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tamingthemuseTitle: Once isn’t Enough
Fandom: Original
Prompt: Silence is a Great Healer
Warnings: Murder and death
Rating: M
Summary: Nolyn arrives in a future world where magic is dead, but there are still some remnants that need to be dealt with.
He couldn’t name the force that pulled him to the building. Maybe it was his magic seeking out something similar, something familiar. Or maybe it was the magic of the other being calling to him. Whatever it was, it tugged at his mind and chest, drawing him into the depths of the human city and into a dull grey building.
He walked with a purpose and nobody bothered to stall him as he padded lightly down the crowded halls and up the stairs.
There were people everywhere and most were either ill or suffering, so Nolyn assumed that this was a healing temple of some sort. He was greatly ignored by the humans, as was his curse, but he paid them no mind, seeking the magic that was so very rare in this world.
He paused just around another corner as the crowd suddenly thinned and the noise became muffled with the distance between him and the many people.
The halls had all been white and the floors polished until they shone. Fake light made the inside as bright as the noonday sun and Nolyn narrowed his eyes against the glare.
The call came from down this hall and Nolyn began the walk toward the source, his heart loud in his ears. What was he going to find, he wondered, his fingers twitching at his side. He paused next to a closed door and pressed his hand to the solid surface. It was cold under his hand and he could feel the hum of machines inside the room. That was the human’s magic. So far removed from his own.
He pushed open the door and blinked into the sudden darkness of the room. A window was open and the filtered sunlight poured into the room with the gentle breeze that smelt of rain. Nolyn turned away from the window and looked to the bed where a fragile old man was laying.
He was the source of the magic, Nolyn realized as he approached and lowered himself to the bedside chair.
Moments later, the man blinked his eyes open and turned the bright green orbs to Nolyn, unsurprised that he was there. Nolyn’s breath caught in his throat as he realized that he knew this man. Many years had passed and his body had changed, but the soul was the same. Nolyn bowed his head in respect.
“You’ve finally arrived,” he man said, his voice rough with disuse. He slowly struggled upright and Nolyn lent a hand, offering him the water from the cup on the bedside table. After one drink, he waved the water away and Nolyn resumed his seat.
“I’ve waited for you for years, young one. I nearly gave up hope that you would ever arrive.” He pressed a hand to his chest over his heart. “I can not begin to count the lives I have lived in my long wait for you.”
“I’m sorry to have made you wait,” Nolyn said, bowing his head.
“It’s been too long. My soul is damaged.” He looked at his legs laying under the thin blankets of the bed. He turned his hands over in his lap, careful not to pull at the needles embedded in his skin. “Far too damaged to remain in this shell.”
“I have heard that many reincarnations can drive a soul insane. But only with many sudden deaths applied to it. Surely you have lived lives to the fullest extent possible through these peaceful times?”
The old man snorted. “Peaceful? Sure, compared to your standards, this world is peaceful. The gods are absent and so are their feuds. The demons remain in their forgotten prisons and the humans rule completely. Our kind would consider this peaceful despite the wars humans wage against each other.” He turned his bright green eyes to Nolyn. “Magic doesn’t survive in this world. There is too much technology; it stifles the magic. You have noticed that you’re not regenerating your magic while you’re here.”
Nolyn tensed. It was true. The magic he had used to fight the demon had not returned to him. His body still ached from the wounds he had received in the battle before he faced off with the demon and his magic was but a faint ribbon in his blood.
The man nodded. “It will take time for you to return to your full magical power.” He sighed heavily and rubbed a hand against his brow. “And I wish to live a life not burdened by the voices in my head. I wish to live a life knowing that I’m not insane.” He looked back to his feet, then out the open window. “I have memories that are not my own and I want to know what they mean. I want to know that the magic in my blood isn’t just my mind playing tricks on me.”
“It’s not,” Nolyn murmured.
He slanted his eyes to Nolyn again and his lips tightened. “I have done terrible things in this world. I tried not to, but the voices… The magic demands I use it, but I don’t know how to control it. If you taught me…”
“I will. As is my duty to you and our kind.”
