in the snow below. There lay an unexplainable fascination in watching her wind the bandages around the wound, the blood soaking through one layer after another until there were so many that it stemmed.

"I stifled the feeling in your arm," he said curtly, uncaring.

He couldn't stop thinking back to the voice. Clear enough that it still sat in his mind, ready for recall.

"And we should continue on. We're not far enough away from the nesting grounds."

[GoblinFae]

'Stifled the feeling? Well thank you very much! Did I ask you to do that? Do you even know what you are doing? Men!' Zurna nodded her head in agreement, but seethed inside. 'Never pay attention do they? Always focused on their own agendas. You would let me die!'

The wind blew harshly sending shivers up and down her spine. Or at least that is what she tried to blame her shaking on. 'Next time, I'm listening to my family. I'll be lucky to make it home without doing anymore freakishness to me. Please manaia, make that happen!'

The further they trudged through the snow, they closer they got to their destination, and the more Zurna felt like she was walking towards something monumental. She did not know what it would be. But, she prayed it would be all she ever dreamed of. 'To worship on the sacred grounds, is to have your dream fulfilled. I ask for so little; I just hope it's true.'

[miss_sanguine]

He knew they were close when familiar plants started cropping up around them, only seen in this spot due to the nearby volcano providing warmth and richness to the soil. Some distance ahead he could make out the cap of the volcano through the foggy air.

And there was the shrine protecting the land further in, a statue of a bird-headed man with a fish's tail standing and looking out over the land with blank, cold eyes. The statue's left hand was outstretched, as if reaching out to receive something from an invisible someone, and on the hand Ryuu could make out dark stains.

This was the whole reason he'd needed Zurna. Only the blood of a local would allow one entry into the sacred ground where the salix artica grew.

When they reached the statue, he turned to Zurna, eyes driven to her injured arm where a small blotch of blood could be seen leaking through the tight bandages. Did she know what she needed to do? He did not want to say, for fear that the mere mention of blood would send his heart racing again.

"I'll stand away while you do it," he said, already walking away toward the other side of the large statue.

[GoblinFae]

The statue loomed up in front of her, leaving her staring at it in awe. 'Manaia!' Zurna lowered her eyes before the visage. As she did her gaze was directed to rust colored stains. 'Blood of the innocent; blood of the believers; blood of the wishers.'

She was startled out of her reverie by her companion's words. 'Stand away?' Zurna nearly snorted at the thought that Ryuu did not want to see her preform the sacrifice. 'He practically rips my arm off to see the blood and now he cannot be bothered to watch.' Her moss eyes followed his figure as he moved away from her. 'For the better, I guess. The less time I am around him, the safer I am. Although, I would rather I know where he is at all times than not at all. He is just the type I would peg to backstab someone without breaking a sweat.'

Zurna began the long process of unwinding her bandages. The closer parts were so saturated in blood, they stuck to her skin, making it painful to remove them. She tried to keep silent, stealing glances at Ryuu. Every sound made her feel anxious. 'I wish I knew what he was thinking, what he is going to do.'

Yanking the last of the wrap off, Zurna winced at the dull stinging sensation that came from re-opening the wound. Warm, viscous blood oozed down her arm. Moving quickly she allowed it to pull down her arm and into the hand of her god. 'Manaia, accept my sacrifice. I give up the life's blood you yourself gifted me. Should you ask of it me, I will give all. May you find me worthy.'

Long tense moments passed. Zurna was sure she had failed and was going to die. Then a warm breeze began to playfully tug at her hair and clothes. Reaching her uninjured arm forward, she began to approach the shrine doors. When she made it passed where she guess the protective barriers were, and her hand rested on the door, she allowed herself to sigh in relief. 'It worked!' Tired she leaned against the door, waiting for Ryuu to join her. After all it would take both of them to simultaneously open the doors.

[miss_sanguine]

He passed the statue without glancing at the hand, coming to stand by Zurna and take a hold of the ornate door handle.

It made no sense to Ryuu why there sat a useless door that opened to the other side and not into a building or room. The old mages of the tundra had gone out of their way to make something trivial into a bothersome task.

With the effort of both he and Zurna, the door opened to reveal the same thing as what was behind them, only here also grew the salix artica. He could see the plant growing up out of the fertile soil, its red berries blistering bright, a color of promise and ripeness. There were clumps of the willow all over, some growing out of the cracks in the volcanic rocks, some making their way, roots and all, up walls of soil.

Not looking to Zurna, he made his way toward the plant with the brightest berries. He knelt down by it, slipping off his gloves and reaching in the pouch hanging to his side. Inside were several jars, which he removed and began placing the berries he picked into them.

He could feel the power emanating from the small fruit. Just one could kill a grown man when ingested. When fermented and used on the end of a blade, it had even more dire consequences. A simple nick. . . .

[GoblinFae]

Entering the doorway felt like thousands of wispy hands brushing against her. Zurna could feel them on her face, through her hair, down her limbs, and across her abdomen. Her ears rang with voices whispering and singing in ancient and unheard tongues. 'To stand on sacred ground is to know the ancestor's embrace and partake in their wisdom. How blest are we.'

