Chapter Text
Orym was running. He was out of breath and painting but he couldn’t stop running. Behind him, a massive dark beast shook the ground as it chased him but every time Orym looked back to catch a glimpse all he could see was the hallway. It never changed, he’d turn corners and move through doors but it all looked the same. He felt dizzy, the ground trembled as he ran, and the firelight blazed brightly, enough for his vision to go blurry. He slammed into a door, stumbling back, head reeling. The breath of the beast was getting closer, it tingled the back of Orym’s neck. He quickly turned around eyes ever moving to look for the beast but nothing was there. Orym was so tired, his legs felt weak, and his arms for the first time in a while couldn’t hold his sword. His breath hitched as he fell to his knees.
“W-why, j-just get over with it!!” Orym yells towards the empty hallway, which dissolves into darkness, “I have nothing else to lose! JUST DO IT!” His vision goes black.
He’s standing, realizing his knees no longer feel the ground beneath him. He opens his eyes and he faces the void.
“Now, now, why would you do that?” The voice felt sickening to Orym. It was Will, but it was distorted, twisted, and it drips with malice. Orym whips his head to find the voice and he sees it. A giant red moon.
“Will… no. What is happening, this isn’t him.” Orym stared into the moon. The red storm was turning and he couldn’t move his eyes from the ever-changing storm.
“You are chasing something, someone. I can help you, I could bring him back.” That voice shifts from Will to Imogen, still twisted and wrong.
“Really?!” Orym’s voice jumps in excitement then drops, “wait, no no. This can’t be— it must cost something.”
“You’re right, are you willing to pay? Your dear dead husband will come back to you. Or would you like to see him like this again?” An image flashes in front of Ruidus. It was Will, his breath slowing, coughing up blood, unable to move to speak. Dying once again in Orym’s arms.
“No-no-no… I-I can’t it’s wrong… Will, I-I'm sorry.” Orym’s hands rub at his eyes as he forces the tears to stop.
“What a shame… well you refused my kindness.” The moon flickers, the bright red changes to crimson, and the moon drips blood but the storm is still seen in each drop. “Tell me Orym of the air Ashari, why did you do this?, You drew away my champion and then refused to become the new one. I’ve run out of patience.” The voice fluxes between the voices of his friends, family, and something dark and rotten. His whole body is shaking in fear, the power now radiating off of this giant orb weighs him down until he is on his knees once again. A flash: Will standing, sword at the ready before being cut down. Another: Ashton being beaten to a pulp and not standing, not breathing. Again: Dorian in a pool of blood unmoving, his lute tossed and broken. It continues with everyone he’s ever known. His mind begins to break and he lets go, he gives in. After watching and rewatching the deaths of everyone he’s ever loved, he stares into the storm and begs.
“Please… please make it stop.” Tears fall unwavering down his face, arms too weak to wipe them. He feels around him shake but then goes still as red lighting strikes his chest. His eyes are wide, as he feels his blood start to pound at the new wounds.
“Good choice.”
The next thing he knows is that everything went dark before being shaken awake by sweating and worried Ashton. Orym tried to say something but he couldn’t breathe. He was breathing heavily and quickly, he was having a panic attack. Gods knows how Ashton knew but he got right to work. He placed his hands on Orym’s and guided them to his chest. He made his breathing slow and constant, hoping Orym could follow it in the state he was in.
“Hey bud, it’s okay. I need you to breathe with me, follow my breathing.” Ashton kept his voice quiet to not wake the others but made sure to keep Orym’s attention. Soon Orym felt that his lungs could fill up without having to struggle, Ashton took that as a note that he didn’t need to continue assisting him. He went to let go but Orym kept his hands tightly holding Ashton’s.
“Orym? Do you want to talk about it? I know I’m probably not the one you want to speak to but I’m here to listen. If you need, that is.” Ashton said moving his and Orym’s hands down to their laps not making any move to take his hands away. Orym breathes a sigh, head falling to where his chin would touch his chest. That’s when Ashton saw it, violent red streaks peeked out from underneath Orym’s shirt.
