Mafusta: The Recovery
Mafusta - November 11, 2005
Large, maroon streaks cover the sky as I stare into the heavens.
I focus on a single point of glowing white light. For a second
the screams around me vanish and I hear a whisper, but I cannot
understand what is being said. The foul stench of booze pours off
the human warrior as he smashes the door to my family’s hut. From
the corner of my eye I catch the swift movement of someone. I
barely recognize my brother as he transforms into a monstrous
bear. Unfortunately his magic does not save him this time….
Pain…sharp….stinging….racing….markings….a…druid…Runetotem
clan….anger….kill……No. Not this one….the humans.
Þð???…awaken…
For several weeks after death touched me upon the forehead and
said, “Follow me,” I remember nothing. The few cognizant moments
are used to restrain myself from killing those attempting to heal
me. I do recall, the entire time, an odd scent being present,
something that reminds me of the carnage that I survived. The
smell of death. I come to find out her name was Ceryna.
As more time passes, my physical wounds manage to heal. Arch
Druid Runetotem is astounded by my luck. I survived with all
limbs intact. The most important part of recovery is occupying
the mind. I read every book Runetotem has on the types and
properties of flower around Thunder Bluff. Reading helps drown
out the agonizing screams in my head. Ceryna is never far, and
eventually I become accustomed to her smell. She seems to be the
only one who cares about my fate. The other healers attending me
treat me as a pariah.
Sleeping is the worst part of the recovery. The anguished,
pitiful cries echo across every thought, every moment, every
instant of the nightmarish realm of slumber. I feel each stab
wound again, I taste the bone and flesh in my mouth, I hear the
skulls crack on every human I kill, but it is not enough….it will
never be enough. Ceryna can see my suffering with her decaying
but observant eyes. She attempts to console me, and I must
restrain myself from crushing her withered body simply because
she looks human.
At first I believe myself cured when I look over the charred,
ruined landscape in my dream, but I now know it is only the
beginning of something much worse. At the time, I felt
contentment as the whispers rose on the wisps of smoke, but the
glowing, white light will not tell me its secret…I lost my chance
to understand everything. Now I must stumble blindly through my
dreams. There is so much I do not know….someday hopefully it will
reveal itself to me again.
At least two months pass before I can walk on my own. Runetotem
believes I had made a full recovery and rather quickly asked
everyone to depart the hut. As he packs his things he looks
nervously at me and asks “Mafusta, do you recall how long your
recovery took?”
“A few months at most,” I hesitantly respond. “Do you recall the
first few weeks of your recovery?” he probes. “Not particularly.
I was barely aware of my surroundings,” I explain. “Yes that is
what concerns me. In the past I have seen cases such as yours and
none have recovered, yet here you stand perfectly mended. Besides
a few scars, physically, you look no worse for wear. I do worry
about your mind though…” “As you have said I was incredibly lucky
--” “You were more than lucky, Mafusta.” He interjects. “Then how
can you explain my recovery? A miracle?” “I am not sure if I
would call it a miracle…something has disturbed you. I find you
mumbling to yourself at night and during the day sometimes.” I
tell him, “I do not know what I do at night, but I never mumble
to myself during the day.” “Hmmm…well then I am going to send you
on your way. Ceryna has offered to care for you until you decide
how to pick up your life. If you have any more…developments…
contact me immediately.” That conversation unnerves me greatly
about how I recovered. When I ask Ceryna about my recovery she
claims to not know much about it, but seems evasive. I put it out
of my mind and continue to improve myself, until I have the most
terrifying dream of my existence….but that is a story for another
time.