A/N Holy crap! an update (que hallelulya angels and shiny lights and stuff) sorry it took so long, hope it was worth the wait! please R & R as usual.
Chapter 12: Distorted Reality
There was little cheer to be found when I awoke, some time later, still in the same bed, in the same room. I looked around idly, not really caring what I did or didn't see. My current state was hardly better then the one I'd last seen myself in, a quick look in the mirror confirmed that for me. I aid my head back down on the pillow, feeling nothing but pain, anger and frustration swimming around in my mind. The worst of it was, this was all inexplicable, sure I had intentions but what good would it do me to obsess over them? None of course, that at least, was what I told myself again and again and again and again and again and again.
These affirmations to myself however, only seemed to increase the sense of pain, of anger of frustration. And it was because of this that when a certain kitty came up to me, asking if I was okay, I responded with a harshness that wss not at all directed at the person who received it. "I'm FINE, alright? Just fine..." She leaned back, startled, perhaps her ears pressing against the sides of her head, I saw confusion cross her face, anger, and sadness.
"Hey! I, wha... Well, whatever, I'll, I'll be right back." And with that she turned away and briskly walked off, I could have sworn she was emitting steam as she did so. What the H was her problem anyway? She sure was one hell of a moody character. A few seconds later Murris came over from some place out of immediate sight.
"Hey now is that any way to treat a lady, you'll never score with that attitude." He sat down on a chair that I only just realized had been set next to my bed and laid a rather large bowl down on a small table that was also at the side of the bed. It was filled with some foul smeeling liquid, to say nothing of its appearance. I don't know what he intended to do with it but he was in for one hell of a fight if it had anything to do with me. "Come on now, time to take some medicine so you can get better..."
"LiKE H! YOU KEEP THAT CRAP AWAY FROM ME OF I'LL INCINERATE YOUR HAIRY GORRILLA-LIKE ASS!" A foul look crossed Murris's face.
"Oh is that so?"
"NOOAAAAGGHGHHH!" He grabbed me from the bed in head lock and took a ladle sized spoon, dipped it in the bowl and jammed it into my mouth. "HEYEYFDDGHKLLJKKKYYYSSSSHTYYLLSS!" I tried in vain to resist the foul tasting liquid being forcefead down my throat. "FSHSHSLG AAAAALLLLLP!"
"OH MY GOD MURRIS WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I was relieved to hear the voice of Lauria as she she exite the kitchen ran over to us, grabbed the ladle from Murris, and began to beat the crap out of him with it. "ARE-YOU-TRYING-TO-KILL-HIM?" She shouted between instances of heavy ladle whipping.
"AGH AGH AGGHHH COMEN BOY WAS GETTTIN FRESH TOUNGED WITH ME SO I HADDAA-!" He was cut off by a thwack to the mouth.
"HE-IS-OUR-LEADER-YOU-CAN'T-TREAT-HIM-LIKE-THAT-BES-IDES-HE'S-SICK-HE-PRO-BAB-LY-DOESN'T-KNOW-WHAT-HE'S-SAYING!" Lauria finished finally as Murris managed to squirm and roll his way a safe distance from the striking range of her ladle.
"ARIGHT! ARIGHT! Geez...why ya godda hit so hard..." and he moped on away, leaving me alone with Luaria.
"Sorry about that, he can be a jerk at times." Sh sat down next to the bed. "Here, you really do have to drink this thoough, so, uhm... try to imagine its something...tasty..." I could only frown at this, a septic tank had better appeal to it then that bowl of sludge... I really didn't-
"Ah, alright fine, ahhhh." I opened my mouth to recieve the medicine, if I had to drink it, at least it wouldnt be by my own hand. Luaria didn't seem to object in the least in fact sh semed almost...delighted...
"Theres a good boy." she smiled, a smile that struck me as frighteningly cheery, I was so struck that I found myslef coughing and sputtering when I remembered that she was pouring medicine down my throat. By the time I got over it my throat felt sore and I had to shake my head to clear it of agitation. However... I noticed I felt decidedly... better. I opened my mouth to recieve another dose...
