(no subject)
Title: Awake
Story: The Dragonfire Chronicles
Characters: Kitra, Shuang, Fai
Flavours: Mango #21 [Resting my eyes]; Tangerine #10 [Faking it]
Toppings: N/A
Extras: Malt - birthday prompt from bookblather ['We're all out of jail and it's party time again. If that isn't happiness, what is?' - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.]
Word count: 770
Rating: PG
Summary: In which Kitra wakes up.
Notes: Creative title, I know.
It was like trying to break the surface, trying not to drown. Kitra could hear other voices in the room, oddly muffled even though she knew they were close by. She didn't try to listen. Instead she focused on herself, attempting to pull her mind closer to reality.
The closer she came, the more her body ached. She could feel a tiredness that went bone deep, but that wasn't all. There would be bruises, she knew, covering her arms and sides. The pain from those was less than the pain from her nose, however. It was throbbing, pulsing with her heartbeat. She turned her head slightly and winced when the movement sent pain stabbing up behind her eyes, across her cheekbones.
Kitra gasped quietly but the voices continued speaking somewhere to her left. She kept her eyes closed and listened. What if she was still captive? She didn't feel like she was bound, but she could have been seriously injured, have been moved up here to heal a little.
"We have to make a decision. Do we protect her, or tell them. If it's getting worse-"
"Not worse. Better. More controlled, I think."
"And you were the one advocating her capture a few weeks ago."
"You didn't see it."
"It almost killed her!" The voice got more animated and Kitra heard a thud that meant the owner of said voice was up on his feet. "She's been asleep for three days now. That kind of weariness is not borne of a beating, Fai!"
Fai? Kitra moved her head slightly again, wondering if she could get into such a position that she could check whether or not it was true. If Fai was here, she was safe - she knew that. Where Fai was, Shuang was. Where Shuang was, there was safety. That was a truth even she couldn't ignore.
The move must have attracted their attention, because the next thing she knew, Shuang was by her side, touching her forehead gently. "Kitra?" he murmured. "Are you awake?"
Kitra didn't move and eventually Shuang stood and stepped back. She wanted to see where this conversation was going. "I think she's still sleeping."
"No she's not," Fai replied. "She's trying to listen now."
Kitra opened her eyes slowly. Fai was looking at her, one eyebrow raised as if to say 'who do you think you're fooling?' She smiled weakly. Shuang frowned.
"You're not supposed to do that!" he said. "I thought you were still asleep, I was worried."
She shook a hand at him, trying to sit up. "I'm fine, I just-" She pulled herself up and winced as the muscles in her back and shoulders complained. When Shuang moved, quickly, to help, she flinched back. Hurt flicked across his face.
"Sorry," she muttered.
Fai looked unsurprised by this, even as Shuang backed up a little. Now sitting, Kitra touched her nose gingerly. That was the place that really hurt. She glanced at Shuang questioningly and he looked at Fai.
"Whoever had you in there, they broke your nose," he explained. "I tried to straighten it - it's not going to be perfect, but it'll do."
She nodded. "So what was that about turning me in?"
Shuang suddenly looked profoundly guilty. "Fai told me you used magic to open the lock," he said. "I thought your powers might be getting out of control."
Kitra frowned and Shuang hurried to explain. "It's just that, you've been asleep for three days. It's not a natural sleep, either - I think your magic caused it."
Kitra nodded. "Okay. How would turning me in help that, other than get me killed?"
"Not to the authorities!" Shuang said. "To Lana and Aldan. There's a chance Aldan might know something we don't."
"So ask him," Kitra said with a shrug. Fai cast Shuang a look like he'd already suggested this.
Shuang, frustrated, ran a hand through his hair. "It's not that simple. He's smart! He knows your sleep wasn't normal. He's going to know we're talking about you if I start spouting hypothetical theories."
"Then leave it," Kitra replied. She swung her legs around and tried, slowly, to stand. "I need food." She glanced around the room, then stopped, took a long look. "Where are we? We're not at the House."
Fai spoke for the first time since she'd opened her eyes. "Lana moved. Mei Ling found us there, and apparently that's not good for business."
Kitra frowned. "It's not, no. Is Lana around?"
"She's downstairs, why?"
"I need to tell her where the egg is. And, breakfast."
She stumbled across the room and Shuang and Fai followed.
