Zami was less nervous than he expected to be. He knew this was a big deal. Mythene had beaten him over the head with that point several times. But he was determined. He'd taken a seat in the sand by the water's edge. He had to clear his mind. Really clear it. He'd managed to get by for the few times he'd healed before, but only barely. Pain was something he was used to. It easily came and went. But death…
Zami frowned, looking down at the water. He watched the tide ebb and flow for a moment, unconsciously matching his breathing to the rhythm. The water was stained red in the glimpse of a memory that flashed before him. He didn't turn away or close his eye. In truth, this was something he felt eager to face. To let go of. It was long overdue.
"Look at you," Mythene said as she approached, "You already look the part of a druid."
Mythene crouched down beside him, smiling softly, yet also sadly. She was worried, even though she tried not to show it. This really was a big deal, Zami reminded himself. Bringing someone back from the dead was no small feat, after all.
"It's time," Mythene reached out and set a hand over his, "Are you ready?"
Zami shrugged a little, still looking out to the water.
"I gotta be," He said firmly, before standing up.
Mythene stood up beside him, nodding quietly. Zami followed her over to Jazax's body. Syrise was sitting on a nearby log, her leg bouncing anxiously. Her hands were clasped together tightly under her chin. She almost looked like she was in prayer, and the look on her face almost made Zami think she was. He wondered briefly who or what a blood elf would even pray to, before shaking the thoughts away. Now was not the time to lose focus.
Zami crouched down into the sand, placing his left hand over Jazax's cold chest. It wasn't ideal, only having one hand to work with. But he'd just have to focus harder to make up for it. Mythene knelt down beside him.
"Clear your mind," She began, and Zami took that as the cue to close his eye.
Zami steadied his breathing and let his mind grow blank. His prior practice was definitely turning out to be helpful. After a minute, he felt Mythene gently set her hand on his shoulder. Now comes the hard part, he thought.
"When your mind is blank, you must focus on the memory," She said quietly.
Zami nodded slightly. His fetish clinked slightly as his dreadlocks shook. His brow furrowed as he brought himself back to that memory, back to that place he hated going.
Blood stained the sand below them. The waves, frothed with red, crashed up against the shore of the islet they'd be marooned upon. Left to die. The dagger was dropped, discarded like an accursed icon of every bad thing he'd ever done. It was all his fault. There was nobody else to blame. It was by his hand that Zin'aka was nothing more than a rotting corpse.
After that, he just saw the same image in his mind. The one that had haunted him for all these years. Her glassy eyes staring up at him, staring into his very soul. But they weren't blank. They weren't empty. They were angry. They were full of hatred, betrayal, fury. She looked at him with murder in her eyes, even as she lay dead.
She never loved him.
Zami had always acknowledged this fact, on the surface. In truth, he knew so little about Zin'aka. He was nobody special to her for the entire time they'd known each other. The only unique feeling she had for him was hatred. He never had any right to love her when he didn't even know her.
Maybe he'd never really even loved her, he realized bitterly. Maybe he'd just convinced himself that he had. Maybe he was just desperate to believe he'd known love once in his miserable life. Or maybe it was just another excuse for him to blame himself, to hate himself.
Zami flinched slightly as he felt Mythene gently brush a tear from his cheek, but he didn't let it distract him. He let his mind focus on everything he'd been trying to ignore for so long. It hurt to confront the bitter truth, but at the same time, it was a sort of relief. It was a release.
It was difficult for him not to dwell down there, in those dark thoughts. But Zami knew what he needed to do. He looked down at Zin'aka in his mind's eye, remembering how he had held her body until it had grown cold. And then he sighed deeply, feeling her crumble in his arms. The ashes blew away with the wind, leaving him alone as he exhaled.
Zami felt a headache growing but still he lingered, breathless, for as long as he could. It wasn't until he saw spots behind his eyelids and felt the familiar burning in his lungs that he finally gasped. He opened his eye and looked down. Everyone stared at the goblin and waited. The tension in the air was palpable.
Zami suddenly flinched and drew his hand back like he'd just touched fire. Before either Mythene or Syrise could comment on it, Jazax suddenly coughed.
They all watched with bated breath as Jazax gasped and caught his own breath, before he sat up. He paused to rub his eyes then slowly looked around. Seeing he was the center of attention, he cracked a small nervous grin.
"Er…" Jazax cleared his throat, "...What're youse all starin' at, huh?"
Before anyone could say anything, Syrise dove at Jazax like a raptor pouncing on a poor, defenseless zhevra. She grabbed Jazax in a vice grip and crushed his little body up against hers. Judging by the way he coughed and squirmed, it was probably tight enough to knock the wind out of him. And maybe a bit painful, too.
Zami sat back, smiling as he watched Jazax flail in confusion, desperately trying to escape the blood elf's unexpected hug. Mythene chuckled from behind her hand, unable to hide the relief on her face. Zami was then overcome by a sudden feeling of intense exhaustion. His headache pulsed. It'd definitely taken a lot out of him, and he now wanted nothing more than a good nap.
"Jeez, woman! You're killin' me here!" Jazax screeched, managing to slip away from Syrise, "What's the matter with you, huh?!"
Syrise pouted at his escape, but her expression quickly changed to glare daggers at him as she stood up. Jazax gulped nervously as Syrise then grabbed him by the collar of his robe, picking him up off the ground.
"Don't you ever do that again," She hissed threateningly, shaking him like a ragdoll, "If you die again, I will kill you!"
Jazax looked back at her flatly
"Oh yeah? Well then tell me, genius, how you gonna kill me if I'm already-wait, die?" Jazax paused, his eyes widening, "Wait, wait, I died?!"
"Yeah, genius!" Syrise shook him again, "You sacrificed yourself, you stupid, selfish jerk!"
Jazax perked an eyebrow and went to protest but Syrise slapped him across the face, quickly changing his expression back to one of confused surprise.
"That's for killing yourself!" She growled.
Then she pulled Jazax close to her and kissed him angrily.
"And that's for saving me," She added softly.
Before Jazax could say anything, she unceremoniously dropped him down into the sand, and spun around to face Zami and Mythene.
"I'm going to go find something to eat now!" She announced loudly before stalking away.
Zami snorted in amusement, looking at the dumbstruck look on Jazax's face. He looked to Mythene, to make a joke about the situation, but stopped as his headache spiked painfully again. He winced, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. It felt like his brain was melting.
Mythene looked over at him and her expression immediately became worried. She crawled over to his side, bringing up a hand to move his. Zami tried to protest, but found that his limbs were starting to feel weak. Still, he was just tired. That was all. It was fine.
...Right?
"Thero'shan? What's wrong?"
Zami wanted to respond. He really did. But he lost consciousness before he could.
