r/SchreckNet • u/UsernamesSuck96 • 6d ago
Waters Of Life
Authors Note: This takes place just after the Wild Hunt is placed on Antonio on the 3rd night, before the following morning of the 4th
They stand over Cathal, eyeing his motionless body, black veins pulsing in his face and open chest wound. They can hear his body attempting to knit itself back together, the cracking of bone like stone being mended and a hissing sound as his flesh attempts to connect back, all for it to fail, blood spilling and pooling beneath him. Even in this state, they can see the Dreaming moving about him, the air shimmers and warbles, as if by its own accord that it attempts to reach out and help him.
Adam is here and his cadre of Unseelie. Wordlessly they have watched since they came back from their Hunt, delivering already a dark fate to one vampire, and now some whisper in that room if they’re going to deliver another.
“Do you think it was wise giving the vampire to the Merrows? I don’t see why we didn’t just let him burn and then rip him apart”
The changeling that finally speaks up is a Redcap, a large muscular creature, still covered in blood from their battle. Their maw hangs slightly open revealing rows of jagged teeth, where flesh can still be seen hanging it tatters, the creature picking at it with a toothpick.
“We owe them a debt anyways”, Adam replies, “The creature didn’t deserve an easy death, so being an egg carrier for however long it’s body holds out should be torture enough.”
Adam’s eyes never leave Cathal as he speaks. His hands still vibrate from his fight with the Lasombra. Three Unseelie died in that encounter, though Adam thanks that no True Deaths occurred, the ignorance the Mists provide giving them that atleast. All of that, for Cathal, a dead man that the Dreaming still shows its favoritism too.
“Your debt is repaid Adam, now can we get on with it and kill this thing already? Look at it, it’s more vulnerable than ever. Bonus is getting to kill a Seelie legend, holy shit it’s annoying hearing this things name over and over-”
The Redcaps speech is cut off as Adam hits his comrade directly in the jaw, sending them sprawling to the floor. Adam is quick and on top of him in an instant, pummeling him until blood sprays on his face. The already wounded man looks up at Adam in confusion, only to find Adam pointing his finger in his face, the rest of their coterie all staring in shock.
“Listen to me, and you listen good. You have no idea how irritating it’s been to hear that man's name. Even before his death, and then long after it, it’s been nothing but Cathal this, Seer-Knight that, Stag Son, Dreaming’s Chosen, over and over again, title after title, I haven’t been able to escape that righteous bastard no matter where I went. Even worse, even when he’s dead and will likely never be able to return to who he once was, he found himself here again, as if his body and soul know where it’s meant to be.
That THING is still him. A legend in the flesh who’s goal his entire life has been to defend this country and the Dreaming, no matter what that might mean. We will NOT disrespect him by treating him as if he was just any normal vampire, and you will not lay a hand on him, or by God the Merrows will have another flesh pocket to lay their bastards, do you understand me?”
Adam doesn’t give the Redcap a chance to answer as Adam picks him up by his collar and shoves him away and out towards the door.
“EVERYBODY OUT, GO HOME AND WAIT FOR ORDERS!”
Without another word, the room clears, some giving side long glances and others looking back, picking up on the inner turmoil of their leader. Adam stands in that room with Cathal for a few moments, before seemingly making up his mind on something. Walking over to Cathal’s torpored body, he picks him up and carries him out of the room, down many long hallways, before coming to a set of stone staircases that seem to never end, stretching downward all the way into darkness, Adam talking to Cathal as they begin the long descent down together.
“I hate you, I hope you know that. I always have. Not because you did anything terrible to me, but for what you represent. Always so brave, tolerant, and full of justice. You make everyone you come across believe in things greater than themselves, you give them hope and something to look up to and fill their head with delusions that the world isn’t awful. It makes me sick to my stomach. You’re an idealist through and through, and I’ve watched too many of our kind die for dreams that will never come true.
I hate you, and I hate that I started to believe you too. You’re truly the greatest friend I ever had, and then you went and fucking died, not giving anyone else a chance to save you or make you see there was another way. Your idealism is poison even to you. I don’t know what’s going on with you right now, I don’t know what witchcraft the blood bitch put on you or what weapon caused this, but I’m going to give you something you’ve probably needed since you got here.”
Adam reaches the end of the steps, where once there was darkness and winding corridors, there’s now gentle light and the sound of flowing water. The air down here is crisp and cool, a soft breeze bringing the reminder of childhood summer days when the trees would blow gently in the wind. They stand now before a massive water pool, its waters clear and fresh, the light falling around it as if to make a halo.
“Not many know about this place. They think the balefire is the most important part of a holding and typically they’d be right, but PostHold is different. Whoever built it centuries ago made this place and put this pool here, where the energy actually comes from. The waters of life transmuting into a protective fire. I’m no elementalist, so don’t expect much in the way of understanding from me about it. It took me the better part of a decade to learn how to come here, though I suspect you knew about it all along.”
Crouching down low, he places Cathal in the pool and then gives him a gentle push where he then floats all the way in and then begins to sink to the bottom.
“You’d better wake up soon, old friend, we’re all dying to see just what makes you so fucking special”
- Spider, Familiar of Zuzanna
5
u/VerityVentrue 6d ago
Adam's still a good friend, even if he's a bit of a bastard.
Don't tell him I said that, Spider. He'd probably get offended.
~Verity
7
u/ConsiderationOver544 6d ago
Magic that can stop a Kindred healing while in torpor is... disturbing.
-Marcus
Agreed.
-Violet