Story: The Dragonfire Chronicles
Characters: Kitra, Shuang, Fai
Flavours: Mango #21 [Resting my eyes]; Tangerine #10 [Faking it]
Toppings: N/A
Extras: Malt - birthday prompt from bookblather ['We're all out of jail and it's party time again. If that isn't happiness, what is?' - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.]
Word count: 770
Rating: PG
Summary: In which Kitra wakes up.
Notes: Creative title, I know.
It was like trying to break the surface, trying not to drown. Kitra could hear other voices in the room, oddly muffled even though she knew they were close by. She didn't try to listen. Instead she focused on herself, attempting to pull her mind closer to reality.
The closer she came, the more her body ached. She could feel a tiredness that went bone deep, but that wasn't all. There would be bruises, she knew, covering her arms and sides. The pain from those was less than the pain from her nose, however. It was throbbing, pulsing with her heartbeat. She turned her head slightly and winced when the movement sent pain stabbing up behind her eyes, across her cheekbones.
Kitra gasped quietly but the voices continued speaking somewhere to her left. She kept her eyes closed and listened. What if she was still captive? She didn't feel like she was bound, but she could have been seriously injured, have been moved up here to heal a little.
"We have to make a decision. Do we protect her, or tell them. If it's getting worse-"
"Not worse. Better. More controlled, I think."
"And you were the one advocating her capture a few weeks ago."
"You didn't see it."
"It almost killed her!" The voice got more animated and Kitra heard a thud that meant the owner of said voice was up on his feet. "She's been asleep for three days now. That kind of weariness is not borne of a beating, Fai!"
Fai? Kitra moved her head slightly again, wondering if she could get into such a position that she could check whether or not it was true. If Fai was here, she was safe - she knew that. Where Fai was, Shuang was. Where Shuang was, there was safety. That was a truth even she couldn't ignore.
The move must have attracted their attention, because the next thing she knew, Shuang was by her side, touching her forehead gently. "Kitra?" he murmured. "Are you awake?"
Kitra didn't move and eventually Shuang stood and stepped back. She wanted to see where this conversation was going. "I think she's still sleeping."
"No she's not," Fai replied. "She's trying to listen now."
Kitra opened her eyes slowly. Fai was looking at her, one eyebrow raised as if to say 'who do you think you're fooling?' She smiled weakly. Shuang frowned.
"You're not supposed to do that!" he said. "I thought you were still asleep, I was worried."
She shook a hand at him, trying to sit up. "I'm fine, I just-" She pulled herself up and winced as the muscles in her back and shoulders complained. When Shuang moved, quickly, to help, she flinched back. Hurt flicked across his face.
"Sorry," she muttered.
Fai looked unsurprised by this, even as Shuang backed up a little. Now sitting, Kitra touched her nose gingerly. That was the place that really hurt. She glanced at Shuang questioningly and he looked at Fai.
"Whoever had you in there, they broke your nose," he explained. "I tried to straighten it - it's not going to be perfect, but it'll do."
She nodded. "So what was that about turning me in?"
Shuang suddenly looked profoundly guilty. "Fai told me you used magic to open the lock," he said. "I thought your powers might be getting out of control."
Kitra frowned and Shuang hurried to explain. "It's just that, you've been asleep for three days. It's not a natural sleep, either - I think your magic caused it."
Kitra nodded. "Okay. How would turning me in help that, other than get me killed?"
"Not to the authorities!" Shuang said. "To Lana and Aldan. There's a chance Aldan might know something we don't."
"So ask him," Kitra said with a shrug. Fai cast Shuang a look like he'd already suggested this.
Shuang, frustrated, ran a hand through his hair. "It's not that simple. He's smart! He knows your sleep wasn't normal. He's going to know we're talking about you if I start spouting hypothetical theories."
"Then leave it," Kitra replied. She swung her legs around and tried, slowly, to stand. "I need food." She glanced around the room, then stopped, took a long look. "Where are we? We're not at the House."
Fai spoke for the first time since she'd opened her eyes. "Lana moved. Mei Ling found us there, and apparently that's not good for business."
Kitra frowned. "It's not, no. Is Lana around?"
"She's downstairs, why?"
"I need to tell her where the egg is. And, breakfast."
She stumbled across the room and Shuang and Fai followed.