Heart and Soul 2/10
Mar. 13th, 2008 06:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amediaTitle: Heart and Soul 2/10
Author: Amedia
Summary: An attack on Glitch draws Cain, Raw, and the members of the royal household into a mystery with magical overtones.
Rating: PG for implied violence and mild slash.
Warning: Slash. Cain/Glitch
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Imagiquest Entertainment. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Note: I need to give a shout-out to my very hard-working beta reader, who commented on three drafts with precision and insight.
Also posted here on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
glitch_wyatt and here on tin_and_straw.
Part One may be found here.
It was hours later when Raw arrived. He had ridden hard on horseback from his people's homeland, and he entered the room tiredly. The Queen and Ahamo, looking exhausted as well, came in with him. "We're so grateful for your help," the Queen murmured.
"Of course Raw come for Glitch," Raw said simply, looking down at Glitch. "This is very bad," he added, "but I can help." Cain moved away to give Raw more room, and the healer took his place.
Raw took in Glitch's injuries and looked up at the Queen. "Who did this to him?" he asked, and Cain heard the suppressed anger in the quiet voice.
"We don't know," she said. "He hasn't regained consciousness. Is there any way you can tell?"
"Maybe," Raw said reluctantly. "Would rather heal body first."
"Others may be in danger," Ahamo said, his voice somehow both pleading and commanding.
Raw sighed. "Then we must know, if we can. I will try."
The Queen went to the door and spoke to an attendant. Returning, she said, "I've sent for a mirror. Is there anything else you need?"
Raw shook his head. "Not for this. But I will need to talk with the alchemist very soon. Find out what has already been done to help Glitch."
Two servants entered, carrying a large mirror on a stand. At the Queen's direction, they placed it near the bed, bowed, and left. Raw placed one hand gently on Glitch's head and placed the other on the mirror. He closed his eyes in concentration, and faint images began to appear.
As the vision displayed in the mirror became more coherent, Raw began shaking his head slowly from side to side. The images were blurry and jumpy, like watching someone else's nightmare, but the basic content was clear enough, and terrifying. The blond man with eyes of ice never said a word as he pounded Glitch to within an inch of his life, then let the limp body fall to the ground.
There was a long silence after the images ended.
Cain didn't know what to say. He was grateful for the Queen's first words.
"I can't believe Cain would do anything like that," said the Queen firmly.
Raw shook his head. "But it looked like Cain."
"It seems unlikely," said the Queen. "We received word recently that a pocket of renegade longcoats who worked directly for Zero had been located, and I ordered Cain to take a patrol out to round them up. I believe they left shortly before Ambrose was found."
"Should we have them recalled?" asked Ahamo.
"I haven't left! I'm here in this room!" Cain exclaimed.
"I would prefer not," the Queen said, continuing as if Cain had not spoken. He realized with a sudden sick sensation that she was looking right at him or at least in his direction, and she couldn't see him. "Their mission is vital. We should try to find a way to communicate with them."
The group left the room, leaving Cain alone with Glitch—and his thoughts. He was shaken to the core by what he had just learned. It was as if someone had taken over his body and kicked him out, leaving his disembodied mind to wander invisibly. How could this have happened? He cast his mind back and discovered something else disturbing. He remembered finding Glitch. He couldn't remember anything that had happened immediately before.
Racking his brains, he finally dredged up a memory of stepping outside sometime earlier that morning. There was something important he needed to do, some reason for him to be out so early. He tried harder to focus. The Queen had spoken of a mission. Something clicked. That was it. The longcoats who had accompanied Zero into the Realm of the Unwanted had been spotted a few days' march away. He was supposed to be taking a team to round them up.
What happened? He remembered stepping outside just before dawn ... then nothing until he found Glitch. By that time the sun had risen. There must have been a period of several minutes that he couldn't remember at all. I guess this is what it's like to be Glitch, he thought ruefully. It was an insight he would happily have done without.
Part Three
Author: Amedia
Summary: An attack on Glitch draws Cain, Raw, and the members of the royal household into a mystery with magical overtones.
Rating: PG for implied violence and mild slash.
Warning: Slash. Cain/Glitch
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Imagiquest Entertainment. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Note: I need to give a shout-out to my very hard-working beta reader, who commented on three drafts with precision and insight.