“Our kind are no more, Yellow Eyes. Our kind is you and me.”
Nolyn nodded, lowering his eyes and fighting against the tears that threatened to overflow. His whole race. Gone.
“I have waited for you and in my waiting I have learned that silence is a great healer. The voices in my head are silent when you are near. But it’s too late for my soul in this shell. Kill me. Release me and let me move into another body, one that is clean and let my soul heal.”
“It will take more than one incarnation to heal a soul.”
He nodded and his eyes were bright with an eager hope. “Then find me and heal me. I’ll be reborn close and near at hand.”
Nolyn closed his eyes and tried to think of what he knew of the workings of the soul. This man had lived so many lives, they were all there, speaking to him and driving him insane. What’s more, he knew the secrets of Heaven and Creation. It was all too much for a man who had been taught he was human during it all. He probably didn’t even know what he was.
Nolyn hated taking lives, but for this, he had to. And more than one. He stood and placed a hand on the old man’s frail shoulder. He murmured a spell that was more of a prayer. He didn’t know how to capture souls, and he didn’t know how to force reincarnation. He could only try.
He pulled his old fan from his belt, the one that had been at his side for ages, with the sharpened tips. It was the only weapon he had left to him since the demon had deposited him in this future world.
Nolyn leaned down and whispered, “It will take more than one incarnation. Stay close, my friend, and I will find you to heal you.” He felt the man return his touch and a trembling smile stretch his lips.
With one thrust, Nolyn stabbed the bladed fan into his chest, into his heart, ending his suffering and releasing his soul to be reborn.
Quickly, Nolyn laid him back on the bed and settled his hands over his chest. He murmured another spell, and this one was a prayer. Death was all too common in Nolyn’s life and he hated every aspect of it.
After a moment, he glanced over his shoulder in surprise as the magic returned to tug at his senses. He had been reborn already? Eyes widening as he realized the path he now walked, Nolyn quit the silent room and searched for the baby who’s blood was soon to stain his hands.
Fandom: Original
Prompt: Silence is a Great Healer
Warnings: Murder and death
Rating: M
Summary: Nolyn arrives in a future world where magic is dead, but there are still some remnants that need to be dealt with.
He couldn’t name the force that pulled him to the building. Maybe it was his magic seeking out something similar, something familiar. Or maybe it was the magic of the other being calling to him. Whatever it was, it tugged at his mind and chest, drawing him into the depths of the human city and into a dull grey building.
He walked with a purpose and nobody bothered to stall him as he padded lightly down the crowded halls and up the stairs.
There were people everywhere and most were either ill or suffering, so Nolyn assumed that this was a healing temple of some sort. He was greatly ignored by the humans, as was his curse, but he paid them no mind, seeking the magic that was so very rare in this world.
He paused just around another corner as the crowd suddenly thinned and the noise became muffled with the distance between him and the many people.
The halls had all been white and the floors polished until they shone. Fake light made the inside as bright as the noonday sun and Nolyn narrowed his eyes against the glare.
The call came from down this hall and Nolyn began the walk toward the source, his heart loud in his ears. What was he going to find, he wondered, his fingers twitching at his side. He paused next to a closed door and pressed his hand to the solid surface. It was cold under his hand and he could feel the hum of machines inside the room. That was the human’s magic. So far removed from his own.
He pushed open the door and blinked into the sudden darkness of the room. A window was open and the filtered sunlight poured into the room with the gentle breeze that smelt of rain. Nolyn turned away from the window and looked to the bed where a fragile old man was laying.
He was the source of the magic, Nolyn realized as he approached and lowered himself to the bedside chair.
Moments later, the man blinked his eyes open and turned the bright green orbs to Nolyn, unsurprised that he was there. Nolyn’s breath caught in his throat as he realized that he knew this man. Many years had passed and his body had changed, but the soul was the same. Nolyn bowed his head in respect.
