5:Tearing

From Reydala

Though it was not in his nature to do so normally, Aknier was near fainting from sleep deprivation, and quietly snuck away from the rest of the group. At the house, he collapsed on the make-shift bed, falling into another nightmare of chaos.

He woke up this time...but did not move. He felt as though all strength was gone from him. The silver holy symbol of Mulinel, normally comforting, felt cold and irritating at his chest. It was some time before he managed to fall out of the bed. Everything seemed oddly quiet, and surreal. The house was empty. Dead. Aknier found himself attempting to write a Bless spell onto a scroll...but his quill would not move.

For the first time in his life, Aknier felt very far away from home...what was he doing here anyways? Journying into the middle of a desert to "save" a woman who thought of no one but herself, ill suited to be a wife, let alone a *mother* of all things. " 'I felt the calling of the goddess!' Hah!" Aknier said outloud, mockingly and bitterly. "You felt the strings of a childish puppetter, and obeyed." Aknier momentarally felt an immense hatred for goddess of wind and chaos.

He sighed. That was how they all were. Lucion didn't mind making contracts with devils to "keep the peace," Regial was as thick and hard as rock, Sor was practically autistic, his own lacked self confidence of any kind...and these were the *good* ones. Religion was stupid. Incredibly, undeniably---about to hit the floor...

Aknier tripped while he was pacing around the house with these thoughts. He winced, and his face hurled to met the hard floor...to be stopped by only a few inches. There was a gentle tugging at his neck; only after half a minute past did Aknier realize his holy symbol had caught on a nail sticking out from the wall. After fixing himself, Aknier curled up in a ball, and weeped. He should not have said what he did. But what was his crime? Why was he enduring these hellish dreams?

A scream erupted from outside. Aknier felt unearthly vibrations, and got up to look outside, to his horror. What manner of beast was it that flew to the northeast?

Without hesitation, Aknier put on his robe and wizard hat, and ran outside. This was not the time for self-doubt.