“O-Orym… can you take your shirt off?” Ashton asked before Orym had a chance to speak. Ashton looked at Orym, the usual strong standing fighter, curled in on himself, still slightly shaking. Orym nodded, pulling at his shirt as if his head was somewhere else. Ashton saw the struggling halfling and reached out and helped pull off the shirt. Orym was the smallest of the group, so it was easy for Ashton to see his back without having to tell Orym to turn around. At the center of his back red lightning-like streaks emanated from.
“Shit-“ Ashton gasped, as they looked across the defacing of his friend’s back.
“I-is it bad. I can feel it.” Orym said with a shaky voice.
“Umm not gonna lie, yeah. Does it hurt?” Ashton says wondering if he should wake up the others, especially FCG.
“Yeah- still burns. What a dream…”
“Bud, I don’t think just a dream did this to you. I’m gonna wake up FCG, maybe they can help with the pain. Lay back down on your chest and stay still, I’ll be right back.”
“O-okay…” Orym lay on his chest, he felt tired, and he wanted to go back to sleep but every time he blinked those images flashed across his eyes. It only took a few moments until Ashton arrived with FCG in tow.
“Hey buds, FCG is here, he’s gonna take a look at you, okay?” Ashton said, patting one of Orym’s hands. Orym just nodded and let out a pained sigh.
“Hey, Ashton said you woke up like this and they said you had a dream?” FCG said, rolling over to Orym and hovering a hand above the lighting scared back.
“I-I had a dream… Ruidus-- the moon talked to me-- wanted me to-- make a deal-- to-to… I denied and it made me w-watch--- watch all of you, e-everyone die… I b-begged for it to stop and then-- I was struck-- I woke up after that.” Orym spoke in ragged breaths and his voice strained.
“Shit, this is a lot. I’m gonna try and heal you.” FCG places a hand on Orym’s back and casts Cure wounds at the 2nd level. At first, Orym feels a wave of relief but it is quickly followed by red-hot pain that radiates from the center of his back. Orym screamed. FCG quickly pulled back but the damage was done. Orym gripped tighter onto the bed and to Ashton’s hand.
The scream echoed through the inn, luckily the Bells Hells were the only ones renting rooms that night. The others were up quickly, soon rushing to the source of the scream. They half-recognized the voice as Orym but they'd never heard so much pain come from the halfling. Fearne, Laudna, Imogen, and Chetney all in the other rented room rush over to see what happened.
They entered hands at the ready, Imogen and Laudna had spells tickling at their fingers, Fearne and Mister were both ready to throw down, and Chetney was ready to turn. When they entered to see just their friends their hands dropped. Fearne quickly ran to Orym’s side, Orym was unconscious. He had passed out from the pain and Ashton was getting healed by FCG. They could see Ashton’s hand was bruised but all their eyes were quickly drawn to the red markings that ran down Orym’s back.
“What happened?!” Fearne says, holding her hand above his back scared to touch it.
“He had a nightmare, woke up in a panic, and then I saw these. FCG tried to heal him but I think it made it worse.” Ashton said, looking from his now semi-bruised hand to Orym.
“Did he mention what the dream was about?” Imogen spoke up from where she stood near the door.
“Uh… yeah mentioned something about Ruidus, the moon, wanting to make a deal and being mad when he didn’t take it,” Ashton replied.
“That’s weird… I’m usually the one to get moon dreams. But I guess ever since he made me fight against my dreams I haven't had any… I didn’t think it’d affect anyone else.” Imogen responded looking down towards the floor.
“Maybe… Let’s just wait for him to wake up, we’ll get more answers then.” FCG says trying to stop Imogen from blaming herself without knowing what caused this.
So they all decided to pile up on the floor in Orym, Ashton, and FCG’s room. All being conscious of the quiet breaths of their halfling friend. Hopefully, in the morning they will find something to help or at least connect some unexplained dots.