Sands of the Hourglass

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[ 97] Nymaya: Sands of the Hourglass
Mon Apr 11 04:50:55 2011
To: All New_Thalos Verminasia Abaddon - Dar'shin Reklah Jadess ( Cayenna Necrucifer Imm RP )
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The sands of the hourglass fell with a timelessness that had her spellbound.

Even the sound of the sand hitting the bottom with a soft, airy hiss had a comforting edge and at a time when pain made up the bulk of all her daily and nightly experiences, it was a welcome distraction.

She watched the falling stream of crystalline particles, lit every so often by the flame of a candle on the other side as it wavered slowly, and was reminded of New Thalos.

The city was warm and exotic. Filled with people in all walks of life. It was a place that could offer you harsh beauty, that judged you not on the merit of your past or present but for the strength you kept buried inside. It enticed the depths of your true self forward and challenged you to survive in one of Algoron's harshest environments.

The thought wasn't new, she'd had it before...at least once, out in the desert when she'd nearly died. Linot had been with her...

A spasm of pain derailed her silent contemplations. They'd been happening every so often now but hadn't drawn in close enough to make her believe she was in labor, though it was most likely the onset. She had no way to tell how long it could take now.

Even ensconced in the comfort of a well cushioned chair, with pillows and an ottoman to elevate her legs, she could not escape the twisting pain in her lower back or the sharp ache that throbbed down her right leg. Frustration pushed her up with a pained breath and she moved to lean against the mantle of the fireplace, to look upon the smoldering flame through an equally pained gaze.

..do you really intend this path..

As if she required more pain.

Her eyes closed to the soft, ghostly query and instead of answering, her hand closed on a severed lock of her own hair while the other pressed to her stomach. The children were kicking and a rising sense of dread had joined the need to be done with her pregnancy. The frustration surrounding the end of it outweighed all else though. She was exhausted, weary beyond all measure and tired of being haunted by fear of the unknown.

"Have done with this." She hissed softly and for a brief moment, was given a heavy silence.

...the price is too high...the demon's offers cannot be trusted...

Another cramping pain grasped her, as if to punctuate the ghostly words that whispered without origin, and her knuckles whitened on the mantle.

"And what of the debt?" She bit out, her tone breathy after the pain had passed. "My debt to this demon."

...you will regret...giving up your child...to a demon...

Was it her own long silent conscience rising up in the face of all the misgivings that had given rise to conflict in her, or was it truly the voice of her deceased friend? Shaking her head slowly, she turned away from the fire to look at the hourglass.

Her time had run out.

"I know, Linot." She breathed. "I know.."