026 Thee' Rises
Thee's body rustled. Den and I stared in disbelief. Hoping that we had not merely imagined her movements. Then, again bulges formed in Thee's abdomen as if some creature wished to escape.
Den carried me to Theila's side. A bulge stretched outward. In a splatter of filth, the carcass burst and a slimy hand groped for a hold on her stomach. Fingers from the other hand tugged on the armor, but slipped back inside. In despair, the creature's mind pleaded for help to escape before it would suffocate. Denrick and Nyla would not touch the thing, so Woe tore at the hole in Thee' to aid the creature's exodus.
After an eternal moment, a blood-smeared head emerged and tried to bring air into the depleted lungs. I tried to pull the thing out more, but a section of exoskeleton snapped at its neck. Wails escaped because of the pain. Breathing no longer presented a problem. The thing forced its left arm out of the hole with my help. The dim light made it impossible to know the nature of the creature. I probed the creature's mind, but could not comprehend the babbling thoughts. Emotions presented themselves clearly enough. Pain seared the creature's right shoulder as another shard of armor stabbed it. Panic seized the creature. It thrashed at Thee's body in an attempt to gain freedom, but only succeeded in lacerating its hands.
To prevent further injury, I concentrated my mind on calming its thoughts. It ceased its striving. Fear shone in its eyes as I approached with a dagger. Den seized my arm before I could harm the corpse.
Release me.
“You can't just cut up Thee's body!”
Nyl jerked Woe away, but Woe resisted. I told you Thee' would emerge and now she is.
“How do I know this is Theila and not some parasite?”
Theila is a parasite.
“What if it is a trap like Silver?”
And what if it is not?
He released my arm. I sliced into Thee's carcass near the creature's right shoulder. Once both shoulders were free, the thing rose higher out of the body, but the intestines wrapped 'round its neck nearly strangled it. A queer thing happened. The creature slid a gleaming blade from the inside of its right wrist and freed its neck. The blade retracted instantly. The thing slid out of the now sizable hole with the lubricant of blood easing its emergence.
Upon escape, the thing fled past me into a corner. Den stood to pursue. I pressed my hand against his shoulder.
Let me go. I'm less likely to frighten the poor thing.
He acquiesced. I dragged myself toward the creature. I kept my hands open so it would know I meant no harm.
“You hear me?” I made thrumming noises. No response.
Can you understand me I thought to it. Nothing.
“Can you understand me?” I asked in the tongue of Den’s mother.
It nodded.
“May I approach you?”
It nodded. I bit a piece of loaf-plant and held it out to the creature.
It wagged its head.
“It is perfectly safe.”
It wagged its head again, so I discarded the food. The creature scrubbed its arm with its hand, in a vain attempt to remove the filth from its body. I soaked a clean rag in water and approached the sordid thing. It did not take the rag, but stared at me. I wiped its arm. Nyl recoiled at the stench, but Woe could not suffer the creature's discomfort. Pleasure emanated from the creature at the touch of cleanliness. My stone aided in the cleansing.
I moved my fingers over the face and encountered eyes; eyes like mine on a round face. As I scrubbed down the neck onto the chest, it became obvious that the creature was female.
Den, stay over there until I clean her up.
“Her?”
The creature is female and very human.
Communication from a mind other than Den's reached out to me. I did not refuse the creature's exploration. Recognition filled the thing's mind. She kissed my lips and buried her tongues in my neck.
“Woe, where am I? Why do I feel so strange?”
We are in one of Den's safeholds.
“Who is Den?”
Who are you?
I stroked her stomach with my cloth and discovered another peculiarity. She bore no navel scar.
“I am Sombermirth Theila. I love you with everything I am. You are my creatress. But who is Den? Should I know him?”
He is your brother.
Sadness filled her as she realized she could not remember what she once loved.
“What has happened to me? Why doesn't my body respond like it should?” she clumsily swung her arms about. They spasmed as she tested the new muscles.
What is your last memory?
“Pain. Terror. Carrying you away from something dangerous. I don't know why we were running. We couldn't survive their weapons. Am I dead? Did Comfort survive?”
Comfort is very well. You died, but I decided that your kind always appeared to have died before they came of age and that after a fortnight, they would emerge an adult.
I now wiped grime off of her legs.
“You decided I was still alive after I was dead?”
All I know is that you are alive. In that I rejoice.
“But what if I am not Thee'? What if I am like Silver? What if I am only a farce to distract you while your enemies ready to strike?”
I detected another mind near hers. This mind spoke doubts and terror into her. I tried to form a barricade around her mind, but the other mind proved stronger.
Even if you are not the real Thee' I will still love you. She found solace in my reassurance.
With my help, she clumsily arrayed herself in a dressing gown and shawl. She proved too small for any of my other clothes. I stood and hailed Den over to us.
“Nyl, you are standing.”
As are you. I thought back, confused by his remark.
“An hour ago, your ankles were shattered beyond my aid.”
I turned to the woman next to me. She smiled and blushed; her cheeks took on a purple tint.
Apparently not beyond our friend's.
He turned toward her with the slightly brighter glow of his star. When he beheld her, his heart stopped. Before him stood the most glorious woman either of us had ever seen.
Gray ringlets, which matched her skin, bounced above her shoulders and framed her nearly circular face. Massive eyes stared at his with an uncanny perceptiveness. A small nose pointed to her full lips. A dimple on the left side of her mouth punctuated her perfect fangs and teeth. She was less than half his height, yet perfectly proportioned.
I love you! Den's mind blurted.
“I suppose I should say the same, but I can't honestly remember you.”
The foreign consciousness shrouded her mind in forgetfulness. I hurled my will against the fog, however it would not yield.
Please, tell me who you are. Thee' prodded Den.
“I am your brother, Denrick. I brought Thee' here after she uh was killed.”
“So you do not believe that I…I am Theila?” she sounded hurt. “How can I prove to you and to myself that I am Thee'?”
Think of something only Theila would know, Nyl suggested.
She has many of Thee's memories; that won't prove anything. Woe derided her.
“I don't know how you could prove you're my Theila. I want to believe you, but you don't even know yourself.”
Thee', or whoever the creature was, rushed forward and wrapped her arms round the crouching giant's neck. He winced, but Thee’ didn’t notice. Her fingers wiped away the tears which streaked his face. She directed his gaze into her eyes. Her head dropped. Her ringlets cradled against his sweat-soaked chest. His defenses collapsed.
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