*
She did not know how long she had fallen for, only that it had been a rather painful experience that she would rather not go through again. She lay there -sand blocking her vision, pressure crushing her lungs- for what seemed like a long time. She drifted in and out of consciousness as her body fought to stay awake. She was barely aware of the halo of dusk sun high above.
She could no longer feel anything from her right leg, and several cuts and bruises sapped her remaining strength. Miraculously Kingston’s medicine bag had survived the fall, in defiance of logic and the immutable law of gravity. Eventually, the dust cleared, revealing a grotesque sight. She was in a large cavern, far, far below the surface.
Thankfully, several holes in the rocky ceiling provided light and oxygen. Alza began to cough, the stuffy air of the cave overwhelming her body. After her coughing fit subsided she tried to stand, and found out the reason for her discomfort. A large boulder, most likely dislodged in the earthquake, lay atop her right leg in full, pinning it under several tonnes of rock.
There was no pain at the moment, but she knew from experience that her body was still in shock, and that there would be plenty of pain when that wore off. She tried to push the boulder while sliding her leg back, hoping to wrench it loose. It was no use, the boulder refused to move and the nerves leading to her leg were unresponsive.
She suddenly noticed a vile, nauseating stench in the air that resulted in several minutes’ worth of painful retching. It was the stench of concentrated pollution, though how she knew that was beyond her. With her energy drained, she was no longer capable of purifying the air around her. The miasma took advantage of this, pervading her body and fouling her mind. She could only lie there, as powerless as a new-born, pondering her fate.
“Perhaps this is how it should be: living alone, dying alone, never trusting, never feeling, never living. This is the perfect fate for someone like me... someone who doesn't even know who or what she is...”
Suddenly an image of blue-green eyes raced across her mind. “I wonder if they will worry about me? I wonder if they will even know I'm gone...”
“You disappoint me, Daughter of None! I thought that you were stronger than this…”
And just like that, Ion was there, one arm resting on the boulder that held Alza captive. Alza could not remember seeing her arrive. It was as if she had always been there, but invisible to the senses. She did not seem to even notice the pollution that swirled invisibly around her, as she stood there with a calm and collected look on her face.
“I do not need your help, Ion, now or ever,” said Alza in a dry, wheezing voice. A sudden coughing fit rather undermined her statement, but her eyes never lost their stubborn defiance.
“Hmm... are you sure about that? It looks like you're in quite a dangerous situation from here. Am I mistaken?”
“You are. I will not perish here.”
“And just what gives you so much confidence, little girl?”
“I have confidence because there is something that I must do, something that I need to discover.” Another flash of blue and green filled Alza’s mind for a heartbeat.
“And… there are people out there who are waiting for me.”
“And when you re-unite with these people, what will you do then?” Ion was leaning forward now, seemingly having a great interest in Alza’s answer.
Alza coughed, noting the blood that remained on her hand as she did so. “I will find out my true identity, no matter the cost, no matter how long it takes.”
“And if what you find is terrible?”
“Then... then I will accept it nonetheless, because it's who I am”
“I truly hope you hold onto that conviction, and never forget what you said this day...” Ion reached down and placed a slender hand on Alza's forehead. It was cool, but refreshing.
“Here. Think of it as an apology, and a promise.” Alza could suddenly feel her energy begin to return, as it flowed effortlessly between the two women.
The gift of strength reinvigorated her, clearing her mind of her pessimistic thoughts and allowing her to focus her power. She channelled it into the core of the boulder, seeking out any cracks or fissures that would indicate a fault in the rock. There, running like a cobweb throughout the stone, were a multitude of micro-fractures. Years of natural wear and tear had weakened the structure to the point where all it needed was a good strong push and it would crumble.
Alza focused her power, forming a lance of energy in her mind, which she then thrust into the heart of the rock. Nothing seemed to happen for several heartbeats, then, in a sudden rush of destruction, the boulder came apart. Fist sized chunks rained down, none miraculously striking Alza.