But didn't get one.
"Oh don't be seally, you can't take more then one ladle full of this per day! it could kill you! You'lll get one ladle full a day for the next three to fou days and that should be enough okay? Now you lay down and try to rest I'll go see if your breakfast is ready.
And with that she walked on off. And I was left alone, in the room, with nothing to do but sit there and stare at the wall and consider my few options...(Come on now let's think, I'm going to be stuck like this for the next few days... that's not gonna be much fun to read about is it? I think you know by now where I'm going with this).
I began to feel... hazy, my vision blurred and the blurry image bnecome bnlurry and seemed to move away, a tunnel of blackness forming as the image moved farther an farther away, and then it began to come back again, coming into focus, but what I saw was not what I had seen...
That's right, it's time for another trip to the haze world. (It's beginning to seem like the actual story is more here then the real world isn't it?)
I found myself in an outside area, there was some vegetation around me, or rather at my feet, no trees in sight, just vast fields of green.
"Hey you alirght? You'r spacin' out again." I turned to see a red haired figure in Dark Knight's armor looking at me with something btween bemusement and concern, again, strange feelings flowd through me, feelings that for some reason I felt...but that weren't mine... what was with this anyway? was any of this real, is it all just some crazy F'ed up stuff my mind wasa coming up with for whatever reason? That didn't seem likely, my life was plenty exciting at the moment, what need did I have for stimulus?
"Carlin- CARLIN!" For the first time I was actually angry that I had been pulled out of the weird Haze World. I at up and opened my eyes. This had been my shortest trip to the Haze World yet.
"WhUt?" My sout came out as only a hald loud moan as I sleepily turned toward my provocatur. Seeing as my eyes came into focus that it was Silvie, she had a look that seemed to reflect my own feelings at the moment.
"We're all going out to stock up on supplies, you should be well by tommorow so we're going to make sure we're prepared immediatly to go hunting for that Dark Knight." I looked up at her and blinked dumbly.
"Uhmmm... What Dark Knight?" For a few seconds, Silvie just stared, then slowly her jaw opened...then closed...then opened again, each time uttering nothing but empty sound. I continued to stare right back, wondering when shee was going to inform me what she was talking about.
"Yo, Silvie, Les' Go! Or I aint gettin ya that fish!" Silvie turned away from me and yelled to the door, specifically, at Murris.
"ARrright! Arrgight! I'm comin'." With an empty pating glance me she took off for the door. Leaving me with no explaination for her assertion tha we had to go looking for some Dark Knight. Well, if she thought I was just gonna lay here while they twaddled off to do whatever she had another thing comin'. I listened to the ound of their movement through the wall until I could no longer distinguish it from the low rumble of din from the oustide that signified a mass of congregating civilization. Then I swung myself to the side, got up, realized I felt like a years worth of grimed had developed on me, hoped into a quick bath, got dressed, and then I was out the door.
xex
Well, aside from upgrating all my basic equipment, and master a bunch of new spells that I was now elligible to cast, in both armor and spells, and even weapons, people keep harping on this notion of 'levels' and even the world itself seemed to agree, I could manage to wear or slip on anything that was 'higher then my current level' what in Altana's name wa... ah forget it the point is I was now wearing the best possible equipment for a 'level 34' guy and had upgraded my Dagger to a stronger version of the same variety. Aside from all that, I... err actually I got so caught up in what I just said I forgot the point I was gunna make.
While I headed back home to hopefully avoid a verbal assault from one of my companions for leaving my bed I saw something that for some reason caught my interest. A tall Elvaan guy with red hair and a girl in a white robe who's face was hidden underneathe a hood were busily examining an armor shop, I looked at them for a moment, wondering why hey of all the people here would catch my interest, then, seeing that theyweren't going to do much, I shrugged, shook my head, and headed back upstairs to my room to get some sleep for the big day tommorow.
The day when we would catch that Dark Knight...If I can remembr why it is we're looking for him in the first place.
end chptr 12