Sekhmet's Folly

I heard myself scream as the magic tore through my body, then I couldn't feel a thing. I suddenly realized that the Gazer and the Dread Spider had caught up to me somehow, even with my fleetness. I cursed the narrow passages of the tunnels of Covetous.

I heard a whiiny, and then a roar. Looking up I saw Sekhmet, my mare, fighting against what had killed me. An elder gazer's corpse already smashed against the wall, she turned to the gazer first, and killed it as quick as it had killed me. I didn't see what she did to the spider, I was running away to find a healer then.

All this had happened so quickly, I almost jumped at the mindtouch of my GuildMaster. Of course, the dead don't get scared.

"Fira, are you alright? Do you need help" He asked.

"Um... potentially," I responded. I was embarrassed. He heard my mind scream, he was just doing what a responsible friend would do. Still, if a ghost could turn red from emotion...

I ran. I ran out of the cave, I thought there was a healer living in one of the passes. He wasn't there, I learned later that he was out gathering herbs. But then, I was terrified. Nightmares didn't have a reason to come back from the dead, my only reason was to save Sekhmet.

"Are you alright?" came Koralk's worried voice again.

"Um...I think no, I need help," I gave in, I called for help, hoping Koralk wouldn't come to his own death for our sake.

"Where are you?" he asked. Always calm, always the leader I could never be.

"Covetous" Was all I said before I ran back to Sekhmet. She was where I left her. Then another Elder Gazer appeared. She ran after it into the Cavern beyond, ignoring the spirit wailing to her to run away.

I then heard something I hadn't before. The sound of battle, and of normal human speech.

Two men, in a separate cavern, were fighting the water elementals that lived in Covetous. I ran to them, appearing as I dared. Pride caught me a minute, but then I let go. I asked for healing, though they couldn't understand my words, they healed me anyway.

Thanking them quickly, I ran back to my body and grabbed what I could. My reagents, my bows, my arrows.

"Where in Covetous?" My Guildleader asked.

"With the gazers, where we were last night," I replied.

I ran to my nightmare, and stood stunned in horror.

She was dying, blood stained the ground and her body. Not all was hers. But I didn't want to guess how much wasn't.

I hadn't seen a dread spider following me until it was too late. I ran and hid. I was no use to Sekhmet if I was dead.

Unbeknownst to me, the mindlink to Koralk grew stronger. I could feel after a minute, that he was closeby.

But I wasn't paying attention to anything but what was before me.

I shouted healing spells at the top of my lungs, hoping the fear and tears that had begun to gnaw at me would flee from my voice. I saw her wounds begin to close, but she was still being attacked by an elder gazer and the spider. I spoke "no" several times as I saw Koralk gallop up behind me on his ethereal horse. He deftly maneuvered around me so that he was between me and the fight. He healed me as he fought off the creatures as best he could, with me trying to cast my healing spells on the mare.

"Heal her," I wispered to no one.

"I can't, I cannot heal animals," Koralk replied.

I saw the injury, she was as good as dead, and the two monsters were still strong enough after her.

My Guildleader yelled something at the Elder Gazer, and swung his sword against the floating creature.

Sekhmet squashed the spider tormenting her with her obsidian hooves and turned to the gazer. No mana, No bandages, I couldnt heal her. She was near lifeless and I couldn't help her.

Suddenly the gazer was dead.

"Quickly now," Koralk said.

I needed no encouragement, I climbed onto Sekhmet's back and retrieved my things from my corpse. Another gazer appeared, but Koralk distracted it. I heard him curse, and then, more calmly, "You recall out first this time my friend."

I had a better idea, and, with a scroll from my own corpse, I called forth a gate. The spell fizzled, then a second time it fizzled. I have always been a second class mage. If not lower. Third time worked, happily for us.

We appeared at the guildhouse, which also provided Koralk's own home.

"That was, um...embarrassing," I said, starting to use my limited magery and veterinary skills to heal my mare.

My friend chuckled, and said, "It happens. Don't Worry too much about it."

"If you'll excuse me, I was with a friend," He said, then recalled out.

"Still embarrassing," I said through the mindlink. I recalled to the Abby, and finished my mare's healing.

About halfway done, I "sent" the mental picture of how much I was babying every little cut or bruise of Sekhmet's.

"How is she?" Koralk asked.

"She'll be fine," I replied, then added, "But y'know? I don't think I'm going back there for a long time..."

The End

Working Title: Sekhmet's Folly

Inspiration: One very close call in the virtual playground that is UO.

Noteworthy: This was originally posted on the Official UO player's forum, where many people posted RP stories. Sekhmet went on to live a long and healthy life. She should still exist on my account, but hard to say since it's currently inactive.

Disambiguation: The concept of telepathy was my attempt at explaining the party chat feature.

Series: Sekhmet's Folly; Talon's Resolve; Talon's Fear; The Dragon Tamer; Sekhmet's Filly; Young Wings; Uncharted Horizon.

Derivative work of material © EA, Origin, or whoever owns UO nowadays. Reformatted to abide by 'site standards. None of the original text has been modified, 'cept in case of typos.