Thursday, May 05, 2016

Ascent: Day 4

Word Count: 24,003

Summary of Events:
Ilyé learned from the Lemyazhmok that the whole reason he looked like he did was because the Lemyazhmok had cursed his parents when they'd dared cross the threshold of his home; he then got the Lemyazhmok to let him go and decided to set out on a trip to the east, except that he was spotted by soldiers who thought him an enemy and started shooting at him, getting him in his hindquarters and forcing him to turn to the mountains, where he found a cave and decided to stop . . .

Excerpt of the Day:
"Who goes– oh, you're back young Ilyé," the Lemyazhmok's familiar voice reached his ears, but he didn't open his eyes. The pain was too much for him. He was just glad he'd found help.
He heard the Lemyazhmok's footfalls ringing off of the rock, he couldn't tell if they were approaching or receding.
"And what did they do to you?" the Lemyazhmok asked, then tsked. "That's not very good. You've swollen terribly. It must've been a poisoned arrow."
Ilyé cried out when he felt a hand touch his hindquarters.
"It's alright," the Lemyazhmok said quietly.
Slowly a sort of dullness came over his hindquarters. He couldn't feel them, but yet he knew they were still there.
A grunt sounded. "It was barbed and poisoned, a terrible arrow, meant to kill," the Lemyazhmok said. "You are fortunate young Ilyé."
Ilyé opened his eyes. He could see there was a glowing in the cave.
"Now get up Ilyé," the Lemyazhmok said.
"I can't feel my hind legs," Ilyé replied.
"I'll make sure you don't drop off the cliff," the Lemyazhmok said. "Come on."
Reluctantly Ilyé gathered his legs under himself and got to his feet, furling his wings against his sides.
"Now come, let's leach out the poison," the Lemyazhmok said.
Ilyé followed the Lemyazhmok into his cave and slowly looked around.
It was a large, cavernous place; there was a pool whose edge was raised out of the stone floor to his right, and many books, boxes, jars, and more aligned on shelves to his left, where there was also sleeping quarters.
"Lie down on the bed," the Lemyazhmok said as he walked over to a shelf.
Ilyé obliged, moving uncertainly due to the numbness in his hindquarters.
The Lemyazhmok came over to his side, a small jar in his hand. He set the jar opening over the damp-looking place on Ilyé's hindquarters that made him feel squeamish to look at.
Closing his eyes, the Lemyazhmok took a deep breath and the jar glowed for a long time before the Lemyazhmok raised it up, turned it over, and put the cork in the mouth.
The jar was now filled with something that looked terribly dark green.
"What is that?" Ilyé asked.
"The poison from the arrow," the Lemyazhmok replied.
"There was that much?" Ilyé asked.
"Only because it was embedded in your flesh for so long," the Lemyazhmok replied.
"What are you going to do with it now?" Ilyé asked.
"I'm going to put it with all of the other poisons in my collection," the Lemyazhmok replied.
"You collect poisons?" Ilyé asked.
"Usually for revenge purposes," the Lemyazhmok replied. "I'll save the arrow for the same thing."
"And I can leave now?" Ilyé asked.
"Not yet," the Lemyazhmok replied. "First I need to do this," he pressed his hand over what Ilyé was sure was the wound where the arrow had entered.
When he raised his hand, there was no sign of it, which caused Ilyé to startle slightly."

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