Without waiting another moment, Alza sent a surge of power into her crushed leg, restoring it to its former operational glory in a matter of seconds. She stretched out her restructured limb, testing it out. It still felt quite numb, as the nerve endings had been slow to reconnect. She glanced up, searching for Ion. She was there, right beside her, offering her a hand.
“Do you think you can make it the rest of the way alone?”
Alza brushed aside the offered hand, whilst standing up with a grimace of effort. “Just watch me,” she said, whilst walking off into the gloom.
The cavern had multiple exits, but somehow Alza knew which one to take, as if something at the end was calling out to her. The light from above had grown dim, signalling the end of another day. Alza did not fancy sleeping in a pollution filled tunnel, so she pressed on, determined to escape before nightfall.
She traversed tunnel after tunnel, the holes above acting like lanterns, lighting her path. She passed cathedrals of extravagant stalactites, drank from frigid underground streams, and observed hundreds of millennia old cave paintings, which were so faded that there original message had been lost.
Often, she would hear strange sounds and growls from the dark tunnel offshoots, but she paid these no heed. The creatures, if that is what they were, did the same. At one point, she fancied that someone or something was watching her, but the feeling disappeared as quickly as it had come.
Soon, the tunnel began to slope upwards, first at a gentle gradient, then at a steep slope. Alza struggled upwards, knowing that salvation lay ahead. A halo of fading sunlight shone down from above, seemingly pulling her up to its warming embrace. After what seemed like an eternity of arduous climbing, Alza reached the hole.
It was smaller than she had anticipated, prompting her to crawl on hands and knees. She placed Kingston's medicine bag in front, not wanting its fragile contents to be broken now, when she was so close to her goal. She squirmed and twisted, searching for every nook and cranny in the tight area. More than once she felt as though she was stuck, but there would always be a way forward, as if the earth itself was trying to keep her alive.
At long last, she reached the exit. She straightened up slowly, her body still sore from being compressed for so long. She stretched, feeling the last of her power slip away as she did so. To her surprise, she had emerged within a stone's throw of the oasis, its leafy boughs speaking of rest and safety. She trudged forward, urging her body to stay strong. As she neared the shade, she noticed a figure lying face-down in the sand. It was as still as a statue, one arm stretching out to the just out of reach shade. Alza approached cautiously, her past experiences with mysterious figures justifying her lack of urgency. She drew near, beyond surprised at what she saw.
Barsch lay there, unconscious, unresponsive, like a corpse. For a heart-stopping moment, Alza thought him dead, but a shallow pulse alleviated her fears. He had obviously endured much to make it here, evidenced by his rag-tag appearance and multiple cuts and bruises. An unidentified rotting stench suddenly pervaded her nostrils, reawakening her thoughts of death. Her eyes wandered down, to his blood-stained pants leg. Rolling him onto his back, she found the source of the stench.
His leg was badly broken, and infection had set in. It looked painful, and would
have been almost impossible to walk on. For a moment, Alza wondered how he had made it this far, but she chalked his survival up to his superhuman stubbornness. He was in an exposed position, the diminished sunlight robbing him of the strength he would need to stave off death. She pondered her situation for a moment, before reaching a conclusion.
Grabbing his arms, she began to drag him towards the trunk of a nearby palm. He was heavier than she had anticipated, which made progress slow.
“Honestly, I'm at my limit already. Why do I have to care for someone else when I can barely stand? It makes no sense.”
Although she thought this, she continued on nonetheless. She fell more than once, her exhaustion temporarily overwhelming her resolve, but, after dusting herself off, she would grab Barsch's hands and carry on.
Eventually, they reached the sanctuary of the palm, and Alza lowered the sleeping Barsch to the sandy floor. His face was calm and peaceful, despite the life-threatening injury that he held. She was just about to attend to it when her body said “no more”, and she silently collapsed beside her companion, her head cushioned by his chest.
Awakening Page 94