Also posted here on
glitch_wyatt and here on tin_and_straw.Part One may be found here.
It was hours later when Raw arrived. He had ridden hard on horseback from his people's homeland, and he entered the room tiredly. The Queen and Ahamo, looking exhausted as well, came in with him. "We're so grateful for your help," the Queen murmured.
"Of course Raw come for Glitch," Raw said simply, looking down at Glitch. "This is very bad," he added, "but I can help." Cain moved away to give Raw more room, and the healer took his place.
Raw took in Glitch's injuries and looked up at the Queen. "Who did this to him?" he asked, and Cain heard the suppressed anger in the quiet voice.
"We don't know," she said. "He hasn't regained consciousness. Is there any way you can tell?"
"Maybe," Raw said reluctantly. "Would rather heal body first."
"Others may be in danger," Ahamo said, his voice somehow both pleading and commanding.
Raw sighed. "Then we must know, if we can. I will try."
The Queen went to the door and spoke to an attendant. Returning, she said, "I've sent for a mirror. Is there anything else you need?"
Raw shook his head. "Not for this. But I will need to talk with the alchemist very soon. Find out what has already been done to help Glitch."
Two servants entered, carrying a large mirror on a stand. At the Queen's direction, they placed it near the bed, bowed, and left. Raw placed one hand gently on Glitch's head and placed the other on the mirror. He closed his eyes in concentration, and faint images began to appear.
As the vision displayed in the mirror became more coherent, Raw began shaking his head slowly from side to side. The images were blurry and jumpy, like watching someone else's nightmare, but the basic content was clear enough, and terrifying. The blond man with eyes of ice never said a word as he pounded Glitch to within an inch of his life, then let the limp body fall to the ground.
There was a long silence after the images ended.
Cain didn't know what to say. He was grateful for the Queen's first words.
"I can't believe Cain would do anything like that," said the Queen firmly.
Raw shook his head. "But it looked like Cain."
"It seems unlikely," said the Queen. "We received word recently that a pocket of renegade longcoats who worked directly for Zero had been located, and I ordered Cain to take a patrol out to round them up. I believe they left shortly before Ambrose was found."
"Should we have them recalled?" asked Ahamo.
"I haven't left! I'm here in this room!" Cain exclaimed.
"I would prefer not," the Queen said, continuing as if Cain had not spoken. He realized with a sudden sick sensation that she was looking right at him or at least in his direction, and she couldn't see him. "Their mission is vital. We should try to find a way to communicate with them."
The group left the room, leaving Cain alone with Glitch—and his thoughts. He was shaken to the core by what he had just learned. It was as if someone had taken over his body and kicked him out, leaving his disembodied mind to wander invisibly. How could this have happened? He cast his mind back and discovered something else disturbing. He remembered finding Glitch. He couldn't remember anything that had happened immediately before.
Racking his brains, he finally dredged up a memory of stepping outside sometime earlier that morning. There was something important he needed to do, some reason for him to be out so early. He tried harder to focus. The Queen had spoken of a mission. Something clicked. That was it. The longcoats who had accompanied Zero into the Realm of the Unwanted had been spotted a few days' march away. He was supposed to be taking a team to round them up.
What happened? He remembered stepping outside just before dawn ... then nothing until he found Glitch. By that time the sun had risen. There must have been a period of several minutes that he couldn't remember at all. I guess this is what it's like to be Glitch, he thought ruefully. It was an insight he would happily have done without.
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no subject
Date: 2008-03-13 11:38 pm (UTC)That was exactly what I was going to guess, when Cain noticed that the Queen was looking at him, but not seeing him--that Cain's body has been taken over and Cain's consciousness is free-floating. (Now I just wonder whodunnit...)
no subject
Date: 2008-03-14 04:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-13 11:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-14 04:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-14 12:39 am (UTC)Now I have to go re-read part one again with this new bit of insight, lol!
no subject
Date: 2008-03-14 04:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-14 12:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-14 04:08 am (UTC)(and from a writer that I totally fangirl - that's really special to hear!)
no subject
Date: 2008-03-14 02:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-14 04:09 am (UTC)