Reverently, Zurna knelt before the cause of her trying pilgrimage. She glanced curiously over at Ryuu. Knowing the danger of the berries and observing how many he was taking sent a cold chill racing up and down her spine despite the warmer air. She reached her hand out, letting it skim across leaf,, berry, and bark alike.

Zurna tugged a small amount of bark off and collected the sap that oozed out. Rubbing it against her wound, she watched indelight as the skin knit itself back together. A thin shiny scar was the only evidence that she had ever been bitten. Getting comfortable she fell into a meditative trance as she began to pray.

Words floated in and out of her head as Zurna inwardly searched for the quetion on her mind, her reason of her coming. Slowly a memory came to her as if through a thick, misty fog. Events from ten years ago bombarded her, making it difficult to focus on her heart's desire. 'Let it go. Let it fade. Let it die!'

Suddenly, the memory came to an abrupt stop. Within her mind she pictured herself standing in the middle of a snow plain. Before her stood a young boy. "Ezra!" she called happily, running up to embrace him. He disappeared when she came within arm's length of him. "Ezra?"

A disembodied voice began to circle her, echoing from all around. "You forgot me. You let me die. You lied. You killed me."

"No," she protested desperately. "I didn't mean to. It was an accident. I didn't know!"

"Traitor! Murderer! Deserter! Kins-" the harsh words were droned out and silenced by a soothing murmuring. Zurna awoke from her nightmare, feeling a residual warmth across her back as if she had been embraced from behind. She was breathing hard and her hands were clutching the Salix artica tightly as if it would save her from herself. 'What was that?'

The dream still flitted about in the corner of her mind, leaving her with a sense of anticipation and dread. Her thoughts circled around and around for reasons for this disturbance. 'I have not thought of Ezra in so long. Why does he haunt me now?' Zurna sent her thoughts fleeing as she searched for something else to think about. Harvesting more bark she quietly asked, "why do you collect the poison? What do you want with death?"

[miss_sanguine]

He was aware of Zurna kneeling next to him, but did not look too her, instead too focused on gathering what berries he could in slow, meticulous movements. Each berry he picked was gripped and spun between his fingers as he reveled in their feel, before placing them in his jars.

Funny, how a berry from a living, thriving plant that breathed could cause cold death to other living things.

When Zurna spoke, he waited a few moments before finally responding. What did he want with death? That wasn't something he could answer, not in a way she could understand. He couldn't tell her that he wanted death more than any other person. Animals strove to survive, to live; humans, aware of their own mortality, looked for ways--any ways they could--to prevent it. But he wanted it, almost embraced it.

Cowardice held him back.

"What business of it is yours?" he asked. "Coming from one that lives in a land of nothing but cold and death."

[GoblinFae]

"Perhaps it isn't my business. But, I would hardly say my land is full of death. If that were the case I wouldn't be here. The Salix arctica," she said pointing at it, "would not grow here. This plant bears the capability of the gods. It can both give and take life. If my land was meant only for those seeking death, then why have you come? Why did you bother the journey at all? Surely you value your life more than that. If you didn't you could have just crushed one of the eggs and ended it right there. You could have a thousand ways before you even made it this far. Why bother?"

Zurna looked him over, moss-colored eyes, watching but not judging. Shaking her head she tore a small bit of bark and chewed on it. "Of all the things you take, you choose death over life. You collect the poison instead of the cure. Can you fault me for finding it odd?"

[miss_sanguine]

Finished with his harvesting, Ryuu closed up the jars and placed them back in his bag, then got to his feet and brushed what few leaves and dirt had gotten onto his furs.

"I didn't say your land was there for those seeking death," he said, though that wasn't far from the truth. He came seeking berries that brought death. There was no difference. "And I do not come here each year seeking my own death."

Mission completed, he glanced around. He had no need to be here further. No further need of the girl, of the land, of the cold.

"No fault in it at all," he said, not looking to her as he spoke. "It is natural to wonder such things. But, as you find it odd for me to seek a way to death, I find it odd for your seeking a way for extended life."

[GoblinFae]

"I concede," she smiled bowing her head. "But, as you said, you do not seek to end your life. I do not seek to lengthen mine. I think my family lives long enough as it is." Zurna chuckled as she thought about her nearly century old parents.

"So this is it? You got what you came for and...you got what you came for," she sighed, flowing up onto her feet. For a moment Zurna just stared him, trying to work something out she did not understand. 'Guess I never will.'

Zurna placed her hands in prayer position and bowed to Ryuu. "May you take this peace with you on your journey through life, friend. Until we meet again," she bid him farewell. 'Strange, strange man. Manaia, may our paths never cross again. I don't think my heart could handle another encounter.' She shuddered, pulling her cloak tighter about herself.

[miss_sanguine]

All he could do was glare at Zurna as she bowed to him and spoke of peace. He had no peace to take with him. Never would have peace. Not until he was dead, and that wouldn't be for some time.

For a moment he felt the need to punish her for having even hinted at it, for mocking him by saying that he could have it when he so clearly could not.

But no. The voice hadn't been too long ago, the pull at his mind. He didn't want it to happen again so soon. He merely nodded at her, then wrapped his arms around himself and turned, leaving her behind in the place she considered a holy sanctuary.