Chapter 74. Going Home

riel opened her eyes after a sharp jolt to her body.  There had been pain and fear and then an unutterable grief.  The blinding red sky flowed over her, a bowl of flame extending from one horizon to another for as far as her eyes could see.  The flat black plain of Torment shimmered beneath her and she rose, gazing sadly upon her translucent body.

All of her dreams, gone, like smoke.  A thin wail of pain curled up from the depths of her soul.

She walked over the sharp rubble for what seemed like hours, perhaps days, the pain of departure bleeding away her resolve.  Alone, there was no one to hear her cries of misery or dry her tears.  All of eternity would pass for her here where no stars shone and no living thing flourished.  The memories of all that was beautiful in the world she had left behind were a painful burden to her now.  She longed to return, to sleep, to know the meaning of contentment.

When at last she could walk no more, she dropped to the hard ground and curled into a ball of misery.  Death had held no more than the usual fear for her.  She had certainly not sought it, but she had known that eventually her time would come.  Torment, however, she had never imagined.  She had done nothing to deserve such a horrible fate.

“Uriel?”

She lay there for a moment, the man’s voice like the gentlest rain upon her parched spirit. Rolling onto her shins, she sat up and gazed upon him.  The translucent figure drifted softly before her, beautiful and sad, his hand outstretched to her.

“Who are you?” she whispered, her voice raw from grieving.

“Rhys,” he said, “We met once.  You were the pretty young lady with Murdi at my wedding.”

Smiling, she took his hand and rose to her feet, remembering that long ago time in an Ascalon that was green and beautiful.

“Come, I’ll take you home.”