Quote:Darkness. Thunder. Then rain. Driving, pelting rain. It gave the deck of the ship the appearance of glass between lightning strikes. Her body laid at the stern of the ship leaning against the rail in a pool of blood.
{Jana} "She's... DEAD!"
Coatleque turned slowly from the bow and began to move towards her. Cloaked figures with dark faces flanked her on either side. Through all the cacophony was a deafening silence that made her own heart beat rise to her ears in protest. She wanted to bolt, to run to her side, but her feet would not move. Slowly she glided the length of the deck.
{Brynnalia} "I'm gonna get it for this..."
It was cold. So cold. Her skin had lost its usual tan already, traded for the sickly ashen colour of death. Coatleque found herself kneeling, arms spread over her. Her pitiful attempts at conjury were forefront in her mind as she poured forth all her strength. She could see her. Feel her. Natalie's soul, departing.
She clutched at it and pulled, drawing her back. With all her might she tried...
Nothing.
Like trying to make a rock stick to meat, she simply would not come back. For a brief moment, Coatleque thought she felt... perhaps she did not want to.
{Coatleque} "Damn... You... "
Her strength faltered as she reached the limit of her endurance, and her Aether field began to dissipate over the body. Blinking away her tears she looked down as darkness began to overtake her. For all the woman's troubles, for all the weights and burdens she had carried, finally... finally... she looked at peace.
Coatleque woke from the dream but did not sit. She laid there pondering the night's events. There was no rain, there were no figures. But Natalie... was gone. She rolled over and pulled the covers tight. There would be much to answer for in the days ahead.
