the nine gates of dreaming

part C.12.b The dark liquid.

t///'i thought youd never ask'

she backed off, sheathed her sword and stood at an easy attention. i slid back to my feet and held the bloody shoulder stump; i was kinda pained by the whole experience really, my nanonics had crashed last time i was chatting to y so i doubted that i could dail for a new appendage, that worried me. id never been off-line so far from home,, and i was losing quite a bit of juice, i felt queasy and knew i would regret it, but i asked her if she had a light anyway. She threw back her head and had a good chuckle, her hands on her hips moved to a satchel around her waist, she withdrew an orange flare, popped the seal and tossed in casually on the ground.

t///'knock yourself out'

she'd always been a bit perverse, maybe it was all this unworld atmosphere getting to me, cause i actually thought she was gunna help. i lacked hesitation, i plunged forward, falling square on the flame, the sulfer burning to my bones sealing the wound in a dazzling sizzling torment. i tryed to look around, darkness filled me..

later/

my eyes sprung open and i sat upright. i was in a bed a good foot shorter than my length, a fire and cauldren blazed in what seemed to be a very cleched stone cottage, wooden mugs sat on the fire mantle, pans over head, a pile of wood that had been lazily cut stacked up to the ceiling besides the fireplace, and it was warm, cozy and i did feel like everything was fine...it reminded me of home,, it reminded me of safty.

g///'youve been out for a week'

x///'im out!!,,'

g///'no, your still here'

x///'im so over getting pinned by the unseen,, well, you know what i mean'

g///'she said to send you to f wen you woke'

x///'ryeee--ight. is f a friend?'

g///'there a no friends here my boy, i thought you learnt that a week ago?