“You’ve finally arrived,” he man said, his voice rough with disuse. He slowly struggled upright and Nolyn lent a hand, offering him the water from the cup on the bedside table. After one drink, he waved the water away and Nolyn resumed his seat.
“I’ve waited for you for years, young one. I nearly gave up hope that you would ever arrive.” He pressed a hand to his chest over his heart. “I can not begin to count the lives I have lived in my long wait for you.”
“I’m sorry to have made you wait,” Nolyn said, bowing his head.
“It’s been too long. My soul is damaged.” He looked at his legs laying under the thin blankets of the bed. He turned his hands over in his lap, careful not to pull at the needles embedded in his skin. “Far too damaged to remain in this shell.”
“I have heard that many reincarnations can drive a soul insane. But only with many sudden deaths applied to it. Surely you have lived lives to the fullest extent possible through these peaceful times?”
The old man snorted. “Peaceful? Sure, compared to your standards, this world is peaceful. The gods are absent and so are their feuds. The demons remain in their forgotten prisons and the humans rule completely. Our kind would consider this peaceful despite the wars humans wage against each other.” He turned his bright green eyes to Nolyn. “Magic doesn’t survive in this world. There is too much technology; it stifles the magic. You have noticed that you’re not regenerating your magic while you’re here.”
Nolyn tensed. It was true. The magic he had used to fight the demon had not returned to him. His body still ached from the wounds he had received in the battle before he faced off with the demon and his magic was but a faint ribbon in his blood.
The man nodded. “It will take time for you to return to your full magical power.” He sighed heavily and rubbed a hand against his brow. “And I wish to live a life not burdened by the voices in my head. I wish to live a life knowing that I’m not insane.” He looked back to his feet, then out the open window. “I have memories that are not my own and I want to know what they mean. I want to know that the magic in my blood isn’t just my mind playing tricks on me.”
“It’s not,” Nolyn murmured.
He slanted his eyes to Nolyn again and his lips tightened. “I have done terrible things in this world. I tried not to, but the voices… The magic demands I use it, but I don’t know how to control it. If you taught me…”
“I will. As is my duty to you and our kind.”
“Our kind are no more, Yellow Eyes. Our kind is you and me.”
Nolyn nodded, lowering his eyes and fighting against the tears that threatened to overflow. His whole race. Gone.
“I have waited for you and in my waiting I have learned that silence is a great healer. The voices in my head are silent when you are near. But it’s too late for my soul in this shell. Kill me. Release me and let me move into another body, one that is clean and let my soul heal.”
“It will take more than one incarnation to heal a soul.”
He nodded and his eyes were bright with an eager hope. “Then find me and heal me. I’ll be reborn close and near at hand.”
Nolyn closed his eyes and tried to think of what he knew of the workings of the soul. This man had lived so many lives, they were all there, speaking to him and driving him insane. What’s more, he knew the secrets of Heaven and Creation. It was all too much for a man who had been taught he was human during it all. He probably didn’t even know what he was.
Nolyn hated taking lives, but for this, he had to. And more than one. He stood and placed a hand on the old man’s frail shoulder. He murmured a spell that was more of a prayer. He didn’t know how to capture souls, and he didn’t know how to force reincarnation. He could only try.
He pulled his old fan from his belt, the one that had been at his side for ages, with the sharpened tips. It was the only weapon he had left to him since the demon had deposited him in this future world.
Nolyn leaned down and whispered, “It will take more than one incarnation. Stay close, my friend, and I will find you to heal you.” He felt the man return his touch and a trembling smile stretch his lips.
With one thrust, Nolyn stabbed the bladed fan into his chest, into his heart, ending his suffering and releasing his soul to be reborn.
Quickly, Nolyn laid him back on the bed and settled his hands over his chest. He murmured another spell, and this one was a prayer. Death was all too common in Nolyn’s life and he hated every aspect of it.
After a moment, he glanced over his shoulder in surprise as the magic returned to tug at his senses. He had been reborn already? Eyes widening as he realized the path he now walked, Nolyn quit the silent room and searched for the baby who’s blood was soon to stain his hands.
